Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail said that efforts are being taken by the government to set a minimum legal age for marriage from 16 to 18.
The initiative will involve laws such as the Islamic Family Law (Federal Territories) Act 1984, the Islamic Family Law Enactment / Ordinance in the states, the Law Reform (Marriage and Divorce) Act 1976, the Native Court Enactment 1992 in Sabah and various indigenous custom laws in Sarawak.
This was amidst after the widespread outcry from the public caused by the marriage of a 41-year-old rubber trader with an 11-year-old Thai girl. It was his third marriage.
The scandalous marriage was exposed on June 18 after his second wife posted on Facebook about the marriage that happened at a mosque in Narathiwat province, Thailand.
Many Malaysians called for an action to be taken against the man and for the minimum legal marriage age to be increased. Currently, according to the Islamic Family Law Enactment, the minimum legal age for marriage is 18 for male and 16 for female. Those under the legal minimum age will only be permitted for marriage if they get the consent of the Syariah court and their parents.
The man was fined RM1,800 by Gua Musang Lower Syariah Court on August 22, 2018, for marrying without approval and also getting into a polygamous marriage without consent.
A senior Thai official said on August 11 that the child bride had returned to Thailand earlier this month after getting “immense pressure from Malaysian media”. She's been undergoing mental health counselling by the local social welfare department because of the intense level of attention.
The trader said that he missed her wife although he didn't have the plan to look for her yet. Ayu, as she's known, was happy and in good health. In a phone call, she told him to not worry about her safety because her parents are staying close to him.
The controversial marriage has prompted the Narathiwat Islamic Religious Council (MAIN) to tighten regulations on marriages involving Malaysians, especially those in polygamous relationships.
The source said that to ensure this isn't going to happen again after the marriage is held, the to-be-married couples must provide to the kadi (judge) a letter from their respective religious authorities allowing a person to marry a polygamist before a ceremony can be held.
Based on the records from the Malaysian Shariah Justice Department (JKSM), from 2013 to 2017 there are a total of 5,362 under-18 marriage applications of Muslim couples recorded, and 2,367 requests for non-Muslim couples.
Recently Selangor and Sarawak have announced on the setting of minimum marriage age to 18.
Source: nst.com