The Implementation of Domestic Violence Laws in Malaysia: An Analysis

Abstract

Malaysia introduced the Domestic Violence Act (DVA) 1994 (Act 521) through the provisions: interim protection order, protection order, and emergency protection order. For this law to be enforced effectively, all relevant factors including the experiences of DV victims and the roles of those who handle such cases took into account. The objective of this article is to examine how the DVA is applied in Malaysia by using a qualitative method via face-to-face interviews within 12 key informants. The interviews were conducted based on interview protocols and analyzed using NVivo software. The study found that there were two gaps in the implementation of the DVA; the well-being and protection of the Authorized Welfare Officers and the details for subsection 7(c) of the DVA concern the definition of a residence that has not been clearly stated. Therefore, it is recommended that improvements be made to the current DVA, particularly to address the existing gap to protect DV victims and Authorized Welfare Officers managing the cases.