World · Malaysia Bureau
Only Selangor and Kedah raise Islamic marriage age minimum to 18
Malaysia's Minister for Women, Family and Community Development says only two states have implemented the minimum marriage age increase for Muslims, with other states still undergoing their own legislative processes.
LSN Malaysia ·
Only Selangor and Kedah have raised the minimum age for Islamic marriages to 18 years, according to Minister Nancy Shukri, who noted that other Malaysian states remain subject to their individual legislative procedures and considerations.
The minister's statement highlights the fragmented approach across Malaysia's states in addressing the minimum marriage age for Muslims, with constitutional provisions allowing each state to legislate on Islamic family matters independently.
The move to raise the minimum marriage age is part of broader efforts to strengthen protections for women and children in Malaysia. Advocates have long pressed for a uniform minimum age of 18 across all states to reduce child marriage and associated social issues.
Other states have not yet implemented similar changes, with their respective governments and religious authorities undertaking separate deliberations on the matter. The variation in state-level policies underscores the complexity of achieving nationwide reform on Islamic personal law issues in Malaysia's federal system.