SALWA | Sabah Muslim Women Lawyers Association

Seminar Hak Asasi Wanita akan diadakan di Dewan Resital, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, pada 27 Oktober 2010 (Rabu), dari jam 8.00 pagi hingga 4.30 petang.  Seminar ini adalah anjuran bersama Unit Hal Ehwal Islam dan Masjid (UHEIM) UMS, Kelab Suri Rumah dan Staff Wanita UMS (Kesumba) dan Sabah Muslim Women Lawyers Association (SALWA). Read the rest of this entry »

Kota Kinabalu: The State Government is aware of the demand for greater women participation in decision-making at all levels. Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Hj Aman said Monday such demand had been made by women from the Sabah Women's Advisory Council (MPWS), political bodies and women non-governmental organisations (NGOs).

"The Government has actually taken the necessary measures to increase women's participation in decision-making roles towards achieving the 30 per cent target. Today, positive changes are tangible in terms of women's participation in decision-making in the public sector," he said when officiating at the 2007 State-level Women's Day celebration at Magellan Sutera Hotel. Read the rest of this entry »

The Sabah Muslim Women Lawyers Association (SALWA) hopes that with the coming into effect of the Penal Code (Amendment) Act 2006 on the 7th September 2007, convicted repist will be sentenced to death.  According to it’s President Puan Noor Azah Abdul Rahman, under Section 376(4) of the newly enforced section, whoever whilst committing or attempting to commit rape caused the death of the victim shall be punished either with death or imprisonment of between 15 to 30 years.  In addition, a mandatory whipping of not less then ten strokes is also to be meted out.

The Association also expressed its sadness over the tragic death of Nurin Jazlin Jazimin. According to Puan Noor Azah, losing a child of tender years is a tragedy by itself and the pain and suffering endured by the late Nurin was something that should never be repeated.  According to her, unless Nurin was raped, her case will be covered by Section 377 CA of the Penal Code which states that any person who has sexual connection with another person by introducing any object into the vagina or anus shall be punished with imprisonment up to twenty years and whipping.  However, as in this case, a death was caused, a murder charge should also be considered as any act which is done with the intention of causing bodily injury which is sufficient in the ordinary course of nature cause death can be classified as murder. Read the rest of this entry »

Kota Kinabalu: The Sabah Muslim Women Lawyers' Association (Salwa) has welcomed the new provision under Section 375A of the Penal Code which punishes a husband who subjects his wife to mental injury, including fear of death for the intention of sex.

"Although the term 'marital rape' is not mentioned in the amended Section, it made it an offence for a husband to cause hurt, physical or mental injury," said Salwa President Fatmah Wattie Abu Bakar.  She said Salwa endorsed Home Affairs Minister Datuk Seri Radzi Sheikh Ahmad's view that it goes a step further. Since the word 'rape' is not used, there is therefore no need for the prosecution to prove penetration to effect sexual intercourse. (There must be penetration for the offence to be classified as rape.) Read the rest of this entry »

Kota Kinabalu: Several Sabah women leaders on Sunday demanded a public apology from Kota Kinabalu Umno pro tem head, Haji Roselan Johar Mohamed, and asked him to retract his “outrageous” remarks about rape victims which they feel are an insult to women’s intelligence.

While closing the “Legal Literacy Seminar” for Women on Saturday, Roselan had remarked, among others, that “If you cannot fight rape, better lay down and enjoy it.”. He also proposed that when a victim lodges a police report on rape, the doctor must carry out a psychological examination on the victim as to what extent she enjoyed it. Read the rest of this entry »

Kota Kinabalu: The Domestic Violence Act (DVA) 1994 provides protection to all spouses regardless of their gender and religious inclination. Sabah Muslim Women Lawyers Association (Salwa) President, Fatmah Wattie Haji Abu Bakar, said these included husbands abused or subjected to abuse by their violent wives. She said this in response to a question from a male participant in a one-day seminar on legal literacy, in Beaufort, recently.

About 100 people, including several men, attended the seminar organised by the Women and Family Development Council of the Sipitang parliamentary constituency.
Fatmah was the first to present a working paper on the Domestic Violence Act. Read the rest of this entry »

Kota Kinabalu: A Joint Action Committee on Women?s Issues is appealing to all potential candidates in the coming election to include women issues in their manifesto or election agenda. In the same breath, they are also asking State leaders to fulfil their commitment at State level, as articulated by the Federal Government in the National Women Policy 1989, the 6th Malaysia Plan as well as all other international conventions and action plans committed to women.

"?Women make half of the electorate, hence we are taking advantage of the current political climate to bring these issues to the fore again",? said Mary Lee, President of the Sabah Women Action Resource Group (SAWO), which is one of the 12 organisations in the committee, during a press conference Monday. Read the rest of this entry »