UPDATED 1:45PM |  PARLIAMENT | The government is drafting a standard operating procedure (SOP) for syariah courts to tighten provisions for child marriage, said Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Mujahid Yusof Rawa today.

Calling it a “short-term measure”, the de facto religion minister said the government intends to eventually ban child marriage.

“We are coming up with an SOP to tighten up (the procedure) because as long as there is a provision (in law for child marriage) … you have to respect that.

“This is just (a) temporary measure, the long term is very important. We should come to a point where child marriage is banned,” he told the press at the Parliament lobby this morning.

Mujahid clarified that the SOP would only be for the Syariah Court, and is expected to be presented to him for a first look at the end of this month.

Syariah law allows girls under 16 and boys under 18 to marry. State syariah enactments stipulate that syariah judges must personally interview younger applicants to access their preparedness for marriage.

For non-Muslim girls aged 16 and above but under 18 seeking to marry, they must obtain a special marriage licence granted by the state’s chief minister or menteri besar.



Law reform to outlaw child marriage

Mujahid said that the government is considering law reform to outlaw child marriage among Muslims and non-Muslims.

“In the long term, we will seriously look at amending the law, whether civil law or Syariah law, to outlaw child marriage,” he said.

However, he said these amendments will not make it to the present Parliamentary sitting as consultations are needed with stakeholders including religious leaders, lawyers and academics.

Also being considered is a method to coordinate the law across federal and state jurisdictions.

“We don’t want a law that is accepted at the federal level but not by the states,” he said.

Islamic matters are legislated through state syariah enactments.


Data will be made public

The law minister also vowed that the Pakatan Harapan government will make public data on child marriage.

International body Unicef had called for this last week.

“Of course, definitely (we will make it public), based on the Freedom of Information policy.

“Of course the government will help whoever needs information, as long as the information does not affect national security,” Mujahid said.

He, however, rubbished a claim from the report findings that certain Syariah judges were delegating child marriage approvals to their officers.

“I can’t accept that statement because I have met with the (syariah) judges.

“(The approvals) cannot be made by an officer, it has to be (made by) a judge. The judge will determine (if the marriages can be allowed),” he said when asked.

Researcher Noor Aziah Mohd Awal had made this claim when she presented the findings of the Unicef report.