Sexual Harassment and the Code of Practice in Malaysia

This research examines the effectiveness of government measures to address sexual harassment. It talks about incidence of this phenomenon at work, assesses how sexual harassment is perceived, reviews the Code's progress, and suggests ways forward.

The research which was originally produced as a report was subsequently published in 2003 as a book titled "Pioneering Step: Sexual harassment and the Code of Practice in Malaysia" by Cecilia Ng , Zanariah Mohd Nor and Maria Chin Abdullah.

CAR Pilot Study on Rape

As part of the Citizens Against Rape (CAR) Campaign, AWAM carried our a pilot study in response to the Canny Ong's case. AWAM has collected recommendations and concerns from the public on making public spaces safe and violence free. The study's objectives are in line with the CAR goals as follows:

• To highlight unsafe public places according to public
• To investigate and analyse the public opinion on crime prevention with regards to practical improvements (situational crime prevention)
• To investigate and analyse the public opinion on services provided by the police and media with regards to safety and fair gender treatment.

Methodology

• Context: The pilot study was set in Kuala Lumpur . A representative sample of the capital's population was taken. The five main spots of Kuala Lumpur were KLCC, LRT stations, Brickfields, Petaling Street and Bukit Bintang.
• Subjects of Study: 135 people agreed to complete our research questionnaire. The respondents consisted of 50 males (37%) and 85 females (63%), aged 16 to 67 years old with average age of 25 years. On ethnicity, the sample contained 30% Malay, 25% others, 23% Chinese, and 22% Indians. Others include people from East Malaysia (Sabah and Sarawak) as well as other Asian nationalities.
• Research Instrument (questionnaire): AWAM interns and volunteers collaboratively designed the questionnaire for the CAR pilot study. The questionnaire in English and Bahasa is meant to measure four key areas and is therefore structured as follows:
  • Personal Information (gender, age, ethnicity)
  • Public Safety (i) closed question, (ii) open-ended question
  • Situational Crime Prevention (i) closed question, (ii) open-ended question
  • Servicing Public Safety (i) closed question, (ii) open-ended question.

Results/Findings

135 people (85 females and 50 males) participated in answering the questionnaire.

• Crime Locations: The top three places regarded most unsafe are:
  • Indoor parking lots
  • Housing areas at night
  • Bus stops
• Situational crime prevention: improvement of public facilities (%) agrees
  • Better lighting in public places would increase safety (93%)
  • Monitored indoor parking lots near exit, reserved for women only would reduce attacks in isolated parking (77%)
  • More functioning public emergency phones would increase safety (83%)
  • More closed-circuit television (CCTV) (50%)
• Social crime prevention: services provided to ensure or promote public safety:
  • Neighbourhood watch groups would reduce crime (87%)
  • More patrolling police would increase safety (83%)
  • Qualified guards at public spaces increase safety (81%)
  • Gender-sensitised female police officers would improve the police practice of handling
  • Female taxi passengers would be safer, especially at night, using taxis driven by taxi (61%)

In addition to the above, the survey shows that the public is in favour of better educated, trained, responsible and trustworthy police and security guards. Forty-five per cent surveyed stated that the police were not doing a "good job" while 31% did not feel safe with the police around.