Anti-Sexual Harassment Act: Ministry to draft regulations, establish tribunal - Nancy

KUALA LUMPUR - The Women, Family and Community Development Ministry will draft regulations and establish a tribunal related to the Anti-Sexual Harassment Act 2021 (Act 840) this year, said its Minister Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri.

She said the law, which received Royal assent on Oct 8 and gazetted on Oct 18 last year, is one of the main focuses of the ministry to curb any form of sexual harassment in the community.

"We also want the publicity and advocacy programmes to commence as soon as possible. I am confident that KPWKM and the media can work together closely to realise this effort so that all levels of society become aware of the existence of this act and its benefits,” she said when speaking at the ministry's get-together with Media 2023 programme, here tonight.

Commenting on the role of the media, Nancy said that the media can assist in disseminating government initiatives and as an agent of change to convey authentic information, especially to the ministry’s target groups.

"With the development of technology which allows information to spread fast, just at the tip of the finger, and the increase in the use of social media sites such as Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and so on, the challenge of managing the public’s perception of the government, especially the ministry, requires us all to act faster and responsively.

"However, at the same time, the aspect of integrity and authenticity of information should not be neglected, especially for technical issues involving various laws and regulations,” she said.

Among those who attended the programme were her deputy Aiman Athirah Sabu, the ministry’s secretary-general Datuk Dr Maziah Che Yusoff and the Malaysian National News Agency (Bernama) chief executive officer, Roslan Ariffin. - BERNAMA