PETALING JAYA: While the Domestic Violence Act 1994 already addresses domestic violence, Datuk Seri Dr Noraini Ahmad states that Putrajaya is working to enhance protections specifically for Intimate Partner Violence (IPV).
“Currently, the ministry’s effort to tackle incidents of violence is limited to domestic violence through the enforcement of (the) Domestic Violence Act 1994 (amended in 2017) which provides protection to victims of domestic violence,” the Women, Family and Community Development Deputy Minister told The Star.“However, the government is strengthening our effort to expand the protection to also include protection for Intimate Partner Violence,” she added.
Noraini explained that Section 507A of the Penal Code, which criminalises stalking, is part of these efforts.
She noted that the Anti-Stalking law, which has already been enforced, could help prevent stalking, which has the potential to escalate into violence.
“The Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development is deeply concerned about the new analysis from the World Health Organisation (WHO) published in the Lancet Child & Adolescent Health regarding IPV on adolescent girls,” she said.
“In Malaysia, although the specific data on the adolescent category may not be available as in some other countries, the National Health and Morbidity Survey (NHMS) 2022 indicates that 7.1% of women of reproductive age (ages 15-49) in Malaysia have experienced some form of violence from their intimate partners in their lifetime.
“This includes emotional, physical, and sexual violence, as well as controlling behaviour of the partners,” said Noraini.
According to the NHMS 2022 on Maternal and Child Health, nearly 500,000 women in Malaysia have experienced violence from their partners.
IPV refers to behaviour by an intimate partner or ex-partner which causes physical, sexual, or psychological harm, including physical aggression, sexual coercion, psychological abuse, and controlling behaviour.
Noraini highlighted that partner violence can profoundly affect adolescents, harming their health, education, and future relationships.
“We urge everyone, especially parents, to report any instances of violence or seek assistance from the authorities if they notice their children are victims of such acts,” she said.
The ministry has implemented various interventions to tackle this issue, she noted, with these efforts extending to all segments of society, including adolescent girls.These include support services, counselling through the emergency helpline “Talian Kasih 15999”, and the establishment of a One-Stop Social Support Centre (PSSS), which allows victims and the public to enquire, file complaints, and access necessary information, advice, and counselling services.
The ministry has also implemented several other interventions, including psychosocial programmes and community engagements through the Waja Squad, skills and capacity development for authorities to improve service delivery to victims, and promotional activities to raise awareness about available services for victims.
The ministry, through the National Population and Family Development Board (LPPKN), has also implemented Sexual and Reproductive Health Education (SRHE) through its Pekerti Programme, which is guided by the National Policy and Plan of Action on Reproductive Health and Social Education 2022–2025.
“In 2017, specific SRHE Modules for Boys were developed to instil values of responsibility and mutual respect among male adolescents while addressing gender roles to counteract cultural beliefs that may contribute to gender- based violence,” she said.
Noraini added that while the LPPKN currently lacks survey data on adolescent violence, the Sixth Malaysian Population and Family Survey (KPKM), set to conclude data collection by December this year, includes questionnaires addressing this issue.
These questions cover various aspects of adolescent physical, sexual and psychological violence.
