Perlis to ease polygamous marriage registration

KANGAR: In a move to resolve issues concerning inheritance and birth registration involving polygamous marriages, the state government is simplifying marriage registration procedures for Muslim couples in the state who tied the knot abroad.

State Islamic Affairs Committee chairman Khairi Hassan said the move was meant to facilitate Muslims who married abroad, especially in southern Thailand, to register their marriages.

Khairi said the state government hoped the move would resolve and avert issues concerning inheritance and children’s citizenship.

He said the state Islamic Affairs Department was discussing skipping the usual syariah court trial procedure, leaving only the submission of required documents and payment of the compound, to expedite the process.

“If the discussion goes well and the move is approved by the higher authorities, we will implement the new procedure by next year.

“Under the new procedure, couples will only have to prepare complete documentation related to their marriage abroad and pay the compound fixed by the department to register their marriage.

“We have yet to decide on the quantum of the compound, but it will most probably amount to RM2,000 per couple,” he said on the sidelines of the fourth term of the 13th State Legislative Assembly sitting here yesterday.

Khairi said the department was also mulling a proposal to allow married Muslim men from outside the state, who wished to take another wife, to tie the knot in Perlis instead of crossing over to Thailand.

“We are looking into the proposal. We might allow it on the condition that the couple will have to reside in Perlis for more than three days.”

Khairi said there was a large number of unofficial requests from people outside Perlis to have their polygamous marriages registered in the state.

He said the state’s Islamic marriage laws did not require local men to obtain approval from their current wife or wives for their second or subsequent marriages.

“However, should the court approve the new marriage application, a letter would be issued to the current spouse, who has the right to oppose the marriage in court.”

Earlier in the house, Khairi (BNMata Ayer) was asked by Mohd Shukri Ramli (Pas-Sanglang) about moves taken by the state government to simplify polygamous marriage procedures in Perlis.