PETALING JAYA, Aug 16 — Two recent domestic violence cases which went viral on social media have triggered nationwide outpourings of concern.

The Malay Mail spoke to leaders of organisations on the issue.

Women’s Aid Organisation (WAO) executive director Ivy Josiah said domestic violence was not a new phenomenon.

She said domestic violence was actually a form of “power assertion” by a man on a woman.

“If a husband believes he has the right to hurt his wife, it goes to show that he has no respect for women,” she said.

“We need to educate the younger generation on gender equality and that violence is not a way of wielding power.”

Josiah said early intervention was important in these cases.

“The perpetrator should seek counselling and the abused women and children must be given a safe place to stay,” she said.

Asean Federation for Psychiatry and Mental Health president Prof Dr Mohamad Hussain Habil said the notion that abusers suffered from mental illnesses was untrue.

“These are normal people with personality disorders and anger management issues,” he said.

He urged those going through marital problems to seek professional help and settle problems through legal means.

“What we see now is just the tip of the iceberg, as there are numerous cases which go unreported. This is where the authorities and policymakers should step in,” he said.

Malaysian Psychiatric Association founder Tan Sri M. Mahadevan said history usually repeated itself in domestic violence cases.

“When children are exposed to domestic abuse from a young age, they tend to emulate the violent behaviour when they become adults,” he said.

Mahadevan said families should ensure children were brought up in a congenial domestic atmosphere with proper values.

Wanita Umno chief Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil urged women victims of domestic violence to come forward and report their plight to the authorities.

She asked for immediate action and punishment against the two men involved in the recent incidents.

The Befrienders Kuala Lumpur, which offers counselling services to the public, said out of 5,331 cases it handled this year, 1,400 consisted of relationship problems.