KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 17 — A 15-year-old boy in Kluang, Johor dropped out of school after tying the knot with his 17-year-old bride last month in a whirlwind romance that only started in September, The Star daily reported today amid growing concerns over the rising number of child marriages in the country.
According to the paper, Muhd Muaz Mislan, 15, got hitched to Nur Izzati Amiera Ishak, 17 on November 30, and reportedly has decided to stop studying next year while waiting for the results of his Pentaksiran Tingkatan 3 (PT3) or Form 3 Assessment.
Meanwhile, Nur Izzati has just finished her Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) papers.
“Young marriage will stir talk from others; but I am ready,” Muaz said on his Facebook profile, as reported by The Star.
In a separate wedding in Malacca, 15-year-old girl Nurulain Mohammad married a man six years older, Zulhelmi Kaharudin, in a mass akad nikah (solemnisation) ceremony at the Malacca International Trade Centre in Ayer Keroh last Sunday, The Star reported.
Zulhelmi, who runs a restaurant, said that he wanted Nurulain to finish her studies up until tertiary level, and pledged that they would not have any kids before that.
“She is still a girl but I will guide her with the right values,” the 21-year-old was quoted saying.
Zulhelmi said he fell in love “at first sight” after seeing her walking in the neighbourhood and decided to approach her a few days later, saying “I love you”. She had reciprocated, he claimed.
Yesterday, United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) representative for Malaysia, Michelle Gyles-McDonnough noted the overwhelming number of Malaysians getting married at a young age and got into family life before they were fully equipped physically and mentally to bear the responsibility.
She said that more than 150,000 Malaysians married too early, at age below 19, and compromised their ability to get an education and be part of a productive labour force in a high-income nation, and instead relegated themselves to a life of dependency and under-employment.
Child marriages are largely frowned upon in Malaysian society but do occur here as the country’s Islamic judicial system — which runs alongside the civil courts — has laws that allow a Muslim girl below the age of 16 to marry, though only with the consent of the Shariah Court. Permission is granted on a case-by-case basis.
This provision under Shariah law however is at odds with Section 376 of the Penal Code, which criminalises sex with a minor as statutory rape.
Under civil law, sexual intercourse with a girl under the age of 16 is a crime, whether or not she consents to it.
Civil laws, particularly the Law Reform (Marriage and Divorce) Act — which applies to non-Muslims — allows for marriage between couples aged 18 and above, but exemptions are also made for girls aged 16 and above, whereupon the consent of the state’s chief minister or mentri besar, must be obtained first.
According to the population census in 2000, there were 11,400 children below 15 years of age who were married, of which 6,800 were girls and 4,600 boys.
Out of the 6,800 girls, 2,450 were Muslims, while 4,350 girls were non-Muslims comprising 1,550 bumiputeras; 1,600 Chinese; 600 Indians; and 600 other races.
