PARLIAMENT | Putrajaya has been urged to set an age limit for marriage following the tabling of the Sexual Offences Against Children Bill 2017 which defines children as those below 18.
Teo Nie Chieng (DAP-Kulai) urged the government to "reconcile or coordinate" present laws which have set the minimum age for marriage at 16.
However, the law currently also allows a person below 16 to marry with the permission of the chief minister or menteri besar, while a Muslim child below the same age can marry with the consent of the Syariah Court.
"Under the new bill, anyone who touches any part of a child or makes a child touch any part of another person (for sexual purpose) is a crime.
"We cannot miss the elephant in the room. We cannot debate about this (bill) and allow child marriages.
"It is time for us to work together to set the age limit for child marriages," Teo said when debating the new bill today.
She also pointed out that the new bill contradicted the Penal Code, which stipulated that sexual intercourse with someone below 16 constituted statutory rape.
Don't meddle with Muslim affairs
Her proposal was objected by Siti Zailah Mohd Yusoff (PAS-Rantau Panjang), who said Teo, being a non-Muslim, should not meddle in Muslim affairs.
"We cannot dispute marriage as stated by Kulai, who disputed why Islam allows underage marriage. For me, this is the guidance of Allah," she added.
According to her, Muslims never disputed the choice of Buddhist monks and Catholic priests not to get married although this is viewed as a fundamental right.
She said there is a difference between sexual offences against children - an act of violence - and underage marriage. She described the latter as a blessing.
In her winding up speech, Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Azalina Othman Said said there was nothing she could do about child marriages as they fall under the jurisdiction of other ministries and agencies.
"Actually, I am sympathetic with the issues (brought up) by you, but the law today allows such marriages.
"I am not married myself, very hard for me to elaborate further," she added.
The government had tabled the new bill on children sexual offences on Tuesday. It was lauded by many rights groups.- Mkini
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