memorandum to the special select committee on penal code
memorandum to the special select committee on penal code
memorandum to the special select committee on penal code
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II.<br />
COMMENTS<br />
The Need <str<strong>on</strong>g>to</str<strong>on</strong>g> Abolish <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> Marital Rape Excepti<strong>on</strong> in Secti<strong>on</strong> 375<br />
The marital rape excepti<strong>on</strong> originated from an archaic British comm<strong>on</strong> law c<strong>on</strong>cept<br />
whereby <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> wife, up<strong>on</strong> entering <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> c<strong>on</strong>tract of marriage, is deemed <str<strong>on</strong>g>to</str<strong>on</strong>g> have given herself<br />
<str<strong>on</strong>g>to</str<strong>on</strong>g> her husband and is treated as <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> husband’s property. The British marital rape excepti<strong>on</strong><br />
was codified in Malaysia’s Penal Code and has remained <str<strong>on</strong>g>to</str<strong>on</strong>g> this day. The excepti<strong>on</strong> is<br />
carried over in<str<strong>on</strong>g>to</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> Domestic Violence Act, so that even in a domestic violence situati<strong>on</strong>,<br />
a husband can be prosecuted for using physical violence against his wife, but not for<br />
raping her.<br />
AWAM’s statistics for <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> years 2000-2002 show that 52% of women who had been<br />
subjected <str<strong>on</strong>g>to</str<strong>on</strong>g> domestic violence were forced <str<strong>on</strong>g>to</str<strong>on</strong>g> have sex with <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>ir husbands. Women who<br />
are raped by <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>ir husbands are likely <str<strong>on</strong>g>to</str<strong>on</strong>g> be raped many times – often 20 times or more.<br />
These wives are often coerced in<str<strong>on</strong>g>to</str<strong>on</strong>g> sex or are unable <str<strong>on</strong>g>to</str<strong>on</strong>g> refuse because of threats of<br />
physical violence, financial dependence <strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>ir husbands, fear for <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> safety and<br />
protecti<strong>on</strong> of <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>ir children. Women in <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>se circumstances are usually trapped in a vicious<br />
cycle of sexual abuse.<br />
Research has revealed that marital rape survivors suffer far more severe and l<strong>on</strong>g-term<br />
psychological c<strong>on</strong>sequences as compared <str<strong>on</strong>g>to</str<strong>on</strong>g> victims raped by strangers due <str<strong>on</strong>g>to</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> violati<strong>on</strong><br />
of trust and its occurrence in <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> purportedly “safe” and intimate home envir<strong>on</strong>ment. The<br />
shock, terror, and betrayal experienced by rape survivors are often exacerbated ra<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>r than<br />
mitigated by <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> marital relati<strong>on</strong>ship. In part, because of <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> repeated abuse, <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>se women<br />
live in c<strong>on</strong>stant terror.<br />
Muslim Husbands and Marital Rape<br />
Several Muslim religious scholars argued that <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> recommendati<strong>on</strong>s calling for <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> repeal<br />
of <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> marital rape excepti<strong>on</strong> (as highlighted by SUHAKAM) were “going against Islam<br />
and ruining <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> marriage instituti<strong>on</strong>” (Mingguan Malaysia 21//8/04) or due <str<strong>on</strong>g>to</str<strong>on</strong>g> “Western<br />
influence” (Utusan Malaysia 22/8/04). A religious advisor was reported <str<strong>on</strong>g>to</str<strong>on</strong>g> have said, “<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />
subject of marital rape, when a husband forces a wife <str<strong>on</strong>g>to</str<strong>on</strong>g> have sex against her will, is<br />
relevant <strong>on</strong>ly <str<strong>on</strong>g>to</str<strong>on</strong>g> n<strong>on</strong>-Muslims” (New Straits Times 23/8/2004) adding that “Islamic law is<br />
adequate <str<strong>on</strong>g>to</str<strong>on</strong>g> check a husband’s abuses”.<br />
Islam is a religi<strong>on</strong> of justice and peace which exhorts Muslims <str<strong>on</strong>g>to</str<strong>on</strong>g> uphold human dignity.<br />
To say that Islam abhors cruelty and violence is an understatement. Allah (swt) commands<br />
Muslims <str<strong>on</strong>g>to</str<strong>on</strong>g> “Eschew all sin open or secret.” Sûrah al An'am 6.120 (translati<strong>on</strong> Yusuf Ali).<br />
The message of Islam is universal and without excepti<strong>on</strong>.<br />
The Prophet Muhammad (saw) himself treated his wives with nothing less than love<br />
respect and tenderness. Abdullah bin Umar reported that during <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> lifetime of <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> Holy<br />
Prophet, <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> compani<strong>on</strong>s treated <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>ir wives most politely for fear that a Commandment<br />
c<strong>on</strong>cerning <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>m might be revealed (Bukhâri). Abu Hurairah reported that <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> Holy<br />
Prophet (saw) said, “The most perfect of <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> believers in faith is he who is <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> best in<br />
c<strong>on</strong>duct, and <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> best of you are those who are <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> best <str<strong>on</strong>g>to</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>ir wives.” (Tarmizi)<br />
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