Kelantan Umno information chief jailed for polygamy

comments     Yaakub Dasan     Published     Updated

The Kota Bharu Syariah High Court today sentenced Kelantan Unmo information chief Ismail Mamat to four days' jail for practising polygamy and marrying without the consent of the state religious department.

The 56-year-old politician was also fined RM1,800 after he pleaded guilty to committing the offences under the state Islamic Family Enactment 1983.

Ismail married kindergarten teacher, Salwani Abdullah, 39, in Narathiwat, Thailand on July 7, 1999.

However, Ismail was granted a RM900 bail pending his appeal.

Deputy public prosecutor Naim Mohd Ghazali told the court that Salwani was already married to one Shamsuddin Mamat @ Mamat at the time.

The lawyer said an investigation was being carried out to determine the validity of the couple's marriage and urged the court to order Ismail and Salwani to live separately until the probe is completed.

In his decision, judge Muhamad Lupty Noor sentenced the Umno leader to two days' jail and slapped him with an RM900 fine for each offence. He ordered the sentences to run concurrently.

Live separately

Muhammad added that if Ismail failed to pay the fine, he would have to spend another three days in jail.

The judge also agreed that the couple should live separately until the investigation into Salwani's earlier marriage is completed.

Meanwhile, Salwani was sentenced to two days' jail and fined RM900 after she pleaded guilty to marrying without the permission of the state religious department.

She was also granted bail pending her appeal.


Yaakub Dasan is malaysiakini 's correspondent in Kelantan.



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