KOTA KINABALU: Awareness of workplace sexual harassment is still low in Sabah.
Sabah Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Datuk Yakub Khan said sexual harassment should not be ignored because if left unaddressed, it will become more serious.
"Sexual harassment also occurs at the workplace and this seems to have become the norm.
"Many think they are just making a joke or teasing to ease the pressure at the office or they find it fun to get the victim's attention.
"To create a conducive atmosphere, especially at the workplace, sexual harassment should not be accepted.
"If left unaddressed, it will become more serious because the perpetrator feels the victim has to accept the harassment," he said when officiating the third series of the state-level Labour Convention here today.
The convention's theme is "Sexual Harassment in the Workplace: Perception versus Reality".
Yakub said sexual harassment is defined as unwanted behaviour through words, gestures, touch and psychological and visual elements related to sex that are repeated.
"People need to know that sexual behaviour can appear in any form, whether verbal, non-verbal, visual, gestural or physical, from the person who offends, insults or threatens the victim.
"This includes looking or glancing with sexual intentions or desires, sending or showing sexually explicit messages through electronic media, online or face-to-face or gestures implying sexual or related conduct, all of which are included in the crime of sexual harassment.
"Sexual harassment should never be normalised. Society should not tolerate any gestures or words that leads to sexual harassment and should stop it immediately."
Yakub said there was a lot to be done to ensure victims were not ashamed of or afraid to come forward.
He said statistics from several surveys done in the state showed that 80 per cent of individuals who experienced sexual harassment did not lodge reports, with reasons cited including fear, shame and trauma.
He said a survey by the Women Development Department in 2019 showed that of the 28,852 respondents aged 21 to 40, only 1,796 respondents, or 6.3 per cent, said they would lodge a report on sexual harassment.
In the same survey, 17,925 respondents, or 62 per cent, said existing laws were not sufficient to handle sexual harassment cases.
On the convention, Yakub said: "I hope the initiative by the Human Resources Ministry, through the Sabah Labour Department, to address the labour issues in the country will give the public a better understanding of the labour issues and laws in the country."
Four papers were presented at the convention — "Sexual Harassment in the Workplace and the Impact on Employee Well-Being", "Penal Code of Sexual Harassment in the Workplace: Implications for Employers and Employees", "Anti-Sexual Harassment Bill 2021: Is It Just Gender Protection?" and "The Reality of Sexual Harassment Happening in the Workplace".
At a press conference, Sabah Labour Department director Wan Zulkifli Wan Setapa said prevention was better than cure in dealing with sexual harassment at the workplace.
"We have a code of ethics to prevent sexual harassment from happening at the workplace.
"Employers should take a pledge to reject sexual harassment. We also urge employers to include anti-sexual harassment clauses in their employment contracts.
"The state government, with help and support from the minister, will make amendments to the Sabah Labour Ordinance and include clauses on sexual harassment in the future."