Non-Malays Are Less Sensitive Towards Child Rape Compared To Malays?

Deputy Home Minister Datuk Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar has asked Parliament to expunge part of his controversial remark related to statutory rape from the Parliament Hansard. Wan Junaidi said his statement could have caused hurt if one read it "out of context" but stressed that he had no ill intention when he making the statement.

"If you read the sentence on its own and take it out of context, it could be deemed offensive but there is no way I had any ill intention when I read it out. I am not a racist, my wife is Chinese. There is no way I intended to speak (in a racist) manner," Wan Junaidi told Parliament Tuesday.

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He, however, did not apologise for his statement and instead requested that it be expunged from the Hansard. "If you want me to apologise, I do not want to. But if what is asked (of me) is for the sentence to be expunged from the Hansard, I agree," he added.

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Last week, Chong Chien Jen (DAP-Bandar Kuching) wanted to refer Wan Junaidi to the Parliamentary Rights and Privileges Committee for his statement. Chong then said he accepted Wan Junaidi's explanation "I know you are not a racist, but let this be a lesson for everybody to not make any baseless conclusions," Chong said.

Statutory rape should not be turned into an issue about race, women's group leaders said as they hit out at a deputy minister’s statement that non-Malays were less sensitive to statutory rape compared with Malays.

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Prominent lawyer and activist Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan had only three words when asked to comment on Wan Junaidi's remarks – "I am speechless!" – she replied in a text message.

Women's Aid Organisation president Mok Chuang Lian said that underage rape was a serious problem and not a race issue. She added that making statements that one particular race was more likely to report rapes than another was downplaying the real problem. "The statistics should be used to understand the problem and how to curb it, especially among teenagers," Mok said.

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Association of Women Lawyers president Meera Samanther agreed, adding that if statistics showed a high proportion of Malay children had been subjected to statutory rape, then the authorities should research on the reasons for this. She also called on Putrajaya not to deflect the issue by providing sweeping statements unless they were verified, adding that such remarks encouraged a racial divide.

"We are told time and time again, especially with the recent crisis that we should not 'speculate' but that is exactly what the deputy minister has just done," she said referring to Putrajaya’s repeated calls for the public and media not to speculate about the missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370.

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Puchong MP Gobind Singh Deo said Wan Junaidi should state clearly the basis upon which he said non-Malays were less sensitive to statutory rape. "He must now show us the evidence to back up his claims. “Can he show us how many of such rapes have occurred and gone unreported until now because those affected were of a certain race who ‘were less sensitive towards it’ or ‘could accept it’?”

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In an explanation that can be described as baffling, Deputy Home Minister Wan Junaidi Wan Jaafar believes that Malays are "more sensitive" to minors being raped as opposed to non-Malays.

According to him, this is the reason why there is a high number of statutory rape cases reported involving Malays.

The deputy home minister appeared to suggest that the lower level of tolerance among the country’s largest community for sexual predators who prey on minors is a contributing factor to the high number of cases involving Malays.

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According to him, statutory rape offends Malay sensibilities more than it does the sensibilities of other Malaysians, making it more likely for the former to report the crime.

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Statistics reveal that Malays make up 80 percent of the total statutory rape cases reported.

He told the Dewan Rakyat that police recorded 1,550 reports on statutory rape in 2012, adding that Malays were victims in 1,243 of the cases. Chinese victims accounted for 73 and Indians 45. The rest were of other racial backgrounds.
He added that the proportions were similar in 2013, with 1,147 Malays, 62 Chinese and 32 Indians among the 1,424 victims.

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"They (Muslims) can't accept illegitimate children," Wan Junaidi said during Question Time today, in reply to Mohamad Zulkifly Jusoh (BN-Setiu).

"Malays have more reports compared to other races because they are Muslims who can't accept a child out of wedlock, pre-marital sex, and because these acts are wrong by Islamic law (zina)," the former Parliament deputy speaker said.

“This doesn’t mean the cases mostly involve Malays. Because Malays are culturally more sensitive about its youth so there are more police reports about it.

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“This means most Malays are sensitive to this kind of offence on teenage girls,” he said. “That’s why they lodge police reports.

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“Non-Malays are probably less sensitive towards this. Probably they can accept it; so there are not much reports from them.”

“Non-Malays are maybe more accepting about it so the margin (is lower),” Wan Junaidi said in reply to Setiu Barisan Nasional MP Che Mohamad Zulkifly Jusoh during Question Time.

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He said the authorities had instituted several measures to prevent statutory rape, including the formation of a special police unit and the provision of counseling.
He blamed Internet pornography, peer influence and uncontrolled libido for the high incidence of statutory rape.

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Wan Junaidi said that the family institution is more crucial in overcoming this issue.
"The role of parents is extremely huge in educating their children and monitoring their movement," he said.