Rising sexual harassment, domestic violence cases highlight need for community action
KOTA KINABALU (May 17): A total of 30 sexual harassment complaints have been lodged with the Tribunal for Anti-Sexual Harassment (TAGS) to date.
State Community Development and People's Wellbeing Assistant Minister Datuk Flovia Ng explained that TAGS serves as an alternative platform to civil court, aimed at handling sexual harassment complaints swiftly, efficiently, and at minimal cost.
Flovia said that once a report is lodged, action will be taken against perpetrators, including compensation for any loss or damage suffered by the victims.
In 2024 alone, 28 sexual harassment complaints were filed with TAGS, while 11 cases were reported up to 29 April 2025. So far, 30 complaints have been heard and decisions made.
Meanwhile, police data revealed a concerning rise in sexual harassment cases: 477 in 2022, 522 in 2023, and 788 in 2024. As of March 2025, 214 cases have been reported, including five from Sabah.
Flovia noted that the increase in reports shows a growing awareness among the community regarding the importance of personal safety.
'Sexual harassment is a subjective behavior that can happen anywhere and to anyone, regardless of gender, race, religion, or other factors,' she said. 'It is important for all groups in society to recognize that sexual harassment is a form of behavior that makes victims feel uncomfortable, afraid, or threatened.'
She made the remarks while officiating the 'Zero Tolerance for Violence' programme at the Papar Community Hall today.
On a related note, Flovia also highlighted domestic violence as a serious and ongoing issue requiring collective attention and action.
According to police statistics, 7,116 cases of domestic violence were reported in 2024, including 551 cases from Sabah. This marks an increase from 5,507 cases in 2023 and 6,540 in 2022.
Flovia, who is also the Tulid assemblywoman, emphasized that while women are the majority of victims, men can also be affected.
She noted that domestic violence cases surged during the Covid-19 pandemic due to lockdowns and financial pressures. Many victims hesitate to come forward due to fear, social stigma, or emotional manipulation by their abusers. Others may be unaware of how to report such cases.
'As a caring society, we need to be vigilant and take action if we witness such incidents in our community. Be informed and report what's happening around us,' urged Flovia.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Star
6 hours ago
- The Star
Myanmar military courts sentence 12 to life for human trafficking, including Chinese nationals
BANGKOK (AP): Myanmar military courts have sentenced a dozen individuals - including five Chinese nationals - to life imprisonment for their involvement in multiple human trafficking cases, state-run media reported Saturday. According to the Myanma Alinn newspaper, the convictions stem from a range of offenses including the online distribution of sex videos and the trafficking of Myanmar women into forced marriages in China. In one case, five people - including two Chinese nationals identified as Lin Te and Wang Xiaofeng - were sentenced to life imprisonment by a military court in Yangon, the country's largest city, on July 29. They were found guilty under Myanmar's Anti-Trafficking in Persons law for producing sex videos involving three Myanmar couples and distributing the footage online for profit. In a separate case, the same court sentenced a woman and three Chinese nationals - Yibo, Cao Qiu Quan and Chen Huan. The group was convicted of planning to transport two Myanmar women, recently married to two of the convicted Chinese men, into China, the report said. Additionally, three other people received life sentences from a separate military court for selling a woman as a bride to China, and for attempting to do the same with another woman. In another case, a woman from Myanmar's central Magway region was given a 10-year sentence on July 30 for planning to transport two Myanmar women to be sold as brides to Chinese men, the report said. Human trafficking, particularly of women and girls lured or forced into marriages in China, remains a widespread problem in Myanmar, a country still reeling from civil war after the military seized power from the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi in February 2021. The persisting conflict in most areas of Myanmar has left millions of women and children vulnerable to exploitation. A 2018 report by the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and the Kachin Women's Association Thailand (KWAT) - which works to prevent and respond to trafficking in northern Kachin and Shan states bordering China - estimated that about 21,000 women and girls from northern Myanmar were forced into marriage in China between 2013 and 2017. In its latest report published in December, KWAT noted a sharp decline in the number of trafficking survivors accessing its services from 2020 to 2023. It attributed the decline to the Covid-19 pandemic and border closures caused by the ongoing conflict following the army takeover. However, it reported a resurgence in 2024 as people from across Myanmar began migrating to China in search of work. Maj-Gen Aung Kyaw Kyaw, a deputy minister for Home Affairs, said during a June meeting that the authorities had handled 53 cases of human trafficking, forced marriage and prostitution in 2024, 34 of which involved China, according to a report published by Myanmar's Information Ministry. The report also said that a total of 80 human trafficking cases, including 14 involving marriage deception by foreign nationals, were recorded between January and June this year. - AP
New Straits Times
2 days ago
- New Straits Times
Foreign hawkers still rampant at KL markets despite ban
KUALA LUMPUR: Foreign workers are still rampant at Pudu Market and Kompleks Pasar Raja Bot, also known as Chow Kit Market, despite repeated warnings from Kuala Lumpur City Hall. A check by the New Straits Times found that nearly half of the stalls at both markets were manned by foreigners, mainly from Bangladesh, Indonesia and Myanmar. A butcher in Chow Kit, who has been trading since 1975, said foreign hawkers managed to operate by renting licences from locals. Speaking on condition of anonymity, he said: "When the authorities come, the foreign hawkers run off and the licence holder takes over the stall to avoid getting caught or fined." It is learnt that some foreigners also sell live chickens and slaughter them on demand, which is a banned practice in the market. The butcher also said locals were often more demanding than foreigners, which contributed to the latter's growing presence. "I once hired a local worker, but he demanded extra pay and accommodation. Before leaving, he stole some money and my motorcycle," he claimed. "Foreigners won't do that, they work purely to earn," he added. At Pudu Market, many foreigners, particularly Bangladeshis, were still seen operating stalls as late as 1pm. A woman, who has worked there since 1995, said the number of foreign traders surged after the Covid-19 pandemic. "In the early 2000s, there were only two or three of them. After the pandemic, they started coming in large numbers," she said, preferring anonymity. She said their presence had affected local hawkers' business, as they drew customers by allegedly selling vegetables at cheaper prices. "They cheat during weighing. After it's done, they remove about 200g of the original amount, and that's not a small quantity," she claimed. Yesterday, Kuala Lumpur Mayor Datuk Seri Maimunah Mohd Sharif said the long-standing ban on foreign hawkers and market traders in the city remained firmly enforced.
New Straits Times
5 days ago
- New Straits Times
Authorities seek help to trace mum of three siblings
YAN: The Social Welfare Department is appealing for help to trace the mother of three children who have been under guardianship since they were left behind during the Covid-19 pandemic lockdown. The children — Nurul Ain Abdullah, 16, Muhammad Fazli Abdullah, 14, and Mahathir Abdullah, 12 — were left without identification documents except for birth certificates indicating non-Malaysian citizenship. Their guardian, Abdul Rahman Abd Rahim, told authorities that the mother, Milah Nurwanto, 47, left the children during the Movement Control Order (MCO) in 2020 and has not been in contact since. Her last known address was at Taman Desa Makmur in Hulu Langat, Selangor. Yan Social Welfare Department child protector Zaty Farhany Muhammad Fauzi said the children were currently under a temporary custody order granted under Section 19(2)(b) of the Child Act 2001 (Amendment 2016). "We have yet to locate the children's mother. We are appealing to members of the public who may have any information to come forward," she said in a statement today.
