SHAH ALAM, Nov 7 — Selangor has various initiatives in place to support the Federal government’s efforts to curb marital breakdown, amid concerns over the number of divorce cases nationwide.
Expressing full support for Putrajaya’s pilot project to reduce divorce rates through the civil marriage conciliatory body, state executive councillor for women empowerment and social welfare Anfaal Saari said the move complements ongoing state efforts to strengthen family resilience.
“Selangor fully supports the national pilot project announced by Women, Family, and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri to reduce divorce rates through targeted counselling and intervention.
“Strengthening Malaysian families requires a whole-of-nation approach, where Federal and state governments, NGOs, and communities work hand-in-hand to build resilient family units and prevent breakdowns before they occur,” she told Media Selangor.
Last week, Nancy announced that a pilot project aimed at reducing divorce rates will be expanded nationwide in stages over the next three years, following its encouraging success in the capital.
The civil marriage conciliatory body, first introduced in Kuala Lumpur last year, had successfully reconciled 16 per cent of the 83 participating couples, while another 33 per cent agreed to continue with marriage and family counselling sessions.
Meanwhile, Anfaal said the Federal government, via the Islamic Development Department (Jakim) and in collaboration with state religious authorities, offers counselling services for Muslim couples via the Malaysian Islamic Marriage Management System (SPPIM) platform.
Meanwhile, the National Population and Family Development Board (LPPKN) offers family and marriage counselling services to all communities, including non-Muslim couples, to promote relationship well-being and resolve conflicts early.
“In Selangor, we also recognise that financial pressures often contribute to marital tension.
“To address this, the state has introduced programmes to ease families’ financial burdens and build economic resilience, such as Bingkas (Bantuan Kehidupan Sejahtera Selangor), MamaKerja, and other welfare schemes aimed at removing financial strain as a key source of conflict,” she said.
Selangor Syariah Chief Judge Datuk Mohammad Adib Husain was previously quoted as saying that financial issues and communication problems were among the main factors leading to divorce among Muslim couples in Selangor.
He said that between January and September this year, 10,815 divorce cases were recorded among Muslim couples in the state.
Anfaal added that, apart from financial assistance, Selangor also continues to emphasise emotional bonding within families through initiatives such as the Ceria Selangor Carnival, held across districts like Gombak and Sabak Bernam, to promote family togetherness and communication through community-based activities.
Under the Selangor Care Economy Policy 2024-2030, the state is also expanding childcare, eldercare, and community-based support services to reduce stress on working parents and caregivers.
“Our vision is to nurture strong and compassionate families as the foundation of a caring and prosperous Selangor,” she said.
Meanwhile, LPPKN said the agency will roll out several programmes next year to support family strengthening and responsible parenting, including the ‘Pemerkasaan Bapa’ (Father Empowerment) programme at the state level, which will specifically encourage bonding between fathers and sons.
“Another initiative, ‘Lelaki Budiman’, is still in the planning stage at the ministry level and has yet to be expanded to the states,” it said.
These initiatives are among the programmes proposed under the 13th Malaysia Plan (13MP) to enhance family empowerment.
In November last year, Chief Statistician Datuk Seri Mohd Uzir Mahidin said the number of marriages in Malaysia fell by 12.5 per cent from 215,022 in 2022 to 188,100 in 2023, while the Crude Marriage Rate also declined from 6.6 to 5.7 per thousand population.
Muslim marriages made up 74.5 per cent of all marriages in 2023, but the overall decline was mainly driven by a 16.8 per cent drop in Muslim weddings, which fell from 168,467 in 2022 to 140,176 the following year.
Selangor, Kelantan, and Johor recorded the largest decreases in Muslim marriages, while Johor, Sarawak, and Kuala Lumpur saw notable increases in non-Muslim marriages.
