SINGAPORE: Sexual harassment and misconduct at educational institutions will be on the agenda when Parliament sits on Monday (May 6).
Eight Members of Parliament (MPs) tabled questions on the issue, asking for the number of cases reported at institutes of higher learning, how the cases were dealt with, as well as what measures the Ministry of Education has in place to protect students from sexual harassment or misconduct.
AdvertisementThe issue has been in the spotlight after National University of Singapore (NUS) undergraduate Monica Baey took to Instagram last month to call for tougher action against a student who had filmed her taking a shower.
[h=3]READ: 'Change has finally come': Monica Baey on NUS handling of sexual misconduct cases[/h]She expressed unhappiness over the punishment given to the perpetrator, who received a 12-month conditional warning from the police and was suspended from school for a semester.
Her case drew public backlash and prompted NUS to review its handling of sexual misconduct cases.
AdvertisementAdvertisementMP Lee Bee Wah asked how the police assess whether a person should be given a conditional warning and whether suspects go on to reoffend.
MP Muhamad Faisal Abdul Manap also asked what measures are in place to reduce sexual misconduct at autonomous universities and polytechnics, after reports of sexualised harassment during orientation activities.
Also on Parliament's agenda are several gambling and casino-related issues, including the recently announced expansion plans for Singapore's two integrated resorts.
[h=3]READ: Singapore’s two integrated resorts set to grow with S$9 billion investment plan[/h]Parliament will also discuss several healthcare-related issues, including the emergence of drug-resistant fungus Candida auris, as well as feedback on the recently announced free opt-in HPV vaccination for Secondary 1 female students.
MP Louis Ng also asked what the rationale was for barring women above the age of 45 from receiving in-vitro fertilisation treatments in Singapore.
[h=3]READ: Why Singaporean women are going to Johor to make babies[/h]Minister for Defence Ng Eng Hen will make a ministerial statement on findings and follow-up actions regarding National Service training deaths.
Several Bills are up for second reading, including the Criminal Law Reform Bill, the Protection from Harassment (Amendment) Bill and the Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Bill.
The online falsehoods Bill was tabled last month to protect society from the damage caused by deliberate online falsehoods and fake accounts used to spread such misinformation.
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