KUALA LUMPUR – The country recorded 9,015 cases of domestic violence from March last year until last month, when movement controls against Covid-19 were in place.
Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Rina Mohd Harun (Setiawangsa-Bersatu) said police statistics showed that between March and December 2020, there were 4,110 cases recorded, while the figure is 4,905 for the January-August period this year.
“The ministry remains committed to reducing domestic violence cases, especially during the MCO (movement control order) period, which has impacted many family institutions and households in the country due to the Covid-19 pandemic,” she said during the Minister’s Question Time session in the Dewan Rakyat this morning.
She noted a reduction in domestic violence cases, with 5,260 recorded last year compared with 5,657 in 2019.
Rina was replying to a question from Datuk Mohd Nizar Zakaria (Parit-BN), who asked the ministry to state the number of domestic violence cases registered during the MCO.
In an effort to reduce such cases, said Rina, the ministry continued several initiatives, including Talian Kasih 1599 and the WhatsApp hotline at 019-261-5999 for individuals to report domestic violence.
“These 24-hour services serve as a single point of contact for victims to contact us for support and assistance, which includes psychosocial services.
“This will help the public or victims not continue to be trapped in the cycle of domestic violence, which could harm themselves or their family members.
“The communication channels also serve as a platform for individuals to report domestic violence involving others.”
She said the Talian Kasih line led to 2,286 cases reported to police between March and December last year.
Between January and August this year, she said, the line recorded 2,248 complaints.
“The ministry continues to promote these channels and awareness on domestic violence, as well as the provisions under the Domestic Violence Act 1994, via print and social media consistently.” – The Vibes, September 23, 2021
