UM to look into claims of sexual harassment
KUALA LUMPUR: Universiti Malaya (UM) will be transparent and accountable in addressing sexual harassment concerns among its students, assures its deputy vice-chancellor (student affairs) Prof Dr Sabri Musa.
In an immediate response to a survey showing that 22.5% of its students had experienced some form of sexual harassment during their campus life, he said it will engage in dialogue with Universiti Malaya Feminism Club (UMFC) to gain further insight into the survey methods utilised to evaluate its validity.
“As an institution deeply committed to the safety and wellbeing of all members of our community, UM takes allegations of sexual harassment extremely seriously,” he said in a statement.
He said UM is committed to openly and constructively engaging with student groups to understand their concerns and collaboratively address them.
“We encourage anyone who has experienced or witnessed any form of harassment to come forward and report it.
“We thank the students for their advocacy and assure them that their voices will be heard and respected as we work collaboratively towards a safer and more inclusive campus community,” his statement read.
UM acting executive director Rozaini Rahim said its Integrity Unit will discuss the next steps after receiving a memorandum from UMFC yesterday, proposing the creation of an Anti-sexual Misconduct Committee (ASMC) within the Universiti Malaya Student Union (UMSU).
The memorandum, titled “Demanding Safer Campus”, also suggests revising current anti-sexual harassment (ASH) guidelines and promoting gender awareness among UM students and staff.
“The memorandum will be sent to the Integrity Unit for further review and ... action.
“We will then recall the UMFC president to inform her of any latest developments,” he told the media.
Recent survey findings conducted by UMFC found that 22.5% of its students – both male and female – had experienced some form of sexual harassment during their university life, with 88.9% of them choosing not to report their experiences.
Even more alarming is the revelation that only 11.1% of these victims took action.
This, said UMFC president Chen Jes Weng, 23, is attributed to their lack of awareness about the university’s ASH protocols and the subsequent course of action.