Close to nine in 10 (87%) HR executives in Malaysia believe the function plays a leading role in responding to COVID-19, KPMG's recent 2020 HR Pulse Survey has found. Media outlets reported numerous cases of alleged official corruption during the year. One-Stop Crisis Centers, an integrated multiagency service in the emergency department of most major public hospitals, provided support, including emergency contraception, to victims of sexual violence. Malaysia continues to detain individuals without trial under restrictive laws. SUHAKAM commissioner Hishamudin Yunus declared the best approach towards LGBTQI+ individuals was to help integrate them into mainstream society by respecting their constitutional rights to equality, privacy, and a life of dignity. Subtance abuse. Corruption and Lack of Transparency in Government, Section 5. For example, sexual health education remained limited for all women, although more accessible for married women than for unmarried women. Recognizing public transportation was not friendly to persons with disabilities, the government maintained its 50 percent reduction of excise duty on locally made cars and motorcycles adapted for such persons. The religious NGO Ikram warned that some residents rejected the COVID-19 vaccine, believing it to be part of the Jewish agenda, that it contained nonhalal ingredients and tracking chips, and that it could cause death. The law requires a permit to own a printing press, and printers often were reluctant to print publications critical of the government due to fear of reprisal. The NGO EDICT called for an inquiry, adding that for police to abuse tactics to force suspects to confess is inappropriate. In September, Home Affairs Minister Hamzah announced police had started an inquest into the death. Defendants also may apply for a public defender in certain other cases. The police had opened 262 investigations into the spread of false and seditious news as of May 11, and 264 investigations into false news on Covid-19. 5 Social Issues In Malaysia. Criminal defendants have the right to confront witnesses. A March 2021 ASEAN Today article revealed that Malaysia is experiencing an increase in mental health problems, which the existence of COVID-19 may be exacerbating. Some observers indicated that children born to Muslim refugees and asylum seekers often had an easier time obtaining citizenship than non-Muslim refugees and asylum seekers. Family Frontiers president Suriani Kempe lamented a missed opportunity for the government to rectify this discrimination and make amends to its women who have been negatively impacted for over 60 years by their inability to obtain citizenship for their children on an equal basis as Malaysian men. After the Attorney Generals Chambers filed the appeal, NGO Lawyers for Liberty coordinator Zaid Malek termed the government position unacceptable and declared that mothers with foreign spouses and children born overseas live in fear that their children could be rendered stateless.. Non-Muslims are not subject to sharia. The outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic throughout the year 2020 and into 2021 has necessitated further rethinking on the question of poverty and inequality as new evidence has emerged. In some instances companies reportedly harassed leaders of unions that sought recognition. At least 17 migrants from Myanmar committed suicide between March and September. The lawyer representing the migrant workers submitted pay slips to the court showing some migrants worked up to 229 hours a month in overtime, exceeding the legal limit of 104 hours. Also in August, police barricaded the main route to parliament to prevent opposition members of parliament from entering the building after Speaker of the Lower House Azhar Harun suspended a special parliamentary session citing COVID-19 concerns. Government regulations and policies provided extensive preferential programs to boost the economic position of bumiputra, a majority of the population. Create your own unique website with customizable templates. A childs testimony is acceptable only if there is corroborating evidence, which posed special problems for molestation cases in which the child victim was the only witness. Activist Numan Afifi expressed concerns about the escalation and trend towards more prosecution against the LGBTQI+ community in Malaysia, including separate proposals in April to increase sentencing terms against LGBTQI+ offenses under sharia. Among lots of social issues in Malaysia, i choose 5 social issuesthati felt is the worst in Malaysia. Advocacy groups such as the Association of Women Lawyers stated these provisions were not comprehensive enough to provide adequate help to victims. In February 2021, the Malaysian government decided to build and manage a state-operated 5G . This study estimates the extent and distribution of jobs most vulnerable to COVID-19. SUHAKAM continued its public inquiry, suspended for six months in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, into the 2016 disappearance of Christian converts Pastor Joshua Hilmy and his wife, Ruth Sitepu. Employers may be required to pay back wages plus the fine. Penalties for employers who fail to follow the law begin with a fine assessed per employee and may rise to imprisonment. A youth coalition press statement slammed the use of sedition as excessive intimidation of ordinary individuals. Reproductive Rights: There were no reports of coerced abortion or involuntary sterilization on the part of government authorities. Employers routinely asked women their marital status during job interviews. Government Human Rights Bodies: The official human rights commission SUHAKAM is headed by a chairperson and commissioners appointed by the king on the recommendation of the prime minister. Ongoing travel restrictions to curb the spread of COVID-19 prevented many individuals from presenting themselves to renew their UNHCR cards, leaving them with expired documentation. They performed hazardous duties and had no meaningful access to legal counsel in cases of contract violations and abuse. They subsequently charged her with defamation of Islam, punishable by a fine, up to three years imprisonment, or both, and released her on bail. In October, according to media reports, a senior politician from the Bersatu party, Borhanuddin Che Rahim, used an ethnic slur to describe an ethnic Indian member of the national badminton team. In other cases the law allows investigative detention for up to 28 days to prevent a criminal suspect from fleeing or destroying evidence during an investigation. In May the National Union of Journalists Peninsular Malaysia, the Centre for Independent Journalism, and Gerakan Media Merdeka issued a statement in response to five incidents where authorities questioned and investigated journalists early in the year. In May police reported an increase in cases involving child pornography during the movement control order period from March 2020 to April 2021, including child grooming without physical contact using words or showing obscene sexual acts to children. He said social media, while being an effective communication platform, can be abused and trigger discord when issues concerning race, income or religion are . State authorities continued to deny entry to certain national leaders to these states. Despite strong objections by opposition political parties and civil society, in 2018 the former Barisan Nasional coalition government approved redrawn parliamentary districts that critics contended unfairly advantaged Barisan Nasional through gerrymandering and malapportionment. According to an investigation published by local media in 2018, there are no standard procedures for the practice and in some cases box cutters and stationery store blades are used. Government officials defended the practice during a UN review in 2018, when a Ministry of Health official stated that the practice was performed only by medical professionals and compared it to immunization programs for female babies. Multiple logistic regression shows that adolescents . Those found contravening child labor laws faced penalties that were not commensurate with those for other analogous serious crimes, such as kidnapping. The legislation expanded this authority to include housing and local government agencies, the Ministry of Trade and Industry, and the Ministry of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs in order to enforce fines and penalties up to 200,000 ringgit ($48,000), three years jail time, or both, against employers that failed to adhere to regulations. Smoking . Ordinary Malaysians suffer from the machinations of their politicians. Police abuse of suspects in custody continues to be a serious problem, as does a lack of accountability for such offenses. The NGO EDICT declared police violated the legal mandate that at least one female officer be assigned to take care of underage female inmates. In September Minister of Human Resources Saravanan announced that the government had found 49 workers hostels unfit for human habitation and ordered them closed, causing the relocation of 2,942 workers. The government allowed UNHCR and NGOs to work with these populations, but government cooperation with UNHCR was inconsistent. The constitution provides indigenous and nonindigenous persons with the same civil and political rights, but the government did not effectively protect these rights. Police justified this practice as necessary to prevent interference in investigations in progress, and the courts generally upheld the practice. The constitution provides citizens the right to assemble peaceably and without arms; however, several laws restricted this right. The worst floods in decades in some states have tempered the recovery in . What happen to Malaysia in 2021? UNHCR registers children born to refugees (see section 2.g., Stateless Persons). Voting rights. Hamid alleged government interference in previous judicial decisions and complicity by judges in sham cases designed to reward government supporters with large settlements. International Journal of Psychosocial Rehabilitation - IJPR, is an editorial & peer-reviewed journal publication for mental health care providers, practitioners, nurses, consumers, and applied researchers, bearing ISSN: 1475-7192. Advocates and the international medical community remained concerned that the Health Ministry endorsement legitimizes the harmful practice and contributes to the medicalization of FGM. The UN panel urged the country to abolish the practice. Although the National Union of Plantation Workers reported it was rare to find children involved in plantation work in peninsular Malaysia, others reported instances of child labor on palm oil plantations across the country. Administration: The law allows for investigations into allegations of mistreatment; however, this provision did not always function. The camp, called the Mukhayyam Program, was a government initiative designed to change the lifestyle and sexual orientation of LGBTQI+ individuals. Participation of Women and Members of Minority Groups: No laws limit participation by women or members of minority groups or of historically marginalized groups in the political process, and they did participate. Other indicators, such as abuse of vulnerability, deception, physical and sexual violence, intimidation, and retention of identity documents, had remained at the same level as before the pandemic. The book contains a collection of writings about the 2018 general election and subsequent events compiled by editor Kean Wong. There were scattered reports the government or its agents committed arbitrary or unlawful killings, mostly in the prison system. No law specifically prohibits torture; however, laws that prohibit committing grievous hurt encompass torture. There is no minimum age for engaging in light work. Nonetheless, NGOs reported continued discrimination against women in the workplace in terms of promotion and salary (see section 7.d.). Access to Asylum: The law does not provide for granting asylum or refugee status, and the government has not established a system for providing protection to refugees. Although observers reported that no Department of Immigration officers were seen at vaccination centers, there were isolated reports of police roadblocks or intimidation of refugees by police on their way to vaccination centers, including an instance when police tore up an expired UNHCR card. Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting (FGM/C): The law does not prohibit FGM/C, and it was a common practice among Muslim and some indigenous communities. Malaysiakini reported that the practice of period spot checks dated as far back as 20 years. Noting that Malaysiakini, Astro Awani, Free Malaysia Today, and the China Press had been subjected to police investigations, the foregoing media groups declared that the press should not be summoned by the government or threatened with action based on articles they publish in their capacity as the media, and termed harassment of journalists for doing their jobs a tactic to stifle press freedom.. The constitution provides for the freedoms of peaceful assembly and association but allows restrictions deemed necessary or expedient in the interest of security, public order, or (in the case of association) morality. The law permits police to arrest and detain individuals for some offenses without a warrant, even outside situations of a crime in progress or other urgent circumstances. "Bribe/Corruption/Rasuah" and "Economy/Ekonomi" were the most frequent one-word responses. The BN lost to an opposition alliance . Nine cabinet positions were held by women. UNHCR declared that the deportees included at least six individuals registered with the agency. If found guilty, the cost of deportation generally fell to the detainee, which led to prolonged detention for those unable to pay. She faced up to a year in prison and a fine of 50,000 ringgit ($12,000). Dr Chua Sook Ning - clinical psychologist and founder of Relate Malaysia - said the . #3. Freedom to Participate in the Political Process, Section 4. Individuals or organizations may sue the government and officials in court for alleged violations of human rights; however, a large case backlog often resulted in delays in civil actions to the disadvantage of plaintiffs. As there is no legal framework for dealing with refugees and asylum seekers in the country, UNHCR conducted all activities related to protection, including registration and status determination. The government also had the right to compel arbitration in the case of failed collective bargaining negotiations. The law excludes them from provisions that stipulate one rest day per week, an eight-hour workday, and a 48-hour workweek. Police released him on bail. Malaysia permits the death penalty for various crimes and makes the sentence mandatory for 11 offenses. In separate statements Batu Kawan member Kasthuri Patto and Petaling Jaya member Maria Chin Abdullah criticized Acryl Sani for his remarks about a police report made by a student, age 17, that a classmate had threatened to rape her after she called out her teacher for making jokes about rape. Migrant workers often worked in sectors where violations were common. According to police figures, a total of 872 teenagers aged 15 to 18 committed suicide between January 2019 and May 2021. A prominent human rights advocate stated, the amount is not punitive. The government bans membership in unregistered political parties and organizations. It also discussed digital upskilling, tackling racial and religious discrimination, and Bumiputra's special privileges. 1. There are no specific regulations, laws, or guidelines to protect the welfare of gig workers, except for the provisions under the Self-Employment Social Security Act 2017 that require self-employed individuals to register and contribute. NGOs reported that agents or employers in some cases drafted contracts that included a provision for employees to sign over the right to hold their passports to the employer or an agent. Religious and cultural taboos against same-sex sexual conduct were widespread (see section 2.a., Nongovernmental Impact). Check our list and get an inspiration boost. Unless trends change this year, the annual total of newborns in the world's third-largest economy is on track to hit . The list of social problems goes on and on. True statements may be considered defamatory if they contravene the public good. The government and its supporters used these laws, along with provisions against sedition, to punish and suppress publication of material critical of government officials and policies. The law provides criminal penalties for corruption by officials; several sitting and former government officials remained on trial for corruption, including the former prime minister, and there remained a broadly held perception of widespread corruption and cronyism in government institutions. 8. Most concerning environmental issues in Malaysia 2019. A government voluntary code of conduct provides a detailed definition of sexual harassment intended to raise public awareness of the problem. Some employers and migrant workers reported that workers sometimes requested employers keep their passports, since replacing lost or stolen passports could cost several months wages and leave foreign workers open to questions about their legal status. The number of unemployed female graduates is much higher in comparison male graduates. Malaysia is a federal constitutional monarchy. We should be focusing on children and teenagers in Malaysia as the number of social problems is gradually increasing among them. Union officials claimed legal requirements for strikes were almost impossible to meet; the last major strike occurred in 1962. In October the minister of home affairs reported that 374 individuals were detained under security legislation from January 1 through September 30. On July 28, the Selangor State sharia high court charged Ibu Yati and two others with expounding religious doctrines contrary to Islamic law and spreading them through Facebook from December 2020 through February 1. Is there a senior discount for license plate stickers in Illinois? The government placed some restrictions on academic freedom, particularly the expression of unapproved political views, and enforced restrictions on teachers and students who expressed dissenting views. Yet, as the realities of the coronavirus pandemic set in, shocking the system as the 1MDB scandal did, the opportunities for new political arrangements and thinking are real. Foreign workers may join a trade union but may not hold union office unless they obtain permission from the Ministry of Human Resources. Students returning to Malaysia will have to undergo a COVID-19 swab test and quarantine procedures. In 2019 UNHCR estimated there were 450,000 stateless persons residing in the eastern state of Sabah. In June, 40 religious and educator groups jointly protested an online program, School as a Safe Place for Individuals of Various Sexual Orientations, arguing that schools must be saved from elements of pro-unnatural sex orientations and transgenderism ideology that are against religious teachings (see section 6, Acts of Violence, Criminalization, and Other Abuses Based on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity). Of the total, 30 percent were physical and sexual abuse. In January a male inmate raped a 16-year-old girl, also an inmate, at a local police station in Miri, Sarawak State. On January 11, SUHAKAM expressed disappointment that the government was withholding evidence on orders from the Attorney Generals Chambers and claimed the legal authority to demand such evidence. Malaysia has a healthy, robust, and industrialised economy. Ahmad Marzuk also announced a special multiagency government task force, including the government multimedia agency and police, to monitor posts related to LGBTQI+ issues. The Electoral Commission has established constituencies with widely varying populations, further to the advantage of rural populations. KUALA LUMPUR: Racial tension remains a prevalent issue in Malaysia which must be addressed to avoid further detrimental impacts on the country, said Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin. The law prohibits and criminalizes all forms of forced or compulsory labor. Japan's births set to fall below 800,000 in 2022, hitting a new all-time low. Observers generally considered SUHAKAM a credible human rights monitor. 2021. Malaysias efforts to contain the spread of Covid-19, while generally successful, had a disproportionate impact on marginalized communities. State religious authorities reportedly forced LGBTQI+ persons to participate in conversion therapy, treatment, or rehabilitation programs to cure them of their sexuality. Moreover, racism and special privileges leave some . In May families of 10 inmates filed police reports after their incarcerated relatives claimed to have been abused while under quarantine at Jelebu Prison in Negeri Sembilan. Nevertheless, many businesses could operate for years without an inspection. The Fitch Solutions report entitled, "Malaysia's 2021 Growth, Monetary and Fiscal Outlooks . Prohibition of Forced or Compulsory Labor, c. Prohibition of Child Labor and Minimum Age for Employment, d. Discrimination with Respect to Employment and Occupation. SUHAKAM may not investigate court cases in progress and must cease its inquiries if a case becomes the subject of judicial action. The law allows the detention of a material witness in a criminal case if that person is likely to flee. They focus mainly on students . Continue reading and get to learn about the 10 common social issues around the world. It also affects how people react to certain situations. Immigration law allows authorities to arrest and detain noncitizens for 30 days, pending a deportation decision. However, water issues are still a significant problem in Malaysia. In cases related to terrorism or national security, the law allows police to hold persons, even after acquittal, against the possibility of appeal by the prosecution. The law prohibits defense and police officials and retired or dismissed workers from joining a union. The four largest groups in Malaysia are the ethnic Malay, Chinese Malaysians, Indian Malaysians, and Malaysians from tribal backgrounds. Private-sector strikes were severely restricted. Also known as social issues sometimes. The 'new normal' comes with its fair share of added stresses and worries for everyone to handle. Domestic and international human rights groups operated subject to varying levels of government restriction, investigating and publishing their findings on human rights cases; however, the government was not always cooperative or responsive to their views. Also in February authorities investigated Malaysiakini chief editor Steven Gan and member of parliament Charles Santiago under sedition and multimedia legislation for issuing statements critical of the judicial ruling that the news portal was guilty of contempt. Office of the Special Envoy for Critical and Emerging Technology, Office of the U.S. Americans' views of the problems facing the nation. In August police dropped the sedition case. Member of parliament Saifuddin Nasution Ismail stated on July 28, the doctors were questioned from midnight till 4 a.m., this is a form of intimidation and added that the physicians lawyer had been prevented from representing his clients. Freedom of Movement: The government generally tolerated the presence of undocumented refugees and asylum seekers but sometimes detained them for a variety of causes in police jails or immigration detention centers until they could be deported or UNHCR established their bona fides. In January, the High Court granted Sisters in Islam, a civil society group working to promote the rights of Muslim women, a stay on the enforcement of a fatwa issued against it in 2014. In July, the home minister banned Rebirth: Reformasi, Resistance and Hope in New Malaysia under the Printing Presses and Publications Act after claims that the books cover resembled the countrys coat of arms. Many human rights and civil society organizations had difficulty obtaining government recognition as NGOs. This included any enterprise not registered with the Companies Commission of Malaysia or other professional body and included more than one million self-employed or micro businesses, such as in-home workers, street vendors, and small workshops. Authorities deported some of these parents, leaving their children without guardians. The involvement in making or producing child pornography carries a penalty of up to 30 years imprisonment and not fewer than six strokes of a cane; conviction for accessing or possessing child pornography carries a punishment of five years imprisonment or a fine; conviction for trafficking in persons involving a child for the purposes of sexual exploitation carries a punishment of three to 20 years imprisonment and a fine. Viewed as illegal immigrants, refugees and others were subject to deportation at any time. The government may revoke registrations for violations of the law governing societies. Also in September, MACC withdrew 29 charges of corruption against Noor Ehsanuddin Mohd Harun Narrashi, a former UMNO parliamentarian and former director of the government-linked Federal Land Development Authority. Defendants have the right to communicate with an attorney of their choice or to have counsel appointed at public expense if they face charges that carry the death penalty. The law classifies some types of workplace sexual harassment as criminal offenses (see section 7.d.). Share this via Telegram What are the current issues in our society? For refugees in Muslim marriages, the observers claimed authorities often accepted a UNHCR document or other documentation in lieu of a passport as proof of citizenship. 2021 has been a crazy year. The social problems in Malaysia are getting worse to worst nowadays. Also, there will be strong sentiments for or against reservations. Malaysia has a long history of environmental issues. Commercial sexual exploitation of children existed, and a local NGO estimated in 2015, the last year with reported data, that 5,000 children were involved in sex work in Kuala Lumpur and surrounding areas. The law imposes limitations on student associations and on student and faculty political activity. The government often resisted registering organizations deemed particularly unfriendly to the government or imposed strict preconditions. The director general of the Ministry of Labor may grant exceptions if there are special circumstances making the extra hours necessary. The law does not recognize marital rape as a crime. Cultural barriers and government policies impeded access to sexual and reproductive health services. . Read summaries of the latest scientific research pertaining to a range of social issues. The court ruled that the money received by Tengku Adnan from a businessman was a donation to UMNO, although it was deposited into an account of a company that belonged to Tengku Adnan. The police questioned six Al Jazeera staff members and raided the organizations offices in Kuala Lumpur. In parliament 33 women held 14.8 percent of the seats, an increase from 10.8 percent in the previous election cycle. UNHCR noted that because most schooling was virtual during the year, some populations, such as Rohingya, allowed girls to participate in schooling virtually when they would have been prohibited from attending in person. Isa was granted a stay pending his appeal. I am launching a website soon, and your information will be very useful for me.. WE NEED TO CONTROL OURSELF FROM NEGATIVE VIBRATIONS AND NOWADAYS NEED TO EXPERIENCE TO GET WORK AT ALL. Employment discrimination occurred against persons with disabilities (see section 7.d.). If a unions recognition request was approved, the employer sometimes challenged the decision in court, leading to multiyear delays in recognizing unions. The plan outlined policies to increase access to education and attendance in schools, increase access to health education, address stigma and social norms on child marriage, and specify laws and guidelines on child marriages that are in line with government policies guarding the well-being of children. Job losses, salary cuts and the economic downturn were of course, unfortunate problems that came with the pandemic, and weighed heavily on the minds of many Singaporeans. Some of the most trending and social problems among youngsters in Malaysia are smoking, alcohol and drug used, baby dumping, and also there are a few preventive measures that can be taken to stop this epidemic such as role of parents and government.