Perpetuating the love of fine craftsmanship that began with the Maison’s founding in 1828, Roberto crafts his Météorites with the soul of an artist and the precision of a scientist. Each of his luminous compositions is unique, the result of almost a quarter of a century of savoir-faire shared with only four other craftsmen.

RAPE JOKES - NOT FUNNY NOW, NOT FUNNY EVER

1. Sexual harassment has been taking place in the schools for years, but only recently has it begun to get the attention it deserves. Some have called such attention as an overreaction to normal teenager behaviour who is going through puberty, but sexual harassment can inflict deep psychological damage on young people. Two recent incidents have made it clear to me that we must put our foot down and do something to stop it.

2. Sexual harassment is not an easy topic of discussion, let alone a joke. Derogatory sexual comments and rape jokes are very dangerous. When one person makes a comment that uses derogatory sexual language, others can use that comment and later repeat it to their friends. These friends will then absorb the comment and circulate the derogatory sexual language in their social circles, thinking that “it is okay” to laugh about it thus perpetuating a cycle that is difficult to break.

3. We are aware that the role of a teacher is to inspire, motivate, encourage and educate learners/students. A recent Malaysian student's tweet about her teacher who had joked and underplayed rape has gone viral. It was said that the teacher also made another sickening comment that “if boys get raped it doesn’t get reported because apparently boys would feel ‘good’ about it”. What’s more shocking is the fact that when the student lodged a report to her counselling teacher in school only to be told that it is “normal” for jokes like this to be made as boys feel alright and girls are often too sensitive and emotional. Instead of getting the justice she deserve, she was sent to the same counselling teacher for a “therapy” session.

4. We must put to an end of labelling rape jokes as “part of our culture.” Rape joke was never part of Malaysia’s culture and will never be. The modern society has belittled the voices of survivors, making conventional discussion very one-sided towards the perpetrators. Schools must take the responsibility for preserving an appropriate learning environment that rest primarily with school administrators. Listen to students when they speak up on any form of sexual harassment or approaches made by their teachers, peers, school personnel or any other members in the school. School staffs must never turn a deaf ear to students’ cries for help.

5. Thank you to the student who gathered every ounce of courage that is in her in making a very daring and bold decision of stepping out and speaking the truth whilst still handling her trauma/shock. Sexual harassment is not something young people need to learn to tolerate. Rather, it must be confronted and stopped so that schools can be a safe and positive space for children to learn. Ignoring the situation can often lead to a cycle of ongoing harassment and victimisation. Calling out on people who commit the “humour” of making a joke out of rape or any kind of violence need more efforts. Stern action must be taken to safeguard the safety of our students in school so that in future, actions like these will not be tolerated and it will be put to an end. We should make the elimination of sexual harassment or derogatory actions our top priority. I hope that the Ministry of Education will take action in engaging relevant authorities to make sure this horrendous practice ends.

AINIE HAZIQAH
EXCO Srikandi BERSATU Malaysia

之前曾寫過一篇關於Netflix紀錄片《智能社會：進退兩難 The Social Dilemma》的簡介。沒想到上禮拜蘋果CEO Tim Cook在國際數據保護日論壇中便直指當前「數據剝削」問題，且論調和The Social Dilemma 如出一轍，犀利程度就算直接放到紀錄片中當開場也毫無違和：
　
「我們不應再睜一隻眼閉一隻眼，放任一種科技論調：全互動就是好互動，互動時間越長越好，目標是蒐集越多數據越好。」

（we can no longer turn a blind eye to a theory of technology that says all engagement is good engagement, the longer the better, and all with the goal of collecting as much data as possible.）
　
「單純因為高互動率，所以優先呈現陰謀論和暴力煽動言論，這樣子做的後果是什麼？」

（What are the consequences of prioritizing conspiracy theories and violent incitement simply because of the high rates of engagement?）

「針對削弱大眾對救命疫苗信心的內容，不只容忍、甚至還予以獎賞，這樣子做的後果是什麼？」

（What are the consequences of not just tolerating but rewarding content that undermines public trust in life-saving vaccinations?）

「數千名用戶加入極端社團，卻依然用演算法推薦更多人加入，這樣子做的後果是什麼？」

（What are the consequences of seeing thousands of users joining extremist groups and then perpetuating an algorithm that recommends even more?）

「一個社會困境不應被容許成為一場社會災難。」

（A social dilemma cannot be allowed to become a social catastrophe.）

-----

紀錄片當中提到，科技圈有一句很有名的話「如果你沒有為你正使用的商品付錢，那麼你就是商品」。
　
所謂數據剝削，就是指當我們的購物習慣、我們的位置、我們的搜尋紀錄、我的興趣嗜好．．．種種原本只有我們自己才知道的隱私，如今都成為科技公司賺錢的工具。
　
每個人都是一座數據礦場，科技巨頭們便在我們身上淘金。
　
「我認為隱私權是本世紀最重要的議題之一」－Tim Cook在接受其他媒體訪問時如此說到。