KRYSS NETWORK

KRYSS In The Media

This section is where you will find our voices in the media, whether it is a radio interview, a press statement, an opinion expressed in an article, etc.

[PRESS STATEMENT] Stop the Intimidation of Maria Chin Abdullah

Picture Taken from The Star The Joint Action Group for Gender Equality (JAG) strongly condemns the sentence given by the Federal Territory Syariah High Court to Maria Chin Abdullah, Petaling Jaya Member of Parliament, of seven days in jail. The sentence, issued for a public statement Maria made regarding the court’s decision to impose a…

[PRESS STATEMENT] Unilateral Conversion of Children Cannot Be Defended

Picture Taken from Free Malaysia Today The Joint Action Group for Gender Equality (JAG) is deeply disturbed by the position taken by the Perlis state mufti in defending the unilateral conversion of the three minor children of single mother Loh Siew Hong by their father. This same position, we believe, is also taken by the…

[PRESS STATEMENT] Call for immediate resignation of Siti Zailah Mohd Yusoff, Deputy Minister of Women

Picture Taken from News Straits Times The Joint Action Group for Gender Equality (JAG) demands the resignation of Siti Zailah Mohd Yusoff as Deputy Minister of Women, Family, and Community Development for her statement in support of domestic violence.  In a two-minute video released on social media, the deputy minister shared marital advice including recommending…

[PODCAST FEATURE] What Say Youth EP 07: The State of Online Harssment

Graphic from What Say Youth Our Research and Documentation Officer, Nisa spoke about the state of online gender-based violence in Malaysia and how we can improve netizens’ awareness about the issue. What Say Youth is supported by the Centre for Independent Journalism. Click here to listen to the full podcast.

[MEMORANDUM] Make Stalking A Crime

“Do we need periods if they make us crazy?”, Sarah asks. Hint: yes, we do. We reached out to our friend Diana Roth, an endocrinologist specialised in women’s hormonal health to know how menstrual cycles impact women’s brains and emotions.

[PRESS STATEMENT] The Continuous Persecution of Nur Sajat Underscores Growing Extremism in Malaysia

Picture from UN News We, members of civil society, are deeply concerned about the developments surrounding Nur Sajat’s case. On 8 September 2021, Nur Sajat was arrested by the Thai Immigration Department following a request by the Malaysian authorities. These dangerous developments, taking place against the backdrop of growing restriction of freedom of religion and…

[PRESS STATEMENT] Yes, We Need The Sexual Harassment Bill

“Do we need periods if they make us crazy?”, Sarah asks. Hint: yes, we do. We reached out to our friend Diana Roth, an endocrinologist specialised in women’s hormonal health to know how menstrual cycles impact women’s brains and emotions.

[PRESS STATEMENT] Urging the Malaysian Government To Not Appeal Against High Court Ruling on Citizenship Conferment By Malaysian Mothers

Picture from Malay Mail We, the undersigned Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) and individuals, applaud the landmark decision by the Kuala Lumpur High Court on September 9, 2021, that affirmed Malaysian women’s right to confer citizenship automatically on their children born overseas on an equal basis with Malaysian men. The Court ruled that Article 14(1)(b) of…

[PRESS STATEMENT] New Government Must Prioritise Women, Children, and Vulnerable Communities

Picture from The Star The resignation of the Prime Minister and dissolution of Cabinet has placed Malaysia in a precarious position. Ongoing work to improve the current human rights landscape and aid for the most vulnerable has been stalled by this political maneuvering, hampering any progress made over several decades. Amidst this great political uncertainty,…

[PRESS STATEMENT] Stop Harassing #Lawan Protest Organizers, Participants

Picture from Benar News We, as civil society organizations with a common interest in promoting freedom of assembly, stand in solidarity with the Sekretariat Solidariti Rakyat (SSR) and activists who are facing arrests and intimidation. We will offer support as observers at the #Lawan protest. The magnitude of intimidation and harassment faced by activists of…

[PRESS STATEMENT] Protect Our Children and Our Right to Equality

Picture Taken from Malay Mail The Joint Action Group for Gender Equality is dismayed by the Federal Court’s denial of citizenship to a 10-year old child born to a Malaysian father. The disappointing majority verdict results in a denial of the nationality rights of children; and is a glaring disregard for Article 8 of the…

[PRESS STATEMENT] Education Ministry Must Intervene in Ain’s Possible Expulsion

Picture Taken from The Star We are outraged by SMK Puncak Alam’s warning notice of expulsion to Ain Husniza Saiful Nizam, especially in light of the lack of transparent penalties against the teacher who made the rape comments amongst his students in a class session on sexual harassment, where Ain was present. There seems to…

[PRESS STATEMENT] Student Welfare Should Be Taken Seriously by NUTP

Illustration from Bendera Kita The Joint Action Group for Gender Equality (JAG), Bulan Sisters, and Pertubuhan Pembangunan Kendiri Wanita dan Gadis (WOMEN:girls) would like to address justifications that were given by the secretary-general of the National Union of the Teaching Profession (NUTP), Harry Tan, on Astro Awani’s ‘Consider This’ program on May 5 for the union’s opposition to…

[PRESS STATEMENT] JAG Urges the Ministry of Education (MoE) to be more Transparent in Investigations on Period Spot Checks and Sexual Harassment in Schools

Picture Taken from MalaysiaKini The Joint Action Group for Gender Equality (JAG) urges the Ministry of Education (MoE) to be more transparent in investigations on period spot checks and sexual harassment in schools. JAG is willing and able to assist the MoE in those investigations and has recently sent a letter to the MoE to…

[BFM INTERVIEW] Taking Action against Online Sexual Harassment

Illustration by Kelsey Borch via Shameless Mag With the recent case being a 17-year-old girl getting numerous lewd remarks and harassment for speaking up about rape culture in school, our Partner-Director, Serene Lim spoke to BFM during their Evening Edition on the available redress for victims/survivors of online gender-based violence and the challenges that come…

[PRESS STATEMENT] We Stand in Solidarity with Ain Husniza

Picture Taken from Sarawak Voice We, the undersigned are extremely disturbed and appalled by the horrible and dangerous comments and threats made by the public towards Ain Husniza Saiful Nizam, a 17-year old Malaysian student who recently called out a male Physical Education (Pendidikan Jasmani Kesihatan) teacher in her school for ‘joking’ about rape and…

[PRESS STATEMENT] Call for National School Walkout Day

Illustration by Fahmi Reza Youth and Student Activists have joined in solidarity with the #MakeSchoolASaferPlace movement, as well as students and ex-students who came forward with their stories. The recent accounts of rape jokes, sexual harassment, and period spot checks perpetrated by teachers and wardens also exposed systemic failures when students and parents seek justice.…

[PRESS STATEMENT] Education Ministry Must Commit to Safe Environment for Students

Illustration by Fahmi Reza, VICE We, the undersigned, would like to respond to the Minister of Education Mohd Radzi Mohd Jidin’s statement on the Ministry of Education’s (MOE) action on period spot checks in schools. As reported in multiple online media portals on April 26 and 27, 2021, when asked to comment on the practice…

[PRESS STATEMENT] JAG Condemns Efforts to Amend Act 355

Illustration from Magdalene The Joint Action Group for Gender Equality is extremely disturbed by the Malaysian Government’s disregard for the safety of Muslim lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) people. The proposed amendment of Act 355 as announced by the Minister in Charge of Religious Affairs, Datuk Zulkifli Mohamad Al-Bakri will result in heavier…

[PRESS STATEMENT] End Intimidation and Prosecution against Nur Sajat

Picture from The World Economic Forum KRYSS Network strongly condemns the Selangor Islamic Religious Department’s (JAIS) attempts to intimidate and persecute Nur Sajat, a transwoman who is also a cosmetics entrepreneur.  The news of JAIS’s deployment of 122 personnel to pursue a nationwide search of Nur Sajat appears to be an excessive exercise and can…

[PRESS STATEMENT] Standing In Solidarity with MalaysiaKini: Apex Court’s Decision Sets Worrying Precedent

Picture Taken from Malay Mail The Civil Society Cluster on Freedom of Expression (and the endorsing organizations) is extremely concerned at the implications of the Malaysian Federal Court’s decision on 19 February 2021 holding Malaysiakini guilty of contempt of court in relation to third-party comments on their news site. While the court acquitted Malaysiakini’s editor-in-chief…

[PRESS STATEMENT] Uphold Accountability, End Impunity of Sexual Harassment

Illustration by Mari Kanstad Johnson The Joint Action Group for Gender Equality (JAG) echoes the outrage of public leaders and citizens against the recent complaints of sexual harassment by various women against policemen who stopped them at roadblocks. We are disappointed that the minister for women, family, and community development remained silent until she was…

[PRESS STATEMENT] Children Born To Malaysian Women Are NOT A National Threat!

Picture Taken From World Dakkam The Joint Action Group for Gender Equality (JAG) together with 37 other undersigned civil society organizations express grave concern at Deputy Home Minister YB Dato’ Sri Dr. Ismail Mohamed Said’s statement regarding the inability of Malaysian women to confer nationality onto their overseas-born child. In his explanation, the Minister cited…

[PRESS STATEMENT] Women’s Experiences Show Urgent Need for Sexual Harassment Act

Illustration from Feminism in India New research conducted by Women’s Aid Organisation (WAO) and research company Vase.ai demonstrate an urgent need for the enactment of sexual harassment legislation. The Joint Action Group for Gender Equality (JAG) urges the government to follow through on its commitment to table the bill at the next Parliament session and…

[PRESS STATEMENT] Don’t Willfully Undermine a Democratic Malaysia

Picture from Shutterstock We, the undersigned members of the CSO Platform for Reform, are concerned with the news of a possible declaration of a state of emergency by Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin on Oct 23. The timing and political context of the announcement cannot come at a worse time. Just this week, Malaysia has recorded…

[BFM INTERVIEW] – V2K Telegram Group and Non-Consensual Dissemination of Intimate Images

Picture from Free Malaysia Today On 5th October, our Partner-Director, Serene Lim spoke to BFM Radio on the recent exposure of the V2K Telegram group that disseminates and sexualizes women’s photographs without their consent. The Telegram chat group called “V2K” is the main platform for the dissemination of violating materials, and has close to 40,000…

[BFM INTERVIEW] – Ending Online Gender-Based Violence

Illustration from APC Our Partner-Director, Serene Lim speaks about online gender-based violence (OGBV) directed at Parlimen Digital, especially against YB Selayang and Labis, and how normalized OGBV is. Click here to visit the podcast on BFM page.

[PRESS STATEMENT] Safeguard the Rights of Sexual Harassment Survivors

Picture Taken from iStock The Joint Action Group for Gender Equality (JAG) applauds the actions of the Universiti Malaya (UM) student who lodged a police report against the university’s Integrity Unit for the alleged mishandling of her sexual harassment complaint against a senior lecturer. UM’s Integrity Unit’s alleged poor management of the sexual harassment complaint,…

[PRESS STATEMENT] Malaysian Government Should Defend Women’s Rights to Public and Political Participation

Illustration Taken from Hi Online KRYSS Network condemns the online gender-based violence and harassment directed at participants/speakers of “Parlimen Digital” and calls for the Malaysian government to take the necessary measures to defend the rights to public and political participation equally for all, and especially for women and girls. KRYSS Network was impressed with the…

[PRESS STATEMENT] Make Space For Women’s Leadership and Political Participation

Illustration from iKNOW Politics The Joint Action Group for Gender Equality (JAG) demands that women’s voices critical of the government and political participation should be met with respect and dignity rather than intimidation – as evident by the police investigation of the Former Deputy Minister of Women, Family and Community Development and of organizers of…

[PRESS STATEMENT] Govt Must Stop Detaining Refugees Upon Arrival

Picture Taken from New Straits Times The Joint Action Group for Gender Equality (JAG) and the Coalition for Child Rights Malaysia (CRCM) are appalled at the arrest and detention of 269 Rohingya asylum seekers, including 49 children, who arrived in Malaysia on Monday by boat. The government should immediately release these individuals and cease the…

[PRESS STATEMENT] Set Up an Independent Oversight Mechanism for GLCs

Picture Taken from MalaysiaKini The GLC Reform Group, along with the following NGOs and individuals are deeply concerned with recent developments regarding the appointment of various politicians to lead government-linked companies (GLCs) and statutory bodies. The emergence of Covid-19 and the ensuing movement control order (MCO) have posed economic and public health challenges of a…

[PRESS STATEMENT] Allow NGOs to Deliver Food and Other Necessities

Picture Taken from MalaysiaKini We the undersigned civil society organizations and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) view with grave concern the announcement by Defence Minister Ismail Sabri concerning how NGOs will now no longer be allowed to deliver food to vulnerable communities. We certainly appreciate the gravity of the Covid-19 situation and are fully committed to assisting…

[PRESS STATEMENT] Stop Harassing Women Activists

Picture Taken from The True Net We are deeply concerned by police investigations against Ambiga Sreenevasan and Marina Mahathir, just a day after investigations began on activist Fadiah Nadwa Fikri over a peaceful protest at Dataran Merdeka. This intimidation and harassment of women activists is a dangerous trend – and it must stop. All of…

[PRESS STATEMENT] Be Proportionate in Responding to Misinformation

Picture Taken from The Conversation The Centre for Independent Journalism and Kryss Network refers to the recent charging of an individual under the Penal Code, Section 505(b), for making statements on Facebook in relation to the novel coronavirus. The section refers to the making of statements, rumours or reports with intent to cause or which…

[PRESS STATEMENT] Establish the Right to Work for All Refugees in Malaysia

Picture Taken from The Conversation We welcome the announcement of a government decision on the rights of refugees to legal employment, with great hopes of a favorable resolution by the Malaysian cabinet. This announcement has been long-awaited by many advocating and supporting this population of communities and individuals currently seeking refuge and safety in Malaysia…

[PRESS STATEMENT] Please, Nip Discrimination in the Bud!

Picture Taken from WDRFree The Joint-Action Group for Gender Equality (JAG) urges the government to protect job seekers from discrimination under the Employment Act, the Sabah Labour Ordinance, and the Sarawak Labour Ordinance. This move will benefit thousands of job seekers, as well as more than half a million people who are currently unemployed in…

[PRESS STATEMENT] Evidence of State-Sponsored Discrimination against LGBT Persons

Picture Taken from Stonewall We refer to the Malaysiakini report Cops summon LGBT activists for questioning UN speech. In March 2019, Malaysian human rights defender Numan Afifi made an intervention at the UPR (Universal Periodic Review) Adoption Reports at the Human Rights Council, Geneva. Amidst scrutiny over interventions by civil society organizations, the Malaysian Alliance…

[BFM INTERVIEW] – Online Backlash against #WomensMarchMY 2019

Picture Taken from Mashable SEA Our Partner and Co-Founder, Angela M. Kuga Thas responded to BFM’s questions on the backlash against the women’s march in Kuala Lumpur that was held on 9 March 2019. Click here to visit the podcast on BFM page.

[PRESS STATEMENT] Wide and Deep Consultation Needed on Criminalising Hate Speech

Picture Taken from TIME The undersigned groups of the Cluster for Freedom of Opinion and Expression urge the de facto Islamic affairs minister Mujahid Yusof Rawa and the Pakatan Harapan government to adopt new laws regulating hatred only after detailed consideration in drafting the new law, with both deep and wide consultation before its adoption.…

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