Solemnisation ceremony allowed in Federal Territories from today - JAWI

According to the Guidelines for the Marriage Solemnisation Ceremony during the Movement Control Order (MCO) issued by JAWI, only five people are allowed to attend, namely the bride and bridegroom, wali (guardian) and two representatives of the couple.

The marriage official and two witnesses must also be from JAWI and the mosque where the ceremony is held.

“For brides and bridegrooms from different states that are in red zones, the number of attendees is also restricted to five people,” according to the guidelines updated yesterday.

Only one photographer is allowed to attend the ceremony and must comply with the Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) set and the solemnisation must not exceed 20 minutes.

In addition, formal handshake between the marriage official and the bridegroom, as well as those attending the ceremony, is not allowed and the one-metre physical distancing must also be observed.

Other rituals such as the purge of ablution and wearing of the wedding rings are also not allowed and everyone must abide by the safety measures set by the National Security Council (NSC) and the Ministry of Health Malaysia (MOH) from time to time.

Only dowry and related documents are allowed in the area which must be sanitised before and after the ceremony.

All parties involved must follow the date and time set by the Registrar or Assistant Registrar of Marriage and Divorce or the ceremony may be cancelled if they fail to be present on that date and time.

According to the guidelines, the solemnisation ceremony is only allowed for couples who have obtained Marriage Permission from JAWI as well as their respective State Islamic Religious Departments

This includes couples from other states who have obtained marriage permission from JAWI and their HIV Screening Test Results are still valid when the solemnisation ceremony takes place.

Marriage Permission letter that has expired during the MCO period will be extended for two months from the date the approval ends, but the applicant must go to JAWI to extend the period.

There are also specific conditions set for the solemnisation ceremony including the parties involved must first set an appointment with JAWI to get the date and time.

The parties involved in the ceremony should not consist of those who have symptoms, have had no close contacts with individuals confirmed to be COVID-19 positive, not under the Home Surveillance and Observation Order (HSO) and from Enhanced Movement Control Order (EMCO) areas.

The bride and bridegroom and their guardians are also required to undergo swab test before the ceremony.

“The negative test results must be submitted to JAWI as evidence to enable the solemnisation ceremony to be held,” the guidelines said.