No need for Malaysia to consider chemical castration, say experts

Legal experts in Malaysia have dismissed the idea of employing chemical castration as a punishment for sex offenders. Jasmine Wong, president of the Association of Women Lawyers, argues that chemical castration is based on the erroneous assumption that sexual violence is driven by uncontrollable urges rather than factors like power, control, and gender inequality.

She warns that such a punishment would violate the constitutional right to bodily integrity and personal liberty. Salim Bashir, former Bar Council president, also discredits chemical castration, calling it inhumane and excessively punitive. Criminologist P Sundramoorthy explains that sexual offenses are motivated by various factors, and chemical castration would only target a single aspect of offending behavior.

Malaysian law already imposes severe penalties for sex offenses, but Wong suggests enhancing monitoring and rehabilitation efforts for convicted offenders to better address the root causes of their actions.