Domestic violence victims can seek emergency protection order without police report

KUALA LUMPUR: Victims of domestic violence can obtain an Emergency Protection Order (EPO) from the Welfare Department without first lodging a police report, Deputy Women, Family and Community Development Minister Lim Hui Ying said.

She said the EPO was one of three forms of legal protection available to victims, alongside the Interim Protection Order (IPO) and Protection Order (PO), which are issued by the courts and require a police report.

"The Women, Family and Community Development Ministry emphasises four key approaches to addressing domestic violence: prevention, protection, intervention and rehabilitation.

"To strengthen the family institution, our programmes emphasise prevention. Subsequently, when an incident occurs, we focus on protection. We must have intervention measures in place, and another vital aspect is rehabilitation," she said during the 'Kasih Lensa Keluarga' podcast titled 'With Love, Violence Ends!' (Dengan Kasih, Keganasan Terhenti!), which was broadcast live on Bernama TV yesterday.

Lim said rehabilitation was essential to ensure victims who had escaped domestic violence could rebuild their lives and become self-reliant.

She said domestic violence was not the way to resolve family conflicts. Instead, issues should be addressed through communication, mutual respect and open discussion.

"If violence or a threat to safety occurs, victims must seek help," she said.

Meanwhile, Lim said the ministry was collaborating with the police, government agencies, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and the community to address the issue through a committee focused on data, education, capacity building and protection.

She said the community, including families and neighbours, must also play a role.

"Neighbours and family members need to shift their mindset and realise that this is not a matter of interfering in other people's family affairs. Domestic violence is a crime; therefore, we can lodge a report," she said.

The 24-hour Talian Kasih 15999 hotline serves as a channel for the public to lodge reports and seek advice and psychosocial counselling services, with complaints referred to the Welfare Department.