The re-marriage rate is rising in the community, from about 27 per cent of all Muslim marriages 10 years ago to 35.2 per cent in 2006, according to the latest available statistics.

Dr Mohamad Maliki Osman, Parliamentary Secretary (National Development), wants such families to get more help.

'When a marriage breaks down, children are involved. When they remarry and they divorce again there is another set of children involved,' he told reporters on Wednesday.

But the increasing numbers are weighing on the As-Salaam Family Support Centre which has been offering preparatory programmes for remarried couples since 2001.

Run by the Young Women Muslim Association, it introduced workshops, support groups and counselling for step-families in 2005.

Its reach has been limited to just 17 per cent of remarried couples, or about 300 cases a year, all referred by the Registry of Muslim Marriages as well as Malay Muslim organisations.

To grow that reach, Dr Maliki, co-chairman of the Family Development Network which looks into strengthening families, said more social workers will be hired specifically for this programme, so that at least 500 families can be covered in the first year.