KOTA BARU: Kelantan police have received a report on the marriage between a 41-year-old man and a 11-year-old girl.
The report was lodged at the Gua Musang Police Station, yesterday by the 34-year-old second wife of the man, here said Kelantan deputy police chief, Datuk Din Ahmad.
He said investigation revealed that there was no criminal element involved in the marriage.
"We are told they are married on the basis of mutual like for each other and had received the consent of their respective family.
“So far police had not arrested anyone, as there was no element of threats involved in the marriage.
"However, we have submitted the case to the religious authorities to be probed further under
the Family Law Act 2002 for marriage involving those under the age of 18," he said in a press conference at his office at the Kelantan Police Contingent Headquarters today.
Yesterday, Women, Family and Community Development ministry said there were no records in the courts or the regional religious office that permitted this marriage.
If there was no written permission from the shariah court then the marriage would be unlawful, it said.
"The ministry looks seriously upon underage marriage... The ministry wants to discuss and cooperate with religious councils to examine and tighten laws so it can eradicate the issue of underage marriage," it said in a statement.
A task force has been formed comprising state religious councils, government agencies and activists to cooperate and examine the issue, the ministry added.
The marriage which took place June 18 had went viral on social media, causing an uproar among Malaysians.
An online posting by the man’s second wife was accompanied by several pictures with a caption that read: “Selamat pengantin baru suamiku (congratulations on your wedding, my husband). Suami 41, Maduku 11 tahun (My husband 41, his wife 11-years-old).”
The child bride had said she did not want a divorce, as long as Abe (Kelantanese slang for Abang, which is a term also used to refer to husbands) wanted her.
Meanwhile, her father, a 49-year-old rubber tapper had said that he was initially shocked when he learned about the marriage as his daughter was still young.
“But my son-in-law sympathises with us as we are not well-off and promised a more comfortable life for us,” he was reported as saying.
FOR WORLD CUP 2018 ONLY:
Get the latest World Cup 2018 scores, highlights and updates from our dedicated World Cup page