Media must stop stigmatising persons with disabilities, say rights groups

SHAH ALAM – Irresponsible media reporting and biased journalism contribute to harmful stereotypes, fostering prejudice against persons with disabilities (PWD) by portraying them as untrustworthy or as perpetrators of crimes.

A coalition of 26 individuals and organisations has condemned the media’s sensationalist coverage, which disproportionately highlighted an individual’s disability rather than the alleged crime.

In a joint statement titled "Appeal for Sensitive Media Coverage of PWD," they reaffirmed their commitment to upholding the rights and dignity of the PWD community.

Their appeal follows recent media coverage of a 19-year-old man who was arrested on Feb in connection with the alleged sexual assault of a young girl at a mosque in Selangor.

“Some media outlets approached the Selangor Social Welfare Department (JKM) and confirmed that the man has had a learning disability since childhood.

“This information has little bearing on the case and the alleged action, but media attention has put a spotlight on the man’s PWD status. The media has chosen to invoke the PWD label to sensationalise the alleged crime,” the statement read.

The coalition warned that careless headlines can destroy years of advocacy, shatter trust and fuel discrimination.

"Bicara Minggu Ini podcast producer Norman Goh stated that such reporting reinforces harmful stereotypes, wrongly portraying persons with disabilities as untrustworthy and predisposed to criminal behaviour, deepening their marginalisation.

According to available local data, the majority of sexual offenders are neurotypical individuals without disabilities. However, media reports rarely highlight the non-disability status of alleged perpetrators.

This pattern of reporting perpetuates harmful misconceptions and further marginalises the PWD community, particularly individuals with autism, psychosocial disabilities and learning disabilities.

The statement also raised concerns over the premature dissemination of the case on social media before the suspect’s arrest.

Advocates stressed that the absence of standard operating procedures (SOPs) and legal protections exposes PWD individuals to breaches of confidentiality, particularly regarding the disclosure of PWD cardholder information.

Urgent calls for reform

The coalition urged the Communications and Multimedia Content Forum of Malaysia (CMCF) to implement training programmes for media practitioners to ensure disability, child, gender and age-sensitive reporting.

“We also appeal to Women, Family, and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri and PWD Development Department (JPOKU) to introduce SOPs that protect PWD from breach of confidentiality of the personal information held by the JPOKU of PWD cardholders by JKM personnel at all levels to anyone except when permitted by the law.

“We are unaware of any provision of law that allows such personal information (e.g., an individual’s PWD status) to be disclosed to the media without the explicit written consent of the concerned individual,” they said.

Advocates have also reiterated their longstanding demand for the amendment of Article 8(2) of the Federal Constitution to explicitly prohibit discrimination based on disability.

They are pushing for comprehensive reforms to the Persons with Disabilities Act 2008 to align with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD).

A call to the public and media

The statement urged Malaysians to refrain from spreading discriminatory narratives, stressing that everyone, regardless of ability, has an equal right to justice.

“Releasing CCTV recordings on social media while police investigations are ongoing is unacceptable. We need to work harder in Malaysia to mature as a society and become a fully inclusive developed nation.

"Your words have the power to hurt, to heal, to open minds, to open hearts and to change the world. Never forget the responsibility you have over the words you speak,” they said.

A video went viral showing a man allegedly sexually harassing a girl while she was praying at Jamek Sungai Masin Mosque, Batang Kali, on Friday.

CCTV footage captured the suspect entering the women’s prayer area at 6.41am before carrying the girl out while the congregation was performing Subuh prayers.

Police have arrested a 19-year-old local teenager, who holds a Persons with Disabilities (PWD) card, in connection with the incident.

He is being investigated under Section 14(a) of the Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017.

Authorities urge anyone with information to contact Hulu Selangor police at 03-60651021.