The Star
Nation
Sunday April 22, 2007
A third of cases brought to SIS clinic concern alimony
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KUALA LUMPUR: Thirty per cent of 214 cases brought to the Sisters In Islam legal clinic pertained to alimony. This was among figures presented at a SIS forum here to highlight the issue of husbands failing to make good alimony payments to their ex-wives. Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia law Associate Professor Noor Aziah Awal disclosed that court statistics showed that three men had been sent to jail for failing to pay alimony in 2005. |
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In a recent High Court case in Seremban, she said, a woman could not get RM500 for the maintenance for her child because her ex-husband said he was jobless. She said in 2003, six men were sent to jail, adding that in the same year, the courts heard 143 cases. Thirty-three cases were enforced. Federal Territory Syariah Court subordinate judge Dr Mohd Na'im Mokhtar said only seven applications for enforcement were filed in the court in 2003. In 2004 there were only three such cases, and two in 2005. “We would not know if the men provided maintenance unless ex-wives return to us to inform us and get a court order,” he said. Women's Aid Organisation (WAO) executive director Ivy Josiah said almost 80% of women who sought legal assistance from the Legal Aid Bureau on this issue did not pursue enforcement proceedings. |
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