A member of Malaysian parliament, Tasek Gelugor, has said
girls as young as nine were “physically and spiritually” ripe for marriage.
He said this on Wednesday in response to a proposal by an
opposition member of parliament to amend the Sexual Offences Against Children
bill to include a ban on child marriages
Gelugor said: “They (girls) reach puberty at the age of
nine or 12. And at that time, their body is already akin to them being 18 years
old.
“So physically and spiritually, it is not a barrier for the
girl to marry.
According to him, under civil law and Islamic law, girls
and boys younger than 18 can be married.
“Civil law sets the minimum age of marriage at 18, but
those above 16 can be married with the permission of their state’s chief
minister.
“Under Islamic law, children younger than 16 can get
married if the Shariah courts allow it.
“The law only criminalizes ‘grooming’, touching and
befriending children as a prelude to sexual abuse, and spells out penalties for
making and possessing pornography involving those under 18.
He also said there was ‘nothing wrong’ with a rape victim
marrying her rapist as she would then not face a ‘bleak future’.
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