By Wilfred Pilo
KUCHING, Sept 29: With 2,192 domestic violence cases recorded between 2020 and August 2023, Sarawak ranks third after Selangor and Kedah, says Minister of Women, Family and Community Development (KPWKM), Dato Sri Nancy Shukri.
Nancy, also the Minister of Women, Family and Community Development (KPWKM), said that based on statistics from the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM), the total recorded figure in domestic violence cases in the same period for the country is 22,908.
She said in 2021, the country recorded the highest number of domestic violence cases, with a total figure of 7,468 compared to 5,260 in 2020.
“In 2022, the figure is still high despite a slight decrease to 6,540 cases. This year, up to August, the figure for the whole country is 3,640,” she said during a press conference on the State-level ‘Program Semarak Squad Waja’, which she also launched today at UCSI Hotel.
On the programme, Nancy pointed out that it is a collaborative effort by the government and the community to address the issue of violence against women.
She said all the initiatives and programmes implemented by KPWKM through the Waja Squad should be intensified and disseminated to help victims of violence, especially women and children.
She urged community leaders to know their roles and standard operating procedures (SOPs) on any issues relating to domestic violence and other community issues.
“We want community leaders to keep statistics on domestic violence cases in their jurisdictions to have informative data to help authorities and the government,” she said.
At the same time, Nancy acknowledged the existence of domestic violence cases against men in the country and shared that the figure for such cases is low.
“I am sure there are more cases, but these men do not report their problems. We are also worried about the psychological stress and abuse they faced, and if they don’t come forward, it is difficult to establish their cases,” she lamented.
Nancy revealed that since the establishment of the Waja Squad in 2021 until December 2022, there have been 328,558 members comprising 253,973 women (77.3 per cent) and 74,585 men (22.7 per cent).
“For Sarawak alone, there are 2,838 Waja Squad members consisting of 2,735 women and 103 men,” she said.
Deputy director-general of the Department of Women’s Development, Datin Izzatul Shima Mohd Thahir, was also in attendance. — DayakDaily
