Deputy Prime Minister Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, who also heads the Women, Family and Community Development Ministry, clarified that her ministry was not planning to review any standard operating procedures (SOPs) on child marriage.

Instead, Wan Azizah said the ministry is considering raising the minimum marriage age to 18.

She added the ministry is not in the process of reviewing any of its SOPs as the SOPs governing the approval and conduct of marriage are not under the purview of the ministry.

"We are in the midst of deliberations on raising the minimum age for marriage for both genders to 18 years which is in line with Pakatan Harapan's manifesto," she said in a statement tonight.

Wan Azizah was responding to the Human Rights Commission (Suhakam) which had criticised the government for purportedly wanting to tighten the existing rules on child marriage instead of a downright ban.

This was after Wan Azizah's political secretary Rodziah Ismail was quoted by Free Malaysia Today as saying that child marriage SOPs would be reviewed.

Wan Azizah, in her statement, said her ministry noted Suhakam's concern.
She also reiterated her July 2 statement on raising the minimum age for marriage.