Sexual Harassment In Malaysia

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According to (Employment Act 1955, April 2012) sexual harassment is now defined in the Act as any unwanted conduct of a sexual nature, whether verbal, non-verbal, visual, gestural or physical, directed at a person the act which is offensive or humiliating or is a threat to his well-being, arising out of and in the course of his employment. According to AWAM (All Women’s Action Society) and Women’s Development Collective (WDC), there were 35% of respondents in Malaysia who had experienced different kinds of sexual harassment (AWAM, 2010). Furthermore, the number of sexual harassment incidents is estimated to increase every year. In 2008, Datuk Maznah Mazlan, the Human Resources Deputy Minister, revealed that 23 reports have been reported to …show more content…

For example, non-verbal gestures like looking a person up and down, staring at someone, displaying sexually suggestive visuals, following the person, making facial expressions such as winking, throwing kisses and licking lips is categorized as sexual harassment. According to previous example there is one case happened in Malaysia. The issue of sexual harassment in Malaysia gained public attention in 1997 when Lilian Therera de Costa, a hotel director, alleged unfair dismissal by her employer, Jennico Associates Sdn.Bhd , when she complained that her managing director had sexually harassed …show more content…

The first type has no impact on work benefits. For example, it just creates disturbance to the recipient of the sexual harassment while the latter brings impact on work benefits such as promotion, increment and other work-related benefits or perks (Betty Yeoh) as a project director at All Women’s Action Society (AWAM). According to (Betty Yeoh) men are generally perceived as those with privileges or status in the workplace. This perception makes them think that they have tremendous authority, enabling them to harass, victimize, and assert power over others. Other than that, women generally experience higher risks of sexual harassment, men too are vulnerable to it. Low self-esteem, anxiety, depression and feeling powerless are some of the psychological effects on victims, both men and women, which often results in withdrawal, isolation and resignation which was started by (Betty

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