However, the motion surprisingly left out the name of BN MP Shabudin Yahaya, whose controversial remarks at the Dewan Rakyat a few months ago about rapists marrying their victims caused a furore, especially among women’s groups and rights activists.
Penang executive councillor Chong Eng (DAP-Padang Lalang) read out the motion, which also called on all elected reps to protect children from violence and sexual violence.
The motion read: “This august house strongly objects to any suggestion that rape victims marry their rapists to counter sex crimes against children.
“All elected reps must work to help shield children from any violence, especially sexual violence.”
At the time the motion was read, all 10 BN representatives in the assembly were not present.
Before Chong could read the motion, four BN representatives, led by opposition leader Jahara Hamid, told the speaker that they would not be taking part in the hearing of the motion.
Jahara said this was because all three of the BN motions — which included a call for the chief minister to resign — had been rejected by the speaker.
Jahara, along with Mahmud Zakaria (BN-Sungai Acheh), Mohd Zain Ahmad (BN-Penaga), and Muhamad Yusoff Mohd Noor (BN-Sungai Dua), then left the assembly.
Earlier, during the evening session of the assembly, all 10 BN reps were nowhere to be seen.
However, just moments before Chong was about to read out the motion on rape, the four BN reps emerged.
In proposing the motion, Chong said rape was most definitely a crime and could not be solved through marriage.
“This kind of thinking does not help the victim but only puts them in a never-ending violence cycle.
“This can lead to child sex offenders using marriage as an escape clause from being charged with the offence of rape.
“If this is seen as a quick way to resolve ‘family dignity issues’, it only makes things worse in the future,” she said.
During the debate, Norlela Ariffin (PKR-Penanti) said all rapists should ideally be stoned to death, not married off to their victims.
“There is no law in Islam where rapists are rewarded by asking them to marry their attackers. And, of course, we have statutory rape.
“Rapists are usually stoned to death, not kahwin (marry) with those who rogol (rape),” she said.
Lim Siew Khim (DAP-Sungai Pinang) also attacked BN politicians who were sexist in nature.
Lim trained her guns at Federal Territories Minister Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor over his reported advice to women to “dress shabbily” to avoid sexual harassment.
“What kind of minister makes such remarks? Women can dress up however they like. Only dirty-minded people will think it is subject to harassment,” Lim said.
A Tanasekharan (DAP-Bagan Dalam), the only male representative to debate on this issue, said the marriage of the victim to her rapist “cannot make sense”.
He said if it was an underage victim, it would be considered statutory rape and the rapist would be jailed.
The motion was passed and the state assembly adjourned sine die. The assembly is expected to reconvene in November.
Shabudin courted controversy when he said it would be “safer” for rape victims to marry their rapists.
He was also quoted as saying: “They reach puberty at the age of 9 or 12. And at that time, the physical state of their body is already akin to those who are 18 years old.
“So physically and spiritually, it is not a barrier for the girl to marry.”
He later claimed that he had been quoted out of context.
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