Noor™

Where I pen my thoughts (and when I have time)

Archive for February, 2006


Amendment to Islamic Family Law Act (Federal Territories)

Kakak² dan Makcik² nampaknya kurang berpuas hati dengan pindaan ke atas Akta Undang² Keluarga (Wilayah Persekutuan).
Catan dlm Bahasa Melayu mungkin membantu untuk aku jelaskan apa yg ingin aku tulis. Penulisan dalam bahasa Inggeris barangkali akan menyerabutkan minda apabila diadun dengan terma-terma undang-undang yang pastinya memerlukan latihan selama 4 tahun di sekolah undang-undang.
Bahagian paling menarik ialah isu pembahagian harta sepencarian ketika berlaku perceraian. Menurut berita, khabarnya wanita diberi pilihan samada menuntut harta sepencarian atau nafkah ketika berlakunya perceraian.
Justeru, suka aku menjelaskan yang harta sepencarian ini merupakan suatu amalan yg diterima dlm Islam atas dasar adat, yakni bukanlah hukum yg wujud secara putus dari Quran ataupun sunnah. Di dunia arab, tidak wujud harta sepencarian kerana si suami menanggung segala perbelanjaan isteri dan jarang sekali wujud “queen control” di sana.
Di Malaysia, harta sepencarian merupakan amalan yg diterima oleh Islam atas dasar adat, dan Islam menerima pakai adat sebagai sumber hukum dengan syarat-syarat yg tertentu. Sebaliknya, nafkah merupakan sesuatu yg putus hukumnya berdasarkan nas Al-Quran dan Hadith.
Keputusan kerajaan untuk memberi pilihan nafkah atau harta sepencarian barangkali bakal memberi kemudahan dan maslahah kepada kebanyakan wanita di negara ini. Di samping memikirkan hak-hak, mungkin kita lebih harus praktikal dalam berfikir.
Nafkah merupakan sesuatu yg hampir pasti akan diberi kepada wanita yg bercerai, melainkan mereka terjumlah kepada golongan yg dikecualikan oleh hukum syarak dari mendapat nafkah. Mereka hanya perlu membuktikan keperluan mereka dan pendapatan bekas suami kepada mahkamah, dan mereka akan diberi suatu jumlah yang sesuai pada fikiran hakim. Sebaliknya, di dalam kes harta sepencarian, wanita harus membuktikan kepada mahkamah yg mereka mempunyai perkongsian didalam sesuatu harta yg pada “prima facie”nya milik si suami. Beban pembuktian pula ialah “on balance of probabilities” dan memandangkan kita memiliki ramai hakim-hakim mahkamah syariah mahir di dalam hukum syarak, namun barangkali tidak mahir dalam mentafsir peruntukan undang-undang, mereka sering diperkotak-katikkan oleh para peguam pastinya tidak keberatan untuk membawa sesuatu kes untuk jangka masa yang lama, demi kebajikan kliennya. Akibatnya, kes akan mengambil masa yg sungguh lama. Wanita yg bercerai pula sebolehnya ingin melupakan masa lalu, lebih-lebih lagi kisahnya bersama bekas suami. Perbicaraan yg tidak tahu bila kesudahannya sudah pasti tidak membantu dalam pemulihan emosi dan psikologi mereka.
Jadi, dengan pilihan yg diberi oleh kerajaan, barangkali kepada sesiapa yg ingin bercerai dan harta si suami tidaklah seberapa untuk dituntut dibawah harta sepencarian, ambillah nafkah. Bagi datin-datin, puan sri-puan sri, silalah tuntut bahagian anda di dalam harta suami-suami anda. Namun ingat, orang tamak selalu rugi.

A chaos in legal system

Issue on Islamic law in Malaysia emerges again. Article 121(1A) of Federal constitution is urged to be amended. This very article of our constitution puts a veil between the civil court and Syariah court, in cases where a matter fall under the jurisdiction of Syariah court, the civil court namely the High Court shall not interfere.


The case of Moorthy has created commotion between devotees of religions. The vital part of the case is when the wife was claimed to have no remedy in law, which means she can’t seek justice in either of our court, namely the Syariah court and civil court. This is a big loop hole in our legal system. Lacunae (or loop holes) in law can be filled in by referring to the common law as stood in England up to the specified dated as provided by section 3 of Civil Law Act 1956, but loop holes in legal system needs the attention of the MPs of our Parliament, by way of amending or enacting law, to set right the matter, OR maybe our judges can be more creative in interpreting the legislation itself, by finding way to do justice by manipulating the word of the law. After all, that’s what the lawyers and judges do. The language rule of interpretation shall play its role, as had been practiced by Lord Denning, where he introduce a very rule of interpretation which was famously known as Purposive approach, where a judge shall look behind the rigidity and literal meaning of the provision of law to infer the intention of the legislature.


But still, this power to interprete the constitution and law is vested to the civil superior courts, namely the High Court, Court of Appeal and Federal court. When a matter comes before the Syariah court, the similar power was not given to the superiors of Syariah Court and they by hook or by crook have to go by the literal wording of the law. This is another loop hole which needs attention of the legislature, i.e. the Parliament.


Thus, I humbly believe that all of these issues can only be set right by the executive and legislature, (or their other name- the cabinet and the parliament). Why cabinet? A law is passed by the parliament after a bill is introduce either by government or private member of parliament, and in the history of Parliament of Malaysia, non of private bill (issued by other than government) has been successfully passed. In other word, the reality is that only the cabinet has such power to enact law. Play your role, MPs, as you live on our vote.