Johor yet to decide on amendment of minimum marriage age

The Johor government has not made any resolution to amend the enactment linked to the fixing of a minimum marriage age in the state.

State Islamic religious affairs, agriculture and rural development committee chairperson Tosrin Jarvanthi (above) said the discussion on the matter would be made at the Johor Islamic religious council (MAIJ) level.

He added the outcome would then be submitted to the Sultan of Johor Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar for his input.

‘’I wish to stress that Johor has not made any decision (on the amendment to the marriage age limit) and I will table it before MAIJ and then to Tuanku for his advice,’’ he said when met by reporters outside the State assembly sitting today.

He was commenting on the statement by the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Mujahid Yusof Rawa that the government would introduce a module which fixed a tight standard operation procedure to limit the marriage age to 18 years.

Mujahid said the module, which was in the process of completion, was a guideline to be complied with by all states on marriage and it would be an offence if the module was not followed.

According to Tosrin, the acceptance or implementation of any new module by the federal government would be decided after a resolution was made at the state government level.

Last Tuesday, Deputy Prime Minister-cum-Women, Family and Community Development Minister Wan Azizah Wan Ismail (above) told Dewan Rakyat that the government was preparing the draft of the National Strategic Plan to tackle the issue of under-aged marriage.

The draft would involve the amendment of the Islamic Family Law 1984 (Act 303) by fixing the marriage age of women at 18 years.

Meanwhile, In Terengganu, state syariah implementation, education and state higher education committee chairperson Satiful Bahari Mamat said under-aged marriages in the state were isolated cases.

He said under-aged marriage applications to the Syariah court must obtain the consent of the guardians (wali) and families of both sides.

‘’We do not want when a regulation is made (limiting the marriage age) we open another gap. If we don’t facilitate marriages or we make marriages difficult, we fear they (underaged couple) will sin,’’ he said when met by reporters outside the state assembly sitting here today.

According to the record, Terengganu utilised section eight of the Islamic Family Law (Terengganu) Enactment 2017 which permits marriage at 16 for women and 18 years for men.

- Bernama