Media Statement – For Immediate Publication Kuala Lumpur, 30 MAY 2024 Women's Aid Organisation (WAO)…
Statement by 100 women, children, health and other civil society groups and individuals – objecting to Shahidan Kassim’s appointment to committee on women and children’s affairs
We – the undersigned – strongly object to the appointment of Arau MP Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim to the Parliamentary Special Select Committee for Women and Children Affairs and Social Development. We note that Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim has since requested to be replaced.
In 2018, Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim was charged with molesting a 15 year old girl – under the Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017. The charges were later dropped in 2019 after the complaint was withdrawn – but Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim was not acquitted.
This casts serious doubt on Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim credibility to serve on to this committee, which has the responsibility of scrutinising laws on gender based violence and child abuse.
Moreover, the Arau MP had previously objected to the formation of the parliamentary select committee on women and children.
In a time when women’s and children’s rights have been significantly set back by the pandemic, it is even more important that we appoint credible MPs, with relevant expertise and commitment to child rights and gender equality to the committee.
We call on:
- Barisan Nasional and Perikatan Nasional to immediately rescind Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim’s appointment, and apologise for this oversight. We call on BN chairperson Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and PN chairperson Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin to address this.
- Opposition Leader Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim; Minister of Women, Family and Community Development, Datuk Seri Rina Harun; and Chair of the Select Committee for Women and Children Affairs and Social Development, Datuk Seri Azalina Othman – to object to Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim’s appointment.
- Dewan Rakyat Speaker Datuk Azhar Harun to reflect on the lapses of the appointment process, and enact reforms to safeguard the integrity of the parliamentary select committees.
Malaysia has ratified the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) and the Child Rights Convention (CRC). We have government agencies and frontliners dedicated to combat child abuse – including the Welfare Department, Royal Malaysia Police, and One Stop Crisis Centres in public hospitals.
The appointment of Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim to this select committee goes against these commitments and principles.
Endorsed by / Disokong oleh (100 organisations and individuals)
Women’s & Gender Equality Groups
- Women’s Aid Organisation (WAO)
- All Women’s Action Society (AWAM)
- Association of Women Lawyers (AWL)
- EMPOWER Malaysia
- Family Frontiers
- Inner Wheel Club of KL
- KRYSS Network
- MiWEPs – Malaysian Organisation for Development of Indian Women in Career, Entrepreneur and Professionals
- Perak Women for Women Society (PWW)
- Persatuan Sahabat Wanita Selangor
- Pertubuhan Teratak Rahmah Wanita Islam (TERATAI)
- Sabah Women’s Action-Resource Group (SAWO)
- SERAMAS
- SERATA
- Sisters in Islam
- Tenaganita
- The 111 Initiative
- The KL & Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall Women Division
- Women’s Centre for Change (WCC)
Children’s Groups
- ANAK
- Asia Community Service
- Bold Association for Children with Special Needs Penang
- Childline Foundation
- ECCE Council
- End CSEC Malaysia
- Global Shepherds
- Malaysian Child Resource Centre
- Majlis Kebajikan Kanak-kanak Malaysia (MKKM)
- Methodist Care Centre (Sibu)
- National Early Childhood Intervention Council (NECIC)
- New Horizons Society Early Intervention Centre
- Persatuan Kanak-Kanak Istimewa Kajang
- Persatuan CHILD Sabah
- Persatuan Pendidikan D’wira Kuching
- Persatuan Pengasuh Berdaftar Malaysia
- Pertubuhan Pendidikan Anak Cahaya Sabah (Cahaya Society)
- Pertubuhan Perkhidmatan Intervensi Awal
- Persatuan Tadika Malaysia
- Persatuan Tadika Islam
- PS the Children
- SPICES Early Intervention Centre
- SPOT Community Project
- Toy Libraries Malaysia
- Vanguards4Change
- Voice of the Children
- Yayasan Chow Kit
Health Groups
- Federation of Reproductive Health Associations, Malaysia (FRHAM)
- Health Equity Initiatives
- Malaysian Medical Association Public Health Society
- Persatuan WeCareJourney
- PT Foundation
- Reproductive Health Association of Kelantan (ReHAK)
- Reproductive Rights Advocacy Alliance Malaysia (RRAAM)
Other Groups
- Agora Society Malaysia
- Aliran
- Amnesty International Malaysia
- BERSIH 2.0
- Beyond Borders Malaysia
- Buku Jalanan Chow Kit
- CBR Network Malaysia
- Centre for Independent Journalism (CIJ)
- GoJob MY
- Justice for Sisters
- Malaysian Association of Social Workers (MASW)
- Make it Right Movement (MIRM)
- Opis International
- Our Journey
- Pergerakan Tenaga Akademik Malaysia (GERAK)
- Persatuan Kakitangan Akademik Universiti Malaya (PKAUM)
- Persatuan Kebajikan Biji Sawi (Mustard Seed Soup Kitchen)
- Persatuan Promosi Hak Asasi Manusia (Proham)
- Pusat KOMAS
- Sabah Human Rights Centre
- Sabah Reform Initiative (SARI)
- Sahabat Alam Malaysia
- Sustainable Development Network Malaysia
- Third World Network
Individuals
- Dato’ Dr Amar-Singh HSS
- Azira Aziz
- Azimy Wan Ahmad
- Datuk Dr Chiam Heng Keng
- Dr Chin Saw Sian
- Goh Siu Lin
- Hasan Al-Akraa
- Ivy N Josiah
- Jac sm Kee
- Jennifer Liew
- Dr Lai Suat Yan
- Dr Maria Rufina
- Dr Nawar Mani
- Priscilla Shim
- Prudence Lingham
- Raymund Jagan
- Dr Ruhana Padzil
- Dr Rusaslina Idrus
- Dr Shanthi Thambiah
- Dr Siti Noraida Habibullah
- Sivasangaran Kumaran
- Wan Nordiyawati Wan Omar
- Zarina Ismail Tom
For more information: renchung@wao.org.my, 016 718 3247
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