THE Foreign Ministry has yet to receive any reports related to the alleged sexual harassment of Malaysian staff during their employment at various embassies here.
Referring to the article “He Pressured Me To Be His Mistress” by the New Straits Times yesterday, Deputy Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Reezal Merican Naina Merican said his ministry had not received any reports on the allegations.
“We will be looking carefully into this matter, with the assistance of the relevant authorities,” he told the New Straits Times.
In the article, two women claimed to be victims of sexual harassment perpetrated by a senior foreign officer.
The ministry in a statement said that it had received secondary information that a number of Malaysian citizens had been sexually harassed by foreign diplomats.
“However, to this moment, no report has been lodged with the ministry as a whole, or with the Ministry’s Department of Protocol, which handles foreign missions in Malaysia.
“The Ministry views these allegations of sexual harassment with concern, particularly since it involves the diplomatic corps in Malaysia,” the statement said.
It also advised individuals, who were victims of criminal acts by persons covered under the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, to use the existing mechanisms the ministry has in place for any complaints and/or feedback.
“In addition to the Ministry’s after-office hotline number, individuals may also use the more generic webmaster@kln.gov.my website to register their grievances.
“The ministry assures all concerned that, immunity notwithstanding, there are avenues available to all Ministries of Foreign Affairs in the pursuit of justice and an equitable solution to matters regarding the well-being, safety and security of individuals.
“The ministry will pursue this serious matter to ensure that the interests of all sides are preserved.”