KUALA LUMPUR – Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Rina Mohd Harun has been slammed for going “missing” amid rising numbers of domestic violence incidents since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Pejuang Women’s Youth (Pejuanita) head Nurul Ashikin Mabahwi said Rina and the ministry are not aggressive enough in pursuing the issue, including defending women and children, which falls under its purview.
She said there has been a high number of such cases, with police receiving 5,260 reports of domestic violence last year, while 902 reports have been lodged in the first four months of this year.
Nurul Ashikin added that up to September 2020, 3,875 cases of abuse and neglect of children were recorded, while 2,540 other domestic violence incidents were reported in that same period to the ministry’s Talian Kasih hotline.
“What is the minister’s role? Why is she silent, apparently without any plans (to tackle the problem) when more women and children are becoming victims?” she was quoted as saying by The Vibes’ Bahasa Malaysia sister portal Getaran yesterday.
Nurul Ashikin expressed disappointment, accusing Rina of being passive in the face of a pressing issue.
“Being a leader is a responsibility, so carry out that responsibility well and ensure the protection of women and children, who are being victimised,” she said.
“The ministry must formulate a special plan that will help move victims to protection centres, or it should at least add to the number of social workers in every state so that victims can receive immediate assistance.”
Nurul Ashikin added that creative wide-scale campaigns can help generate impactful awareness on the issue, and should use all channels available, such as television.
“Creative campaigns such as those explained in the form of cartoons can help children ask for help if they are victims,” she said. – The Vibes, June 3, 2021
