Lived experiences and narratives of de facto single mothers in Penang island,Malaysia

This article presents the narrative and lived experiences of de facto single mothers (dfsm),a category of single mothers who,by law,are not 'single mothers' but in reality,are living like any other single mothers. in many cases,this category of single mothers is simply referred to as abandoned wives. a substantial body of literature exist on single mothers in malaysia; however,the literature that specifically focuses on the dfsm is scanty. using in-depth interviews and observation,this article explores the experiences and narratives of five dfsm in penang island. findings have shown that dfsm are more vulnerable and marginalised than legally separated mothers (divorced). not having a divorce certificate would also mean that they are not legally a 'single mother' and therefore,in many cases,are not qualified to be registered as members of single mother's association and almost often are deprived of government assistance. this has led to what is called a double abandoned phenomenon when not only are these women abandoned by their husbands (or sometimes families) but also by the relevant institutional agencies. it is suggested that the government should seriously address the struggles and challenges faced by these dfsm so that a better support and facilities are made available to this group. © universiti putra malaysia press.