EARLIER today, Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Rina Harun urged domestic violence victims to get a medical report from hospital on their condition should the police refuse to accept their reports.
“The medical report from the hospital can then be used so police cannot refuse to accept their report,” The Star reported her saying.
In the meantime, she stated that the Social Welfare Department would issue an Emergency Protection Order to separate the couple if there was abuse and discuss the matter with the Home Ministry.
However, her statement was ill-received by netizens and they took to social media to lash out at the Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) leader.
User Silvia Tan asked:
Echoing Tan’s sentiments, user Maran Chelliah added:
Netizen Johnny Ong retorted:
Serve the public
In Sept last year, Rina herself told the Dewan Rakyat that a total 9,015 police reports were lodged on domestic violence since the first movement control order (MCO) in 2020.
“For 2021, reports received for domestic violence cases from January to October are 4,905,” she was reported as saying then.
It is to note that when Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar took over as Inspector-General of Police in 2013, he told a media conference that the police have been instructed to accept any reports made regardless of its nature but stressed the authorities will decide on the next course of action.
However, it is unclear whether the directive has been amended since his retirement from office.
On that note, user Jai Gaanesh urged netizens to calm down and take ministers’ announcements with a “pinch of salt”.
However, user Tony Denos responded by saying: “Tell your public servants how to SERVE THE PUBLIC. STOP telling public how to serve these servants.” – March 29, 2022
