Latest news with #AbdulAziz
New Straits Times
03-08-2025
- New Straits Times
Malaysian women caught faking divorce papers to marry lovers in Thailand
KOTA BARU: The Narathiwat Islamic Religious Council has uncovered several cases involving Malaysian women attempting to deceive its religious officers by submitting forged divorce or death certificates to marry new Malaysian partners in southern Thailand. Its deputy president Abdul Aziz Che Mamat said such cases had been detected over the past few years, with most of the individuals involved hailing from Kelantan. "We have recorded numerous instances where Malaysian women submitted falsified documents claiming they were either divorced or widowed to facilitate remarriage in southern Thailand," he said. Abdul Aziz said some women went as far as altering names and dates on official documents, including tampering with divorce certificates, to bypass the marriage vetting process. He said the council treats such matters seriously and will immediately halt the solemnisation process upon detecting any fraudulent activity. "There were cases where my officers, unaware of the deception, allowed the marriage to proceed. "However, the registration was later revoked after the actual husband came forward to confirm that he was still alive and that they were not divorced," he added. He said the Malaysian women who attempted to deceive the Narathiwat Islamic Religious Council were, in most cases, already divorced. However, some had either not yet received the official divorce certificate or had lost the documents. "These women may have been eager to marry their new partners and were willing to do whatever it took to speed up the marriage process," he said. He said it is a mandatory requirement for any Malaysian man intending to marry a divorced woman at any recognised religious office or mosque in southern Thailand to provide a copy of the divorce certificate or the death certificate of the woman's previous husband. Abdul Aziz warned that such dishonest practices could jeopardise the legal status and future of children born from these marriages, particularly in matters relating to identity documentation, citizenship, and inheritance. "These children could face complications when registering their births, enrolling in school, or proving their legitimacy later in life," he said. In response, the council has tightened procedures for cross-border marriages, especially those involving foreign nationals. He said recent efforts to curb illegal and questionable marriages have yielded positive results. "Cases involving syndicate-driven marriages and underage unions have significantly declined thanks to improved cooperation and greater awareness among couples following our outreach and educational briefings," he said. Previously, the council had dealt with numerous cases involving syndicates, underage girls, and pregnant women, he said.
New Straits Times
03-08-2025
- Politics
- New Straits Times
Narathiwat council uncovers Malaysian women using fake documents to remarry in Thailand
KOTA BARU: The Narathiwat Islamic Religious Council has uncovered several cases involving Malaysian women attempting to deceive its religious officers by submitting forged divorce or death certificates to remarry new Malaysian partners in southern Thailand. Council deputy president Abdul Aziz Che Mamat said such cases have been detected over the past few years, with most of the individuals involved hailing from Kelantan. "We have recorded numerous instances where Malaysian women submitted falsified documents claiming they were either divorced or widowed to facilitate remarriage in southern Thailand," he said. According to Abdul Aziz, some women went as far as altering names and dates on official documents, including tampering with divorce certificates, to bypass the marriage vetting process. He stressed that the council treats such matters seriously and will immediately halt the solemnisation process upon detecting any fraudulent activity. "There were cases where my officers, unaware of the deception, allowed the marriage to proceed. "However, the registration was later revoked after the actual husband came forward to confirm that he was still alive and they were not divorced," he added. Abdul Aziz warned that such dishonest practices could jeopardise the legal status and future of children born from these marriages — particularly in matters relating to identity documentation, citizenship, and inheritance. "These children could face complications when registering their births, enrolling in school, or proving their legitimacy later in life," he said. In response, the council has tightened procedures for cross-border marriages, especially those involving foreign nationals. He noted that recent efforts to curb illegal and questionable marriages have yielded positive results. "Cases involving syndicate-driven marriages and underage unions have significantly declined thanks to improved cooperation and greater awareness among couples following our outreach and educational briefings," he said. He added that previously, the council dealt with numerous cases involving syndicates, underage girls, and pregnant women.
India.com
02-08-2025
- Politics
- India.com
Is alcohol sold in Sharia-ruled Saudi Arabia, and can you obtain a liquor license? Liquor consumption is only permitted for...
Liquor is prohibited in Saudi Arabia (File) Saudi Arabia Liquor: Saudi Arabia, one of the most hardline Islamic nations in the world, which is ruled under the stringent Sharia law, has recently softened its extreme stance in certain matters, such as women rights, entertainment, music, among other. However, the consumption of alcohol is still a criminal act in the desert kingdom and can invite severe punishment from authorities. Is alcohol sold in Saudi Arabia? Saudi Arabia had imposed a blanket ban on the sale and consumption of alcohol within its borders in 1952 after King Abdul Aziz's son got drunk at a party and shot and killed a British diplomat. However, the ban was lifted in 2024, following which the sale of alcohol was resumed in capital Riyadh after nearly 70 years. Who can sell and consume liquor in Saudi Arabia? After the ban was removed, a state-owned liquor store was opened, which only serves a select group of non-Muslim immigrants and diplomats. The customers are prohibited from carrying mobile phones or any other recording devices inside the store, and the purchases are made through a dedicated mobile app. Additionally, there is also a cap on how much liquor a single customer can purchase at the store. There are no public liquor stores in Saudi Arabia. Can you get a liquor license in Saudi Arabia? Currently, Saudi Arabia does not offer licenses to operate liquor stores in the country, however, a report by Metro News claims that the kingdom will implement licensing laws in 2026, allowing alcohol consumption. The report also claimed that the Saudi Arabian government has started the sale of alcohol at about 600 tourist places across the country. Thus, there are no public liquor shops in Saudi Arabia as the country does not offer licenses for the same. Why liquor is banned in Saudi Arabia? The sale and consumption of alcohol is strictly prohibited in Saudi Arabia under Islamic Sharia law, which prohibits the consumption of liquor and other intoxicants and deems it is as a great sin. Additionally, Saudi Arabia is home to Mecca and Medina, arguably two of the holiest cities in Islam, thus mandating strict prohibition on liquor consumption. What is the punishment for liquor consumption in Saudi? As mentioned above, Saudi Arabia has strict laws prohibiting the sale and consumption of liquor, and alcohol-related crimes could invite punitive measures like flogging, imprisonment, heavy fines or deportation for foreigners. The privilege is granted only to a few non-Muslim diplomats, while foreign tourists, who are not Muslims, are allowed to carry and drink liquor at certain places.
The Hindu
30-07-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Vijayawada reinstated Haj embarkation point
In a major relief for the Muslim community in Andhra Pradesh, the Ministry of Minority Affairs has officially reinstated Vijayawada as a Haj embarkation point. The announcement follows a formal request by Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu to Union Minister of Minority Affairs Kiren Rijiju. Responding positively, the Ministry issued official orders declaring Vijayawada an embarkation point for Haj pilgrims. This means that pilgrims from Andhra Pradesh will no longer have to travel to other States to begin their sacred journey, significantly reducing both travel strain and associated costs. Welcoming the decision, Sheikh Abdul Aziz, Chairman of the Andhra Pradesh Waqf Board and member of the State Haj Committee, expressed gratitude, and described the move as a 'great relief' for Muslim pilgrims. 'Reinstating the embarkation point in Vijayawada is a long-awaited and much-needed step. It allows our brothers and sisters to start their Haj journey directly from our State,' he said. Mr. Abdul Aziz added that the State Haj Committee, along with the Chief Minister, would work towards improving infrastructure and amenities at the Vijayawada embarkation point to better serve the needs of the pilgrims in the coming years, a press release said.
Daily Express
30-07-2025
- Business
- Daily Express
Sarawak leads on clean energy
Published on: Wednesday, July 30, 2025 Published on: Wed, Jul 30, 2025 By: Sherell Jeffrey Text Size: L/R: Abdul Aziz, Ng and Alia. KUCHING: Sarawak is showing the rest of Malaysia how governments and private sectors can work together to build a cleaner energy future, with the State already securing major partnerships for hydrogen production and green transportation projects. 'The Sarawak Government brings strategic vision, provides the policies, direction and forms the regulatory frameworks, while private sectors bring capital, technology, agility, research and development and innovation,' said Sarawak Economic Development Corporation (SEDC) Chairman Tan Sri Dr Abdul Aziz Husain. 'When these forces are aligned through effective partnerships, the impact can be transformative,' he said at the recent International Energy Week Summit (IEW) 2025 hosted by the Sarawak Energy and Environmental Sustainability Ministry and organised by Informa Markets, a world leading market-making company. Daily Express was among those invited for the event at the Borneo Convention Centre Kuching, here. Abdul Aziz cited Sarawak's strategic partnerships with Japanese companies (Sumitomo Corporation and ENEOS) under Project Hornbill and South Korean companies (Samsung Engineering, Korea National Oil Corporation and Lotte Chemicals) under Project Hibiscus. 'Green hydrogen from these projects will not only cater for our domestic needs, but also exported to foreign markets such as Japan and South Korea in 2030,' he said. He said Sarawak is also constructing the Rembus Hydrogen Production Plant to produce five tons of green hydrogen daily, which will power Sarawak Metro's upcoming Kuching Urban Transportation System using Autonomous Rapid Transit technology. 'Hydrogen refueling stations are being built in major cities including Miri, Bintulu, Sri Aman and Sibu, enabling hydrogen-powered vehicle travel throughout the State. 'These stations will be operated through partnerships where private entities can own the facilities while receiving government support services,' he said. He said partnerships is not just about producing clean energy but also about creating new industries and job opportunities. 'We are not only talking about reducing carbon emission but also about creating new industries, providing or creating new skills and opportunities for future generations in Sarawak. 'SEDC Energy is developing a 15,000 tons per annum Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) pilot plant using two technologies, namely Hydroprocessed Esters and Fatty Acids (HEFA) technology processing crude algae oil, palm oil, milk effluent and used cooking oil in addition to the Fisher crops technology converting zinc gas from biomass or waste into liquid hydrocarbons,' he said. Despite the progress, he acknowledged that clearer government policies and frameworks are needed to encourage more partnerships and better coordination between State and Federal governments for renewable energy exports. One of the biggest challenges in clean energy is that projects require huge upfront investments with uncertain returns. When asked whether Sarawak prefers local or international partners, Abdul Aziz said 'We encourage both.' 'We want to produce hydrogen and maybe methanol and ammonia for exports, because these are required by other countries for their power generation and also for their mobility. 'We would also like to have more private sector partnership locally. For example, waste to energy for our plantations. We have a lot of land here which can be turned into say farming or grass, which can be used for power generation,' he said. He acknowledged the urgency of these partnerships is clear from regional data. 'Since 2023, some 1,300 renewable and energy transition projects have been announced in the Asia-Pacific region, with announcements doubling from 146 in 2023 to 313 in 2024, now surpassing oil and gas sector projects. 'This growth now surpasses oil and gas sector projects, showing that clean energy is becoming the dominant focus for new investments in the region. 'Clean energy transition is not a solo journey. It is a shared responsibility, a shared opportunity,' he said. Ernst & Young Parthenon Malaysia Managing Partner Ng Boon Hui said successful Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) require win-win arrangements with government-backed guarantees to address market risks. 'For investors to come in, because this is a capital extensive technology ... they need to identify the market risk and how do address this funding risk,' he said, adding that the solution often involves the government providing guaranteed buyers for the energy produced. 'You can see all this solar power purchase agreement. There is a partial purchase agreement, 25 years. So, your market risk is addressed with this power purchase agreement. Bank will come and loan you the money. 'This means companies know they will have customers for their clean energy for 25 years, making it easier to get bank loans and convince investors to put money into the project,' he said. 'Malaysia already have our first mega PPP project plus and we have also set up a PPP unit in 2009 and have implemented 513 PPP projects,' he said, pointing out that Malaysia has extensive experience in making these PPPs arrangements work. He noted however that clean energy partnerships require a careful balance of leadership roles. 'Survey data shows that 77 per cent people feel that all this clean energy must be led by the government. 'Led by the government, meaning in the form of clear policy framework and also the infrastructure talent drives the talent agenda. 'From the business side, the private sector play an important role whereby they need to bring in the right technology, perhaps initially from overseas, but there is a need for them also to channel the knowledge to train locals,' said Ng. 'Interestingly, while people expect government leadership, in terms of finance, 70 per cent come from private, meaning most of the actual money for clean energy projects comes from private companies, not government budgets,' he added. One key challenge is developing local expertise to maintain and operate new clean energy technologies. 'All this new technology, the parts, everything is coming from overseas. But how can we also build up our supply chain, SME, promote, groom them,' he said, adding that the solution involves partnerships that include knowledge transfer. 'There is a need for them to channel the knowledge to locals. But this is a chicken and egg story. I want to train locals whether we have the talent or not. That is where the government comes in to try to get the talent in,' he said. New South Wales Trade and Investment Director Alia Jaafar said international partnerships can bring fresh perspectives, citing the Central-West Orana Zone as Australia's first electricity transmission PPP project, which involved a consortium of five Australian companies. 'Our role is more on facilitation, for my role, I engage with the local stakeholders in Malaysia to understand what are the latest policies, what are the opportunities available,' she said. 'These are very important piece of information that will then provide feedback to our companies for them to assess whether Malaysia would be the right fit for their energy transition goals,' she said. She said New South Wales has successfully used partnerships to build renewable energy zones, citing the Central-West Orana Zone, the first electricity transmission PPP project of its kind in Australia. 'The New South Wales state government facilitated this project and we supported a consortium of five companies, private sector players, all from Australia operating in this space. 'If we confine ourselves within our own state, even though our state is big, we would not have that additional value added because we are confined to only what we know, but we do not know what other people know,' she said pointing out how working with international partners brings fresh ideas. * Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel and Telegram for breaking news alerts and key updates! * Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available. Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express's Telegram channel. Daily Express Malaysia
