CORONAVIRUS | A wedding photographer and a nurse became the first couple who had their marriage solemnised in accordance with the second version of the Special Procedure of Marriage Solemnisation issued by the Perak Islamic Religious Department (Jaipk) during the movement control order (MCO).

Muhammad Razif Mohd Nasir and Fatin Nabilah Hussain, both 28, had their marriage solemnised at the Ipoh district Islamic Religious office at 9.30am and it was officiated by Ipoh district Islamic religious officer Asyraf Ismail.

Muhammad Razif, who lives in Selangor, said he and his new bride, Fatin Nabilah, agreed to solemnise their marriage today as they did not want to postpone the wedding which was originally scheduled on April 3.

“We don’t know how much longer the MCO will be implemented or when it will be lifted,” he said, adding that he arrived here yesterday afternoon after obtaining a marriage approval letter from the Ipoh district Islamic religious office and a police permit at the Kajang district police headquarters.

Fatin Nabilah, a nurse at the Pantai Hospital Manjung’s emergency unit said she decided to get married here as her family resides in Ipoh and she is currently involved in conducting Covid-19 screening.

On April 18, the Federal Territories had its first couple to wed via online video conferencing.

Meanwhile, Jaipk director Mohd Yusop Husin said the department had approved the marriage application of more than 300 couples in Perak with 64 of them in Ipoh.

“Those who have applied and obtained marriage approval, they will just have to follow the new rules set by Jaipk. We will be contacting and informing them at their respective Islamic religious offices.

“The procedure has been tightened with no handshakes, only the pronouncement of the ‘ijab’ and ‘qabul’ (offer and acceptance) while other ceremonies are not allowed,” he said, adding that about 50 couples were getting married throughout the state today.

He said under the second version of the marriage procedure, Jaipk set up three sessions of marriage solemnisation ceremonies at 9.30am, 11.30am and 2.30pm every Monday, Wednesday and Friday with each session only involving three couples.

- Bernama 

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