KUALA LUMPUR – The Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development (KPWKM) is committed in championing and tackling the cause of child marriage.
Therefore, the issue should not be manipulated as the Ministry always gives high commitment in the efforts of overcoming child marriage for the interests of the children, especially in protecting them and caring for their welfare.
This is concurrent with the efforts of the Ministry in developing the National Strategy Plan to Overcome the Cause of Child Marriage which was implemented from 2020 until 2025.
Its Minister, Datuk Seri Rina Harun said, the programmes under the plan was monitored by a Steering Committee with members from all executing agencies of the plan.
The programme had considered cross sector issues such as legal, parenting, social support system, education, health and awareness.
According to her, the National Strategy Plan also increased the minimum age for girls to get married under the Islamic family law.
Meanwhile, the ministry also respects the decision made by the Minister at Prime Minister’s Office (Religious Affairs) in September 2021, based on the Syariah Law Policy Secretariat Meeting of Department of Islamic Development Malaysia (JAKIM) Bil 1/2021 which also took the opinion from the states.
“The Ministry appreciates the efforts of the Department of Syariah Judiciary Malaysia (JKSM) for issuing the Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) for the Application for Child Marriage as a constructive approach to tighten the approval of child marriage.
“With this SOP, the Syarie Judge will scrutinise the social report from JKM, health report and checks by the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM),” she said in a statement.
Based on the statistics issued by the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM), the child marriage in Malaysia recorded a decreasing trend from 2016 until 2020.
2,288 cases were recorded in 2016, meanwhile, 2,107 case were recorded in 2017, 2018 (1,856 cases), 2019 (1,459 cases) and 2020 (1,124 case).
According to Rina, KPWKM is always committed to strengthen the strategies highlighted in programme and National Strategy Plan to Overcome the Cause of Child Marriage through close and thorough collaboration with relevant parties. -MalaysiaGazette
Read More:
Ahmad Faizal dissatisfied with efforts to stop child marriage
