KOTA BARU: A 41-year-old rubber tapper who gained international notoriety by marrying an 11-year-old Thai girl in June said he has moved his wife to a remote area in Gua Musang so that she can “avoid public scrutiny.”
The man, who has two other wives and four children, claimed that fellow villagers had begun “disturbing” and “insulting” his wife and her parents after learning of the controversial marriage through social media platforms.
He claims that several villagers even called his wife names, while others took pictures of the girl, known only as “Ayu,” and spread them via WhatsApp.
In an interview with NSTP today, he said that he had no choice but to take the drastic action of moving his wife and her parents to an estate hours away by car.
“This is a big test for both of us. (She) now lives far away, deep in the jungle and I have to drive hours to reach (her). (But) I’m still strong,” he said, adding that his wife and her parents were deeply disturbed by the actions of the public towards them.
“My wife’s happiness and safety is my top priority right now.
“I am willing to travel (to the area) regularly to send food supplies and (pay for) daily expenses as long as she feels that someone loves her,” he said.
Ayu is currently not in school, as it is claimed that she rejected a plan by her husband to place her in a tahfiz.
But the rubber tapper said he will continue to try to persuade her to go to school.
“I will never give up. I will continue to conduct special prayers so that Allah will open her heart one day (and she will) accept my plan to send her to study at a religious school, because she has no interest to go to a normal school,” he added.
The duo had tied the knot at a mosque in Kampung Padang Nyor in Munduk, Thailand, on June 18.
News of the marriage broke days later when the man’s second wife uploaded pictures of the couple to her Facebook page.
The rubber tapper was subsequently investigated by authorities and was last month fined RM1,800 by the Gua Musang Lower Syariah Court for marrying without approval and entering into a polygamous marriage without consent.
Last month, Ayu had her statement recorded by the Narathiwat Islamic Religious Council over her marriage.