NGOs urge govt to change laws to halt child marriage

KUALA LUMPUR: Several non-governmental organisations (NGOs) have moved to condemn the recent marriage of a 41-year-old man to an 11-year-old girl, urging immediate action by the government, including enacting laws to prevent such occurrences.
In a joint statement issued today, the organisations felt that the law should be amended to set the minimum age for marriage to 18 years for all legal frameworks, including civil, Muslim or native customary law marriages, without exceptions.
"Marriage before the age of 18 is a fundamental violation of human rights and the rights of a child that impacts every aspect of the child's life.
"In Malaysia and elsewhere in the world, child marriages denies girls and boys their childhood, disrupts education, limits opportunities, increases the risk of violence, and jeopardises health," read the statement.
Among the organisations involved in the petition include the Asian-Pacific Resource and Research Centre for Women; Asia Community Service, Penang; Challenges Foundation; Federation of Reproductive Health Associations, Malaysia; and Malaysian Children Welfare Council.
The group also highlighted that Pakatan Harapan's election manifesto had included a commitment to ensure the legal system protects women's rights and dignity and that it was time to make good the pledge.
Child marriage is a hotly debated issue in Malaysia, and once again came into the spotlight after the news of a 41-year-old man marrying a girl 30 years younger than him as his third wife went viral on social media, drawing flak from netizens.
The man said to be from Gua Musang, was alleged to have solemnised the marriage in a neighbouring country accompanied by the girl's parents who are citizens from the country.
Meanwhile, the Joint Action Group for Gender Equality (JAG) said immediate action must be taken by the government to condemn this action and pledge legislative action to put an end of to child marriage in Malaysia once and for all.
"This must be done by raising the marriageable age for all Malaysians, Muslims and non-Muslims whether male or female, to 18 years old, with no exceptions," it said.
United Nations Children's Fund (Unicef) representative in Malaysia Marianne Clark-Hattingh also branded the news as 'shocking and unacceptable'. — Bernama