Child Marriage in Malaysia: Its Factors, Consequences and Islamic Perspective

Every year, the practice of child marriage sacrifices millions of children’s lives and futures. Although there are laws regarding the minimum age for marriage, this practice remains widespread and has become a problem in many countries. In 2014, a United Nations special expert discouraged child marriage as this practice leads to premarital sex and child abandonment. Moreover, the persistence of this practice also strips girls of their right to proper education and better job opportunities. Although the practice of child marriage was not accepted in some societies, this practice still takes place in many parts of the world. Among the factors that led to child marriage are family poverty, education, religious and cultural norms, and unwanted pregnancy. Therefore, based on online research studies, this paper argues that the practice of child marriage should not be normalised as it affects children’s education, health, and safety. This paper will explain in detail the factors and consequences of child marriage. Furthermore, this paper will argue the views of child marriage according to the Islamic perspective. To sum up, this paper will conclude all the topics and give several recommendations in the hope that this research will help other researchers in their findings.