Community leaders want 26 Adat Iban laws amended
SIBU: Iban community leaders from the central region want the authority concerned to approve the proposal to amend 26 Adat Iban laws.
Local Iban paramount chief Temenggong Stanley Geramong said the laws are no longer relevant nowadays particularly those pertaining to marriage and divorce.
He said they had submitted a proposal for the laws to be amended to Sarawak Native Customs Council during ‘ Iban Customs Workshop’ held here in September last year and all Iban community leaders agreed to the proposal.
“There are weaknesses in the laws especially on child maintenance when the couple are divorced. For example, the amount of RM100 for monthly child maintenance should be raised not only to make the law stricter but also to reduce divorce cases among the community,” he said when met after ‘Law Literacy Seminar: Iban Custom Marriage’ programme at Rumah Nyanggau Ason at Mile 36 in Tamin along Sibu/Selangau Road recently.
The programme was jointly organised by Women Development Department of the Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development, state’s Women and Family Department and Women Organisation for Change where Stanley was one of the invited speakers.
Stanley revealed there were 92 marriages registered under Adat Iban in Sibu division last year.
“In that same year, the Sibu Native Court also handled 62 divorce cases which was more than half of the marriages registered.
“We therefore hope those in charge will amend the laws because we believe not only will it strengthen the laws but at the same time will reduce social problems among the Ibans,” he said.
Earlier during question and answer session, Stanley disclosed that marriage registered under Adat Iban is now linked to National Registration Department (JPN) through which the marital status of a person can be traced.
Tamin assemblyman Christopher Gira Sambang officiated at the closing of the one- day programme.
In that same year, the Sibu Native Court also handled 62 divorce cases which was more than half of the marriages registered. Temenggong Stanley Geramong, Local Iban paramount chief