Annual Applications for Divorce and Counselling to Syariah Court and Factors Causing Divorce in Malay/Muslim Community from 2016 to 2020

Mr Muhamad Faisal Bin Abdul Manap asked the Minister for Social and Family Development and Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs (a) from 2016 to 2020, how many annual applications were received by the Syariah Court for divorces and counselling respectively; (b) of these, how many applicants eventually divorced; and (c) what are the three main reasons or factors that are the causes of divorce in the Malay/Muslim community within that time period.

Between 2016 and 2020, the Syariah Court received an annual average of about 3,300 registrations for the Marriage Counselling Programme and 1,900 applications for divorce. On average, about 1,600 of these cases ultimately ended in divorce.

The top three reasons for causes of Muslim divorces within that period are infidelity, financial problems and desertion.