Shouting Match In Women Only Coach Ignites Heated Debate On Public Transport Etiquette

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THE public transport has always been a place for drama. Wild, groping hands. Smelly armpits. People who decide their phone conversation should be heard by everyone.
And of course, males in female-designated areas. This is nothing new in the MRT and LRT coaches. Most of the time they are simply unaware of it and would leave when told.
But sometimes, there is the occasional odd ball who decided that it was the perfect time and place to start a shouting match.
Check out a recent video on X by netizen @kamaghul to find out. In the video, a middle aged uncle could be seen shouting with a lady who was telling him off for occupying the female-designated space.
Marah kena halau sebab masuk bahagian perempuan. Alasan dia nak jaga anak yang bermain kat kawasan tu  pic.twitter.com/5qDY61YWmR
— kamaghul deghaman (@kamaghul) July 23, 2025
And his excuse? Apparently his daughter was playing around the carriage and he needed to monitor her. The man would not budge even though a security personnel was called in to explain the matter.
Who was in the wrong here? Strangely, netizens were divided, with some wondering if it was even necessary to have a female-only area. 
According to netizen @ehsanshah7, the man couldn’t leave his kid alone. “If he brings his kid into a mixed coach, it’s even more dangerous for the kid,” he claimed.

However, @Sauffie84 compared the man’s behaviour to a hillbilly, claiming that his friends once warned that such hillybillies came from Jinjang, Seputeh and Setapak.

“This idea of a women section on train is a bad idea. This may be useful in a country with poor security and low ethical country but not in Malaysia. What next? Special section for old and handicapped people? Just make train safe and convenient for everyone,” said @FortBragg5.
Towards his comment, netizen @miss_Appless replied, “Later if your girls or women in the family become a sexual assault victim in train later because of the train not separate like this, you comment like this okay?”
Also, @Transformer681 said he would have supported the guy if not for his shouting.
On another note, is a female-only carriage necessary? An article by LeadWomen on Linkedin claimed Transport Minister Anthony Loke said that women-only train coaches were introduced in response to ongoing concerns about sexual harassment, especially during peak hours.
These designated carriages are positioned in the centre of the train and are easily recognisable by pink stickers placed on both the platform and train doors.
The article continued, stating that an Ipsos survey conducted in 2022 found that sexual harassment remains the top issue affecting women in Malaysia, with 35% of participants listing it as their primary concern.
“Other significant issues raised included the portrayal of women and girls in a sexualised manner in the media (25%) and incidents of sexual violence (17%),” said LeadWomen. 
While the ideal scenario would eliminate the need for gender-segregated coaches, the persistent threat of harassment highlights a deeper societal problem rooted in the objectification of women and a sense of entitlement over their bodies.
In this context, women-only spaces serve as a crucial short-term measure, offering a safer and more reassuring travel option for female commuters. — Focus Malaysia

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