Siti Kamsiah suggests pre-marital counselling to help air out issues
PETALING JAYA: Pre-marital counselling for couples can help address issues such as domestic violence, dynamics of marriage and even mitigate crisis.
Bukit Aman’s Sexual, Women and Child Investigation Division D11 principal assistant director Senior Asst Comm Siti Kamsiah Hassan (pic), who disclosed this, suggested that counselling be spread across several phases until the couples reach stability.
She said the police would fully back a proposal requiring couples to undergo a pre-marriage course.
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“There is a need to understand the law and the rights of spouses, as well as to talk about finances from the very beginning.
“From our observation, there is also a need for a check-and-balance post-marriage, perhaps two or three years down the line because of all the added responsibilities, especially with children in the picture.
“This is because you only find out the true colours of people post-marriage, so having continuous guidance or counselling until the marriage is stable will be helpful,” she told The Star.
SAC Siti Kamsiah said this could be handled by an agency to help couples strengthen the family bond during their testing times.
She said oftentimes, domestic violence was not a sudden one-off thing, adding that creating early awareness on the issue was important.
She said the community could also play a role to prevent incidents and provide resources for victims to seek help, legal assistance and job opportunities.
“If victims are aware of their rights at an early stage, they can seek counselling or medical assistance.
“Advocacy and awareness cannot be just on the surface because many victims don’t know where to go after filing a report due to their dependency on the perpetrator, especially financially.
“There is a need for a concerted effort by the government, agencies and NGOs for a more holistic outcome for the victims.”
SAC Siti Kamsiah had previously revealed that the top causes of domestic violence included misunderstanding with 30.8% cases in 2024, followed by anger (19.41%), financial constraints (11.59%) and drugs (11.59%).
However, she said that almost 70% of domestic violence cases stemming from these causes could be traced back to the economic factor.
On Wednesday, Deputy Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Dr Noraini Ahmad said a total of 2,467 cases of domestic violence were recorded nationwide from January to April this year.
She said studies showed that housewives were the largest group of such victims.
Those seeking help, or knowing of victims of domestic violence, may contact the police or call Talian Kasih at 15999/WhatsApp 019-251 5999.
