Outrage after man, 41, weds 11-year-old girl

THE marriage of a Malaysian man to an 11-year-old Thai girl has sparked outrage in Muslim-majority Malaysia, with one activist labelling the groom a “child predator”.

Malaysian Muslims below the age of 16 are allowed to marry if they obtain the permission of a religious court.

But the country’s women and families ministry said there was no record of religious authorities approving the union, which took place in Thailand’s largely Muslim far south. The 41-year-old husband could be jailed for six months if he married without permission. “Marrying an 11-year-old girl is like the behaviour of a child predator or paedophile,” said Syed Azmi Alhabshi, a social activist. Mr Alhabshi said the husband, a wealthy businessman, was already married to two women.