PETALING JAYA: The Malaysian Association of Working Women (Perwanis) wants the Government to make the Code of Practice for the prevention of sexual harassment at workplaces part of the Labour Law to better protect the interest of the 4.23 million women workers nationwide.
Its president, Silam Hassan, said the code was ineffective, as many employers were not adopting it and when victims lodged complaints against their management staff, they were further penalised.
“There had been numerous cases where victims and witnesses who came forward were dismissed or penalised,'' she said after the organisation's website was launched by National Unity and Community Development Ministry Parliamentary Secretary Datuk S. Veerasingha here yesterday.
On the setting up of childcare centres, Silam said Perwanis would urge the relevant ministries to push employers to provide the facility at or near workplaces.
In a related development, Labour Department director (Legal and Enforcement) Goh Seng Wing said in his paper that the Human Resources Ministry had been promoting the use of the sexual harassment code and the setting up of childcare centres.
Also present at the seminar were Third World Network legal consultant Dr Saradha Ramaswamy Iyer and the Chief Executive of Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations Martin Sime.
