The head of Selangor’s Syariah courts said that Muslim men who go against the court’s orders to pay alimony support to their ex-wives may face prison time, or have their salaries withheld.
Chief Judge Dr Mohd Na’im Mokhtar said that while that may be the position of the Selangor Syariah Judiciary Department, the actual enforcement of such penalties would have to be carried out by its Family Support Division (BSK).
“Since its establishment, BSK has helped many women and children to receive their rightful financial support. Each time the court orders a man to pay alimony, the division will monitor him to ensure that he fulfils his obligation.
“If it finds out that he had failed to make the alimony payments, his ex-wife or wife will be told to make an official report to the BSK to enable action to be taken against the man,” he told Bernama‘s Erda Khursyiah Basir.
The BSK was set up in 2009, and has been tasked with ensuring the state religious court’s orders are carried out to the letter.
Mohd Na’im said there was a fundamental difference between how Syariah and civil courts operate, in that the Syariah court does not have its own special unit or agency to help divorced women and their children secure alimony support payments.
“In the Civil Court, a woman can file for enforcement action on her own or through a lawyer. But hiring a lawyer means more expenses for the woman and it will increase her financial burden.
“In the Syariah Court, it is different as the BSK’s services are offered free of charge. The division not only monitors compliance with alimony orders but also ensures that the ex-husband or father fulfills his obligations as ordered by the court,” he said.
The BSK is further divided into three units, each with a complementary service to provide its clients: legal consultation and advisory services, fund management, and enforcement and court order compliance.
Know about something happening in KL and Malaysia? Want to share? Send us an email:kl@coconuts.co – don’t just read the news, make it!
