KOTA SAMARAHAN, March 23 — Sarawak fully supports the plan by the federal government to allow banks to freeze the accounts of alimony defaulters, said Datuk Seri Fatimah Abdullah.
The Women, Childhood and Community Wellbeing Development Minister said this will better protect the welfare of women who have to take care of their children on their own after divorce.
She pointed out there have been cases of ex husbands disobeying court order to pay the monthly alimony to their ex wives and some do not even pay the alimony every month.
“The problem is faced by divorced women particularly involving those with ex husbands not working in government sector. If the husband is a civil servant, the instruction to deduct his salary (for the alimony) can be done, it is much easier.
“But those not working in government, even though there is court order given for the husband to pay alimony, it is found that in some cases the ex husbands fail to pay the alimony. Some months it is being paid, some months it is not being paid,” she told the media after officiating at the presentation of Komuniti Sejahtera Keluarga Malaysia funds for Sarawak neighbourhood watch areas (KRTs) at the Dewan Suarah Samarahan yesterday.
She was asked on Sarawak’s stand regarding the announcement by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob last Saturday that husbands who default on a court order to pay alimony to their ex-wife will see their bank accounts frozen.
Ismail Sabri was quoted as saying the government had decided to impose this penalty in the best interests of women, especially those who had been divorced by their husbands.
He had said that in cases when the woman wins a claim for alimony, the bank will freeze the account of her ex-husband if he defaults on the court order.
The Prime Minister had also said following the court decision, the bank will make a direct deduction from the ex-husband’s account.
Commenting further on the announcement, Fatimah said Sarawak government thanked the Prime Minister for coming up with this plan.
“There are women who need to care for their children especially those who are still small. But they face problem especially those with husbands who disobey the court order. The ones suffering will be the wife and the children,” she added.
She also said that while the Welfare Department provides monthly assistance through Children Scheme to children of single mothers, it still remains the responsibility of the ex husband as the father of the children to provide financial support.
“Though divorced, they are the father to the children,” she said.
Last Sunday, federal Women, Family and Community Wellbeing Minister Datuk Seri Rina Harun was quoted as saying the ministry will work with the relevant authorities to implement the plan by this year. — Borneo Post Online
