KOTA BARU: Syariah courts in Kelantan received 15 applications for underage marriages from January 2018 to January 2019.

Kelantan Syariah High Court judge Datuk Abu Bakar Abdullah Kutty said of the figure, only 10 were approved.

The marriageable age for Muslim girls in Kelantan is 16.

“Although the number may appear small, underage marriages must be prevented from early on because it is feared the couples will face a myriad of problems,” he told reporters after participating in a forum on underage marriages at Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) Kubang Kerian here yesterday. — Bernama