Aliyawanders

Her name still sends chills down my spine. It’s a name that shaped how women in Malaysia viewed safety. Canny Ong. A tragedy that became a turning point.

It was 2003. I had just moved to KL barely a year before. Back then, I was in my 20s, working in the IT department of a hypermarket, alternating between morning and evening shifts. Morning shifts were brutal—I had to be at work by 6 AM, which meant leaving my rented room in Pinggiran Zaaba by 5:30 AM.

I didn’t own a car, so I walked. Alone. Past dimly lit streets, alongside the gas stations near Taman Tun’s Angkasa Building. The mornings were eerily quiet, save for the occasional rowdy boys returning from their night out, throwing catcalls my way. But I didn’t care. I was young and invincible. Nothing scared me—or so I thought.

Then, Canny Ong’s story hit the news. She had been kidnapped from the basement parking lot of Bangsar Shopping Centre—an upscale mall in KL, a place that felt far removed from danger. It shook me to my core. Suddenly, the streets I walked every morning felt darker, the world heavier.

Canny’s tragedy wasn’t just a headline; it was a wake-up call for the nation. Her story pushed authorities to rethink how they approached safety for women. Parking lots transformed—no longer dim and shadowy but brightly lit, with designated bays for single women or those with young children. MRT and LRT stations introduced ladies-only coaches, a haven in crowded spaces.

These changes didn’t happen by chance—they were hard-won lessons from heartbreaking stories like hers. They are there for our safety, for our daughters, sisters, and friends.

So, I ask you this: How often do we take these safety measures for granted? Do we dismiss them as inconvenient or unnecessary? Let’s not. Let’s use them, demand more of them, and teach our children why they exist. Because safety isn’t a privilege—it’s a right.

Canny Ong’s story still lingers in our collective memory. Let it serve as a reminder to stay vigilant, to fight for safer spaces, and to honor the lives that have paved the way for the measures we have today. Let’s not let her story fade into the shadows.

What safety measures do you think we still need? Share your thoughts—let’s keep the conversation alive.

Read on to uncover the heartbreaking details and the lessons we must never forget https://aliyawanders.com/2024/12/26/the-night-that-changed-everything/

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