'Marry second wife in Kelantan'
By Sharifah Mahsinah
news@nst.com.my
KOTA BARU: Local men who plan to take a second wife need not do it in Thailand as the syariah courts in the state will approve their applications for polygamous marriages, Kelantan Syariah High Court Chief judge Datuk Daud Mohamad said yesterday.
He said the court would also facilitate the marriage of couples whose parents would not give them consent to tie the knot.
He said it was not the practice of the syariah court to reject marriage applications without valid reasons.
"It is wrong to say that taking another wife or marrying without a wali cannot be done through our courts.
"However, we (syariah court) will run checks to determine if the man is capable to take a second wife before processing his application.
"If the first wife objects to her husband taking on another wife, we will also find ways to overcome the matter," he told reporters when met here yesterday.
Daud said a majority of Kelantan men chose to tie the knot in Thailand as they lacked knowledge and information about syariah court rules.
"Because of this, many of them especially young couples are easily influenced by marriage syndicates to tie the knot across the border.
"Syndicates which provide misleading information have caused couples to avoid going through proper marriage procedures as sanctioned by the syariah court."
Daud said many couples who had tied the knot in the neighbouring country regretted their decision later, including using the syndicates.
"They have expressed their regret to our religious officers when they realise that they have been cheated by the syndicates and also after they learnt that their marriages were invalid. They have told us that if they had avoided the services of the syndicates, they would have saved thousands of ringgit."
Daud said Kelantan men normally marry in southern Thailand such as in Pattani, Yala and Narathiwat.
He advised couples who planned to marry across the border to cancel their trip to avoid being cheated by the syndicates.
"They can check with our courts in all districts on the regulations for taking a second wife or marrying without a wali."
No comments:
Post a Comment