SYARIAH COURT (Translation of documents)

Mr Zainudin Nordin asked the Acting Minister for Community Development and Sports and Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs (a) what is the number of requests for translation of documents and rulings of the Syariah Court from Malay to English; (b) is there an increasing number in such request; (c) does his Ministry find it necessary for future written documents and rulings of the Syariah Court to be given in both Malay and English.

The Acting Minister for Community Development and Sports and Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs (Assoc. Prof. Dr Yaacob Ibrahim): Mr Speaker, Sir, the Syariah Court started issuing its summonses, correspondences, documents, decrees and orders in English in August 1999. Prior to that, such documents were issued in Malay. The switch was made for the benefit of divorcees who needed to submit the documents for various applications to other Government agencies such as the CPF Board, Immigration and HDB. Before the switch, divorcees had to go to the Supreme Court to translate the documents from Malay to English for a fee. This meant that such families had to incur additional costs, suffer inconvenience and delay. The present arrangement serves the interests of divorcees better. It saves them time and they need not incur additional costs for translations.

Although important documents such as Court orders are printed in English, the proceedings of the Court are always conducted in either Malay or English, depending on what the divorcees themselves are conversant in. Very often, simultaneous interpreters for Tamil, English or other languages are used to assist parties who do not understand Malay or English. In cases where there is more than one language chosen, the Court will conduct the proceedings in either language and an interpreter will simultaneously interpret into the other language. These interpreters are engaged at the Court's expense, and not by the divorcees.

The divorcees will thus understand the proceedings, the testimonies and examinations that go on in their presence in court. Subsequently, the orders that are pronounced by the Court in their presence will be in the language that they have chosen. For example, in cases where the divorcees do not understand English, but understand Malay, the Court will conduct the proceedings in Malay and will pronounce its decrees and orders in Malay, whilst the written document reflecting this will be in English.