9 September 2025
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Divorce, Violence, and Poverty: Telenisa 2024 Report Exposes Gaps in Justice for Women in the Family
Kuala Lumpur – Women and children continue to suffer from weak enforcement in Malaysia’s Syariah courts, according to the Telenisa 2024 Report released today by SIS Forum (Malaysia). The report, based on 188 clients served by SIS’s free legal clinic last year, reveals struggles with child maintenance, divorce, custody, and domestic violence.
Telenisa, SIS Forum’s free legal clinic, served 188 clients in 2024, with 92% being women, most from low-income households. Housewives (49), single mothers, and women undergoing divorce proceedings made up a significant portion of clients, many of whom remain financially dependent.
“The struggles faced by our clients show one thing clearly: women and children are paying the price of weak enforcement of maintenance orders and the gaps in our justice system. Without reforms like a Child Support Agency and more concrete and clear processes and procedures of receiving what women and children are entitled to financially, families will continue to suffer in silence,” said Rozana Isa, Executive Director of SIS Forum (Malaysia).
Key Findings
- Women Dominate the Client Base
92% of clients were women, most from low- to middle-income backgrounds. - Child Maintenance Crisis
19 out of 46 issues faced by Telenisa clients are related to child maintenance. Main causes: unemployed fathers (14), insufficient maintenance provided by fathers (12) and disobedience of court orders (5). - Marriage & Divorce Disputes
High cases of talaq outside court (16) and unregistered marriages (42) undermine women’s rights. - Custody Issues
23 custody disputes, often linked to unregistered or polygamous marriages. - Violence & Abuse
20 domestic violence cases, 7 sexual violence, 1 marital rape, and 1 child abuse. Abuse is not only physical but also financial (26 cases) and psychological (23 cases). - Barriers to Justice
Nearly 100 women went unrepresented in court. Some faced unethical lawyers and absent judges, showing systemic weaknesses
Recommendations
- Child Support Agency
- Create Child Support Agency Malaysia to manage payments & enforce compliance.
- Set up an Interim Child Support Fund for mothers/children awaiting arrears.
- Legal Services
- Subsidised Syariah legal aid for B40 in every state.
- Mobilise more volunteer Syariah lawyers via NGOs & institutions.
- Digital info platform on women’s rights & court procedures (multilingual).
- Case Resolution
- Timeline for Syariah cases (12–18 months).
- Review cases every 3 months.
- Use of digital case system & online verification.
- Review rules that burden/discriminate against women.
- Professional Ethics
- Strengthen complaint mechanisms against lawyers/judges.
- Form Professional Conduct Tribunal for Syariah judiciary.
- Domestic Violence
- Expand trauma counselling, shelters, 24-hour helpline.
- Include psychological, economic, sexual abuse in laws.
- Train frontline officers (mosque officials, police, religious staff).
- Legal & Financial Literacy
- Modules on financial literacy & Syariah rights in pre/post-marital programs.
- Infographics/videos on post-divorce rights via religious channels.
- Estate Planning & Distribution
- Gazette guidelines on hibah, wasiat, wakaf, wasiyyah.
- National awareness campaign on family estate planning.
Divorce Trends from Telenisa 2024 Findings
The latest Telenisa 2024 Statistics reveal that the top three reasons for divorce among Muslim women in Malaysia are:
- Communication breakdown – 36 cases
- Domestic violence – 28 cases
- Financial problems – 24 cases
These findings highlight that divorce is not simply the result of irreconcilable differences, but often a reflection of deeper structural challenges faced by women in marriage.
Communication breakdown points to the need for greater awareness of emotional and psychological well-being within marriage, while financial struggles show how economic insecurity can strain families, especially where women are dependent on spouses who fail to provide adequate nafkah (maintenance).
Most alarming is the persistence of domestic violence as a driver of divorce, showing that too many women are still forced to choose between safety and staying in a harmful relationship.
SIS Forum (Malaysia) stresses that these issues must be addressed not only within families, but also at the systemic level. Policies that enforce maintenance orders, strengthen legal aid access, and expand support services for survivors of violence are urgently needed.
A compassionate justice system, rooted in the maqasid al-shari‘ah (objectives of Islamic law), must prioritise the dignity, safety, and well-being of women and children.
“Justice delayed is justice denied. For every case we record, there are many more women who cannot come forward. Reforms in enforcement, legal aid, and protection mechanisms are not optional – they are essential if we are serious about justice and compassion in our Syariah system,” Rozana.
Click here for Telenisa 2024 Statistic & Findings Report e-booklet.
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About SIS Forum (Malaysia)
SIS Forum is a non-governmental organisation working towards advancing the rights of Muslim women in Malaysia within the framework of Islam, universal human rights principles, constitutional guarantees, as well as the lived realities and experiences of women.
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For media enquiries, kindly contact:
Ameena Siddiqi – Communications Manager
SIS Forum (Malaysia)
No.4, Lorong 11/8E, 46200 Petaling Jaya, Selangor Darul Ehsan, MALAYSIA Email: [email protected] | Mobile: +6 012-380 1049 | Tel: +603 7960 5121 | Fax: +603 7960 8737