PKR Women and women’s rights group SIS Forum have urged the Perak government to restrict a proposed RM500 first-time marriage incentive to those aged 18 and above, after the scheme was proposed for youths as young as 15.
Perak is considering the RM500 incentive for first-time marriages, with the proposal to be refined by the state executive council before possible inclusion in the 2027 state budget.
State Education, Higher Education, Youth, and Sports Committee chairperson Khairudin Abu Hanipah said the initiative is aimed at easing the financial burden on newly married couples.
“We view this as a positive initiative that demonstrates the state government’s care and concern by providing some assistance to newly married couples,” he said, according to Bernama.
The proposed aid would cover youths aged 15 to 35, based on the definition of youth under the Youth Development and Sports Act 2007.
Applicants would also have to meet eligibility requirements, including being Perak-born or having lived in the state for at least 10 years.
PKR Women wing secretary Sangetha Jayakumar said the age range raised questions over whether minors could qualify for the incentive.
“That gap needs to be closed before this proposal goes any further,” she said in a statement today.
SIS Forum executive director Rozana Isa similarly questioned why the scheme appeared to include those as young as 15.
“Why is Perak even considering a marriage incentive beginning at 15? Is it for both boys and girls?
“Could a 15-year-old girl married to an adult qualify, and what circumstances does the state believe justify financially incentivising such a marriage?” she told Malaysiakini.
Noble intention but…
Sangetha acknowledged that the proposal was intended to ease the financial burden on young couples and said there was no indication it was designed to encourage underage marriage.
However, she pointed out that Malaysian law does not impose an absolute minimum marriage age of 18 in all circumstances.
Under the Law Reform (Marriage and Divorce) Act 1976, the general minimum age is 18, although girls aged 16 and above may marry with the consent of the chief minister or menteri besar.
For Muslims, state Islamic family laws generally set the minimum age at 18 for men and 16 for women, with syariah judges empowered to approve marriages below those ages.
Sangetha said Selangor and Kedah had amended their laws in 2018 and 2022, respectively, to raise the minimum marriage age for women to 18, while Perak had not done so.
She also warned that a financial incentive without an explicit age restriction could have unintended effects on lower-income families.
“A cash incentive is not a neutral gesture; it is a nudge, and nudges are not gender-neutral in their effects,” she stressed.
Impact on young girls
Rozana likewise highlighted the potential impact of child marriage on girls.
“Child marriage can take a girl out of school, expose her to early pregnancy and make her economically dependent before she has even reached adulthood.
“Marriage does not solve poverty, pregnancy or social stigma; it merely transfers their consequences onto a child,” she said.
Sangetha noted the 15 to 35 age range may simply have been adopted from the statutory definition of “youth”, rather than reflecting an intention to make minors eligible.
She nevertheless urged the state government to clarify the matter before finalising the scheme.
The PKR leader then proposed setting the minimum eligibility age at 18, requiring applicants to have completed or be continuing secondary education, and reviewing the scheme against Perak’s Islamic family law provisions and child-marriage-related school dropout data.
“A policy meant to support young adults starting their lives together should not, through an oversight in drafting, become a state subsidy for marrying off children,” Sangetha said.
Rozana, meanwhile, renewed calls to establish 18 as the minimum marriage age nationwide.
“Perak’s proposal exposes Malaysia’s continued failure to protect children.
“Any incentive must be restricted to adults, and 18 must become the minimum marriage age nationwide, regardless of gender, religion or state,” she said. - Mkini
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