Women's Aid Organisation (WAO) is joining forces with the Petaling Jaya police district headquarters and Social Welfare Department to check domestic violence by raising public awareness about it.

The non-governmental organisation today unveiled posters captioned 'Abolish domestic violence' and 'Domestic violence is crime', and handed these over to the PJ police to be placed at 12 stations.

Present were WAO president Meera Samanther and executive director Ivy Josiah, PJ district assistant chief police Araffin Bakar AB Rahaman and all chief officers of the police stations involved.

Meera said the WAO plans to place the posters in other strategic places such as hospitals and welfare offices, to get the message across to the public and to inform survivors about ways to seek help.

Debunking myths

Josiah said WAO has assisted more than 100 domestic violence survivors looking for shelter to date, and that the group also provides telephone counselling to some 1,200 callers annually.

According to Bukit Aman statistics, police received 3,107 domestic violence reports last year and 3,468 in 2000.

"These did not only affect those in the lower income group ... such cases have also occurred in middle class families," Josiah said at a press conference after the ceremony.

Debunking another myth, she said such cases did not necessarily involve physical violence alone, but also psychological violence.

Josiah said the public should undertake to act on any incidence of domestic violence by lodging a police report, and not leave this to survivors although WAO has always encouraged survivors to make an official complaint.

Dialogue with police

WAO is also working with the police to amend the Penal Code as some provisions now do not provide sufficient protection for domestic violence complainants, said Josiah.

The NGO held a dialogue with the police last month on improving procedures on handling domestic violence survivors, particularly in ensuring that they get immediate protection and receive sensitive handling.

The idea to launch the publicity posters came out of the discussions, Josiah said.

Meanwhile, PJ district assistant chief of police Araffin Bakar AB Rahaman said the police were always ready to co-operate with WAO in handling cases of domestic violence.

"We start investigating whenever a complaint is lodged. We can handle each case separately and specifically," he said.

'No' to 'domestic terrorism'

In a speech earlier, social worker Shoba Aiyar said that, by working closely with police, the WAO would find it easier to provide information to complainants on what to do and who to see. This would relieve the stress they face.

Shoba, who has worked with WAO for eight years, said the public should be informed that domestic violence is a crime that must be eliminated.

"When it is (deemed) a crime, legal remedies can be obtained and hopefully violence can be stopped," she said.

"Today (Sept 11) is a historic day, (reminding us that) international terrorism is not tolerated. We take this opportunity to condemn 'domestic terrorism' so that there is peace and harmony in families and every individual member remembers to love and respect each one in the family," she added.

WAO was established in 1982 to promote equal rights for women and work towards the elimination of discrimination against women; and bring about equality between women and men.