SIS Forum moots federal bill on child, spousal maintenance

PETALING JAYA: SIS Forum (Malaysia) has proposed drafting a federal-level Spousal and Child Maintenance Agency Bill to strengthen the implementation of maintenance rights for both Muslim and non-Muslim women.

SIS Forum executive director Rozana Isa said the bill, as one of the group’s long-term plan, would provide a more integrated and comprehensive mechanism to address the issue of unpaid child and spousal maintenance.

“The work we need to do now is to begin engaging with grassroots communities, the public and stakeholders on the issue of child maintenance, and to start drafting the bill. We cannot wait for the ministry to draft it for us,” she said at the launch of a report on findings from the group’s legal clinic, Telenisa, over the past decade at Menara SD Guthrie here today.

She said a key lesson learned is that “we need to take the initiative to draft the bill ourselves”.

“This will involve a considerable amount of work because one of the first questions raised whenever a bill is proposed is the cost involved, and we need to provide an estimated figure.

“We can no longer submit a bill without including the cost estimate or financial implications, because otherwise no one will take the initiative forward,” she added.

Rozana acknowledged that drafting the bill would be a “considerable” task but said the effort could help address longstanding injustices faced by children who do not receive proper maintenance.

“If we can get this done and get it off the ground, it could help address the injustices faced by our children today, children who will one day become parents, mothers and wives themselves,” she said.

The event also highlighted gaps in the existing maintenance system, drawing on data collected by the organisation from 2016 to 2025, including the difficulties women and children face in enforcing court orders and securing financial stability.

According to statistics compiled by SIS Forum, Telenisa handled 869 child maintenance cases and 170 spousal maintenance cases over the 10-year period.