Eight years after an 11-year-old became a bride, why are we still here?
This commentary piece criticizes the lack of progress in Malaysia regarding the legal minimum age for marriage. Despite public outrage over a 2018 case involving an 11-year-old bride, the author argues that promised legislative reforms have stalled.
Why it matters
It addresses the ongoing human rights issue of child marriage and the gap between government promises of reform and actual legislative action.
COMMENT | In 2018, Malaysia was outraged by the marriage of a 41-year-old Malaysian man to an 11-year-old Thai girl. He was a father of six. She had never attended school. She became his third wife. The marriage was solemnised in southern Thailand without the Syariah Court’s permission.
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