Covering a range of teaching and learning challenges impacting learners and teachers, the contributors highlight the pervasiveness of the pandemic on Malaysian society and how Malaysians have found ways to cope. He was arrested on July 24 and remanded for investigation. There were confrontations between indigenous communities and logging companies over land, and uncertainty over their land tenure made indigenous persons vulnerable to exploitation. As we continue to understand more clearly, issues such as conflict, hunger, and climate change are deeply interlinked. Womens rights groups contended a 2009 fatwa by the National Council of Islamic Religious Affairs declaring the practice obligatory made FGM/C more prevalent. Vinaiyagars death in police custody was the tenth since January. 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. In March the then inspector general of police, Abdul Hamid Bador, declared that there was a cartel of dirty cops in middle and senior ranks. The governments Enforcement Agency Integrity Commission, the International Committee of the Red Cross, and SUHAKAM monitored prisons on a case-by-case basis. 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. Discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people remains pervasive in Malaysia. Hamid was the first judge suspended since the statute establishing the ethics committee came into effect in 2010. On April 11, Defense Minister Ismail Saabri announced that the government would take stern action against online media that misreport the news. Check our list and get an inspiration boost. Global AIDS Coordinator and Global Health Diplomacy, Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs, Special Representative for Syria Engagement, U.S. Security Coordinator for Israel and the Palestinian Authority, Office of the U.S. Malaysia went from a success story in 2020 to calamity in 2021. 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 . 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. This makes up 51% of the 1,708 . Aug 5th 2021. Employers did not respect laws on wages and working hours. For refugees in Muslim marriages, the observers claimed authorities often accepted a UNHCR document or other documentation in lieu of a passport as proof of citizenship. Exercising the right to vote is one of the social justice issues prioritized by the National Association of Social Workers. The king determined that Sabri commanded a parliamentary majority and appointed him prime minister after meeting with parliamentarians, in conformity with constitutional parameters. A code of practice guides all government agencies, employers, employee associations, employees, and others with respect to placement of persons with disabilities in private-sector jobs. However, drug abuse among the youth in Malaysia is becoming a grave concern. Read summaries of the latest scientific research pertaining to a range of social issues. The BN lost to an opposition alliance . The remaining 24,040 individuals, UNHCR reported, came from 50 countries, including 6,730 Pakistanis, 3,720 Yemenis, 3,300 Syrians, 3,210 Somalis, 2,800 Afghans, 1,690 Sri Lankans, 1,200 Iraqis, 770 Palestinians, and others. We must bring activity and quality to the table. 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. 03 / Select Countries You can add more than one country or area. Social issues topics list relevant in 2023. Notes. Therefore, we have compiled a list of the biggest social issues of 2021 in this blog. 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. - STR/MIKAIL ONG. The legislation expanded this authority to include housing and local government agencies, the Ministry of Trade and Industry, and the Ministry of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs in order to enforce fines and penalties up to 200,000 ringgit ($48,000), three years jail time, or both, against employers that failed to adhere to regulations. UNHCR declared that the deportees included at least six individuals registered with the agency. Social issues news. The government warned internet users to avoid offensive or indecent content and sensitive matters such as religion and race, and it aggressively pursued charges against those criticizing Islam, the countrys royalty, or its political leaders. Share this via Telegram Police reportedly questioned Suaram staff to assess whether the film violated sedition or communications legislation but made no determination. On November 1, Kelantans Sharia Criminal Code (I) Enactment 2019 came into force, criminalizing 24 new offenses applying to Muslims. In June the government expanded social security coverage to local and migrant domestic workers. Employers, employment agents, and labor recruiters subjected some migrants to forced labor or debt bondage. Some refugees holding UNHCR identification cards reported limited ability to move throughout the country because authorities sometimes did not recognize the UNHCR card. This included any enterprise not registered with the Companies Commission of Malaysia or other professional body and included more than one million self-employed or micro businesses, such as in-home workers, street vendors, and small workshops. Nevertheless, many businesses could operate for years without an inspection. Parents applying for late registration must provide proof the child was born in the country. 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. Many NGOs complained women did not receive fair treatment from sharia courts, especially in divorce and child custody cases (see section 6). The political environment was hostile towards women. Reproductive awareness advocates and NGOs that provided sexual health education were frequently accused of encouraging sin and eliciting sexual behaviors. The constitution also provides for transfers of power without new legislative elections. According to a KFF analysis of government data, around 1 in 10 adults have medical debt. In July authorities charged Toh Han Boon for producing and promoting the movie Babi, which the government banned in 2020 over its portrayal of race relations in the country. Social problems are matters or situations that reduce quality of life in a society. Saddiq pleaded not guilty in a lower court in Johor State to two counts of money laundering, involving 100,000 ringgit ($24,000). In some cases authorities treated early marriage as a solution to statutory rape. In May Home Affairs Minister Hamzah Zainudin declared the government would round up and vaccinate undocumented migrants to help them and protect Malaysians. If the migrants did not come for vaccinations, the government would go after them, he told media, adding that authorities would then work with employers and embassies to get individuals documented only for the purpose of vaccination. 8. Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting (FGM/C): The law does not prohibit FGM/C, and it was a common practice among Muslim and some indigenous communities. Government Human Rights Bodies: The official human rights commission SUHAKAM is headed by a chairperson and commissioners appointed by the king on the recommendation of the prime minister. A synchronous fiscal, monetary and financial policy response has helped cushion the economic impact. 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. John Spacey, November 18, 2021. If the prosecutor agrees sufficient evidence exists to justify continued detention and further investigation, a fact-finding inquiry officer appointed by the minister of home affairs must report within 59 days to a detention board appointed by the king. Malaysia permits the death penalty for various crimes and makes the sentence mandatory for 11 offenses. 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. Ministry of Health guidelines allow the practice in general but only at government health-care facilities, which was not always the case. 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. In June, 40 religious and educator groups jointly protested an online program, School as a Safe Place for Individuals of Various Sexual Orientations, arguing that schools must be saved from elements of pro-unnatural sex orientations and transgenderism ideology that are against religious teachings (see section 6, Acts of Violence, Criminalization, and Other Abuses Based on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity). The legal system is based on British common law, and defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty. Supporting the essential social work workforce. Long delays continued in the treatment of union claims to obtain recognition for collective bargaining purposes. 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. Discrimination and Societal Abuses, Systemic Racial or Ethnic Violence and Discrimination, Acts of Violence, Criminalization, and Other Abuses Based on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity, a. The broadly worded fatwa declares that Sisters in Islam and any individuals, organizations and institutions holding on to liberalism and religious pluralism are deviant from Islamic teachings. . The government held thousands of individuals in immigration detention centers and other facilities. Sexual Exploitation of Children: The law bans child pornography and states that a child is considered a victim of sexual abuse if he or she has taken part as a participant or an observer in any activity that is sexual in nature for the purposes of a photograph, recording, film, videotape, or performance. Suicide Call Back Service on 1300 659 467. It is never a dull day in Malaysian politics, but there seems to be a brief pause - for the time being. Private-sector strikes were severely restricted. Eight of 14 Federal Court judges were women, including Chief Justice Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat. Although the government allowed foreign films at local film festivals, it sometimes censored content by physically blocking screens until the objectionable scene was over. Office of the Special Envoy for Critical and Emerging Technology, Office of the U.S. Also in February authorities investigated Malaysiakini chief editor Steven Gan and member of parliament Charles Santiago under sedition and multimedia legislation for issuing statements critical of the judicial ruling that the news portal was guilty of contempt. . Within seven days of the initial detention, however, police must present the case for detention to a public prosecutor. Sharia also generally requires a husbands consent for divorce, but a small and steadily increasing number of women obtained divorces under sharia without their husbands consent. 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. In August, NGOs reported that after activists cancelled a planned protest against the government, police went to many of the organizers homes and questioned them and their families. Wage and Hour Laws: The minimum wage applied to both citizen and foreign workers, except for those in domestic service and the gig economy (see section 7.e., Informal Sector). Many human rights and civil society organizations had difficulty obtaining government recognition as NGOs. For instance, Islamic inheritance law generally favors male offspring and male relatives. The government has yet to release the findings of the Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) set up in 2019 to investigate mass graves found in remote jungle camps on the Thai-Malaysian border in 2015. In September a sessions court fined immigration officer Yusrazif Wan Yusoh 50,000 ringgit ($12,000) after he pleaded guilty to five counts of accepting kickbacks totaling 15,000 ringgit ($3,600) to free Filipino and Chinese nationals detained by the Immigration Department. They focus mainly on students . The incompatibility in the focus of higher education institution and the needs of labour market. Umars wife, who viewed the body before the autopsy, said she saw swellings all over the body. For example, sexual health education remained limited for all women, although more accessible for married women than for unmarried women. According to the NGO Suaram, however, 16 persons died in police lockups and prison through September, while more than 40 individuals died in immigration detention centers. UNHCR noted that because most schooling was virtual during the year, some populations, such as Rohingya, allowed girls to participate in schooling virtually when they would have been prohibited from attending in person. 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. Hartalega finished its reimbursements process of 41 million ringgit ($9.8 million) to existing workers who joined the firm prior to April 2019. Malaysia entered the pandemic from a robust economic position but has nonetheless been significantly affected. Employers may be required to pay back wages plus the fine. 1 Liew Chin Tong, Middle Malaysia: Centre Ground Is Battle Ground (Kuala Lumpur: Genta Media . The director general may issue necessary directives to an employer to resolve allegations of discrimination in employment, although there were no penalties under the law for such discrimination and thus penalties were not commensurate with laws related to civil rights, such as election interference. The list of social problems goes on and on. On April 17, A. Ganapathy died of severe injuries at Selayang Hospital in Gombak District, Selangor State, following 12 days in custody at Gombak District police headquarters, according to media reports. Although faculty members sometimes publicly criticized the government, public university academics whose career advancement and funding depended on the government practiced self-censorship. I appreciated the structure and the various pcs of information, Student ID:0303558T. In January authorities seized 1,500 tons of frozen meat worth 30 million ringgit ($7.2 million) during a raid in Johor State. The government censored films for certain political and religious content, not allowing, for example, screening of films in Hebrew or Yiddish, or from Israel. On January 11, SUHAKAM expressed disappointment that the government was withholding evidence on orders from the Attorney Generals Chambers and claimed the legal authority to demand such evidence. The government claimed these policies were necessary to attain ethnic harmony and political stability. Keep posting! 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. Social problems can relate to governments, social behavior, social structure, environmental and economic problems. Therefore, all parties need to play their respective roles to curb this social problems. 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 law requires a permit to own a printing press, and printers often were reluctant to print publications critical of the government due to fear of reprisal. Some politicians and human rights activists claimed the government used the loyalty pledge to restrain political activity among these groups. Nevertheless, four states Johor, Selangor, Negri Sembilan, and Pahang extend equal parental rights to Muslim mothers. The lawyer representing the migrant workers submitted pay slips to the court showing some migrants worked up to 229 hours a month in overtime, exceeding the legal limit of 104 hours. Male children between ages 10 and 18 may receive a maximum of 10 strokes of a light cane in a public courtroom. 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. 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. In separate statements Batu Kawan member Kasthuri Patto and Petaling Jaya member Maria Chin Abdullah criticized Acryl Sani for his remarks about a police report made by a student, age 17, that a classmate had threatened to rape her after she called out her teacher for making jokes about rape. In 2019 UNHCR estimated there were 450,000 stateless persons residing in the eastern state of Sabah. Media outlets reported numerous cases of alleged official corruption during the year. Police arrested Vinaiyagar on September 8 for alleged gangsterism, and he died five days later due to a ruptured stomach ulcer, per police reports. The judiciary frequently deferred to police or executive authority in cases those parties deemed as affecting their interests. According to a survey conducted by Ipsos on the most concerning environmental issues . 13 Comments. Human rights organizations expressed serious concerns about the lack of access to fair legal process and adequate representation during immigration court hearings. Subscribe to our Telegram channel for our latest stories and breaking news. In the paper, Economic Cost of Youth Suicide Malaysia, Relate Malaysia found that, for every youth suicide in 2019, the Malaysian economy lost RM676,165.