Despite strong objections by opposition political parties and civil society, in 2018 the former Barisan Nasional coalition government approved redrawn parliamentary districts that critics contended unfairly advantaged Barisan Nasional through gerrymandering and malapportionment. Share this via Printer, As More Climate Chaos Looms, Slashing Fossil Fuels Is Key. In August, the Court of Appeal partially set aside a High Court ruling that Ahmadiyya adherents were not subject to Sharia (Islamic law) in Malaysia because the Islamic authorities there do not consider them as Muslims. In August police investigated seven activists from youth coalition Sekratariat Solidariti Rakyat for sedition in relation to a planned street protest. Malaysia has to identify which global issues are in its interest and engage the Americans actively in the bilateral relationship, as well as in multilateral forums. The law provides for the rights to strike and to bargain collectively, but both were severely restricted. According to a survey conducted by Ipsos on the most concerning environmental issues . In August 2020, the Federal Court upheld the constitutionality of the mandatory death . Malaysia: stress levels by age group 2022 | Statista In December the NGO Suaram stated that deaths in police custody were severely underreported and reported there were 19 custodial deaths from January 20 through November 16. The standard of care for those in detention is also problematic, with detainees dying of treatable illnesses. Three constitutional articles provide the basis for an independent judiciary; however, other constitutional provisions, legislation restricting judicial review, and executive influence over judicial appointments limited judicial independence and strengthened executive influence over the judiciary. The economy factor also cause why fresh graduate unemployed. NGOs and members of the public criticized the law, noting it could cause self-censorship due to liability concerns. Malaysia: Freedom on the Net 2021 Country Report | Freedom House 2021 saw the resignation . These priority issues are: 1. The NGO EDICT called for an inquiry, adding that for police to abuse tactics to force suspects to confess is inappropriate. In September, Home Affairs Minister Hamzah announced police had started an inquest into the death. The religious NGO Ikram warned that some residents rejected the COVID-19 vaccine, believing it to be part of the Jewish agenda, that it contained nonhalal ingredients and tracking chips, and that it could cause death. Although the codes five offenses infringing the rights of LGBTQI+ persons sodomy, homosexual activities involving women, changing gender, crossdressing as a female, and crossdressing as a male were not among the newly added crimes, observers expressed concern about the implications for the LGBTQI+ community. The BN lost to an opposition alliance . 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. By law the minimum age for consensual, noncommercial sex is 16 for both boys and girls. This returned the long-dominant UMNO to power . Our findings reveal that the prevalence of cyberbullying victimization and perpetrator is 13.7% and 3.8%, respectively. The nongovernmental organization (NGO) Eliminating Deaths and Abuse in Custody Together (EDICT) accused the government and police of not taking the issue seriously and called for a coroners inquest to determine the cause of death. Sarawak maintained its ban on Zakir Naik, an Islamic preacher; Mandeep Karpal Singh, formerly of the fair-election NGO coalition Bersih; sitting Bersih chair Thomas Fann; former chair Ambiga Sreenevasan; Wong Chin Huat, an academic and Bersih resource chair; Jerald Joseph, a SUHAKAM commissioner; and activists Colin Nicholas and Jannie Lasimbang, among others. Migration. The government did not effectively enforce laws prohibiting forced labor in some cases, and large fines as penalties were not commensurate with those for other analogous serious crimes, such as kidnapping. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. Hartalega finished its reimbursements process of 41 million ringgit ($9.8 million) to existing workers who joined the firm prior to April 2019. The amount and availability of bail is at the judges discretion. Malaysia did little to stop a vicious online hate speech campaign against Rohingya refugees in the country in April. Back to Malaysia MALAYSIA 2021. Investigations revealed Yusrazif received a list of names and passport details of the detained foreigners from two agents and facilitated the release and return of detainees to their countries of origin in exchange for bribes. There were confrontations between indigenous communities and logging companies over land, and uncertainty over their land tenure made indigenous persons vulnerable to exploitation. Governmental Posture Towards International and Nongovernmental Investigation of Alleged Abuses of Human Rights, Section 6. Informal Sector: As of 2019 more than one million workers were considered to be in the nonagricultural informal sector. 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. In January authorities seized 1,500 tons of frozen meat worth 30 million ringgit ($7.2 million) during a raid in Johor State. In particular, a social problem often happens to youngsters aged eighteen and older. Depression is an example of an adolescent issue that has always been around but has fortunately gained more public attention in more recent years. Authorities arrested Yusrazif as part of a special operation conducted by MACC and the Immigration Department since 2020 at the countrys entry and exit points that saw the arrest of 65 individuals, including 39 immigration officers, 17 agents, and nine civilians. In-country Movement: Sabah and Sarawak States controlled immigration into their areas and required foreigners and citizens from peninsular Malaysia to present passports or national identity cards for entry. During this time authorities allegedly repeatedly questioned her; deprived her of contact with her lawyer; and detained her in unsafe conditions, including lack of water, food, and access to medicine, at times with possibly COVID-19-positive detainees. Those found contravening child labor laws faced penalties that were not commensurate with those for other analogous serious crimes, such as kidnapping. 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. The director general of trade unions and the minister of human resources may refuse to register or withdraw registration from some unions without judicial oversight. Everyone would agree about . He claimed their collaborators would get promoted to dominate the police hierarchy, so that when they are top officers and have power, they will start to do their dirty work, including collaborating with criminals. In November the Home Affairs Ministry referred the matter to the Enforcement Agency Integrity Commission for further investigation. Member of parliament Saifuddin Nasution Ismail stated on July 28, the doctors were questioned from midnight till 4 a.m., this is a form of intimidation and added that the physicians lawyer had been prevented from representing his clients. NGOs continued to criticize the lack of resources dedicated to enforcement of the law. Zahid faced charges filed in 2018 of corruption, money laundering, and taking bribes totaling three million ringgit ($720,000) from a company that ran a visa center for the workers, who paid tenfold higher costs for visa services and medical tests over a five-year period without receiving additional protections or benefits. 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.. The involvement in making or producing child pornography carries a penalty of up to 30 years imprisonment and not fewer than six strokes of a cane; conviction for accessing or possessing child pornography carries a punishment of five years imprisonment or a fine; conviction for trafficking in persons involving a child for the purposes of sexual exploitation carries a punishment of three to 20 years imprisonment and a fine. Registering a new political party remained difficult because of government restrictions on the process. According to observers, as of September, there were at least 600 registered asylum seekers and refugees, including 57 children, held in immigration detention centers. Most migrants, refugees, and stateless persons lived in private accommodations and survived on support from UNHCR, NGOs, community-based organizations, refugee support networks, or illegal or informal labor. In February the government introduced the Workers Minimum Standards of Housing and Amenities Act as an emergency ordinance during the state of emergency compelling employers and centralized accommodation providers to provide lodging with sufficient living space and amenities for migrant workers to effectively control the spread of COVID-19. Refugees did not have access to the public education system. A social problem is a condition that at least some people in a community view as being undesirable and morally wrong. Homelessness is a symptom of an array of social issues. Employers may be required to pay back wages plus the fine. 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. Migrant workers must undergo mandatory testing for more than 16 illnesses as well as pregnancy. Previously the federal government permitted stateless children to enroll in public school if parents were able to prove the childs father was a citizen, but in November 2020 the minister of education informed parliament that stateless children did not have access to public schools but could attend private schools. 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. Doctors at the Malaysia Agro Exposition Park Serdang COVID-19 Center canceled their walkout after police allegedly threatened them with arrest. However, drug abuse among the youth in Malaysia is becoming a grave concern. Malaysia ranks 86th worldwide for mobile internet download speeds and 45th for fixed broadband speeds. The constitution provides citizens the right to assemble peaceably and without arms; however, several laws restricted this right. A regulation reserves 1 percent of public-sector jobs for persons with disabilities. The law prohibits speech with deliberate intent to wound the religious feelings of any person.. They focus mainly on students . The Striking Mental Health Statistics in Malaysia The judiciary frequently deferred to police or executive authority in cases those parties deemed as affecting their interests. SPEAKERS. They also faced a maximum of five years imprisonment, a fine, or both, and mandatory caning with a maximum of six strokes if convicted of immigration law violations. Religious and cultural taboos against same-sex sexual conduct were widespread (see section 2.a., Nongovernmental Impact). The law requires internet and other network service providers to obtain a license and permits punishment of the owner of a website or blog for allowing offensive racial, religious, or political content. The time needed for a union to be recognized remained long and unpredictable. Parents applying for late registration must provide proof the child was born in the country. Since then, authorities have opened investigations into numerous activists and opposition politicians for speech critical of the government. In Malaysia, over 6.6 million students enrolled in pre-school through to secondary school were impacted by school closures, according to UN estimates. Malaysia remained firmly in the grip of both the COVID-19 pandemic and economic turmoil in 2021. Activists have filed two court cases, in the High Court and the Federal Court, challenging the existence and use of these laws in Selangor. Parts of the country were hit with devastating floods that lasted for days at the end of 2021 following non-stop heavy rains in the Klang Valley and the state of Selangor, Pahang, Melaka, Negeri Sembilan and Terengganu. 3. Americans' views of the problems facing the nation March 11, 2021 End Poverty, Equality, . The government curbed freedom of expression, particularly freedom of the press. For children between ages 14 and 18, there was no list clarifying specific occupations or sectors considered hazardous and therefore prohibited. By April, Top Glove had reimbursed 150 million ringgit ($36 million) to approximately 13,000 existing and eligible former workers. The law affords persons with disabilities the right to equal access and use of public facilities, amenities, services, and buildings open or provided to the public. 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. 3 million people owe more than $10,000. Police indicated he was also COVID-19 positive. NGOs operated static and mobile clinics, but their number and access were limited. The great floods. COVID-19, Education, and Literacy in Malaysia: Social Contexts of There were four non-Muslim judges serving on the Federal Court. Online media outlets were more independent but were often the target of legal action and harassment. Teenagers who abuse alcohol increase their risk of negative health effects because their organs, brain and mental capabilities are still growing. As there is no legal framework for dealing with refugees and asylum seekers in the country, UNHCR conducted all activities related to protection, including registration and status determination. It conducted training, undertook investigations, issued reports, and made recommendations to the government. Although the government allowed foreign films at local film festivals, it sometimes censored content by physically blocking screens until the objectionable scene was over. Protests deemed acceptable by the government usually proceeded without interference. The details are given below. Alladin, one of the child sex offenders most wanted by global law enforcement authorities, was linked to at least 34 victims between ages two and 16; he had uploaded more than 1,000 images and videos depicting the sexual abuse of children over the course of 14 years. The law prohibits and criminalizes all forms of forced or compulsory labor. Social Issues - The Japan Times 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). 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. See the Department of States Trafficking in Persons Report at https://www.state.gov/trafficking-in-persons-report/. The legal system is based on British common law, and defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty. Police arrested Vinaiyagar on September 8 for alleged gangsterism, and he died five days later due to a ruptured stomach ulcer, per police reports. Federal police reported approximately 20,000 internet addresses in the country uploading and downloading child pornography. Japan's births set to fall below 800,000 in 2022, hitting a new all-time low. Representatives of these groups argued that the lines between the executive, the judiciary, and the state were very blurred and that the judiciary needed to exert more independence and objectivity. Beyond Blue on 1300 22 46 36. The Attorney Generals Chambers requested a fine of 200,000 ringgit ($47,500), but Yusuf fined Malaysiakini more than double that amount. In February media reported an accusation by the attorney for retail worker Leong Ann Ping that Leong was sexually harassed by male suspects while detained in the local jail at Mukah, Sarawak State, that she suffered from insomnia and headaches while incarcerated, and that police were not responsive to her request for morning headache medicine. Biggest Social Issues . In Kuala Lumpur as well as Selangor and Kelantan States, prisons exceeded capacity by 45 to 50 percent. According to World Prison Brief, as of August 2020 the country had 69,000 inmates in 52 prisons designed to hold only 52,000 inmates. Although the government and NGOs maintained shelters and offered other assistance to victims of domestic violence, activists asserted that support mechanisms remained inadequate. The law prohibits women from working underground, such as in mines, and restricts employers from requiring female employees to work in industrial or agricultural work between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. or to commence work for the day without having 11 consecutive hours of rest since the end of the last work period. Class:Class 1 Sec 4. By law only registered organizations of seven or more persons may legally function. NGOs reported that stateless children in Sabah State were especially vulnerable to labor exploitation in palm oil production, forced begging, and work in service industries, including restaurants. The violations included failure to comply with building capacity, operating without permission, failure to provide entry and exit route and nonadherence to social distancing.. 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. It also affects how people react to certain situations. Nonetheless, NGOs reported continued discrimination against women in the workplace in terms of promotion and salary (see section 7.d.). On April 11, Defense Minister Ismail Saabri announced that the government would take stern action against online media that misreport the news. Five Global Issues to Watch in 2021 | unfoundation.org Hamid alleged government interference in previous judicial decisions and complicity by judges in sham cases designed to reward government supporters with large settlements. You can add more than one country or area. According to Abdul Rahman Hamid (2015), drug abuse issues in Malaysia is still trouble matter even though it is . Participation of Women and Members of Minority Groups: No laws limit participation by women or members of minority groups or of historically marginalized groups in the political process, and they did participate. Instead, bilateral agreements or memoranda of understanding between the government and some source countries for migrant workers include provisions for rest periods, compensation, and other conditions of employment for migrant domestic workers, including prohibitions on passport retention. While authorities generally recorded votes accurately, there were irregularities perpetrated by the former Barisan Nasional coalition government that affected the fairness of elections. Immigration law allows authorities to arrest and detain noncitizens for 30 days, pending a deportation decision. (i) High Rate Of Unemployment Among Graduates. 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. Ahmad Marzuk also announced a special multiagency government task force, including the government multimedia agency and police, to monitor posts related to LGBTQI+ issues. Even children have been detained in shelters and threatened with prosecution. As we continue to understand more clearly, issues such as conflict, hunger, and climate change are deeply interlinked.