Beyond reconciliation: How the National Population and Family Development Board helps non-Muslim couples part ways peacefully

The Mediator Body Pilot Project aids non-Muslim couples in separating amicably while continuing parental duties and provides support through mature decision-making.

The initiative offers counselling for couples to address marital issues and decide on reconciliation or separation, prioritising children's welfare.

The project collaborates with the National Registration Department to handle marital conflicts, highlighting the importance of communication and understanding in resolving issues.

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 25 — The National Population and Family Development Board’s (LPPKN) Mediator Body Pilot Project extends its support beyond marriage reconciliation, helping non-Muslim couples separate amicably while continuing to fulfil their responsibilities as parents.

Dr Sarada Devi R. Subramaniam, a psychology officer and registered counsellor with LPPKN’s Family Well-being Division (Counselling and Intervention Unit), said the initiative aimed to help couples make mature decisions and understand that their parental responsibilities remained unchanged despite changes in their marital status.

“We don’t force or persuade our clients. We simply give them the space to make mature decisions. You can separate as husband and wife, but you can’t separate as father and mother,” she said during the second season of the KASIH Lensa Keluarga podcast, titled “Bilik Tribunal: Tempat KASIH Diuji, Tempat KASIH Dicari”, which aired last night.

Sarada Devi said the project’s success was not only measured by the number of couples who reconciled, but also by helping those who chose to divorce part ways amicably while continuing to fulfil their responsibilities as parents.

According to her, separating couples must continue to provide financial support and remain involved in their children’s lives, without putting them in the difficult position of choosing between their mother and father, while understanding how prolonged conflict can affect their development and well-being.

The Mediator Body Pilot Project, a collaboration between the National Registration Department (JPN) and LPPKN, provides non-Muslim couples facing marital conflict with counselling and intervention to help them resolve their differences before filing for divorce.

Sarada Devi said the collaboration with JPN enabled registered LPPKN counsellors to assist in handling marriage tribunal cases involving non-Muslim couples by giving both parties a space to share their marital concerns separately.

Couples are then referred to LPPKN for counselling to address the underlying issues affecting their marriage and consider their next steps before attending a joint session to decide whether to continue their marriage or separate.

Sarada Devi said her experience showed that marital conflict often stemmed from communication problems, infidelity, financial difficulties and interference from family members or friends, whose advice could sometimes be biased.

However, she said complaints raised at the start of a session might not always point to the actual cause of the conflict, as financial problems, for instance, could sometimes be linked to emotional neglect.

Sarada Devi said counsellors would provide a safe, confidential and neutral environment for couples to discuss their concerns without fear of judgment, while helping them better understand each other’s emotional needs and love languages, such as appreciation, affectionate touch and quality time.

She added that individuals who come for the sessions alone, such as those whose foreign spouses are overseas and unable to join them, are also guided in planning their post-divorce lives, particularly in managing their finances, careers and responsibilities as single parents.

Sarada Devi advised couples facing prolonged conflict to seek professional help before making decisions about the future of their marriage, and encouraged them to make use of LPPKN programmes such as SMARTSTART to enhance their knowledge and preparedness for married life. — Bernama

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调解机构试点项目旨在帮助非穆斯林夫妇友好分手，同时继续履行父母职责，并通过成熟的决策提供支持。

该计划为夫妻提供咨询，帮助他们解决婚姻问题，决定和解还是分居，并将子女的福祉放在首位。

该项目与国家登记部门合作处理婚姻冲突，强调沟通和理解在解决问题中的重要性。

吉隆坡，9 月 25 日讯——国家人口与家庭发展局 (LPPKN) 的调解机构试点项目将其支持范围扩大到婚姻和解之外，帮助非穆斯林夫妇友好分手，同时继续履行他们作为父母的责任。

LPPKN家庭福祉部门（咨询和干预小组）的心理学官员兼注册咨询师萨拉达·德维·R·苏布拉马尼亚姆博士表示，这项举措旨在帮助夫妻做出成熟的决定，并理解尽管婚姻状况发生变化，但他们的父母责任仍然不变。

“我们不会强迫或说服我们的客户。我们只是给他们空间做出成熟的决定。夫妻可以分居，但父母不能分居，”她在昨晚播出的KASIH Lensa Keluarga播客第二季“Bilik Tribunal: Tempat KASIH Diuji, Tempat KASIH Dicari”节目中说道。

萨拉达·德维表示，该项目的成功不仅体现在和好夫妻的数量上，还体现在帮助那些选择离婚的人友好分手，同时继续履行他们作为父母的责任上。

她认为，分居的夫妇必须继续提供经济支持，并继续参与孩子的生活，不要让孩子陷入在父母之间做出选择的艰难境地，同时也要理解长期的冲突会对孩子的成长和幸福造成怎样的影响。

调解机构试点项目是国民登记局 (JPN) 和 LPPKN 合作开展的项目，旨在为面临婚姻冲突的非穆斯林夫妇提供咨询和干预，帮助他们在提出离婚申请之前解决分歧。

Sarada Devi 表示，与 JPN 的合作使注册的 LPPKN 咨询师能够协助处理涉及非穆斯林夫妇的婚姻法庭案件，让双方有机会分别分享他们的婚姻问题。

然后，夫妻会被转介到 LPPKN 接受咨询，以解决影响他们婚姻的根本问题，并考虑下一步措施，然后再参加共同会议，决定是继续婚姻还是分居。

萨拉达·德维表示，她的经历表明，婚姻冲突往往源于沟通问题、不忠、经济困难以及家人或朋友的干预，而他们的建议有时可能带有偏见。

然而，她表示，在会议开始时提出的抱怨可能并不总是能指出冲突的真正原因，例如，经济问题有时可能与情感忽视有关。

萨拉达·德维表示，咨询师将为夫妻提供一个安全、保密和中立的环境，让他们可以讨论自己的担忧而不必担心受到评判，同时帮助他们更好地了解彼此的情感需求和爱的语言，例如欣赏、亲昵的触摸和高质量的陪伴。

她补充说，独自前来参加辅导的人，例如配偶在海外无法与他们团聚的人，也会得到指导，规划离婚后的生活，特别是管理他们的财务、事业和作为单亲父母的责任。

萨拉达·德维建议面临长期冲突的夫妇在决定婚姻未来之前寻求专业人士的帮助，并鼓励他们利用LPPKN提供的SMARTSTART等项目来增进对婚姻生活的了解和准备。——马新社

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