Kuala Lumpur: The Malaysian government on July 31 said it would tighten Islamic laws to prevent husbands from kicking off divorce proceedings by sending a SMS using mobile phone to their wives and would impose a hefty penalty.

The Cabinet plans to impose a hefty penalty to the tune of $ 790 or a three-year jail term for husbands who pronounce "talak" outside court through SMS, 'New Strait Times' reported.

"We are considering increasing the fine and jail term for husband who use SMS or other electronic medium to declare the talak and impose a fine up to RM 3,000 or jail them for three years," Abdul Hamid Zainal Abidin a minister in PMO said.

The decision to review the religious laws comes week after a Shariah Court passed a ruling that divorce via SMS was in accordance with Shariah laws.

The ruling had triggered widespread anger among women's group who said using SMS was demeaning to women, and some Islamic scholars.

Opposing the court's pronouncement Prime Minister Mahathir Mohammed said that serious matters like marital problems and divorce should be handled in a more personal way.

Mahathir said that using SMS was not explicitly illegal under current Islamic laws, "it is not the way to get divorced".

Under Islamic law, to get a divorce a husband must declare to his wife that he wants to split from her, then repeat his intention before a judge of Shariah or Islamic law who must ratify the annulment.

PTI