A traditional Malay wedding ritual known as ‘membatalkan air sembahyang’ (breaking of ablution) is held during the ‘akad nikah’ or solemnisation ceremony. During this part of the ceremony, the groom would put the wedding ring on the bride’s finger. The bride would respond by kissing the groom’s hand. In Islam, males are not allowed to touch females who are not related to them and vice-versa. Thus, this brief Malay ritual symbolises that there are no longer any restrictions between them as they are now husband and wife.
