Actor's 'brothels for migrants to prevent rape' suggestion draws flak

Women and migrant rights activists have censured popular actor Rosyam Nor for suggesting that brothels dedicated to migrant workers be established to prevent rape.

Former Women’s Aid Organisation (WAO) executive director Ivy Josiah said Rosyam (above, right) has a false understanding of the situation.

“The solution to preventing rape is educating people - especially men - to treat women with respect, to accept that women are equal to men.

“We must address the rape culture, stop violence against women in the media and examine our attitude and behaviour towards girls and women,” she told Malaysiakini.

Furthermore, the human rights activist said there is no evidence to show that migrant workers are responsible for the majority of rape cases, pointing out that almost 90 percent of reported cases comprise acquaintances or family members of victims.

“The legal availability of sex workers has not proven to bring down rape crimes significantly. There are still rape cases in Australia and Europe where sex work is legal. 

“However, legalising sex work has other good effects like better protection for sex workers,” said Josiah who stressed that even sex workers can be raped when forced into non-consensual acts.

Rights group Sisters in Islam (SIS) also said there is no official data on the nationalities of those committing rapes, therefore dismissing Rosyam’s remarks as “blanket xenophobia”.

“Rape is a serious issue that inflicts not just physical harm but also long-term emotional, psychological, and often irreversible trauma for the survivors.

“Solutions to critical issues should come from verified sources and official channels,” it said.

Rosyam claimed that opening such brothels would help “save daughters and wives from being raped” as migrant workers “addicted to porn” with no outlets to satisfy their urges would have a place to pay for sexual services.

Perpetuating harm, reinforcing stereotypes

Migrant rights group Tenaganita executive director Glorene A Das said that even if there was any logic to this suggestion, the proposed solution should be in a review of work visa policies.

“There is a double standard because expatriate visa holders are allowed in Malaysia with their partners and children but not ordinary foreign workers,” she told Malaysiakini.

“Let's not forget that prostitution is not the oldest ‘trade’ in the world, it is the oldest form of exploitation, slavery, and gender-based violence devised by men to subjugate women and keep them at men’s sexual disposal.

“We do not want a community of migrants or anyone to be a part of it,” she stressed.

Meanwhile, WAO head of campaigns Marina Abdullah said rape does not happen because men are separated from their wives but due to power imbalances that exist in patriarchal environments.

“The notion that Malaysian women and girls will be ‘protected from rape’ (by opening brothels) is absolutely misleading and it is wrong to suggest that rape is primarily perpetrated by foreigners.

“Suggestions like these perpetuate harm and reinforce damaging stereotypes towards migrant workers and undermine their hardship to legal income, access to healthcare, safety, and harassment,” she told Malaysiakini.

She said the dehumanising of foreigners has a profound impact on their lives and livelihood, and such comments have real-life consequences that can potentially influence how foreigners are perceived.  

Both SIS and WAO noted that Rosyam had a history of perpetuating bigotry and violence against women, referencing the actor’s 2022 TikTok video with former women, families and community development minister Rina Harun.

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