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Kuala Lumpur: The anti-sexual harassment tribunal’s online system for complaints is expected to be operational next year, says deputy women, family and community development minister Noraini Ahmad.

Noraini said the online complaints system currently being developed by the ministry will be able to help sexual harassment victims nationwide file complaints to the tribunal, particularly given the geographical constraints in Sabah and Sarawak.

“This tribunal can convene on any day, time and place as determined by its president.

The ministry has also appointed tribunal members from Sabah and Sarawak. If there are complaints in East Malaysia, the tribunal can convene there, she told the Dewan Negara today.

She was replying to senator Anna Bell @ Suzieana Perian, who asked if the ministry planned to set up similar tribunals specifically for Sabah and Sarawak to facilitate the hearing of cases there given the geographical challenges.

Noraini said as of July this year, the anti-sexual harassment tribunal had received a total of five complaints since it was established on March 8.

Citing police statistics, she said there were 1,483 cases of sexual harassment in 2021, 1,455 in 2022, and 1,621 last year.

For cases of sexual harassment involving men, there were 484 victims reported from 2019 to 2023, which is 6.3% of all cases during that period, she said.