Sisters in Islam (SIS) said the nation has to move beyond partial reforms and instead focus on implementing changes that can truly uphold children’s rights.
“Only by standardising marriage laws, expanding educational programmes, actively engaging communities and providing crucial support services can we build a future where every child is protected,” it said in a statement today.
It said there is a critical inconsistency in the country’s current legal system which sets the minimum age of marriage for non-Muslims at 18, Muslim men at 18 and Muslim women at 16.
Further allowances are given for those younger than 16 if the marriage is approved by a chief minister or a shariah judge.
The rights group urged the government to standardise the marriage age at 18 across all states and for all Malaysians, without exceptions.
“This discrepancy allows for the exploitation of legal loopholes and leaves young girls vulnerable to early, often coerced, marriages,” it said.
SIS said states like Selangor and Kedah had already raised the minimum marriage age to 18 and these efforts must be extended nationwide.
“It is unacceptable that a child in one state can be protected, while another child, due to (their) geographical location, remains vulnerable to exploitation under outdated and harmful legal exceptions.”
On the recent announcement about the introduction of the Reproductive and Social Health Education (PEERS) module by the education ministry, SIS said it is “long overdue” and may even be “too late”.
The education ministry had said the PEERS module will be incorporated into the 2027 school curriculum to address the rising number of teenage pregnancies in the country.
The module will be incorporated into the curriculum from preschool to secondary school during Health Education classes.
Students will be provided with information and skills, particularly psychosocial competencies, to make informed decisions in their daily lives.
SIS said that while the module offers a promising start, it must be expanded to cover topics on consent, healthy relationships and bodily autonomy.
SIS said education empowers young people to make informed decisions about their bodies and lives, which is essential in preventing teenage pregnancies and early marriages.