Anti-Sexual Harassment Act 2022 — 18 Months On: What the Tribunal Has Decided, and What It Means for Employers and Victims

1. What ASHA 2022 does — and what it does not

ASHA 2022 creates a dedicated Tribunal for Anti-Sexual Harassment, hearing complaints of sexual harassment under section 2 of the Act. The Tribunal sits under the Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development and is designed as a low-cost, fast-track alternative to civil court — accessible to claimants without lawyers, although legal representation is permitted.

What ASHA 2022 does:

• Defines sexual harassment broadly — unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature in any setting (workplace, education, public, online)

• Provides a statutory cause of action separate from contract, tort, and Industrial Court routes

• Establishes the Tribunal with compensation power up to RM 250,000

• Allows for orders for apology, awareness programmes, and other appropriate relief

• Sets a 6-year limitation period from the last incident (section 8(1))

What ASHA 2022 does not:

• Does not replace existing civil tort rights (Mohd Ridzwan v Asmah Hj Mohd Nor [2016] 4 MLJ 282)

• Does not displace criminal complaints under the Penal Code (section 354, section 509 etc.)

• Does not displace the Industrial Court’s unfair-dismissal jurisdiction where the harassment led to dismissal

• Does not impose vicarious liability on employers in the same way as common-law tort principles

2. Four parallel routes — choosing where to file

A victim of workplace sexual harassment in Malaysia now has up to four parallel routes:

• ASHA Tribunal — RM 250,000 cap; 6-year limitation; low cost, fast

• Civil court (Mohd Ridzwan tort) — unlimited damages; 6-year limitation under s.6 Limitation Act 1953; substantive cost

• Industrial Court (if dismissal occurred) — backwages up to 24 months + compensation in lieu; 60-day limitation under s.20 IRA 1967

• Criminal complaint (Penal Code) — outrage of modesty (s.354), criminal force (s.350), word/gesture intended to insult modesty (s.509). Pursued by the Public Prosecutor; no compensation directly

The strategic choice depends on the harm suffered, the level of compensation sought, the strength of evidence, and the desired outcome.

When to choose the Tribunal

• Damages estimate is below RM 250,000

• Speed matters — Tribunal sits 3-6 months from filing typically

• Low budget — fees are nominal

• Victim wants apology and behavioural orders, not just money

• Evidence is documentary or witnessed — short hearings work well

When to choose civil suit (Mohd Ridzwan tort)

• Damages exceed RM 250,000 (severe psychiatric injury, career-ending impact)

• Complex evidence requires extensive discovery

• Significant aggravated-damages component (in light of Loganathan v Dr Lee Mun Toong [2025], aggravated damages doctrine is robust)

• Multiple defendants (employer + harasser jointly)

• Reputational stakes warrant a published court judgment

When to choose both Industrial Court and ASHA Tribunal

Where the harassment led to constructive dismissal or actual dismissal, both routes can run — Industrial Court for the dismissal claim under s.20 IRA 1967, ASHA Tribunal for the underlying harassment compensation. The 60-day s.20 window is strict; file there first.

3. Employer liability under ASHA 2022

Employers must read ASHA 2022 carefully. The Act does not create automatic vicarious liability — but in practice:

• If the harasser is an employee, the Tribunal can order compensation against the harasser personally

• Employer reputation, internal-discipline records, and prevention policies are evidentially relevant

• The Employment Act 1955 (as amended 2022) Part XVA still imposes employer duties to investigate sexual-harassment complaints

• Failure to investigate properly can found a separate constructive-dismissal claim at the Industrial Court

• The Mohd Ridzwan tort permits employer-side civil liability where the employer’s negligence allowed the harassment to occur or continue

4. What employers should do now (2026 compliance checklist)

• Written sexual-harassment policy — updated for ASHA 2022, EA 1955 Part XVA, and Mohd Ridzwan principles. Available to all employees in English, Bahasa Malaysia, and Mandarin where applicable.

• Complaint-handling procedure — clear pathway, named investigation officer, time-bound response, fair-hearing rights for the alleged harasser, escalation to external counsel where serious.

• Mandatory awareness training — annual, documented, signed-off. Tribunal can order awareness-programme attendance; employers who already train will defend more effectively.

• Records and minutes — every reported complaint, every investigation step, every disciplinary outcome documented. Memory fades; documentary records win cases.

• Insurance review — employment-practices liability insurance (EPLI) is increasingly available in Malaysia; check coverage for ASHA Tribunal awards.

• Cultural audit — bonus/promotion practices, after-hours events, mentorship structures. Tribunal claims commonly trace to structural cultural issues, not single incidents.

5. What victims should do (preserving the claim)

• Document contemporaneously — date-stamped notes after every incident; preserve all messages, emails, voice recordings. Malaysian law generally permits recording a conversation you are party to.

• Internal complaint — file the company’s internal sexual-harassment complaint. The internal record is evidence; the employer’s response is evidence.

• Seek medical / psychiatric care if affected — establish contemporaneous diagnosis. Psychiatric harm is compensable.

• Maintain evidence chain — do not delete messages or witness records; do not confront the harasser directly without legal advice.

6. Mohd Ridzwan v Asmah [2016] — still essential after ASHA 2022

The Federal Court in Mohd Ridzwan bin Abdul Razak v Asmah binti Hj Mohd Nor [2016] 4 MLJ 282 first recognised sexual harassment as an actionable civil tort in Malaysia — independent of contract, employment, or criminal law. See our case note on Mohd Ridzwan.

ASHA 2022 has not displaced this tort. Mohd Ridzwan remains the route of choice where:

• Damages exceed the RM 250,000 Tribunal cap

• Complex psychiatric injury requires civil-court methodology

• Aggravated damages are sought (Loganathan-style)

• The harasser is wealthy enough to pay substantial damages

• The matter requires the precedential force of a High Court judgment

7. Early Tribunal trends (2024-2025)

From the limited Tribunal decisions publicly reported in 2024-2025:

• Compensation awards have ranged from RM 10,000 to RM 100,000, with most clustering RM 20,000-50,000

• The Tribunal favours specific, contemporaneous evidence — date-stamped messages, witness testimony, internal complaint records

• Apology orders are commonly granted alongside compensation

• Online/social media harassment is being treated as actionable on the same footing as in-person harassment

• Tribunal hearings typically run 1-3 sittings; full decision within 3-6 months of filing

The full RM 250,000 cap has not yet been awarded in publicly-reported decisions, suggesting either (a) early caution by the Tribunal, or (b) the most severe cases continue to be filed in civil court.

FAQ — Anti-Sexual Harassment Act 2022

How is the Tribunal different from the Industrial Court? The Tribunal hears sexual-harassment compensation claims; the Industrial Court hears unfair-dismissal claims. If the harassment led to dismissal, you may need both.

Can men file Tribunal claims? Yes — ASHA 2022 is gender-neutral.

What if the harasser is a customer or supplier, not a co-worker? The Act applies to any sexual harassment in any setting. Customer or supplier harassment is actionable.

Is online harassment covered? Yes — sexual harassment by online means (DMs, social media, video calls, messaging apps) is within the Tribunal’s jurisdiction.

Can a victim claim anonymously? Limited — the Tribunal protects identity of vulnerable claimants in certain circumstances. Detailed anonymity orders are case-by-case.

Consultation — workplace sexual-harassment matters

• Phone +60 17-702 2800

• Contact us

Frequently asked questions

How is the Tribunal different from the Industrial Court?

The Tribunal hears sexual-harassment compensation claims; the Industrial Court hears unfair-dismissal claims. If the harassment led to dismissal, you may need both.

Can men file Tribunal claims?

Yes — ASHA 2022 is gender-neutral.

What if the harasser is a customer or supplier, not a co-worker?

The Act applies to any sexual harassment in any setting. Customer or supplier harassment is actionable.

Is online harassment covered?

Yes — sexual harassment by online means (DMs, social media, video calls, messaging apps) is within the Tribunal’s jurisdiction.