The matter came to light when the former employee, who wanted to be known as Zubi Zulkifli, wrote about it on Facebook.
This led to one of the victims, Dana (not her real name), relating what had happened to her when she joined the NGO 13 years ago.
Dana said her supervisor had made remarks about her body and suggested that they share a room when attending a workshop overseas.
When she refused, this was followed by threats about her work performance.
Dana said she knew of others who had also been victimised.
“Before and after me. Same MO (modus operandi), same body remarks, same room-sharing suggestions,” she said, adding that reports lodged against the supervisor were never followed through.
She said when she reported the matter to the management, they warned her that it could jeopardise her position in the organisation and tarnish its name.
Although the supervisor eventually apologised to her, she said the apology was “insincere”, and that his version of what had happened was “twisted”.
However, Dana felt pressured to accept the apology, following which the case was considered resolved.
She recalled a lady who attended the meeting telling her that she had been over-sensitive and that the supervisor was harmless.
She was also made to continue reporting to him for the next few years.
“It was painful, but I pretended as if I was okay. I was not.”
When contacted, Dana told FMT she had been inspired to open up about her experience by the recent sex scandal involving Oxfam International, one of Britain’s biggest charities.
However, she said she was still scared and ashamed of the incidents that had happened over a decade ago.
“In my mind, I’m still that 24-year-old.”
She maintains that the NGO owes her an apology for its handling of the episode.
“I hope people are aware of what constitutes sexual harassment,” she said. “It’s not about being overly sensitive.”
According to Zubi, the victims were persuaded to drop their cases on the grounds that they were difficult to prove. They were also told that the cases would be an embarrassment and tarnish the organisation’s reputation.
She said everything was swept under the carpet as the perpetrator was also considered an asset to the organisation.
She too is demanding that the NGO apologise to Dana and the other victims, saying corrective action must be taken to prevent similar incidents in the future.
She also questioned the rationale of making the victim face the harasser in an inquiry, which she said would only discourage complaints.
“It’s a lousy procedure. It is shoddy and unprofessional. Victims, especially those who are young, will feel pressured to drop the case,” she told FMT.
She urged victims not to give up on their cases, saying it is their right to see that a thorough investigation is carried out.
“And to those in authority, have the courage and moral conscience to do the right thing.”