Case 1: Girl in PJ is reportedly raped
“Saya dah minta pada AG [Attorney-General] nak cepatkan penyiasatan dan untuk menentukan ada keadilan untuk kanak-kanak ini…sebab kita ada Child Protection Policy…Kita tak boleh letak kanak-kanak…dalam keadaan yang mengundang bahaya…this one in the van, and that creep was there. Can you imagine…rape the girls…This case has highlighted the fact that the Kementerian Pengangkutan will have to look at maybe, you know, now tak boleh ada satu driver sahaja. Mesti ada, apa, seorang konduktor atau driver lain dan kalau boleh, biar dia wanita.”
WOMEN, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil reacting to a report that a 10-year-old school girl was raped by her bus driver in front of the other child passengers.
Selangor police chief deputy commissioner Datuk Khalid Abu Bakar confirmed that a special task force had been set up to investigate the case. Following this incident, the Southern Johor School Bus Association announced additional procedures for bus drivers to attain their licenses. (Source: Proposal mooted for school van or school bus drivers to be accompanied by a conductor, The Star, 30 July 2010)
“This is to send a clear message to would-be offenders that the law will not tolerate anymore the rape of innocent children.”
DAP national chairperson Karpal Singh suggesting that child rapists should face the death penalty. Despite being an advocate for an end to the death penalty, Karpal, who is also a lawyer, said it was time for the government to be bolder in preventing child rapes. Under the Penal Code currently, the punishment for raping a child under 12 is imprisonment for up to 30 years and whipping. (Source: Karpal suggests death penalty for child rapists, Bernama as quoted in Free Malaysia Today, 31 July 2010)
Case 2: Penan girls reportedly raped
“Show proof. Tell us which Penan settlement. I have not heard of such complaints from the Penan community leaders in my many visits to Ulu Baram.”
Sarawak Deputy Chief Minister Tan Sri Alfred Jabu brushing aside a report by the Bruno Manser Foundation which first highlighted the sexual violations against Penan women and girls in 2008. Besides accusing the foundation of making sweeping and sensationalist statements, he also labelled them a “bunch of people who are nothing in their own country”. (Source: Penan sex claim is baseless, says Jabu, New Straits Times, 25 Sept 2008)
“It is not available now.”
“I will pose this request (to access the report) to the minister, and get back to you.”
Women’s Development Department director-general Datuk Dr Noorul Ainur Mohd Nur when The Nut Graph asked if it could access the report by the special task force set up by the federal government to investigate the report of Penan rapes. By then, nearly a year had passed since the reports first surfaced.
The department is a part of the Women, Family and Community Development Ministry.
Earlier, Shahrizat had declined to say if the report would be made public, adding only that “interested parties” would be able to approach the ministry to discuss the report’s details. After close to a year of not wanting to make the report public, the ministry finally released a copy of the report on 8 Sept 2009 with no explanation as to the delay. (Source: Penan task force report “not available”, The Nut Graph, 21 Aug 2009)
“I think this is where we get confused I think…the Penan are a most interesting group of people and they operate on different social etiquette as us…a lot [of] this sex [is] by consensual sex.”
Sarawak Land Development Minister James Masing commenting on the special task force report which found evidence that the Penan were sexually violated.
When presented with proof that the rapes had occurred, Masing said the tribe were excellent “story tellers” as they “changed their story when they feel like it”. (Source: Borneo tribe fights for survival, BBC, 7 Dec 2009)
“We did not find any new cases as was alleged in the PSG report. The village [head] said that there were no new cases, and so far there has been no new police reports lodged of any rape cases.”
Deputy Women, Family and Community Development Minister Heng Seai Kie refuting fresh findings by the Penan Support Group (PSG) of Penan being raped. PSG, a coalition of 36 non-governmental organisations, submitted its findings to Parliament on 6 July 2010.
Ampang Member of Parliament Zuraida Kamaruddin, who is also Parti Keadilan Rakyat Wanita chief, subsequently submitted an emergency motion in Parliament to discuss the issue. Her motion was denied on grounds it was not urgent. (Source: Ministry refutes findings on Penan rape, Malaysiakini, 14 July 2010) 
The Nut Graph needs your support
Eric says
What else do we expect from people who rank Human Beings relatively to their “race” (does this concept even exist?) and religion? That Malaysia is a UN member (cf UN Charter) is a sarcastic joke. I recommend Malaysia is meted out the same treatment as was done on South Africa during the Apartheid era.
Likewise, I cannot understand why some Muslims condone this state of mind which obviously offends Islam, being the great religion it has always been.
May I quote Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) “O People! Your God is one; your father is one; no preference of an Arab neither over non-Arab nor of a non-Arab over an Arab or red over black or black over red except for the most righteous. Verily the most honored of you is the most righteous.”
Kate Green, Zombie Shooter says
Thank you for highlighting this.
ficklefellow says
All rape cases must be investigated seriously. Any double standards among authorities / police must stop immediately.