Deputy Prime Minister Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail said the two laws are the Law Reform (Marriage and Divorce) Act 1976, and the Islamic Family Law (Federal Territories) Act 1984.
Wan Azizah (PH-Pandan) said the proposed amendments to the Law Reform Act, which covers marriages of non-Muslims, will be tabled to the Cabinet next year.
“The proposed amendments will include the need to present a social report, medical report and a report from the police for underage marriages.
“They will be tabled the latest by the second term of the Dewan Rakyat sitting next year,” she said to Khairy Jamaluddin (BN-Rembau).
Khairy had asked about the improvements being made to tighten requirements for underage marriages, and whether the government was ready to amend the necessary laws to stop all forms of underage marriages in future.
For underage marriages involving Muslims, the Syariah Judiciary Department has come up with a standard operating procedure as a guide, which came into force on July 23. Among others, it requires social reports from the state welfare departments, medical reports from the state health departments, and police reports to be presented in the Shariah Court, should the judge find that the reports are necessary in considering underage marriage applications.
“Information such as the background of the applicant and the prospective partner, income, social status, ability as well as education status are also among elements which need to be indicated in the social reports.
“This is to enable the judge to make a decision that can protect the children involved in such marriages,” Wan Azizah said.
Wan Azizah, who is also women, family and community development minister, said the ministry had made efforts to convey this in a pre-council meeting with the Conference of Rulers and the Meeting of the Menteris Besar and Chief Ministers on Oct 16.
“We wish to note and appreciate the positive feedback during our presentation in both meetings, which in principle were receptive to the government’s proposal to raise the minimum age of marriage to 18.
“The meeting with menteris besar and chief ministers specifically reached a consensus for the minimum marriageable age to be raised to 18, for both boys and girls,” she said.
Aside from Selangor, which has already raised the minimum marriageable age, the states of Melaka, Penang, Kedah, Johor and Sabah have also voiced their intent to follow suit, Wan Azizah added.