PUTRAJAYA: The Domestic Violence Act 1994 (Act 152) will be amended and tabled in Parliament early next year to address wider issues of violence concerning the public.
Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Rohani Abdul Karim said the ministry has over the past three years, conducted engagements with various stakeholders including civil societies, legal experts, women associations and non-governmental associations (NGOs) to finalise details on the Act.
She said the amendment is crucial to suit the current situation concerning domestic violence in the country.
“We want to address new types of violence and amend deterrents currently in the Act. The amended Act should prevent crime from happening as the current Act is only confined to domestic violence.
“The amended Act should be able to encompass violence involving not just spouses, but also lovers. We are also looking to include ‘stalking’ as among the items covered in the Act ," she told reporters after chairing the National Women and Family Development council meeting earlier.
Rohani said violence against the elderly has also been on the rise, with people above the age of 60 facing abuse.
“At the age of 60, all people want is to be loved and cared for, not abused. We hope to address this in the amendment as well," she added.
She said the number domestic violence cases recorded in last four years stood at 488 (2013), 707 (2014), 667 (2015) and 424 cases up to last June.