Why Muslim marriages break down in Malaysia: Here’s what SIS Forum’s 10-year data shows

ARA DAMANSARA, June 18 — The top three reasons why Muslim couples’ marriages broke down in Malaysia over the past 10 years were communication problems, domestic violence and infidelity, a 10-year report by Muslim advocacy group SIS Forum (Malaysia) has shown.

Based on SIS Forum (Malaysia)’s latest report released yesterday, a total of 4,761 persons (about 90 per cent women) had approached its free legal advice service Telenisa in the past decade from 2016 to 2025, with 3,438 of those cases involving marriage breakdowns.

In the past 10 years, the top three reasons accounted for 56.6 per cent, or more than half, of those marriage breakdowns recorded by Telenisa.

What do these numbers mean?

In the report, SIS Forum said communication problems peaked at 166 cases in 2018 and remained high in subsequent years, while domestic violence and infidelity both peaked in 2021.

SIS Forum said this shows that communication failure is not just a common conflict in marriages, “but has the potential to develop into more serious issues if not addressed effectively”.

As for domestic violence and infidelity, SIS Forum said the data illustrates that marital conflict “often involves elements of emotional instability, betrayal, and power imbalance within the relationship, ultimately leading to separation”.

Citing these top three reasons from 2016 to 2025, it said this shows that marriage breakdown among Telenisa’s clients is largely driven by unhealthy and prolonged relationships.

In fact, 92.9 per cent of the 4,761 persons who used Telenisa’s free service from 2016 to 2025 had been married for more than one year, which SIS Forum said indicates that most of the issues were “not temporary or early marital conflicts” but instead problems that had “persisted and may have become more complex when not addressed promptly”.

While marriage breakdown factors such as polygamy and financial reasons had lower figures during the 10-year period, SIS Forum said this does not mean these issues are less important, as they may exist as secondary or layered factors within larger conflicts such as infidelity and communication failure.

Top reasons in 2025 

In its report on Telenisa’s 2025 figures, also launched yesterday, SIS Forum’s data showed the top three reasons for marriage breakdown among its Telenisa clients that year were domestic violence, communication problems, and husbands’ failure to pay or provide maintenance.

SIS Forum said this means Malaysia needs to improve pre-marriage and post-marriage courses for couples, including teaching them skills to manage their money and communicate with each other.

“These structured interventions should be expanded comprehensively, with particular emphasis on financial literacy in family management, the development of healthy communication skills, and crisis management strategies that prioritise reconciliation without violence,” it said in the report, adding that marriage institutions will continue to weaken if these measures are not taken.

For its short-term plan within the next three years, SIS Forum’s proposal to the government includes this: “Integrate financial literacy and Syariah rights modules into both pre-marriage and post-marriage courses, ensuring couples are equipped with essential knowledge before and after entering marriage.”

SIS Forum established Telenisa in 2003, with the free service offering legal information, guidance and referrals to Muslim women who face issues such as those relating to marriage, divorce, maintenance, child custody, domestic violence and other Islamic family law matters.

It also started publishing its annual statistics on Telenisa findings in 2016, with its data aimed at helping provide evidence for legal reforms, policy-making and institutional improvements.

SIS Forum yesterday highlighted the importance of its Telenisa service as a lifeline to the community, as 66.4 per cent, or 3,160 of the 4,761 clients it assisted from 2016 to 2025, were those earning below RM1,000 per month.

Out of the 4,761 Telenisa clients over the decade, 90.9 per cent were women, and 71.5 per cent, or 3,400 of them, requested legal advice on their rights and legal protection under Islamic family law.

At the Telenisa report’s launch yesterday, Yayasan Sime Darby chief executive officer Yatela Zainal Abidin said access to justice is not only a legal issue, but closely linked to the well-being, safety and dignity of women, children and families.

“Yayasan Sime Darby is proud to have supported the Telenisa Legal Clinic since 2016, with a commitment of more than RM2.5 million to ensure free legal advice continues to reach those who need it most.

“Over the past decade, Telenisa has assisted more than 4,500 individuals, reached over 50,000 people through awareness and community outreach programmes, and trained more than 230 chambering students who will contribute to the future of Malaysia’s legal profession,” she said.

SIS Forum executive director Rozana Isa yesterday thanked the Bar Council’s Kuala Lumpur and Selangor Legal Aid Centres and chambering students for their collaboration since 2003 on Telenisa services.