IPOH, Aug 4 ― Perak Mentri Besar Ahmad Faizal Azumu said he is personally opposed to child marriages, saying it is “cruel” for those 16 and below to be wed when they have far more options in the world today.
The 48-year-old said things have changed from the past when underaged marriages were common, and added that parents have a duty to prepare their children to be independent and equip them with life skills to set up their own households before marriage.
“I am a Muslim and I understand that someone has the right to be married or marry when they have reached akil baligh,” he said, using the Islamic term meaning puberty.
“At the same time I think parents of children under 18 have a duty to make their kids ready for independence. We must give them the highest education possible and the skills to take care of themselves instead of getting them married.
“Today, at the age of 16 or lower, I think it is cruel to marry children off,” he said during a recent sit-down with journalists here.
The Chenderiang assemblyman and Tambun MP stressed that he was only expressing his personal opinion, which should not be taken as the state government’s official stand.
Ahmad Faizal said that married children might be forced to care for their own children before they were ready to do so, which was not an easy task.
Such cases could cause future problems, and add to the already high divorce rates in the country.
“For no reason, a young mother at the age of 16 or 17 could have to take care of her own child. Come on lah, we have to be respectful towards women.”
Ahmad Faizal acknowledged that not everyone shares his views, and that he may even be criticised but said he sincerely believes that child marriages are not suitable for the society today.
“In my great-grandparents time, things were different. Then there were no schools or universities, so this was acceptable.
“Now, we should think of the futures of these children. When they are truly ready, they can get married but not too early,” he said.
The Perak Islamic Family Enactment 2004 has set a minimum marriage age for female Muslims in the state to 16.
Legal experts say a uniform legal age of marriage of 18 can only be realised if all state legislative assemblies amend their respective Islamic Family Law Enactments.
Asked if he would lead the charge to raise the age limit, Ahmad Faizal said more viewpoints were needed before a final call was made.
“This needs to be discussed by the Pakatan Harapan council. We are also a state with a monarchy,” he said.
“We need to bring it to all the relevant parties before making a decision,” he said.
