He said people should be allowed to get married early, which according to Syariah law is 14 for girls and 16 for boys.
“These are valid as long as they follow proper procedures and obtain the required permission.
“The reason why they are allowed to get married early is because some of these children can already be considered mature,” he said in response to Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail who had announced the government’s initiative to increase the minimum marriage age to 18.
Dr Wan Azizah, who is also Women and Family Development minister, has chaired a meeting on Sept 13 to discuss the issue.
State Laws and Native Affairs Minister Datuk Aidi Mokhtar, however, said the government had no objections to setting 18 as the minimum age of marriage.
“However, there should be some leniency for those under 18 who wish to get married They should be allowed to apply for permission from the court.
“In fact, at the age of 16 or 18, there is no problem to get married as they have reached puberty,” he added.