Child bride is a serious matter, says Malaysia’s DPM Wan Azizah
Malaysia’s Deputy Prime Minister Wan Azizah Wan Ismail says the Government is taking the matter of an 11-yearold child bride seriously.
She also said this might not be an isolated case. “Anyone who has knowledge of such marriages should report it to the nearest Welfare Department,” Datuk Seri Wan Azizah told reporters.
“We must make sure there is no discrimination or coercion in this marriage, especially towards the child,” she told reporters here.
Mr Wan Azizah, who is also the Women, Family and Community Development Minister, said she had received a report on the case and had instructed welfare officers to gather more details. “Our officers have gone to the house and met with the girl’s mother. We are waiting for more reports before deciding on the next course of action,” she said. Mr Wan Azizah said she was looking at the case from several aspects, such as whether poverty, education level or the family of the girl led to her getting married at such a tender age. In Petaling Jaya, women groups and social activists lambasted the 41-year-old man for taking the girl as his third wife and called on the authorities to act. They urged the Government to take legislative action to put an end to child marriage in the country.
The Joint Action Group for Gender Equality (JAG) said this must be done by raising the marriageable age to 18.