Earlier this week, another child marriage case involving a 15-year-old girl and a 44-year-old man in Kelantan began to circulate online, causing widespread debate among Malaysians once again.
In light of the controversial marriage, Deputy Prime Minister Wan Azizah Wan Ismail said that based on the findings from Social Welfare Department officers who investigated the case and met with the girl’s family, the marriage was based on mutual consent between the underaged girl and the 44-year-old father of two. She was quoted by the Malay Mail as saying,
“My officers had gone there and investigated, and found that they mutually liked one another and that the girl had consented to the marriage.”
Source: mStar
She added that the issue was briefly discussed in cabinet, and has been informed that the man actually divorced from his first wife four years ago.
“She is the wife of a divorcee and not the second wife. He had divorced the first wife four years earlier.”
The deputy prime minister’s statement was met with some backlash, with Latheefa Koya from Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) and Lawyers for Liberty (LFL) calling what she said “unacceptable”. Latheefa was quoted by Free Malaysia Today as saying,
“Criminal law regards consensual sex with any girl below 16 as rape precisely because a child is not capable of consent. The 15-year-old victim needs urgent care, counselling and support. A public statement from the minister whitewashing the ‘marriage’ does not help the child at all.”
Source: The Malaysian Times
She added that Wan Azizah was overlooking any pressure or coercion the 15-year-old might have faced prior to the marriage.
A number of other NGOs and politicians have also voiced out their disappointment in the deputy prime minister’s statement on social media, bringing up her recent promise to raise the national minimum age of marriage to 18.
This is extremely disappointing as during the Hari Wanita Kebangsaan event earlier that day, @drwanazizah mentioned raising the national minimum age for marriage to 18, & praised the Selangor state government for leading the way.
Satu langkah ke depan, dua langkah ke belakang. https://t.co/fbWXQLj0wp
— AWAM Malaysia (@AWAMMalaysia) September 20, 2018
A child, 16 and below, can't give consent. Under our laws it is statutory rape. Let's get our perspective right over child marriages. #EndChildBrides #ChildrenHaveRights
— Maria Chin Abdullah (@mariachin) September 19, 2018
LFL: DPM is 'breathtakingly irresponsible' to suggest child consented to marriage https://t.co/yrtvUREryr
— Lawyers for Liberty (@lawyers4liberty) September 20, 2018
What are your thoughts on this recent case? Let us know in the comments below!
Also read: 15yo Girl Marries 44yo Kelantan Father of Two, Parents Say “We Only Want The Best For Her”
