Ex-wife a tougher opponent

PAS candidate for Ketereh faces accusations over child support

KOTA BARU: While other candidates for the Ketereh parliamentary seat are busy fending off their rivals in the polls, PAS’ Wan Ismail Wan Jusoh is fending off accusations from his ex-wife.

Denying reports that he had been issued an arrest warrant by the lower Syariah Court for failing to pay child support for seven years, Wan Ismail said these were circulated on social media to damage his reputation.

He said he had opened two joint bank accounts under his name for his two children last year, and deposited RM78,119, which was more than the amount ordered by the court.

“I thought this was something that was not urgent but I still complied with the court order.

“I already deposited RM78,000 in those accounts,” he said.

“So far, I have not received any arrest warrant from the court or via my lawyer,” Wan Ismail told reporters at the the PAS liaison building here yesterday.

“I believe this is part of a political conspiracy before the general election,” he said, describing the matter as a personal issue which should not be politicised.

However, former wife Siti Aishah said Wan Ismail’s statement was misleading and inaccurate.

She said the court order had clearly mentioned to deposit the money into a Bank Simpanan Nasional account.

“If he only deposits into another account which he claims to have opened, this is the same as not paying a single sen,” she said, adding that the warrant would be issued on May 9 – polling day – should he fail to make the necessary payment.

According to the court documents, Wan Ismail is said to have failed to follow a court order issued on Feb 27 to pay within a week or risk being jailed for a month.

On Jan 4, Syariah counsel Rosmah Mohd Zain filed the suit on Siti Aishah’s behalf to recover the child support due from July 2011 to December last year for their children, aged 12 and 13.

Siti Aishah, a Cambodian, had in 2009 filed for child support after Wan Ismail divorced her on Nov 18, 2008.

On July 13, 2011, the Syariah Court ordered Wan Ismail to pay RM1,000 a month in child support.