Projects carried out by Government and Private Bodies

There are a number of projects carried out by government and private bodies catering to the need of the single mothers.

(i) Financial Aid

One such scheme is known as Amanah Ikhtiar Malaysia(AIM). Under this scheme a loan of Rm10,000.00 is provided for single mothers to set up their own business. No collateral or guarantor is required. The borrower is required to save a certain sum of money each week depending on the amount of loan taken. To pay at least two payments each month. The borrower is also required to attend meeting at twice a month.

One body which caters to the need of Muslim single mothers is known as Pertubuhan Ibu Tunggal Islam(PITI) Wilayah Persekutuan dan Selangor. Its objective is to help single mothers to be a better householder and also provide courses to educate them.

In Kota Baru Kelantan, a non-government body for single mothers known as Wijadi has launched a herb growing project on a plot of land donated by its member.

(ii) Housing needs.
The Government has taken steps to assist single mothers to own houses of their own. Various schemes have been planned so that single mothers can own houses with less difficulty. The government intend to allocate a number of houses for people who are in poverty. Single mothers who are interested can contact
Syarikat Perumahan Negara Berhad (SPNB) for more information.

The Malaysian Single Mothers Associations Council

The Malaysian Single Mothers Association Council was formed in 5th March 2002. The object of this body is to monitor the activities of all the Single Mothers Associations in Malaysia. It helps the government to collect data on the situation of single mothers and to systematically explore ways and means to help the single mothers.

Statistics on Single Mothers

According to the 2000 census there are about 126,810 single mothers in Malaysia. The Malays comprise 58.9%, the Chinese 23.4 %, the Indians 9.1 %. Among the States Selangor has the highest number, it has 16,748 people, followed by Perak and Johor which have 15,969 and 14,790 respectively. Of this number about 87.4 % is due to the death of husbands. Women who become single mothers as a result of divorce comprises 12.6 %.

Coping skill for single mothers.

Guidance is needed for single mothers, this is despite the fact that they may be financially sound and highly educated. Professional guidance will go a long way in helping them to manage their emotions after a break up and also bringing out better children. Without proper guidance they are ill-equipped to shoulder the task. The loss of the support from the husband can cause a lot of hardships to the women with children. Emotionally the women need guidance from the experts to ensure that they have good self-esteem and courage to carry on with life; they must be in good shape physically, mentally, and spiritually to take up the challenge of the role of single mothers.
Single mothers have to face many responsibilities which were once shared by two persons. The children’s future are in the hands of these women. A body have to be set up to look specifically to the needs of single mothers’ families. We cannot leave their plight to chance. These women must be taught proper techniques in bringing up children . The nation’s future is in the hands of these women. Money has to be allotted to finance educational programs and seminars for the well being of single mother families.

A product of the new age.

Single mothers are the end product of what? The factors that give rise to single mothers are many. Among the them is the death of a spouse, which is one which is not within the control of anyone. Other grounds which give rise to single mothers are the dissolution of a marriage, where the marriage is broken down and ended up in divorce. This is the most common ground which gives rise to women assuming the role of single mothers. With the high rate of divorce and also disillusion among young women in the institution of marriage, marriage is no more viewed as a safe haven ,they are prepared to dissolve the marriage whenever the circumstances force them to do so .

Single Mothers in Malaysia

The rise of single mothers.

Education has enabled women to be more independent financially, they are able to fend for themselves; they no longer look towards man for financial support; their dependence on men for financial need is lesser now. Their new found independence has enabled them to be more courageous in decision making The husband’s misbehavior and infidelity is no longer endured or tolerated as in the past. Rapid economic growth and the participation of women in the various fields have changed women’s perception in the institution of marriage. This new perception has resulted in women willing to take up the role of bringing up children singled handedly without the assistance of their men. The result is the emergence of more and more women who become mothers without the presence of a father in the home.

Why do these girls end up in reform schools?

The writer is informed by the officers of these schools that some of the reasons that these young girls commit crimes or become uncontrollable are as follows:

(1) Lack of education, partly due to parents who have been divorced.

(2) Lack of parental love, care and attention. It is said that parents only know how to punish but never to understand.

(3) Environment. This includes the neighbourhood where the child resides, and how much control and monitoring the parents do to protect the child from being influenced by negative forces.

(4) Financial. There are cases where parents take no responsibility for their children’s education. Children play truancy partly due to not having the money to buy the necessary books required or to pay school fees. They feel inadequate and not able to face the teachers and subsequently decide to skip school and go somewhere else. They will be back home after school and parents are not aware of their absence from school.

(5) Character of the child. Although it is true that one’s environment plays a big role
in the shaping of one’s character , we also cannot deny that there are
cases of children whose character are innate in them and is difficult to change.

(6) Friends. Who and what we are can be judged from the people we mix with. Friends plays a big role in influencing our thoughts and habits. People who have negative habits and lifestyle will inevitably pass it to those around him or her, this is especially so if one is weak and easily influenced.

Parents may send their daughters to reform schools

Parents who may wish to send their daughters to these reform schools when they get out of control. They should refer this matter to the social welfare officer of their State, who will study their case and then make a recommendation. A court order has to be obtained in order for the school to accept the children.

Intake to Reform School is by Court Order

Intake into government reform schools is subject to orders made by the Court. The residents’ ages range from 10 to 18. These young girls have usually committed offences owing due to their being minors. Instead of being sent to jail, they are sent to these reform schools to go to through rehabilitation programs. The school curriculum is the same with the normal schools. Although the inmates are usually be kept for a duration of three years, the Board of Visitors have the right to decide whether to reduce the period.

School activities need to be approved by the Ministry of Education to ensure that they help in the residentss’ growth. Various programs are organized by the school to help enable the residents adapt to the outside world when they leave.

Reform schools

Reform schools have an important role to play. The basic concept of this school is to teach wayward girls a new skill, allow them time to reflect their past and give them an opportunity to lead a new life without any interference from their old contacts. The girls pick up new skills and trades in the schools.
Reform schools like Sekolah Tunas Bakti, Sg. Leleh, Melaka, help the girls who have been put under their care to change over to a new life. The role of the reform school is to make sure that when the girls leave the centers they will be able to carry on a normal life and bring up successful families. The results of the rehabilitation programs all depends on the girls; some benefited greatly, some revert back to their old ways

How you can get help from Legal Aid Centers?

How do you qualify for assistance from the Legal Aid Center? The standard used are not the same in all of the States. In some States the minimum income level set is higher if the costs of living is higher. Where the cost of living is lower, the minimum income is lower. In Malacca the writer was told that to qualify one must be earning less than RM 600 a month. The applicant may have to pay certain disbursements to a lawyer who takes up her case. There is also no fixed rule for this payment, it all depends on the lawyer concerned. I understand that certain lawyers do not collect disbursements at all.

Legal Aid Centers

Fees are charged by lawyers are normally beyond the mean of women who have been abandoned by their husbands. The Bar Council has set up Legal Aid Centers in various States to cater for the poor. The purpose of these Centers is to give the poor access to legal advice even when they cannot afford it.

Legal Aid Bureau

When legal consultation is required a lawyer’s fee is always an important factor. Women who are in need may not be able to afford the fees charged by lawyers. The government’s Legal Aid Bureaus provide a means for women to get help without any charges provided they show that their income is low and they cannot afford a lawyer. Women should be aware of their rights; they will be given advice and guidance on their situation if they consult the Legal Aid Bureau.

Applicants must meet certain conditions before they can be assisted by the Legal Aid Bureau. Housewives who do not work and have no income are automatically entitled to legal aid. Women who work must have a yearly net income must exceeding RM3000/= in order to qualify. Net income means after deducting rentals and maintenance for children.

More details can be found by calling the 24 hours legal aid hotline 600 82 7713. A woman with a net income of between RM3000/= and RM13,000/= per year, has to pay a fee of RM300/=. Those whose income is above RM13,000/= per year do not qualify except with the consent of the Minister.

It is also vital that the services of the Legal Aid Bureau be made known to women who may be quite ignorant of such services provided by the government. The Legal Aid Bureau should become more user-friendly and change its image in line with modern trends. People will only go to services which are approachable and friendly. Our society will have fewer problems if only people know more about their rights and claim them. Injustice take places only where there is ignorance. Time must be spent on educating the public on their rights and solutions to their problems. Women will approach the Bureau only if it is visible and the Bureau must make itself more visible by having posters and leaflets at public places like supermarkets and malls.

Making a will

Two witnesses are required to witness a person signing his/her will. The witnesses cannot be beneficiaries (persons who benefit) of the will. Besides the two witnesses you also need to appoint trustees (also known as executors) to manage your will. He or she will go to the Court to handle your matters after your death. The will must state what type of property you bequeath and to whom. Any ambiguity or unclear statements will make your will invalid and have no effect at all. So you must get a lawyer to draw up a will for you. If you have made a will long time ago, say before you got married, then you must make a fresh will.

Employee’s Provident Fund (EPF)

The husband's EPF money will only be paid to the wife if he has nominated the wife as the beneficiary. Otherwise the money will be paid to the person named in the nomination form. If the husband did not nominate anyone to receive the funds, then his next of kin, in this case the wife, will be entitled to the money.

The wife needs not distribute according to the law but everybody must agree

The distribution Act allows property to be distributed according to the terms in the Act. If the husband does not leave a will behind and the wife does not want to distribute according to the Act, then the wife must get the consent of everyone entitled to her husband ‘s estate to agree to a different way of distribution. Alternatively, the survivors may apply to the Court to appoint trustees to administer the estate.

What happens after the death of the husband the wife found out that he left nothing for her and the children?

The wife can consult the legal aid bureau (Biro Bantuan Guaman) to apply to the court to challenge her deceased husband’s will. If the wife is financially able, then it is better to see a lawyer to seek advice and proceed to do the necessary things like putting a caveat on her husband’s property to stop it being transferred to other people before the Court makes its decision.

Making Sure That The Husband Leave a Will

The wife should ask her husband whether he has made a will. If he has done so, then when he dies the properties will be distributed according the instructions stated in the will. If when he dies, the wife does not know whether her husband has left a will, she must find out from others.
Very often both husband and wife goes together to see a lawyer to prepare their wills. This is a good way of arranging their property for distribution after their death. Couples usually think over the matter for a while before they make final decisions on the distribution. They will want to make sure that it is done in the best interests of the children and avoid unnecessary misunderstandings. A will is a good way to distribute property to others as they wish. It is time efficient and cost effective.

What happens if a person dies without leaving behind a spouse, children or parents?

In this situation, if his or her grandparents are still alive, the property will be shared equally between them, if only one grandparent is alive, then he or she takes all.

If no grandparents are alive, then the property will be given to brothers and sisters in equal share. If there are no brothers and sisters, then it goes to uncles and aunts in equal share. If there are no relatives alive, then the property goes to the government.

The Court require the trustee to give a personal bond to guarantee that in the event that he or she administers the estate improperly and losses are incurred, he or she will have to compensate the beneficiaries for the losses.

The advantage of having a written will is that all the above mentioned hassle will be avoided. Under the will trustees are appointed to deal with the distribution according to wish of the deceased person.

How the property is distributed under The Distribution (Amendment Act) 1997.

Under the new amendment, when a husband or wife dies, one-quarter of his or her property goes to the parents; if the parents are alive, they share equally. The surviving husband or wife takes one-quarter share. The rest of the property is divided equally among the children of the deceased. If there are no parents living, then the surviving husband or wife takes one-third share of the property while the children will take the rest (2/3) of the share allocated to the parents. If the spouse and parents are no more living, then all the property is given to the children to be shared equally. If there are no children, the surviving husband or wife takes half share while the other half goes to the parents of the deceased. In the event where there are no parents and children living, the surviving husband or wife inherits all the property