The Malaysian Insight

STANDARD operating procedures for investigating and taking action against sexual harassment in the workplace have to be shortened, said Deputy Women, Community and Family Development Minister Hannah Yeoh.

Yeoh said this was to enable victims to return to work in safe environments after lodging complaints.

“Based on our experience with the Sungai Buloh Hospital case, victims feel very uncomfortable about returning to work if the perpetrators are still at their workplace.

“We have to ensure that the process does not cause the investigation to drag on forever without action taken.

“There will usually be cover-ups in toxic environments like these where sexual harassment is rampant. Both men or women will usually cover up for each other,” Yeoh told reporters in Penang today at the closing of the Penang Goes Orange campaign.

She said the ministry had gained valuable experience in dealing with the Sungai Buloh Hospital sexual harassment case that eventually saw a head of department terminated from public service.

Yeoh said the ministry is working on improving guidelines and a complaint system while waiting for the Sexual Harassment Act to be passed.

The ministry is also conducting an impact study on the extent of workplace sexual harassment, and will complete the study next month.

Its findings will aid the drafting of the sexual harassment bill.

Yeoh expects the new law to be tabled and passed in Parliament, coming into force next year.

In the Sungai Buloh case, she said victims who complained against the perpetrator received threats soon after.

She said it was unacceptable to have environments where sexual harassment complaints led entire offices to go on manhunts for the victim instead of the perpetrator.

“The Sungai Buloh case was very important for our ministry in understanding sexual harassment. It was a good experience for us because we now know where the challenges are.

“We need to know why people don’t want to lodge police reports.”

The incident at Sungai Buloh Hospital came to light in July when The Star highlighted how an orthopaedic department head was accused of sexual attacks on female housemen under his supervision.

The specialist, who had authority over their housemanship, reportedly targeted his victims due to their vulnerability.

Yeoh brought up the case in her speech at the event earlier, highlighting how a tweet by Health Minister Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad on taking action led more victims to lodge their complaints against the specialist.

At first, she said only two junior doctors complained, but after that, 30 other doctors and specialists came forward.

“Copies of their complaints came to my ministry. The victims used to be afraid, as they had lodged complaints, but were not believed as they were juniors. Some cases went as far back as five years.

“A special committee was formed to probe, while lawyers Ramkarpal Singh and Sangeet Kaur Deo provided legal aid to victims,” she said.

Following investigations, the specialist was eventually terminated from public service, Yeoh said.

“People asked why it did not become a police case. The victims have to lodge police reports, but that means the perpetrator will be able to hire a lawyer if he is charged in court.

“The victims will have to go to court, testify, and be cross-examined,” she said, adding that Malaysians still tended to blame victims of such cases, accusing them of not behaving or dressing properly.

From 2015 to 2017, there were 47 cases of sexual harassment reported in the public sector, and 64 in the private sector.

Yeoh said disciplinary action was taken against those from the public sector.

“Six were sacked, 20 issued warnings, four fined, and one lost his emolument privileges. Meanwhile, nine faced delayed salary movements, one saw a pay cut, and another was demoted.

“I think such cases are still unreported due to worries faced by victims,” she said. – December 10, 2018.