Sashidaran Gunathevan
The death of Sashikala last week invokes fear of the rampant cyberbullying culture among social media users in Malaysia.
On Saturday, August 6, Shashikala Nadarajah, 44, committed suicide at her house in Subang Jaya.
Shashikala, a tuition teacher, had 30,000 followers on Tik Tok.
She posted content related to cyberbullying, sexual harassment, education and animal welfare. At times she also shared her love for her luxury handbag collection.
Netizens express shock
Many netizens have flocked to her TikTok account to express their condolences.
“Really sorry to her family… I don’t know her personally, but I use to follow her in tik tok. She was such a strong and bold lady.
“I’m still in shock and can’t take it at all… Don’t ever take any sudden decision when you are emotionally unstable. May Her Soul Rest In Peace,” said Tik Tok user Anusha NSK.
Another user, Thabib Shaker, questioned if the cyberbully was happy after the death of Sashikala.
“I’m very sure you will not be able to live peacefully after this because you have indirectly caused a person’s death,” berated Shaker.
Following this incident, Selangor Menteri Besar Amiruddin Shaari posted a video on Tik Tok condemning the cyberbullying act.
“It’s a sad incident and should never happen in Malaysia. We should come together to end the cyberbullying culture,” he said.
He also added that people could use the Selangkah mobile application to get help when they feel stressed or bullied.
How to overcome cyberbullying on social media
If you know someone who is a victim of cyberbullying, offer support.
Listen to them. If they do not want to report anything formally, ask them to talk to someone who might be able to help.
Doing nothing at this point can leave the person feeling that everyone is against them or that nobody cares.
Here are some ways to deal with cyberbullying.
Don’t respond
Do not react to comments or posts. Reacting to it may make matters worse or even get you into trouble.
Always screenshot
Keep a record of the posts, comments or videos if you are harassed or bullied.
Talk to someone
Never fear or keep quiet. The longer you do that, the more lonely you will feel. Seek support from family members, friends or counsellors. Talking to another person will help you to document evidence.
Adjust your privacy setting
Set your privacy on social media to a high level. Do not connect if you don’t know them. Value your privacy, especially on social media.
Block and report
Ensure you block and report the account through the appropriate channel in the social media platform. If you don’t want to do it, get someone else to do it for you.
If you feel the threat from the bullying is unbearable, report it to the police.
Social media platforms allow you to report, block or restrict accounts. Here are some links to resources.
Facebook – How to handle harassment and bullying
Twitter – Report abusive behaviour
Instagram – Reporting harassment and bullying
Tik Tok – Bullying prevention
You can read the guide released R.Age for local assistance on how to report online abuse.
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