A women's organisation today warned that Muslim women are in danger of becoming third-class citizens in this country.

Sisters in Islam (SIS) coordinator, Nik Noriani Nik Badli Shah, said while there had been a increasing sphere of rights for non-Muslim women over the past three decades, this was not the case for their Muslim sisters.

"SIS has been sending memorandums after memorandums to the relevant authorities. But it is most unfortunate that every amendment in favour of women for the past 20 or 30 years has always been applied to the civil law (which exclude Muslim women in matters relating to family law).

"If this trend goes on, then Muslim women will be third-class citizens. Men and non-Muslim women are equal, but not Muslim women," she lamented at a press conference to highlight the problems faced by Muslim women when applying for divorce in the Syariah courts.

Puteri Umno chief Azalina Othman, who was also present at the press conference, suggested that women's groups should initiate a signature campaign to state that Muslim women have their rights as well.

"For instance, if there a three million Muslim women in the country, and we get a million signatures, it would show the government a lot of women disagree with the system today," she said.

She added that at the end of the day, women's groups should have a joint action campaign.

"You (the government) want the women's vote, you want us to pay income tax, then you better give them what they want.

"What is the point of voting if you do not respect the women?" she said.

Allow EPF withdrawals for maintenance

She also proposed that Muslim men who divorce their wives should be made to provide maintenance from their Employees Provident Fund.

"The reason is if the EPF money can be withdrawn to purchase a computer, or to renovate a house, then why can't it be used for the purpose of supporting his children?

"The husband should be made responsible for their children. If the husband says he can't afford to support the children, then the EPF money should be used," she said.

Meanwhile, a number of Muslim women, who have been victims of delayed court proceedings and discrimination, also related their experiences at the press conference this morning.

Acid attack

One of them, Siti Esah Bakar, told the audience that she was only granted a divorce in June this year after filing her application in early 1997 against her violent husband.

"Acid was splashed all over my body by my husband. What I am really unhappy about is that the judge was so inconsiderate that he forced me to engage a lawyer for my case.

"The lawyer never understood my feelings, of how I had to keep running away from one place to another because of my husband's threats," she said.

She added that through the divorce, she lost her rights to iddah (a three-month period of which a Muslim women seeking divorce is not allowed to remarry) maintenance and mutaah (alimony).

Another victim, Siti Abdullah (not her real name), said her lawyer was always collaborating with my husband's lawyer.

"He told me that I could only get custody of one of my two children if I wanted a divorce. This was part of the deal," she said, adding that she now has only one child with her.