Perak DAP chairman Nga Kor Ming speaks to reporters during a press conference in Ipoh January 27, 2022. — Picture by Farhan Najib
IPOH, March 29 — Perak DAP chairman Nga Kor Ming said that it is time for the Perak state government to ban child marriage.
He stressed that children should be protected from being the victims of paedophiles.
“I have visited Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Saarani Mohamad’s office and got the opportunity to meet his granddaughter. I have to say that he is a loving grandfather.
“Now imagine our granddaughters who are underage, not going to school, but instead made as bride or housewife. I think it is time we have to ban child marriage,” he said in the Perak State Legislative Assembly during the debate session of Perak Opposition leader Abdul Aziz Baru.
The Aulong assemblyman also pointed out that about 16,000 underage girls are married.
“They should be at schools learning and not made as a wife. Their future will be damaged. We don’t like child labour and we have to do the same for child marriage,” he said.
Nga urged the state government to follow the United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef) chart which prohibits any underage marriages.
“The state assembly has the responsibility as the constitutional assembly to approve the constitution so that no more child marriages are allowed in Perak,” he said.
Last week, the Women, Family and Community Development Ministry said in a parliamentary reply that the government has no plans to ban underage marriage.
Instead, the ministry helmed by Datuk Seri Rina Harun, who is from Bersatu, said that the government remains committed to curbing the practice in the country by implementing programmes under the National Strategic Plan for Addressing the Causes of Underage Marriage.