Nancy Shukri warns withholding money for basic needs can amount to domestic abuse, urges victims to seek help

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 27 — Being denied money for clothing, reprimanded over online purchases or forced to rely entirely on a partner for personal needs are among the situations that may constitute economic abuse within a household.

Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri said domestic violence extended beyond physical and emotional abuse to include economic control, which could affect a victim’s well-being and self-confidence.

She said this form of abuse warranted attention as it could occur in everyday situations, such as when a partner failed to provide money for basic family necessities or controlled personal spending, leaving the victim without financial autonomy.

“For example, a husband returns home expecting his wife to prepare a meal. If she is not working and has no money of her own, and he fails to provide funds for household necessities, how is she supposed to cook?

“Another example is when a wife wants to buy clothes but does not have the means to do so, leaving her unable to shop like other women. If she orders items online, she may end up being scolded by her husband. This is a common occurrence and has become a new challenge in life today,” she said during an appearance on Bernama TV’s Ruang Bicara programme here last night.

Nancy said such financial control could strip victims of the freedom to make decisions about their own needs, particularly if they had no income or access to funds.

According to her, police statistics showed an increase in domestic violence cases, from 5,507 in 2023 to 7,016 in 2024 and 7,391 in 2025, with 5,278 cases recorded from January to August this year.

“Domestic violence can take various forms and occur in different situations, but the challenge arises when victims choose to remain silent and do not seek help. In some cases, even after lodging a report, they later withdraw it out of fear,” she said.

In this regard, Nancy said the ministry provided various forms of support to help victims escape abusive situations and rebuild their lives, including counselling services, intervention measures and financial assistance to attend court proceedings if necessary.

She stressed that addressing domestic violence was also vital to protect children who witnessed abuse at home, as such experiences could influence how they viewed family relationships as they grew older.

“We do not want children who witness such behaviour to grow up and repeat it because they have come to view it as normal,” she said.

Nancy therefore urged the public not to treat domestic violence as merely a private family matter, but to report any known or suspected incidents by calling Talian Kasih at 15999 or sending a WhatsApp message to 019-2615999. — Bernama

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吉隆坡，10 月 27 日讯——被拒绝支付衣物费用、因网上购物而受到训斥或被迫完全依赖伴侣满足个人需求，这些情况都可能构成家庭内部的经济虐待。

妇女、家庭及社区发展部长拿督斯里南希·舒克里表示，家庭暴力不仅限于身体和情感虐待，还包括经济控制，这会影响受害者的身心健康和自信心。

她表示，这种虐待形式值得关注，因为它可能发生在日常生活中，例如伴侣未能提供家庭基本生活必需品的资金或控制个人支出，导致受害者失去经济自主权。

“例如，丈夫回家后希望妻子做饭。如果妻子没有工作，也没有自己的收入，而丈夫又不提供生活必需品，妻子怎么做饭呢？”

“另一个例子是，有些妻子想买衣服，但经济条件不允许，无法像其他女性一样购物。如果她网购，可能会被丈夫责骂。这种情况很常见，也成了当今生活面临的新挑战。”她昨晚在马新社电视台的《Ruang Bicara》节目中说道。

南希表示，这种财务控制可能会剥夺受害者自主决定自身需求的自由，尤其是当他们没有收入或无法获得资金的情况下。

据她称，警方统计数据显示，家庭暴力案件数量有所增加，从 2023 年的 5507 起增加到 2024 年的 7016 起和 2025 年的 7391 起，而今年 1 月至 8 月就记录了 5278 起案件。

“家庭暴力可以采取多种形式，发生在不同的情况下，但棘手之处在于受害者往往选择保持沉默，不寻求帮助。在某些情况下，即使报案后，他们也会因为恐惧而撤回报案，”她说道。

对此，南希表示，该部提供各种形式的支持，帮助受害者摆脱虐待环境，重建生活，包括咨询服务、干预措施以及在必要时提供经济援助以参加法庭诉讼。

她强调，解决家庭暴力问题对于保护目睹家庭虐待的儿童也至关重要，因为这些经历可能会影响他们长大后对家庭关系的看法。

“我们不希望目睹这种行为的孩子们长大后也效仿，因为他们会认为这是正常的，”她说。

因此，南希呼吁公众不要将家庭暴力视为私事，而应拨打15999联系Talian Kasih，或发送WhatsApp消息至019-2615999，举报任何已知或疑似的事件。——马新社

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