A COALITION of civil society groups has condemned Deputy Prime Minister Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail’s inaction in the case of a Thai girl married to a 41-year-old Malaysian.

The Joint Action Group for Gender Equality (JAG) said it is “outraged” that Dr Wan Azizah, who is also women, family and community development minister, insists that further investigations are needed to gather evidence to charge the Kelantanese man.

“This insistence on investigations, which has gone on for more than a month, reflects a lack of political will to take action against the man and protect the 11-year-old girl.”

JAG comprises 13 women’s rights organisations nationwide. They include the All Women’s Action Society, Association of Women Lawyers, Foreign Spouses Support Group, Perak Women for Women, Persatuan Kesedaran Komuniti Selangor, Sabah Women Action Resource Group, Sisters in Islam, Women’s Centre for Change, and Women’s Aid Organisation.

The coalition has compiled a list of “mounting evidence” of violations, which it urges the authorities to act on. They include:

- The Kelantanese man has publicly confessed that he had planned to marry the girl since she was 7, which points to child sexual grooming, an offence under the Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017;

- The “marriage” does not fulfil Section 23 of the Kelantanese Islamic Family Law Enactment 2002, which is also covered by “hukum syarak”. The man’s second wife has publicly stated that her husband is unable to provide for their family, and unfairly favours his third “wife” – the 11-year-old – over his first two wives;

- The marriage certificate produced by Thai authorities has been found to be fake. JAG said swift action must be taken to ensure further manipulation does not happen to validate the marriage; and,

- Child marriages violate international instruments that have been ratified by Malaysia, particularly the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, and the Convention on the Rights of the Child.

“JAG is extremely concerned about the current situation, where the girl remains exposed to the man, and the results of the medical tests that the girl has undergone.

“Should there be signs of grooming, violations and abuse, the relevant ministries and departments must move swiftly to ensure that the matter is addressed and not covered up, whether the marriage is deemed legal or otherwise.”

The coalition added that police reports lodged by the man’s second wife have “fallen on deaf ears”.

It said the girl must be immediately separated from the man, as he poses a physical and emotional threat.

“Regardless of her nationality, we must act in the child’s best interest in all steps of the case.” – August 1, 2018.