We have received a reprieve. The Islamic Family Law Act has now been put on hold and will not be gazetted until the Government has reviewed it thoroughly.
We're breathing easy. For a while.
The 1984 Islamic Family Law (Federal Territories) Act which has been heralded for being 'cukup cantik' by women's groups has seen a number of significant changes over the years. The evolution, for want of a better word, of the 1984 Act is now deemed as regressive and discriminatory towards Muslim women. Let's take a look at some examples of the Act that had been revised, done away with and not re-instated.