Expedite social work profession bill, says activist

 

The social welfare department recorded 4,924 cases of domestic violence in 2023.

PETALING JAYA: An activist has urged the government to expedite the tabling of a social work profession bill in Parliament to strengthen the social welfare department’s (JKM) handling of domestic abuse cases.

Malaysian Association of Social Workers life member Vijayakumari Pillai told FMT activists have been pushing for the bill – originally drafted in 2010 – to be tabled in Parliament, but to no avail.

She said the department does not have enough qualified social workers to handle the volume of domestic abuse cases it presently receives.

The bill aims to formally recognise the profession by establishing a council, which would be responsible for regulating social workers through professional registration and certification. The council will also set practical and educational standards, and encourage professional development.

“JKM is (not sufficiently) equipped with trained social workers to handle domestic violence cases, let alone child protection cases,” said the department’s former assistant director.

She called on women, family and community development minister Nancy Shukri to go out on the field to see first-hand the “sorry state of affairs in the department”.

Vijayakumari said the department, which falls under the ministry, needs to employ more graduates in social work to deal with cases, as done in many countries, and not some “assortment of graduates in unrelated fields” with less than a month’s training.

The minister was reported recently as saying that the authorities had recorded 4,924 domestic violence cases last year, with anger (1,406 cases) being the main cause.

This compares with 5,131 and 4,272 cases recorded in 2021 and 2022 respectively, largely fuelled by drug addiction.

However, Vijayakumari believes the data may represent only the tip of the iceberg. She said many victims do not lodge a report due to a variety of reasons, especially to preserve marriage, protect children and due to a lack of financial independence if a divorce were to follow.

“Going for divorce and custody is expensive due to legal fees, while using the government’s legal aid route takes too long. So if you are not wealthy, you will have a tough time as you do not have financial resources,” she said.

Meanwhile, All Women’s Action Society (Awam) senior information and communications officer Amanda Shweeta Louis told FMT financial stress, exacerbated by the lasting effect of the Covid-19 pandemic, may result in a spouse’s loss of temper.

“Economic instability such as job loss, debt or financial instability can create a sense of powerlessness and frustration, leading to increased irritability and anger.

“The existing pressure to conform to traditional gender roles to be the provider of the family can exacerbate those feelings, leading to aggressive behaviour as a means of asserting control,” she said.

Additionally, she said, men are often forced to suppress their emotions, which may result in an inability to express themselves in healthy ways.

She urged women who are in an abusive relationship to contact civil society organisations such as Awam or the Women’s Aid Organisation for free legal information and counselling services.

She said, in appropriate cases, victims will also be given temporary shelter. - FMT