Bid to reduce divorce rate
BY EDWARD RAJENDRA AND JOANNE GOHKLANG: Pre-marriage courses will be organised by the Home Affairs Ministry for non-Muslim couples.
The ministry is formulating the courses as more than 3,000 marriages end up in divorce every year, its Deputy Minister Datuk Tan Chai Ho said yesterday.
The courses, however, will not be made compulsory.
Tan said money management would be included in the courses as financial quandary was one of the main factors which strained a relationship.
The ministry would bring in financial planners to give talks so that participants would understand how to manage and save money as their family grew, he said.
Tan added that couples would be taught how to live within their means.
During the courses, experienced counsellors would also be invited to talk about family planning, said Tan, who officiated the centennial celebration of the Klang Hokkien Association here yesterday.
Medical experts would also be there to explain the risks of abortion, he said.
“We encourage the screening of Silent Scream to allow couples to see what happens to the foetus when an abortion is carried out,” he said.
Tan said the ministry, which oversees the Registrar of Marriages, had instructed the 1,050 registrars throughout the nation, to provide input regarding the courses.
“It will take a few months to implement the marriage preparatory course,” he said, adding that the registrars were only told about the matter last week.
On the high divorce rate among non-Muslims, Tan said it was becoming a concern because the number of those who separated came up to 5% of the average of 60,000 couples who got married each year.
Last year, 61,764 couples got married and 3,318 couples filed for divorce.
“In 2001, we had 3,238 divorce cases and in 2002, some 3,793 couples chose to go separate ways.
“We are worried as divorce not only affects the couples but their children too as they could be sandwiched in a struggle over custodial rights,” he said.
Tan said that he had been married to his wife, Kok Mew Chan, for 30 years, and they have a good marriage.
“For me, a marriage is based on trust, understanding and the willingness to see goodness in one’s spouse.
“I go home late because of my hectic schedule. So, I make it a point to have a meal or a cup of tea with my wife daily as this keeps our love for each other strong,” the 55-year-old said.
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