THE Johor government has yet to resolve to amend the state law on marriageable age.

State Islamic Religious Affairs, Agriculture and Rural Development Committee chairman Tosrin Jarvanthi said the Johor Islamic Religious Council would discuss the matter and present a report to the Sultan of Johor Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar.

‘’I wish to stress that Johor has not made any decision (on the amendment to the marriage age limit) and I will table it before the Johor Islamic Religious Council and then to Tuanku for his advice,’’ he said outside the state assembly today.

He was commenting on Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Dr Mujahid Yusof Rawa’s statement that the government would introduce guidelines to set the legal age of marriage at 18.

Mujahid said the all the states would have to comply with the guidelines, which were being drawn up.
 
Tosrin said the state government would decide whether or not to accept the federal guidelines.

Last Tuesday, Deputy Prime Minister Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail told the Dewan Rakyat, the government was preparing a draft of the National Strategic Plan to tackle the issue of underage marriage.

The solution would require amending the Islamic Family Law 1984 (Act 303) to set the marriageable age for women at 18.

In KUALA TERENGGANU,  State Syariah Implementation, Education and State Higher Education Committee chairman Satiful Bahari Mamat said underage marriage was rare in Terengganu.

He said underage couples must apply to the shariah court for consent to marry.

‘’If we don’t facilitate marriage or we make marriage difficult, we fear they (underaged couple) will sin,’’ he said outside the state assembly today.

Under Section 8 of the Islamic Family Law (Terengganu) Enactment 2017, marriage is permitted at 16 for women and 18 for men. – Bernama, November 25, 2019.