What is the price to pay for sexual privacy?
Some people are highly energised when it comes to campaigning for a cause. These zealots include abortionists, feminists and human rights advocates who have joined or initiated large-scale campaigns.
Baby boomers remember the 1960s when anti-war and sexual liberation movements
made headlines. Then came other crusades for the abolition of capital punishment, ban on nuclear tests, prohibition of pornography, protection of the environment and whatnot.
Now we have this LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) group seeking non-discrimination, individual right to privacy and decriminalization of homosexuality. They cite the Vienna Declaration, Yogyarkarta Principles and Universal Declaration of Human Right for their case.
Why, homosexuality is already legalised in 155 countries where consensual sodomy is permitted. Even China, Indonesia and the Vatican City no longer outlaw same-sex relationships, the LGBT campaigners stress.
Alas! Any "gross decency with another male person" or sexual act "against the order of nature"is still prohibited in 80 countries. The penalty in at least five countries, including Iran and Saudi Arabia, is death.
In Malaysia, the LGBT champions assert, the sodomy law is archaic. It still retains Section 377 of the Penal Code, a colonial-era criminal law adapted from the Indian version of 1860 and applied to former colonies like Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
As early as 1290, the Common Law in England held that sodomy was a crime punishable by being burnt alive. Hanging was introduced when the Buggery Act 1533 was enforced.
Well, the LGBT movement points out, all these countries and India have repealed the anti-sodomy law. So why is a modern, moderate Muslim country like Malaysia out of sync with the changing times?
True, sodomy is a crime in Malaysia; it is punishable with prison sentences of up to 20 years plus caning. A Muslim accused can also be charged in a Shariah court.
In late March, a former university student was sentenced to a total of 21 years' imprisonment and ordered to received 11 lashes for committing unnatural sex acts on two boys at a house. A high price to pay, no doubt.
The government has prohibited homosexuals, bisexuals and transsexuals from
appearing on television. In 1998, 45 Muslim transvestites were charged and convicted in court for impersonating women. Three years later, visiting foreign Cabinet Ministers or diplomats who were gay were warned that they would be deported.
As a matter of fact, Belize, Lesotho, Swaziland and Trinidad and Tobago disallow LGBT people from entering the countries. The United Nations Human Rights Commission deplores the ruling.
For sodomites, a comforting thought is that they are neither harassed nor prosecuted in European Union countries, Japan, North and South Korea, and the Philippines. Same-sex conjugal visits in prisons are allowed in countries such as Argentina, Brazil and Mexico.
But stay away from Egypt, Botswana or Brunei. Don't do your own thing in Barbados or Pakistan; offenders may be sentenced to life improsonment!
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
Monday, March 12, 2012
Let's chat openly before divorce
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The divorce rates worldwide are increasing alarmingly. Each year we read statistics that show the upward trend not only in the West, but also in Asia and other continents.
New-found freedom, double family incomes and emancipation have opened the floodgates to divorce. With the liberalisation of laws, couples have found it easier to part company.
In India, for instance, the divorce rates have doubled in the past five years. The growth of the urban middle class, the increased focus on careers and new aspirations have been blamed for many break-ups.
Even in South Korea, international marriages are on the rocks. The couples can converse in the same language, but after a few years, they cannot communicate with one another. The disunion is ascribed to cultural, religious and family conflicts.
Many traditional marriages among Koreans do not end in divorce simply because most of the husbands are free to have a fling off and on. Subservient wives turn a blind eye to the affairs although matrimonial ties are fragile.
In Malaysia, nearly 100 divorces occur occur daily. In simple terms, four marriages break up every hour.
Cultural differences
Of course, the US takes the lead in the high number of divorces. After only five years of wedlock, 23 per cent of Americans file for divorce. Many wives are taking the initiative to split up, thanks to women's independence and equal rights.
Lawyers, marriage counsellors and surveys have pointed out the reasons for divorce. In Russia, where many couples marry young, the causes range from alcoholism and beating to cheating and rudeness. On the other hand, many British couples cite incompatible behaviour and adultery for the divorce. The divorce rates are high among couples in their forties.
Estranged couples have also singled out drug addiction, interference by in-laws, religious or cultural differences and sexual problems as the causes for divorce. Interestingly, some have also blamed Facebook for encouraging infidelity and their partners' body odour.
When it comes to the crunch, lawyers will come up with many grounds to terminate marriages. Whatever they may be, most couples are only keen to see that the divorce proceedings are over and done with.
No much effort is made to provide remedies or foster reconciliation. The gospel truth is that it is no longer a stigma to be a divorce or divorcee. Besides, both parties can turn to support groups.
Religious organisations may sometimes offer advice, but most counselling sessions do not lead to the "kiss-and-make up" ending. It is pointless to inculcate fear or make threats when unhappy couples are set to split up. Punitive measures also produce negative results.
The breakdown of communication is a vital factor. This happens when partners treat themselves as strangers under the same roof or even in the same bedroom. They choose to remain silent lest sensitive issues flare up.
Yet communication allows estranged, separated or hurt couples to air their views and grievances. A few minutes of screaming, weeping and then making up can be a remedial measure, that is, when emotions and tantrums are checked.
Communication through the cultivation of mutual interests can work wonders, too. A verbal combat within reasonable bounds is another form of communication.
Counsellors and couples alike have to find more fun and communicative ways to mend strained relationships. A course in make-up or fashion can be a matrimonial turnaround. A keep-fit programme to eliminate overweight can also be advantageous to both partners. Second-honeymoon excursions may even stir neglected passion.
Counselling has to be conducted by qualified marriage experts and experienced psychologists -- not in-laws, religious fanatics or quacks. New breakthrough approaches have to be explored and adopted without reproachful lectures, threats and humdrum commandments.
Occasional endearments
Before they allow their families to break up, couples in dire straits should discover meaningful, exciting avenues to enrich their marriages and rekindle the magic of love and togetherness. For a welcome change, they should go off the beaten track to find their path back to the bedrock of matrimony. Imagination can be a potent force. So is creativity.
Couples may have lost sight of the importance of age-old values, but they should continue to talk frankly, if not sweetly. Talk about the strains of their fast-paced society, challenges in marriage and career and even their frustrations.
Subject to strains and stresses, couples need to blow off steam. They want to be heard. Moreover, they need occasional endearments and reassurances.
A married life can be mundane when partners take each other for granted, especially after they are saddled with some children. Children's upbringing, household chores and frequent absences can rattle spouses.
Every marriage is founded on communication. Without it, couples drift apart.
The divorce rates worldwide are increasing alarmingly. Each year we read statistics that show the upward trend not only in the West, but also in Asia and other continents.
New-found freedom, double family incomes and emancipation have opened the floodgates to divorce. With the liberalisation of laws, couples have found it easier to part company.
In India, for instance, the divorce rates have doubled in the past five years. The growth of the urban middle class, the increased focus on careers and new aspirations have been blamed for many break-ups.
Even in South Korea, international marriages are on the rocks. The couples can converse in the same language, but after a few years, they cannot communicate with one another. The disunion is ascribed to cultural, religious and family conflicts.
Many traditional marriages among Koreans do not end in divorce simply because most of the husbands are free to have a fling off and on. Subservient wives turn a blind eye to the affairs although matrimonial ties are fragile.
In Malaysia, nearly 100 divorces occur occur daily. In simple terms, four marriages break up every hour.
Cultural differences
Of course, the US takes the lead in the high number of divorces. After only five years of wedlock, 23 per cent of Americans file for divorce. Many wives are taking the initiative to split up, thanks to women's independence and equal rights.
Lawyers, marriage counsellors and surveys have pointed out the reasons for divorce. In Russia, where many couples marry young, the causes range from alcoholism and beating to cheating and rudeness. On the other hand, many British couples cite incompatible behaviour and adultery for the divorce. The divorce rates are high among couples in their forties.
Estranged couples have also singled out drug addiction, interference by in-laws, religious or cultural differences and sexual problems as the causes for divorce. Interestingly, some have also blamed Facebook for encouraging infidelity and their partners' body odour.
When it comes to the crunch, lawyers will come up with many grounds to terminate marriages. Whatever they may be, most couples are only keen to see that the divorce proceedings are over and done with.
No much effort is made to provide remedies or foster reconciliation. The gospel truth is that it is no longer a stigma to be a divorce or divorcee. Besides, both parties can turn to support groups.
Religious organisations may sometimes offer advice, but most counselling sessions do not lead to the "kiss-and-make up" ending. It is pointless to inculcate fear or make threats when unhappy couples are set to split up. Punitive measures also produce negative results.
The breakdown of communication is a vital factor. This happens when partners treat themselves as strangers under the same roof or even in the same bedroom. They choose to remain silent lest sensitive issues flare up.
Yet communication allows estranged, separated or hurt couples to air their views and grievances. A few minutes of screaming, weeping and then making up can be a remedial measure, that is, when emotions and tantrums are checked.
Communication through the cultivation of mutual interests can work wonders, too. A verbal combat within reasonable bounds is another form of communication.
Counsellors and couples alike have to find more fun and communicative ways to mend strained relationships. A course in make-up or fashion can be a matrimonial turnaround. A keep-fit programme to eliminate overweight can also be advantageous to both partners. Second-honeymoon excursions may even stir neglected passion.
Counselling has to be conducted by qualified marriage experts and experienced psychologists -- not in-laws, religious fanatics or quacks. New breakthrough approaches have to be explored and adopted without reproachful lectures, threats and humdrum commandments.
Occasional endearments
Before they allow their families to break up, couples in dire straits should discover meaningful, exciting avenues to enrich their marriages and rekindle the magic of love and togetherness. For a welcome change, they should go off the beaten track to find their path back to the bedrock of matrimony. Imagination can be a potent force. So is creativity.
Couples may have lost sight of the importance of age-old values, but they should continue to talk frankly, if not sweetly. Talk about the strains of their fast-paced society, challenges in marriage and career and even their frustrations.
Subject to strains and stresses, couples need to blow off steam. They want to be heard. Moreover, they need occasional endearments and reassurances.
A married life can be mundane when partners take each other for granted, especially after they are saddled with some children. Children's upbringing, household chores and frequent absences can rattle spouses.
Every marriage is founded on communication. Without it, couples drift apart.
Don't die for yourself
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Each year nearly one million people worldwide commit suicide. Someone dies from suicide every 40 seconds. And the rate is rising.
Why die for yourself and in vain? The factors are psychological, social, biological, cultural and environmental. Most suicides are attributed to depression, alcohol dependence, schizophrenia, personality disorder, physical illness and impulsiveness.
For such reasons, tens of thousands attempt suicide in high-risk countries such as Lithuania, South Korea, Guyana, Belarus, Hungary, Japan, China and Slovenia.
Surprisingly, the victims with high suicidal tendencies are professionals holding high-skill and high-stress jobs. They include physicians, female doctors, dentists, engineers, financiers and lawyers.
In Japan, the unemployed account for 57 per cent of all suicides in the country. In Arunachal Pradesh, India,the colourful, 12,000-strong tribe of the Idu-Mishmis has witnessed more than 200 suicides in the last four decades; most of the cases were triggered by unhappy love affairs and affected girls and women in the 16-29 age bracket.
In the US, suicide is the 11th leading cause of death. Males are four times more likely to kill themselves than females. Depression, substance abuse and easy access to weapons contribute to the death toll.
Many young suicides
Surveys have found that 55 per cent of the suicides belong to the 15-44 age group while 45 per cent of them are aged above 55.
In Malaysia, daily suicide attempts are estimated at 140. Seven people, mostly youths and young adults, end their lives every day.
The Befrienders Kuala Lumpur receives as many as 3,800 calls from suicidal people in one year. The callers in despair usually seek emotional support.
Malaysians contemplating suicide often make negative statements such as "Life is not worth living" or "I want to join my parents in heaven." They even imagine what they will put on at funerals. Such indicators are warning signs.
Almost 60 per cent of Malaysian suicides are men; nearly 50 per cent are Chinese. The majority fall into the 20-39 age group.
Statistics show that the risk of suicide is greater among prison inmates and suspects taken into custody during the first 24 hours.
Communication channel
However, most suicides happen at home. Domestic quarrels, exam failures, financial difficulties and love conflicts can spark suicide. Patients suffering from terminal diseases and loners in fits of depression also have suicidal tendencies.
It is unfair and wrong to call suicides cowards. It takes a great deal of courage to end it all. Gutless people will not be able to pull the trigger, hang themselves, jump over high-rise balconies or consume toxic substances.They may be desperate but they are certainly not faint-hearted.
Many lives could have been saved if sympathetic, caring people had talked to suicides. Or the victims had been taken to consult qualified counsellors.
It is when suicides do not have access to a communication channel that they decide to terminate life. In their anguish, they feel hopeless, desolate, confused and neglected. They desperately need friends and loved ones to console them, lift their spirits and even solve their problems.
Each year nearly one million people worldwide commit suicide. Someone dies from suicide every 40 seconds. And the rate is rising.
Why die for yourself and in vain? The factors are psychological, social, biological, cultural and environmental. Most suicides are attributed to depression, alcohol dependence, schizophrenia, personality disorder, physical illness and impulsiveness.
For such reasons, tens of thousands attempt suicide in high-risk countries such as Lithuania, South Korea, Guyana, Belarus, Hungary, Japan, China and Slovenia.
Surprisingly, the victims with high suicidal tendencies are professionals holding high-skill and high-stress jobs. They include physicians, female doctors, dentists, engineers, financiers and lawyers.
In Japan, the unemployed account for 57 per cent of all suicides in the country. In Arunachal Pradesh, India,the colourful, 12,000-strong tribe of the Idu-Mishmis has witnessed more than 200 suicides in the last four decades; most of the cases were triggered by unhappy love affairs and affected girls and women in the 16-29 age bracket.
In the US, suicide is the 11th leading cause of death. Males are four times more likely to kill themselves than females. Depression, substance abuse and easy access to weapons contribute to the death toll.
Many young suicides
Surveys have found that 55 per cent of the suicides belong to the 15-44 age group while 45 per cent of them are aged above 55.
In Malaysia, daily suicide attempts are estimated at 140. Seven people, mostly youths and young adults, end their lives every day.
The Befrienders Kuala Lumpur receives as many as 3,800 calls from suicidal people in one year. The callers in despair usually seek emotional support.
Malaysians contemplating suicide often make negative statements such as "Life is not worth living" or "I want to join my parents in heaven." They even imagine what they will put on at funerals. Such indicators are warning signs.
Almost 60 per cent of Malaysian suicides are men; nearly 50 per cent are Chinese. The majority fall into the 20-39 age group.
Statistics show that the risk of suicide is greater among prison inmates and suspects taken into custody during the first 24 hours.
Communication channel
However, most suicides happen at home. Domestic quarrels, exam failures, financial difficulties and love conflicts can spark suicide. Patients suffering from terminal diseases and loners in fits of depression also have suicidal tendencies.
It is unfair and wrong to call suicides cowards. It takes a great deal of courage to end it all. Gutless people will not be able to pull the trigger, hang themselves, jump over high-rise balconies or consume toxic substances.They may be desperate but they are certainly not faint-hearted.
Many lives could have been saved if sympathetic, caring people had talked to suicides. Or the victims had been taken to consult qualified counsellors.
It is when suicides do not have access to a communication channel that they decide to terminate life. In their anguish, they feel hopeless, desolate, confused and neglected. They desperately need friends and loved ones to console them, lift their spirits and even solve their problems.
Why they prostitute themselves
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Contrary to belief, it pays to be a prostitute. Revenue from the global prostitution industry is estimated at almost US$108 billion, which dwarfs the global spending on cosmetics and toiletries, the legal gaming revenue in the US, and the GDP of the European Union.
Prostitution has existed since ancient times. The society of Mesopotamia once protected prostitutes' inheritance and property rights. In ancient Greece, male and female prostitutes were allowed to offer the pleasures of the flesh. The Roman Empire also permitted organised prostitution.
Communist regimes had tried to stamp out the vice without any success. In Sweden, Norway and Iceland, prostitution is considered a form of exploitation; it is illegal to buy sexual services for money but it is permissible to sell them in these countries.
Prostitution is a legitimate, taxable business that is regulated in the Netherlands, Germany, and most parts of Australia and Nevada. It is even legal to advertise sexual services in the Netherlands. German prostitutes who number 400,000 are entitled to social benefits such as pension, health insurance and 40-hour week.
Child prostitutes
The world's oldest profession is also regulated in 20 countries, including Greece, Switzerland, Mexico and Colombia. It is tolerated to prevent greater evils such as rape, sodomy and self-abuse.
Despite police raids and regulations, nearly 1.2 million children in India are forced into prostitution. On the other hand, child prostitution thrives in Thailand where one million women trade their bodies for cash, and prostitution is a US$6.4 billion enterprise.
Prostitution in Japan is reported to net annual earnings of US$27 billion. The vice business in the UK is only US$1.2 billion but it is more than the takings of cinemas and many forms of entertainment.
In the US, nearly four million prostitutes, or slightly more than one per cent of its population, are at work -- more than the population of Iceland, Luxembourg or Gibraltar. Children "trapped in modern-day slavery" are estimated at 300,000.
It is argued that if prostitution were legalised in the US, the rape rate would decrease by 25 per cent or 22,000. The tax revenue would surely rise, for prostitution generates US$14 billion a year.
Vice in massage parlours
No official figures of prostitution are available in Malaysia, which has become a haven for foreign fallen women. Nevertheless, at least 142,000 women are engaged in the profitable industry, which offers sexual services in nightspots, hotels and massage parlours. In 2011, 11,832 foreigners and 1,801 locals were arrested for the crime.
Legislators, law enforcers and campaigners have blamed sex trafficking, forced prostitution, easy money and poverty for the spread of the vice. There is also the unceasing demand, for one in ten men in the world have sought the sexual services.
Prostitution is considered immoral in Muslim countries. It is a "public order crime" in the US. Where prostitutes enjoy legal status, it boosts the government coffers.
The fear is that if prostitution were legalised more women would be tempted or lured to join the profession. And these women would die earlier than fishermen!
The plus side is that prostitutes would be required to under mandatory health checks. They and their patrons would thus not be exposed to the high risk of contacting sexually transmitted diseases such as HIV, syphilis and genital warts.
Whatever measures are adopted, one certainty is that prostitution is here to stay -- for good.
.
Contrary to belief, it pays to be a prostitute. Revenue from the global prostitution industry is estimated at almost US$108 billion, which dwarfs the global spending on cosmetics and toiletries, the legal gaming revenue in the US, and the GDP of the European Union.
Prostitution has existed since ancient times. The society of Mesopotamia once protected prostitutes' inheritance and property rights. In ancient Greece, male and female prostitutes were allowed to offer the pleasures of the flesh. The Roman Empire also permitted organised prostitution.
Communist regimes had tried to stamp out the vice without any success. In Sweden, Norway and Iceland, prostitution is considered a form of exploitation; it is illegal to buy sexual services for money but it is permissible to sell them in these countries.
Prostitution is a legitimate, taxable business that is regulated in the Netherlands, Germany, and most parts of Australia and Nevada. It is even legal to advertise sexual services in the Netherlands. German prostitutes who number 400,000 are entitled to social benefits such as pension, health insurance and 40-hour week.
Child prostitutes
The world's oldest profession is also regulated in 20 countries, including Greece, Switzerland, Mexico and Colombia. It is tolerated to prevent greater evils such as rape, sodomy and self-abuse.
Despite police raids and regulations, nearly 1.2 million children in India are forced into prostitution. On the other hand, child prostitution thrives in Thailand where one million women trade their bodies for cash, and prostitution is a US$6.4 billion enterprise.
Prostitution in Japan is reported to net annual earnings of US$27 billion. The vice business in the UK is only US$1.2 billion but it is more than the takings of cinemas and many forms of entertainment.
In the US, nearly four million prostitutes, or slightly more than one per cent of its population, are at work -- more than the population of Iceland, Luxembourg or Gibraltar. Children "trapped in modern-day slavery" are estimated at 300,000.
It is argued that if prostitution were legalised in the US, the rape rate would decrease by 25 per cent or 22,000. The tax revenue would surely rise, for prostitution generates US$14 billion a year.
Vice in massage parlours
No official figures of prostitution are available in Malaysia, which has become a haven for foreign fallen women. Nevertheless, at least 142,000 women are engaged in the profitable industry, which offers sexual services in nightspots, hotels and massage parlours. In 2011, 11,832 foreigners and 1,801 locals were arrested for the crime.
Legislators, law enforcers and campaigners have blamed sex trafficking, forced prostitution, easy money and poverty for the spread of the vice. There is also the unceasing demand, for one in ten men in the world have sought the sexual services.
Prostitution is considered immoral in Muslim countries. It is a "public order crime" in the US. Where prostitutes enjoy legal status, it boosts the government coffers.
The fear is that if prostitution were legalised more women would be tempted or lured to join the profession. And these women would die earlier than fishermen!
The plus side is that prostitutes would be required to under mandatory health checks. They and their patrons would thus not be exposed to the high risk of contacting sexually transmitted diseases such as HIV, syphilis and genital warts.
Whatever measures are adopted, one certainty is that prostitution is here to stay -- for good.
.
Beware of rapists in your home
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Most rapes occur in the homes of the victims. In many cases, the perpetrators are known to them; they are usually their relatives, boyfriends and acquaintances.
The majority of the incidents -- more than 50 per cent -- are not reported to the police. The reasons may be fear of retaliation, shame, negative publicity or the stress of police questioning or cross-examination in court. The offenders therefore escape justice.
In Malaysia, a rapist can serve a jail term of 10 to 20 years plus caning upon conviction. However, marital rape is not an offence.
The incidence of rapes in the country rose from 2,431 reported cases in 2006 to 3,595 in 2010. In layman's terms, about 10 rapes were committed in one day. The incidents happened in homes, hotels, vehicles and public places.
In 2,658 cases, or 73 per cent of the total, the victims were girls under 18 years old. Ten per cent of these violations affected children under 13 years old. They were students, neighbours and the perpetrators' daughters or stepdaughters. As high as 90 per cent of rape cases was not reported to the police or welfare department.
Alarming high rape rates
The so-called rape capital of the world is South Africa where a woman or child is raped every 15 seconds. The offenders are usually men who have attained some level of education and income. Eleven in 40 of these transgressors have admitted that they have raped more than once.
According to a survey, countries with alarmingly high rape rates include Seychelles, Australia, Montserrat, Canada, Jamaica, Zimbabwe, Dominica and the US. Malaysia ranks 38th on the list, overtaking Asian countries like the Philippines and China..
In the Democratic Republic of Congo, a country racked by war, 1,152 women are raped daily or 48 victims every hour. The crime wave is compounded by the country's economic decline and political uncertainty.
Sweden has recorded the highest number of rape cases in Europe, chalking up 48 rape incidents per 100,000 people. The rate is twice that of the UK and at least three times that of Germany and France. The crime is ascribed to high alcohol consumption, partying and free sexuality.
An unprecedented wave of rapes has swept Norway where 48 incidents committed by immigrants in Oslo were reported in eight months. Gripped by fear, women have to carry tear gas and dye their blond hair.
Young rape victims
In the UK, about 85,000 rapes are committed annually or 230 cases daily. The tally does not include 75-90 per cent of unreported incidents. The conviction figure is low -- only 6.5 per cent.
The rape rate in the US is even higher. Somewhere in the country, someone is sexually assaulted every one minutes. One in six women and one in four college students have experienced completed or attempted rape in their lifetime. Nineteen out of 20 rape suspects walk free.
More than 50 per cent of the victims are under 18 years old and 20 per cent are below 12. The majority (81 per cent) are white and even males (9 per cent) are raped. The police receive only 63 per cent of rape cases each year. .
Most of the cases happen between 6 pm and 6 am. Rapes outdoors are rare; nearly 31 per cent of the transgressions occur in the perpetrators' homes, 26 per cent in the victims' homes and 7.2 per cent at parties.
Eighty-four per cent of the victims know their attackers who are usually acquaintances (35 per cent), current or former husbands and boyfriends (28 per cent) and relatives (5 per cent). Men who fall prey to assailants are mostly prison inmates.
Rape victims often experience anxiety, guilt, nervousness, phobias, substance abuse, sleep disturbances, depression, sexual dysfunction and aggression. At least US$4.1 billion is spent on their medical care and mental health treatment yearly.
Statistics show that one in three girls or women worldwide is beaten or sexually abused in her lifetime. Be alert when you are in high-risk places like Iceland, the Netherlands, Papua New Guinea, Mexico and Chile.
Most rapes occur in the homes of the victims. In many cases, the perpetrators are known to them; they are usually their relatives, boyfriends and acquaintances.
The majority of the incidents -- more than 50 per cent -- are not reported to the police. The reasons may be fear of retaliation, shame, negative publicity or the stress of police questioning or cross-examination in court. The offenders therefore escape justice.
In Malaysia, a rapist can serve a jail term of 10 to 20 years plus caning upon conviction. However, marital rape is not an offence.
The incidence of rapes in the country rose from 2,431 reported cases in 2006 to 3,595 in 2010. In layman's terms, about 10 rapes were committed in one day. The incidents happened in homes, hotels, vehicles and public places.
In 2,658 cases, or 73 per cent of the total, the victims were girls under 18 years old. Ten per cent of these violations affected children under 13 years old. They were students, neighbours and the perpetrators' daughters or stepdaughters. As high as 90 per cent of rape cases was not reported to the police or welfare department.
Alarming high rape rates
The so-called rape capital of the world is South Africa where a woman or child is raped every 15 seconds. The offenders are usually men who have attained some level of education and income. Eleven in 40 of these transgressors have admitted that they have raped more than once.
According to a survey, countries with alarmingly high rape rates include Seychelles, Australia, Montserrat, Canada, Jamaica, Zimbabwe, Dominica and the US. Malaysia ranks 38th on the list, overtaking Asian countries like the Philippines and China..
In the Democratic Republic of Congo, a country racked by war, 1,152 women are raped daily or 48 victims every hour. The crime wave is compounded by the country's economic decline and political uncertainty.
Sweden has recorded the highest number of rape cases in Europe, chalking up 48 rape incidents per 100,000 people. The rate is twice that of the UK and at least three times that of Germany and France. The crime is ascribed to high alcohol consumption, partying and free sexuality.
An unprecedented wave of rapes has swept Norway where 48 incidents committed by immigrants in Oslo were reported in eight months. Gripped by fear, women have to carry tear gas and dye their blond hair.
Young rape victims
In the UK, about 85,000 rapes are committed annually or 230 cases daily. The tally does not include 75-90 per cent of unreported incidents. The conviction figure is low -- only 6.5 per cent.
The rape rate in the US is even higher. Somewhere in the country, someone is sexually assaulted every one minutes. One in six women and one in four college students have experienced completed or attempted rape in their lifetime. Nineteen out of 20 rape suspects walk free.
More than 50 per cent of the victims are under 18 years old and 20 per cent are below 12. The majority (81 per cent) are white and even males (9 per cent) are raped. The police receive only 63 per cent of rape cases each year. .
Most of the cases happen between 6 pm and 6 am. Rapes outdoors are rare; nearly 31 per cent of the transgressions occur in the perpetrators' homes, 26 per cent in the victims' homes and 7.2 per cent at parties.
Eighty-four per cent of the victims know their attackers who are usually acquaintances (35 per cent), current or former husbands and boyfriends (28 per cent) and relatives (5 per cent). Men who fall prey to assailants are mostly prison inmates.
Rape victims often experience anxiety, guilt, nervousness, phobias, substance abuse, sleep disturbances, depression, sexual dysfunction and aggression. At least US$4.1 billion is spent on their medical care and mental health treatment yearly.
Statistics show that one in three girls or women worldwide is beaten or sexually abused in her lifetime. Be alert when you are in high-risk places like Iceland, the Netherlands, Papua New Guinea, Mexico and Chile.
Shoplifters of all ages and professions
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Three girl students were ordered to perform 240 hours of community service after stealing branded goods at a shopping mall. A housewife who pilfered several pieces of apparel valued at RM668.90 at a supermarket was jailed for three months. An Iranian tourist was fined RM1,200 and imprisoned for a day when she pleaded guilty to stealing two packs of socks, two boxes of men's briefs and one box of stockings, and two handbags.
Shoplifting is becoming rampant in Malaysia and other countries. The offender can be anybody -- a customer in wheelchair, a toddler, a teacher, an office or factory worker, a professional and even a celebrity.
Most of the thefts are not premeditated. The shoplifters may be anti-social or defiant, bored, depressed, or keen to obtain attention from spouses and parents. They may envy their neighbours and colleagues for things they cannot afford to buy, join friends in shoplifting for the fun of it, want to get back at stores they dislike, or enjoy the "rush" feeling.
The items they steal can be cheap or expensive -- cheese, meat, razors, batteries, cosmetics, perfumes, clothing and accessories, and toys. They are different from the professional or habitual shoplifters and drug addicts who look for high-end products such as mobile phones, alcohol, power tools and auto parts.
Malaysian retailers have reported a rising shrinkage of sales to the tune of RM409 million a year. The popular items stolen include lipsticks and glosses, health and beauty products, infant formula, clothing, alcohol and clothing. Owing to a spate of thefts, an increasing number of them have installed surveillance mirrors and CCTVs to detect the crime.
Elderly offenders
In Japan where 20 percent of its population is over the age of 65, a large number of the shoplifters are pensioners and senior citizens. As many as 27,000 elderly offenders are caught in one year. Annual retail losses caused by shoplifting amount to over US$9 billion, notching up the second highest rate of shoplifting in the world after the US.
Japanese retailers also have to grapple with "digital shoplifting", in which shoppers use cellular phones to snap pictures of new hairstyles and trendy clothes featured in magazines. Books stolen amount to US$21,250 a year.
The US is the shoplifters' paradise. Retailers lose US35 million in revenue daily or US$13 billion a year. Thirty million Americans or nearly 10 per cent of the population have engaged in shoplifting and over 1010 million have been caught in the last five years.
The offenders include politicians, actresses, sports personalities, doctors, nurses and police officers. Respectable, well-off customers commit the crime owing to some kind of loss, a need to fill a void, sickness, and unhappy relationships.
The four weeks leading up to Christmas are a nightmare for retailers. Myriad goods worth US1.8 billion are stolen during this period and thefts are also committed by employees.
US retailers spend nearly US$11.5 billion a year on surveillance and security systems to fend off losses. Six million video cameras are mounted in stores across the country. Shopping carts are fitted with electronic-fence technology with chips embedded in the wheels. Clothing tags with security ink, GPS navigational devices, pulsing monitors and metal foil detection gadgets are also employed.
In the UK, customers and dishonest employees pilfer an average of US$20 million worth of goods daily. Shoplifters often eye perfumes and cosmetics, face creams, cameras, fresh meat and alcohol.
Each year retailers across the world lose US$119 billion in annual takings owing to shoplifting. The losses were reduced slightly in recent years after retailers in 42 countries improved their security measures.
Three girl students were ordered to perform 240 hours of community service after stealing branded goods at a shopping mall. A housewife who pilfered several pieces of apparel valued at RM668.90 at a supermarket was jailed for three months. An Iranian tourist was fined RM1,200 and imprisoned for a day when she pleaded guilty to stealing two packs of socks, two boxes of men's briefs and one box of stockings, and two handbags.
Shoplifting is becoming rampant in Malaysia and other countries. The offender can be anybody -- a customer in wheelchair, a toddler, a teacher, an office or factory worker, a professional and even a celebrity.
Most of the thefts are not premeditated. The shoplifters may be anti-social or defiant, bored, depressed, or keen to obtain attention from spouses and parents. They may envy their neighbours and colleagues for things they cannot afford to buy, join friends in shoplifting for the fun of it, want to get back at stores they dislike, or enjoy the "rush" feeling.
The items they steal can be cheap or expensive -- cheese, meat, razors, batteries, cosmetics, perfumes, clothing and accessories, and toys. They are different from the professional or habitual shoplifters and drug addicts who look for high-end products such as mobile phones, alcohol, power tools and auto parts.
Malaysian retailers have reported a rising shrinkage of sales to the tune of RM409 million a year. The popular items stolen include lipsticks and glosses, health and beauty products, infant formula, clothing, alcohol and clothing. Owing to a spate of thefts, an increasing number of them have installed surveillance mirrors and CCTVs to detect the crime.
Elderly offenders
In Japan where 20 percent of its population is over the age of 65, a large number of the shoplifters are pensioners and senior citizens. As many as 27,000 elderly offenders are caught in one year. Annual retail losses caused by shoplifting amount to over US$9 billion, notching up the second highest rate of shoplifting in the world after the US.
Japanese retailers also have to grapple with "digital shoplifting", in which shoppers use cellular phones to snap pictures of new hairstyles and trendy clothes featured in magazines. Books stolen amount to US$21,250 a year.
The US is the shoplifters' paradise. Retailers lose US35 million in revenue daily or US$13 billion a year. Thirty million Americans or nearly 10 per cent of the population have engaged in shoplifting and over 1010 million have been caught in the last five years.
The offenders include politicians, actresses, sports personalities, doctors, nurses and police officers. Respectable, well-off customers commit the crime owing to some kind of loss, a need to fill a void, sickness, and unhappy relationships.
The four weeks leading up to Christmas are a nightmare for retailers. Myriad goods worth US1.8 billion are stolen during this period and thefts are also committed by employees.
US retailers spend nearly US$11.5 billion a year on surveillance and security systems to fend off losses. Six million video cameras are mounted in stores across the country. Shopping carts are fitted with electronic-fence technology with chips embedded in the wheels. Clothing tags with security ink, GPS navigational devices, pulsing monitors and metal foil detection gadgets are also employed.
In the UK, customers and dishonest employees pilfer an average of US$20 million worth of goods daily. Shoplifters often eye perfumes and cosmetics, face creams, cameras, fresh meat and alcohol.
Each year retailers across the world lose US$119 billion in annual takings owing to shoplifting. The losses were reduced slightly in recent years after retailers in 42 countries improved their security measures.
Yummy! We like fast food
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In the rat race, adults join the young to consume fast food, a hit in many countries. Doctors and dieticians fear that it could be a race to obesity and ill-health.
In the rat race, adults join the young to consume fast food, a hit in many countries. Doctors and dieticians fear that it could be a race to obesity and ill-health.
Fast food is not bad. Eating it every once in a while is unlikely to cause health problems. It is risky and unhealthy only when you consume too much of it over a long period of time. That’s the time to worry about weight gain, obesity, insulin resistance and diabetes.
Despite regular warnings about the ill-effects of fast food consumption, the industry continues to gain ground in many parts of the world, including Malaysia. Consumers, especially the young ones, are seemingly hooked on fast food, whether it is pizza, hamburger, sandwich or hot dog.
Fast food is a huge global industry with sales estimated to reach US$311 billion. In the US
From the historical standpoint, fast food is not new. In ancient Greece and Rome
Even in the Middle Ages, residents of large towns and cities like London and Paris
The first fast food outlet originated in the US in 1902 when Frank Hardart and Joseph Horn opened the first Horn and Hardart Automat in Philadelphia 13th Street New York City
Quick-service food
A&W blazed a trail in 1919 when entrepreneur Roy Allen joined forces with a pharmacist to establish a hamburger and root beer stand in California US
American consumers soon liked what they saw and tasted: hamburgers, chips, fried chicken, hot dogs, shakes and other beverages. Quick-service fast food caught on, and it became one of the country’s biggest industries. New competitors appeared and they expanded not only in the country but also overseas.
The leader of the pack today is McDonald’s which operates over 31,000 restaurants in 126 countries on six continents. The chain, which prepares food like an assembly line, opens nearly 2,000 new ones yearly. Its Moscow outlet is said to be its busiest in the world and its Beijing
Out to slice bigger portions of the US
In the US US
Consumers in the UK UK has the largest number of fast food restaurants per head, with Australia second and the US
Not nutritional
In New Zealand
Fast food was not junk food until the term was coined by Michael Jacobson, the director of the Centre for Science in the Public Interest in 1972. He was concerned over the high levels of saturated fats, salt and sugar, and the low intakes of fruit, vegetables and dietary fibre. To him, fast food was neither healthy nor nutritional.
Consumer groups are also alarmed by the calorie content, rat fats and portion sizes of fast food served. According to medical reports, fast food is linked to health problems in the US where 60 million adults are obese and 127 million are overweight.
Fast food is readily available in Mlalaysia. Vendors operate from a cart, table, roadside stall, portable grill or vehicle, selling a variety of takeaway food. The menu includes local and cosmopolitan dishes such as kebab, Vietnamese noodle, Malay nasi lemak, Indian roti telur, fried vermicelli, sushi and Chinese fried rice.
An increasing number of petrol stations have indoor convenience stores offering pre-packaged sandwiches, doughnuts and hot meals. Some of them also sell frozen foods and have microwave ovens on the premises.
Consumers grab whatever that is appetizing, inexpensive not time-consuming. The meal usually comes with a plastic spoon or a pair of wooden chopsticks. Vendors and restaurants always have a set menu to suit every pocket.
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