Newslink July-Sept 2014

Women’s Centre for Change
241 Jalan Burma
10350 Penang, Malaysia.
Tel: 04-228 0342
E-mail: wcc@wccpenang.org
Facebook: WCC Penang
Pusat Perkhidmatan Wanita
Seberang Perai (PPW)
67A, Jalan Perai Jaya 4
13600 Prai, Penang.
Tel: 04-398 8340/41
E-mail: ppw@wccpenang.org
Quarterly Newsletter of Women’s Centre for Change, Penang
July - September 2014
www.wccpenang.org
Internal Circulation
Watching Brief Training for Lawyers
After Prema’s talk, WCC advocacy officer
Joshua Teh introduced participants to UN
international conventions, namely CEDAW
(Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of
Discrimination against Women) and CRC
(Convention on the Rights of the Child), and
discussed how these apply to local cases. Kitson
Foong then used his extensive legal experience
to show how the criminal justice system works
during a trial.
After years of working with victims of sexual crime, it
has become clear to WCC that what these victims and
their family members need the most is support when
going through the trial process. To address this area of
concern, WCC organised a training course entitled
“Advocating for Victims of Sexual Crimes and Domestic
Violence” at its training centre for the second year in a
row. The course encourages lawyers to become watching
brief lawyers to advocate for the victim’s interest during
the court trials. We were honoured that a senior lawyer of
Messr Kit & Associate, Kitson Foong, was able to join our
training team.
The second day started with a talk from WCC
senior advocacy officer Melissa Akhir, who
explained the range of special measures available in the court for vulnerable victims. During
the afternoon session, facilitated by Kitson
Foong, the participants were given several case
studies on domestic violence and sexual crimes
where they had to practise what they have
learned. Armed with the Child Act, Criminal Procedure
Code and the Penal Code, the participants, who were
initially slow to respond, gradually warmed up and were
enthusiastically arguing and presenting their cases as if
they were in a real court trial.
Overall, the training went very well. The participants
felt they learnt a lot and were more confident to handle
domestic violence and sexual crimes cases. The result:
eight lawyers signed up to be watching brief lawyers for
WCC!
Held on 12 and 13 September, a total of 17 lawyers signed
up for the two-day intensive training. The first day was
kick started by a speech from WCC vice president and
advocacy working group chair, Lalitha Menon, who encouraged the participants to play an important part role
in fighting for these victims’ rights and also in their longterm healing and recovery. WCC program consultant,
Prema Devaraj, then highlighted the plight of the victims
as they attempt to navigate through the criminal justice
system and the hardships they face each step of the way.
Happy Deepavali to our Hindu
members and friends!
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Service Updates
Training Community Nurses
On 14 August, a workshop on “Handling
Domestic Violence” was
held with 30 nurses from
16 community clinics and
Hospital Balik Pulau.
Topics covered at the
workshop included gender, violence against
women and domestic violence. Participants were
taught how to be more
aware of DV victims and
how to help them. Overall, the training was well
received. The evaluation by the participants showed
that more than 56% found the workshop very good and
44% good.
ramah” and “Perlu ada kursus seperti lebih kerap dari
masa ke masa untuk membantu masyarakat sebab
jururawat berada di ‘front line’ and very good
information.” WCC would like to thank Dr Iqbal
Hamzah, Matron Norsiah Saod, Sister Zuraini Nayan
and the dedicated Pejabat Kesihatan Barat Daya team
for this positive collaboration.
Participants offered a range of comments, including:
“Adakan kuiz untuk peserta bagi
menilai tahap
tumpuan peserta dan elak peserta tidur semasa ce-
Continuing Medical Education
WCC was invited by Hospital Sungai Bakap to share and
explain the role of WCC and how we handle domestic
violence cases to 40 medical personnel. The one-hour talk
was conducted by WCC staff, Tasha Merican, and
accompanied by PPW counselor Muniroh Yusoff, together
with WCC intern Chan Xin Ying.
Prior to the talk, very few participants were aware of
WCC’s existence. But after being shown the WCC
introductory video, they understood the importance of our
role in providing services to women and children. We hope
both agencies will continue to work together and help to
reduce violence! Our thanks to Mr Arutus Rayapan,
Penolong Pegawai Perubatan and the Pengarah, Dr
Fauziah Hanafiah, for inviting us.
WCC is on Radio Mutiara!
WCC was delighted when RTM Radio Mutiara FM 95.7 invited
WCC to go ‘live’ on air the first Tuesday of every month. The 10
am half-hour slot entitled Sebelum Terlewat (Before it’s too
Late!) discusses issues surrounding domestic violence. During
the first airing, which took place on 2 August, WCC senior program officer, Tasha Merican spoke with radio DJ Hanisma
Ismail. Although nervous to be on the air for the first time, Tasha
was able to confidently share her knowledge on domestic
violence with the listeners. WCC president Susan Siew was
present to give support. Immediately after the call, WCC received
a caller seeking help. Do catch us every month live on Radio Mutiara FM 95.7!
2
Outreach Updates
Bijak Itu Selamat (Be Smart, Be Safe) Program
From 11 July to 22 September, WCC and PPW conducted outreach with the child sexual abuse prevention program
Bijak Itu Selamat to children from Standard Five and Six. WCC was able to reach to the following national, Chinese
and Tamil schools and also a childen’s home.
SK Wellesley
On 11 July, we visited the school for the first time. Thank you to Mr Tan Chye Choon,
the school head for allowing us to reach out to your students. The session went well
and was observed by new staff, interns and volunteers. The boys participated actively
and were not shy in asking questions. One boy student asked “What do we do when
there is no one at home and we are alone?” We responded by stressing that if the
person is a stranger, then it will be dangerous to open the door. We do not know the
intention of the person, and therefore we should be extra careful. Gracias to our colleague Reeta Kasi, intern Lim Jing Rong, volunteers Rachel Heah and Kanapathy Supramaniam for supporting us .
SK Convent Light Street
On 11 August, 80 students attended the BIS program at SK Convent Light Street. The program was conducted by
WCC volunteer Poh Lerk Shih and staff Jolene Tan, with the help of Nadhra and intern Jing Rong. The students
were taught to identify “good and bad touch” and how they could seek help if people around them tried to take advantage of them. They also learned that if they receive “bad touch” from people they trust, they must not keep it a
secret. Instead, they should tell someone until they are believed and they can receive help.
At the end of the session, the children learnt that if someone does try to touch them inappropriately, they can say
“No”, walk away, or tell someone they trust. Lastly, the facilitator emphasized that if they receive “bad touch” from
someone, it is not their fault.
SJK(T) Mayfield
WCC staff Reeta Kasi conducted the BIS program in Tamil for 50
students from SJK(T) Ladang Mayfield, Tasek Gelugor on 15 August . The students ranged from Standard Four to Six. The program received positive responses from both teachers and students alike, despite the heavy rain and a strong wind, which
made us all cold in the open hall.
After an ice-breaking session, the program started, and students
learned how to tell the difference between a good touch and a
bad touch. They learned they must use their intuition to evaluate
one person’s intention towards them. Students were responsive
and active throughout the program, as well as during the Q&A
session. One Standard Four girl was able to tell the entire story
of “Nina and Her Secrets”, which she had read in her school library. She showed a good understanding of the content
of the story. It made us all realize that our child sexual abuse preventive work truly has an impact on children!
SJKC Kim Sen, Bukit Mertajam
PPW volunteer Cheryl and interns contacted several schools on the Penang mainland to ask whether they were interested to have WCC conduct the BIS program. One of these schools was SJKC Kim Sen. This program was conducted in Mandarin on 17 July by our volunteer Soon Lan, PPW coordinator Ooi Say Tee and WCC program officer
Jolene Tan. PPW volunteers, namely Jenny Tan, Yeong Li, Suan Wah, Siow Wei, Ivy Tham, Florence and Jocye, attended the program as observers. Over 200 Standard Five students attended the program.
SJKT Perai
On 23 July WCC social worker Reeta Kasi conducted the “Ok Tak Ok”
program in Tamil at SJKT Perai for total of 55 students . The students
were quiet at the beginning but were soon competing to answer questions. Students participated in a role-playing activity, where they
learned what to do if they ever start to feel uncomfortable with
someone’s touches. The children were very excited when they received
free copies of WCC’s “Nina and her Secret” booklet in Tamil as well as
the “Roda Tindakan”.
3
SJKC Jit Sin A, Bukit Mertajam
On 22 September, a group of volunteers and staff went to
SJKC Jit Sin A to conduct the BIS program in Mandarin. After
being trained and observing two past sessions, WCC
volunteers Jenny Tan and Yeong Li made their first attempt to
run the second session after PPW coordinator Ooi Say Tee had
conducted the first session. Other observers were Joyce,
Florence and Suan Wah. 100 Standard Six students participated in the program. The school counselor hoped that we would
be able to do it next year for the next batch of students.
Circle of Friendship & Celik ICT
WCC team was excited to conduct a new program at SK
Gelugor on 12 September. As this was not our first visit
to the school, the counselling teacher, Pn Siti Zubaidah
Begum, requested that we educate the children on new
issues. WCC staff Tasha conducted Circle of Friendship
and Celik ICT with the Year 6 students. Despite some of
them having to re-sit a few UPSR papers, they were all in
high spirits and full of energy. The children discussed
the types of friends they know, the activities they had
with their friends, what it means to trust someone, and
the danger of befriending someone in a short period of
time.
The children were then shown short video clips uploaded from YouTube entitled “Red Riding Hood”. The clips
showed how you could use Facebook more safely by
adjusting the privacy settings to prevent others from
seeing your photos and also allowing people to know
where you are. Tasha also discussed with the children
the dangers of talking to online strangers and how cyber
bullying is unacceptable.
Before the session ended, Tasha shared an article taken
from a Chinese newspaper which highlighted a teenage
boy who enjoyed playing violent video games. As a result
of being addicted to computer, he ended up hurting
others in his family. The boy started being rude to his
parents and was scolding his siblings whenever they did
not do what he wanted. Fortunately, after a long and
frank discussion with his family, he has been able to
change his behaviour. Now he no longer spends his time
playing violent games but prefers to play football
instead.
Rumah Kanak-Kanak Taman Bakti (RKKTB)
Pada 18 September, pihak Pusat Perkhidmatan Wanita
(PPW) diberi kebenaran untuk menjalankan program
Keselamatan Diri “Bijak itu Selamat” di rumah KanakKanak Taman Bakti, Kepala Batas. Kumpulan sasaran
adalah pada pelajar yang berusia 10 hingga 12 tahun
iaitu seramai 54 orang pelajar yang terlibat. Sesi
dibahagikan kepada 2, dimana sesi pertama melibatkan
pelajar 11 dan 12 tahun yang dikendalikan oleh Say Tee
dan sesi kedua dilaksanakan oleh Muniroh pada para
pelajar yang berusia 10 tahun.
Program ini memberi pendedahan kepada kanak-kanak
mengenai keselamatan anggota tubuh badan mereka
dan mengenai sentuhan ‘Ok’ dan sentuhan ‘Tak Ok’.
Pengerusi jawatankuasa PPW, Datin Chin Khuan Sui
yang dihadiri berkongsi pandangan bersama dengan
kaunselor Puan Norhidayah mengenai kes-kes yang
berlaku di RKKTB tersebut, sekaligus mempromosikan
perkhidmatan yang disediakan oleh WCC/PPW.
Program ini turut dibantu oleh PPW intern Joyce dan
sukarelawan kami Florence. Maklum balas baik dari
pihak RKKTB memungkinan program ini menjadi
program tahunan mereka dan juga melatih pihak
kakitangan RKKTB terhadap program “penderaan
seksual kanak-kanak” pada masa akan datang.
Sekolah Kebangsaan Pauh Jaya
Pada 22 Julai, PPW dijemput oleh guru besar Sekolah
Kebangsaan Pauh Jaya Puan Noraini bt Hj Jaafar untuk
menjalankan program BIS setelah mengetahui program
ini dari rakan guru besar yang lain. Seramai hampir 205
pelajar darjah 5 yang terlibat dalam program ini,
sebanyak 4 sesi dijalankan dengan melibatkan 2 orang
PPW fasilitator Muniroh dan sukarelawan Yujo dan di
bantu oleh sukarelawan kami Ms Cham, Florence dan
intern dari UTAR dan UUM Joyce serta Erene.
masuk dalam bilik secara paksa?’ dan ‘Apa yang kita
patut lakukan kalau ada orang yang kita tak kenal menegur kita? Jawapan turut dkongsi bersama para pelajar dan mengambil kira pendapat mereka sekiranya berlaku situasi yang berisiko.
Hasil dari program tersebut banyak maklumbalas dari
pelajar mengenai program ini, pelbagai soalan dan
komen positif yang kami dapati. Antara soalan menarik
yang boleh dikongsikan adalah ‘apakah tindakan yang
kita mesti lakukan sekiranya seorang lelaki tarik kita
4
Youth Programme
Penang Medical College Talk
On 25 July, WCC went to Penang Medical College for the
third session of the year to train future doctors on the issues
related to violence against women. There were a total of 30
students in attendance. WCC outreach team Mangleswari,
Seong Yuen and Jolene Tan spoke about the topic of gender,
and why it is important. Students were reminded of the
significant role they will play where as medical personnel
are usually the first people to be contacted by victims of
violence. Their role enables them to help identify domestic
violence and rape victims who are too afraid to tell people
about their ordeal. They may be the very first people to give
support to the victims and offer them guidance on the kind
of help available to them; hence their understanding and
sensitivity towards handling these victims is crucial to the
victims’ healing.
Parenting Talk: On Teenagers
On 9 August, PPW and Pusat Khidmat Adun Machang
Bubuk jointly organised a parenting talk entitled “What
happened to my teens?” The talk, which was conducted
by the experienced counselor Alice Lee, attracted 44
participants. According to Alice, there are a variety of
parenting styles, and listening is the key to effective
communication. Parents play an important role in
ensuring a balanced child development. They need to be
loving and trustworthy when guiding their children
through the various aspects of life, such as their
children’s biological and psychological development,
their values and religions, their relationships with
family and friends, and school. Parents also need to
develop and grow along with their children. It is
important that they learn the various communication
skills in dealing with their children.
On Children
On 19 July, the second parenting talk entitled “Nurturing
child’s EQ and social skills” was conducted by a play therapist, Leong Min See at Pusat Khidmat Adun Machang
Bubuk for 46 participants. Min See shared ideas about
the psychosocial development needs of children below 12
years old. Children need their parent’s unconditional
love, care, recognition, acceptance, security and trust.
She also spoke about some challenges faced by parents
and the ways to overcome them. Min See requested that
parents reflect on their own levels of EQ, happiness, selfconfidence and also how they normally act when they are
under stress. Parents were invited to think of their own
happy memories of being a parent and what they
normally do to create happiness in their families. Lastly,
Min See discussed with participants some of the ways of
resolving conflict between parents and children.
According to the psychosocial theory by Erik Erikson,
when children reach adolescence (12–18 years old),
they are in the stage of Identity versus Role confusion.
If parents want their child to experience positive growth
and develop a sense of identity with a clear direction in
life, they need to refrain from over-controlling their
child. Moreover, they need to lend their listening ears to
the child. Alice asserted that nurturing a child requires
meticulous observation, patience and sufficient room to
allow the child to develop in their own way. She also
shared that the growth of the child is highly related to
the parents’ relationship with one another. Parents
need to give themselves time and space to maintain a
good relationship, developing their own interests and
loving their lives. Only then can they can provide a good
example through showing their love and positive
energy.
Marriage and Divorce Talk
On 23 August, PPW, in collaboration with WRAA (Women’s Rights Awareness Association),
organised a talk on marriage and divorce. The speaker was Mr Lim Kian Leong, who is a
practicing lawyer. Mr Lim presented information about divorce proceedings, including issues
related to maintenance, child custody, matrimonial assets, etc. There were only 13
participants at the talk. Such a low turnout was attributed to people on the mainland being
reluctant to attend a talk on divorce, as it may indicate that they are facing marital problems
which they would not want the local community to know.
5
Talk on “Free Your Child from Hurt”
Butterworth Methodist Church invited PPW to give a prevention talk on child sexual abuse. The talk was held on 27
September and was given by PPW coordinator Ooi Say Tee and volunteer lawyer Lim Kian Leong. The speakers
presented some statistics and discussed what child sexual abuse is, symptoms of victims , some myths versus reality,
how to help a sexually abused child, and the procedure of reporting . This talk was given to 53 participants, including
men, women and teenagers
Sexual Harassment Talk
On 11 August 2014, WCC was invited again to conduct a talk
on sexual harassment to residents at St Nicholas’ Home for
the Visually Impaired. During the talk, a couple of residents shared their experience being harassed. One of the
attendees said while she was waiting for the public bus, a
man in motorbike came by her and kept on asking
questions about where she wants to go, where she’s living
and kept offering to drop her. She was very afraid but
luckily the bus came. She then explained that now there is
a system at St Nicholas where the residents are able to call
the Rapid bus station to get the arrival time of the bus at
their bus stop before going out to wait. During an open
group discussion the residents learned the different types
of harassment that can take place and what can be done to
seek help. All the residents are well aware of the
procedures set by St Nicholas Home. The speakers were
WCC staff Tasha and Mangles.
Drama on Domestic Violence
WCC was invited by the Poh Oo Toong Temple to attend
an interactive drama performance. On 18 July 2014,
staff Yeoh Bee Yen and volunteer Ann Lee, together with
about 200 other people went to watch the drama at the
Penang Performing Arts Centre in Straits Quay.
The central message of the drama was that the cycle of
domestic violence can be ended if one party makes a
choice to stop it. This message was told through a story
of a family suffering from domestic violence through
three generations. The cycle of violence was ended when
a young girl chose to resolve hate by choosing love and
forgiveness. After the drama, participants were asked to
share their life experiences and were reminded to bring
love into their homes.
Mrs Universe and Domestic Violence
What does Mrs Universe pageant and domestic
violence have in common? Surprisingly, more than 30%
of these beauty queens are formerly victims of
family violence! 46 contestants from all over the world
gathered in Kuala Lumpur for the Mrs Universe 2014
pageant and in a Forum themed “One Universe, One
Voice”, contestants had to give a three minute presentation on violence against women in their respective country. Many shared their personal experiences as survivors
of domestic violence and sexual abuse and together they
saw the common thread of violence suffered in women’s
lives. The Forum hosted by KL Sogo on 24 August and
the organisers invited 3 panellists to discuss their
presentation. WCC executive director, Loh Cheng Kooi
was one of the panellists discussant on that day. At the
Mrs Universe World Finals held on 29 August, WCC
fundraising ambassador, Datin Annie Chin represented
WCC at the pageant dinner event.
Winning with People
On 24 and 25 September 2014, Tasha Merican was given
the opportunity by ITD World (International Training
and Development) to attend a very energetic two-day
workshop conducted by George Foo. The workshop focused on how to be a good leader by working well with
others, having a caring attitude, looking at things from a
positive perspective, acknowledging weaknesses and
being willing to change.It was a refreshing course and
she would highly recommend such courses to anyone
who is looking for self improvement.
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Ceramah Gangguan Seksual & Keganasan Rumah Tangga
Pihak Penang Women’s Development Corporation
(PWDC) telah menganjurkan ceramah bertajuk
“Memahami Gangguan Seksual dan Keganasan Rumah
Tangga” pada 15 September di Auditorium F, KOMTAR
untuk kakitangan Majlis Pembandaran Pulau Pinang
(MPPP). Pihak WCC, Pn Mangles & Pn Tasha telah
dijemput sebagai penceramah.
Pada akhir program, an dua orang peserta tampil untuk
meminta bantuan untuk jiran dan kawan mereka yang
mendapat penderaan dari suami. Harapan kami agar
memberi maklumat untuk mereka dapat berbuat sesuatu
untuk menghentikan keganasan dari terus berlaku!
Pn Mangles bermula dengan menjelaskan tentang
maksud gangguan seksual dan hak mangsa sebagai kaki
tangan kerajaan. Garis Panduan Mengendalikan
Gangguan Seksual Di Tempat Kerja Dalam Perkhidmatan
Awam telah digunakan sebagai rujukan jikalau di ganggu
secara seksual.
Tasha kemudiannya berceramah tentang isu keganasan
rumah tangga serta hak mangsa. Baik lelaki mahupun
peserta perempuan, semuanya aktif mendengar dan
memberi pendapat masing-masing. Seorang peserta
lelaki juga turut menyuarakan pendapat di mana beliau
merasakan program ini hanya tertumpu kepada pendera
lelaki. Pihak WCC telah menjelaskan kepadanya bahawa
mengikut statistiks dan klien yang datang ke pusat kami,
di mana majoriti pesalah adalah dari kalangan suami.
Bengkel “Apabila Ada Penderaan
Bengkel ‘Apabila Ada Penderaan’
telah
dijalankan oleh WCC
Penang dan PWDC dengan
kerjasama Pejabat Daerah &
Tanah, SPU pada 20 September
di Bilik Perdana, Pejabat Daerah
&
Tanah,
SPU.
Bahagian
Sokongan Keluarga, Kehakiman
Syariah juga telah menyediakan
klinik khidmat nasihat. Objektif
bengkel
ini
adalah
untuk
meningkatkan pengetahuan ahliahli JKKK wanita mengenai isuisu keganasan rumah tangga dan
Akta Keganasan Rumah Tangga
dan juga memperkasakan peserta dengan kemahiran
mengendali kes-kes berkaitan keganasan rumah tangga.
Seramai 39 peserta dari JKKK wanita dan Briged Wanita
menghadiri bengkel ini.
Para peserta telah menyatakan bahawa mereka
mendapat banyak manfaat menyertai bengkel ini
khasnya menimba pemahaman tentang keganasan
rumah tangga dan mereka menghargai maklumatmaklumat yang diberikan tentang cara-cara membantu
mangsa keganasan rumah tangga. Dan para peserta juga
berharap bengkel ini dapat diulangi dan dijalankan
bersiri supaya dapat mempertingkatkan lagi kemahiran
mereka mengendali kes-kes keganaan rumah tangga di
komuniti mereka.
Program Mengurus Kewangan Anda
Program PPW ini bertujuan membantu golongan wanita
melaksanakan belanjawan harian. Kumpulan sasaran
adalah ibu tunggal dan juga komuniti kampung di beri
pendedahan berkenaan dengan kepentingan
menguruskan bajet bagi mengelakkan kesukaran pada
hari kemudian. Program ini dilangsungkan dengan
kerjasama Pusat Khidmat ADUN Penanti dan JKKK
Kubang Semang/Sungai Semambu pada 28 September,
di Dewan Al-Fateh, Kubang Semang, SPT.
mengenai isu pinjaman dari bank dan tips yang boleh
diguna pakai dalam memastikan pengurusan kewangan
diurus dengan bijak. YB Dr Norlela begitu teruja dan
berbangga dengan kerjasama yang dijalankan bersama
PPW dan mempromosikan perkhidmatan yang
ditawarkan dalam membantu wanita dan kanak-kanak
yang didera.
Seramai 44 peserta hadir dan dirasmikan oleh YB Hajah
Dr Norlela Binti Ariffin dan turut dilawati oleh Datuk Sri
Anwar Ibrahim.
Penceramah adalah dari Agensi
Kaunseling dan Pengurusan Kredit (AKPK), Encik Tan
Chee Hong. Beliau berkongsi pandangan mengenai
pengurusan kewangan yang bijak, pendapatan
tambahan, kelebihan bajet, peraturan meminjam dan
cara menguruskan hutang secara efektif di samping
peranan dan fungsi AKPK itu sendiri. Di akhir sesi
banyak soal jawab yang dibangkitkan oleh para peserta
7
Advocacy Updates
Feminist Leadership Training for Young Women
discussions on structuring arguments for a sexual harassment bill in Malaysia. In order to help
participants think beyond their personal scope,
guest speakers from various organisations were
invited to share their experiences with executing
campaigns and movements. Speakers included
Koon Tan from Projek Sentuh, Ngai Yuen from
WomenGirls, Azrul Mohd Khalib from Malaysia
for Malaysia and Yu Ren Chung from Women’s
Aid Organisation. The knowledge garnered from
the training was put to the test when the participants had to conceive of and conceptualise a sexual harassment campaign.
WCC liaison officer, Hasanah Akhir was given the
opportunity to participate in a four-day training seminar
conducted by the International Women’s Rights Action
Watch (IWRAW) Asia Pacific under the United Nations
Fund for Gender Equality Project. As the aim of the UN
Project is to nurture evidence-based research and
analysis in activism work, the national-level seminar
focused on building skills of young women to be effective
advocates of the United Nations Convention on the
Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against
Women (CEDAW).
From 8 to 11 August, the participants were trained to
deepen their understanding on topics such as human
rights, women’s rights, and patriarchy. Participants were
educated on the principles of CEDAW in relation to
sexual harassment, and were engaged in active group
Following the training seminar, IWRAW also
organised an Intergenerational Dialogue on 15
and 16 August. The dialogue took a comprehensive look
at sexual harassment issues in Malaysia – its legislative
history, the movement for its recognition and the purpose for a separate sexual harassment bill. WCC senior advocacy
officer, Melissa Akhir was invited
as a speaker. Melissa’s talk on
“Revisiting the draft of Sexual Harassment Bill: Making the Law Reality” informed the participants of
the proposed sexual harassment
bill by the Joint Action Group for
Gender Equality (JAG) and the
need to engage the community
when lobbying for the bill .
Training Prosecutors on Rights of Victims
On 26 September 2014, WCC staff, Melissa Akhir was
invited to train 10 selected deputy public prosecutors
(DPP) at the National Legal and Judicial Training Institute (ILKAP). During the training, Melissa explained to
the DPPs what a victim of violence experiences when she
attends court, and pointed out that how the victim is
treated in court may influence her reactions while testifying. Melissa familiarised the DPPs with findings on
how victims cope after violence and how they should be
treated throughout the court process – with courtesy,
professionalism and respect. Such was the DPPs’ enthusiasm that they requested that the training be extended
for another hour in order to incorporate a Q&A session.
Questions were raised about practical concerns in cases
concerning child and teenage witnesses. WCC’s
“Surviving Court” booklet was particularly praised as
being helpful as a bridge of understanding between
victims, witnesses and the DPP.
JAG Anti-Rape Rally KL
On 14 August, a crowd of about 100 people gathered in
Kuala Lumpur for an anti-rape rally organised by the
Joint Action Group for Gender Equality (JAG). Despite
the windy conditions, WCC program consultant Prema
Devaraj addressed the crowd about WCC’s experience
dealing with rape victims and the rape culture in Malaysia, which helps perpetuate the heinous crime. Sadly, we
live in a society which supports rape culture through victim blaming and excusing perpetrators. Victims are not
believed and girls are taught to take ‘steps’ to prevent
rape, whereas boys are not taught not to rape. The system that is supposed to protect victims fails at every
point, from the lack of systematic and thorough investigation needed to procure convictions to the justice system which allows perpetrators to go free on
technical grounds. Hopefully awareness created through
the rally will help to create a ‘wind of change’ on attitudes surrounding rape.
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Law Reform Working Committee at AG
On 30 September Melissa Akhir
represented WCC as part of the
JAG at the Attorney General’s
Chambers for the Law Reform
Working Committee discussions
on amendments to the Domestic
Violence Act. The list of proposed amendments included
provisions for protection orders
to be given at an earlier stage to protect victim from
further violence, enhancement of effectiveness of
protection orders and provision for other modes of
protection.
Unfortunately not all the proposed amendments were
agreed upon. The struggle continues as we soldier on to
protect the interest of domestic violence survivors.
The Domestic Violence Trial
In August, a WCC
domestic
violence
client finally received justice when
her former husband
was sentenced to 15
months imprisonment for criminal intimidation and 12 months imprisonment for breach of protection order, to run concurrently .This is of great significance because to the best of our
knowledge, this is the first time a conviction has been
secured for breach of a protection order.
grant an order for police supervision after release of the
accused and the Watching Brief lawyer failed to obtain
compensation for the client.
Nevertheless, WCC hopes that this case will serve as a
precedent and an assurance to future victims of domestic violence that a protection order is not merely a piece
of paper but can provide real and proper protection from
their assailants.
The client had written a powerful victim impact statement of the trauma she underwent which was submitted
before the court and read by the
magistrate.
The hearing was not all smooth sailing, as the former
husband was overheard speaking to his family and
threatening to cut off our client’s hands and ‘finish her’
when he is released. He also made intimidating remarks
towards WCC’s social worker. The magistrate refused to
Policy Dialogue on Universal Access on Reproductive Health and Rights
The Federation of Reproductive Health Associations Malaysia (FRHAM) organised a policy dialogue on Universal
Access to Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights on
3 September 2014 in Subang Hotel, Selangor. Prema Devaraj was one of the five speakers and gave a presentation
on an NGO’s perspective with regard to the International
Conference on Population and Development (ICPD)
Review and post-2015 Development Agenda: Sexual and
Reproductive Health and Rights Issues in Malaysia.
In her presentation, Prema highlighted the different
policies and legislation taken by the government to address sexual reproductive health and rights (SRHR). She
then went on to briefly describe existing problems seen by
WCC – e.g. the lack of inaccurate information on SRHR,
the lack of access to SRHR services, the lack of protection
against SRHR violations, and the penalising and prosecution of sexuality – all the while citing examples in the
Malaysian context.
Prema also raised four questions in the context of the
ICPD review and post-2015 Deveopment Agenda – (1) Is
there full comprehension of SRHR? (2) Is there
understanding of how central SRHR is to sustainable
development? (3) What is Malaysia’s point of reference
for SRHR? (4) Is the interconnectedness of SRHR
recognised? Prema then ended her talk with
recommendations for a way forward.
Integrated Approach to Child Care
The 15th ASEAN Pediatric Federation Congress 2014 Integrated Approach to Child Care: The Way Forward was held
at Hotel Equatorial, Penang from 17–20 September. Prema Deveraj was one of three speakers in a session called
Hard Talk: The Child’s Rights vs What is Right. The discussion centred around the UN Convention on the Rights of
Children (CRC) and its applicability in Malaysia. Over 500 participants
were treated to a spirited discussion covering a range of issues including
the meaning of ‘best interest of the child’, the rights of refugee and migrant
children, dilemmas of corporal punishment, and government priorities and
budgeting where child rights are concerned. The session ended with a Q&A
with the audience.
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Service Community Groups Exchange between Malaysia and Thailand
From 19 to 21 August 2014, WCC social worker Yeoh Bee
Yen went to Songkhla, together with ten community
leaders from Penang, to learn and share about social
work experiences with 60 Thai community leaders.
At the workshop organised, the participants, who were
from both the government sector and various NGOs,
shared about their areas of work. This was followed by a panel discussion on the problems
faced in social development and welfare. A
Q&A session highlighted the difference
between Thai and Malaysian organisations. Mr
Wanttanachai Chaijit, Director of Health Promotion Hospital in Satun District, summarised
it as organisations in Malaysia having more
focus on their area of work thus providing
more comprehensive assistance to the person
in need.
As the welfare organisations in Songhkla were more
focused on children, participants visited several
children’s homes which were fully supported by the government.Overall, the workshop gave the participants an
opportunity to learn from one another by better understanding how other organisations provide their services
Training on Social Work Practice
On 25 and 26 August, the Malaysian Association of Social Workers (MASW) organised a workshop on theories
for Social Work Practice. Dr Pauline Meemeduma, a social work consultant from Perth and a Foundation Fellow of the Australian College of Social Work, highlighted
seven major theories that social workers should know
and apply practically in their scope of work. With 40
years of experience working with people in crisis, Dr
Pauline shared cases relating to domestic violence, child
abuse and dysfunctional families, and explained how the
theories can be applied. Say Tee (PPW) and Bee Yen
(WCC) attended the workshop and found the General
Systems Theory (GST) to be most useful as a tool to help
capture and collate case information.
Latest Publication



Voices of 13 women from Penang
Reflecting on their lived experiences
Touching… inspiring… amazing… yet moving.
This publication is a product of the Women’s Stories Project, a pioneering
effort of WCC and PPW to engage women to reflect on and write about
their suppressed lived experiences of pain and silences. The publication captures the candid voices of 13 women from Penang who reflected on their
lived experiences.
This book is available in English and Mandarin at RM 20 per copy. Do purchase the book as Christmas/New Year gifts for your friends and colleagues.
Proceeds from the sales will go to the Women’s Empowerment Fund,.
Get your copy now!
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INTERN’S EXPERIENCE
My internship with WCC has been really amazing! Although it was only
one month, it was a great eyeopening experience for me. Primarily,
it has sharpened my awareness as to
what constitutes an “abuse” where it
has been dampened by the deceit of
patriarchy by giving it a different
name. During my time here, I was
given the task of researching the enforcement of maintenance order and
did a comparative study of Hong
Kong and California law. I also looked into the Convention Rights of the Child (CRC) and the Convention to
Eliminate All Forms of Discrimination against Women
(CEDAW), which has been interesting, in addition to
observing cases in court. Somehow, all of these have
breathed life into my legal education as I was able to
see how the law works to protect society and the positive difference that WCC is making. Not only are the
people at WCC dedicated to their work, they are a sociable and helpful group as well. The learning experience is not limited to the office. I found that conversations over a meal frequently opened up interesting topics which were intellectually stimulating. Words of
gratitude can never do justice to fully describe the experience one can have here!
Jane Lee Ee May
Law student, ATC College Penang
My 13-week internship went very quickly. I still
remember the anxiety I felt when pressing the
doorbell on my first day. However, I need not
have worried as I found that being an intern in
WCC was an enriching, happy and great experience. I discovered that the office was full of
positive energy and the staff approached their
difficult work with passion and enthusiasm. This
greatly motivated me in the work I did and
helped me enjoy my time there.
I would like to thank all of you for giving me the
opportunity to take part in a great variety of projects and programs. I have gained a great deal from the programs I participated in. For example, I have learned more
about the meaning of domestic violence, the definition of
rape, how an NGO can liaise with other agencies to help the
victims and much more. I would not have had the chance to
explore these areas had I not been at WCC. I also realized
how serious the social issues that WCC deals with are and
that they are more commonplace than I had previously supposed; there is a real need to deal with them which WCC
attempts to fulfill.
Much of the new knowledge I have gained is as a result of
the generosity of the staff, the volunteers and the other interns in their guidance and help. I am also very grateful for
being able to sit in on counseling sessions because in many
places trainees are not allowed to observe such sessions. I
found this exposure challenging, but I learned far more than
I could have were I simply reading it in a text book. Thank
you so much!
Lim Jing Rong
Psychology student, Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman
Being an intern at WCC has been a unique experience despite my short time here. There is a certain
energy in the WCC office that one would be hard-pressed to find anywhere else. Despite being extremely busy, the WCC staff are close-knit, friendly and always extremely helpful. During my time
here, no single person found it too much trouble to help, direct, advise or to share a friendly word.
I came into WCC as a legal intern for five weeks and although my time was short compared to most
other interns, the WCC advocacy team entrusted me with legal research subjects for their various
projects. Doing legal research for WCC was unlike anything I had done before. Since the object of
WCC’s legal projects are legal reforms and the raising of public awareness on certain legal matters, I
found myself looking into laws, issues and articles on matters that I had no idea were problematic
and in jurisdictions where I would never have otherwise looked.
In the five weeks I was at WCC, I had the opportunity to attend a sexual harassment talk given by
two of the WCC staff as well as accompany the staff for court support (where the WCC social workers and advocacy officers lend support to clients who are going through the court process). These
occasions allowed me a glimpse into the strength and drive of WCC staff and the hurdles WCC faces
in their work. As a law student, being jaded about the legal system, the court process and the administration of justice is the norm. We are told constantly that “there is no such thing as justice” and
most of us either begin our law courses cynical about the role we will eventually play as future lawyers or we gradually grow cynical during our training. Witnessing a small glimpse of what the WCC staff are willing
to do and how far they are prepared to go to offer help and support to their clients, to strive for legal reform, and to
reshape our culture is humbling and inspiring.
Long Shuen Wei
Second year law student, University College London
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WCC Media Coverage
The recent upheaval in Selangor over the post of Menteri Besar (MB) has suddenly led the country to a situation where we
might soon be witnessing a major breakthrough for women in politics.
Over the years we have seen women slowly occupy positions in the political arena. Data from the Ministry for Women,
Family and Community Development shows that in 2013 women made up only 13.1% of local councillors, 28.8% of senators, 11.3% state legislative assembly members, 10.4% members of parliament and 12.3% of cabinet ministers and deputy ministers.
The Malaysian government made a commitment in the 9th Malaysia Plan to ensure 30% representation of women in decision making positions by 2010.
The reality for women in politics is that it is an ongoing struggle to break the boundaries of misogyny and patriarchy in
politics, a particularly male dominated arena.
Now, an opportunity has indeed arisen in Selangor and there is a possibility of a woman MB there.
A woman leader of a state government would be a momentous breakthrough in Malaysian politics and perhaps even pave
the way for a woman prime minister sometime in the future.
It would encourage other woman to venture into full-time politics and transform male-centric and sexist thinking within
politics.
It might also force a reassessment of party politics, which has up till now seen mainstream political parties in Malaysia
divided into male-dominated party leadership positions and women’s wings.
The entry of sufficient numbers of women into politics, especially in decision making positions, can broaden and redefine
the national political agenda and transform the very nature of politics.
This is especially so if the women leaders, in addition to their lived experiences, are committed to principles of good governance including transparency, accountability and inclusiveness.
These principles should be the minimum expectations of all our leaders, irrespective of their gender or political party affiliations.
The question of competency often arises when a woman leader is mooted.
While competency is important, we note that it is rarely brought into question when male leaders are nominated for key
positions in the state legislative assembly, parliament or ministries.
Another issue which rears its head when women leaders are put forward is family connections and political patronage.
This is a reality which holds true even for many male leaders and is a practice seen in many countries.
Good governance practices and selections based on merit, if adhered to, would slowly see the end of this.
We look to the day where leaders and decision makers will be chosen based on their competence and their adherence to
good governance principles and not be held back because of their gender.
Prema Devaraj is Programme Consultant of the Womens’ Centre for Change, Penang
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No immunity for rape – Prema Devaraj
Published: 3 July 2014
The Malaysian government’s decision allow the extradition of its diplomatic attache
Muhammad Rizalman Ismail, who was charged on May 10 in a Wellington District Court in
New Zealand with burglary and assault with intent to commit rape on a 21 year old woman, is
welcomed.
It was of great concern to many that instead of being made to stand trial, Rizalman was flown
back to Malaysia on May 22 under the protection of diplomatic immunity, despite the
seriousness of the alleged crime.
The actions by our government, i.e., requesting the sealing of all documentation pertaining to
the case and withdrawal of all charges against Muhammad Rizalman as well as the decision
not to waive diplomatic immunity, did not bode well for the government’s standing not only in
the eyes of its citizens but also in the international arena.
The use of diplomatic immunity at that point effectively enabled the accused to evade a
criminal justice process where he would have been made to account for his alleged actions.
By allowing this, the Malaysian government was in breach of General Recommendation 28 of
the Convention for the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (Cedaw), to
which Malaysia is a signatory. Cedaw states that our government has a duty, among other
things, to bring perpetrators of violence against women to trial and to impose punishment.
The Defence Minister and the Foreign Minister had assured Malaysians that justice would
prevail and that Rizalman would face a Board of Inquiry set up by the defence ministry, and if
accusations were found to be true, he would be court-martialed.
But many Malaysians were left wondering how a Board of Inquiry could be used to investigate
a serious criminal offence, i.e., attempted rape. It raised a fundamental question of the
government’s approach towards investigating sexual crime.
Furthermore it was unclear how an investigation into the alleged crime could properly take
place given that the victim and investigating officers were in New Zealand.
Up until yesterday, more than a month after Rizalman’s return, the status of investigation in
Malaysia was as yet unknown.
The government must act to fulfill both local and international commitments towards ending
violence against women. There is an urgent need to stand resolute in rejecting sexual violence,
irrespective of whether such violence occurs on Malaysian soil or is committed by a Malaysian
abroad.
As such the decision taken to send Rizalman back to New Zealand to stand trial is the
appropriate step to take. – July 3, 2014.
* Prema Devaraj is programme consultant, Women’s Centre for Change, Penang.
* This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent
the views of The Malaysian Insider.
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