KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 5 — The Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) recorded 5,862 domestic violence cases from January to September this year, indicating that the issue still requires serious attention and concerted action from various parties.
Women, Family, and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri said domestic violence cases in the country increased by 3.9 per cent to 7,391 cases in 2025, compared with 7,116 cases the previous year.
“Behind every one of these figures are individuals and families, including children, who need protection, support, and rehabilitation,” she said during the Symposium on Strengthening Policies to Address the Reality of Domestic Violence: Facing Challenges and Empowering Family Institutions today.
Nancy added that domestic violence not only involves physical injuries, but also includes emotional and psychological abuse, sexual violence, threats, confinement, or restriction of movement, property damage, and financial control.
Developments in digital technology have also given rise to new forms of violence, such as surveillance, harassment, and intimidation using technology, which could leave long-lasting emotional and psychological impacts on victims.
As such, the approach to address the issue should be comprehensive, encompassing prevention, early intervention, rehabilitation, and empowerment, rather than focusing solely on protection after an incident had occurred.
The National Family Compassion Policy (DKKN) 2026-2030 was launched in response to demographic changes, rising social risks, work-family imbalances, mental health issues, development in digital technology, and increasingly complex family dynamics.
In an effort to strengthen the protection ecosystem, the Women, Family, and Community Development Ministry (KPWKM) has implemented several initiatives, including the Wonderful Life programme by the Social Welfare Department, the Women’s Well-being Advocacy Programme @ Domestic Violence by the Women’s Development Department, as well as efforts to strengthen the WAJA Squad Volunteer Programme.
She said efforts to address domestic violence required the cooperation of all parties and should not be shouldered by a single agency.
“Domestic violence is a national issue; we need ecosystem synergy, a spirit of teamwork and collaboration across ministries, agencies, non-governmental organisations and all segments of society,” Nancy said.
The symposium served as a platform to gather views from stakeholders and survivors to identify challenges and formulate improvements to the support and protection mechanisms available to victims.
It is being held in two sessions: the first from today until tomorrow in Kuala Lumpur, and the second in mid-month in Kelantan.
