social issues in malaysia 2021 social issues in malaysia 2021

The law prohibits and criminalizes all forms of forced or compulsory labor. The UN panel urged the country to abolish the practice. Issues like sustainability of local businesses and racism (remember the George Floyd protests?) First is mismanagement of the health crisis. . Each of these groups has its own set of traditions, religions, and challenges. The director general of the Ministry of Labor may grant exceptions if there are special circumstances making the extra hours necessary. Mental health is generally related to depression, anxiety and stress. Discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people remains pervasive in Malaysia. Impunity was a significant problem in the security forces due in part to corruption and political influence over the police force. Many companies hired foreign workers using recruiting or outsourcing companies, creating uncertainty about the legal relationship between the worker, the outsourcing company, and the owner of the workplace, making workers more vulnerable to exploitation and complicating dispute resolution. In August police dropped the sedition case. The National Registration Department did not maintain records of stateless persons. Also, there will be strong sentiments for or against reservations. There are few most notable negative effects of alcohol abuse on teens, such as: Young peopleengage in drug use for different reasons than do adults, and as such, they need different treatment methods to help them break the cycle of addiction. Civil law gives non-Muslim mothers and fathers equal parental rights, while sharia favors fathers. Many industries were subject to race-based requirements that mandated bumiputra ownership levels. The cause of unemployed graduates nowadays is the incompatibility in the focus of higher education institutions and the needs of labor market. In August the minister of home affairs rejected an appeal by the Malaysian United Democratic Alliance to register as a political party. Minimum wage rates varied according to location and were less than Ministry of Finance-published poverty income levels in Sabah and Sarawak states. Voting rights. Each constituency elects one member of parliament. The Department of Labor of the Ministry of Human Resources enforces wage, working condition, and occupational safety and health standards. Recently, the statistics have shown an increase in abortion. The government's national five-year roadmap for 2021-25 targets child marriage. During this time authorities allegedly repeatedly questioned her; deprived her of contact with her lawyer; and detained her in unsafe conditions, including lack of water, food, and access to medicine, at times with possibly COVID-19-positive detainees. The standard of care for those in detention is also problematic, with detainees dying of treatable illnesses. 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. It has recorded more than 800,000 cases in total, but over 110,000 in the past fortnight alone. Long delays continued in the treatment of union claims to obtain recognition for collective bargaining purposes. Penalties for violations were not commensurate with those for similar crimes. and 7.e.). Migrant workers often worked in sectors where violations were common. Nur Sajat crossed into Thailand, and UNHCR granted her refugee status. UNHCR declared that the deportees included at least six individuals registered with the agency. The law provides citizens the ability to choose their government in free and fair periodic elections held by secret ballot and based on universal and equal suffrage. In July the Federal Court upheld a 2018 criminal defamation conviction against online news portal Malaysiakini for articles and videos published in 2012 about pollution allegedly linked to Raud Australian Gold Mining and ordered Malaysiakini to pay 550,000 ringgit ($132,000) in damages and costs. 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. The nationwide January-August state of emergency restricted freedom of assembly and prohibited worker strikes and protests. Coordinator for the Arctic Region, Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources, Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization, Under Secretary for Arms Control and International Security, Bureau of Arms Control, Verification and Compliance, Bureau of International Security and Nonproliferation, Under Secretary for Civilian Security, Democracy, and Human Rights, Bureau of Conflict and Stabilization Operations, Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs, Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration, Office of International Religious Freedom, Office of the Special Envoy To Monitor and Combat Antisemitism, Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons, Under Secretary for Economic Growth, Energy, and the Environment, Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs, Office of the Science and Technology Adviser, Bureau of the Comptroller and Global Financial Services, Bureau of Information Resource Management, Office of Management Strategy and Solutions, Bureau of International Organization Affairs, Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs, Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs, U.S. Some politicians and human rights activists claimed the government used the loyalty pledge to restrain political activity among these groups. 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). Sabri added that the government was serious about the issue, as Malaysia is a country that adheres to the religion of Islam.. The law allows the detention of a material witness in a criminal case if that person is likely to flee. The new government, headed by Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin, aggressively cracked down on critical speech and protest, backed away from creating a truly independent police complaints commission, and took a hard line on the treatment of refugees and undocumented migrants. 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. The incompatibility in the focus of higher education institution and the needs of labour market. Religious department officers allegedly beat and slapped her while in custody. Migrant workers must undergo mandatory testing for more than 16 illnesses as well as pregnancy. Everyone would agree about . Limited pretrial discovery in criminal cases impeded the defense. The Immigration Department announced that it had revoked the work permit of Mohammed Rayhan Kabir, a migrant worker from Bangladesh who featured in the documentary. The law does not recognize marital rape as a crime. The political environment was hostile towards women. Rape. Also in October, in a widely viewed TikTok video, Muslim preacher Syakir Nasoha accused members of religious and ethnic minorities of killing Muslims, sparking fears this could incite violence against Buddhists (largely citizens of Chinese descent), Hindus (largely citizens of Indian descent), and Dayaks (an indigenous community of Sarawak and Sabah states). Malaysiakini reported that the practice of period spot checks dated as far back as 20 years. In September the Perlis State Fatwa Committee declared that men who appear like women such as cross-dressers or transgender individuals were forbidden from entering mosques while not in gender-conforming appearances. Penang State mufti Wan Salim Wan Mohd Noor suggested that transgender individuals should change their appearance if they wanted to be in mosques or suraus (Islamic assembly buildings) so that they do not look odd and avoid uncomfortable feelings among other worshippers. Representatives from the NGO Sisters in Islam observed that the fatwa and statement of the mufti not only contradicts the federal constitution but was not in accordance with inclusive Islamic traditions.. In June, 40 religious NGOs and educator groups released a joint statement protesting an online program entitled, School as a Safe Place for Individuals of Various Sexual Orientations, alleging the event supported the open promotion of LGBTQI+ elements in schools. The statement argued that schools must be saved from elements of pro-unnatural sex orientations and transgenderism ideology that are against religious teachings. The online program proceeded as scheduled. Child, Early, and Forced Marriage: The minimum age of marriage is 18 for men and 16 for women. If they refuse to comply, employers face additional fines for each day that wages are not paid. Police justified this practice as necessary to prevent interference in investigations in progress, and the courts generally upheld the practice. Corruption: Corruption and abuse-of-power criminal trials were ongoing for former prime minister and sitting member of parliament Najib Razak, United Malays National Organization (UMNO) political party president Zahid Hamidi, and opposition Democratic Action Party head Lim Guan Eng, among others. SUHAKAM may not investigate court cases in progress and must cease its inquiries if a case becomes the subject of judicial action. On November 1, Kelantans Sharia Criminal Code (I) Enactment 2019 came into force, criminalizing 24 new offenses applying to Muslims. It finds that about 64.5 percent of jobs in Malaysia cannot be performed from home, after . Although parliament annulled the emergency ordinance in October, Communications and Multimedia Minister Annuar Musa declared that any ongoing investigations of fake news would not be affected by the annulment. The government did not effectively enforce laws prohibiting child labor. In July police opened investigations into a protest by contract doctors demanding better job security. Working hours may not exceed eight hours per day or 48 hours per week, unless workers receive overtime pay. Each year, millions of people have to escape from their home countries because of wars, conflicts, persecution, or climate change (UNHCR, 2022). Ahmad Marzuk also announced a special multiagency government task force, including the government multimedia agency and police, to monitor posts related to LGBTQI+ issues. Other buyers requested suppliers to reduce or exclude FGV and Sime Darby products for supplies entering numerous countries. 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. Suicide Call Back Service on 1300 659 467. Abiding by the governments restrictions did not protect some protesters from harassment or arrest. A synchronous fiscal, monetary and financial policy response has helped cushion the economic impact. The amount and availability of bail is at the judges discretion. 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. Healthcare. According to Abdul Rahman Hamid (2015), drug abuse issues in Malaysia is still trouble matter even though it is . Defendants may appeal court decisions to higher courts, but only if the appeal raises a question of law or if material circumstances raise a reasonable doubt regarding conviction or sentencing. According to the minister, of 30 investigations opened from March to October, 12 were brought to court, 14 were classified as no further action, and four remained under investigation. Spontaneous is known as miscarriage, while induced simply means termination of a pregnancy which is planned. UNHCR registers children born to refugees (see section 2.g., Stateless Persons). This occurred in August for the second time since 2018, when Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin resigned after losing majority support from members of the lower house of parliament, resulting in a transfer of power to a new prime minister, Ismail Sabri. Check our list and get an inspiration boost. The law prohibits women from working underground, such as in mines, and restricts employers from requiring female employees to work in industrial or agricultural work between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. or to commence work for the day without having 11 consecutive hours of rest since the end of the last work period. State authorities continued to deny entry to certain national leaders to these states. The constitution fixes the number of seats in parliament assigned to each state to the advantage of rural states and regardless of population shifts over time. 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. While authorities generally treated attorney-client communications as privileged, Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission officials may question lawyers who accompanied their clients to nonjudicial commission hearings about their interaction with their clients and the content of their discussions. In August 2020, the Federal Court upheld the constitutionality of the mandatory death . Need to possess their interpersonal skills in order to decrease the number of unemployed among them. The government has the power to suspend publication for these reasons and retained effective control over the licensing process. Ibu Yatis court date was set for January 25, 2022. The verdict ruled on an appeal of a Selangor State sharia courts 2019 conviction of a man for intercourse against the order of nature. The Federal Court found that existing federal legislation outlawing the same conduct for the same reason preempted the state law, meaning it was unconstitutional and hence the case should not have been brought nor ruled on by the sharia court. Numerous state Sharia laws prohibit both same-sex relations and non-normative gender expression, resulting in frequent arrests of transgender people. Other one-word responses: "health", "unity", "equity", "prices", and "money". Prior to the 2018 elections, opposition political parties were disadvantaged due to the Barisan Nasional governments control over traditional media outlets and malapportionment of constituencies, among other matters. Estimates were as high as 30 percent of the workforce. The great floods. Outside the political and human rights fields, the government generally allowed NGOs to function independently, met with representatives from some NGOs, and responded to some NGO requests. The government often resisted registering organizations deemed particularly unfriendly to the government or imposed strict preconditions. Indigenous persons are governed by customary laws with no fixed minimum age for marriage. Also see the Department of Labors List of Goods Produced by Child Labor or Forced Labor at https://www.dol.gov/agencies/ilab/reports/child-labor/list-of-goods. Also on July 28, authorities detained youth activist Sarah Irdina and questioned her for 10 hours over social media posts promoting the black flag campaign to protest the Muhyiddin governments response to COVID-19. The law imposes limitations on student associations and on student and faculty political activity. Share this via Twitter Malaysia ranks 86th worldwide for mobile internet download speeds and 45th for fixed broadband speeds. Local and municipal officials are appointed at the state or federal level. A regulation reserves 1 percent of public-sector jobs for persons with disabilities. UNHCR affirmed that authorities continued to disallow visits by its staff to detention centers to meet refugees and asylum seekers, determine those in need of international protection, and advocate for their release. National-level unions are prohibited; the government allows three regional territorial federations of unions for peninsular Malaysia, and for the states of Sabah and Sarawak to operate. As a result, many NGOs registered as companies, which created legal and bureaucratic obstacles to raising money to support their activities. Sexual Exploitation of Children: The law bans child pornography and states that a child is considered a victim of sexual abuse if he or she has taken part as a participant or an observer in any activity that is sexual in nature for the purposes of a photograph, recording, film, videotape, or performance. Officers found responsible for deaths in custody did not generally face punishment. Previously the federal government permitted stateless children to enroll in public school if parents were able to prove the childs father was a citizen, but in November 2020 the minister of education informed parliament that stateless children did not have access to public schools but could attend private schools. As of the same date, there were 1,490 detainees younger than 21 at immigration depots and temporary immigration depots nationwide. Freedom of expression came under attack immediately after the change in government, when authorities opened a sedition investigation into activist Fadiah Nadwa Fikri for organizing a protest against the method by which the new government came to power. The worst floods in decades in some states have tempered the recovery in . In August, the Court of Appeal partially set aside a High Court ruling that Ahmadiyya adherents were not subject to Sharia (Islamic law) in Malaysia because the Islamic authorities there do not consider them as Muslims. Doctors at the Malaysia Agro Exposition Park Serdang COVID-19 Center canceled their walkout after police allegedly threatened them with arrest. Police may use certain preventive detention laws to detain persons suspected of terrorism, organized crime, gang activity, and trafficking in drugs or persons without a warrant or judicial review for two-year terms, renewable indefinitely. The government did not effectively enforce laws prohibiting forced labor in some cases, and large fines as penalties were not commensurate with those for other analogous serious crimes, such as kidnapping. Migrants and potential refugees expressed fear about coming forward for the COVID-19 vaccine, fearing detention and possible deportation after receiving mixed messaging from the government. Attacks on female politicians and women who were critical of the countrys politics were common, including sexist remarks in parliament against female members, threats of rape and murder via Facebook and other social media platforms, and stereotyping female political candidates. 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. Employers reportedly restricted workers movement and use of mobile telephones; provided substandard food; did not provide sufficient time off; sexually assaulted workers; and harassed and threatened workers, including with deportation. Police arrested Vinaiyagar on September 8 for alleged gangsterism, and he died five days later due to a ruptured stomach ulcer, per police reports. The government reserved large quotas for the bumiputra majority for positions in the federal civil service as well as for vocational permits and licenses in a wide range of industries, which greatly reduced economic opportunity for minority groups (see section 6, Systemic Racial or Ethnic Violence and Discrimination). Aug 5th 2021. Malaysia continues to detain individuals without trial under restrictive laws. Non-Muslims are not subject to sharia. Birth Registration: A child born in the country obtains citizenship if one parent is a citizen or permanent resident at the time of birth and the parents are married. Police indicated he was also COVID-19 positive. Malaysia raises mental health and social well-being concerns amidst pandemic. The number detained in these centers was not publicly available. Leong had been arrested three times since November 2020 in connection with a break-in, under a statute designed to combat organized crime and terrorism. Employers may be required to pay back wages plus the fine. Social issues news. Americans' views of the problems facing the nation. 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. Also known as social issues sometimes. It conducted training, undertook investigations, issued reports, and made recommendations to the government. Depression. While recent data was very limited, a 2012 study by a professor at the Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, University of Malaya, found that more than 93 percent of approximately 1,000 Muslim women surveyed in three of the countrys 13 states had undergone the procedure. Some workers alleged their employers subjected them to inhuman living conditions and physically assaulted them. COVID-19 recovery. The government occasionally censored foreign magazines, newspapers, and news programming, most often due to sexual content.