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News Wrap-up: Don't mind Syariah! Police should probe child marriages anyway

Sep 24, 2018

PKR promises more efficient e-voting

Image source: The Star

PKR has promised to improve its e-voting system after a technical glitch forced a stop to polling in Kedah on Saturday. 

If the problem can't be solved, the internal election process will likely be conducted manually.  

Only 40% of divisions in Kedah were able to carry out the polling process, but the Penang election went on smoothly.

Penang PKR's results will be announced today, but some members in the state are calling for the results to be voided, and redone. 

Meanwhile, PKR president-elect Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim warns the 14 members who created a viral ruckus in Merbok, Kedah on Saturday will be kicked out of the party.

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Police should investigate child marriages, regardless of Syariah court approval

The police have the power to investigate child marriages approved by Syariah courts.

Deputy Women, Family and Community Development Minister, Hannah Yeoh says the police should investigate how the marriages came to be, in fears of child grooming. 

This comes after the latest case in Kelantan that saw a 15-year-old girl marry a man almost thrice her age.

Separately, Yeoh is pushing for a new registry to vet those working with minors, in response to a sodomy and molest scandal that happened at a tahfiz school in Kepong, Selangor recently. 

She says the existing Child Registry is not comprehensive enough.

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Underage marriage cases may be heard before high court judges

Image source: Kosmo

The government is considering allowing underage marriage cases to be heard before more experienced high court judges, instead of the lower court judges.

Meanwhilw, de-facto Religion Minister Fuziah Salleh has slammed a proposal by the Sabah mufti to lower the age of marriage, as the federal government is pushing to increase it. 

The mufti wanted to lower the marriage age in the state to 14 for girls and 16 for boys, because he says children nowadays are exposed to sex at an early age. 

Fuziah Salleh said marriage is not only about sex, but also responsilities that a person has to be mentally and physically prepared for. 

The proposal has also been slammed by the Johor Crown Prince on Twitter.

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UMNO out of BN, if they govern with religion

Outgoing MCA president, Liow Tiong Lai has warned, the party will kick UMNO out of Barisan Nasional if it moves towards religion-based politics!

Liow also says he has already spoken to UMNO, about objecting it's collaboration with PAS.

Meanwhile, UMNO will meet today to decide whether the party will contest in the Port Dickson by-election.