Stalking May Soon Be A Crime In Malaysia!

The Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Parliament and Law), Datuk Wira Mas Ermieyati Samsudin has said that the government is committed to introduce anti-stalking laws.

According to The Star, she said that efforts to make stalking a crime began in 2019, when an anti-stalking committee was established and that the government is meeting various stakeholders on the issue.

She added that the draft amendments to the law (amendments to the Penal Code and the Criminal Procedure Code) had been prepared by the committee since early 2020 and it is led by legal affairs division with the involvement of other government agencies and non-governmental organisations (NGOs).

“The Policy Paper together with amendments of the law is expected to be tabled to the Cabinet in December 2021 and the amendments will be tabled in Parliament after obtaining the approval from the Cabinet.” she said in a statement posted on Facebook.

This was following a meeting to discuss the latest development on the anti-stalking law in parliament on Tuesday (2 November).

According to Mas Ermieyati, she intended to hold a meeting with the various stakeholders, including the Women, Family and Community Development Ministry, the Attorney General’s Chambers, the police, the Malaysian Bar Council, the Women’s Aid Organisation (WAO) and experts to discuss on this matter.

“During the meeting, three stalking victims have shared their experiences and how they were left unprotected due to gaps that exist in the laws.” Mas Ermieyati said.

Meanwhile, she mentioned that WAO had submitted a memorandum signed by 52 groups and a petition supported by more than 8,500 people.

In December 2020, WAO had conducted a research and they found that a third of Malaysians have experienced acts associated with stalking.

The survey, titled “Understanding Malaysians’ Experiences of Stalking” had collected responses from 1,008 Malaysians, with one-third reported to had experienced stalking that instilled fear, 17% had experienced stalking resulting in harm and 12% were stalked and threatened with harm.

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