KUCHING: Men are a little reluctant when it comes to reporting instances of domestic abuse or sexual harassment against them.
Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri who said the Domestic Violence Act 1994 (Act 521) gives equal protection to men and women lamented that this is the problem.
“In terms of the target (of the law), it may be more towards women as this group is more affected, but the Act is also applicable to men in Malaysia.
“However, if men are victims of abuse or domestic violence, how many come forward to file complaints? Not many come forward,” she said.
Nancy said this during a press conference after attending the ‘Akad Semarak Ummah 2023’ programme at the Darul Hana Kuching Mosque on Saturday (Dec 9).
Nancy who is Santubong MP pointed out that protection for both men and women extends not only to domestic violence cases but also covers sexual harassment.
To address this, she said the ministry organised the ‘Jerayawara Kasih’ programme of Advocacy Against Sexual Harassment, encouraging men to step forward and report incidents to counsellors available at designated counters.
However, she acknowledged that some men might hesitate to report to the police, possibly due to feelings of embarrassment.
In light of this, Nancy said that the advocacy programmes have become more active.
“Perhaps because our advocacy programme is becoming more active day by day, so they feel more open to revealing the situations they have been experiencing all this time and so on,” she added.
She also stressed that sexual harassment is not limited to male-to-female or male-to-male instances, as there are cases of women harassing men, though the reported numbers are relatively low.
“That’s why it’s crucial for the advocacy programme we organise to encourage men to come forward and make reports.”
In the context of workplace harassment, the implementation of the ‘Jerayawara Kasih’ programme aligns with the Employment (Amendment) Act 2022, which became effective January 1.
This amendment requires employers to display notices regarding sexual harassment in the workplace.
The ministry has developed anti-sexual harassment notices that can be downloaded via QR code and the Women’s Development Department’s website for display in all organisations, including public and private premises.
Additionally, the ministry has enacted the Anti-Sexual Harassment Act 2022 (Act 840) as a specific law to assist victims in reporting incidents of sexual harassment, ensuring appropriate action and remedies are provided.
