Penang: The Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development (KPWKM), through the Women's Development Department, is intensifying advocacy programmes aimed at strengthening awareness, protection, and support for women facing domestic violence.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, Deputy Women, Family and Community Development Minister Lim Hui Ying highlighted a key initiative, 'Advokasi Kesejahteraan untuk Wanita@Keganasan Rumah Tangga' or Aku Wanita@KRT, focusing on engaging communities on domestic violence issues. This programme seeks to inform women about available channels for help and reporting domestic violence cases. Despite an increase in reported cases, many incidents remain unreported due to family, emotional, and daily life pressures.
KPWKM has also established the Referral, Intervention, Support, Information, and Advocacy for Women (PRISMANita) centre as a one-stop facility to assist women facing issues such as domestic violence. The programme, attended by 400 participants, also included KPWKM deputy secretary-general (Strategic) Mohd Daud Mohd Arif and Women's Development Department director-general Hanani Sapit.
Lim stated that the government is committed to addressing domestic violence through legal reforms, policy implementation, and mechanisms such as the Domestic Violence Committee. These efforts align with international frameworks like the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) and the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda.
Statistics from the Royal Malaysia Police revealed 7,391 domestic violence cases last year, up from 7,116 cases in 2024. A total of 1,955 cases were reported nationwide up to March this year, including 347 cases in Penang. Lim described the rise in cases as a sign that domestic violence remains a pressing issue needing sustained attention and collective action.
She emphasized that prevention efforts, early intervention, and support systems for victims must be strengthened, alongside broader advocacy initiatives to ensure that prevention and protection messages reach more communities effectively. The Aku Wanita@KRT programme also aims to increase public awareness, especially among women, about modern and complex forms of violence, encouraging reporting of abuse and supporting survivors.
Lim noted that the 'K-Chat' psychological intervention session was introduced as a group support platform involving survivors, counsellors, and trained facilitators to help participants manage the emotional, psychological, and social impact of violence. The programme was implemented in Sabah, Terengganu, Perak, and Johor in 2025, involving 1,971 participants and 78 survivors, before expanding nationwide following positive public response.