The Selangor government’s current programmes on handling domestic abuse can easily be extended to cover sexual harassment pending the creation of a specific mechanism.

NONE "(The protection of women) has been an agenda of the Selangor government since 2008," senior state exco member Rodziah Ismail told a press conference in Shah Alam this afternoon.

"We will need to conduct a study to come up with a mechanism and procedures (for) the security of women in companies and (to ensure) that sexual harassment does not become rampant."

Rodziah said she would meet companies and government departments in Selangor to discuss implementation of the mechanism.

She was responding to state Labour Department senior assistant director Norashikin Sabirin's claim that most companies in Selangor do not have a proper in-house mechanism against sexual harassment.

Norashikin said only 22 companies are on record as having come up with this mechanism since 2000.

In tabling a Bill last month, the federal government had proposed that companies which fail to address reported cases of sexual harassment be fined RM10,000.

This provision is in the Employment (Amendment) Bill 2010, tabled by Deputy Human Resource Minister Maznah Mazlan for first reading in the Dewan Rakyat on July 8.

The move responds to demands by women’s groups in particular for legislation , rather than a mere code of practice, in tackling the incidence of sexual harassment in the workplace.