The proposed Domestic Violence (Amendments) Act 2017 in Malaysia puts victims’ safety at forefront

Women who experience domestic violence need to lodge a police report and obtain protection not only to seek justice but also to make the Government sit up and take notice of the severity of the problem. Photo: Women’s Centre For Change

The proposed Domestic Violence (Amendment) Act 2017 – slated for its second and third reading in Parliament on July 24 – will offer victims of domestic abuse more protection, a measure which the Women, Family And Community Development Ministry in Malaysia and women’s rights groups have been pushing for since 2013.

The new bill is more progressive and addresses the grave and insidious nature of domestic abuse. “We are pushing for the bill to go through soon and are confident that it will. Police statistics show that domestic violence is on the increase, with 15,617 reported cases between 2014 and 2016. On a positive note, this shows that more victims are coming forward to report such abuse.