"If true, it is shocking and unacceptable," Unicef's representative in Malaysia, Marianne Clark-Hattingh, said in a statement. “It is not in the best interest of the child. It is a violation of her rights. Law reform to set the legal age for marriage at 18 without exception should be one of the priorities of the new Parliament.”<doc-sep>The marriage of an 11-year old girl to a 41-year-old man has sparked uproar in Malaysia. The wedding has reignited a debate around underage marriage in a country where there have reportedly been thousands of recent such cases. The girl's Thai parents, who work on a rubber plantation, said they consented for her to become the third wife of a wealthy Malaysian trader, who apparently already has two wives and six children, so long as she could remain at their home until she was 16. The United Nations children's agency Unicef said it was outraged by the reports which it called "unacceptable". Recommended Child marriage ban delayed in US state after conservative opposition "If true, it is shocking and unacceptable," said Marianne Clark-Hattingh, Unicef's representative in Malaysia, in a statement. “It is not in the best interest of the child.” "It is a violation of her rights. Law reform to set the legal age for marriage at 18 without exception should be one of the priorities of the new parliament." The Malaysian government said there were no records in the courts or the regional religious office permitting the marriage. If there was no written permission from the sharia court then the marriage would be unlawful, it said. "The ministry looks seriously upon underage marriage,” said a statement from the Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development. “The ministry wants to discuss and cooperate with religious councils to examine and tighten laws so it can eradicate the issue of underage marriage." A task force comprised of state religious councils, government agencies and activists has been formed to examine the issue, the ministry added. "Marrying an 11-year-old girl is like the behaviour of a child predator or paedophile," activist Syed Azmi Alhabshi told the AFP news agency. In Malaysia, the legal minimum age for marriage under civil law is 18. However, girls can marry at 16 with the permission of their state's chief minister, while Islamic law sets a 16-year minimum age for girls and allows even earlier marriages with the permission of a sharia court. Malaysia's English language newspaper, The Star, reported in 2016 that there were more than 9,000 recorded child marriages over the past five years. World news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 30 September 2020 Pope Francis prays with priests at the end of a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 29 September 2020 A girl's silhouette is seen from behind a fabric in a tent along a beach by Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 September 2020 A Chinese woman takes a photo of herself in front of a flower display dedicated to frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing, China. China will celebrate national day marking the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1st Getty World news in pictures 27 September 2020 The Glass Mountain Inn burns as the Glass Fire moves through the area in St. Helena, California. The fast moving Glass fire has burned over 1,000 acres and has destroyed homes Getty World news in pictures 26 September 2020 A villager along with a child offers prayers next to a carcass of a wild elephant that officials say was electrocuted in Rani Reserve Forest on the outskirts of Guwahati, India AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 September 2020 The casket of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is seen in Statuary Hall in the US Capitol to lie in state in Washington, DC AFP via Getty World news in pictures 24 September 2020 An anti-government protester holds up an image of a pro-democracy commemorative plaque at a rally outside Thailand's parliament in Bangkok, as activists gathered to demand a new constitution AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 September 2020 A whale stranded on a beach in Macquarie Harbour on the rugged west coast of Tasmania, as hundreds of pilot whales have died in a mass stranding in southern Australia despite efforts to save them, with rescuers racing to free a few dozen survivors The Mercury/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 22 September 2020 State civil employee candidates wearing face masks and shields take a test in Surabaya AFP via Getty World news in pictures 21 September 2020 A man sweeps at the Taj Mahal monument on the day of its reopening after being closed for more than six months due to the coronavirus pandemic AP World news in pictures 20 September 2020 A deer looks for food in a burnt area, caused by the Bobcat fire, in Pearblossom, California EPA World news in pictures 19 September 2020 Anti-government protesters hold their mobile phones aloft as they take part in a pro-democracy rally in Bangkok. Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters massed close to Thailand's royal palace, in a huge rally calling for PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha to step down and demanding reforms to the monarchy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 September 2020 Supporters of Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr maintain social distancing as they attend Friday prayers after the coronavirus disease restrictions were eased, in Kufa mosque, near Najaf, Iraq Reuters World news in pictures 17 September 2020 A protester climbs on The Triumph of the Republic at 'the Place de la Nation' as thousands of protesters take part in a demonstration during a national day strike called by labor unions asking for better salary and against jobs cut in Paris, France EPA World news in pictures 16 September 2020 A fire raging near the Lazzaretto of Ancona in Italy. The huge blaze broke out overnight at the port of Ancona. Firefighters have brought the fire under control but they expected to keep working through the day EPA World news in pictures 15 September 2020 Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny posing for a selfie with his family at Berlin's Charite hospital. In an Instagram post he said he could now breathe independently following his suspected poisoning last month Alexei Navalny/Instagram/AFP World news in pictures 14 September 2020 Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida celebrate after Suga was elected as new head of the ruling party at the Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election in Tokyo Reuters World news in pictures 13 September 2020 A man stands behind a burning barricade during the fifth straight day of protests against police brutality in Bogota AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 September 2020 Police officers block and detain protesters during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus. Daily protests calling for the authoritarian president's resignation are now in their second month AP World news in pictures 11 September 2020 Members of 'Omnium Cultural' celebrate the 20th 'Festa per la llibertat' ('Fiesta for the freedom') to mark the Day of Catalonia in Barcelona. Omnion Cultural fights for the independence of Catalonia EPA World news in pictures 10 September 2020 The Moria refugee camp, two days after Greece's biggest migrant camp, was destroyed by fire.<doc-sep>According to The Associated Press, photos on social media showed Karim holding the girl's hand after the marriage ceremony. The Malaysian trader apparently has two wives. His six children range in age from 5 to 18, the Independent reported. The Malaysian government said there were no records in the courts or the regional religious office permitting the marriage. If there was no written permission from the Shariah court the marriage would be unlawful, officials said. "The ministry looks seriously upon underage marriage,” the Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development said in a statement. “The ministry wants to discuss and cooperate with religious councils to examine and tighten laws so it can eradicate the issue of underage marriage."<doc-sep>
The marriage of a Malaysian man to an 11-year-old Thai girl has sparked outrage in the Muslim-majority country with one activist on Sunday labelling the groom a child predator. Malaysian Muslims below the age of 16 are allowed to marry with the permission of a religious court. But the country’s women and families ministry said there was no record of religious authorities approving the union, which took place last month across the border in Thailand’s largely Muslim far south. “Our officers have gone to the house and met the girl’s mother. We are waiting for more reports before deciding on the next course of action,” the deputy prime minister, Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, was quoted as saying in the Sunday Star newspaper. The 41-year-old husband could be jailed for six months if he married the girl without permission. Malaysian activists have called for law reform to end child marriage, which they said is widespread among the country’s Muslim population. About 16,000 Malaysian girls below the age of 15 are already married, advocates say. “Marrying an 11-year-old girl is like the behaviour of a child predator or paedophile,” Syed Azmi Alhabshi, a child activist, said. Alhabshi said the man was a prosperous trader and already married to two women while the girl’s parents were impoverished rubber farmers. Muslim men are allowed to have up to four wives in Malaysia. The United Nations Children’s Fund, Unicef, said it was “outraged” by the incident. “It is shocking and unacceptable. Unicef ... calls on the government to make good its manifesto promise to ban child marriage,” said the agency’s Malaysia representative, Marianne Clark-Hattingh.