KUALA LUMPUR, June 23 – When it comes to combating harassment and the silence that surrounds it, a legal framework alone is insufficient, said Hannah Yeoh, youth and sports minister.
“To truly challenge the culture of silence, we must address a range of cultural and structural issues by ensuring anonymous support for survivors, raising awareness and educating people, and fighting gender stereotypes.”
Since 2023, Yeoh said her ministry has received 49 complaints/cases of sexual harassment.
“The more we raise awareness on this, the more people will feel safe to come forward,” she said during her keynote address at a “Spotlight on Sexual Harassment in Sports” event organised by the All Women’s Action Society Malaysia (AWAM) and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) last Friday, June 20.
According to Yeoh, 1,187 organisations, including government, sports bodies, and NGOs have signed their commitment to the Safe Sports Code.
The Safe Sports Code was launched in 2023 to provide guidance on creating a safe sports environment with clear guidelines in addressing misconduct and abuse in sports.
Yeoh added that to date, 3,769 staff, coaches and athletes have completed the Safe Sports course under the National Coaching Academy.
“We have also mandated background checks for all coaches appointed by the National Sports Council, and moving forward we are working on expanding this mandate to all registered and licensed coaches,” said the minister.
She added that one of the values of safe sports as stated in the code itself was continual improvement. “We must constantly review and update policies to ensure their relevance and effectiveness in promoting safe sports.”
Up To Society To Create Safe Environment
The event featured a special screening of the Belgian film Julie Keeps Quiet. Despite its title, Peter Van Acker, ambassador of Belgium to Malaysia said in his welcome address: “The film by no means propagates keeping quiet as a solution for sexual harassment, but it also shows that there are a lot of sensitivities when this kind of behavior is involved and that there are no easy solutions.
“It is up to every society to create a safe environment where sportsmen and women can thrive, but also to create an architecture of mechanisms to report abuse without fear of retribution.”
Ho Yock Lin, president of the All Women’s Action Society (AWAM) said the NGOs helpline, which was set up in 1991 has to date received over 15,000 calls from gender-based violence survivors.
“This year alone, we’ve received eight cases of sexual harassment in the workplace. It’s probably the tip of the iceberg.”
The Ministry of Women, Family, and Community Development reported 522 cases of sexual harassment in 2023, with over 85 per cent involving female survivors, she said, adding that many cases go unreported.
“Sport is meant to improve physical fitness, promote mental well-being, form social relationships, empower, uplift, and unite,” Ho said.
“But when athletes are subjected to inappropriate comments or unwanted advances, the playing field is no longer fair and enjoyable. It becomes a space of fear, loss, anger, and silence.
Myth Of The Perfect Victim
In her closing address Dr Jullitta Onabanjo, UNFPA representative for Malaysia and country director for Thailand, said many women and girls are socialised to believe they are to blame for sexual harassment.
“And they are expected to be the ‘perfect victim’ if they want to be believed. This myth of the perfect victim is a crude test of credibility rooted in patriarchy.”
She questioned why perpetrators are not interrogated and why survivors are met with doubt.
“Why are they the ones that are reprimanded for not dressing appropriately, not reporting on time – yet even in the OSCC (one-stop crisis centres) or at police stations spend hours to report the case) – or not being able to recount in detail an ordeal (they) want to banish from memory?
“Why are we asking survivors why they did not say anything, when what their silence is, is a loud indictment of a system that has failed them.”
