Sarawak helps Putrajaya’s transfer to permit banks to freeze accounts of alimony defaulters, Minister says | Malaysia

Datuk Seri Fatimah Abdullah, Minister of Women, Childhood and Community Development in Sarawak, answers questions from the media after the event. – Borneo Post Online image

KOTA SAMARAHAN, March 23 (Reuters) – Sarawak fully supports the federal government’s plan to allow banks to freeze accounts of delinquent alimony, Datuk Seri Fatimah Abdullah said.

The Minister for Women’s Development, Childhood and Welfare said this will better protect the well-being of women who are left to look after their children alone after a divorce.

She pointed out that there have been cases where ex-husbands have disobeyed court orders to pay their ex-wives monthly alimony, and some don’t even pay alimony every month.

“The problem is faced by divorced women, particularly those with ex-husbands who do not work in the government sector. If the husband is a civil servant, directing his salary (for maintenance) to be deducted can be done much more easily.

“But those who do not work in government are finding that in some cases ex-husbands fail to pay alimony despite a court order for the husband to pay alimony. Some months it will be paid, others not,” she told the media after officiating at the presentation of the funds for Sarawak Neighborhood Watch Areas (KRTs) by the Kouniti Sejahtera Keluarga Malaysia yesterday at Dewan Suarah Samarahan.

She was asked at the Sarawak stand regarding Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob’s announcement last Saturday that husbands who fail to comply with a court order to pay alimony to their ex-wife will have their bank accounts frozen.

Ismail Sabri was quoted as saying the government decided to impose this punishment in the best interests of women, particularly those who have been divorced from their husbands.

He had said that in cases where the wife wins alimony, the bank will freeze her ex-husband’s account if he fails to comply with the court order.

The Prime Minister also said after the court decision that the bank would make a direct debit from the ex-husband’s account.

Further commenting on the announcement, Fatimah said the Sarawak government thanked the Prime Minister for developing this plan.

“There are women who have to take care of their children, especially those who are young. But they have problems, especially those with husbands who disobey the court order. The ones who will suffer will be the wife and children,” she added.

She also said that while the Department of Welfare provides monthly assistance through the children’s program for children of single mothers, it remains the responsibility of the ex-husband as the father of the children to provide financial assistance.

“Even though they are divorced, they are the children’s father,” she said.

Last Sunday, Germany’s Minister for Women, Family and Welfare, Datuk Seri Rina Harun, was quoted as saying the ministry would work with the relevant authorities to implement the plan by this year. – Borneo Post Online