THE Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development is committed to ensuring that the sexual harassment bill is tabled in Parliament as soon as possible.

Minister Rina Mohd Harun said, however, the due diligence process has to be carried out carefully, which will take some time.

She said currently, the process of reviewing and improving the draft of the bill as well as engagement sessions with various stakeholders are being actively carried out before the bill is submitted to the cabinet for approval, and then tabled in the Dewan Rakyat.

“There are several issues raised that require in-depth study like the elements of prevention and social responsibility to ensure preventive measures are implemented in the organisation,” she said when winding up the debate on the motion of thanks to the royal address in the Dewan Rakyat today.

She said attention is also given to another element, namely the safety of victims who come forward to lodge complaints.

Rina said the ministry also took into account numerous forms of sexual harassment that could occur through various communication mediums, including online platforms, which are being addressed through the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998.

The sexual harassment bill is formulated to improve the existing justice system through the establishment of a special tribunal to handle sexual harassment complaints promptly by using the standard of proof on the balance of probabilities and awarding compensation or damages to victims, she said.

She added that the bill is being drafted collectively through a special project team, which is aimed at addressing sexual harassment issues, including the high standard of proof. – Bernama, September 22, 2021.