PETALING JAYA: The Joint Action Group for Gender Equality (JAG) has urged the government to ensure senior police officers receive proper training in children’s rights and gender awareness, alongside mandatory child-centric reporting practices.
It said such measures are needed to guarantee that cases are handled “fairly, transparently, in accordance with the law, and without blaming survivors.”
“Police officers are the first point of contact between society and the law. Therefore, they should be sensitive to children’s rights and gender perspectives,” JAG said in a statement.
Under the Child Act 2001, all actions involving children must prioritise the “best interests of the child”.
JAG also pointed out that underage sexual offences are investigated under Section 376 of the Penal Code and Section 14 of the Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017, which recognise minors as victims.
The call came after Kelantan police chief Datuk Mohd Yusoff Mamat suggested that girls in allegedly consensual cases should also be prosecuted.
JAG condemned the remark, saying it reinforces harmful narratives such as victim-blaming and ignores the child’s best interests.
“Proposing ideas that contradict the law through press conferences is inappropriate, as it diverts attention away from the more critical issues of protection and education,” the group said.
Formed in 1985, JAG is a coalition of women’s rights organisations including the Women’s Aid Organisation, Sisters Forum, Women’s Centre for Change, Association of Women Lawyers and others, dedicated to advancing gender equality and strengthening legal protections for women and children in Malaysia.
