Govt proposes divorce, alimony be decided together

 

Ismail Sabri Yaakob said the government has also proposed alimony payment direct deductions for civil servants. (Bernama pic)

KUALA LUMPUR: The government has proposed that shariah court judges deliver divorce and alimony decisions simultaneously, Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob said.

He said this would prevent issues from being dragged too long to the point that ex-wives and the children were victimised.

“Right now, after the divorce has been finalised, the case is brought up only later to hear alimony issues. Sometimes, this takes time.

“And that is why we have proposed that both divorce and alimony to be decided simultaneously, and this will allow all processes involving alimony to be expedited,” he told a media conference at the Parliament building today.

Earlier, Ismail held a meeting with representatives of the Malaysian Syariah Lawyers Association (PGSM) to discuss issues involving shariah laws.

The prime minister said the government had also proposed alimony payment direct deductions for civil servants based on decisions made by the court.

He said courts could take action against employers for contempt if they declined direct deduction from salaries for alimony payments.

“As announced during the Umno general assembly recently, the (bank) accounts of ex-husbands will be frozen for direct (alimony) payments to be made to the ex-wife and children.

“We are also proposing that shariah courts act sternly against ex-husbands who defy court decisions, and that a contempt order is issued so that further legal action can be taken against them,” he said.

In view of this, Ismail said he would hold talks with the finance ministry and Bank Negara to direct banks to act on alimony payments as decided by the shariah courts.

Meanwhile, Ismail also announced the establishment of the Syariah Legal Aid Centre (Bagus), which aimed to ensure that Muslims in the country, especially the B40 group, had better access to seek justice, especially in shariah courts.

He said the centre would provide two basic services – free legal advice to the Muslim community on the claims process and procedures in the shariah court, and free legal aid for those making claims at minimum cost, which would be funded by the government.

“We want to ensure each mother or ex-wife is legally represented for them to receive the justice they deserve. And for that, I have approved a RM5 million allocation to kick off operations,” he said.

For a start, Bagus would be based at the Federal Territory Syariah Court in Kuala Lumpur before expanding nationwide. - FMT