Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman
CYBERJAYA: Youth and Sports Minister Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman yesterday expressed support for the proposal to raise the marriageable age for women from 16 to 18, saying this would help protect the rights of children in the country.
He said the argument of preventing adolescents from getting involved in adultery should not be used as an excuse to allow underage marriages, what more to lower the marriageable age to 14.
Syed Saddiq was responding to a question regarding his stand on the proposal by Sabah Mufti Datuk Bungsu @ Aziz Jaafar for the marriageable age for females and males to be lowered to 14 and 16, respectively.
“My stand is clear, that the marriageable age should be 18. Also, legally, 18 is the age of maturity,” he said at a press conference after a dialogue on young entrepreneurs here.
Deputy Prime Minister and Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail had said that the ministry and the Department of Islamic Development (Jakim) were preparing a working paper on raising the marriageable age to 18 for tabling at a meeting of the menteris besar and chief ministers to garner their support.
Meanwhile in Kuantan, Pahang Culture, Unity, Social Welfare and Women and Family Development Committee chairman Datuk Seri Shahaniza Shamsuddin said the state had no plan to change the marriageable age as proposed by the federal government.
The current marriageable age in Pahang is 16 for women and 18 for men. — Bernama