Wan Azizah: Govt mulls increasing minimum marriage age to 18 (Updated)

KUALA LUMPUR: The minimum age of marriage for girls in the country may be increased from 16 to 18 as soon as this month when the parliament convenes for its sitting on July 16.
Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail said this was pertinent in order to protect underage children and to avoid issues of paedophilia, child exploitation and child pornography in the country, among other things.
Her statement came in light of news that a 41-year-old imam of a village in Gua Musang, Kelantan had wedded an 11-year-old girl as his third wife at the southern Thailand border of Golok on June 18.
"I have spoken to a syariah court judge and he told me that this particular marriage is not legal because they did not get the consent of the syariah court. So they have to be separated.
"And I think the time is now right for us to increase the legal marriage age for girls from 16 to 18. It is in the best interest of the child," she told reporters, here, today, when asked if the government plans to amend the law in the coming parliament sitting following the case.
The matter became viral when the man's second wife posted photographs of him and the young girl and their alleged solemnisation with a caption congratulating them.
The current minimum age of marriage is 16 for Muslim girls and 18 for Muslim boys, with exceptions made to marry at a much younger age as long as they obtain the Islamic courts' consent.
For non-Muslims, girls can be married as early as 16 provided they or their parents have the permission of the State Chief Minister.
Wan Azizah, who is also Women, Family and Community Development Minister, said she would be meeting officials from the Social Welfare Department today (Monday) to discuss on the case.
Commenting further, she said she was also informed that this was the second time the daughter was proposed by the man.
The girl and her parents are Thai nationals but are living in Gua Musang as the parents are working there.
Asked whether her ministry would be meeting the man, Wan Azizah said: "My officers went to Gua Musang right after the news went viral on Saturday to look for him, but he has apparently run away, and is unreachable at the moment."
"We were, however, able to meet the parents of the girl, and I am now waiting for the full written report," she said.
Wan Azizah added that she also understood that the girl's brother has juvenile problems.