Police recorded 7,391 domestic violence cases nationwide in 2025. The figure was 7,116 in 2024, 5,507 in 2023, and 6,540 in 2022. 

Are more Malaysians experiencing domestic violence? Or are more victims reporting incidents that previously stayed hidden? This distinction determines whether the country needs more shelters or more awareness campaigns — and it cannot be resolved by police statistics alone.

What the Numbers Actually Measure

The figures represent cases reported to and recorded by the police. They are not a census of every incident of domestic violence occurring in the country. They are a measure of what victims choose to bring forward, what authorities choose to record, and what the system is capable of capturing.

The Women, Family and Community Development Ministry has acknowledged that many cases go unreported. Fear of retaliation, threats from abusers, financial dependence, and a lack of safe shelter prevent victims from coming forward. Some withdraw complaints after reconciling with their partners. Others never file a report at all.

This means an increase in reported cases could reflect several different realities. There may be more violence. There may be greater awareness of what constitutes abuse. There may be improved access to assistance, a stronger willingness to report, or more effective identification by authorities. The numbers alone cannot tell us which explanation is correct.

The 2023 Dip

The 2023 figure offers a useful caution against reading the trend too simply.

Reported cases fell from 6,540 in 2022 to 5,507 in 2023 — a decline of more than 1,000 cases. Then they rose sharply to 7,116 in 2024 and 7,391 in 2025. If reported cases were a direct measure of prevalence, this would suggest that domestic violence decreased significantly in 2023 and then surged in the two years that followed.

It is also possible that reporting behaviour changed. The pandemic years saw heightened awareness of domestic violence, with lockdowns trapping victims with their abusers and public campaigns drawing attention to the issue. As restrictions lifted and normal life resumed, reporting patterns may have shifted. The 2023 dip may reflect a return to baseline rather than a genuine reduction in violence.

What Population Surveys Would Tell Us

The most reliable way to measure the true prevalence of domestic violence is not through police reports. It is through regular, anonymous, population-based surveys that ask people whether they have experienced physical, psychological, sexual, or economic abuse — regardless of whether they reported it to authorities.

Such surveys are conducted in other countries. They provide a more accurate picture of what is happening behind closed doors, and they allow researchers to track changes over time. They also capture the experiences of victims who never interact with the police, the courts, or social services.

Malaysia does not currently conduct such surveys on a regular basis. Until it does, the country will continue to rely on reported cases as a proxy — and continue to mistake reporting trends for prevalence trends.

The Abuse We Don't See

The issue is also broader than physical assault. Domestic violence includes threats, humiliation, intimidation, controlling a person's movements and relationships, financial control, and other forms of psychological abuse. The increasing use of digital technology has created new methods of control — monitoring a partner's messages, tracking their location, restricting their access to money or transport.

In many cases, violence does not begin with a physical attack. It begins with behaviour that appears less serious — excessive control, insults, threats, or financial restrictions — and gradually escalates. By the time a victim seeks help, the abuse may have been ongoing for years.

This suggests that prevention must start earlier. Young people should be taught that disagreements in relationships are normal, but intimidation, threats, and violence are not acceptable ways of resolving them. Relationship education could cover communication, anger management, financial responsibility, respect for personal boundaries, and recognition of early warning signs.

Healthcare workers, counsellors, teachers, and community organisations could also be trained to recognise these signs and provide information about available assistance before a situation escalates.

The Male Victims

Of the 7,391 cases reported in 2025, 1,961 involved male victims — approximately 26 percent. Domestic violence should not be viewed solely through the lens of gender. Women remain disproportionately affected by many forms of severe violence, but every victim deserves access to protection and support.

The perception that domestic violence is exclusively a women's issue can discourage male victims from reporting. It can also limit the services available to them. A more comprehensive approach would acknowledge that abuse affects people of all genders, while recognising that the patterns and severity of violence are not identical.

What Comes Next

The immediate priorities are twofold.

First, make it easier and safer for victims to report abuse. That means ensuring that protection orders are accessible, that shelters are adequately funded, that frontline responders are trained, and that victims are not deterred by bureaucratic hurdles or fear of retaliation.

Second, find out how much violence remains hidden. That means investing in population-based surveys, tracking prevalence over time, and using that data to inform policy. The establishment of PRISMAnita as a one-stop intermediary for referral, intervention, support, information, and advocacy is a positive development. But its effectiveness should be measured by whether victims can obtain timely protection and appropriate assistance — not simply by the number of people who use the service.

An increase in reported cases should not automatically be interpreted as proof that society is becoming more violent. It may partly mean that victims are becoming more willing to speak up. That would be a sign of progress.

But if the underlying level of violence is also increasing, we need to know that too. Better data would allow authorities to answer the most important question: are we seeing more reports, more violence, or both?

Until then, Malaysia is managing a crisis it cannot fully see.