Amend marriage laws, DAP urges Zahid

Kulai MP Teo Nie Ching has urged Home Affairs Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi to amend marriage laws to ensure that in the case of divorce, both spouses remain responsible for a child’s education past the age of 18.

In a press statement today, Teo, who is also the DAP’s assistant national publicity secretary, said that the law reform was urgently needed to ensure the welfare of all Malaysian children.

“The DAP urges the home affairs minister to review and amend Section 95 of the Law Reform (Marriage & Divorce) Act immediately.

“This is to ensure the welfare of the children of non-Muslim divorced parents, and I believe all BN and Pakatan members of Parliament will support the amendment wholeheartedly,” she said.

Section 95 of the Law Reform (Marriage & Divorce) Act 1976 states that the financial responsibility of a parent in the case of divorce expires when the child turns 18.

Teo’s comments came as she applauded a recent decision by the Syariah High Court in Kuala Lumpur, where Justice Azzeman Omar ruled that it was necessary for the father to continue paying his child’s education, saying that “failure to do so can be considered a sin”.

Teo said that the obligation to maintain their children into adulthood should apply equally to Muslim and non-Muslim spouses and that the current laws should be amended to reflect this.

“The current provision of Section 95 has caused millions of non-Muslim spouses and children to suffer injustice, especially as the age of 18 heralds the beginning of heavier educational expenses for children who enter pre-university classes and thereafter university courses,” Teo added.