KOTA KINABALU: The Sabah government is considering introducing a “kahwin perdana” (mass wedding) programme to assist low-income couples and promote marriages that are lawful, organised and in line with Islamic requirements.
State Local Government and Housing Minister Datuk Mohd Arifin Arif said the proactive initiative is currently being studied by the state government.
He said the programme could help reduce wedding expenses while fostering values of moderation, blessings and responsibility in building strong Muslim families.
“If approved, the initiative will be implemented in a planned and phased manner with the cooperation of the Sabah Islamic Religious Affairs Department (JHEAINS), the Sabah Islamic Religious Council (Muis), other relevant agencies and the local community,” he said during his winding-up speech at the Sabah state assembly sitting on Wednesday (Dec 17).
Arifin added that the programme would ensure all existing legal provisions and Islamic marriage procedures enforced in Sabah are strictly complied with.
In the same vein, Arifin said the government is also gradually examining proposals to subsidise fees for Islamic pre-marriage courses, particularly for low-income groups and young couples planning to get married.
“The initiative aims to ease the financial burden while ensuring prospective couples receive adequate exposure to family knowledge, responsibilities and syariah understanding before entering marriage,” he said.
