Modernize the Religious Department please

I am feeling the chore of maintaining this blog.

For more than two years, I work independently out of my own garage and I would alway find time to do things that would give me the most pleasure i.e. writing. I am beginning to think that those days are beyond me.

I hope not!

Anyway, when there is a will, there is a way, I guess. So here I am, trying my level best to keep pounding my soon-to-die HP notebook. I know I have a responsibility to keep this computer alive as Arif has been wanting this one for himself, but we shall see.

I went to the Pejabat Kadhi Kajang on Monday.

And I can't resist saying, "No, I am not getting a divorce nor am I getting married again!" though I know I might get brick-bats for making such insensitive joke whenever one made a remark about such office.

Can't help it, ahh!

The view from the waiting area at Pejabat Kadhi Kajang. I would be able to hear every single words of issues being discussed at this inquiry counter. Shouldn't they be accorded a small room where conversation is more private? Anyway, that's my two sisters at the counter and my bro-in-law. Mum is waiting too for the day when another of her daughter would get married - hopefully soon, one down, one more to go!

Actually one of my sis is getting married and for some reasons I am not willing to disclose, she can only get married with a court declaration. Which is not problem, really.

I found the office to be backward with the waiting area for enquiries not private enough.

They should have made it ala income tax department (or any other ultra modern government departments) and there should be small rooms available for consulting away from the the peering eyes of the public there.

I know while I was there for about 45 mins, that this young couple wanted to 'rujuk' but they were in the dark of the whole process. They need a counsellor who could advice them away from the leery eyes and ears of the public (like me!).

I think you would know the kind of cases that would go to this office. All kind of kawin, cerai, nafkah etc and I am quite sure all would want some privacy when talking about the case. Can't our religious officers realize this? Aren't we in the most developed state in Malaysia, and the Pejabat Kadhi can't even give us a small room to discuss?

My eldest sis also mentioned that at one time, they were even scolded by the officers for wrongly filling up the form. Petty, I thought. Is this the kind of religious officers serving us? Not everybody is fit to serve the public in any capacity, be it he is a religious person or not. It needs the personality and it needs training.

I wonder too if our religious officers at these offices are trained with the modern knowledge of psychology and conselling, beyond the religious rules and laws.

I think we should be modernizing our syariah system in line with the modernization of the world we currently live in. The Kadhi office too should be made user friendly.

For one, the office is set to service us Muslims and they are there to serve us. It should be just that, and not the other way round.