Man pays RM20,000 to ‘buy’ someone’s wife

MANY men are taking advantage of the tebus talak system to “buy” people's wives.
A man in Johor paid RM20,000 to the syariah court to pay for a divorce so he could marry Normah, 31, Harian Metro reported.
The RM20,000 was payment for tebus talak (divorce by redemption) as Normah's husband did not agree to a divorce by consent.
She told the Malay daily that the man was willing to part with such a huge sum of money as he was determined that they be together.
Normah said she had told her then husband of her intention to be with the man, who was her ex-schoolmate, but he refused to give his consent to a divorce.

“So I had to go to court which allowed the tebus talak divorce,” said Normah, who married the man four months after the divorce.
Syariah Lawyers Association of Malaysia deputy president Musa Awang said there were many men who took advantage of the tebus talak system .
He told the daily he had handled 20 tebus talak divorce cases this year and most of the time, the money was provided to the women by their husbands-to-be.
> A couple thought they could get away by claiming they were married after they were caught for khalwat by religious officers during a raid, the same daily reported.
The officers however did not buy their bluff as the imam who allegedly wedded the duo had died four months ago.
The couple, in their 20s, were then brought to the Sabah religious department office for further action.
The 10pm raid was conducted by the Sabah Islamic Affairs Department at a budget hotel in Kunak following a tip-off. One of the officers, Abdul Imam Basirun, said it took the couple an hour to respond to repeated knocking by the raiding party.
“When the man finally opened the door, he pretended like nothing had happened and nonchalantly told us that they were married recently,” said Abdul Imam.