Police must inform detainees of their rights to contact family members and consult a lawyer of their choice. Pre-existing inequalities in education were exacerbated by students unequal access to the internet, with rural and indigenous communities particularly affected. The law does not prohibit discrimination with respect to race, religion, national origin, color, sex, ethnicity, disability, age, sexual orientation, HIV or AIDS status, or refugee status in employment and hiring; the director general of labor may investigate discrimination in the terms and conditions of employment for both foreign and local employees. Migrants and potential refugees expressed fear about coming forward for the COVID-19 vaccine, fearing detention and possible deportation after receiving mixed messaging from the government. They were released on bail but ordered to report to the nearest District Islamic Religious Department and barred from uploading on social media. In September the Perlis State Fatwa Committee declared that men who appear like women such as cross-dressers or transgender individuals were forbidden from entering mosques while not in gender-conforming appearances. Penang State mufti Wan Salim Wan Mohd Noor suggested that transgender individuals should change their appearance if they wanted to be in mosques or suraus (Islamic assembly buildings) so that they do not look odd and avoid uncomfortable feelings among other worshippers. Representatives from the NGO Sisters in Islam observed that the fatwa and statement of the mufti not only contradicts the federal constitution but was not in accordance with inclusive Islamic traditions.. The law provides criminal penalties for corruption by officials; several sitting and former government officials remained on trial for corruption, including the former prime minister, and there remained a broadly held perception of widespread corruption and cronyism in government institutions. 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. Many industries were subject to race-based requirements that mandated bumiputra ownership levels. By law a person must be informed of the grounds for arrest by the arresting officer. State authorities continued to deny entry to certain national leaders to these states. A March 2021 ASEAN Today article revealed that Malaysia is experiencing an increase in mental health problems, which the existence of COVID-19 may be exacerbating. Reproductive Rights: There were no reports of coerced abortion or involuntary sterilization on the part of government authorities. The Judges Ethics Committee suspended Court of Appeal judge Hamid Sultan Abu Backer from February through August because of an affidavit he filed in 2019 as part of a lawsuit against then chief justice Richard Malanjum. Corruption and Lack of Transparency in Government, Section 5. Freedom of Expression for Members of the Press and Other Media, Including Online Media: Political parties and individuals linked to the ruling coalition owned or controlled a majority of shares in almost all English and Malay language print and broadcast media, many of which were overtly progovernment. Union officials expressed frustration about delays. In January a male inmate raped a 16-year-old girl, also an inmate, at a local police station in Miri, Sarawak State. But in Malaysia, mental health problems were already on the . In September, Home Affairs Minister Hamzah Zainudin told parliament that since January, 42 individuals had died while in custody, 14 in prison or police custody and 28 in immigration detention centers. The incompatibility in the focus of higher education institution and the needs of labour market. 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. The Malaysian Bar Council claimed these restrictions were excessive. The NGO EDICT declared police violated the legal mandate that at least one female officer be assigned to take care of underage female inmates. 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. Authorities provide defendants free interpretation in Mandarin, Tamil, and some other commonly used dialects from the moment charged through all appeals. The government restricted access to the internet. The government claimed these policies were necessary to attain ethnic harmony and political stability. Registering a new political party remained difficult because of government restrictions on the process. 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. Social problems often involve problems that affect the real world. 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. In another case a refugee said police on patrol stopped him, became aggressive, and despite his UNHCR card, threatened him with arrest, claiming he had broken the law. 16 Aug 2021. There were scattered reports the government or its agents committed arbitrary or unlawful killings, mostly in the prison system. There is no minimum age for engaging in light work. The Department of Labor of the Ministry of Human Resources enforces wage, working condition, and occupational safety and health standards. Malaysia has a long history of environmental issues. Laws prohibit such actions; nevertheless, authorities sometimes infringed on citizens privacy. Parents must register a child within 14 days of birth. In January, the High Court granted Sisters in Islam, a civil society group working to promote the rights of Muslim women, a stay on the enforcement of a fatwa issued against it in 2014. 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. Discrimination in employment and occupation occurred with respect to women; members of national, racial, and ethnic minorities; and persons with disabilities. 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. Malaysia has since experienced other economic fallouts, such as the global financial crisis of 2008 and 2009, but its effects were comparatively small, with only a drop of 1.5 per cent in GDP. Hartalega finished its reimbursements process of 41 million ringgit ($9.8 million) to existing workers who joined the firm prior to April 2019. It also discussed digital upskilling, tackling racial and religious discrimination, and Bumiputra's special privileges. The government also had the right to compel arbitration in the case of failed collective bargaining negotiations. A lack of resources and qualified teachers limited opportunities for the majority of school-age refugee children. Employers, employment agents, and labor recruiters subjected some migrants to forced labor or debt bondage. Depression. In April two members of parliament accused then deputy inspector general of police Acryl Sani Abdullah Sani, since promoted to inspector general, of trivializing a rape threat made against a teenage girl. Check our list and get an inspiration boost. The investigation remained open at time of writing. The law requires two-thirds of the members of a registered trade union to vote for a strike through a secret ballot, and a report must be submitted to the director general of trade unions to approve the strike as legal. Before and during that campaign, opposition politicians and civil society organizations alleged electoral irregularities and systemic disadvantages for opposition groups due to a lack of media access for the opposition and malapportioned districts favoring the then ruling coalition. The Barisan Nasional (BN) political coalition ruled Malaysia from independence in 1957 until 2018, maintaining power by manipulating electoral districts, appealing to ethnic nationalism, and suppressing criticism through restrictive speech laws and politicized prosecutions of opposition leaders. The law provides for six to 20 years imprisonment and caning for persons convicted of incest. NGOs and international organizations involved with these populations made credible allegations of overcrowding, inadequate food and clothing, lack of regular access to clean water, poor medical care, improper sanitation, and lack of bedding in the immigration detention centers. 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). NGOs continued to criticize the lack of resources dedicated to enforcement of the law. Discrimination: The constitution prohibits discrimination against citizens based on gender and gives men and women equal property rights, although sharia, which deviates from these principles in some areas, was sometimes applied. The aims of this . In February 2020 the Pakatan Harapan coalition collapsed, and power transferred to the Malay-dominated Perikatan Nasional coalition which included the main Barisan Nasional components, headed by Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin. Five agencies, including the Department of Labor of the Ministry of Human Resources, have enforcement powers under the law, but their officers performed a variety of functions and did not always actively search for indications of forced labor. There are few most notable negative effects of alcohol abuse on teens, such as: Young peopleengage in drug use for different reasons than do adults, and as such, they need different treatment methods to help them break the cycle of addiction. Anti social behavior /crime. The government does not recognize marriages between Muslims and non-Muslims and considers children born of such unions illegitimate. 2021 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices: Malaysia, An official website of the United States Government, https://www.state.gov/religiousfreedomreport/, https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/International-Parental-Child-Abduction/for-providers/legal-reports-and-data/reported-cases.html, https://www.state.gov/trafficking-in-persons-report/, https://www.dol.gov/agencies/ilab/reports/child-labor/list-of-goods. Keep posting! Otherwise, defendants must rely on legal aid, and the amount of time to prepare for trial is at the discretion of the judge. In August, the government withdrew a bill submitted by the prior administration to create an Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission because the police objected to it. The government instead introduced a bill to create a toothless Independent Police Conduct Commission that lacks both key investigative powers and the authority to punish wrongdoing.