Datuk Mas Ermieyati Samsudin - Bernama
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia is committed to introducing anti-stalking laws, with its draft and policy paper to be brought to the Cabinet as early as December, says Datuk Mas Ermieyati Samsudin.
The Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister's Department said efforts to make stalking a crime began in 2019 when an anti-stalking committee was established.
Since early 2020, she added that the draft amendments to the law (amendments to the Penal Code and the Criminal Procedure Code) had been prepared by the committee, led by the legal affairs division with the involvement of other government agencies and non-governmental organisations (NGOs).
"The Policy Paper together with amendments of the law is expected to be tabled to the Cabinet in December 2021 and the amendments will be tabled in Parliament after obtaining the approval from the Cabinet," she said in a statement on Wednesday (Nov 3).
This was following a meeting to discuss the latest development on the anti-stalking law in parliament on Tuesday (Nov 2).
According to her, the meeting was attended by various stakeholders, including the Women, Family and Community Development Ministry, the Attorney General’s Chambers, the police, the Malaysian Bar Council, the Women’s Aid Organisation (WAO) and experts.
"During the meeting, three stalking victims have shared their experiences and how they were left unprotected due to gaps that exist in the laws," said Mas Ermieyati.
She said WAO had also submitted a memorandum signed by 52 groups and a petition supported by more than 8,500 people.
In December last year, a research made by WAO showed that a third of Malaysians have experienced acts associated with stalking.
According to a survey titled "Understanding Malaysians' Experiences of Stalking", involving 1,008 Malaysians, it reported that one-third had experienced stalking that instilled fear; 17% had experienced stalking resulting in harm and 12% were stalked and threatened with harm.
