TASEK GELUGOR: A woman and her three children suffered in silence for years from abuse from a father who would beat them up for no apparent reason.
But the last straw came when he roughed up one of the children, leading to bleeding on his face.
That was when the 24-year-old woman decided to lodge a police report against her abusive husband.
Police then moved in and arrested the 35-year-old suspect, who is now out on police bail after a five-day detention.
Sungai Pinang assemblyman Lim Siew Khim said police have applied for an interim protection order for the woman and her children, who are now back in her hometown in Padang Serai, Kedah.
She said the woman and children had been sent to a hospital for a medical check-up.
The couple has been married for eight years and have three children aged three, five and six.
The family was staying in Tasek Gelugor, and the husband sold roast pork in Lunas, Kedah for a living.
Lim said the woman told her that her husband never behaved violently at the beginning of their marriage.
"The husband only started getting aggressive and became hot-tempered during her first pregnancy.
"The woman would get beaten up as well whenever she tried to shield the kids from physical abuse," said Lim, who learnt about the incident via Facebook.
Lim, who is also Penang "Wanita Jana Rezeki 2.0" adviser, said she had asked her special officer Yeap Poh Looi to buy some supplies for the family.
"We have also informed the Butterworth pusat perkhidmatan wanita (PPW) to keep tabs on the situation.
"The woman and her children will be provided with counselling as well," she said.
PPW is a collaboration between the Women's Centre for Change (WCC) and the Penang government to help women and children in crisis and to raise awareness on violence against women and sexual violence in the communities in Penang and other northern states.
Those in need of a kind ear can call Penang WCC at 011-310 84001 or 016-428 7265 or the Seberang Prai WCC or PPW at 016-439 0698 or 016-418 0342.
They can also send a WhatsApp to WCC at 016-448 0342 or email wcc@wccpenang.org.
Counselling is available in English, Malay, Mandarin and Tamil.
