With child marriage being one of the biggest issues being discussed in Malaysia right now, another case has recently emerged from the state of Kelantan. This time, it involves a 15-year-old girl who recently got married to a 44-year-old father of two who hails from Gua Musang.
In a report by the New Straits Times, the teenage girl is rpeortedly the man’s second wife, and they had their solemnisation (‘akad nikah‘) ceremony in Tumpat back in July after having their union approved by the Syariah Court.
Source: NST
According to the young girl’s parents, poverty was what made them approve the union between their daughter and the father of two. Her parents, who have 13 children, run a sundry shop in front of their home and make around RM200 to RM300 per month, which is barely enough to support themselves. The 15-year-old only studied until Form 1.
The young girl’s father, Che Rahim Che Deraman, told the daily that they were first introduced to the 44-year-old People’s Volunteer Corp (Rela) member by one of their sons a few months ago.
Seeing how they don’t have enough to make ends meet, they felt that approving the marriage could help their daughter have a better life and she did not object to marrying him either. The father told the daily,
“No parent wants to see his or her child live in hardship. We do not want our daughter to live in difficulty as we did, raising 13 children. We want our children to live a more comfortable life, and this includes our youngest daughter.”
“Her siblings are all married and now have their own lives. We know that she is underage, but we only want the best for her.”
“Even though he (the 44-year-old man) is married with two children, he applied for polygamy status from the courts and was granted permission.”
Source: FMT
As for the young girl, she told NST that she did not hesitate to marry the older man despite only knowing him for a few months, saying,
“Honestly, I don’t mind what people say about me. The most important thing is that I’m happy with my husband, and I will try to make him happy for the rest of my life.”
A few months ago, Malaysians were outraged by news of the marriage between an 11-year-old girl and a 41-year-old man. The controversial marriage led to many calling for the minimum age for marriage to be raised to 18 throughout Malaysia.
What are your thoughts on this recent case? Let us know in the comments below!
Also read: Selangor Sultan Orders State Islamic Council to Raise Minimum Marrying Age to 18
