SHAH ALAM, July 10 — Amendments to the Selangor Islamic Family Law Enactment 2003, to include provisions for people promoting marriages outside the state’s Islamic laws, are expected to be tabled in 2026.
State executive councillor for Islam and innovation Dr Fahmi Ngah said the Selangor Islamic Religious Department (Jais) is studying amendments to the law by adding clear provisions and proposing increased penalties for offences, including abetting marriage syndicates.
“This year alone, seven out of 14 workshops planned by Jais have been conducted with stakeholders, including the Selangor Syariah Judiciary Department and the Selangor Syariah Prosecution Department, with advice from syariah officers from the State Chamber Office, Jais legal officers and the Secretariat of the Legal Division of the Selangor Islamic Religious Council (Mais).
“Further planning will be brought to the technical discussions of the Mais Legal Committee before being presented at the Mais meeting, and finally will be tabled at the Selangor State Legislative Assembly in 2026,” he said.
Fahmi said this in response to a question from Jefri Mejan (PN-Ijok) about efforts to curb marriage syndicates abroad, conducted without Jais’ permission, at the state assembly sitting here today.
Fahmi said a marriage syndicate refers to a marriage that takes place abroad but is not registered at a Malaysian embassy, resulting in the absence of a recognised marriage certificate.
At present, he said, there are no specific provisions regarding marriage syndicates in the enactment.
Fahmi added that, however, the legal provisions and enforcement under Section 124 of Polygamy Without Court Permission and Section 40 (2) Offences Related to Marriage Contracts of the Selangor Islamic Family Law Enactment 2003 have been applied to curb offences in these marriage syndicate activities.
“I should also mention the penalties that can be imposed are a RM1,000 fine, six months’ imprisonment, or both, if convicted,” he said.
— Bernama
