LETTER |

Mummy,
Why did you let him marry me?
You felt my fears, saw my tears
Surely you must have known
The wedding dress you sewed
That I wore when betrothed
Would be ruined, torn beyond repair
As I lay under the old man in despair
See my bruised, battered body
Yes, it is me, your baby, bloody

Please, you said to me
I cannot do anything
Don’t you see, darling?
Yes, Mummy, I do see
And so I said yes

Daddy,
Why did you let him marry me?
I was your princess, you always said
You hugged me and kissed my head
We shared dreams to go to university
You promised I could despite adversity
But recently you spoke of my wedding
The beautiful gown I would be wearing
Just like in a fairy tale, you whispered
With a handsome prince, you persisted

Please, you said to me
It would help us pay the bills
Don’t you see, darling?
Yes, Daddy, I do see
And so I said yes

Husband
Why did you marry me?
I am the bride you took for a ride
When you said to sit by your side
I did not know that you would do
The things you do that hurt me so
You forbid me to call my friends
Unless I give in to your demands
Only eleven, you broke my heart
My child’s body you ripped apart

Fellow Malaysians
Why did you allow him to marry me?
I was a child of eleven years old
When by my parents I was sold
My innocence was shattered
As though it never mattered
Does no one hear me cry?
Or will you wait till I die?
Devoid of compassion and basic humanity
Is this the 'New Malaysia' you wish to see?

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