Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) welcomes the Federal Court’s decision to rule that Section 28 of the Selangor State Syariah Enactment on the offence of unnatural intercourse is contrary to the Federal Constitution. Section 28 was needlessly used as an oppressive tool by the state to criminalize the sexual orientation of the LGBT community in Malaysia.
PSM is encouraged by the Malaysian LGBT community and their struggle to attain their rights not to be discriminated just because of differences in sexuality and gender. The struggle of the LGBT community in Malaysia is a struggle that also ensures equal rights, justice, and freedom to all Malaysians, to everyone who lives in a country we call ‘merdeka’ or free.
The Federal Court decision has reminded all Malaysians, regardless of our background, to stop criminalization and end discrimination against the LGBT community. PSM would like to remind everyone that Malaysia is a constitutional country and a country made up of various people of different cultures, religions, sexuality and gender.
Any action or law should not discriminate or oppress anyone. Regardless of whether Syariah or Civil, the law must protect the rights to express their sexual orientation. The journey of the LGBT community in Malaysia for equal rights and acceptance is long, but PSM’s support for them is still strong, and we will stand with them in solidarity all the way.
(Kenyataan PSM bersempena Hari Wanita Antarabangsa 2021) oleh Chong Yee Shan
Sudah pun setahun sejak Perikatan Nasional (PN) menubuhkan kerajaan. Di bawah pentadbiran PN, kita menyaksikan beberapa kementerian gagal dalam menyediakan dasar-dasar yang bersesuaian dan penguatkuasaan undang-undang dalam banyak isu, khususnya berkaitan dengan gender. Bersempena dengan sambutan Hari Wanita Antarabangsa, Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) ingin menyeru, “Jangan tunggu lagi, bertindak sekarang juga!”
PSM mengemukakan cadangan-cadangan yang berikut:
Gubal Akta Gangguan Seksual
Dengan kesedaran masyarakat yang semakin meningkat mengenai gangguan seksual, sama ada secara lisan, visual, fizikal ataupun dikomunikasikan melalui penulisan atau secara elektronik, undang-undang dan dasar-dasar yang wujud sekarang ini untuk melindungi wanita dan golongan minoriti seksual adalah tidak mencukupi. Peruntukan undang-undang mengenai gangguan seksual yang sedia ada, seperti yang terkandung dalam Akta Pekerjaan, tidak dikuatkuasakan dengan baik dan gagal mewujudkan persekitaran kerja yang lebih selamat untuk wanita dan golongan minoriti yang lain. Oleh itu, adalah penting untuk menyediakan latihan yang lebih sensitif-gender bagi semua pihak berkuasa, pihak berkepentingan dan pengamal perubatan supaya memastikan penguatkuasaan yang tegas dengan mensasarkan sistem patriarki dan kesannya ke atas kedua-dua lelaki dan wanita. Hakikat mengenai pemeliharaan kekuasaan dan keistimewaan oleh kumpulan dominan perlu diketengahkan supaya wujudnya kerjasama antara kuasa-kuasa untuk menghapuskan sistem yang membiak ketidaksamarataan gender. Akta Gangguan Seksual adalah diperlukan untuk melindungi semua gender dan minoriti seksual di samping memastikan kebertanggungjawaban pihak-pihak yang berkenaan.
Hapuskan perkahwinan kanak-kanak
Kajian menunjukkan bahawa perkahwinan kanak-kanak berkaitan rapat dengan kemiskinan dan paling biasa berlaku di negara-negara termiskin di dunia. Walaupun negara Malaysia merupakan sebuah negara sedang membangun, kewujudan perkahwinan kanak-kanak menunjukkan kekurangan perhatian yang diberikan kepada kesan status sosio-ekonomi yang rendah terhadap isu-isu sosial. Kekurangan pendidikan seks, kekurangan kesedaran kanak-kanak dalam memberi persetujuan dan tanggapan tertentu dalam sesuatu sistem kebudayaan, merupakan sebahagian daripada contoh yang menyebabkan isu perkahwinan kanak-kanak masih wujud dan tertanam kuat dalam jurang perbezaan tahap sosio-ekonomi yang lebar. Apabila sumber kewangan adalah terhad dalam sesebuah keluarga, perkahwinan kanak-kanak dianggap sebagai satu cara untuk anak perempuan dijaga oleh sebuah keluarga yang lain. Terdapat bukti-bukti yang menunjukkan bahawa perempuan yang berkahwin muda adalah lebih cenderung menjadi miskin dan kekal berstatus rendah, khususnya apabila terpaksa mengekalkan peranan gender yang tradisional. Negara Malaysia telah meratifikasi Konvensyen Mengenai Penghapusan Segala Bentuk Diskriminasi Terhadap Wanita (CEDAW) dan Konvensyen Mengenai Hak Kanak-kanak (CRC), yang bertujuan untuk melindungi kanak-kanak dan kanak-kanak perempuan daripada perkahwinan kanak-kanak. Kerajaan harus membangunkan dasar-dasar di Malaysia untuk mematuhi garis panduan CEDAW dan CRC.
Pendapatan Asas Sejagat (UBI)
Pandemik COVID-19 telah memberi kesan kepada ramai wanita B40, khususnya ibu-ibu tunggal yang merupakan pencari nafkah tunggal dalam keluarga. Kekurangan sokongan kerajaan ditunjukkan dalam kisah-kisah ramai orang yang menghadapi kesusahan kerana kehilangan punca pendapatan.
Kerajaan PN telah membelanjakan wang dalam usaha untuk merangsang ekonomi. Namun, masih kurangnya perhatian kepada golongan yang terkesan teruk secara ekonomi. Isu ini dapat ditangani dengan respon kerajaan yang menyediakan skim Pendapatan Asas Sejagat (UBI) yang diubahsuai kepada sesiapa yang tidak mempunyai punca pendapatan pada masa kini. Ini adalah bertujuan untuk memastikan setiap orang di dalam negara kita dapat memperoleh makanan asas dan semua keperluan asas. Wanita dan kanak-kanak perempuan juga harus dilibatkan dalam sebarang proses membuat keputusan berkenaan dengan semua dasar ekonomi pada masa hadapan. Dalam jangka masa panjang, kerajaan harus membawa perubahan transformatif berkenaan dengan kerja penjagaan, berbayar dan tanpa bayaran. Tambahan pula, kerajaan harus memberi tumpuan kepada wanita dan kanak-kanak perempuan semasa menangani kesan sosio-ekonomi dengan lensa gender supaya golongan wanita dapat mencapai kesamarataan dan perlindungan sosial yang lebih besar.
Hak asasi manusia bagi golongan LGBTQI
Diskriminasi, pencabulan dan pemburuan sihir terhadap golongan LGBTQI sudah menjadi semakin serius di Malaysia. Pendirian kerajaan yang anti-LGBTQI ditunjukkan dalam tindakan ahli-ahli politik mengkambinghitamkan golongan LGBTQI, kerajaan yang nampaknya longgar membiarkan kumpulan-kumpulan konservatif untuk terus menggunakan bahasa dan tindakan yang anti-LGBTQI, secara langsungnya menyebabkan peningkatan dalam pencabulan dan pengucapan kebencian terhadap golongan LGBTQI.
Dalam setahun yang lepas, pemburuan sihir terhadap komuniti LGBTQI daripada beberapa pelaku dan pihak berkuasa telah meningkat. Komuniti LGBTQI hidup dalam ketakutan, dan mereka terbiar dalam situasi yang sangat terdedah kepada ancaman. Kerajaan harus menjadi teladan, dengan menghentikan segala bentuk pengucapan kebencian dan tindakan yang mensasarkan golongan LGBTQI, di samping segera mengambil langkah-langkah yang perlu untuk melindungi sesiapa yang diancam.
Sudah terlalu lama wanita diabaikan, dan mereka yang berkuasa, yang kebanyakannya golongan lelaki, enggan melihat isu-isu dengan menggunakan lensa gender. Kami berharap bahawa perjuangan wanita untuk kesamarataan telah mencetuskan kesedaran rakyat untuk membina sebuah gerakan menuju kesamarataan gender yang lebih besar dan menghentikan stereotaip gender, seksisme serta sistem patriarki. Kita harus berjuang untuk memadamkan peranan gender tradisional daripada pandangan kerajaan negara terhadap masyarakat. Ini bukan lagi abad ke-18 untuk golongan lelaki menikmati “keistimewaan” patriarki. Ini masanya untuk berkongsi secara bersama tanggungjawab penjagaan anak dan keluarga.
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Chong Yee Shan ialah Ahli Jawatankuasa Pusat Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) merangkap Penyelaras Biro Gender PSM.
Konvoi kereta PSM sempena Hari Wanita AntarabangsaJangan tunggu lagi, bertindak sekarang juga!
(Statement in conjunction with International Women’s Day 2021) by Chong Yee Shan
It’s been one year since Perikatan Nasional (PN) formed a government. Under their governance, we see many incompetent ministries failing to provide adequate policies and enforcement on many issues, especially gender. In conjunction with International Women’s Day, Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) would like to suggest, Wait No More, Act Now! We have listed the following recommendations:
Enact Sexual Harassment Act
Given the rise in the community on the awareness of acknowledging the signs of sexual harassment either verbally, visually, physically or communicated in writing or electronically, the current laws and policies that sets out to protect women and sexual minorities are not enough. Existing sexual harassment provision, such as in the Employment Act, is disappointingly enforced and fails to create a safer work environment for women and other minority groups. Therefore, it is crucial to have more gender-sensitive training for all authorities, stakeholders, and medical practitioners to ensure potent enforcement focus on the patriarchal system and its impact on both men and women. The awareness of the maintenance of power and privilege by the dominant group need to be highlighted so that there will be a collaboration of forces to dismantle the dysfunctional system of gender inequality. The Sexual Harassment Act is necessary to protect all genders and sexual minorities and hold the responsible parties accountable.
End Child Marriage
Research shows that child marriage is intimately connected to poverty and is most common in the world’s poorest countries. Although Malaysia is a developing country, child marriages’ presence reflects the lack of attention paid to the impact of low socio-economic status on social issues. Lack of sex education, awareness of children giving consent and perceived messages of one’s cultural system are some examples that perpetuate the issue of child marriages and firmly embedded in the disparity of socio-economic level. When financial resources are limited in a family, child marriages are seen as a way for daughters to be taken care of by another family. Evidence shows that girls who marry off young are more likely to be poor and remain low, especially when traditional gender roles expected to be maintained. Malaysia has ratified the Convention on Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) and Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), which meant to protect children and girls from child marriages; the government should develop policies in Malaysia to meet the guidelines of CEDAW and CRC.
Universal Basic Income (UBI)
The Covid-19 pandemic has affected many B40 women, especially single mothers, who are the sole providers in the family. The government’s lack of support is evident through the stories of many who are suffering from the loss of income. The PN government have been spending money on efforts to boost the economy. However, there is a lack of attention to significantly impacted economically. This issue can be addressed by government response to provide a modified Universal Basic Income (UBI) to anyone who does not currently have a source of income. This to ensure that everyone in this country is fed and all basic needs are met. Women and girls must be included in any decision-making process as well in all future economic policies. In the longer term, the government must ensure to drive a transformative change in addressing the care work, paid and unpaid. Furthermore, the government must target women and girls to address the socio-economic impact with a gender lens so that women can achieve greater equality and social protection.
Human Rights of LGBTQI Persons
Discrimination, violation, and witch-hunts toward LGBTQI persons have become more severe in Malaysia. The government’s anti-LGBTQI position shows in politicians scapegoating LGBTQI persons, government appearing lax with conservative groups, anti-LGBT speech and acts, directly causing an increase in violation and hate speech towards LGBTQI persons. Past one year, the witch-hunting of the LGBTQI community from various actors and authorities have increased. The LGBTQI community are living in fear, and they are left in a very vulnerable situation. The government should lead by example, stop all form of hate speech and targeting LGBTQI persons, and necessary steps to protect anyone that threatens to harm LGBTQI person immediately.
For too long, women have been ignored, and those in power, mostly that controlled by men, refused to use a gender lens to see the issues. We hope women’s struggle for equality has triggered people’s realisation to build a movement towards greater gender equality and end gender stereotypes, sexism, and the patriarchal system. We must fight for the traditional gender roles to be erased from the state’s eye to society. This is not the 18th century for men to enjoy their patriarchal “privileges” anymore and time to share the same and shared parental and domestic responsibilities.
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Chong Yee Shan is a member of the Central Committee of Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) and PSM’s Gender Bureau coordinator.
PSM convoy in conjunction with International Women’s DayWait No More, Act Now!
1,086 kasut dan selipar. Banyak compang-camping dan koyak
Mewakili 1,086 orang Myanmar yang dicekup jauh dari kehidupan yang mereka bina untuk diri mereka di Malaysia.
ChallengerMalaysia, MISI: Solidariti, Pemuda Sosialis dengan sokongan pelbagai NGO lain bersolidariti dengan 1,086 warga Myanmar yang dihantar pulang ke Myanmar pada 23 Februari 2021, dan secara tegas mengutuk tindakan Jabatan Imigresen Malaysia atas tindakan tersebut. Penghantaran ini tetap diteruskan walaupun Mahkamah Tinggi Kuala Lumpur telah memutuskan penangguhan pelaksanaan bagi penghantaran warga-warga Myanmar pada pagi 23hb tersebut. Perbuatan ini juga tidak selari dengan prinsip non-refoulement dalam undang-undang antarabangsa.
Pada hari ini, 5 Mac 2021, organisasi yang disenaraikan di atas telah berkumpul di sini di Tasik Taman Jaya untuk meletakkan 1,086 pasang kasut ini bagi menggambarkan betapa ramai orang – lelaki, wanita, dan juga kanak-kanak di kalangan mereka seperti dilaporkan oleh Amnesty International Malaysia – mungkin telah dibinasakan oleh kerajaan Malaysia, ramai yang meninggalkan Myanmar dalam usaha mencari kehidupan yang lebih baik untuk diri mereka sendiri dan keluarga mereka.
Semua nyawa ini tidak boleh dikurangkan semata-mata kepada angka, hingga terputus dari realiti, jadi kita mesti melihat ruang yang mereka mungkin berdiri sekiranya mereka di sini. Walau bagaimanapun, ini tidak dapat menangkap imej kemanusiaan individu-individu ini; kasut-kasut ini tidak boleh menggambarkan siapa mereka sebagai seorang manusia: harapan mereka, impian mereka dan aspirasi mereka yang dimiliki oleh semua individu.
Menurut laporan Pesuruhjaya Tinggi Pertubuhan Bangsa-Bangsa Bersatu bagi Pelarian (UNHCR), terdapat pemohon suaka dalam kumpulan tersebut yang melarikan diri daripada kezaliman dan penindasan oleh kerajaan yang ingin melaksanakan dasar pembersihan etnik di Myanmar – suatu fakta yang dinafikan secara eksplisit oleh Jabatan Imigresen apabila mereka menyatakan bahawa pemohon suaka tidak tergolong dalam 1,086 orang yang dihantar pulang. Namun begitu, pihak berkuasa Malaysia tetap menghantar mereka pulang dalam apa yang hanya boleh digambarkan sebagai tindakan xenofobia yang tidak terkawal.
Dalam semangat memperjuangkan maruah dan hak asasi manusia, kami menyenaraikan empat tuntutan:
Tidak berkoperasi dengan kerajaan Tamatdaw
Kerajaan Tamatdaw yang mengawal Myanmar kini berada di kerusi kuasa tanpa pilihan yang demokratik dengan menggunakan kekerasan. Kerajaan tersebut mengekalkan kuasa mereka melalui cara autoritarian yang melibatkan keganasan dan membawa maut. Malaysia tidak patut dilihat mengiktiraf kerajaan ini – dalam perjanjian bilateral atau kerjasama dalam sebarang bentuk- yang menunjukkan sokongan terhadap kerajaan Tamatdaw
Akses terbuka ke pusat tahanan imigresen diberikan kepada Suruhanjaya Tinggi Pelarian Bangsa-Bangsa bersatu (UNHCR).
Kerajaan mesti membenarkan UNHCR mengakses pusat tahanan imigresen, untuk memastikan golongan yang ditahan yang terdedah secara khusus kerana status mereka sebagai minoriti yang dianiaya dan memberikan mereka perlindungan yang sepatutnya diberi di bawah hak manusia antarabangsa.
Moratorium bagi penghantaran pulang, tamatkan penahanan migran yang arbitrari dan tidak menentu.
Migran hendaklah dilindungi daripada serbuan tanpa sebab, penangkapan, dan penahanan hanya atas dasar status imigresen mereka. Amalan ini bukan sahaja tidak berperikemanusiaan, malah menceroboh hak mereka sebagai individu, serta mengakibatkan mereka untuk hidup sengsara dan menahan penderaan secara fizikal dan/atau lisan.
Sebagai lanjutan perkara di atas, kami menegaskan tuntutan agar mahkamah Malaysia memulakan semakan kehakiman terhadap kerajaan, Ketua Pengarah Imigresen Dzaimee Daud, dan Kementerian Hal Ehwal dalam Negeri atas dasar peranan mereka dalam tindakan hantar pulang ini, semasa perbicaraan yang akan berlangsung pada 9 Mac 2021.
Ketelusan penuh daripada Jabatan Imigresen Malaysia
Jabatan Imigresen mesti mengeluarkan data mengenai penahanan migran secara awam dan mudah diakses – termasuk tetapi tidak terhad kepada bilangan tahanan, diasingkan oleh jantina, kumpulan umur, dan kewarganegaraan; status pelarian; lokasi tempat di mana tahanan ditahan; tempoh masa tahanan yang dilaksanakan; sebab-sebab pelanjutan tahanan dan sebagainya.
Kami juga menuntut penjelasan daripada Jabatan Imigresen mengenai alasan di mana pemindahan migran dijalankan pada 23 Februari melanggar perintah mahkamah; mengapa baki 114 warga Myanmar tidak dihantar pulang, serta status semasa mereka.
Akhir kata, kami yang bersama-sama menandatangani, membangkang tindakan menghantar pulang warga Myanmar, dan menegaskan bahawa jenayah terhadap kemanusiaan ini tidak boleh diabaikan dan dilepas pandang begitu sahaja. Kita tidak boleh mengembalikan 1,086 orang, tetapi kami bertekad dan berazam untuk memastikan sejarah kezaliman ini tidak berulang lagi.
#MigranJugaManusia
Ditandatangani oleh:
Challenger Malaysia
MISI: Solidariti
Pemuda Sosialis
Demokrat Kebangsaan
Suaram
North South Initiative
Parti Sosialis Malaysia
Refuge for the Refugees
Beyond Borders
Tenaganita
Liberasi
Al-Hasan Volunteer Network
1,086 shoes and slippers. Many raggedy, scuffed and torn.
Representing the 1,086 Myanmar persons wrested away from the lives they’d made for themselves in Malaysia.
Challenger Malaysia, MISI: Solidariti, Pemuda Sosialis with support from various other NGOs stand in solidarity with the 1,086 Myanmar nationals that were deported back to Myanmar on the 23rd February 2021, and unequivocally condemn the actions of the Malaysian Immigration Department for doing so. The deportation took place despite a stay of execution of the deportation of the Myanmar nationals issued by the Kuala Lumpur High Court on the morning of the 23rd. Not only that, but the act itself violates the international legal principle of “non-refoulement”.
On this day, 5th March 2021 at Taman Jaya Park, several representatives from the organisations listed above laid out these 1,086 pairs of shoes to demonstrate just how many people — men, women, and even children amongst them as reported by Amnesty International Malaysia — the Malaysian government has potentially condemned, many of whom left Myanmar in search for a better life for themselves and their families.
All these lives cannot simply be reduced to a number, distant and disconnected from reality, so we must take a look at the space each of them would have occupied had they stood here in the flesh as living and breathing individuals. However, even this does not do justice to capturing and representing the humanity of these individuals; these shoes cannot illustrate who they are as people: their hopes, dreams and aspirations that all of us as individuals possess.
We also cannot forget that according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) reported that there were asylum seekers in that group, fleeing violence and persecution from a government that seeks to ethnically cleanse Myanmar — a fact that the Immigration Department explicitly denied about when they said asylum seekers were not included in the 1,086 people deported. In spite of this, Malaysian authorities deported them anyway in what can only be described as an act of unbridled xenophobia.In the spirit of realizing human rights and dignity, we the organisations have a list of four demands:
No cooperation with the Tamatdaw government
Myanmar’s current Tamatdaw government was installed undemocratically through use of brute force against the wishes of the Myanmar people, and maintains its power through authoritarian means that are often violent and lethal. Malaysia should not be seen to legitimise this government — be it through bilateral agreements or cooperation in any form — due to an implication of tacit approval of their governance.
Unequivocal access to immigration detention centres granted to the United Nations
High Commission of Refugees (UNHCR)
The government must allow UNHCR to access immigration detention centres, in order to ascertain those amongst the detained that are specifically vulnerable due to their status as a persecuted minority and grant them the protections that should be rightfully afforded to them under international human rights instruments.
Moratorium on deportations, end indefinite and arbitrary detention of all migrants
Migrants must no longer be subject to raids, arrests, and detention purely by reason of their immigration status. These practices are inhumane, greatly infringe on the rights of migrants, rob them of their dignity as individuals,
and subject them to terrible living conditions and even physical and/or verbal abuse, instances of which are well-documented by many human rights organisations in Malaysia.
Further to the above, we urge that the Malaysian courts initiate a judicial review against the government, Immigration Director-General Dzaimee Daud and the Home Affairs Ministry for their role in deportation in the coming hearing on 9 March 2021.
Full transparency from the Immigration Department of Malaysia
The Immigration Department must make data regarding detentions public and accessible — including but not limited to the number of detainees, disaggregated by gender, age group, and nationality; refugee status; exact location where detainees are being held; duration of time detainees have been held; reasons for extension of detention etc.
We also demand an explanation from the Immigration Department regarding the grounds in which the deportation was carried out on 23 February despite the court order; why the remaining 114 Myanmar nationals were not deported, as well as their current status.
To reiterate, we the co-signed strongly condemn the deportation of the Myanmar nationals, and affirm that this crime against humanity — no less than that — cannot go unanswered. We may not be able to bring the 1,086 back, but we have to work to ensure that what happened never happens again.
#MigranJugaManusia
Co-signed by:
Challenger Malaysia
MISI: Solidariti
Pemuda Sosialis
Demokrat Kebangsaan
Suaram
North South Initiative
Parti Sosialis Malaysia
Refuge for the Refugees
Beyond Borders
Tenaganita
Liberasi
Al-Hasan Volunteer Network
