In a statement, Kasthuri Patto said the action plan was launched five years ago to find out the causes of child marriages in Malaysia.

“Five years on, where are we at?

“Where do we stand as a nation as far as preventing and managing child marriages?” the Wanita DAP vice-chairman asked.

She said Colombia, Sierra Leone and Malawi had banned child marriages through congresses and Parliaments last year.

Kasthuri also said while there seemed to be a decline in the number of registered child marriages over the years, “one case of an underage marriage is one too many”.

The number of child marriages has dropped steadily since 2019, with 1,467 registered that year. In 2023, a total of 923 child marriages were registered.

And despite the positive strides made, including ensuring children remain in school up to the end of their secondary school term, there was a need to know the current status of the five-year plan in managing contributing factors to child marriages, she said.

Kasthuri went on to say that based on all the contributing factors to underage marriages, it is evident that it is not the sole responsibility of the government to work out a solution.

She said every layer of society has a role to play.

“But how can we help if we do not have enough information on where we are when it concerns underage marriages in Malaysia?

“Therefore, it is timely for the ministry to table a progress report — made available not only to MPs but also the public and civil society — so that all of us can participate collectively to help in combating child marriages in Malaysia.”

As the Asean chair, Kasthuri said there was also a need to make the eradication of child marriages an agenda, alongside matters like trade, finance, investment and international law.

“After all, if we cannot safeguard and protect our children, who will be the next generation of leaders in Asean, then we are setting ourselves up to fail in terms of human rights, equality, good governance and justice.”