Making Sexual Jokes is a Crime & Can Land You in Prison For Up to 5 Years!

Did you know that if you reported someone for making a sexual joke, that person could face up to five years in prison?

Sexual jokes are categorised as obscene acts and violations of dignity. This makes them a criminal offence under Section 509 of the Penal Code. If the offender is found guilty, they can be jailed, fined or both.

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Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri, Women, Family and Community Development Minister said that there is still a perception that sexually inappropriate jokes or remarks are acceptable, even when they involve obscene acts or violate the dignity of victims.

“One of the challenges in addressing sexual harassment is the mindset of some perpetrators who view such actions as harmless jokes.

“However, the reality is that if the victim feels uncomfortable with sexually suggestive comments or behaviour, it can be classified as sexual harassment,” she said.

Nancy added that the data from the Department of Labour Peninsular Malaysia shows industries like manufacturing, construction and other services frequently report sexual harassment cases.

There are more than 85% of sexual harassment cases reported annually in Malaysia involve women.

As reported by The Malaysian Reserve, 439 cases involving women were reported in 2021, 422 in 2022, and 460 in 2023.

The police recorded 506 cases of sexual harassment in 2021. Then, the number decreased to 477 in 2022 before spiking again to 522 in 2023.

As of August 2024, a total of 422 cases involving sexual harassment were reported, and the majority of them involved female victims.

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