KUALA LUMPUR: A security guard's wish to marry his sweetheart was dashed when he ended up being punched by a member of her family in an incident at the Masjid Jamek Al-Khadijiah, Pantai Dalam, on Saturday.
In the 3.15pm incident, the would-be-groom, 27, was punched as he wanted to leave the mosque.
This was because he was not allowed to continue to 'akad nikah' (solemnisation) ceremony due to the fact that he did not have RM15,000 ready for the 'wang hantaran', Kosmo reported today.
'Wang hantaran' is a form of dowry given by the groom to the wife's side, and the amount is usually agreed upon beforehand.
According to the report, the victim's family had met with the woman's family in a 'merisik' ceremony January and agreed on the RM15,000 demanded by the latter.
A 'merisik' ceremony is when the family of the would-be-groom visits the woman's family and formally enquires on her availability for marriage. The meeting is also used to discuss wedding arrangements such as the 'wang hantaran' involved.
"During the merisik, the man's family had asked if they could pay RM7,500 as the hantaran amount.
"However, the woman's family shot down the request, and insisted on RM15,000," a source was quoted as saying.
The man's family finally relented to the amount, but asked if it could be delivered in installments, with RM10,000 to be paid before the wedding and the balance after, said the source.
It was understood that the man, who works as a security guard, only earns around RM1,500 a month.
The man is believed to have dated his fiancee, 21, for about three years before deciding to ask for her hand in marriage.
The source also claimed that the man had paid the RM10,000 in stages before the solemnisation ceremony. However, it was claimed that the woman's family did not agree that the ceremony should proceed if they did not receive the remaining RM15,000.
"Frustrated by the demand, the man and his family decided to leave the akad nikah. That was when he was punched by a member of her family," said the source.
The tense atmosphere within the mosque then escalated, when insults were hurled between both parties and shoving occurred among both the bride and groom-to-be.