Although the police disallowed them from marching on the streets, participants of the Citizens Against Rape rally gathered at the Komtar complex in Penang with placards and balloons yesterday.

The more than 100 participants chanted anti-rape slogans and walked around on the third floor - which housed the state government's main departments.

Themed 'Men: Please Help Stop The Rape ... Together We Can Stop All Forms of Violence Against Women', it was organised by several local non-government organisations and political parties.

State executive councillor and Gerakan leader Dr Toh Kin Woon was also present to lend his support to the campaign, prompted by the recent increase in crimes against women.

The police were said to have been upset by the organisers decision to walk around the complex which they claimed flaunted the conditions in the permit.

Suaram Penang - the main organiser - coordinator Choo Chon Kai was later questioned by several plainclothes police personnel after the event.

"We did not march but merely walked to show our seriousness in confronting this issue which should be a major concern for everyone," he said when met.

Participants also expressed disappointment with the police for turning down their application to march on the streets on security grounds.

They described this as "unreasonable" since several weeks earlier Penang police chief Othman Talib gave his blessings and even commended the organisers.

However, Othman is currently outstation and could not be reached for comment.

Religious education

Earlier, during the event Penang Men's Crisis Centre representative Dr Rohana Ariffin told participants that a recent survey conducted in local prisons revealed that rapists felt religious education was the best way to deter the crime.

The Parti Keadilan Rakyat (Keadilan) leader, who headed the nationwide survey, said rapists also claimed that women should be "more responsible" in the manner they dress.

"According to them (rapists interviewed), when a man gets hot, he cannot control himself.

"How come women get away scott-free after creating so much temptation? Naturally, from their point, [rape] relates basically to sex and not any form of power relations," she added.

Catholic organisation Penang Office for Human Development representative Joachim Xavier called on men to take a leading role in the fight against rape.

He said sexual assaults do not happen to strangers as the victims are "your friends, mothers, sisters, partners and daughters".

"Other than we [men] do it [rape], this should be good enough reason for all us to get involved," he added.

'New Sex Times'

Meanwhile, the group also launched its own newspaper called ' The New Sex Times ' which featured articles on rape, which according to the publication occurred every six hours and 18 minutes in Malaysia.

The paper also featured the latest statistics on rape, an analysis on the survey conducted on convicted rapists and a rape test to see how men measured up as an 'anti-rape man'.

According to a survey featured on 57 recent rape reports between January 2002 to August this year, 65.5 percent (36) were perpetrated by persons known to the victims, 34.5 percent (19) by unknown assailants, 79 percent (20) occurred in familiar settings, 65.4 percent (17) at home, 23.1 percent (6) in unfamiliar settings and only 11.5 percent (3) at work places.

The group will also hand a memorandum to Chief Minister Dr Koh Tsu Koon to urge public organisations and corporations such as shopping complex owners and car park operators to exercise some responsibility towards this issue

The memorandum will also call for the police, education institutions and the judiciary to contribute towards the elimination of violence against women by effective safety measures, law enforcement, implementation of properly conducted gender-respect education and appropriate legal reforms.