KUALA LUMPUR - Abandoned ex-wives and children were a cause for concern, said Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil yesterday.

Shahrizat said according to complaints received by the ministry, many ex-wives did not receive maintenance from their husbands.

There were also reports of children from these broken homes being neglected and abandoned, she said.

"In the event of a divorce, the issue of maintenance and custody must not be taken lightly.

"The ministry welcomes amendments that will strengthen and uphold the spirit of syariah that protects not only the rights of husbands, but also that of wives and children," she added in a statement.

Shahrizat was responding to the Kelantan government's proposal to impose stiff penalties, including caning and jail, to Muslim men who divorced their wives without valid reasons.

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