Interview with Ms Goh Siu Lin by the Sinchew online news team on the tragic case of a 13 year old Sabahan girl rape victim who was allegedly raped on 18.2.2013 by a 40 year old restaurant manager, Riduan Masmud.
The accused was charged with statutory rape but attempted to circumvent the legal system by taking her as his second wife under syariah law. Sabah authorities are now taking steps to annul the marriage.
Child marriage is one of the most devastang forms of violence against girls. Did you know that 400 million girls are married annually worldwide. Every 3 seconds a young girl is being married NOW.
It was interesting to learn that other muslim countries (eg. Algeria, Bangladesh, Sierra Leone, Singapore) were more progressive in their laws only allowing muslim children to marry after 18 years. It is very puzzling why Malaysia was so regressive despite having ratified Article 16 of CEDAW (Convention on Elimination of Discrimination against Women), which is read with Article 1 of the Convention of the Child, to abolish child marriages.
Is it not terribly hypocritical and unjust for our non-Muslim children to be better protected under the law compared to their muslim counterparts. Why should this be so?? Why deprive the Muslim child of a carefree childhood? Schooling? A better future? Why subject our little girls whose bodies are not ready for pregnancy and the ensuing heavy responsibility of being mothers and the attendant health risks?
The video was posted on 29.5.2013. Our Vice President appears at 3.40 mins (speaking in English), the video is titled, "Rape, then Marriage. What is going on?": http://video.sinchew.com.my/node/1207.
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