Rocker Awie loses custody of children

The Syariah High Court here Wednesday set aside the temporary custody awarded to Wings vocalist Awie of his three children.

Syarie judge Mohd Amran Mat Zain made the decision after granting Awie's wife Rozana Misbun's application.

The court also ordered Awie, whose real name is Ahmad Azhar Othman, 47, to pay RM5,000 costs.

The judge said the court was fully satisfied that Awie was not domiciled in Kuala Lumpur, and that the marriage certificate he submitted to obtain the temporary custody order did not exist.

Mohd Amran noted that Awie had used 'Ukay Perdana, Ampang, Selangor' as his address of residence in his identity card.

The local rock singer obtained temporary custody of the children he shared with Rozana, 37, on July 21 last year.

Last Aug 8, Rozana, represented by counsel Jamal Lokman Mohd Sulaiman filed an application to set aside the custody order.

When met by the media after the decision, Awie, who was represented by counsel Datuk Mohd Zaidi Mohd Zain, said he accepted the court's decision with an open mind.

He said he would discuss with his lawyer on the next course of action to ensure that his children's welfare was taken care of.

"Presently the children are with me," he said, declining to comment on the non-existent marriage certificate.

Meanwhile, Rozana said she was thankful for the court's decision which proved who was on the right side.

She and Awie married in Songkhla, Thailand on June 20, 2005 and have two sons and a daughter.

In early December last year, she lodged a police report claiming that the couple's marriage certificate issued by the Bukit Mertajam District Religious Office nine years ago, was false.

Last July 4, Awie was charged in the Ampang Magistrate's Court here with voluntarily causing grievous hurt to Rozana at a house in Taman Ukay Bistari, Hulu Klang at 1.30pm, the same year.