IPOH: A child should be a student in school and not a wife at home, says Nga Kor Ming.

       The Aulong assemblyman said it is important for the Perak state assembly sitting to take a stand and ban child marriages in the state.

       “This assembly has a responsibility to protect children. It is time to ban child marriage; paedophilia is wrong,” said Nga.

       “We have more than 16,000 underage girls who are married. They are supposed to be in school, instead of becoming somebody’s wife,” he said during the debate session at the Perak state assembly sitting here Tuesday (March 29).

       Nga alo urged the state government to follow the United Nations Children's Fund (Unicef) charter which prohibits any underage marriage.

       “Imagine if our underage granddaughters are housewives instead of going to school,” he added.

       On March 22, the Women, Family and Community Development Ministry said the government has no plans to ban underage marriage but remains committed to curbing the issue.

       The ministry said it would implement programmes under the National Strategic Plan for Addressing the Cause of Underage Marriage as the issue must not only be tackled through legislative change, but also through education, advocacy, health, strengthening family institutions and socioeconomic support.