This question was posed by a participant at the two-day National Population Conference 2008 organised by the National Population and Family Planning Board (LPPKN) in conjunction with World Population Day 2008's theme of "Renewing Commitment" here yesterday.

Retired civil servant Maimunah Shamsuddin raised this issue during the question and answer session at the second plenary session chaired by Tan Sri Mohamed Jawhar Hassan, chairman and chief executive officer of ISIS Malaysia.

She asked psychology professor Dr Low Wah Yun, who earlier presented a paper on "Youth Sexuality: A Psycho-Social Perspective".

"We have some males who are neither men nor women. They are very soft. They are called mat lembut or sotong. In universities, the female-male student ratio is already 60:40. This is an area of concern for all of us. Have there been studies done on them?" she asked.

Dr Low replied that just as in the case of transsexuals or mak nyah, who were born physically men but who feel, think and behave like women, they did not ask to be what they were.

Similarly, "if the men are 'softies', we have to accept them. They are no lesser human beings", she said.

An 18-year-old female Rakan Muda participant raised another question: "How can we youths trust men who rape innocent two-year-olds? Is this a symptom of women getting married late?"

Dr Low said a study by Awam (All Women's Action Society) had shown that most rapists were known to their victims. They are often the father, grandfather or uncle.

"We are talking about trust. As parents, we need to take heed of this fact and if we have little girls, we must tell them not to follow the pakcik here and there."

Another question raised by a Universiti Tuanku Abdul Rahman student was on how sex education could hasten sexual activity. How much sex education should be allowed in schools and what values should be imparted?

ISIS senior analyst Dr Jorah Ramlan, who earlier presented a paper on" Human Capital of the New Generation", said LPPKN and the Education Ministry had sex education guidelines for schools in place.

"It is not imparted as a course, but gradually from Forms One to Five under Family Life Education.

"The teachers are also not trained to teach sex education and relationships. Sexual reproduction is now taught in biology classes," she said.