Activists and school students gather at Parliament urging end to child marriage

Two screengrabs from a video of the peaceful demo against child marriages at Parliament. - from Hannah Yeoh's Facebook

KUALA LUMPUR: A group of civil society activists and school students staged a peaceful demonstration in front of Parliament to urge the government to ban child marriages. 

The gathering, which began at 8am, saw the attendance of about 70 protestors, consisting of activists, and students clad in school or girl guide uniforms. 

They were seen holding placards that read #SchoolNotSpouse, #PelajarBukanPengantin, 18 for all. No exceptions”, “#wheniwas11, #igotmarriedat11, #endchildmarriages”. The placards also bore the logos of Sisters in Islam, Women’s Aid Organisation, and The Body Shop. 

The peaceful gathering managed to catch the attention of Deputy Women, Family and Community Development Minister Hannah Yeoh, and several lawmakers including Kuantan MP Fuziah Salleh, Sepang MP Hanipa Maidin, Kulai MP Teo Nie Ching, Lembah Pantai MP Fahmi Fadzil, Petaling Jaya MP Maria Chin Abdullah and Batu Kawan MP Kasthuri Patto. 

The group also handed over the three petitions, which had more than 156,000 signatures, and a selection of memoranda prepared by school students to Yeoh, who’s also Segambut MP. 

Yeoh, who spoke to reporters shortly after the gathering dispersed, said that the government remains committed to ending child marriages in the country. 

“It’s not about the numbers (petition signatures), even if we have just 10 signatures, this government is committed to end child marriages because it is in our manifesto. 

“We are making progress and we are working with so many other ministries,” she said. 

Yeoh urged for more time to be given to the government in its efforts to end child marriages, as it isn’t merely about amending the law. 

“It’s not something that we can do (only) via legislation change. You need to provide education to the people out there. 

“We are strictly of the opinion that children belong to school,” she said. 

Child marriages became a national issue July, after it was reported that a 41-year-old man in Gua Musang, Kelantan, had taken an 11-year-old girl as his third wife.

Then, there were more reports of another marriage in Tumpat, Kelantan, where a 15-year-old girl married a man nearly 30 years older than her.  - Star