Wednesday April 2, 2008

Man divorces two wives in three mins

By R.S.N. MURALI

KUALA TERENGGANU: It was no April Fools’ joke. The short messaging service (SMS) was real – a man divorced his two wives within three minutes.

In the Lower Syariah Court, businessman Roslan Ngah, 44, divorced both wives by pronouncing talak (intention to divorce) to each of them.

He pronounced talak to his second wife Mastura Ahmad, 35, about 11.50am, then to Norhayati Ismail, 46, before judge Wan Abdul Malik Wan Sidek.

Composed: Norhayati (left) and Mastura at the Lower Syariah Court. They were divorced by their husband Roslan within three minutes of each other. — Bernama

Wan Abdul Malik said this was the first time in the court’s history that two wives had sought a divorce at the same time.

Earlier, someone had sent out a message “there is a case in Syariah (court), husband divorces two wives. Star pls come now.”

Four reporters here who received the SMS brushed it off as a prank.

This reporter had replied “ha, ha, ha, thanks.”

An hour later another SMS came: “Yhis is not a joke, pls come to court now.”

The reporters gave it a shot and headed to the court. They made it in time to listen to the proceedings.

Norhayati, a homemaker, has four children (aged nine to 22) with Roslan after marrying in 1986.

Mastura, a nurse at the Sultanah Nur Zahirah Hospital, has two, aged six and 10, following their marriage in 1995.

Both women looked composed during the proceedings. Accompanying Norhayati was her eldest daughter, Nurfarhana, 19.

The divorces were made under Section 44 of the Terengganu Syariah Enactment.

Outside the court, Roslan said he felt sad to be separated from his wives whom he claimed had asked him for the divorce.

He said both women shared “a very close relationship” and lived in a house in Pasir Panjang here. He stays in another house a few metres away.

“They are like good friends but I never imagined that both of them had collectively decided to divorce me.

“I admit that my relationship with them had been strained over the past few months but I never expected our marriages to end in this manner,” he said in a calm voice.

Roslan confessed that he was also married to another woman in 2001 and they were blessed with a baby girl but they separated in 2004.

When asked whether he would remarry, Roslan replied: “If my fate says so, I have no qualms and this time I hope that my marriage will last forever.”

More News