The government will take into account the views of all parties including those in Sabah and Sarawak before a new law banning child marriage is drafted, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Mujahid Yusof Rawa said today.

Mujahid said discussions with various parties in states, including in Sabah and Sarawak, need to be held before the law is drafted, as it would touch on certain interests.

“What is important is that we need to set a standard, and we want to discuss it with all parties until we come to the point where we feel that child marriage should be put under a strict law,” he said.

Mujahid was speaking to reporters after the Institut Kemahiran Islam Malaysia Sarawak (Ikmas)’ 16th Convocation ceremony in Kuching today.

Sarawak governor Abdul Taib Mahmud officiated the ceremony where a total of 115 students received their Diploma in Islamic Studies and Da'wah.

Meanwhile, Mujahid said his department had received proposals on the issue and would start obtaining views from legal experts, ulama, non-governmental organisations and stakeholders in the states so that the roundtable discussion with relevant parties could be held in the near future.

- Bernama