MARRIAGE AND DIVORCE AMONG THE MALAYS IN TERENGGANU BETWEEN THE 1950s‒1970s

Instability in the Malay institution of marriage was a hot issue discussed during the 1950s to 1970s. The high divorce rates among the Malay community at that time attracted the attention of various quarters. However, there was little research conducted on marriage and divorce by local historians. To fill this gap, this study is presented by focusing on the Malay community in the state of Terengganu during the 1950s to 1970s. The study aims to analyse the problems that arise in the marriage institution among the Terengganu Malay community and to identify the factors that had caused these problems. In addition, this study also discusses the efforts taken by the Terengganu State Islamic Religious Affairs Department in addressing the problems. This study utilises archival and library research to obtain data. The findings indicate that marriage and divorce among the Malays in Terengganu were affected by two main factors, namely the economic and social factor.