KUALA LUMPUR, April 17 —Complaints of husbands and ex-husbands not paying their wives or ex-wives alimony have increased during the movement control order (MCO) period compared to before this.

Malaysian Syariah Judiciary Department (JKSM) director-general and shariah chief judge Datuk Mohd Na’im Mokhtar said previously, the department only received about five complaints a month through the department’s official Family Support Division (BSK) Facebook account or the state BSK email.

"Now, we get five complaints in five days,” he told Bernama when asked about the number of complaints received from wives or ex-wives about husbands or ex-husbands who do not make their alimony or child support payments.

He said the number of these complaints increased after the department announced that they could be made on the official BSK Facebook account.

Mohd Na’im said each complaint that is lodged should include a telephone number or e-mail address through which the BSK can contact the complainant for further information.

He said if the husband or ex-husband refuses to pay alimony as ordered, a complaint of non-compliance could be submitted to BSK through the official Facebook account ‘Bahagian Sokongan Keluarga-BSK’ or email the complaint to the state BSK sections.

"The BSK will investigate and process each complaint,” he said, adding that the husband or ex-husband will be served a reminder before further action is taken after the MCO period.

Mohd Na’im said besides getting complaints through FB and e-mail, BSK officers throughout the country are also pro-active and contact their clients to find out their problems and between April 13 and 16, have helped 437 people.

He said under current Shariah Court provisions, if the husband or ex-husband intentionally refuses to pay alimony after an order has been made out, they can be sentenced to imprisonment as provided under the state shariah laws.

He said the court can order the payments to be paid in a lump sum or in monthly instalments.

The Shariah Court can also order the salary of the husband or ex-husband to be withheld or salary deductions to be made and the money banked into the bank accounts of the children and wife or ex-wife.

He said wives or ex-wives who fail to get the alimony payments from their husband or ex-husbands can apply for aid from the BSK JKSM or the state BSK. — Bernama