PUTRAJAYA, July 2 — Amendments to the Child Act 2016 and to the Islamic Family Law (Federal Territories) Act 1984 to raise the legal age of marriage to 18 will not likely be tabled in the upcoming Parliament meeting, the deputy prime minister said today.
Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail told reporters that the amendment will first need to be deliberated and reviewed by the Attorney-General.
“This Parliament sitting is a bit too soon because I have to send it to the Attorney-General’s office first for them to look at,” she told a press conference at the Women, Family and Community Development Ministry here today.
The first Parliament meeting of the first session of the 14th Parliament will start on July 16.
Yesterday, Dr Wan Azizah told reporters that it was timely for the government to increase the minimum age of marriage from 16 to 18.
“I think the time is now for us to increase the legal marriage age for girls from 16 to 18. It is in the best interest of the child,” she reportedly said.
The suggestion came in light of news that a 41-year-old man in Kelantan had married an 11-year-old girl as his third wife at the southern Thailand border of Golok on June 18.
Putrajaya has since said that the supposed marriage is unlawful because neither the bride nor her family had sought the consent of a Shariah Court or Mentri Besar.
According to federal civil law, the legal minimum age of marriage is 18 for both genders, but non-Muslim girls aged 16 can still get married with approval from the mentri besar. Non-Muslims however cannot marry below 16.
Under state Islamic laws, the marriageable age is 18 for boys and 16 for girls, but the Shariah courts hold the authority to give consent to those under the permitted age to get married. There is no minimum age of marriage for Muslims.
