Some students of a university here are living as ‘husband and wife’ while studying together at the same campus.
The matter came to light after one of the girl students became pregnant and the case reported to the university authorities.
It is believed that these cases only concerned students who had joined a certain religious cult and are living as married couples with the ‘blessings’ of the sect.
So far, the known cases involved students of just a certain university but, it is understood, the Higher Education Ministrty is monitoring campuses nationwide with the cooperation of the respective universities and local religious affairs departments to check the influence of the sect.
Parents are not aware
It has also come to the knowledge of the ministry that families of the students concerned have not been informed that their children had taken marriage vows.
It is learnt that the cult considers the ‘marriages’ valid as the unions have been ‘blessed’ by the cult and the marriages witnessed by fellow students.
Higher Education Minister Mohamed Khaled Nordin admits that he came to know about the matter only after one of the ‘wives’ came forward to confess to the university authorities that she is pregnant.
He wants all tertiary institutions to work closely with state religious departments to curb such deviant teachings.
Related posts: