Harrassment In The Workplace

Q: Harassment in the Workplace" by Ministry of Human Resources, these remarks are considered as verbal harassment. As the Parliamentary Secretary for the Education Ministry, Dr. Mahadzir not only supported but also defended the two MPs. It shows that these MPs not only do not respect women but also do not understand the "Code of Practice on the Prevention and Eradication of Sexual Harassment in the Workplace". Datuk Fong should educate them to prevent the reoccurring of such sexual harassment incident in Parliament, which jeopardized the public image of MPs and their workplace. Sexual harassment encompasses various conducts of a sexual nature which can be manifest themselves in five possible forms, how namely?

A: 1) verbal harassment e.g. offensive or suggestive remarks, comments, jokes, jesting, kidding, sounds, questioning. 2) non-verbal/gestural harassment e.g. leering or ogling with suggestive overtones, licking lips or holding or eating food provocatively, hand signal or sign language denoting sexual activity, persistent flirting. 3) visual harassment e.g. showing pornographic materials, drawing sex-based sketches or writing sex-based letters, sexual exposure. 4) psychological harassment e.g. repeated unwanted social; invitations, relentless proposals for dates or physical intimacy. 5) physical harassment e.g. inappropriate touching, patting, pinching, stroking, brushing up against the body, hugging, kissing, fondling, sexual assault. According to the former Minister of Human Resources, Datuk Lim Ah Lek, sexual harassment affects the emotion of the victim and affected the productivity and employees' morale. Datuk Lim also stated that sexual harassment is a type of gender discrimination which goes against the principle of equality of treatment in employment between genders; therefore, it inhibits the growth of a caring and just society. He said at the official opening of the National Workshop On Sexual Harassment In the Workplace on March 1 1999 that sexual harassment at workplace should warrant due attention and remedial action so that it does not get worse. Parliament is an august legislative House and such incident should never have happened. We hope that Datuk Fong would take this matter seriously and work to prevent sexual harassment from reoccurring or get worse in the Parliament!

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