Child, Early, and Forced Marriage: The minimum age of marriage is 18 for men and 16 for women. The government requires all civil servants, university faculty, and students to sign a pledge of loyalty to the king and government. 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. Supermax had repaid nearly 1,750 workers by June and stated it had allocated 23 million ringgit ($5.5 million), including remediation payment to contract workers. Freedom of expression came under attack immediately after the change in government, when authorities opened a sedition investigation into activist Fadiah Nadwa Fikri for organizing a protest against the method by which the new government came to power. Child labor in urban areas was common in the informal economy, including family food businesses and night markets, and in small-scale industry. According to observers, as of September, there were at least 600 registered asylum seekers and refugees, including 57 children, held in immigration detention centers. The government allowed UNHCR and NGOs to work with these populations, but government cooperation with UNHCR was inconsistent. Also in September, MACC withdrew 29 charges of corruption against Noor Ehsanuddin Mohd Harun Narrashi, a former UMNO parliamentarian and former director of the government-linked Federal Land Development Authority. Malaysia has also joined the World Health Organizations Solidarity Call to Action, calling for a Covid-19 Technology Access Pool to realize equitable global access to Covid-19 health technologies through pooling of knowledge, intellectual property and data., Human Rights Watch defends the rights of people in close to 100 countries worldwide, spotlighting abuses and bringing perpetrators to justice, Human Rights Watch is a 501(C)(3)nonprofit registered in the US under EIN: 13-2875808, Refugees, Asylum Seekers, and Trafficking Victims, Bidens Challenge: Redeeming a US Role for Human Rights, Addressing the Climate Crisis in Times of Pandemic, From Flight Logs to Homeschooling, Human Rights Watch Grapples with Covids Challenges, As Online Gender-Based Violence Booms, Governments Drag Their Feet, The Other Pandemic: Fighting Inequality as We Beat Back Covid, Poverty, Pandemic, Police Violence: Ongoing Crises Demand the US Address Pervasive Racism. In September Home Affairs Minister Hamzah Zainudin reported to parliament that as of August 25, there were 2,881 prison detainees younger than 21. Access to Basic Services: The government provided access to health care at a discounted foreigners rate of 50 percent to UNHCR-registered refugees, but not to persons without UNHCR registration cards. Social issues topics list relevant in 2023. Authorities often charged transgender persons with indecent behavior and importuning for immoral purposes in public. When mothers did not have valid proof of citizenship, authorities entered the childs citizenship as unknown on the birth certificate. The ruling found the user comments, which Malaysiakini removed within 12 minutes of posting, contemptuous of Chief Justice Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat. The law prohibits defense and police officials and retired or dismissed workers from joining a union. Conditions in prisons and detention centers could be harsh and life threatening. On 20 February 2021, Education Minister Mohd Radzi Md Jidin announced that school pupils will be returning to school in stages between 1 March and 4 April. Depression. The government also sought to hold online news portals responsible for comments posted by their readers. Over 175,000 refugees and asylum seekers, most of whom come from Myanmar, are registered with the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) office but have no legal status and remain unable to work or enroll in government schools. 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. 3 million people owe more than $10,000. Penalties for violations were not commensurate with those for similar crimes. Freedom of the press has also come under attack. 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. Malaysia permits the death penalty for various crimes and makes the sentence mandatory for 11 offenses. Freedom to Participate in the Political Process, Section 4. Government restrictions on radio and television stations mirrored those on print media, and electronic media predominantly supported the government. Vinaiyagars death in police custody was the tenth since January. The government also had the right to compel arbitration in the case of failed collective bargaining negotiations. 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. According to a KFF analysis of government data, around 1 in 10 adults have medical debt. 16 Aug 2021. On 12 January, Malaysia was put under a nationwide emergency under then premier Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin's directive. The plan outlined policies to increase access to education and attendance in schools, increase access to health education, address stigma and social norms on child marriage, and specify laws and guidelines on child marriages that are in line with government . Representatives of SUHAKAM asserted that the government was reluctant to engage with them, making implementation of reforms impossible. 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. The government restricted access to the internet. The countrys Jewish population was estimated at 100-200 persons, consisting mostly of foreign residents. According to Abdul Rahman Hamid (2015), drug abuse issues in Malaysia is still trouble matter even though it is . Even children have been detained in shelters and threatened with prosecution. The divisions principal assistant director, Siti Kamsiah Hassan, told media that police received an average of 15 incest cases every month during the year. Depression. Malaysia's GDP in 2019 was $364,684 million. As the COVID-19 pandemic continues in Malaysia, mental health issues are taking a growing toll across the country. - STR/MIKAIL ONG. Federal police reported approximately 20,000 internet addresses in the country uploading and downloading child pornography. The minister of home affairs stated refugees might lead to various social ills.. The Department of Labor of the Ministry of Human Resources enforces wage, working condition, and occupational safety and health standards. The 'new normal' comes with its fair share of added stresses and worries for everyone to handle. March 11, 2021 End Poverty, Equality, . The four largest groups in Malaysia are the ethnic Malay, Chinese Malaysians, Indian Malaysians, and Malaysians from tribal backgrounds. One-Stop Crisis Centers, an integrated multiagency service in the emergency department of most major public hospitals, provided support, including emergency contraception, to victims of sexual violence. Migrant workers often worked in sectors where violations were common. The government claimed these policies were necessary to attain ethnic harmony and political stability. "Bribe/Corruption/Rasuah" and "Economy/Ekonomi" were the most frequent one-word responses. The constitution provides for a fair and public trial, and the judiciary generally enforced this right. The governments Enforcement Agency Integrity Commission, the International Committee of the Red Cross, and SUHAKAM monitored prisons on a case-by-case basis. Also known as social issues sometimes. 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. The cofounder of youth group Misi Solidariti, Sharon Wah, questioned along with four other activists, declared: Laws that arbitrarily criminalize speech and legitimate criticism remain on the book. Read summaries of the latest scientific research pertaining to a range of social issues. #3. The government placed some restrictions on academic freedom, particularly the expression of unapproved political views, and enforced restrictions on teachers and students who expressed dissenting views. Immigration law allows authorities to arrest and detain noncitizens for 30 days, pending a deportation decision. In Malaysia, over 6.6 million students enrolled in pre-school through to secondary school were impacted by school closures, according to UN estimates. Hamid alleged government interference in previous judicial decisions and complicity by judges in sham cases designed to reward government supporters with large settlements. The law states that sodomy and oral sex acts are carnal intercourse against the order of nature. In February the Federal Court nullified a Selangor State law on same-sex sexual conduct. Journalist Tashny Sukumaran was questioned over her report on a round-up of migrant workers, and in June, police opened an investigation of Boo Su-Lyn, editor of the health news portal CodeBlue, under the Official Official Secrets Act and the penal code for a series of articles about the findings of an independent investigation into an October 2016 hospital fire that killed six patients. 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. Speaking to local media, the former Court of Appeal judge declared it should not be acceptable to discriminate against the community or to treat its members as criminals. In January the Selangor Islamic Religious Department detained transgender social media influencer Nur Sajat for questioning regarding an online video of her saying Islamic prayers in womens clothing in 2018. The number of unemployed female graduates is much higher in comparison male graduates. If found guilty, the cost of deportation generally fell to the detainee, which led to prolonged detention for those unable to pay. Activists and government critics were often subjected to late-night arrests, long hours of questioning, and lengthy remand periods, even if they were not ultimately charged with an offense. While authorities initially stated that they would not take action against undocumented migrants who came forward for testing, on April 29, the defense minister announced that all illegal immigrants found in areas under enhanced movement control orders would be sent to detention centers when those orders ended. A lawyer representing Ganapathys family said an autopsy revealed his death was due to severe injuries to his legs and shoulders. On February 17, Rafi Ullah, a Pakistani refugee, died at Sungai Buloh Prison, near Paya Jaras, Selangor State, reportedly of a heart attack; his lawyer said serious injuries on his hands and feet raised questions about the cause of death. 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. Applicants had to provide their name and address for their vaccine status to be recorded, and some feared authorities could use the information later to raid their homes. The Court of Appeal ruled that if the Ahmadiyya were proven to have converted from Islam, then the religious authorities would have authority over them, and sent the case back to the High Court for a determination of the original faith of the 39 plaintiffs.