Instead, the Malaysian Muslim Lawyers Association (PPMM) says the money owed should be deducted from the men’s bank accounts.

PPMM president Zainul Rijal Abu Bakar said freezing the men’s bank accounts could lead to problems, especially if they have a new family to look after.

“Former husbands without a new family may still need to look after their aged parents, so freezing their account could affect them.”

So, he said, it would be better if the amounts owed to the ex-wives were deducted from the men’s account.

Zainul said deductions were also easier to implement for those in the civil service as the government, with a court order, could deduct the money from the men’s salaries to be given to their ex-wives.

He also said with deductions, the government only needed to amend the Islamic Family Law Act to allow financial institutions to make deductions. This, he said, meant there would be no need for new laws to be formulated.

The government’s plan to freeze the bank accounts of former husbands was announced by prime minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob on Sunday.