KUCHING, Feb 17 — The Waja Squad should serve as the eyes and ears within the community, especially in combating violence against women, said Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri.

She said that violence against women is a global issue, often concealed by victims due to fear and social pressure.

She noted that most cases are perpetrated by individuals known to the victims, such as husbands, ex-husbands or boyfriends, and many go unreported due to being considered family or personal issues.

"Therefore, the Waja Squad must be the eyes and ears of our friends and neighbours. We need to be on alert if we hear our next-door neighbours arguing, for example.

"Before this, we were advised not to poke our nose into other people’s affairs, but now we need to change this approach and extend our help to those in need,” she said in her speech at the Semarak Skuad Waja Sarawak Programme here today.

The Waja Squad is a volunteer initiative established by the Department of Women’s Development (JPW) to empower communities by providing psychosocial support and conducting outreach activities.

The programme covers various aspects such as welfare, leadership, safety and economy to raise awareness about crimes against women.

Since its inception in 2021 until December 2023, the Waja Squad has grown to include 329,221 members nationwide, with 2,919 members in Sarawak alone. — Bernama