AUGUST 4 — Delay or inaction by PDRM to investigate the child bride case in Gua Musang under the Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017 despite reports being made will set a dangerous precedence on how the nation addresses this very poignant issue at hand.

To date, after 47 days, there has not been much progress in taking the 11 year old girl who was groomed into marrying a 41 year old sex predator in Gua Musang away from him and his care since their "marriage” in Narathiwat, Thailand went viral on 29th June 2018 despite the marriage having taken place around 18th June 2018.

There has been information that the marriage certificate extracted from Thailand is fake, according to some reliable sources who had made a comparison between original marriage certificates from the Syariah court in Narathiwat and what was in the possession of the sex predator.

Concurrently, a police report was made on 2nd July by Dr Hartini Zainuddin, the Deputy Chairman of a civil society organization Voice of Children calling for an investigation by PDRM. Even the second wife of the said predator had also lodged a police report at the Gua Musang Police Station, as the third "marriage” to the little girl was without the consent of the second wife.

In addition to what Dr Hartini had proposed, I also call for PDRM, in all urgency to open investigations under the Child Act 2001 and the Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017:-

1. Section 31 of the Child Act 2001 which covers "Ill-treatment, neglect, abandonment or exposure of children,
2. Section 11 of the SOAC 2017 on sexually communicating with a child,
3. Section 12 of the SOAC 2017 on grooming,
4. Section 13 of the SOAC 2017 on the predator meeting the child following grooming,
5. Section 16 of the SOAC 2017 on a person in a relationship of trust.

It baffles me why despite having so many provisions of the law which should enable PDRM to initiate investigations, that our men in blue are still silent.

I had raised and pleaded with Kelantan MPs including the Kelantan State Government helmed by PAS to put its foot down and act on this case sternly as it will set a dangerous precedent for other predators to follow — get married to a little child in Narathiwat and pay a fine of RM1800 and you have a child bride to consummate your marriage with. Nauseous, revolting and vile to say the least.

In my debate on the royal address last week and in rebutting the reply from the Minister for Women, Family and Community Development, I had stressed that a lackadaisical attitude of our men in blue is also akin to giving a free pass to future sex predators.

The Attorney General’s Chambers and our PDRM must probe this case without fear or favour in protecting children who are our legacy and in that, upholding the rule of law.

* Kasthuri Patto is the DAP MP for Batu Kawan and the publicity secretary for Wanita DAP.

** This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of Malay Mail.