KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 6 — The Syariah Judiciary Department today gave out RM200,000 in alimony advance to 70 divorcees and children whose ex-spouses or fathers failed to provide maintenance or complied with the Syariah Court’s order.

The amount is part of a RM15 million allocation approved by the Cabinet in January for advance payments to women awaiting the Syariah Court’s decision on the amount of alimony.

Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Jamil Khir Baharom (picture) presented the alimony advance to the first batch of recipients approved by the Family Support Division (BSK) of the Federal Territory Syariah Judiciary Department at the Federal Territory Syariah Court here today.

Speaking to reporters, he said the advance alimony would ease the burden of women who were in the process of getting a divorce pending the court’s decision on maintenance order as their husbands did not provide the maintenance.

Jamil Khir said the women must first apply for a maintenance order to the Syariah Court before applying for the alimony advance.

He said the alimony advance would be disburse to women who had obtained the Syariah Court’s order based on their needs and the number and age of the children.

He said the fund was set up as a revolving fund and the BSK would get ex-spouses to reimburse the advance alimony.

If the ex-spouses could not be traced, the BSK will seek the help of other government agencies to nail them and apply for the Syariah Court’s order to compel them to repay the alimony advance, he added. — Bernama