Malaysian man marries 11-year-old Thai girl

Husband could be jailed for six months if he married without permission

The marriage of a Malaysian man with a 11-yearold Thai girl in the Muslim majority country has sparked outrage with one activist yesterday 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 last month across the border in Thailand’s largely Muslim far south.

“Our officers have gone to the house and met the girl’s mother. We are waiting for more reports before deciding on the next course of action,” deputy prime minister Wan Azizah Wan Esmail was quoted as saying by the Sunday Star newspaper.

The husband could be jailed for six months if he married without permission.