Minors must get written consent from MB, CM to marry

Minors who want to get married will be required to obtain a written consent from the Menteri Besar or Chief Minister in their respective states, according to Minister in the Prime Minister's Department, Nancy Shukri.

She said this new requirement was included in the recently-passed amended Child Act 2001 to prevent marriage involving underaged girls.

Nancy said in general, most child marriages occurred because the couple had indulged in pre-marital sex, resulting the girl being allowed by her family to marry her partner.

She said parents should play a more important role in educating their daughters so that they would not think of getting married while being under the minimum legal age.

"We are worried that if they got married at a very young age, they would not be able to control their emotions, which may lead to various other problems in their marriage life, as well as social problems in the community," she said after launching the seminar on the rights of women and children and issues relating to them here today.

Nancy said there were 105 applications for child marriage in Kedah last year, compared to only 76 in 2014 and 38 in 2013.

"Between January and Feb 29 this year, 13 applications for child marriage have been recorded, and this is very serious issue and should be curbed," she said.

Meanwhile, Nancy said 552 cases of domestic abuse were recorded in Kedah last year compared to 404 in 2014 and 284 in 2013.

She said there were also 14 physical abuse cases involving children in the state last year, 11 in 2014 and 13 in 2013.