The Penang government will hold engagement sessions before it decides whether to raise the minimum marriage age for Muslims in the state to 18, Bernama reported.
Deputy Chief Minister I Datuk Mohamad Abdul Hamid, who is also Penang Islamic Religious Council (MAINPP) president, said the sessions will collect views and weigh whether the change can be carried out in the state.
“So far, no discussions have been held on the proposal. We may first organise engagement sessions to explore whether it can be implemented in Penang.”
He added that the sessions will also involve the Women, Family and Community Development Ministry “before any decision is made or further developments are announced”.
He spoke to reporters after witnessing the signing of a cooperation agreement between the Penang Islamic Foundation (YIPP) and Idrissi International School in George Town on 12 November. YIPP chief executive Dr Mohamad Sofee Razak and Idrissi founder Zaliza Alias were also present.
The minimum marriage age for Muslims in Penang remains 16, and no date has been fixed for the sessions, with the year close to its end, Utusan Malaysia noted in its report. The state government will gather information and views from the relevant parties through the sessions before it considers its next course of action. Writing on its marriage application page, JHEAIPP lists the present rule: men must be 18 and women 16, while applicants below those ages need approval from the Syariah Court. Couples normally lodge their application between 90 and 14 days before the akad nikah, or 21 days for foreign nationals.
Asked about the proposal, Mohamad said the matter is still in process but that planning towards it has not been discussed.
He was responding to reports that Selangor and Kedah are the only states that have amended their laws to set 18 as the minimum age for Muslims to marry. Other states remain bound by their own deliberations and legislative processes.
Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri was previously reported as saying her ministry will keep working to standardise the minimum marriage age at 18 nationwide, step by step, with state governments. She said the effort needs engagement with state religious authorities, related agencies and stakeholders, because Islamic family law sits under state jurisdiction.
The sessions have no fixed membership or timetable yet, and the age limit in Penang has not changed. For now, the state’s position is that the proposal is still under review.
