KUALA TERENGGANU, MALAYSIA: A 47-year-old grandmother may have just sealed her fate when she admitted in the syariah court here she felt her marriage to her first husband was not legal.

Siti Fatimah Yacob revealed this yesterday when questioned by Judge Sheikh Ahmad Sheikh Ismail as to whether the marriage was still legal and whether she was aware of Islamic laws.

Using the analogy of a man who says a prayer without knowing the proper time, Sheikh Ahmad asked her if such a practice was valid. To this, she replied "no".

Sheikh Ahmad then asked: "Then why did you not get confirmation? Do you feel your marriage was illegal?"

"Yes," she said.

Siti Fatimah was testifying at a hearing to determine her marital status. She remarried after believing she had been divorced from her first husband.

The outcome of the cerai taklik (utterance of divorce) had in fact not been decided upon by the syariah court.

Siti Fatimah married Wan Yusof Long, from Kampung Sekati Manir, in 2005 following the death of her first husband.

On March 28, Siti Fatimah, believing the divorce Wan Yusof had applied for at the Songkhla Religious Department was finalised, married Muhamad Abdullah @ Mihandher Singh.

When Wan Yusof found out about her remarriage, he lodged a police report and filed a complaint with the state Religious Affairs Department, stating she was still his legal wife as the divorce had not been settled.

A clearly exasperated Sheikh Ahmad then launched into a tirade, questioning her as to why she decided to come to court if she felt from the very beginning that her first marriage was not legal.

"I would be more harsh with my words if it wasn't for Ramadan as you are a mother and grandmother.

"It seems as if you're taking God as a joke as you already felt it was not right. I hope this does not happen again," he said.

Earlier, Siti Fatimah told the court that she had yet to receive her dowry of RM25 and that her husband handled all matters concerning the nikah certificate, which she said she could not read.

When asked if she agreed to the marriage, she merely nodded.

Sheikh Ahmad fixed Sept 19 for a decision.

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