MIRI: The number of divorces and households facing serious problems has risen to "worrying levels", according to the Malaysian Institute of Integrity (IIM).

Its director (political sector) Anis Yusal Yusoff said that data collected by the institute found that there were about 3,000 reported cases of households with domestic problems yearly.

He said the number of divorces reported annually against marriages was high such as in 2005 where there were 163,828 marriages against 21,016 divorces.

"These high figures are cause for worry as they threaten the integrity of the family system," he said.

Speaking at a state-level seminar on integrity for local councils in Sarawak here, Anis said the issue of integrity was something very important - not just for the government sector or public organisations but also for the family and community in general.

He stressed that integrity should be a virtue of life, not just a principle for the Government to uphold.