PARIT  BUNTAR, June 15 — The Cabinet has approved forming a special committee to study all aspects of the proposal to set up a Special Marriages, Hadhanah (child custody) and Nafkah (maintenance) Court.

Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Mujahid Yusof Rawa said the committee which will be chaired by the director-general of the Malaysian Syariah Judiciary Department, Datuk Mohamad Naim Mokhtar, was approved in a Cabinet meeting recently.

Mujahid said the committee will hold talks with several interested parties including Bank Negara and the Employees Provident Fund (EPF) as any penalty imposed by the court would involve monetary transactions.

"We need to amend the acts of the Bank Negara and KWSP as when the court imposes a sentence on the husband, how can the Bank Negara, KWSP freeze his money to pay maintenance,” he said in a press conference at the Parit Buntar Parliamentary Constituency 2019 Aidilfitri Celebration at Dataran Kerian Permai here today.

Mujahid who is also Parit Buntar MP said the discussions by the special committee are expected to be finalised by the end of the year.

The initiative to form the special court would mean marriage and divorce cases filed with the Syariah Court would be resolved faster and it would also help reduce the number of cases involving recalcitrant husbands who refuse to pay maintenance to their wives.

In a separate development, Mujahid urged all parties not to politicise the issue of the 10,000 special Haj quota as this was the prerogative of the King of Saudi Arabia, King Salman Abdul Aziz Al Saud.

"The quota is King Salman’s right, whether he wants to give or not to give, it is not an issue of the new (current) government, as the previous government (Barisan Nasional) also did not get the quota from 2014 to 2017.

"The issue of the Haj quota is now at the highest level, with King Salman, and not at the ministerial level.

"Usually, King Salman will give the quota at the last minute and we pray to get the quota as it would be an opportunity for potential pilgrims who are still waiting for their turns and who have appealed,” he said. — Bernama