KUALA LUMPUR: Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri welcomes the potential inclusion of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in the Anti-Sexual Harassment Tribunal.
Nancy embraced the idea of getting NGOs on board in the tribunal to enhance expertise.
"It would be good to involve NGOs who are already engaged in this particular type of case because they will be more experienced," she said in a press conference after attending the Strategic Collaborative Programme for Anti-Sexual Harassment Advocacy event at KL Sentral today.
Nancy said the ministry is in discussion with the Attorney-General's Chambers (AGC) for appointment suggestions.
"In terms of appointment, the president and deputy president of the tribunal would be from the AGC.
"Among the other ten members of the tribunal, five will be legally trained individuals. We would require assistance from the AGC to advise us on this," she said.
Nancy highlighted that the tribunal would encompass representatives from Sabah and Sarawak.
"I would like to specifically mention that we would need a representative from Sabah and one from Sarawak.
"The tribunal would be here in Kuala Lumpur at the start of this initiative. Even if we are not based in Sabah or Sarawak, at least we have representatives there," she said.
She assured that the tribunal would start before the end of the year.
"That is the most important thing, to start before the end of December, that is our target," she emphasised.
Earlier this month, the Public Service Department (PSD) approved the appointment of tribunal members related to the Anti-Sexual Harassment Act 2022 (Act 840).
"The establishment of this tribunal aims to provide an alternative platform to improve the legal system and the handling of sexual harassment complaints quickly, efficiently and at minimal cost.
"This tribunal also provides a platform for the right of redress for victims who have been sexually harassed," Nancy said in Dewan Rakyat on Oct 10.
In the course of setting up the Anti-Sexual Harassment tribunal, the minister said that includes the forthcoming appointment of a president, a deputy president, ten panel members, and 20 supporting staff members.
