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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I. INTRODUCTION<br />
The Joint Acti<strong>on</strong> Group Against Violence Against Women (JAG) 1 was formed in March 1985<br />
as a coaliti<strong>on</strong> of women’s organizati<strong>on</strong>s <str<strong>on</strong>g>to</str<strong>on</strong>g> address issues of violence against women in <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />
Malaysian society. Since that time, JAG’s advocacy has expanded <str<strong>on</strong>g>to</str<strong>on</strong>g> issues of rape, Islamic<br />
family law, sexual harassment, domestic violence, and o<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>r laws and policies that<br />
discriminate against women. In all of its work, JAG applies a rights framework that stresses<br />
both gender equality and n<strong>on</strong>-discriminati<strong>on</strong>.<br />
In 16 August 2004, JAG met up with this Special Select Committee <str<strong>on</strong>g>to</str<strong>on</strong>g> make presentati<strong>on</strong>s<br />
focusing <strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> amendments <str<strong>on</strong>g>to</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> Penal Code <strong>on</strong> Rape. At <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> said meeting, JAG indicated<br />
that it would make a follow-up presentati<strong>on</strong> <strong>on</strong> o<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>r issues relevant <str<strong>on</strong>g>to</str<strong>on</strong>g> women at <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> Penang<br />
public hearing. The Committee also encouraged JAG not <str<strong>on</strong>g>to</str<strong>on</strong>g> c<strong>on</strong>fine its presentati<strong>on</strong> <strong>on</strong>ly <str<strong>on</strong>g>to</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />
amendments <str<strong>on</strong>g>to</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> Penal Code and <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> Criminal Procedure Code but also <str<strong>on</strong>g>to</str<strong>on</strong>g> bring up o<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>r<br />
relevant legal reforms.<br />
This <str<strong>on</strong>g>memorandum</str<strong>on</strong>g> presents JAG’s comments and recommendati<strong>on</strong>s <strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> following :<br />
1. Criminal Procedure Code (Amendment) Bill 2004<br />
and Penal Code (Amendment) Act 2003<br />
2. Marital Rape - Secti<strong>on</strong> 375 (Excepti<strong>on</strong>) Penal Code<br />
3. Law Reform (Marriage and Divorce) (Amendment) Bill 2004<br />
4. Domestic Violence Legislati<strong>on</strong><br />
Apart from <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> amendments <str<strong>on</strong>g>to</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> Penal Code and <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> Criminal Procedure Code, JAG’s<br />
c<strong>on</strong>cerns with items 2, 3, and 4 above relates <str<strong>on</strong>g>to</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> following:-<br />
• With regard <str<strong>on</strong>g>to</str<strong>on</strong>g> marital rape, JAG recommends <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> excepti<strong>on</strong> in secti<strong>on</strong> 375 of <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />
Penal Code be deleted <str<strong>on</strong>g>to</str<strong>on</strong>g> criminalise this form of violence. The appendix shows<br />
legislati<strong>on</strong> against marital rape in countries around <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> world;<br />
• Provisi<strong>on</strong>s in <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> Domestic Violence Act 1994 have <str<strong>on</strong>g>to</str<strong>on</strong>g> rely <strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> Penal Code and<br />
Criminal Procedure Code instead of operating independently and this often hampers<br />
<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> effectiveness of <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> Act. JAG requests <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> Special Select Committee c<strong>on</strong>sider a<br />
number of recommendati<strong>on</strong>s <strong>on</strong> amending <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> Penal Code and Criminal Procedure<br />
Code <str<strong>on</strong>g>to</str<strong>on</strong>g> better protect victims of domestic violence. In additi<strong>on</strong>, JAG requests a Select<br />
Committee recommendati<strong>on</strong> for a comprehensive review and reform of <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> Domestic<br />
Violence Act 1994. These recommendati<strong>on</strong>s are <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> result of JAG’s m<strong>on</strong>i<str<strong>on</strong>g>to</str<strong>on</strong>g>ring <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />
implementati<strong>on</strong> of <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> Domestic Violence Act since its coming in<str<strong>on</strong>g>to</str<strong>on</strong>g> effect in 1996;<br />
• JAG is c<strong>on</strong>cerned about <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> proposed amendments <str<strong>on</strong>g>to</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> Law Reform (Marriage and<br />
Divorce) Act 1976. JAG would like <str<strong>on</strong>g>to</str<strong>on</strong>g> register its comments <strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> proposed Bill and<br />
request more transparency as <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> amendment process c<strong>on</strong>tinues.<br />
JAG thanks <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> Special Select Committee for taking <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> time and effort <str<strong>on</strong>g>to</str<strong>on</strong>g> meet with NGOs<br />
and <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> public about reform of <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> Penal Code and Criminal Procedure Code. JAG e<str<strong>on</strong>g>special</str<strong>on</strong>g>ly<br />
appreciates <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> government’s efforts <str<strong>on</strong>g>to</str<strong>on</strong>g> improve legislati<strong>on</strong> and procedures relating <str<strong>on</strong>g>to</str<strong>on</strong>g> violence<br />
against women.<br />
1 Currently JAG c<strong>on</strong>sists of Women’s Centre for Change (WCC) Penang, Women’s Aid Organisati<strong>on</strong><br />
(WAO), Women’s Development Collective (WDC), All Women’s Acti<strong>on</strong> Society (AWAM), Sisters in Islam<br />
(SIS) and Malaysian Trades Uni<strong>on</strong> C<strong>on</strong>gress (MTUC)- Women’s Secti<strong>on</strong>.<br />
1