For Muslims in Perak, divorce is a click away

PETALING JAYA: The new online divorce application system implemented by Perak is expected to put an end to the backlog of cases at the state’s syariah courts.

Malaysian Muslim Lawyers Association president Datuk Zainul Rijal Abu Bakar said the MySolve system was beneficial to Muslim couples who were seeking to separate mutually from one another.

“The online system is not meant to encourage divorce but to make it easier for couples who do not have any dispute regarding their separation,” he said.

The application can be viewed at http://mysolve.perak.my/ and also available on Android devices.

Zainul Rijal said the objective of the app was to allow electronic registration for divorce applications instead of filing it manually over the counter.

“The court will respond in three days to set a date. The parties involved must come on the fixed date with completed documents.

“After the case is filed, it will be mentioned in front of a registrar and brought before the Syarie judge straight away.

“The case can be settled on the same day,” he said, adding that the association welcomed the innovation.

However, it was not determined whether the system would be applicable for existing cases, which could have helped reduce the backlog of cases.

“What I can say is that future cases will be speedily settled and justice will be available to the parties, especially women.

“They can focus on their future needs and also other claims like mutaah (conciliatory gift), nafkah (alimony), matrimonial property, eddah (the ex-wife’s maintenance for three months from the date of their divorce) and custody of children,” Zainul Rijal added.

Muslim Consumers Association Malaysia chief activist Datuk Nadzim Johan, however, expressed concern over the possibility of abuse due to its easy availability.

“I feel that the culture of our new generation is that they easily move towards divorce. There are many aspects you must consider in a marriage institution.

“It would be best to encourage them to get the best advice for their relationship to determine if it could be saved instead of facilitating divorce,” he added.

Nadzim said although the system was created with good intentions, it could be used as “an easy way out” by Muslim couples.

“If the marriage doesn’t work, of course you want to find a way out but we must educate Muslims to be patient when facing problems,” he said.

To date, 34 couples have used the system.

Registration fee for each divorce application using MySolve system is fixed at RM50.