Authorities probing to see if sexual grooming took place
PUTRAJAYA: Authorities are probing whether there was sexual grooming in the relationship between a 11-year-old girl and a 41-year-old-man, says Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail.
The Deputy Prime Minister said authorities were informed that there was still no evidence of the marriage having been conducted in Golok.
“My officers are working with other local enforcement agencies to look further into the case.
“This includes investigating to see if elements of sexual grooming in the relationship were present between the two of them before the supposed marriage.
“This is an offence under the Sexual Offences Against Children Act (2017),” Dr Wan Azizah told reporters at the Women, Family and Community Development Ministry’s Hari Raya open house yesterday.
She said currently, under the law, the minimum age for marriage for girls was 16.
“Girls below 16 years old can only be legally married with approval from a Court or a Mentri Besar or Chief Minister (of the respective states).
“No such approval was given to this couple. As such, this marriage is not valid under Federal as well as state laws. In addition, Section 90 (c) of the Penal Code states that the consent of a child under 12 years old is not a consent,” she said.
Dr Wan Azizah said it was now up to the man to prove the status of the marriage.
The issue of child marriages came into the spotlight again after news of the 41-year-old marrying a girl 30 years younger than him went viral on social media, drawing flak from various parties since Friday.
Initial investigations by the Kelantan Welfare Department found that the marriage took place in Golok, Thailand, and the girl's parents were said to be Thai nationals.
“Until he can produce such evidence, the authorities will treat them as unmarried individuals. Since the girl concerned is a minor, their relationship will come under the purview of various laws on child protection,” Dr Wan Azizah said.
Asked whether local laws still applied to the girl, the Deputy Prime Minister said she was still on the country’s soil and as such, local laws would apply.
Dr Wan Azizah also confirmed that the Welfare Department had met with the man.
She also reiterated the government’s commitment to end child marriages.
“I have instructed my officers to start deliberations of the changes needed to raise the legal age of marriage to 18 years – for both men and women,” she said.
“I would like to appeal to all, especially netizens, to respect the privacy of the persons involved. Please do not share any private details or photos as the girl is still a minor,” she added.