On July 11, I started a petition calling on the Federal Government to immediately do everything in its power to ban and criminalise the vile and state-sanctioned practice of child marriage as it provides a licence to paedophiles to prey on our children, in particular our girls.
To date, the petition has been signed by over 20,000 people and that number continues to rise with each passing day. A significant proportion of the signatories are Muslim men and women with many signatories having left public comments.
Nevertheless, if it was not already obvious to you, people of all faiths and ethnicities are united in their anger and utter revulsion that such a practice is condoned under Malaysian law.
A stop must be put to this immediately. No other outcome is acceptable.
The reports of a 41-year-old man grooming a seven-year old girl and then marrying her at the age of 11 has been in the press for some weeks. A piece on it even appeared in The New York Times a few days ago.
Your deeds must match those words. Nothing else will be acceptable.
In any society there will always be a fringe element. Our society is no different, but you must simply not let them intimidate you or in any way dictate the discourse or public policy. To allow this will only embolden them and disempower the vast majority of Malaysians who are law abiding and patriotic.
Instead, we insist that you display courage and leadership and be unafraid to be guided by your moral compass.
It is frustrating that post-May 9 2018 that the Malaysian Government must still be shamed and pressured into doing the right thing.
To date, the petition has been signed by over 20,000 people and that number continues to rise with each passing day. A significant proportion of the signatories are Muslim men and women with many signatories having left public comments.
Nevertheless, if it was not already obvious to you, people of all faiths and ethnicities are united in their anger and utter revulsion that such a practice is condoned under Malaysian law.
A stop must be put to this immediately. No other outcome is acceptable.
The reports of a 41-year-old man grooming a seven-year old girl and then marrying her at the age of 11 has been in the press for some weeks. A piece on it even appeared in The New York Times a few days ago.
Since the issue hit the headlines, many of us have been appalled by the lack of a robust, decisive and urgent response from you on this hugely important issue.
More recently, press reports dated Aug 1 carried a baffling quote from you that “more evidence” is needed in the case of the 41-year-old man marrying the 11-year-old child!
Just what more evidence do you need to successfully charge the man under the Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017? To be vague and wishy-washy simply will not do at this stage.
Surely there can be nothing more important than the safeguarding of children?
More recently, press reports dated Aug 1 carried a baffling quote from you that “more evidence” is needed in the case of the 41-year-old man marrying the 11-year-old child!
Just what more evidence do you need to successfully charge the man under the Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017? To be vague and wishy-washy simply will not do at this stage.
Surely there can be nothing more important than the safeguarding of children?
As Minister of Women and Family Development you must unequivocally state the position that child marriage will not be sanctioned under any laws in Malaysia, be they religious or otherwise, and that any evidence of those pursuing any form of sexual or inappropriate behaviour with children must be prosecuted to the fullest extent possible under the law.
Your deeds must match those words. Nothing else will be acceptable.
In any society there will always be a fringe element. Our society is no different, but you must simply not let them intimidate you or in any way dictate the discourse or public policy. To allow this will only embolden them and disempower the vast majority of Malaysians who are law abiding and patriotic.
Instead, we insist that you display courage and leadership and be unafraid to be guided by your moral compass.
It is frustrating that post-May 9 2018 that the Malaysian Government must still be shamed and pressured into doing the right thing.
At a talk delivered by your husband in London he spoke of his aspiration that Malaysia should become a beacon of hope in a fractured world and in particular, that it could serve as a model for other Muslim majority countries to emulate.
Yet, on this most important of issues, your husband has very disappointingly remained silent and other Muslim majority countries are already leading the way.
President Jokowi (referring to Indonesian President Joko Widodo – ED) is reported at the end of April 2018 to have said that the Indonesian government is already taking steps to ban child marriages.
If indeed you share your husband’s vision of making Malaysia a model worthy of emulating, then decisive and quick action is needed from you on this issue.
The people have spoken out loudly and clearly.
You must heed our call to action.
The following must be done without any further delay:
1. Prosecute the 41-year-old man under the Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017;
2. Table in Parliament what your plans are to put a total stop on the practice throughout Malaysia, including a clear indication of timeframes that we can hold you to;
3. Stop making statements that come across as weak and indecisive; and
4. Keep the public informed
I look forward to reading of the swift and decisive action that you will be taking on this issue going forward so that the despicable practice of child marriage becomes a thing of the past in Malaysia.
Yours sincerely,
Umran Kadir
An Angry Malaysian Muslim Father
Yet, on this most important of issues, your husband has very disappointingly remained silent and other Muslim majority countries are already leading the way.
President Jokowi (referring to Indonesian President Joko Widodo – ED) is reported at the end of April 2018 to have said that the Indonesian government is already taking steps to ban child marriages.
If indeed you share your husband’s vision of making Malaysia a model worthy of emulating, then decisive and quick action is needed from you on this issue.
The people have spoken out loudly and clearly.
You must heed our call to action.
The following must be done without any further delay:
1. Prosecute the 41-year-old man under the Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017;
2. Table in Parliament what your plans are to put a total stop on the practice throughout Malaysia, including a clear indication of timeframes that we can hold you to;
3. Stop making statements that come across as weak and indecisive; and
4. Keep the public informed
I look forward to reading of the swift and decisive action that you will be taking on this issue going forward so that the despicable practice of child marriage becomes a thing of the past in Malaysia.
Yours sincerely,
Umran Kadir
An Angry Malaysian Muslim Father
Twilight zone facts about paedophilia for the m'sians:
ReplyDelete1) paedophilia marriage MOSTLY involves Muslims, particularly in the peninsular East coast states.
Child marriage is widely accepted in these East coast states where the stigmas of girl-child cruelty is been colored by spurious religious dogmas.
2) most of these marriages r solemnised outside m'sia, especially in Southern Thailand, where the Thai authority is taken a lackadaisical attitude towards these perverted Muslim rituals. & the m'sian syriah authority accepts the legality of these marriages even though it superficially penalised these couples for not solemnised these marriages in m'sia!
3) in m'sia, muslim child marriage falls under the armpits of syriah laws & IT'S LEGAL. Meaning common laws DONT apply.
4) Unless the head of the Islam affairs, who r the various state sultans & agong raise strong concerns & act upon it, not even the federal govt can do anything towards these syriah compliant paedophilia marriage EVEN if the child marriage rules r strengthened by the federal govt.
5) This means that the right thinking ummat MUST raises VERY loud&strong voices, all the way to the palaces, to jerk those slumbering heads of Islamic faith to ACT in the interest of the Muslim girl-children.
Blaming Kak Wan for no doing her job IS a cheap shot from an udang provocatuer.
Though as a Muslim mother & a trained doctor, Kak Wan MUST bear some responsibility - of sitting tight between what's humanely right & an archaic inhumane act towards girl-child - just like all u fucking blur ummat STILL sitting tight in this dilemma!
PH just impose no underage marriage in civil law - dat's e most they can do. Syariah law depends on the royalties - unless they react, u cant do anything. End of story. 2 put all the blame on the 'fan lady' means u expect she has power 2 tell e royalties dat they must do something. U know what institution is untouchable in Malaysia. U cry 4 five years & write 500 articles shooting her is useless if the higher ups ignore tis issue. Wasting time...it is allowed in e religion, u cant argue against it, full stop. even if u put e Hippo up there, same story. I tell u wat, instead of wasting timr & ur energy releasing anger writing 500 articles on tis matter, complaining day & nite. give a solution then. Who do u think can affect change in tis aspect. Suggest a candidate who can make a diff & once & 4 all end tis child marriage issue in MY. if u can't, i dun c any point of writing another 400 articles continuously. all these human rites advocates know why tis is happening & they r not addressing e root cause. they just keep saying tis is illegal in today's society & context. yeah, who dunno dat? every tom, dick & harry knows dat. but if u dun pressure e higher ups, u r just barking at e wrong tree. give a solution how 2 affect change on e higher ups. who can influence them? Almighty Never Lie & Pure Najib? Send him then, please...if dat's wat it takes 2 end these 'blame e fan lady' articles.
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