The Sexual Harassment Bill first mooted during the previous Pakatan Harapan administration will be tabled in Parliament this year, according to Women, Family and Community Development Minister Rina Harun.
In a written parliamentary response to her predecessor Pandan MP Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, Rina said the Covid-19 pandemic had led to a postponement of initial plans to table the draft Bill.
"It is undeniable that the drafting schedule had been impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic, limiting the implementation of consultation with stakeholders, and therefore there were slight adjustments made to table the Bill in 2021," she said.
Rina added that the consultation process for the draft Bill is still ongoing, not only within the ministry but also with other agencies involved in the process.
"This is very important to ensure effective implementation of the law, including being able to fill any gaps in current legislation, rules and notices," said the Bersatu Women chief.
Some of the previously reported gaps in the law included the crime of taking pictures without permission, making threats with private pictures or videos, stalking, and the spread of private information without permission.
In the third and final Parliament session last year, Batu Kawan MP Kasthuri Patto had questioned the ministry's commitment to table the Sexual Harassment Bill, initially expected for debate during the last July session.
At the time, Rina merely insisted that the Bill would be tabled this year.
Among others, the definition of sexual harassment under the Bill takes into account that it can be done through various means and mediums, so stalking and spreading personal information, pictures, or videos online will be criminalised. - Mkini
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