Wednesday, April 28, 2010

Women-Only KTM Coaches

Some people say it's a stupid idea to have separate coaches for females.

I don't think so. If it helps to prevent criminal acts against women -- young and old -- it gets my vote.

There have been numerous -- God-knows-how-many -- cases of butt-pinching (of women) and all manner of sexual harassment and molest, as well as petty crimes -- on trains (KTM) during rush hours .

What have we got to lose-lah?

So, I welcome Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad's (KTMB) only women's coach in the middle section of its train.

The women-only coach could be identified by the pink stickers on its door and windows.

Here's excerpts from the Bernama report:

"Acting KTM Komuter Corporate Communications senior manager Mohd Fazil Ismail told reporters in Kuala Lumpur that it would take about three months to educate the public about the separation of coaches because KTM would need to standardise the new regulations on the use of the special coach starting with the Sentul-Port-Klang route.

He said during a trial period of one week, KTMB would also collect feedback from the public on the separation and would extend the new separation system to other platforms."

So, if you're a KTM commuter, give your feedback on the service.

37 comments:

  1. I believe they have women-only coaches in Japanese commuter trains. There's a reason why such coaches exist, and if it makes more people comfortable using the train, why not?

    ReplyDelete
  2. I'm not a KTM Commuter using traveller but I applaud this initiative to give our women their own special coach.

    We have all heard of the sexual harassment that takes place in public transport where perverts and sexual predators have been having a field day groping women, etc.

    Well done KTM!

    ReplyDelete
  3. As per Samy Velu:

    Saya sokong satu ratus peratus penuh penuh!

    dpp
    we are all of 1 race, the Human Race

    ReplyDelete
  4. Anonymous6:18 AM

    thank god finally! its common sense!i rely on it so much daily, that such small practical decisions improve my life! tq ktmb!

    -ai leng-

    ReplyDelete
  5. Anonymous7:08 AM

    Tahniah KTM. No more bra burning.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Anonymous8:45 AM

    Thank you KTM and also YB Zulkifli Nordin for the women"s couch.

    ...wawa

    ReplyDelete
  7. Aunty Nuraina,
    How about couples trying to juggle toddlers and shopping bags and strollers etc etc...would they have to be separated? I'd say women travelling alone should go to the Women Only coach but couples, especially with children, shouldn't be separated. Perhaps a separate coach for Families Only? purrr....meow!

    ReplyDelete
  8. KTM gets my support my full support here.
    Women's only coaches are for women only. But for those women who don't mind mixing , they are free to go to any coach.
    Unless there are guys who insist on men's only coaches too.I don't know.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Cat-In-Sidney >> if i'm not mistaken, in yesterday's newspapers stated that 'female passengers can choose to take a ride in a normal passenger coach or in a special ladies coach..AND boys aged below 12would be allowed to take a ride in the ladies coach if they were accompanied by a female passenger'.. For me this new step taken by KTMB should be applauded.
    I myself witnessed someone being sexually harrassed in LRT 2 yrs ago >>which is quite scary since we were the only ladies in the coach at that time..and the perverts chose to harrass only the other girl (not that I'm complaining :)--The girl and I got down at the nearest station and waited for the next train to arrive. This separation of coaches can somewhat protect females that travel alone..

    ReplyDelete
  10. Cat-In-Sydney,

    Aiyaah, sweetie.. you think women are forced to travel in the women-only coaches?

    They have a choice -- travel in the regular coaches or in that special one.

    so, if you're with your family, you can take your pick....

    haha..it's not like there are guards to make sure that all the women are herded into the women-only coaches.

    thanks for visiting. how's the weather downunder? take care.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Aunty Nuraina,
    We said that coz we saw how people in some states implemented the separation of gender at supermarket counters! What say you they won't do the same with the coaches, good intention or not?
    Weather getting chilly here now that winter is just around the corner. Bila nak visit your fav cats? purrr....meow!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Anonymous10:39 AM

    Baguslah, menyediakan alternatif untuk memelihara maruah wanita.

    Kalau kemudahan tandas boleh diasingkan, apa salahnya kemudahan komuter?. Usah dilupa bahawa ada yang bernafsu serakah melampiaskan syahwat mereka dengan mengambil kesempatan meraba-raba.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Anonymous11:58 AM

    So much for equal rights!

    ReplyDelete
  14. Anonymous3:40 PM

    Lets have LRT too having separate coaches.
    Why not?

    ReplyDelete
  15. There are coach for woman and coach for man+woman. Woman can enter both but man cannot enter woman coach. PADAN MUKA LAKI2.

    ReplyDelete
  16. maam,
    india and japan have the same thing.
    women's only coaches.
    yay.

    next i want to see Old Men's Only coaches, for those 50 and above.
    kesian aku kena berdiri sebab budak-budak muda setan ni semua nak duduk. olok-olok tidur lagi!

    ReplyDelete
  17. cat-in-sydney,

    oh...i see what you mean.. but i don't think they can introduce that in train services in those states. KTM is not a state company so they cannot make any such gender-separation ruling on trains.

    ReplyDelete
  18. It's about time! Too many perverts taking advantage of the packed trains for too damn long!

    ReplyDelete
  19. Langkah yang sangat dialu-alukan.
    Pembelaan untuk kaum wanita.

    Terima kasih KTMB.

    ReplyDelete
  20. Anonymous10:14 AM

    Welcome to Taliban country...now train..looks ok for now......but talibanization in process

    ReplyDelete
  21. Salam Nuraina,


    I think in that state as Cat in Sydney mentioned, the state already know and been proven ions ago that, there must be a separation between the gender................grrrrr

    ReplyDelete
  22. anon@10:14am,

    you are paranoid or delirious.

    ReplyDelete
  23. Only stupid people says it is a stupid idea because they have their own stupid agenda.

    Sekarang lebih mudah aku buat urusan perniagaan aku sebab isteri aku dah tak takut naik komuter pegi dan balik kerja. Sebelum ini terlalu banyak gangguan terutama dari pendatang asing. Belum lagi sikap penumpang sekarang yang lebih mementingkan diri sendiri.

    Ini hanya satu permulaan. Lebih banyak lagi boleh dilakukan kalau tak dipolitikkan.

    Anonymous Anonymous said...
    Lets have LRT too having separate coaches. Why not?
    3:40 PM

    One at a time, dear.

    Anonymous Anonymous said...
    So much for equal rights!
    11:58 AM

    of course. they have their right to enjoy the service not to service to people who enjoy them. you still have another two coach with mix-gender instead of one.

    Anonymous Anonymous said...
    Welcome to Taliban country...now train..looks ok for now......but talibanization in process
    10:14 AM

    If we practise talibanization here we don't even need that coach because taliban do not allow their women to go out by themselves and works.

    (siapa bingai? aku yang bingai)
    e-Direktori Bloggers Malaysia

    ReplyDelete
  24. i wish they did this during those years when i was boarding the train daily. would've saved me from those perverts who lurk in crowded trains. berdiri kena, duduk pun kena. klu berdiri kena raba, klu duduk dia tenyeh crotch dia kat bahu. babi sungguh... 12 yrs later and i still fell icky everytime i think abt it. that's how much it affects people. to those who oppose this and/or label this as talibanism or whatever, you don't know what u're talking abt man..

    ReplyDelete
  25. Rasputin Beliong4:28 PM

    So, Ong Tee Kiat, what's holding you back from emulating KTM on LRT?

    ReplyDelete
  26. Anonymous1:39 PM

    saya setuju dengan tindakan KTM mewujudkan ladies coach..tapi yg sedihnyer,semalam saya naik ktm dr KL ke Serdang menggunakan ladies coach, hampir 60% drpd penumpang di dlm coach itu terdiri drpd kaum lelaki, WALAUPUN sudah terang tertulis LADIES COACH.keselesaan yng tak tercapai....

    ReplyDelete
  27. I think it is a good idea. In fact I have many years ago proposed sitting on long distance buses to be segregated as far as possible (as is the standard practice in India).

    Women's only coaches will give comfort and sense of security to the women.

    This move has nothing to do with religion or morals. It is a common sense approach to practical problems faced by the women.

    ReplyDelete
  28. What a pity...Wonder how many couples out there would be feeling nostalgic right now. If there had been women only coaches before, who knows, they may have never met their beaus and never married and had all those little kids...

    ReplyDelete
  29. Is the police investigation into Aminul Rashid's death hampered by tainted statements?

    read all about it at marahku.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  30. Anonymous10:34 AM

    Yang tak sokong tu...sah kaki raba , miang dan gatal.

    ReplyDelete
  31. Anonymous9:00 AM

    Applaud the move. Thumbs up.

    Policy prevent crimes from happening.

    On another note:

    The issue of private security companies guarding residential areas. I don't know but to me it sounds a little shady. A certain area which has been peaceful for 20years suddenly sees rampant snatch theft, house break-ins, muggings, car jackings and suspicious characters hanging around looking at houses during the night and day.

    Then, certain individuals pop up and offer 'security' for the residents in the form of two guards on motorcycles, one plastic table and one plastic chair. Some have a 'tiang' or painted barrels.

    I wonder what's going on.

    ReplyDelete
  32. Anonymous5:45 PM

    saya mencadangkan agar man coaches di implementasikan ke atas monorail bagi mengelakkan kaum lelaki menjadi mangsa tolakan kaum wanita...yup its true

    ReplyDelete
  33. Anonymous7:08 PM

    anonymus 1:39pm

    60% womens coach dinaiki penumpang lelaki
    itu yang jadi masalah, masalah sikap
    ktm bukan sahaja perlu cetuskan idea tetapi kuatkuasakan idea juga

    whiteorange

    ReplyDelete
  34. Anonymous8:10 PM

    well, im not against he women/lady coaches,obviously its a good start to prevent such things to happened. yet, one there's something that really bugging me, when ktm never been punctual before, ok once in a while, imagine around 8 during peak hours, there thousand of people will be using ktm.


    if ktm want to you use this system, then other things should be improved. especially the punctuality. just like lrt, fast and efficient.

    ReplyDelete
  35. i strong ly agree to what you mentioned on this post....

    hope it can be applied to other public transport e.g bus and taxi as well..

    ReplyDelete
  36. I have tried the service yesterday, I have a pleasant journey from Bdr Tasik Sltn to Sban tapi yang tak best nya ada pulak mamat ni dok tak gerak2 dalam ladies' coach ni walaupun ada yang menegur. Sungguh kurang sopan!

    ReplyDelete
  37. Anonymous1:13 AM

    It's stupidity, that's what it is. It doesn't necessarily work when the coaches are too full, well perhaps we have the contractors who run the country to blame for that, for planning such a wonderful public transport system (with considerate amount of pun intended). And such, I don't appreciate self-righteous, tudung-ed, holier-than-thou, woman telling me early in the morning which coach I belong to, with no politeness nor consideration. Not to mention that most of us are rushing to work, packed like sardines, celebrating one more moronic step in Malaysian history. Not all of us men look like those pervert-border-jumpers. I applaud these trivial separatism matters that take the country, again, to nowhere.

    ReplyDelete