The Child Rights CSO Group (CSCG) has called on the government to meet with child rights non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to address critical child protection issues in light of viral reports of an 11-year-old girl being married to a 41-year-old Malaysian man.

CSCG, in a statement today, said that the situation was totally unacceptable and that Malaysia must take all effective and appropriate measures to abolish traditional practices prejudicial to the health of children.

“We call on the Pakatan Harapan government, in particular, the Women, Family and Community Development Ministry, the police, Health Ministry, Home Ministry, Attorney-General’s Chamber and Education Ministry, to urgently do a complete review of the child development and protection support systems.

“We also urge the government to work with and listen to NGOs as we exist to complement and support the government to address serious gaps in the implementation of policies and laws for the protection of our children, both citizens and non-citizens,” the group said, adding that they were ready and willing to work with the government to address and improve the issue of child rights and protection in Malaysia.

They also called on the government to take immediate action to ban child marriage and to fulfil what was promised in the Harapan manifesto on this issue.

Meanwhile, the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) called on Syariah Court judges or the authorities who continue to consent to child marriage to stop doing so and must be held accountable for perpetuating the egregious practice.

Its chairperson, Razali Ismail, said that there was no justification to child marriage and where religious practices are concerned, they must not supersede the fundamental rights of a child.

Razali stressed that ending child marriage by 2030 was also among the targets set out in the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGS) that Malaysia had committed to itself.

Suhakam also recommended that the government and state religious bodies take active steps to inform the public about the detriments associated with underage marriages.

- Bernama