Amend law that allows child marriage, says Suhakam

PETALING JAYA: Suhakam, the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia, has said it is troubled that the law allows marriage between adults and children.
Such marriages are allowed with the consent of a Syariah court judge or a chief minister or a minister, legalising child sex, it said.
"Suhakam does not think enough has been done to end child marriages in Malaysia and believes zero tolerance of child marriage must be enforced at every root of society," Suhakam chairman Tan Sri Razali Ismail said in a statement today.
"Suhakam reiterates that there is no justification to child marriage and stands firm that where religious practices are concerned, they must not supersede the fundamental rights of a child; the best interest of the child must still prevail."
He urged the government to set the legal minimum age of marriage to 18 for all persons.