KUALA LUMPUR, March 27 — The Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development (KPWKM) is in the process of drafting a proposal paper for the establishment of a committee to study the feasibility of mandating pre-marriage courses for non-Muslim couples.

Its deputy minister, Aiman Athirah Sabu, said that the committee will propose suitable programmes to be presented to the Cabinet in the near future.

She said this when winding up the debate session on the motion of thanks for the royal address, in the Dewan Negara today. She was replying to Senator Aknan Ehtook, who proposed that non-Muslim couples undergo a pre-marriage course before tying the knot.

Meanwhile, commenting on the lack of officers and staff of the Social Welfare Department (JKM) at the temporary relief centres during the floods, Aiman Athirah said that the department had taken steps to address the issue through community empowerment.

"JKM has taken the initiative to empower the community by appointing community leaders, heads of local agencies, school principals, head teachers and other community volunteers, as supervisors and committee members and staff at relief centres.

"Through community empowerment and resilience during the disaster, it will enable community leaders to run a relief centre with minimal monitoring from JKM staff,” she said.

The Dewan Negara sitting continues tomorrow. — Bernama