Would-be child bride no longer coming to school, says activist
The Rohingya refugee family who were forced to abort the wedding of their 11- year-old daughter in Prai has moved out of their home and the girl has not turned up for school at the Lightbridge Learning Center, said social activist Stanley Sudhagaran today.
Sudhagaran said the family has failed to send their child to school although they have vowed to do so after her marriage to a 21-year-old man was thwarted by the police with his help.
The Rohingya refugee family who were forced to abort the wedding of their 11- year-old daughter in Prai has moved out of their home and the girl has not turned up for school at the Lightbridge Learning Center, said social activist K Stanley Sudhagaran (above) today.
Sudhagaran said the family has failed to send their child to school although they have vowed to do so after her marriage to a 21-year-old man was thwarted by the police with his help.
"When I spoke to the father, he said he has changed his mind and now refuses to send his child to school," Sudhagaran told Malaysiakini.
"Feedback from my teachers about the child is that she is very bright and had always wanted to study. They do not believe a report by a local Malay daily that the girl wants to get married, " he said.
"We believe that she could have been forced to speak in such a way and was under coercion," he added. Sudhagaran is the co-founder of the Lightbridge Learning Centre which caters for Rohingya children.
Sudhagaran urged the state welfare department to trace the family and monitor them to ensure they do not "secretly" marry off the girl as they had planned to do on Wednesday night.
"If she is not safe with her parents, then the state welfare department should take custody of the child and provide protection," he said.
Following a raid by the police after a report was lodged by Sudhagaran, the girl's wedding ceremony (below) was aborted on Wednesday night.
The family did so after they were told that it was illegal and as child marriages needed the approval of the state.
When contacted, the girl's father Mohammed Somir Abdul Rahman said his family had to move out as their rental agreement for the house in Prai had ended.
"It is all a misunderstanding, we have not run away. My daughter is here with me," Somir said.
"We had to move out as our landlord told us he wanted the house back. We looked for a house in Prai but could not find one so we moved to Tasek Gelugor to stay with some people we know," said the contract labourer.
Somir, 46, also said his daughter will not be attending school for now until the family is more stable. He said he was still seeking a proper job and a home so other plans for the family had to be shelved.
He added he will not be making an application to the state Islamic religious department for his daughter to marry the young man, believed from Ipoh, saying "she will just be staying at home for now".
"There are no plans to marry her off or send her to school,” he said.
Somir said the UNCHR office in Kuala Lumpur had asked to see the family after news reports about the incident hit the headlines.
"An officer called me yesterday and asked us to see them in Kuala Lumpur. I will try to make it but at the moment I am quite stuck with finding a house for my family," said Somir.
What stupid reason is "she wants to get married"? She is eleven! It is not like she said she wants a bar of chocolate. Also, why is UNCHR asking them to go to KL? Please take the next flight to Penang to see them!