KUALA LUMPUR: A study should be conducted before any amendments to the Domestic Violence Act 1994 (Act 521) as there could be many overlapping laws that come into play when dealing with violence, says Nancy Shukri.
The Women, Family and Community Development Minister said there were other laws that could be a point of reference for victims of violence involving not just what happened inside the homes but also outside.
"We have to study the need for amendment because there are other laws that may have more or less similar content that victims can refer to. So it is important to ensure that the content of the act remains relevant and does not conflict with the provisions of other existing laws," she said.
She said this after launching the Zero Tolerance for Violence Programme: Say No To Sexual Harassment here on Tuesday (May 19).
Although Act 521 is not entirely under the jurisdiction of the ministry, they will continue to work closely with relevant parties to provide input on each amendment process.
Meanwhile, Nancy emphasised the importance of reinforcing the family institution in instilling good values to curb the culture of violence from the early stages.
"We need to teach these values to our family members. Maybe there are people at home who do not teach their children so that they have the courage to speak up," she said.
She added that through advocacy, they told women and children not to be afraid because they had their rights.
Additionally, she said it was also important to listen to children as many might not have the courage to speak about the violence or abuse being perpetrated against them.
She said many children felt afraid of not being trusted and taken seriously.
"We need to teach these children. We also need to give them their rights. Our ecosystem needs to be complete," she said.
Previously, Nancy said there were 5507 cases of domestic violence recorded in 2023, rising to 7116 in 2024 and 7391 in 2025. Act 521 was last amended in 2017.
