social issues in malaysia 2021

The legislation expanded this authority to include housing and local government agencies, the Ministry of Trade and Industry, and the Ministry of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs in order to enforce fines and penalties up to 200,000 ringgit ($48,000), three years jail time, or both, against employers that failed to adhere to regulations. Trade unions in companies granted pioneer status may not negotiate terms and conditions that are more favorable than the provisions stipulated in labor law unless approved by the minister of human resources. Migration. Global AIDS Coordinator and Global Health Diplomacy, Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs, Special Representative for Syria Engagement, U.S. Security Coordinator for Israel and the Palestinian Authority, Office of the U.S. The measures included school officials forcing girls to show their blood-soaked sanitary pads; doing swabs of their vaginas with cotton buds, tissues, or fingers; or patting them down to feel if they were wearing a sanitary pad. The law prohibits and criminalizes all forms of forced or compulsory labor. Public schools are open to some UNHCR-registered refugees, but not to the children of illegal immigrants. Family Frontiers president Suriani Kempe lamented a missed opportunity for the government to rectify this discrimination and make amends to its women who have been negatively impacted for over 60 years by their inability to obtain citizenship for their children on an equal basis as Malaysian men. After the Attorney Generals Chambers filed the appeal, NGO Lawyers for Liberty coordinator Zaid Malek termed the government position unacceptable and declared that mothers with foreign spouses and children born overseas live in fear that their children could be rendered stateless.. In September Home Affairs Minister Hamzah Zainudin reported to parliament that as of August 25, there were 2,881 prison detainees younger than 21. Under national security laws, police may enter and search the homes of persons suspected of threatening national security without a warrant. Girls age 16 and older can marry with permission of their states chief minister. The sentences for subsequent convictions are fines and up to three months in jail. In Malaysia, over 6.6 million students enrolled in pre-school through to secondary school were impacted by school closures, according to UN estimates. In some cases authorities treated early marriage as a solution to statutory rape. Students with disabilities attended mainstream schools, but accessibility remained a serious problem. Exercising the right to vote is one of the social justice issues prioritized by the National Association of Social Workers. Working hours may not exceed eight hours per day or 48 hours per week, unless workers receive overtime pay. Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting (FGM/C): The law does not prohibit FGM/C, and it was a common practice among Muslim and some indigenous communities. The government banned, restricted, or limited circulation of publications it considered a threat to public order, morality, or national security. In July, the minister in charge of religious affairs gave full licence to the religious authorities to take action against transgender people, both through arrests and religious education to return them to the right path. In August, after activist Nicole Fong responded to his statement by posting a series of infographics online critical of the official mukhayyam programwhich aims in part to influence LGBT people to renounce their non-normative gender identity or sexual orientationreligious authorities lodged a police report against her. There were credible reports that members of the security forces committed some abuses. Ongoing travel restrictions to curb the spread of COVID-19 prevented many individuals from presenting themselves to renew their UNHCR cards, leaving them with expired documentation. This occurred in August for the second time since 2018, when Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin resigned after losing majority support from members of the lower house of parliament, resulting in a transfer of power to a new prime minister, Ismail Sabri. The director general may issue necessary directives to an employer to resolve allegations of discrimination in employment, although there were no penalties under the law for such discrimination and thus penalties were not commensurate with laws related to civil rights, such as election interference. Moreover, racism and special privileges leave some . Anti-Semitism was a serious problem across the political spectrum and attracted wide support among segments of the population. A group of civil society organizations later reported that on the day of the protest, roadblocks, closure of the public square where protesters were gathering, police crowding, and ostentatious surveillance, including by drones and a helicopter, obstructed the publics freedom of expression and assembly.. 2021. The standard of care for those in detention is also problematic, with detainees dying of treatable illnesses. In cases related to terrorism or national security, the law allows police to hold persons, even after acquittal, against the possibility of appeal by the prosecution. This study estimates the extent and distribution of jobs most vulnerable to COVID-19. Although observers reported that no Department of Immigration officers were seen at vaccination centers, there were isolated reports of police roadblocks or intimidation of refugees by police on their way to vaccination centers, including an instance when police tore up an expired UNHCR card. The erosion of support for Muhyiddin's government is tied to four issues. The government placed some restrictions on academic freedom, particularly the expression of unapproved political views, and enforced restrictions on teachers and students who expressed dissenting views. Malaysia's economy has been adversely affected by COVID-19 and the subsequent mobility restrictions implemented to flatten the curve of the pandemic. We understand that pulling together the top most common and popular issue prevailing in 2021 is not simple. Reproductive Rights: There were no reports of coerced abortion or involuntary sterilization on the part of government authorities. On June 15, the Attorney General filed an application to initiate contempt proceedings against online news portal Malaysiakini for five reader comments. The Malaysian Bar Council strongly criticized the immigration courts in detention centers as facilitating a legal process where migrant workers were not provided with a clear understanding of the charges against them in their own language and were effectively denied the right to legal counsel. Among the allegations was that the inmates genitals and anuses were pepper-sprayed, rendering them unable to urinate or defecate. The government occasionally censored foreign magazines, newspapers, and news programming, most often due to sexual content. Only then, the country and society will be much safer and prosperous. Many industries were subject to race-based requirements that mandated bumiputra ownership levels. There is a greater need for the transformation of rural . While authorities generally recorded votes accurately, there were irregularities perpetrated by the former Barisan Nasional coalition government that affected the fairness of elections. Social problems has been invited many negative things that can threaten the peace and safety of the country. Although the government and NGOs maintained shelters and offered other assistance to victims of domestic violence, activists asserted that support mechanisms remained inadequate. It conducted training, undertook investigations, issued reports, and made recommendations to the government. In July the Federal Court upheld a 2018 criminal defamation conviction against online news portal Malaysiakini for articles and videos published in 2012 about pollution allegedly linked to Raud Australian Gold Mining and ordered Malaysiakini to pay 550,000 ringgit ($132,000) in damages and costs. Activists and government critics were often subjected to late-night arrests, long hours of questioning, and lengthy remand periods, even if they were not ultimately charged with an offense. The law states that sodomy and oral sex acts are carnal intercourse against the order of nature. In February the Federal Court nullified a Selangor State law on same-sex sexual conduct. Some of the most trending and social problems among youngsters in Malaysia are smoking, alcohol and drug used, baby dumping, and also there are a few preventive measures that can be taken to stop this epidemic such as role of parents and government. 16 Aug 2021. The government has yet to release the findings of the Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) set up in 2019 to investigate mass graves found in remote jungle camps on the Thai-Malaysian border in 2015. The government reported that 23 people, including two children, died while in immigration detention during the first six months of 2020. 1 Liew Chin Tong, Middle Malaysia: Centre Ground Is Battle Ground (Kuala Lumpur: Genta Media . Dr Chua Sook Ning - clinical psychologist and founder of Relate Malaysia - said the . Umars wife, who viewed the body before the autopsy, said she saw swellings all over the body. Commercial sexual exploitation of children existed, and a local NGO estimated in 2015, the last year with reported data, that 5,000 children were involved in sex work in Kuala Lumpur and surrounding areas. Malaysia permits the death penalty for various crimes and makes the sentence mandatory for 11 offenses. According to various statistics, the unemployment peak in April 2021 reached over 12.7% in the United States. Ahmad Marzuk also announced a special multiagency government task force, including the government multimedia agency and police, to monitor posts related to LGBTQI+ issues. Police arrested Vinaiyagar on September 8 for alleged gangsterism, and he died five days later due to a ruptured stomach ulcer, per police reports. Moreover, it does not require equal populations in electoral constituencies in any given state. Other indicators, such as abuse of vulnerability, deception, physical and sexual violence, intimidation, and retention of identity documents, had remained at the same level as before the pandemic. COVID-19 recovery. The lawyer representing the migrant workers submitted pay slips to the court showing some migrants worked up to 229 hours a month in overtime, exceeding the legal limit of 104 hours. Issues like sustainability of local businesses and racism (remember the George Floyd protests?) Freedom of Expression: The law prohibits sedition and public comment on issues defined as sensitive, including racial and religious matters or criticism of the king or ruling sultans. While authorities generally treated attorney-client communications as privileged, Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission officials may question lawyers who accompanied their clients to nonjudicial commission hearings about their interaction with their clients and the content of their discussions. 5. On 20 February 2021, Education Minister Mohd Radzi Md Jidin announced that school pupils will be returning to school in stages between 1 March and 4 April. Sabri added that the government was serious about the issue, as Malaysia is a country that adheres to the religion of Islam.. Malaysia continues to detain individuals without trial under restrictive laws. See the Department of States International Religious Freedom Report at https://www.state.gov/religiousfreedomreport/. Nur Sajat failed to appear for her court date on February 23, citing a medical condition. In January the Selangor Islamic Religious Department detained transgender social media influencer Nur Sajat for questioning regarding an online video of her saying Islamic prayers in womens clothing in 2018. Create your own unique website with customizable templates. Wage and Hour Laws: The minimum wage applied to both citizen and foreign workers, except for those in domestic service and the gig economy (see section 7.e., Informal Sector). National-level unions are prohibited; the government allows three regional territorial federations of unions for peninsular Malaysia, and for the states of Sabah and Sarawak to operate. Sati was not deemed a social issue until Raja Ram Mohan Roy criticized the practice and a considerable number of people started supporting him (Ahuja 2014). The 12 police officers initially charged in the case were released in March 2017. UPDATED: Check out what Singaporeans cared about in 2021. In October the government revived a 2018 criminal defamation suit against British journalist Claire Rewcastle-Brown for her reporting on the 1 Malaysia Development Berhad financial scandal that led to the conviction of former prime minister Najib in 2020 on corruption charges and occasioned his continued prosecution on other corruption and abuse of power charges during the year. The government may revoke registrations for violations of the law governing societies. The law requires a permit to own a printing press, and printers often were reluctant to print publications critical of the government due to fear of reprisal. Malaysias faltering reform movement was halted in March when the Pakatan Harapan coalition collapsed and was replaced by a new coalition comprised of the United Malays National Organization (UMNO), the Malaysian Islamic Parti (PAS), and defectors from the Pakatan Harapan coalition. In June human rights organizations protested an illustration posted on social media by the National Task Force, a government unit charged with tightening border controls, that showed armed security officials and navy ships surrounding a boat, captioned, Rohingya migrants, your arrival is not welcome. In response to complaints, Minister of Home Affairs Hamzah Zainudin declared he believed most Malaysians were concerned that the huge number of refugees who made Malaysia their destination of choice might lead to various social ills. In turn migrant rights activist Adrian Pereira of the NGO North South Initiative expressed fear of what the governments portrayal of the Rohingya could lead to, especially after the surge of online hate against that community in 2020. Censorship or Content Restrictions: The government maintained the ability to censor media. In a September response to a parliamentary inquiry, Prime Minister Sabri wrote that as of June, a total of 1,733 individuals from the LGBTQI+ community had been sent to a rehabilitation camp run by the Islamic Development Department, a government agency. The Immigration Department announced that it had revoked the work permit of Mohammed Rayhan Kabir, a migrant worker from Bangladesh who featured in the documentary. In May 2021, speed-testing company Ookla measured Malaysia's mobile internet download speed at 54.54 Mbps and fixed-line broadband at 105.14 Mbps. According to the International Press Institute, the nationwide state of emergency declared in January to combat the COVID-19 pandemic, postponing parliamentary sittings and elections while banning interstate travel and imposing restrictions on media, posed a grave threat to press freedom and freedom of expression. In March the government enacted an emergency ordinance prohibiting the spread of fake news related to COVID-19 and the state of emergency declaration with heavy fines, three years in prison, or both for violations. In June the Royal Malaysian Police Sexual, Women, and Child Investigation Division reported an increase in the number of reports of child rape by older family members during the various movement control orders. The government often resisted registering organizations deemed particularly unfriendly to the government or imposed strict preconditions. Among lots of social issues in Malaysia, i choose 5 social issues that i felt is the worst in Malaysia. What is qualitative research and why is it important? The NGO Sisters in Islam declared that Kelantan first minister Ahmad Yakobs characterization of the code as restorative and retributive posed a grave concern and asked what this meant for actions deemed crimes under the code in the context of the looming tabling of legislation in federal parliament allowing sharia courts to mete out stiffer penalties. In June a court ordered Goodyear Malaysia Berhad to provide 185 migrant workers more than 5 million ringgit ($1.2 million) in unpaid wages, shift allowances, annual bonuses, and pay increases. Depression is an example of an adolescent issue that has always been around but has fortunately gained more public attention in more recent years. SUHAKAM commissioner Hishamudin Yunus declared the best approach towards LGBTQI+ individuals was to help integrate them into mainstream society by respecting their constitutional rights to equality, privacy, and a life of dignity. The prevalence of suicidal behaviour among adolescents is 17.1%, in which 11.9% had suicidal thoughts, 10.2% had a suicide plan, and 8.4% had made a suicide attempt. Causes of teenage suicide can be difficult to pinpoint and may involve several factors. During investigations police may hold a suspect for 24 hours, which may be extended for a maximum of 14 days by court order under general criminal law provisions. Throughout the year there were numerous instances of police confiscating the cell phones of human rights defenders brought in for questioning. Conditions in prisons and detention centers could be harsh and life threatening. (i) High Rate Of Unemployment Among Graduates. Estimates were as high as 30 percent of the workforce. Outside the political and human rights fields, the government generally allowed NGOs to function independently, met with representatives from some NGOs, and responded to some NGO requests. For example, a government unit charged with tightening border controls posted an illustration on social media that showed armed naval vessels threatening a boat and captioned it, Rohingya migrants, your arrival is not welcome (section 2.f., Access to Asylum). I am launching a website soon, and your information will be very useful for me.. WE NEED TO CONTROL OURSELF FROM NEGATIVE VIBRATIONS AND NOWADAYS NEED TO EXPERIENCE TO GET WORK AT ALL. During the week preceding a July 31 Lawan (Fight) protest in Kuala Lumpur to demand the resumption of parliamentary sessions, a moratorium on the repayment of all loans, and the resignation of Prime Minister Muhyiddin for his handling of the pandemic, authorities reportedly summoned at least 20 activists, including youth activist Sarah Irdina, who was detained for 10 hours and charged with sedition for her tweet about the upcoming event (see section 1.d., Arbitrary Arrest). Access to education was limited to schools run by NGOs and ethnic communities, and UNHCR estimated no more than 40 percent of refugee children attended school. The law protects foreign domestic workers only regarding wages and contract termination. Political Parties and Political Participation: Many opposition candidates were unable to compete on equal terms with the then ruling Barisan Nasional coalition and were subject to restrictions and outside interference during the 2018 election campaign. Prohibition of Forced or Compulsory Labor, c. Prohibition of Child Labor and Minimum Age for Employment, d. Discrimination with Respect to Employment and Occupation. Smoking . Observers noted that authorities took claims seriously, but victims were often reluctant to report sexual harassment because of the difficulty of proving the offense and the lengthy trial process. Headspace on 1800 650 890. were hot-button topics in 2020, but mental health awareness seems to have found the most success with stickiness, with 77% voting 'mental health' as their top 5 concerns in 2021, compared to 67% in the previous year. According to the Home Affairs Ministry, 20 of the countrys 37 prisons were overcrowded. The law prohibits defense and police officials and retired or dismissed workers from joining a union. A code of practice guides all government agencies, employers, employee associations, employees, and others with respect to placement of persons with disabilities in private-sector jobs. In such cases courts generally issued an open verdict, meaning that there would be no further action against police. Corruption and Lack of Transparency in Government, Section 5. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. The law classifies some types of workplace sexual harassment as criminal offenses (see section 7.d.). The law provides for six to 20 years imprisonment and caning for persons convicted of incest. In February the High Court ruled against the Semelai Orang Asli claim for customary rights over a plot of land in Pahang State to make way for an oil palm cultivation project. Womens rights groups contended a 2009 fatwa by the National Council of Islamic Religious Affairs declaring the practice obligatory made FGM/C more prevalent. Local advocates contended that imprisoned transgender women served their sentences in prisons designated for men and that police and inmates often abused them verbally and sexually. There were no reports of disappearances by or on behalf of government authorities. The National Registration Department did not maintain records of stateless persons. In September religious authorities in Kelantan State posted fliers in public places such as shopping malls and grocery stores warning the community about LGBTQI+ persons and the need to be vigilant against their influence. According to a KFF analysis of government data, around 1 in 10 adults have medical debt. Citizenship law and birth registration rules and procedures created a large class of stateless children in the migrant and refugee population. In September Minister of Health Khairy Jamaluddin announced that everyone in the country was eligible for a COVID-19 vaccine regardless of documentation status, but many remained skeptical. Human rights organizations expressed serious concerns about the lack of access to fair legal process and adequate representation during immigration court hearings. Americans' views of the problems facing the nation. 2021 saw the resignation . The government also sought to hold online news portals responsible for comments posted by their readers. Subscribe to our Telegram channel for our latest stories and breaking news. In separate statements Batu Kawan member Kasthuri Patto and Petaling Jaya member Maria Chin Abdullah criticized Acryl Sani for his remarks about a police report made by a student, age 17, that a classmate had threatened to rape her after she called out her teacher for making jokes about rape. Legal observers feared the February ruling by the Court of Appeal against Malaysiakini (see section 2.a., Freedom of Expression for Members of the Press and Other Media, Including Online Media) set a precedent that websites could be held responsible for reader comments posted in response to content. This included any enterprise not registered with the Companies Commission of Malaysia or other professional body and included more than one million self-employed or micro businesses, such as in-home workers, street vendors, and small workshops. Minimum wage rates varied according to location and were less than Ministry of Finance-published poverty income levels in Sabah and Sarawak states. Social problems are matters or situations that reduce quality of life in a society. Forced migration and displacement are global social problems which currently affect more than 89 million people worldwide (UNHCR, 2022). The government and politicians often incited or condoned violence or abuse of members of racial or ethnic minorities. Self-censorship took place among academics at private institutions as well, spurred by fear the government might revoke the licenses of their institutions. The remaining 24,040 individuals, UNHCR reported, came from 50 countries, including 6,730 Pakistanis, 3,720 Yemenis, 3,300 Syrians, 3,210 Somalis, 2,800 Afghans, 1,690 Sri Lankans, 1,200 Iraqis, 770 Palestinians, and others. The incompatibility in the focus of higher education institution and the needs of labour market. The Newcastle research found that 85 percent of workers reported paying recruitment fees and 43 percent reported taking out loans averaging more than $2,000 to cover the costs, which took nearly a year on average to repay. According to Department of Occupational Safety and Health statistics, as of July, 111 workers died, 3,668 acquired a nonpermanent disability, and 140 acquired permanent disability in work-related incidents. Individuals or organizations may sue the government and officials in court for alleged violations of human rights; however, a large case backlog often resulted in delays in civil actions to the disadvantage of plaintiffs. Foreign workers may join a trade union but may not hold union office unless they obtain permission from the Ministry of Human Resources. Those convicted of a first offense face a token fine and a maximum sentence of 14 days in jail. Abuse of Migrants and Refugees: UNHCR reported that as of December 31, there were 180,440 refugees and asylum seekers in the country who were registered with the agency, of whom 155,400 were from Burma: 103,380 Rohingyas, 22,570 Chins, and 29,450 of other ethnic groups coming from conflict-affected areas or fleeing persecution in Burma. However, it should be acknowledged that mental health issues do not discriminate just like adults, the young have been significantly impacted mentally and emotionally by the pandemic. Malaysia restricts the rights of followers of any branches of Islam other than Sunni, with those following Shia or other branches subject to arrest for deviancy. In August police dropped the sedition case. The National Occupational Safety and Health Council composed of workers, employers, and government representatives creates and coordinates implementation of occupational health and safety measures. If they refuse to comply, employers face additional fines for each day that wages are not paid. The law allows the detention of a material witness in a criminal case if that person is likely to flee. The Malaysian government has called for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to find effective solutions to the Rohingya crisis, declaring itself unable to take any more Rohingya refugees. KUALA LUMPUR: Racial tension remains a prevalent issue in Malaysia which must be addressed to avoid further detrimental impacts on the country, said Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin. In the election the Pakatan Harapan coalition unseated the ruling Barisan Nasional coalition, marking the first federal transition of power between coalitions since independence in 1957. Examples can include: Illiteracy. On January 11, SUHAKAM expressed disappointment that the government was withholding evidence on orders from the Attorney Generals Chambers and claimed the legal authority to demand such evidence. Police charged two business executives for using fake halal logos, and MACC arrested eight suspects including import agents and enforcement officers.

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