‘Proper marriages protect rights of children, women’

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Fatimah (fourth left) in a group photo with Herman (right) and Jahar (left) after they presented marriage certificates to three couples in a symbolic ceremony.

Fatimah (fourth left) in a group photo with Herman (right) and Jahar (left) after they presented marriage certificates to three couples in a symbolic ceremony.

KUCHING: Marriages that are in compliance with religious obligations and the existing laws ensure the rights of children and women are protected.

Minister of Welfare, Women and Community Wellbeing Datuk Fatimah Abdullah.said “when couples want to build their own families, they have to think carefully, especially the environment that they want their children to grow up in. Do not let the children be victims of circumstances or actions”.

“If children are born to disorderly marriages, the children may face many problems. In Malaysia, for instance, they may face problem with nationality, especially if the mother is a non-Malaysian. This will affect their lives and their education, which are the basic rights for every child.

“Therefore, it is necessary for marriages to follow not only religious obligations, but must also be registered to comply with the existing laws of the country,” she said at the Itsbat Nikah ceremony in the Indonesian Consulate here yesterday.

A total of 191 Indonesian couples registered for the marriage, with 135 couples undergoing mass wedding ceremony at the premises of the consulate.

Fatimah also said that marriages that complied with the laws would protect the women in the eyes of the laws of their country.

“Besides protecting children, such marriages will be able to protect the rights of women. The womenfolk do not ask for anything bad to happen, and we hope that once a couple is married they will live happily ever after. However sometimes reality can be different.”

Fatimah also said it was important to comply with the licensing laws in Malaysia, where the hiring of Indonesian workers was concerned.

“We ask for mutual respect of the laws of each other. I hope there will be more legal workers and less of illegal workers.

“We must work together to ensure there is harmony in our community,” she said.

At the Itsbat Nikah ceremony yesterday, the couples were presented with Buku Nikah or marriage certificates.

They also went through Saweran,a traditional Indonesian wedding custom where the wedded couple are showered with rice, coins and candies. This cultural procession depicts the philosophy of married life, the rice represents the wishes that the couple will have prosperity, the coins represent the hope that the marriage will be granted wealth and the candies represent the hope that the journey in marriage will be sweet.

Indonesia’s ambassador to Malaysia Herman Prayitno, Indonesian Consul-General in Kuching Dr Jahar Gultom, Indonesian Consul-General in Penang Taufik Rodhy, Consul-General of Brunei in Kuching Pengiran Kertini Pengiran Mohd Tahir and Ministry of Foreign Affairs Sarawak director Gloria Tiwet were also present at the function.