KUALA LUMPUR, July 12 – The anti-sexual harassment tribunal (or its Malay acronym TAGS, which stands for Tribunal Bagi Antigangguan Seksual) at the Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development (KPWKM) in Putrajaya has issued its first award for a sexual harassment complaint involving physical sexual harassment by an employer (male) against his employee (female).
After considering the testimony and evidence presented, TAGS found that the complainant had succeeded in proving that the respondent had sexually harassed her.
Therefore, TAGS has ordered the respondent to make a statement of apology as requested by the complainant.
This award is issued within 60 days from the first day of the hearing, which was on May 23, 2024, in accordance with the provisions under Section 19(1) of the Antisexual Harassment Act 2022 (Act 840), said KPWKM in a statement.
The Anti-Sexual Harassment Act 2022 [Act 840] under the ministry’s supervision was fully enforced on March 8, 2024.
As of June 8, 2024, a total of four complaints of sexual harassment have been received by the Anti-Sexual Harassment Tribunal, according to KPWKM in a parliamentary reply two days ago.
“The data reveals that for all four complaints, the perpetrator or the respondent are men aged 18 and above,” said KPWKM minister Nancy Shukri.
In a statement, KPWKM said TAGS offers an alternative channel to civil courts for handling sexual harassment complaints quickly, easily, and at minimal cost.
Victims of sexual harassment are urged to come forward and file a complaint at the TAGS counter at KPWKM in Putrajaya or to contact the ministry’s Talian Kasih 15999 hotline for further inquiries.
Meanwhile, in the same reply, Nancy said the Royal Malaysian Police (PDRM) had also received 50 complaints of stalking as of May 31, 2024.
“The breakdown of that figure by gender is 43 male perpetrators and four female perpetrators, while the gender of three other perpetrators cannot be determined.
“Meanwhile, the breakdown of perpetrators by age is 30 persons aged 18 and above, 20 of undetermined age, while no perpetrators under the age of 18 were reported.”
She added, “However, there were complaints where the gender and age of the perpetrator could not be established due to various factors, including that the stalking was conducted online.”
Section 507A of the Penal Code, which criminalises stalking, came into force on May 31 last year.
The first person to be charged under that law in August last year was acquitted in January this year following a plea of insanity.
