KUALA TERENGGANU, MALAYSIA: It was no April Fools' joke. The short messaging service (SMS) was real - a man divorced his two wives within three minutes.

In the Lower Syariah Court, businessman Roslan Ngah, 44, divorced both wives by pronouncing talak (intention to divorce) to each of them.

He pronounced talak to his second wife Mastura Ahmad, 35, about 11.50am, then to Norhayati Ismail, 46, before judge Wan Abdul Malik Wan Sidek.

Wan Abdul Malik said this was the first time in the court's history that two wives had sought a divorce at the same time.

Earlier, someone had sent out a message "there is a case in Syariah (court), husband divorces two wives. Star pls come now."

Four reporters here who received the SMS brushed it off as a prank.

This reporter had replied "ha, ha, ha, thanks."

An hour later another SMS came: "This is not a joke, pls come to court now."

The reporters gave it a shot and headed to the court. They made it in time to listen to the proceedings.

Norhayati, a homemaker, has four children (aged nine to 22) with Roslan after marrying in 1986.

Mastura, a nurse at the Sultanah Nur Zahirah Hospital, has two, aged six and 10, following their marriage in 1995.

Both women looked composed during the proceedings. Accompanying Norhayati was her eldest daughter, Nurfarhana, 19.

The divorces were made under Section 44 of the Terengganu Syariah Enactment.

Outside the court, Roslan said he felt sad to be separated from his wives whom he claimed had asked him for the divorce.

He said both women shared "a very close relationship" and lived in a house in Pasir Panjang here. He stays in another house a few metres away.

"They are like good friends but I never imagined that both of them had collectively decided to divorce me.

"I admit that my relationship with them had been strained over the past few months but I never expected our marriages to end in this manner," he said in a calm voice.

Roslan confessed that he was also married to another woman in 2001 and they were blessed with a baby girl but they separated in 2004.

When asked whether he would remarry, Roslan replied: "If my fate says so, I have no qualms and this time I hope that my marriage will last forever."

Divorced by both wives in one day
by Sean Agustin
The New Straits Times

KUALA TERENGGANU: A businessman who divorced both his wives yesterday in what could be a first in syariah court history, claimed they had engineered it for April Fool's Day.

Roslan Ngah, 44, whose wives Norhayati Ismail, 46, and Mastura Ahmad, 35, had sent him a notice of "fasakh" (divorce) several days earlier, maintained that they had done it "to get at me".

That both women live next to each only served to strengthen his claim.

They had cited several reasons for seeking the divorce such as his not returning home for months, not performing his Muslim obligations, irreconcilable differences and not providing financial assistance as well as not fulfilling his duties as a husband.

Norhayati, a housewife, has four children, aged between 9 and 22 from her marriage of 22 years, while Mastura, a nurse, has two children, aged 6 and 10 from her marriage since 1992.

During proceedings, Roslan, who represented himself, said he would willingly divorce them as he wanted to resolve the matter immediately.

Norhayati also represented herself while Mastura was represented by Salwah Mansor.

"I am doing this because I love them and want to save them time and money," he told Syariah court judge Wan Abd Malik Wan Sidek.

Wan Abd Malik then ordered an hour-long adjournment for both women to file divorce applications under Section 44 of the Syariah Court (Terengganu) enactment 2001.

He then directed Roslan to utter "talak" (divorce) for both wives separately.

He later gave them an "eddah" timeline of three months so that they could have their menstrual periods, as was required in such proceedings.

The timeline also allows them to attempt a reconciliation. He also told the parties to discuss parenting responsibility and the division of property.

Roslan later told reporters that he was surprised by his wives' actions in sending him a court order instead of going through counselling first.

"I think they (the wives) wanted to get me but I do not want to prolong the matter as I know they have made up their minds to divorce me. There is no reason to hold on," he said.

Will he tie the knot again?

"I will not put off marriage indefinitely, God willing."

Both Norhayati and Mastura declined to speak to the press.