Page 7 - 01_2021 PULSE@FASS e-Bulletin

Issue no. 1 | 2021

Reviewing of the Code of case and the attendant burden of proof, periodic

Practice on the educational training to training awareness to incoming
raise
for
in
and
staff,
and
sensitivity
students
gender
Prevention and Handling receiving and handling sexual harassment and sexual
the
of Sexual Harassment abuse cases by first responders. There of numbers need
also
is
such
formonitoring
in
terms
and
cases
Cases in University reporting them yearly to the campus community. The
discussion
certain
by
also
highlighted
the
requirement
Malaya international funding bodies for the recipient institution to
observe the prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse.
BY DR. LAI SUAT YAN
For this discussion of the Code of Practice, representatives
were invited from various entities within UM, including the
Legal Unit, the Psychology and Counselling Section,
Administrators and Professional Association (PEKERTI),
General Staff Association (PEKERTI), the Student Union
and Secretariat of the President of the Residential College.
External invited representatives and experts in the field
included from persons the Royal Malaysia Police and Ms
Emmelia Shariff from Speak Up Malaysia, who is also a
member of the committee providing feedback to the
proposed Sexual Harassment Act in Malaysia.
The First Ever IRSOC
E-Magazine
In line with the agenda of the United Nations Children’s
The IR Society (IRSOC) of the Department of International
Fund (UNICEF) on the “Prevention of Sexual Exploitation
and Strategic Studies has launched its first e-magazine
and Abuse” (PSEA), the University Malaya (UM) Integrity
through a collection of short essays and artworks from the
Office organized a one-day workshop on 9 February 2021
undergraduate and postgraduate students, as well as the
to review the Code of Practice on the Prevention and
IR alumni, in the IR Alumni Society. With a successful first
Handling of Sexual Harassment in UM. Dr Lai Suat Yan,
call for contributions, the Magazine is expected to be
Coordinator and Senior Lecturer of the Gender Studies
circulated in April 2021.
Program, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences was invited to
attend as an expert in the field of gender-based-violence.

She was also there in her capacity as a representative of
the University Malaya Academic Staff Association
(PKAUM). In addition, she was a member of the committee
formed by the government to provide feedback on the
proposed standalone Sexual Harassment Act in Malaysia.
In reviewing the UM Code of Practice, the
recommendations of PKAUM to the proposed
amendments by the Integrity Office were discussed.

Key areas include delineating clear procedures for
reporting and for the appeal process, clarifying the
concept of confidentiality in the investigation process, the
rights of the complainants and the accused, and ensuring
protection from retaliation for reporting sexual harassment
and sexual abuse. Equally important are differentiation in
handling sexual harassment as a civil versus a criminal

7 | Pulse @ FASS