Tribunal to start by end of year

Nancy: Anti-Sexual Harassment panel to have a diverse representation

PETALING JAYA: The Tribunal for Anti-Sexual Harassment will be operating before the end of December, says Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri (pic).

The ministry has obtained approval to appoint a president and a deputy president, 10 panel members as well as 20 supporting staff members in the establishment of a tribunal related to the Anti-Sexual Harassment Act, she said.

The panel, she added, will have a diverse representation and a multiracial composition including one representative each from Sabah and Sarawak.

“The tribunal will comprise a president and deputy president. Both will be coming from the Attorney General’s Chambers.

“As for the 10 panel members, five will be those with legal training and the other five will be those with experience working on sexual harassment cases such as from NGOs,” she said in an interview yesterday.

She said the president, deputy president and panel members would determine the standard operating procedure (SOP) for the cases to be handled.

The ministry, she said, will begin advertising the vacancies for the 20 supporting staff members soon, adding that the tribunal will be operating from the Women, Family and Community Development Ministry in Putrajaya.

“It will have to start operating before the end of December. That is our target,” she said.

She said the tribunal should become the “third force” for victims seeking recourse.

While there were laws in place such as the Sexual Offences Act and the Criminal Procedure Code as well as internal procedures practised by companies and organisations in dealing with sexual harassment cases, Nancy said these were not enough.

“This (the tribunal) is something we can use to support the 60% women coming back to work so that at least they feel safe when they have something like this,” she said, in reference to the government’s efforts to increase female labour participation from 56.2% to 60%.

While companies had their own internal procedures in dealing with sexual harassment complaints, Nancy pointed out that some employers may be against them for fear of its impact on the organisation’s image.

“If you just depend on internal disciplinary processes, you may not go anywhere as they (the employers) are the ones in control.

“So we need to provide this tribunal as a third force,” Nancy said.

That’s why we want to set it up quickly.”

Nancy added that the tribunal may also order victims to be compensated, which is another form of remedy for them.

Under the Act, anyone who has committed sexual harassment may end up paying the victims up to RM250,000 in compensation or, in default, serve a two-year jail term.

The tribunal is provided for under the Anti-Sexual Harassment Act, which was gazetted on Oct 18 last year.

Among others, the Act provides for rights of redress for any person who has been sexually harassed, and a Tribunal for Anti-Sexual Harassment to hear complaints on sexual harassment, raise awareness, and prevent the occurrence of sexual harassment.