The Islamic Family Law Enactment (State of Pahang) 2005 and The Law Reform (Marriage and Divorce) Act 1976: The Study and Position of Underage Marriage

Abstract

Underage marriage is not a foreign issue when it comes to the continuous debate of morality among the Malaysian populace. This issue became a heated debate on social media when the case of an underage marriage in Kelantan involving a 41-year-old man who had married an 11-year-old girl became known to the public. This raised the pertinent question of whether or not an underage marriage should be permitted in the first place. Accordingly, this paper refines the content of the discussion in relation to the position of underage marriage based on Islamic law and legislation. This study employs a qualitative approach through the documentation method by analyzing cases of underage marriage in the Sharia Subordinate Court of Kuantan, Pahang along with underage marriage statistics from the year 2013 to 2018 and also the statistics of underage marriage applications approved in the State of Pahang from 2013 to 2018. This study will also examine the position of underage marriage in relation to the Islamic Family Law Enactment (Pahang State) 2005 and the Law Reform (Marriage and Divorce) Act 1976. This study found that the underage marriages can only be done with written permission from the Court first before the marriage application is allowed by the District Religious Office. All parties should be responsible for playing their respective roles in this matter so that a marriage is not considered a shortcut to solving a pertinent problem.