Recently, a court case involving a notable Malaysian TV personality invoked an archaic law that has gotten many parties up in arms. The law in question, Section 498 of the Malaysian Penal Code, deals with the issue of "enticing or taking away or detaining with a criminal intent a married woman" and is seen by some parties as being a law which, among other things, violates a woman's right to sexual and bodily autonomy. Some, like MP Teresa Kok, have argued that the law made married women 'objects' belonging to their husbands, while others, like Home Minister Hishamuddin Hussein, say it should stay as the law was too infrequently used anyway. This week we speak with Vizla Kumaresan to learn more about why Section 498 needs to be abolished, and the campaign that is at the forefront of this effort. Vizla Kumaresan is a trained clinical psychologist and a member of Women's Aid Organisation.

The Fairly Current Show

#73 Vizla Kumaresan

Host
Fahmi Fadzil
Creative Producer
Mark Teh
Camera & Lighting
Akashdeep Singh,
Aaron Chung, Fikri Fadzil
Editing
Akashdeep Singh
Motion Graphics
Zalee (Kino-i)
Web
Adam William
Sound
Hardesh Singh
'Unwelcome Words'
presented by
Elaine Pedley,
text courtesy of
Amir Muhammad

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Synopsis

Recently, a court case involving a notable Malaysian TV personality invoked an archaic law that has gotten many parties up in arms. The law in question, Section 498 of the Malaysian Penal Code, deals with the issue of "enticing or taking away or detaining with a criminal intent a married woman" and is seen by some parties as being a law which, among other things, violates a woman's right to sexual and bodily autonomy. Some, like MP Teresa Kok, have argued that the law made married women 'objects' belonging to their husbands, while others, like Home Minister Hishamuddin Hussein, say it should stay as the law was too infrequently used anyway.

This week we speak with Vizla Kumaresan to learn more about why Section 498 needs to be abolished, and the campaign that is at the forefront of this effort.

Vizla Kumaresan is a trained clinical psychologist and a member of Women's Aid Organisation.

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