PETALING JAYA, July 30 — Former contestants of religious reality television series Pencetus Ummah and Da’i have had their fair share of marital controversies.
And now, a finalist from another religious TV show Imam Muda is making headlines for divorcing his wife, just months after secretly marrying a second spouse in Songkhla, Thailand.
Syed Mohd Faris Syed Roslan, 34, who took part in the show’s second season in 2014 divorced Nur Hidayu Rosly, 33 with the talak satu (divorce pronouncement) at the Petaling Jaya Syariah Lower Court on May 28, two days after the couple’s 13th wedding anniversary.
Nur Hidayu told Harian Metro that Syed Faris’ new wife abused her after finding out he had plans of divorcing one of them.
Recounting the incident, Nur Hidayu said she had just completed her confinement period after giving birth to their fifth child.
“The incident happened at my workplace at about 12 midnight.
“The woman was furious when our husband announced he might divorce one of us.
“At first everything went well but when my husband spoke of wanting to divorce one of us, she started attacking me besides claiming that my husband did not provide for her and had not returned home for two days,” she said.
Nur Hidayu said the woman kicked her, stepped on her foot and twisted her hand.
“I don’t know what her motive was.
“The saddest part is my husband didn’t defend me at all,” she said.
According to Nur Hidayu, she met the woman during a mission trip in Sibu, Sarawak in November 2018 which her husband also participated in.
“We were there for a week, that’s when I met the woman.
“On the return flight, I found it weird because she took the same flight with my husband but I wasn’t on the same flight.
“From there, I began to feel something was off,” she said.
Nur Hidayu added that Syed Faris only told her he was married to the woman from the trip at the end of January when she had just delivered their fifth child.
Prior to the shock announcement, Nur Hidayu detected a sudden change in her husband when he often came home late on top of not returning home on some days.
Syed Faris, she said, also stopped giving her nafkah payments (maintenance) and when he did, it was only according to his will.
Prior to the incident, Nur Hidayu said Syed Faris had told her he wanted to marry another wife but she asked him to think about their children.
He insisted, claiming that the woman can treat him better than Nur Hidayu.
“In fact, before this woman, he had met five other women and asked them to get married.
“But it wasn’t successful because they all didn’t want a polygamous marriage,” she said.
Harian Metro tried contacting Syed Faris for comments but was unsuccessful.
“Sorry, I have work to finish,” he said when contacted.
Nur Hidayu and Syed Faris share five children, Sharifah Aisyah, 12, Syed Husayn, 10, Sharifah Fatimah, five, Syed Muawiyyah, three and eight-month-old Sharifah Safiyyah.
During their 13-year marriage, Nur Hidayu suffered four miscarriages.
Imam Muda aired its first season in 2010 on Astro Oasis and sees 10 young men competing to win a scholarship to study at Islamic University of Madinah in Saudi Arabia, a pilgrimage to Mecca, a posting as imam (religious leader) of a mosque, RM20,000 and a new car.
The reality series went on to become the highest rating show on the Islamic-centric channel.
