Persons who lacked proof of citizenship were not able to access government services, such as reduced-cost health care, or own property. The 'new normal' comes with its fair share of added stresses and worries for everyone to handle. 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. In February the High Court issued an interim stay on the deportation of 1,200 Burmese nationals after the deportees were already aboard Burmese naval ships. Refugees employed in the informal sector were paid lower wages than comparable employees and were vulnerable to exploitation. Healthcare. During the same period, three people died while in police lock-ups, and 188 prison inmates died. The law prohibits the employment of children younger than 15 but permits some exceptions, such as light work in a family enterprise, work in public entertainment, work performed for the government in a school or in training institutions, or work as an approved apprentice. Freedom of Association and the Right to Collective Bargaining, b. For examples of social problems in Malaysia include crime, violence, gangsterism, drug abuse, baby dumping, vandalism, and young relationship among youth. Male children between ages 10 and 18 may receive a maximum of 10 strokes of a light cane in a public courtroom. Forced migration and displacement are global social problems which currently affect more than 89 million people worldwide (UNHCR, 2022). The Royal Malaysian Police maintain internal security and report to the Ministry of Home Affairs. Check our list and get an inspiration boost. Youth suicide costs a staggering RM350 mil each year, according to Relate Malaysia's new study. The law classifies some types of workplace sexual harassment as criminal offenses (see section 7.d.). Police raided the publishing company and questioned journalist Tashny Sukumaran and seven Malaysiakini journalists who had authored chapters. 2021 saw the resignation . The government focused on preventing sexual exploitation of children, including sex trafficking. The board may renew the detention order or impose an order to restrict, for a maximum of five years, a suspects place of residence, travel, access to communications facilities, and use of the internet. 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. Sexual Harassment: The law prohibits a person in authority from using his or her position to intimidate a subordinate by any conduct that is sexual in nature. During the week preceding a July 31 Lawan (Fight) protest in Kuala Lumpur to demand the resumption of parliamentary sessions, a moratorium on the repayment of all loans, and the resignation of Prime Minister Muhyiddin for his handling of the pandemic, authorities reportedly summoned at least 20 activists, including youth activist Sarah Irdina, who was detained for 10 hours and charged with sedition for her tweet about the upcoming event (see section 1.d., Arbitrary Arrest). Physical Conditions: Overcrowding in prisons and immigration detention centers, particularly in facilities near major cities, remained a serious problem. Nationwide Emergency. Public-sector workers have some collective bargaining rights, although some could only express opinions on wages and working conditions instead of actively negotiating. They were released on bail the next day. On July 13, the Federal Court announced that it would be taking time to deliberate before issuing a decision. For examples of social problems in Malaysia include crime, violence, gangsterism, drug abuse, baby dumping, vandalism, and young relationship among youth. Employers or employees who violate occupational health and safety laws are subject to fines, imprisonment, or both. In June human rights organizations protested an illustration posted on social media by the National Task Force, a government unit charged with tightening border controls, that showed armed security officials and navy ships surrounding a boat, captioned, Rohingya migrants, your arrival is not welcome. In response to complaints, Minister of Home Affairs Hamzah Zainudin declared he believed most Malaysians were concerned that the huge number of refugees who made Malaysia their destination of choice might lead to various social ills. In turn migrant rights activist Adrian Pereira of the NGO North South Initiative expressed fear of what the governments portrayal of the Rohingya could lead to, especially after the surge of online hate against that community in 2020. Police abuse of suspects in custody continues to be a serious problem, as does a lack of accountability for such offenses. Corruption: Corruption and abuse-of-power criminal trials were ongoing for former prime minister and sitting member of parliament Najib Razak, United Malays National Organization (UMNO) political party president Zahid Hamidi, and opposition Democratic Action Party head Lim Guan Eng, among others. There was a lack of investigation into accusations of rape and gender-based violence, and little accountability. Eliminating systemic racism. Reproductive awareness advocates and NGOs that provided sexual health education were frequently accused of encouraging sin and eliciting sexual behaviors. Many companies hired foreign workers using recruiting or outsourcing companies, creating uncertainty about the legal relationship between the worker, the outsourcing company, and the owner of the workplace, making workers more vulnerable to exploitation and complicating dispute resolution. The erosion of support for Muhyiddin's government is tied to four issues. Police sometimes did not allow detainees prompt access to family members or other visitors. The cause of unemployed graduates nowadays is the incompatibility in the focus of higher education institutions and the needs of labor market. Job losses, salary cuts and the economic downturn were of course, unfortunate problems that came with the pandemic, and weighed heavily on the minds of many Singaporeans. The ruling found the user comments, which Malaysiakini removed within 12 minutes of posting, contemptuous of Chief Justice Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat. The Ministry of Women, Family, and Community Development is responsible for safeguarding the rights of persons with disabilities. There were 46,170 children younger than age 18. The divisions principal assistant director, Siti Kamsiah Hassan, told media that police received an average of 15 incest cases every month during the year. The number of unemployed female graduates is much higher in comparison male graduates. The notice warned residents they could be fined up to 500,000 ringgit ($120,000), serve a five-year jail term, or both, if found guilty of the offense of building structures on government land. Authorities often banned street protests, and police sometimes confronted civil society and opposition demonstrations with mass arrests. Police indicated he was also COVID-19 positive. In such cases courts generally issued an open verdict, meaning that there would be no further action against police. Malaysia did little to stop a vicious online hate speech campaign against Rohingya refugees in the country in April. In October UNHCR estimated there were 9,040 stateless persons residing in peninsular Malaysia, the majority of whom were of Indian Tamil ethnicity. Cultural barriers and government policies impeded access to sexual and reproductive health services. FEBRUARY 18 With the current four-digit infection cases and no sign that the situation will abate anytime soon, it would seem that Malaysia's macroeconomic conditions will worsen rather than improve for 2021. Share this via WhatsApp Continue reading and get to learn about the 10 common social issues around the world. In May the National Union of Journalists Peninsular Malaysia, the Centre for Independent Journalism, and Gerakan Media Merdeka issued a statement in response to five incidents where authorities questioned and investigated journalists early in the year. 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. 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. The courts increasingly encouraged the use of mediation and arbitration to speed settlements. In 2021, the UN's planned Food Systems Summit during the General Assembly will be an important moment, as well as a yearlong focusing mechanism, to help move the world toward a more sustainable model that addresses all these issues and more. The government on several occasions forcibly expelled boats with refugees and asylum seekers who had come from a country where their lives or freedom could be threatened due to their race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion. Inspectors have the authority to conduct unannounced inspections and initiate sanctions. Recently, the statistics have shown an increase in abortion. Nonetheless, NGOs reported continued discrimination against women in the workplace in terms of promotion and salary (see section 7.d.). More than 60 offenses are subject to caning, sometimes in conjunction with imprisonment, and judges routinely mandated caning as punishment for crimes, including kidnapping, rape, and robbery, and nonviolent offenses, such as narcotics possession, criminal breach of trust, migrant smuggling, immigration offenses, and others. Also in October, in a widely viewed TikTok video, Muslim preacher Syakir Nasoha accused members of religious and ethnic minorities of killing Muslims, sparking fears this could incite violence against Buddhists (largely citizens of Chinese descent), Hindus (largely citizens of Indian descent), and Dayaks (an indigenous community of Sarawak and Sabah states). March 11, 2021 End Poverty, Equality, . The constitution provides citizens the right to assemble peaceably and without arms; however, several laws restricted this right. A government voluntary code of conduct provides a detailed definition of sexual harassment intended to raise public awareness of the problem. The authorities ultimately conducted multiple raids, ensnaring thousands of migrants and detaining them in overcrowded and unsanitary immigration detention centers to await deportation. In 2020 the NGO Womens Aid Organization reported that 9 percent of women who had ever been in a relationship experienced domestic violence and such violence was symptomatic of a deeper problem: gender inequality. A November report by the organization found that 53 percent of respondents believed domestic violence was a normal reaction to stress or frustration, and 43 percent believed a woman could so anger a man that he hit her without meaning to, suggesting a culture deeming such violence acceptable when perceived as an emotional gesture, or in the event the victim has behaved in a way that triggers the abuse. In Penang State, police as of July recorded a 35 percent increase in domestic-violence cases compared to 2020. Authorities restricted rights to religious observance for members of all non-Sunni practices of Islam, which the government bans as deviant.. The National Occupational Safety and Health Council composed of workers, employers, and government representatives creates and coordinates implementation of occupational health and safety measures. The government reserved large quotas for the bumiputra majority for positions in the federal civil service as well as for vocational permits and licenses in a wide range of industries, which greatly reduced economic opportunity for minority groups (see section 6, Systemic Racial or Ethnic Violence and Discrimination). The NGO Sisters in Islam declared that Kelantan first minister Ahmad Yakobs characterization of the code as restorative and retributive posed a grave concern and asked what this meant for actions deemed crimes under the code in the context of the looming tabling of legislation in federal parliament allowing sharia courts to mete out stiffer penalties. They should have proficiency in English. SUHAKAM may not investigate court cases in progress and must cease its inquiries if a case becomes the subject of judicial action. Under national security laws, police may enter and search the homes of persons suspected of threatening national security without a warrant. Government procurement and licensing policies favored bumiputra-owned businesses. UNHCR affirmed that authorities continued to disallow visits by its staff to detention centers to meet refugees and asylum seekers, determine those in need of international protection, and advocate for their release. In April the High Court upheld a 2019 ban on the comic book Belt and Road Initiative for Win Winism by Superman Hew. In July NGO Refuge for the Refugees founder Heidy Quah was charged under communications legislation over a 2020 social media post regarding conditions at an immigration detention center. In August that coalition lost its majority in the lower house of parliament, resulting in a transfer of power to a Barisan Nasional-led coalition headed by the new prime minister, Ismail Sabri. Ongoing travel restrictions to curb the spread of COVID-19 prevented many individuals from presenting themselves to renew their UNHCR cards, leaving them with expired documentation. Those convicted of a first offense face a token fine and a maximum sentence of 14 days in jail. Office of the Special Envoy for Critical and Emerging Technology, Office of the U.S. Also known as social issues sometimes. In June a court ordered Goodyear Malaysia Berhad to provide 185 migrant workers more than 5 million ringgit ($1.2 million) in unpaid wages, shift allowances, annual bonuses, and pay increases. In September Minister of Health Khairy Jamaluddin announced that everyone in the country was eligible for a COVID-19 vaccine regardless of documentation status, but many remained skeptical. CAUSES. The protest took place amid threats of disciplinary action by hospital administrations and heavy police presence at several major hospitals nationwide. It has a parliamentary system of government selected through regular, multiparty elections and is headed by a prime minister. Malaysias faltering reform movement was halted in March when the Pakatan Harapan coalition collapsed and was replaced by a new coalition comprised of the United Malays National Organization (UMNO), the Malaysian Islamic Parti (PAS), and defectors from the Pakatan Harapan coalition. Employers reportedly restricted workers movement and use of mobile telephones; provided substandard food; did not provide sufficient time off; sexually assaulted workers; and harassed and threatened workers, including with deportation. Women experienced some economic discrimination in access to employment. Shortest response: "Tol". The cause of unemployed graduates nowadays is the incompatibility in the focus of higher education institutions and the needs of labor market. 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. Some workers alleged their employers subjected them to inhuman living conditions and physically assaulted them. First is mismanagement of the health crisis. NGOs continued to criticize the lack of resources dedicated to enforcement of the law. The UN panel urged the country to abolish the practice. Access to education was limited to schools run by NGOs and ethnic communities, and UNHCR estimated no more than 40 percent of refugee children attended school. SUHAKAM continued its public inquiry, suspended for six months in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, into the 2016 disappearance of Christian converts Pastor Joshua Hilmy and his wife, Ruth Sitepu. Nonetheless, the ships departed later that day despite the court ruling. Addressing economic inequality and promoting financial asset building. The political environment was hostile towards women. Limited pretrial discovery in criminal cases impeded the defense. UNHCR registers children born to refugees (see section 2.g., Stateless Persons). In October, according to media reports, a senior politician from the Bersatu party, Borhanuddin Che Rahim, used an ethnic slur to describe an ethnic Indian member of the national badminton team. Migrant workers must undergo mandatory testing for more than 16 illnesses as well as pregnancy. Malaysia restricts the rights of followers of any branches of Islam other than Sunni, with those following Shia or other branches subject to arrest for deviancy. In August MACC charged member of parliament and former youth and sports minister Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman with money laundering. 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. The Malaysian Trades Union Congress reported that 12-, 14-, and 18-hour days were common in food and other service industries. Violence and Harassment: Journalists were subjected to harassment and intimidation. The Ministry of Home Affairs maintained a list of more than 1,700 banned publications as of November 2020. It requires employers to identify risks and take precautions, including providing safety training to workers, and compels companies with more than 40 workers to establish joint management-employee safety committees. Commercial sexual exploitation of children existed, and a local NGO estimated in 2015, the last year with reported data, that 5,000 children were involved in sex work in Kuala Lumpur and surrounding areas. Trade unions asserted some workers had wages withheld or were terminated because of union-related activity. Malaysia's political news continued to be a key agenda in the media last year, following a series of continuous and rapid political developments that took place in 2020. Noticeable changes in behavior, such as withdrawal from friends and family or violent and aggressive behavior, are among the many signs of potential teen suicide, but parents and mental health care providers also need to understand the causes of suicide in teens for effective prevention. 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. No matter how small or big their problems, their troubles may feel unbearable or overwhelming. To date, no Malaysians have been held responsible for their role in the deaths of over 100 ethnic Rohingya trafficking victims whose bodies were found in the camps. Other indicators, such as abuse of vulnerability, deception, physical and sexual violence, intimidation, and retention of identity documents, had remained at the same level as before the pandemic. No judicial review is permitted for these measures. In April a Pakistani UNHCR cardholder refugee was assaulted by a group of men in Selangor State who severed his genitals. Otherwise, defendants must rely on legal aid, and the amount of time to prepare for trial is at the discretion of the judge. Lacking citizenship, access to schooling, or other government-provided support, these children often resorted to menial labor and criminal activities to survive; those living on the streets were vulnerable to sex trafficking and forced labor, including forced begging. Malaysia Outlook 2022: Five Risks to Watch. Those found contravening child labor laws faced penalties that were not commensurate with those for other analogous serious crimes, such as kidnapping. 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. Voting rights. In April police threatened activist and artist Fahmi Reza with sedition for mocking the queen over her Instagram posts. Nonetheless, police often denied detainees access to legal counsel and questioned suspects without allowing a lawyer to be present. By law the government is not allowed to redraw the electoral boundaries until 2026 unless members of parliament amend the federal constitution, a process that requires a two-thirds majority vote. In July police raided the offices of Freedom Film Network in response to an animated short film the network and the NGO Suaram released in June about the lack of police accountability. Supporting the essential social work workforce. Some observers indicated that children born to Muslim refugees and asylum seekers often had an easier time obtaining citizenship than non-Muslim refugees and asylum seekers. 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. Unlike the government's initial response to COVID-19 or the missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370, which involved daily press briefings with an official spokesperson, the federal administration . Read summaries of the latest scientific research pertaining to a range of social issues. True statements may be considered defamatory if they contravene the public good. The government and its supporters used these laws, along with provisions against sedition, to punish and suppress publication of material critical of government officials and policies. Malaysia deported him back to Bangladesh on August 21. The executive director of local human rights NGO Suaram, Sevan Doraisamy, reported that according to Suarams media monitoring, widely reported custodial deaths during the year pointed to a combination of a sense of impunity and poor health systems in detention centers.. Such programs limited opportunities for non-bumiputra (primarily ethnic Chinese and Indians) in higher education and government employment. Federal law punishes carnal knowledge against the order of nature with up to 20 years in prison and mandatory whipping. 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. UPDATED: Check out what Singaporeans cared about in 2021. In September religious authorities in Kelantan State posted fliers in public places such as shopping malls and grocery stores warning the community about LGBTQI+ persons and the need to be vigilant against their influence. Attacks on female politicians and women who were critical of the countrys politics were common, including sexist remarks in parliament against female members, threats of rape and murder via Facebook and other social media platforms, and stereotyping female political candidates. The prevalence of suicidal behaviour among adolescents is 17.1%, in which 11.9% had suicidal thoughts, 10.2% had a suicide plan, and 8.4% had made a suicide attempt. Homelessness is a symptom of an array of social issues. The stay followed a hearing on a joint filing against the government by Amnesty International Malaysia and Asylum Access Malaysia, alleging that among the deportees there were documented refugees, asylum seekers, and minors separated from parents residing in Malaysia. Those suffering from problems can reach out to: Mental Health Psychosocial Support Service (03-2935 9935 or 014-322 3392); Talian Kasih (15999 or WhatsApp 019-261 5999); Jakim's Family, Social .