Sexual Harassment Cases at the Workplace and Through Use of Technology

Dr Intan Azura Mokhtar asked the Minister for Home Affairs in the last five years (a) how many police reports have been made involving sexual harassment or insults of modesty (i) through the use of technology and (ii) which occurred at the workplace respectively; and (b) how many of such reports have been made by women and men respectively.

The Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Home Affairs (Mr Amrin Amin) (for Minister for Home Affairs): Sexual harassment and insults of modesty are offences under the Protection from Harassment Act and section 509 of the Penal Code respectively.

The Police do not track how many such cases involved technology specifically. However, from 2013 to 2017, an average of about 100 Police reports were filed annually for upskirting, with the use of mobile phones or other image capturing devices.

In the same period, an average of about 20 Police reports were filed annually involving harassment or insults of modesty occurring at the workplace.

Around 97% of these reports were made by females.

Dr Intan Azura Mokhtar (Ang Mo Kio): I thank the Parliamentary Secretary for the answer. Are there other incidents of sexual harassment that have been reported to the Police that are outside of the use of technology or beyond the workplace? And are there plans to strengthen section 509 of the Penal Code to include men as victims of insult of modesty?

Mr Amrin Amin: Places where outrage of modesty occur include in public transport, in workplaces and in various places. We are reviewing the Penal Code and one of these sections that we are looking at is that particular section. So, we will review it holistically and see what we need to strengthen.