Amendment of the Domestic Violence Act 1994 is at final stage, Women, Family and Community Development Minister Shahrizat Abd Jalil said today.

   

NONE She said the amendment aimed at improving the act would address violence against women and protect them against discriminatory elements.

   

"The ministry is always sensitive and considers current need when dealing  with this issue," she said in reply to a question by Senator SJ Usha Nandini in Dewan Negara.

   

Nandini asked whether existing laws were adequate to protect women or the ministry wanted to amend them.

   

The amendment involves expanding definition of domestic violence to include emotional injury and mental torture or pyschology to facilitate application of interim protection order (IPO).

   

Shahrizat said IPOs could be filed in another district and that three tries should be made to deliver copies to offenders.

   

The ministry also held law literacy and understanding programmes on women's rights to protect them under the law.

   

To a question by Senator Akbar Ali on cases of abuse involving women staff in security agencies, she said they never existed.

- Bernama