A team of officers from the Johor Islamic Religious Department (JAINJ) raided a house and found a couple living together for the past five years, resulting in two children born out of wedlock.
The midnight raid, conducted based on public tips, uncovered a man and a woman, both in their 30s and divorced, living in a rented home along with their two children. JAINJ confirmed that the couple had been cohabiting as husband and wife during this time. The woman had previously married abroad before her divorce.
“During the period they lived together without formal marriage, we had not received any complaints regarding their status,” JAINJ stated. The couple’s statements were taken for further investigation, and they will be charged under Section 23 of the Johor Syariah Criminal Offences Enactment 1997. If convicted, they could face fines up to RM5,000, imprisonment for up to three years, caning, or a combination of these penalties.
In a separate case, authorities caught a 50-year-old man allegedly attempting to commit khalwat (illegal cohabitation) with a divorced woman at her home at noon yesterday. The man claimed he had come to repair a washing machine, but officers found the explanation unconvincing as the appliance was already in use. The man tried to flee but was stopped.
The couple has been charged under Section 27 of the same enactment, which carries penalties of up to RM3,000 in fines, two years’ imprisonment, or both, if found guilty.
