The Malacca chief minister’s rationale that permitting children to marry ‘is a practical move in preventing cases of unwed teenage mothers and other social problems’ is irresponsible and dangerous. Marriage is held to be the lifetime union between two consenting adults.

How can girls below the age of 16 and boys below the age of 18 be allowed to make such a life altering decision?

The only decisions children should be making about their future are what interests them, what great things they want to achieve in life and maybe what flavour of ice cream they want after school.

Please don’t resign them to a life with limited choices in order to legitimise sex and pre-marital pregnancy.

Furthermore, it should also be noted that for Muslims, children born within six months of the marriage ceremony may not be able to register the father’s name on the birth certificate rendering the child ‘illegitimate’, although we at WAO believe this status and term should no longer be used.

Teenage pregnancies should be dealt with through the use of well thought-out social and education policies.

Children should not be forced to enter into a decision most adults struggle with in order to appease certain quarters.

The writer is programme officer, Women’s Aid Organisation.