More Malay women in Singapore seek divorce

MORE ethnic Malay and Muslim women in Singapore are seeking divorce as they become more aware of their rights and the stigma of being a divorcee wanes, the Sunday Times reported.

One out of four Muslim marriages ended in divorce and more than 57 percent of calls made to a hotline came from women asking how they could get divorced, said Ismail Ibrahim, executive director of the Association of Muslim Professionals (AMP) here.

Singapore's population of more than three million is mainly ethnic Chinese, with Malays, who are usually Muslim, the second dominant group, followed by Indians.

Malay women "do not hesitate to divorce their husbands for infidelity, polygamy or other abuses. For many women, the title of being a janda or divorcee now carries less stigma than before," he said.

However, among other trends were the rise in young Muslim couples under the age of 21 being referred for counseling and marriage guidance, and that nine out of 10 times, the girls were already pregnant when they wed.

The number of Malay youths involved in gangs and violence was also increasing, and they accounted for 24 percent of 300 cases heard in court, he added.