Sexual Harassment In Workplace Malaysia



It is also a form of discrimination.

Sexual harassment in workplace malaysia. This is interpreted in section 2 of the employment act 1955 as. A racial harassment harassment in the work conditions or working environment on the basis of race is intended to cause or has the effect of causing physical mental or emotional distress at the workplace. Sexual harassment is covered under part xva employment act 1955 but it has limitations.

Presently there is no special and comprehensive law on sexual harassment in malaysia. Tackling workplace sexual harassment. Over a third or 36 per cent of malaysian women have experienced sexual harassment compared to one in six 17 per cent men said a survey.

To date sexual harassment in the malaysian legal context is usually discussed in the context of the work space. To begin with there is no particular legislation in malaysia that is tailored specifically to eliminate workplace sexual harassment despite the continuous calls for better. Malaysia s deputy prime minister dr wan azizah wan ismail said there was still a certain stigma attached to victims reporting such cases.

B sexual harassment such harassment refers to conduct or behaviour that is of a sexual nature. Section 509 of the penal code which criminalises the offence of insulting the modesty of a woman with a custodial penalty of up to five years has been regarded as not sufficiently wide to encompass all the elements of sexual harassment. Sexual harassment laws in malaysia.

In malaysia sexual harassment is considered a workplace problem. Prior to the amendment of the employment act 1955 act there was no specific legislation to address sexual harassment aside from the general provisions in the penal code and we were reliant on the code of practice and the prevention and eradication of sexual harassment in the workplace 1999 code as a guideline for employees to safeguard themselves and for employers to. The malaysian legal system offers limited recourse for sexual harassment be it at the criminal labour or administrative level.

Since 2000 wcc has been spearheading the joint action group for gender equality jag to campaign for a sexual harassment law for malaysia. Often the workplace culture and policies are complicit in silencing and not supporting victims.