proud of the homeland
Divorce by text message has recently featured prominently in the Malaysian headlines; I've always been proud of how dedicated my erstwhile countrymen are to the tight integration of all technologies into daily life - Malaysia may still be classed as a third world nation, but most people I know there have more gadgets than any similarly classed Westerner - though, as this case shows, things are sometimes taken a little too far and too seriously.
A man texts his wife to say he divorces her; it is validated in court. Fortunately, the government recognises the farcical precedent set in this instance, and imposes a fine, but not a ban, on people who divorce in this way. While being allowed to divorce by text is utterly ridiculous for obvious reasons, it is pretty efficient, and far cheaper than going to court. It also saves on petrol and energy expenditure, making the process more eco-friendly. I'm torn.
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Well, you wouldn't be if you knew the implications. The woman gets no say whatsoever, the man can simply divorce her and leave her without even consulting her. Alimony may or may not be provided for as Malaysian courts tend to be very lax on the collection of such matters.
Western courts require the consent of both parties before a divorce can be final (or else lengthy court proceedings in which terms for divorce can be settled). Under Islamic eyes, even in a country as progressive as Malaysia, women are still second class citizens... a woman still cannot be the sole guardian of a child in this country, a male must be listed as the guardian as well, preferably a father or a brother.
Luckily, the Chinese and Indian populations are mostly exempt from such rulings, but otherwise, life is terrible for an Islamic woman.
I think youve missed the satirical side to his take on the matter... it really isnt that obscure. the implications are immediately obvious, even to someone as stupid as me!
Hmm... perhaps... my body's awake, but I think my brain's still in bed. My bad.
Pfft, for someone who plays up the whole mentally-deficient-orang-asli routine, you're certainly on the ball today, Lat. Now leave the readership alone or I'll have you neutered by one of the mamaks in Bangsar. I might be in the UK, but I have connections.
Perfectly alright, K; don't forget that my family is muslim, and while I am lucky in having a liberal immediate family, and at worst only moderately religious relatives, I am aware of the extremes to which the religion is taken by those who are too weak to question the tenets upon which they are raised. Let's leave it at that.
Your family is muslim?! *blatant gape* I don't think you've ever mentioned that.
Actually yes, on one of my previous, rambling posts, I did refer to it. If it wasn't direct, it was certainly implicit, but that was a while back and I don't recall the exact wording. In any case, that kind of detail doesn't really belong here, though it isn't something I strive to conceal by any means! There are a very few people who call me by the muslim name ascribed to me at the time of my birth (none in my family use it), but as with many, I have a christian equivalent which predominates.
I'm kadazan, not orang asli!
Err, sayang, awak boleh read dictionary, ya? Check. Now! The Kadazan and Dusun are both indigenous tribes of Malaysian Borneo. I forgive you because you don't speak Malay, but you are referred to as orang asli by speakers of Bahasa. At least the guide books say so ;)
Well... technically they are... and technically they aren't...