Federal govt can’t act on child marriage: DPM

SEPANG: It is not within the federal government’s jurisdiction to act on a recent child marriage case involving a 15-year-old girl in Kelantan, said Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail.

She said the government’s hands are tied as the couple’s marriage was registered in a state syariah court and as such, the case is under state regulations.

“They were married under the syariah court. So you have to abide by i t because i t i s also state r egulations,” she said after launching AirAsia’s Taska Krista@ RedQ child care centre at AirAsia’s headquarters (see Page 6).

The case involved a 44-year-old father of two who took the 15-yearold as his second wife.

It is understood the marriage was approved by the syariah court and the “akad nikah” (solemnisation of vows) was held at a mosque in Tumpat in July.

The man and his family run a small sundry shop, while the girl’s parents, who have 13 children, had consented to the marriage.

Wan Azizah, who i s also Women, Family and Community Development minister, said while t he ministry i s l ooking i nto increasing the minimum marriage age, certain processes needed to be followed as it involves state laws.

A similar case also occurred in June in Kelantan, involving an 11year-old girl who married a 41-yearold man in Sungai Golok in June as his third wife.