Mufti’s call to allow girls to marry at 14 shocking! madness!

PETALING JAYA - The Centre For A Better Tomorrow (Cenbet) has hit out at the Sabah mufti’s call for the marriage age for Muslim girls to be reduced to 14, describing it as “shocking” and “appalling”.

In a statement, Cenbet vice-president Ng Yeen Seen said mufti Bungsu @ Aziz Jaafar’s call could ruin the lives of many young girls, especially those from rural and underprivileged communities, whose parents might not even be able to decide what’s best for their children.

She said in most modern day societies, the practice of child marriages had been abandoned due to the harm it brought to children and this had been well documented.

“The interest and welfare of a child must be the paramount concern of a modern society.”

In the context of Islamic justice, Ng said it was important to defend the best interests and welfare of children.

“The mufti and other leaders’ views manifest tendencies which we can do without in an inclusive moderate society.”

She urged the women and family affairs ministry to engage all stakeholders to discuss the issue of child rights.

“We also believe the Yang di-Pertuan Agong and the Sabah governor can serve as a beacon of hope and provide guidance in this matter with the advice of learned Islamic clerics and scholars.

“The nation’s social narrative must not be one of moral retrogression as society progresses.”

Yesterday, Sabah Women’s Action Resource Group (Sawo) slammed Bungsu for his call, noting that it was in stark contrast to Putrajaya’s plan to raise the minimum age for marriage to 18.

Bungsu had been quoted as saying that “some of these children can already be considered mature”, in calling for a lower minimum age for marriage.

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