Rights group: Punish domestic violence under specific provisions

comments     Yap Mun Ching     Published     Updated

A signature drive is underway to petition the government to amend the Domestic Violence Act 1994, so that offences can be prosecuted under a new and specific section of the Penal Code with corresponding criminal procedures.

This is among five areas of legal and policy reform being advocated by the Women's Aid Organisation (WAO), which launched its signature campaign this morning as part of its "Stop violence against women" initiative.

Law reform officer Wathshlah Naidu said a domestic violence offence should be viewed as a separate crime rather than be prosecuted as one of "causing grievous hurt" since such incidents tend to be repeated over long periods of time.

Youth and Sports Minister Hishammuddin Hussein launched the campaign, adding his signature to an enlarged mock-up of the petition form.

All signatures gathered will be forwarded to the Home Ministry, the National Unity and Social Development Ministry, the Women and Family Development Ministry and to de facto Law Minister Dr Rais Yatim.

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