How Talian Kasih turns distress calls into action

The 24-hour hotline, operated by the women, family and community development ministry, handles thousands of calls every month involving abuse, neglect and emotional distress.

PETALING JAYA: When someone calls 15999, trained officers from Talian Kasih (15999) are there to pick up the phone — ready to assess the situation and connect the caller to the help she needs.

The 24-hour hotline, operated by the women, family and community development ministry, handles thousands of calls every month involving abuse, neglect, and emotional distress.

Each case triggers a coordinated response involving welfare officers, counsellors and, when needed, the police or hospitals.

Rozilah Katan, the ministry’s head of corporate communications, said the process begins as soon as a call or message is received.

“The call agent determines whether the call or message received is a complaint or just an inquiry. For inquiries, the agent provides the necessary information through a phone call, WhatsApp or the mobile application.

“For complaints, the agent records the victim’s details, address, location and other information before forwarding the report to the nearest district welfare office for further action on the same day.”

Rozilah said the welfare department’s investigations are based on established procedures, and officers must submit feedback within 14 days for record and monitoring.

“Agents assess and prioritise every call through a screening and risk assessment process. Calls involving emergencies such as child abuse or domestic violence are given immediate attention and referred to relevant agencies such as the welfare department or the police for prompt action,” she said.

“Special protocols are used to ensure the victim’s safety, confidentiality and follow-up monitoring according to established SOPs.”

All calls are handled by trained officers who have completed courses in counselling, crisis management and abuse-response procedures.

“Talian Kasih is not just a hotline. It serves as an early intervention channel followed by subsequent actions,” Rozilah said.

“Each report is referred to the welfare department for field investigation and intervention. Officers will conduct home visits, case assessment and provide appropriate assistance such as protection, welfare aid or counselling.”

All reports are logged in the Talian Kasih system, which tracks each case until follow-up actions are completed, with continuous monitoring until the victim receives appropriate assistance.

“For high-risk cases such as domestic violence, physical or sexual abuse or child neglect, agents activate the Immediate Referral SOP by notifying the relevant agencies.

“Victims receive immediate intervention, including safe temporary placement, psychosocial support, counselling and follow-up monitoring.”

Between May and September this year, Talian Kasih received 13,243 requests for welfare aid, 11,192 counselling-related calls and 3,041 child-related complaints.

“The trend reflects growing community needs for psychosocial and welfare support, particularly among vulnerable groups such as women, children and the elderly,” Rozilah said.

In an interview with FMT, women, family and community development minister Nancy Shukri said most calls come from the ministry’s focus groups — women, children, persons with disabilities and the elderly.

She said callers often seek help to apply for or track welfare aid, while others report abuse involving children or elderly family members.

“From women, we receive a lot of calls about domestic violence and welfare assistance. People also ask about what programmes are available and what we can do to help them,” she said.

“Children are being abused emotionally or physically, and we also see elderly people being left behind or becoming homeless,” she said.

Nancy said the rise in the number of calls shows that more people are aware and willing to seek help, adding that more Malaysians are stepping up to report cases on behalf of others.

“That is what we want — to empower the community so that people care about each other.

“Sometimes people feel nobody cares about them, and that’s when depression starts. Through our ‘Awak OK Tak?’ campaign, we show that we do care, especially for those who feel unseen,” she added.

In an effort to normalise conversations around emotional well-being, her ministry introduced the “Awak OK Tak?” campaign on Oct 12, 2025.

She said the campaign, alongside Talian Kasih, ensures that women, children, persons with disabilities and the elderly are heard and protected.

“These are among the issues we receive through 15999, and we channel them to the right professionals.

“When someone calls 15999, we make sure the help doesn’t stop at the phone line. It’s our responsibility to see it through,” Nancy added.