Malaysia's Perak state considers paying marriage grants to minors
esmaspäev, 31. august 2026 09:39
Malaysia’s Perak state is considering a one-off 500 ringgit (US$124) payment for first-time newlyweds aged 15 to 35 in its 2027 budget, drawing backlash after officials said minors could qualify, the South China Morning Post reported.
The payment would be open to couples marrying for the first time who were born in Perak or have lived in the state for at least 10 years. The plan has not yet been approved by Perak’s state executive council and is expected to be finalised before the next state budget is put forward in November.
Khairudin Abu Hanipah, chairman of Perak state’s education and youth committee, said the proposal was unanimously approved at the fifth sitting of the Perak Youth Assembly, an advisory forum for young people. “We view this as a positive initiative that demonstrates the state government’s care and concern by providing some assistance to newly married couples,” he told reporters after a state youth awards ceremony on Friday.
Rights groups and politicians criticised the inclusion of 15-, 16- and 17-year-olds. Malaysia’s national human rights commission Suhakam said through its Office of the Children’s Commissioner on Sunday that “Any form of marriage incentive should not include children or individuals below the age of 18”.
Suhakam said offering money to minors in this way risked creating the perception that child marriage was “accepted, supported or encouraged”. Malaysia’s Child Act defines anyone under 18 as a child.
Under Perak’s Islamic Family Law Enactment 2004, Muslim men must typically be 18 and Muslim women 16 to marry, though a sharia judge may grant written permission for marriages below those thresholds. For non-Muslims in Malaysia, federal law generally sets the minimum marriage age at 18, although girls aged 16 or 17 may marry with a special licence.
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