SEPANG: The Welfare Department has sent its officers to meet an underaged girl who has married a man 29 years her senior in Tumpat, Kelantan.
Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, who is also the Women, Family and Community Development Minister, said this when asked about the latest case which was reported by the NSTP today.
“My officers are there now. They have met her and they are going to look into it because we are trying to raise the (legal marriage) age to 18 (years old).
“But they have been married by the Syariah court so we have to go through that process.
“We have laws that if broken, a fine would have to be paid. But, (the Syariah court has consented to the marriage), we also have to abide (by that) because this is also part of the state’s rules and regulations,” said the deputy prime minister after launching the Taska Krista@RedQ, a child care centre at AirAsia headquarteres here.
The NSTP today reported that the 15-year-old girl had married a 44-year-old People’s Volunteer Corp (Rela) member, who is a father of two. The girl is the man’s second wife.
The union was approved by the Syariah Court. The ‘akad nikah’ (solemnisation of vows) took place at the Masjid Kampung Laut in Tumpat in July.
Her parents said poverty drove them into giving their consent to their youngest daughter’s marriage with the man, who is 29 years her senior.
On the case of an autistic man who was detained to facilitate investigations into a molest case, Dr Wan Azizah said there should be awareness on autism, which affects a person’s development and actions.
“Actually the mother has explained that he (the accused) has the mental age of a 13-year-old.”
It was reported the 22-year-old man was detained following a report made by the victim on Sept 11.
Netizens had been criticising the victim’s parents who lodged a police report even after the accused’s family members had explained that he was autistic.
Netizens also condemned police over their arrest of the man.
Police had applied for a remand order against the autistic man to facilitate investigations but the application was rejected by the Petaling Jaya court on Sept 12.
The man was celebrating his birthday with his family at a restaurant in Subang Jaya when he was alleged to have touched the chest of a woman.
In a Facebook posting, believed to have been uploaded by the man’s mother, she said her son “ran out and visited some of the shops around the restaurant” during the celebration when the alleged incident took place.