Senator Divorced His Wife By SMS - Fined 550 Ringgit

A senator in Malaysia divorced his wife by sending her an sms and a voicemail. He was fined 550 ringgit and he is now asking for a lighter punishment.

Malaysian senator fined for divorcing wife by SMS - Yahoo! News (AFP)

Jan 20, 2006

AFP/File Photo

A Malaysian Muslim senator has been fined for divorcing his wife by sending her an SMS text message and leaving a voicemail on her mobile phone. The senator, Kamaruddin Ambok, 52, was fined 550 ringgit (147 dollars) Thursday by a Islamic or sharia court for attempting to divorce his wife Mahani Hussain by phone in October 2001, instead of declaring his intentions in court.

In Malaysian Islamic law, a man can divorce his wife with verbal pronouncements known as talaq in a sharia court, said reports. The ruling comes amidst heated debate over controversial Islamic family legislation that rights groups have said undermine women's rights within a marriage. The prosecuting sharia officer, Mohamad Yusof Sulaiman, had asked for a heavier sentence, saying it would better highlight the seriousness of the offence. "Cases such as this are happening often these days," he said.

Kamaruddin said he regretted his actions and asked for light punishment and a reduction in the sentence

So 550 ringit costs $127 in Malaysia? Nice to know. "Cases such as this are happening often these days"... hmm really? Wow! :shk:

Related Links:
Country profile: Malaysia (BBC)