A whopping 31,685 rape cases, 42,449 domestic violence cases and 24,939 cases involving outrage of modesty were reported from 2000 to 2013, according to the Penang Women's Development Corporation (PWDC).

Based on the statistics issued by the Penang Women Centre for Change, an average 3,000 rapes were reported in Malaysia each year with only two of 10 cases reported, PWDC board of directors member Yap Soo Huey said.

"In other words, a girl or woman is being raped every 35 minutes somewhere in Malaysia. Most of the rape cases involved victims below 16 years old.

"In 2013, the number of cases involving minors was as high as 2,111 cases," Yap said in her speech at the closing of the 2015 Penang Goes Orange Campaign by Deputy Chief Minister I Mohd Rashid Hasnon in George Town yesterday.

The campaign, organised by PWDC since Nov 6, is aimed at boosting awareness of violence against women and encouraging gender equality.

According to the Home Ministry, 28,741 rape cases were reported from 2005 to 2014 with 16 percent of the cases (4,514 cases) taken to court, from which 2.7 percent (765 cases) were found guilty, Yap added.

- Bernama