Tribunal to get a trial run for fine-tuning, says Nancy

PETALING JAYA: A simulation run of the Anti-Sexual Harassment Act 2022’s tribunal will be carried out soon, says Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri.

She said certain aspects of the tribunal were still being fine-tuned.

“So far, we already have the names of the president and deputy president,” she said after the ministry’s recent media gathering in Kuala Lumpur.

She said the ministry’s Jerayawara Kasih@Anti-Sexual Harassment Advocacy Programme had 25,251 participants in 65 programmes organised in line with the Anti-Sexual Harassment Act 2022 (Act 840).

“Through this, men are coming forward. Perhaps they feel ashamed about going to the police to report sexual harassment cases. With our counsellors, they can pour out their feelings via drawings or take a test to reveal their predicament.

“This is how they show us the challenges they face as victims.”

The enactment of the Act has allowed a more conducive environment for victims of sexual harassment to come forward and the appropriate action to be taken, said Nancy.

When asked if there should be more closed-circuit television cameras installed especially in workplaces, she said that it was highly recommended but this depended on employers’ willingness to do so.

Recently, then deputy women, family and community development minister Datuk Aiman Athirah Sabu told the Dewan Rakyat that the ministry had received a total of 1,486 cases of complaints related to sexual harassment. Of that number, 411 cases (27.7%) involved male victims.

On Oct 26, Nancy said her ministry had obtained approval to appoint a president and a deputy president, 10 panel members as well as 20 supporting staff members for the tribunal.