Teo-Education.Com

UNIVERSITY Malaya Medical Centre (UMMC) psychiatrist Dr Jesjeet Singh Gill said married teens faced psychological issues as they were not mentally ready to raise a child when they were, for the most part, still children themselves.

“You add in the factors like financial problems, the disruption to their studies if they are still studying and the feeling of being a burden to other family members as they are not capable of sustaining a household or raising a child yet.

“This will result in the teenage parents experiencing stress and depression,” he said.
This in turn could affect the child of the teenage couple as the child may be neglected or worse, abused, because the parents lack proper parenting skills.

Dr Jesjeet said studies showed that children born to younger parents had higher chances of suffering from attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder.

This is a neuro-behaviourial development disorder that is found in children who have experienced violence or emotional abuse and are neglected.
He also said that it was not healthy physically when teenagers became pregnant at an early age as they might suffer complications caused by anemia or nutrition deficiencies due to improper diet.

Read more @ http://www.nst.com.my/nst/articles/13klwed2/Article

NTERNATIONAL Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) regional chairman of the East & South East Asia and Oceania Region, Dr Kamaruzaman Ali, said human rights and sex education in school were important as those were the main keys.

“It is their (teenagers) right to choose their life but first, they should be educated on reproductive health so that they are well prepared to start a new life,” he told the New Straits Times yesterday.

Last month, Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil said the National Population and Family Development Board was testing a pilot programme in five secondary schools on reproductive health.
The draft module, called “I’m In Control”, talks to students about sex and its consequences.

Dr Kamaruzaman applauded the effort in trying to introduce sex education in schools and said that it was the right move which should be further enhanced.

It was reported yesterday that the Malacca Islamic Religious Council had agreed to allow male Muslims below 18 years old and female Muslims below 16 in the state to marry.
National Council Of Women’s Organisations secretary-general Datin Nursiah Sulaiman said the decision was made by the religious council and there must have been some rationale behind the move.

“However, personally I think, even 18 years old is too early for a girl to get married. They are hardly aware of the responsibilities of being a mother and wife.”

She said early marriages might have been applicable many years ago, but it was no longer suitable for the 21st century.

Read more @ http://www.nst.com.my/nst/articles/13mextin/Article

PUTRAJAYA, — Permission to marry for under-aged students is not across the board but determined on a case-by-case basis, said Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Jamil Khir Baharom.

Commenting on the move by the Melaka government to allow male students below the age of 18 and female students below 16 to marry, he said this was conditional upon the Syariah Court giving permission to do so.

“Under Islamic enactments for marriage, the minimum age is 18 for males and 16 for females but there can be exceptions.

“As such, the action by the Melaka Islamic Religious Council to permit under-age marriage is provided for under the law but has to be done on a case-by-case basis,” he told reporters after witnessing the signing of a memorandum of agreement (MOA) between the Malaysian Islamic Development Department (Jakim) and 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB), here on Wednesday.

The council and the Melaka Islamic Religious Department yesterday agreed to give the leeway to students in a move to check pregnancy out of wedlock and baby dumping.

The MOA allows Jakim to manage 1MDB scholarships for students from religious schools.

BERNAMA.

Read more @ http://www.bernama.com/bernama/v5/newsgeneral.php?id=518904

SETTING the minimum age for marriage at 18 seems the enlighted and modern thing to do, but that and other demands of the United Nations’ Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (Cedaw) could go against long established Muslim conventions. A solution to this dilemma may be found through the concept of maqasid, or higher goals, of the syariah.

With child marriage, Muslims who believe that syariah is a blessing to the world are forced to embrace a few lecherous old men who want to marry defenceless young girls. They inevitably have to hear that Aishah, wife of the Prophet, was married at a young age. While there are historical pieces of evidence that she was anywhere from 9 to 19 or older when she was married, the real issue is not the age of the girl, but maturity, and together with maturity, a guarantee that her interests are defended.

Aishah, in any case, is sui generis, and famous for her sense of right. Whatever her age, she was never one to be pushed around.
On the other side, Cedaw originates from an idea that there are universal truths, which just happen to have arisen in a secular, Western context. In this context, the focus of providing for women’s rights in marriage is age. Right now, the syariah court has the opportunity to assess marriage applications, conduct interviews, and take time to decide whether a young female is fit for marriage. The worldview of Cedaw says we should fix an age, and that’s the end of the story.

Also, we find a tendency to want to push age limits up — to try to make laws stricter, in order to accomplish other things that may be desirable. We know that children born to girls just after puberty are not as healthy, and we know that marriage is difficult in modern societies and requires the resources (financial, psychological, etc) that generally come later in life rather than earlier.

by Dr. Eric Winkel, a principal research fellow at the International Institute of Adanced Islamic Studies Malaysia.

Read more @ http://www.nst.com.my/nst/articles/17chide/Article/

KUALA LUMPUR: Not enough is being done to discourage child marriages, said Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil.

“Malaysians do not accept paedophilia but a lot of them do not see this as a serious crime. That is why, up to today, while a lot of people are against child marriages, it is not to the extent where they’ll go to town with it.

“They won’t condone — in fact, they will condemn it; but not enough has been done,” Shahrizat said in an interview with the New Sunday Times.

The minister said the issue of paedophilia needed to be viewed as a crime rather than in terms of child marriages, “because the minute you equate that (paedophilia to child marriage), then it becomes, to some, a taboo subject”.

“The minute a child embarks into the institution of marriage, for some reason, sex with a child is seen with a different pair of eyes. That shouldn’t be the case.”

Shahrizat reiterated that the ministry was firmly against child marriages and considered the marriage of girls below the age of consent a human rights violation, in accordance with the country’s laws and the international treaties that Malaysia had ratified.
“Children do not have the choice or capacity to give their full consent. As such, child marriages must be viewed within the context of force and coercion; it is an act that subjects the child to physical, social and psychological trauma and abuse.”

Read more @ http://www.nst.com.my/nst/articles/Notenoughisbeingdonetodiscouragechildmarriages/Article/

IN this country, whenever a girl child is abducted and sexually violated, society goes into shock; abhorring and condemning the perpetrator and the act. But when a girl child is married off — often to a very fully-grown man — too much of society is too quiet.

Marriage, it is argued, legalises sex. Between consenting adults that is certainly true. But a child, no matter how seemingly-mature, is not an adult, and is not emotionally or mentally mature enough to give consent. A society that sets no minimum limit for how young a female can be to get married is a society that is comfortable with men looking at young girls and thinking of them as potential sexual partners.

In this country, we have a problem of children being allowed to get married. This problem is not limited to any race or religion, nor even to just the female sex. Boys and girls, Muslims and non-Muslims, Malays and Chinese and Indians and Others — children of all these identities are being allowed to get married. Instead of being in school or in the playground, children are being pushed straight into adulthood long before they are physically, emotionally, or mentally prepared for it.
Some children are married off because they are sexually-ripe, and parents fear that these children will indulge in pre-marital sex if not married off. This argument is weak. Parents need to teach their children to be disciplined, and must not indulge them just because. A child cannot be allowed to eat all the chocolates and sweets his eyes and mouth desires, and parents should not buy every toy a child wants. So, just as children have to wait until they are 17 before getting a driver’s licence, until they are 18 before they can buy and smoke cigarettes, and until they turn 21 before they can vote, children should be made to wait until they become adults before they can get married. It is not easy to be a parent, but this is no excuse for parents to abdicate their responsibility.

Children are not chattel. Laws should protect the child — whether it be from themselves, their parents, or other people. Next week, when Malaysia removes its reservations to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (Cedaw), we will be agreeing to outlaw the marriage of any child. With that, a child can then be just that — a child.

Source:

http://www.nst.com.my/nst/articles/2chid/Article/

CHILDREN who have reached puberty may be physically able to engage in sexual intercourse, but having sex and getting pregnant at such an early age has risks for the child’s emotional and physical health, said Malaysian Medical Association president Dr David Quek.

“There have been medical reports which show that young-age mothers suffer more pregnancy complications, have smaller babies, and suffer from psychological and mental stresses which many cannot cope with.

“They are also young and have much growing up to do mentally, especially psychologically. Unfortunately, with a pregnancy so early, these young people are forced into becoming adults when they are not yet prepared.
“Most haven’t got over their temper tantrums and child-like behaviour, and are much less able to actually cope with mothering and fathering.”

Because they have yet to develop adult-coping mechanisms, there was also the question of whether these children could impart proper values to their children.

“Many of these children are not yet competent, not educated sufficiently or had their education prematurely terminated.
“Bearing children generally means the progression from childhood to adulthood for most. Because many are also not yet mature enough, they become poor parents, have poor skills, and may breed children who are also psychologically defective or incapable of coping in this increasingly complex world.”

Instead of a gradual progression from childhood through youth and then into adulthood, marriage at such an early age puts a lot of stress on a child because it pushes the person from childhood straight into adulthood.

“For males, marriage marks full adult independence and its associated responsibilities. Many boys cannot assume strenuous or full manual jobs early in their adolescence, and few, if any, can earn enough to support a family until their early to mid-20s.
“This combination of biological, social and economic factors limit pregnancy and parenthood for most teens.

“So, childhood marriages unfairly forces these young people into a situation with which they can hardly cope or, worse, which they cannot cope with at all.

“The MMA believes child marriages should be discouraged and frowned upon.

“Child marriages disempower the young people involved, and prevent their full intellectual and educational development. They would suffer from too early a thrust into adulthood and all its responsibilities and duties.

“Education and other healthy fun childhood pursuits for the female or male child are also prematurely disrupted.”

Dr Quek said most doctors were quiet on the issue of child marriages and especially if a child went for premarital HIV screening because “in our society, the Muslim majority clearly have a greater influence on the matter of marriageability of young people”.

He said the acceptable age of marriage was culturally and religiously defined and was not based on health and medical concerns.

However, he added, most medical authorities frowned upon any form of sexual practice below the age of 15 years, or before some degree of mental maturity.

“As a medical profession, the MMA feels other aspects of such practices should also be debated and discussed, putting the rights of the child above the rights of personal or religious interpretations.

“It is perhaps time for enlightened doctors, lawyers and other social activists to speak out and help protect the sanctity and developmental happiness and experience, and ensure the minimal educational development of the child.

“Becoming an ‘adult’ too early is too hard, too premature and not good,” said Dr Quek.

“It is also not an enlightened symbol for a progressive Malaysia.”

Source:

http://www.nst.com.my/nst/articles/07nes/Article

IT is not appropriate to marry off underage children as they are not equipped to face challenges, says Universiti Sains Malaysia social psychologist Dr Intan Hashimah Mohd Hashim.

She said early marriages were not advisable as there were many divorce cases involving young couples.

“The first few years of marriage are the most challenging, so underage children who get married may less likely succeed in their relationship. It is challenging for a 20-year-old to be married, what more if the couple is 15 or 16 years old.”
She said early marriages were not an issue from the local perspective as it was not seen as something wrong.

“It is considered sacred and acceptable even though the couple are young. Our cultural expectation sees it as something positive.”

Intan said underage children had no power to decide on their own lives. As such, the decision to marry them off was usually made by their parents or guardians.
“There are many factors which lead to the decision (to marry off the children) and one of them is security,” she said.

Universiti Malaya psychological medicine department Associate Professor Dr Stephen Jambunathan said parents may give away their children for marriage at a young age due to their culture, history or tradition.

He said even though the cases were not that rampant nowadays, some parents still subscribed to the old traditions as they may also have got married at a young age.
“People used to marry at 13, so it might be a cultural thing. I do not see the act of marrying off young children as an excuse for parents to escape their responsibilities.”

Jambunathan said underage marriages had been going on for a long time now but the trend was changing.

“I think it is no longer an issue because the trend is heading the opposite way. People tend to get married at a later age these days.”

Source:

http://www.nst.com.my/nst/articles/20ynshu1/Article

HERE was an increase in marriages involving underage Muslims in the Federal Territory last year. This goes against the assumption that child marriages are now on the decline due to changing cultural trends.

Last year, 49 Muslim girls under 16 years of age and 39 boys under 18 tied the knot.

According to the statistics provided by the Federal Territory Religious Department, this number was higher compared with the previous year.
Under Islamic family law, only girls and boys aged at least 16 and 18 and above respectively, can marry.

Only the syariah court can grant permission for younger children to marry.

In 2008, 40 girls and 28 boys below the permitted age registered their marriages.
Chief Syariah Judge and Malaysian Syariah Judiciary Department director-general Tan Sri Ibrahim Lembut said, however, that the Syariah court does not “simply grant” its consent for marriages involving individuals aged 16 or below.

He said the conditions for Muslim marriages differed from that for non-Muslims and the syariah court would protect the interests of minors in marriages.

He added that chances of approval for children below 16 to marry were slim, and that applicants would have to meet strict criteria to prove that they were capable of building a solid and lasting marriage.
“We conduct an interview with both sets of parents present. We ask questions and find out if the child is mature enough to enter into marriage mentally and physically.

“We deliberate for a week before we give consent. Some girls, even at the age of 16, look frail. We will disallow the marriage as she may not be able to handle the burden of pregnancy and marital duties,” he said when contacted.

Last week, the New Sunday Times reported that 479 Muslim children below 15 were found to be ready to tie the knot last year as revealed by the premarital HIV screening conducted by the Health Ministry, raising concern as to whether the concept of child marriages was alive and well in the country. Of the 479 children, 32 were below 10 years old.

“There are various reasons for young marriages. Some parents see it as the only option their daughter has”

Ibrahim said the procedure for underage couples who want to get married was similar in other states.

Ibrahim warned Muslim parents that they could be charged if they married their children off without the syariah court’s permission.

It was also reported last week that, according to the 2000 Census, there were 11,400 children below 15 years of age who were married — 6,800 girls and 4,600 boys.

Of the 6,800 girls, 2,450 were Malays. The remaining were non-Malays, comprising 1,550 other Bumiputeras, 1,600 Chinese, 600 Indians and 600 others.

by Suhada Elis, Ili Liyana Moktar and Rozanna Latiff.

http://www.nst.com.my/nst/articles/20ynshu/Article

KUALA LUMPUR: The concept of child marriage appears to be alive and well in Malaysia based on government statistics of premarital HIV screening for Muslims preparing to get married.

Last year, 479 children under 15 years, two of them boys, were getting ready to tie the knot. And 32 of them were below 10 years. None of them were found to be HIV-positive.

This is based on Health Ministry statistics of premarital HIV screening for Muslims, a compulsory requirement for those wanting to get married.
However, it is not certain if any of these applications for marriage were approved by the state religious department.

Under the Syariah Family Law system in Malaysia, prospective brides and grooms —irrespective of age — have to apply for permission from their respective state religious departments to marry. In the application form is a section for HIV premarital screening, which has to be filled by a medical doctor.

The result of the test does not affect the granting of permission. What’s shocking is that the doctors had signed off the forms for the children without batting an eyelid.

Malaysia is not a country that encourages child marriages. But neither does it outlaw it outright. Under Malaysian law, a Muslim girl below the age of 16 can marry, provided she has the consent of the syariah court. The syariah court is supposed to rule on each and every case and cannot give blanket permission.

And under the Law Reform (Marriage and Divorce) Act, which applies to non-Muslims, marriage is allowed only for people 18 years and above. However, a girl aged 16 years and above may marry, conditional upon a licence being obtained from the chief minister or menteri besar.

This means that it is supposed to be very difficult for a Muslim girl under 16 to get married, and it is supposed to be impossible for a non-Muslim girl under 16 to get married at all. However, according to the 2000 Census, there were 11,400 children below 15 years of age who were married — 6,800 girls and 4,600 boys. Of the 6,800 girls, only 2,450 were Malay. This means that the syariah court gave its consent to each of these 2,450 under-age girls to get married.

The remainder of 4,350 girls were non-Malays comprising 1,550 other Bumiputera, 1,600 Chinese, 600 Indians, and 600 others. It is not known whether they had got their licence from the relevant minister, but even if they did, it would have been illegal, since there are no legal provisions for a non-Muslim under 16 years to get married.

“We are deeply troubled by this issue and we are currently undertaking
comprehensive studies to provide a clearer picture of the incidence and frequency of child marriages across the board,” said Women, Family and Community
Development Minister Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil when contacted by the New Sunday Times.

“A child does not have the choice or capacity to give his/her full consent,
and as such child marriages must be viewed within the context of force and coercion; an act that subjects the child to physical, social and psychological trauma and abuse, ” Shahrizat said.

“At present the Women, Family and Community Development Ministry is not empowered to intervene in these matters unless an offence has been committed under the Child Act 2001 or, as provided by that same act, for the purposes of
child protection where abuse is suspected.”

The registration of Muslim marriages comes under the purview of the state religious authorities, while the registration of non-Muslim marriages comes under the National Registration Department. The minister said the ministry
would be undertaking a study on child marriage in Malaysia, which would serve as the basis for future legislative change.

The phenomenon of child marriages may seem isolated when only one or two cases get reported in the news, such as the two girls in Kelantan recently. They were aged 10 and 11 years, and were allegedly married off to 40 and 41-yearold
men respectively. But these are the controversial cases that make it into the public sphere. As the statistics show, child marriages are not isolated cases.
This trend will have a head-on collision with the law soon, when Malaysia removes all its reservations to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW).

This is because Article 16(2) of the convention, which deals specifically
with child marriage states: “The betrothal and the marriage of a child shall have no legal effect, and all necessary action, including legislation, shall be taken to specify a minimum age for marriage and to make the registration of marriages in an official registry compulsory.”

Women’s Aid Organisation executive-director Ivy Josiah said the current laws needed to be amended, because it did not make sense for syariah and the civil LRA to be inconsistent with the Child Act 2001.

“There is a serious flaw in our laws. Both the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Child Act define a child as a person below the age of 18.

“It doesn’t make sense to allow children to get married. This goes against the grain of universal standards of human rights for children. These are not young marriages; they are child marriages.

“The state has a duty to protect children, so it should get rid of these loopholes,” said Josiah.

by Aniza Damis.

http://www.nst.com.my/nst/articles/Marriedkids_br__i_HealthMinistryHIVtestshocker__i_/Article/