PUTRAJAYA: The government is mulling stiffer measures, including freezing the bank accounts of men who neglect to pay alimony to their ex-wives, as part of its move to uphold syariah justice.
Discussions on the matter are now revolving around fine-tuning the enforcement of syariah justice for women whose welfare have been neglected by their ex-husbands after divorce, despite being instructed by the court.
It is understood that the government is currently in the process of determining the mechanism which can be used to freeze the bank accounts.
Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, Datuk Dr Mujahid Yusof, said many women who were divorced and abandoned by their ex-husbands have no avenue for recourse to ensure that enforcement is carried, even when a court order is issued against their former spouse.
“Most women do not have an avenue to seek justice in terms of enforcement. We are looking at the enforcement needs of these women who are not given ‘nafkah’ (alimony) despite being decided upon by the syariah courts,” he said.
He was speaking to reporters after attending a Maqasid Town Hall programme on the governance of Maqasid Syariah here on Wednesday.
Enforcement, he said, was key towards ensuring that the neglected women receive appropriate representation.
“The matter has been discussed at the Malaysian Syariah Courts Department as well as our (ministerial) level. I hope that enforcement action will be improved, such as via the freezing of bank accounts against men who are reluctant to pay alimony to their ex-wives,” he said.
Asked on the percentage of men who fail to pay alimony despite being ordered to do so by the courts, Mujahid said he does not have the statistics but did not deny that it was a large figure,
“We’ve received numerous complaints from women who are left neglected no thanks to the failure of their ex-husbands to pay alimony, despite being ordered to do so by the courts.
“We must have stricter enforcement so that they (offenders) know what court decisions have to be respected, and that failure to do so will lead to them being punished,” he said.
Mujahid said the ministry is studying all suggestions before further action is taken.
Meanwhile, non-governmental organisations believe that the move, if it comes into effect, can provide adequate representation for divorced women.
Women’s and Single Mothers Association of Kuala Lumpur (WITUS) president, Shiella Tukimin, said the move is long overdue to ensure that the welfare of single mothers are no longer neglected.
“After a divorce is filed, women have to wait for years before the case is resolved and in that period, they have to be independent to care for their family.
“The man should by right pay alimony to the ex-wife once the divorce is filed, not after the court decision. Many men are reluctant to pay alimony; some run away while others give excuses to the court to avoid having to pay,” she said.
She said based on her experience, the bureaucracy within the syariah courts could see divorce cases take up to nine years to resolve.
Meanwhile, Persatuan Inspirasi Ibu Tunggal dan Wanita (PIWANI) chairman, Zubaidah Abdul Rashid urged the move to be carried out as soon as possible.
She said there has yet to be sufficient punishment meted out against men who do not pay alimony as required.
“If there is enforcement action with regards to freezing of bank accounts, errant ex-husbands would think twice before disregarding the court order.”