A 44-YEAR-OLD People’s Volunteer Corp (Rela) member took on a 15-year-old as his bride in July, reported The New Straits Times.

The marriage was approved by the Kelantan shariah court, with the “akad nikah” (solemnisation of vows) ceremony taking place at Masjid Kg Laut in Tumpat.

The girl is the second wife of the father of two.

The teenager’s parents consented to their youngest daughter’s marriage, saying the decision was driven by the desire to have the girl escape poverty.

Her father, Che Rahim Che Deraman, 60, said he and his wife, Mariam Hassan, were introduced by one of their sons to the Rela member, who hails from Gua Musang, several months ago.

The couple, who run a sundry shop in front of their home, have 13 children.

Che Rahim said they make between RM200 and RM300 a month.

“No parent wants to see his or her child live in hardship. We do not want our daughter to live in difficulty as we did, raising 13 children.

“We want our children to live a more comfortable life, and this includes our youngest daughter.

“Her siblings are all married and have their own lives. We know that she is underage, but we only want the best for her,” said Che Rahim, who has 30 grandchildren.

He said he and his wife agreed to the teenager’s marriage only after they were convinced that the man could make her happy.

“Even though he is married with two children, he applied for polygamy status from the courts, and was granted permission.”

He said his daughter, who only completed her studies up to Form One, did not object to the marriage.

This follows the case of a a 41-year-old rubber trader, who took on an 11-year-old from Thailand as his third wife. The marriage ceremony was carried out in Kg Padang Nyor, Sg Golok, on June 18.

Reports on the marriage, which came after the man’s second wife uploaded pictures of the union on Facebook, sparked a public uproar.

The man was charged at the Gua Musang shariah court, and fined RM1,800 for marrying the girl without receiving approval and entering into a polygamous marriage without consent.

On July 22, the marriage between a 19-year-old from Terengganu and a 13-year-old girl from Kelantan made the headlines.

They had tied the knot at a mosque in Kg Pulau Nibong on June 20.

Rights groups have slammed child marriage, and the Selangor sultan has called for the marriageable age for Muslims to be raised to 18. – September 18, 2018.