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. Criminal defamation is punishable by a maximum two years imprisonment, a fine, or both. In July Speaker of the Lower House Azhar Harun repeatedly told female opposition members to shut up during parliamentary proceedings. During investigations police may hold a suspect for 24 hours, which may be extended for a maximum of 14 days by court order under general criminal law provisions. 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. Access to Basic Services: The government provided access to health care at a discounted foreigners rate of 50 percent to UNHCR-registered refugees, but not to persons without UNHCR registration cards. Legal observers feared the February ruling by the Court of Appeal against Malaysiakini (see section 2.a., Freedom of Expression for Members of the Press and Other Media, Including Online Media) set a precedent that websites could be held responsible for reader comments posted in response to content. 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. The ruling found the user comments, which Malaysiakini removed within 12 minutes of posting, contemptuous of Chief Justice Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat. Nationwide Emergency. Social problems has been invited many negative things that can threaten the peace and safety of the country. One-Stop Crisis Centers, an integrated multiagency service in the emergency department of most major public hospitals, provided support, including emergency contraception, to victims of sexual violence. In another case a refugee said police on patrol stopped him, became aggressive, and despite his UNHCR card, threatened him with arrest, claiming he had broken the law. According to MACC, authorities arrested 337 public officials for corruption and bribery from January to August. ReachOut at au.reachout.com. By April, Top Glove had reimbursed 150 million ringgit ($36 million) to approximately 13,000 existing and eligible former workers. Social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia - Wikipedia First is mismanagement of the health crisis. Employers of domestic workers sometimes failed to honor the terms of employment and subjected workers to abuse. Independent Monitoring: Authorities generally did not permit NGOs and media to monitor prison conditions; the law allows judges to visit prisons to examine conditions and ask prisoners and prison officials about conditions. Malaysia has a long history of environmental issues. 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. Even children have been detained in shelters and threatened with prosecution. 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. It also affects how people react to certain situations. The king is the head of state, serves a largely ceremonial role, and has a five-year term. Social problems - Wikiversity Malaysia's RHB Investment Bank noted in a report this month that serious weaknesses to the economy due to concerns that sluggish expansion in the construction and retail sectors, coupled with . #3. In September, however, Hamzah informed parliament the government would require healthcare workers to notify security forces if undocumented migrants appeared at health facilities and vaccine centers. The inquiry against him took place behind closed doors, causing human rights NGOs to question the independence of the decision. Malaysia permits the death penalty for various crimes and makes the sentence mandatory for 11 offenses. Immigration law allows authorities to arrest and detain noncitizens for 30 days, pending a deportation decision. The government, however, also acted against some human rights defenders and NGOs. 3 million people owe more than $10,000. Refugees did not have access to the public education system. 9/4/2013. Zahid faced charges filed in 2018 of corruption, money laundering, and taking bribes totaling three million ringgit ($720,000) from a company that ran a visa center for the workers, who paid tenfold higher costs for visa services and medical tests over a five-year period without receiving additional protections or benefits. The government monitored the internet and threatened to detain anyone sending or posting content the government deemed a threat to public order or security (see section 2.a.). There were 46,170 children younger than age 18. Malaysia: 2021 Article IV Consultation-Press Release; Staff - IMF There is a greater need for the transformation of rural . We understand that pulling together the top most common and popular issue prevailing in 2021 is not simple. . AFP pic Another study in Hong Kong published by the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health also found that 25.4 per cent of 500 survey respondents reported that their mental health had deteriorated since the pandemic began. Malaysia's political turmoil: Five things to know - Al Jazeera Eight of 14 Federal Court judges were women, including Chief Justice Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat. Share this via Reddit Covid-19: Malaysian experts weigh in how to handle social anxiety and were hot-button topics in 2020, but mental health awareness seems to have found the most success with stickiness, with 77% voting 'mental health' as their top 5 concerns in 2021, compared to 67% in the previous year. The proposed commission would not even be able to visit lock-ups without giving advance notice, and is precluded from even investigating any act covered by the standing orders issued by the police inspector general. In February the High Court sentenced former federal minister and Negeri Sembilan States longest serving chief minister, Isa Samad, to six years imprisonment and a 15.4 million ringgit ($3.7 million) fine on nine counts of corruption and bribery for accepting three million ringgit ($720,000) in bribes in connection with luxury hotel purchase transactions. Malaysiakini reported that the practice of period spot checks dated as far back as 20 years. A 2018 survey by a local transgender rights group reported more than two-thirds of transgender women experienced some form of physical or emotional abuse. The trial of former deputy prime minister Zahid Hamidi for his role in a fraudulent scheme involving hundreds of thousands of Nepali workers seeking jobs in the country continued as of September. Although faculty members sometimes publicly criticized the government, public university academics whose career advancement and funding depended on the government practiced self-censorship. In April two members of parliament accused then deputy inspector general of police Acryl Sani Abdullah Sani, since promoted to inspector general, of trivializing a rape threat made against a teenage girl. Multiple logistic regression shows that adolescents . A lack of resources and qualified teachers limited opportunities for the majority of school-age refugee children. In January, the High Court granted Sisters in Islam, a civil society group working to promote the rights of Muslim women, a stay on the enforcement of a fatwa issued against it in 2014. The 'new normal' comes with its fair share of added stresses and worries for everyone to handle. Vinaiyagars death in police custody was the tenth since January. Violence and Harassment: Journalists were subjected to harassment and intimidation. In Malaysia, or at least in Kuala Lumpur, homeless people have somewhat blended into the backdrop of the city. Acryl Sani was reported to have commented that the classmates rape threat was possibly a joke. Since then, authorities have opened investigations into numerous activists and opposition politicians for speech critical of the government. Federal police reported approximately 20,000 internet addresses in the country uploading and downloading child pornography. Dr Chua Sook Ning - clinical psychologist and founder of Relate Malaysia - said the . In 2019 UNHCR estimated there were 450,000 stateless persons residing in the eastern state of Sabah. She faced up to a year in prison and a fine of 50,000 ringgit ($12,000). Rural versus Urban Social Issues. Some workers alleged their employers subjected them to inhuman living conditions and physically assaulted them. The cause of unemployed graduates nowadays is the incompatibility in the focus of higher education institutions and the needs of labor market. Hamzah announced that the Ministry of Home Affairs was installing closed-circuit television inside all police lockups in April and that installation was 40 percent complete as of September 29. Although the government allowed foreign films at local film festivals, it sometimes censored content by physically blocking screens until the objectionable scene was over. Depression is an example of an adolescent issue that has always been around but has fortunately gained more public attention in more recent years. KUALA LUMPUR: Racial tension remains a prevalent issue in Malaysia which must be addressed to avoid further detrimental impacts on the country, said Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin. 7 Social issues that Teens face in 2021 - Jonny Shannon Forced migration and displacement are global social problems which currently affect more than 89 million people worldwide (UNHCR, 2022). Recognizing public transportation was not friendly to persons with disabilities, the government maintained its 50 percent reduction of excise duty on locally made cars and motorcycles adapted for such persons. Healthcare. Also see the Department of States Trafficking in Persons Report at https://www.state.gov/trafficking-in-persons-report/. The standard of care for those in detention is also problematic, with detainees dying of treatable illnesses. Private-sector strikes were severely restricted. The law prohibits all of the worst forms of child labor. In June the Malaysia Stock Exchange removed Top Glove from its responsible investment indexes based on allegations of forced labor. In July police raided the offices of Freedom Film Network in response to an animated short film the network and the NGO Suaram released in June about the lack of police accountability. On 20 February 2021, Education Minister Mohd Radzi Md Jidin announced that school pupils will be returning to school in stages between 1 March and 4 April. The law requires workers to use safety equipment and cooperate with employers to create a safe, healthy workplace, but it does not specify a right to remove oneself from a hazardous or dangerous situation without penalty. UPDATED: Check out what Singaporeans cared about in 2021. The law imposes limitations on student associations and on student and faculty political activity. Recent Elections: The countrys most recent general election was held in 2018 amid allegations of partisanship on the part of public institutions, in particular the Election Commission and the Registrar of Societies. As one of the biggest economies in Southeast Asia, Malaysia is an attractive destination for workers from neighboring countries seeking better wages and employment. Disability-rights NGOs reported that employers were reluctant to hire persons with disabilities. In February the High Court ruled against the Semelai Orang Asli claim for customary rights over a plot of land in Pahang State to make way for an oil palm cultivation project. Malaysia: Freedom on the Net 2021 Country Report | Freedom House The UN panel urged the country to abolish the practice. Students remain prohibited from expressing support or sympathy for an unlawful society or organization. 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. The stay followed a hearing on a joint filing against the government by Amnesty International Malaysia and Asylum Access Malaysia, alleging that among the deportees there were documented refugees, asylum seekers, and minors separated from parents residing in Malaysia. 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. Thursday, 18 Feb 2021 10:31 AM MYT. Some refugees holding UNHCR identification cards reported limited ability to move throughout the country because authorities sometimes did not recognize the UNHCR card. The government arrested and prosecuted some officials engaged in corruption, malfeasance, and human rights abuses, although civil society groups alleged continued impunity. The violations included failure to comply with building capacity, operating without permission, failure to provide entry and exit route and nonadherence to social distancing.. According to the Home Affairs Ministry, 20 of the countrys 37 prisons were overcrowded. In January authorities seized 1,500 tons of frozen meat worth 30 million ringgit ($7.2 million) during a raid in Johor State. Police reportedly questioned Suaram staff to assess whether the film violated sedition or communications legislation but made no determination. See the Department of States Annual Report on International Parental Child Abduction at https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/International-Parental-Child-Abduction/for-providers/legal-reports-and-data/reported-cases.html. The law prohibits arbitrary arrest and detention and provides for the right of any person to challenge the lawfulness of his or her arrest or detention in court, and the government generally observed these requirements. Current Issues in Social Work 2021 - Yeshiva Revising on Mental Health Issues and Challenges in Malaysia Office of the Special Envoy for Critical and Emerging Technology, Office of the U.S. Teenagers who abuse alcohol increase their risk of negative health effects because their organs, brain and mental capabilities are still growing. Macroeconomic conditions in 2021: Will it improve or worsen? Jason Trials for all were delayed due to the state of emergency and movement control orders to combat COVID-19. These are problems that are specific to a place such as a nation, city or neighborhood. Malaysia did little to stop a vicious online hate speech campaign against Rohingya refugees in the country in April. Citizenship law and birth registration rules and procedures created a large class of stateless children in the migrant and refugee population. Spontaneous is known as miscarriage, while induced simply means termination of a pregnancy which is planned. Malaysia's Ministry of Health (KKM) reported that one in three of the country's adults are at risk of developing mental health condition for the last 5 years. Smoking . According to observers, as of September, there were at least 600 registered asylum seekers and refugees, including 57 children, held in immigration detention centers. . That year, Malaysia's GDP contracted by 7.4 per cent. For Muslims, most state Islamic laws set a minimum age of 16 for girls and 18 for boys, but permit marriages below those ages, with no apparent minimum, with the permission of a Sharia court. Malaysia ranks 86th worldwide for mobile internet download speeds and 45th for fixed broadband speeds. Representatives of these groups argued that the lines between the executive, the judiciary, and the state were very blurred and that the judiciary needed to exert more independence and objectivity. The law prohibits women from working underground, such as in mines, and restricts employers from requiring female employees to work in industrial or agricultural work between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. or to commence work for the day without having 11 consecutive hours of rest since the end of the last work period.