Kuala lumpur: A total of 13,920 cases of arrears of maintenance involving ex-wives have been successfully resolved from 2020 to 2025 through various enforcement initiatives by the Malaysian Syariah Judicial Department (JKSM). Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Religious Affairs), Marhamah Rosli, stated that this achievement reflects the government's commitment to addressing the issue of non-payment of maintenance, which impacts the welfare of women and children.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, the resolution process was spearheaded by the Family Support Division (BSK), providing syariah legal and consultation services to claim arrears through negotiation or legal processes. BSK officers, who are certified syariah lawyers, can represent ex-wives in the Syariah Court through actions such as judgment debtor summons, income detention, committal, seizure and sale, and the hiwalah procedure to freeze bank accounts.
During an oral question and answer session at the Dewan Negara, Marhamah was responding to Senator Dr. Jufitri Joha's inquiry about the number of ex-wives benefiting from BSK from 2020 to 2025. This initiative was created by the government to ensure that maintenance orders issued by the Syariah Court are complied with by ex-husbands for the benefit of their ex-wives and children.
Marhamah also highlighted that 166 cases have been resolved through the Garnishee Order since its introduction in 2022 until the previous year. Despite its effectiveness, challenges remain, such as the lack of cooperation from judgment debtors (ex-husbands) in providing employer information and insufficient bank account balances to settle the arrears.
She pointed out that challenges also arise when the employer is from the private sector or non-Muslims who are not bound by the Syariah Court order. Beyond legal actions, the government has provided an Advance Fund service, channelling RM1.73 million until last December to support ex-wives and children while awaiting arrears settlement.
The initiative also includes the BSK Transit service, introduced in 2022, which covers the cost of travel, food, and accommodation for ex-wives attending court proceedings related to maintenance. Marhamah also commended the Federal Territory Islamic Religious Council (MAIWP) for its efforts, which included channeling assistance totaling RM62.73 million through 10 assistance schemes to 7,683 single mothers in the region throughout 2025.