Terengganu has allegedly recorded 53 cases of marriages involving underaged girls in the last 2 years.
According to a report by Harian Metro, the chairman of the Terengganu Welfare, Women’s Development, Family and National Unity Committee, Maliaman Kassim, said that the Kemaman district recorded the highest number of these child marriages, with 15 cases since 2022.
He further shared that the Besut district recorded 13 marriages with underaged girls, followed by 7 in Dungun, 5 in Kuala Terengganu, 5 in Setiu, 3 in Hulu Terengganu, 3 in Marang and 2 in Kuala Nerus.
“Among the reasons for the need for marriage is to prevent unforeseen events such as pregnancies out of wedlock and promiscuity,” he explained during the 15th Terengganu State Legislative Assembly (DUN) sitting yesterday (November 21).
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Maliaman also added that most of the underaged girls who have gotten married are no longer in school, and that marriage can “save them” from getting caught up in social problems.
This comes after Permaisuri ADUN Yusof Majid from Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia noted down a written question regarding the rate of underage marriages in Terengganu.
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