Welfare officers to be empowered to issue emergency protection orders

Minister Rohani Abdul Karim says the EPOs will provide immediate protection to victims of domestic violence.

PUTRAJAYA: Some 1,600 Welfare Department (JKM) officers will be empowered to issue emergency protection orders (EPOs) to provide immediate protection to victims of domestic violence, said Women, Family and Community Development Minister Rohani Abdul Karim.

She said it was among five reforms included in the Domestic Violence (Amendment) Bill 2017, which is expected to be tabled for the second and third readings in the Dewan Rakyat at the next Parliament sitting.

Through the amendment, she said authorised officers would be empowered by the JKM director-general to issue ex-parte temporary orders effective for one week to protect domestic violence victims during emergency situations.

“All JKM officers are in the midst of undergoing or have undergone the relevant course.

“The ministry wants all JKM officers in the field to be well-trained,” she told reporters at a briefing session on the Domestic Violence (Amendment) Bill 2017 to media practitioners here today.

She said the EPOs would provide protection to domestic violence victims by preventing the perpetrator from hurting the victim or inciting others to commit domestic violence. They would also prevent the perpetrator from entering a safe place, shelter, residence, joint residence or alternative residence.

Rohani said the amendment to the bill was to beef up the protection of victims and restore the family institution.

At present, victims can only obtain an interim protection order (IPO) and protection order from the court, but many complaints against domestic violence occur during the weekends when they cannot get the order immediately as the court is not in session then, she said.

She said the EPOs would be effective for a period of one week and if the perpetrator committed violence against the protected person, he could be liable to a fine of RM4,000 or jail of not more than one year or both.

Action can also be taken against those found to have given false evidence under Section 181 of the Penal Code.

Rohani said victims of domestic violence could get EPOs directly from the department’s offices or contact the 24-hour Nur line.

Police statistics from 2014 to 2016 revealed that 15,617 cases of domestic violence were reported in the country, 26% of which had male victims. -FMT

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