Bad temper No. 1 cause of domestic violence
KUALA LUMPUR: Bad temper, or failure to manage anger, has been identified as the main cause of domestic violence in Malaysia, with the victims being women in an overwhelming majority of cases.
Deputy Women, Family and Community Development Minister Hannah Yeoh said based on research, 71 cases of bad temper were recorded this year involving women as victims, while 14 involved men.
She said misunderstanding over many issues was the second largest factor that contributed to domestic violence, with 48 cases involving women victims.
The research also identified drug addiction as the third factor, involving about 43 cases with women victims and one for men.
“The National Population and Family Development Board has started to look at online courses to find out how these victims can get help.
“For example, bad temper is common in a household.
“However, many have no idea where to seek help,” she said at the Dewan Rakyat here yesterday.
Yeoh was replying to an additional question from Datuk Noraini Ahmad (BN-Parit Sulong) on ways the government could adopt to encourage victims of domestic violence to get help, as most of them prefer to suffer in silence.
Based on observation and research, Yeoh agreed most victims chose to keep quiet to save the marriage and to protect the kids’ wellbeing.
She also said the government was committed to ensuring the victims were comfortable to report violence if it were to happen to them or their family members.
“There is a suggestion by the Women’s Aid Organisation (WAO) to amend the existing act to ensure that family members are automatically listed as victims when an interim protection order or emergency protection order is issued.
“Therefore, if a mother or a child is abused, WAO has suggested that we protect all family members. Another suggestion is to remove the abuser from the household.
“This (suggestion) would be considered in the special committee to tackle domestic violence cases.
“It would be chaired by the ministry’s Deputy SecretaryGeneral (strategic) Dr Hishamuddin Mohd Hashim.”
Responding to a question from Natrah Ismail (PH-Sekijang), who requested statistics of domestic violence victims nationwide, Yeoh said 340 cases involving 316 women victims and 24 men had been reported to the Social Welfare Department as at June.
The state that recorded the highest incidence of domestic violence was Selangor with 91 cases, or 27 per cent, followed by Pahang (56 cases, or 16 per cent) and Kedah (34 cases, or 10 per cent).