KUCHING, July 21 ― The appointment of tribunal members related to the Anti-Sexual Harassment Act 2022 (Act 840) will be finalised before the end of this year.

Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri said the process of appointing the tribunal members is currently ongoing.

She said the tribunal will also be responsible for determining the way the cases are to be handled under the act.

"This tribunal will also hear cases and determine the process and procedure of a case. The tribunal has the power under the law and they will be the one passing the judgment,” she said after attending the Jerayawara Kasih@ Anti-Sexual Harassment Advocacy Programme here today.

The Anti-Sexual Harassment Act 2022 (Act 840) was gazetted on October 18 last year after receiving the consent of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong on October 8.

Earlier in her speech, Nancy said that according to statistics from Bukit Aman, the number of sexual harassment cases reported increased to 506 cases in 2021 from 378 cases in 2020.

She said the cases involved both men and women.

"In Sarawak alone, in 2022, there were 16 cases of which 15 or 94 per cent involved sexual harassment against women,” she said. ― Bernama