One thing is agreeing to a sexual harassment convention, another is to ratify it

As the furore over the Malaysian government's abstention in the International Labour Organisation (ILO) Convention on Sexual Harassment and Violence in Geneva persists, veteran trade unionist Syed Shahir Syed Mohamud said political realities must have played a part.

"It's one thing if you want to look like a progressive nation, to go abroad and ratify a convention. But it's another thing to be able to ratify it," Syed Shahir told Malaysiakini.

He cited the case of the United States, which in the past has gone to international conferences to sign conventions, only to have problems ratifying them at home.

"In my personal view, even if the so-called words of LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender) were to have remained in the clause, what's wrong with supporting it?

"Are we in the right frame of mind, if we are condoning violence? Surely we can't allow people to be beaten because of gender. Even violence against animals is wrong. That's a normal reaction," said Syed Shahir, a former MTUC president and former member of the Dewan Negara.

Syed Shahir was one of those who attended the ILO conference in Geneva (photo, above), but was not a voting representative.

The vote in Geneva on June 21 saw ILO member governments, employers' federations and workers' representatives deliver a strong mandate to adopt the ILO Convention on Violence and Harassment.

The vote was overwhelming, with 439 delegates voting for the convention's adoption and only seven voting against, with 30 abstentions.

However, both the MTUC and MEF were among the seven who voted against the resolution. Of the seven votes against the resolution, MTUC's was the only one representing a trade union umbrella body.

MTUC president Abdul Halim Mansor (photo) and MEF chief Shamsudin Bardan both said that the initial insertion of LGBT under the vulnerable groups had led them to vote against the resolution.

Human Resources Minister M Kulasegaran then said in a press conference yesterday that the government took a neutral stand on the ILO Convention on Sexual Harassment and Violence because it did not wish to be in conflict with its stakeholders.

The votes delivered by the MTUC and MEF and the abstentions by the government courted flak with a spokesperson for the All Women's Action Society (Awam), who said her group was "extremely disappointed with the decision of MTUC and the government".

'Deficit of trust created'

Former MTUC secretary-general Gopal Kisham claimed that MTUC leaders had created a deficit of trust and confidence through their move, while Proham secretary general Ivy Josiah expressed shock since "the MTUC has a long history of defending women’s rights".

Syed Shahir pointed out that international conventions are drawn up without considering the local dynamics.

"Surely there was some discussion in Putrajaya prior to the conference and a position taken by the government, employers and workers," he said.

"They would have gone through a lot of documents, considered the implications.

"With this convention, approving is one thing, but ratifying it is another."

Asked about the size of the Malaysian delegation, Syed Shahir said: "There were maybe around 30. But most of them came on their own.

"They were not paid for by the government. Even to attend your name must be paid through an organisation.

"I hope people don't think the delegates just "pergi saja, makan angin" (Go there and waste time). That is not true. This year is the centenary of the International Labour Organisation, which was founded in 1919, and there are many important things to be discussed.

"This is our battle in this country. Win or lose, we have to fight." - Mkini