women’s rights

We are Hindu, Indira’s children declare confidently after Muslim conversion quashed

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Source: Malay Mail Online

(From left) Karan Dinish, Tevi Darsiny and their mother M. Indira Gandhi are seen here in a photo taken during Deepavali 2017. ― Picture courtesy of M. Indira Gandhi
via Malay Mail Online

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 30 ― M. Indira Gandhi’s two elder children can now proudly declare their Hindu identity, after the Federal Court yesterday nullified their conversion to Islam that was done without their Hindu mother’s consent.

Tevi Darsiny, the eldest child now aged 20, said she felt “overwhelmed” when
she heard about the Federal Court ruling voiding her conversion by her Muslim convert father, Muhammad Riduan Abdullah.

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Federal Court judgment on Indira Gandhi case

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Source: The Malaysian Insight

Background facts

The appellant, Indira Gandhi Mutho and the respondent in appeal no. 19, Patmanathan Krishnan were married on April 10, 1993.

The marriage was registered under the Law Reform (Marriage and Divorce) Act 1976 (‘the LRA’). There were three children of the marriage, Tevi Darsiny, aged 12, Karan Dinish, aged 11 and the youngest, Prasana Diksa, who was 11 months old (at the time of filing of the appellant’s application for judicial review dated 9 June 2009).

On March 11, 2009, the 6th respondent converted to Islam. At the time of the 6th respondent’s conversion, the two elder children were residing with the appellant while the youngest child was with the 6th Respondent.

Sometime in April 2009, the appellant received documents from the 6th respondent showing that her three children had been converted to Islam on April 2, 2009 and that the Pengarah Jabatan Agama Islam Perak had issued three certificates of conversion to Islam on her three children.

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Ministry says found 13 hotels banning staff from wearing ‘tudung’

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Source: Malay Mail Online

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 27 — The proposed amendment to the Employment Act 1955 to address discrimination in workplaces following the issue of the ban on ‘tudung’ (hijab or headscarf) in the hotel industry is expected to be tabled at the next Parliament sitting from March 5 to April 5.

Human Resources Minister Datuk Seri Richard Riot Jaem said the ministry was pursuing a tripartite discussion involving employers, employees and the government to refine the proposed amendments.

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Islamisation will tear Malaysia apart, says Marina Mahathir

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Source: The Malaysian Insight

Illusions of Democracy contains a series of essays on democracy in Malaysia. – The Malaysian Insight pic by Seth Akmal, January 18, 2018.

MALAYSIA is on a slippery slope if the nation carries on with its Islamisation agenda, which will not only divide society, but also promote violence, said Marina Mahathir.

Citing a recent example of a man slapping a Muslim woman for not wearing a headscarf in public, the socio-political activist said Islamisation is not going to be positive or healthy for the nation.

“What could possibly have given the man the idea that he is entitled to harangue and slap a Muslim woman for not wearing a tudung as happened recently in Penang,” she said at a book launch at the Kuala Lumpur and Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall last night.

The footage of a man slapping a woman for allegedly not wearing a headscarf some two weeks ago went viral on social media.

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Putrajaya to outlaw ‘any’ form of workplace discrimination

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Source: Malay Mail Online

Women working in an office

Female employees are seen working in an office in Putrajaya. — Reuters pic via Malay Mail Online

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 19 — The proposed amendment to the Employment Act 1955 prohibits all forms of discrimination at work, the Human Resources Ministry said.

Under the proposed amendment, the Labour director-general may inquire into an employee’s complaint of facing discriminatory treatment from his or her employer in relation to the terms and conditions of employment and issue the employer directives to resolve the matter.

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Whither Malaysia’s #MeToo movement? — Boo Su-Lyn

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Source: Malay Mail Online

BY BOO SU LYN

JANUARY 19 ― While the #MeToo movement has brought down powerful American men in Hollywood, politics, and the media, the clarion call against sexual harassment is strangely silent in Malaysia.

#MeToo (or “wo ye shi” [#我也是]) has also failed to take off in China, although a former doctoral student’s sexual assault allegations against a leading computer scientist, who allegedly attacked at least seven other students, have gone viral and led to the professor’s suspension from Beihang University in Beijing.

Actresses in Bollywood and other Indian film industries have also spoken out against sexual harassment that is considered an open secret in Indian cinema.

Malaysian women, however, have yet to widely embrace the #MeToo movement, though several did use the hashtag when it came out several days after allegations of sexual harassment against Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein broke last October.

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Stop the blame, shame the predator! — Syerleena Abdul Rashid

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Source: Malay Mail Online

BY SYERLEENA ABDUL RASHID

JANUARY 17 — In recent months, stories of sexual harassment have surfaced and highlight the extent of abusive behaviour made towards women. Men in media and now, in government, have been exposed of their inappropriate behaviour, therefore, the onus is on us to rightly remove them from their positions and publically shame them for their vulgarities.

There have been too many disturbing stories of threatening mannerisms and insulting attitudes towards female elected officials, journalists, activists and athletes. Too many reports have been ignored and swept under the rug; and the lackadaisical attitudes we are forced to deal with will only worsen the situation, therefore, the foulness of sexual harassment must be addressed sufficiently, diligently and promptly.

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The quest for gender equality — Shad Saleem Faruqi

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Source: The Star

BY SHAD SALEEM FARUQI

Shad Saleem Faruqi - file pic

Shad Saleem Faruqi – file pic

AT the 2018 Golden Globes Award on Jan 7, Oprah Winfrey, the respected American media personality, delivered a stirring call for “a new day” on the horizon for American women. Her speech made me reflect on the faltering quest for gender equality in our own constitutional democracy.

At the outset, it needs to be acknowledged that the ideal of sex equality is so complex and contradictory that everywhere it is buffeted by currents and cross-currents.

On the positive side, Malaysia has plenty of institutions, laws, principles and policies to secure justice for women.

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Media groups demand anti-sexual harassment policies

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Source: Malay Mail Online

Association of Women Lawyers committee member Meera Samantheer (pictured) said sexual harassment has nothing to do with a woman’s dressing. — File picture by Choo Choy May via Malay Mail Online

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 17 — Media groups urged newsrooms today to enact policies to protect women journalists from sexual harassment in the office and on the field, amid allegations of politicians groping reporters.

The Institute of Journalists Malaysia (IoJM) said media organisations must adopt complaint mechanisms to ensure action is taken in cases of journalists facing sexual harassment from politicians or other public figures.

“Having such strong standards and policies will not only protect female journalists, but would also be useful in stopping those that harass journalists in other ways, including blackmail or bribery,” IoJM said in a statement.

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NUJ slammed over remedy to ‘predatory politicians’

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Source: Written by Michael Murty for Free Malaysia Today

PETALING JAYA: A women’s empowerment group has taken the National Union of Journalists (NUJ) to task for saying that female journalists’ dress preference is one of the reasons they become victims of sexual harassment from politicians.

The Women’s Aid Organisation (WAO) said NUJ’s response was disappointing as it blamed the victim instead of condemning the crime of sexual harassment.

“NUJ should respect what their women members are saying and recognise that it is both endemic and dangerous.

“What is needed is a strong response to protect and support survivors of harassment, otherwise it will continue to be tolerated and regularised in the field,” said WAO executive director Sumitra Visvanathan.

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