TERENGGANU will not stop teenage couples from getting married despite divorce rates among this group, Mohd Nor Hamzah (Bukit Payong-PN) said.

According to Nor – the exco for human development, dakwah and information – teenagers could be saved from divorce if they were properly educated in Islamic marriages.

“Love is like the waves of the ocean, which we cannot block. Even the prophet advised young people that they should marry if they can, as it will help them control their urges, and if they can’t, they should fast,” Nor told the Terengganu assembly today.

Nor said the state would not stop teenage couples from getting married, but would instead educate them using religious programmes.

Terengganu recorded 2,433 divorces from January to October last year, but Nor did not give the number of teenage marriages involved, Nor replied to a question from Maliaman Kassim (Ajil-PN).

Maliaman said many young couples were forced into marriage by their parents although they were unprepared.

“If we look at the situation surrounding divorces involving teens, they got married at 18 or 19 years old, but not because they wanted to get married, but for the romance.

“Yet given that their parents know, they are forced to get married even though they are not ready,” Maliaman said.

At federal level, the Ismail administration also has no plans to ban child marriages. 

Women, Family and Community Development Minister Rina Harun said in a parliamentary written reply recently that the ministry would instead use other approaches, such as education and counselling, to discourage child marriages.

Her statement was condemned by civil society groups and Pakatan Harapan lawmakers, which had set in place a roadmap towards outlawing child marriage nationwide. – March 23, 2022.