SISTERS in Islam (SIS) is concerned that in the past few weeks, the welfare of children has been side-lined and pushed down the priority list as the government and opposition appear distracted by their own political agendas.

Despite positive strides which have enabled refugee children to attend Malaysian schools, the creation of the important child sex offenders’ registry as well as a number of other improvements by the government, many more fundamental issues which revolve around the rights of children have been compromised and neglected, with sustainable education reforms and the wellbeing of the girl-child suffering the most from this disregard.

The recent debacle with the introduction of khat at schools does little to resolve the much bigger issue that many girls tend to stop their education because schools are neither physically nor socially and emotionally equipped with facilities for underage pregnancies.

The fact that child marriage is still legal in Malaysia is a dangerous contributor to these statistics.

Despite a directive from the prime minister last year, most states in Malaysia have yet to make concrete legal amendments to end child marriage.

While clear intents and efforts have been shown in states such as Selangor, Penang and Sabah, till today, none has raised the age of marriage to 18 for all children, with no exceptions.

At the same time, there is also a dire lack of programmes aimed at the grassroots level to curb child marriages and address systemic factors contributing to child marriages, such as access to education and healthcare, introduction of comprehensive sex education and poverty eradication.

The same inadequacy can be seen in programmes aimed at making meaningful mindset changes in our society with regard to child marriages.

Discussions on the issue of female genital mutilation (FGM) or female circumcision practised in Malaysia have also faded into the background.

Despite strong insistence by the CEDAW committee and recommendations made at Malaysia’s Universal Periodic Review (UPR) last year, as well as ongoing reminders from women’s rights groups, there has been no active steps taken by any government party towards discontinuing this barbaric and un-Islamic practice in the country. 

The issue of unilateral conversion, currently hot at the heels in the state of Selangor, appears to be completely blind to its devastating effects on children, who find themselves unwilling collaterals in their parents’ divorce negotiations.

SIS is troubled by states which pursue political and social brownie points via fear-mongering in the name of religion, and more so at the expense of children.

Amid the political drama that has been viciously exchanged, there has been almost no discussion on how the best interest of children has been considered and can be achieved in this case. The same can be said for the innocent children who have become victims in the “bin Abdullah” issue which is now awaiting Federal Court decision by the end of this month.

For as long as the government prefers to bicker about politics and continues to drag its feet in addressing these issues, millions of children in Malaysia remain exposed to these vulnerabilities which infringe upon their rights.

It is unfair that issues pertaining to children become accessory to political ambitions, more so considering that Malaysia plans to submit its first Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) report next year.

Active, concerted and collaborative steps must be undertaken to make meaningful, and not cosmetic, reforms to our education systems. Efforts must also be taken to remove physical, social and psychological barriers that stand in the way of children, especially the girl-child, to achieve their fullest potential. – August 23, 2019.

* Sisters in Islam is a civil society organisation working towards advancing the rights of Muslim women in Malaysia within the framework of Islam, universal human rights principles, constitutional guarantees, as well as the lived realities and experiences of women.

* This is the opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insight. Article may be edited for brevity and clarity.