The Malaysian Islamic Development Department (Jakim) has asked the respective state religious departments to intensify enforcement to curb the activities of illegal marriage solemnisation syndicates including those involving foreign nationals.

Its director-general Wan Mohamad Sheikh Abdul Aziz said the move was to ensure that Muslim marriages and family institution were not being manipulated and to avoid more people from falling victims to such syndicates.

"This involves the question of family integrity, that's why the government created the Islamic family law whether through enactments or the act.

"It's also to ensure that the Muslim family institution is built on a strong foundation, valid in terms of the syariah law and free from all risks of separation (divorce)," he told reporters in Putrajaya today.

He disclosed this when asked to comment on the case of a couple of Indonesian nationals who were about to be married who were among the 25 people detained by the Federal Territory Islamic Religious Department (Jawi) yesterday for being involved with a syndicate of foreign marriage solemnisers who were not accredited.

- Bernama