According to the AFP on December 5, the public marriage celebration in Malaysia between a 14-year-old girl and a 23-year-old teacher has triggered a call for a fresh debate on child marriage。
　　On Saturday, schoolgirl Siti Maryam Mahood and Abdul Manan Othman celebrated their marriage at a mosque in the capital Kuala Lumpur, after a religious Sharia court approved the union. "It has been hard trying to juggle two roles -- as a student and a wife -- but I am taking it in my stride," said Siti Maryam。
　　Siti' parents matchmade the couple and that the Sharia court granted them permission to marry in July。
　　In Malaysia, Muslims make up about 60 percent of the 28 million populations. For certain issues including family law they are subject to Sharia which operates in parallel with the civil legal system. Muslims below 16 who want to get married must obtain the permission of the religious courts. Those of other religions aged below 17 must have the consent of civil authorities。
　　Ivy Josiah, executive director of leading activist group Women's Aid Organization, said that laws which allow underage marriage in certain cases must be dumped by Malaysia, "The government should set the minimum marriage age of 18 for all races. We need to protect the child," she added。
　　Shahrizat Abdul Jalil, the minister for women, family and community development, said in July that underage marriage was "morally and socially unacceptable"。
　　据法新社12月5日报道，马来西亚14岁女学生与23岁男教师近日举行婚礼，这一事件在该国引发了关于"少女婚姻"的新一轮激辩。
　　在得到伊斯兰法庭的批准后，这位名叫西蒂•玛亚母•马胡德的女学生与青年教师阿卜杜勒•马纳•奥斯曼周六在吉隆坡的一座清真寺举办了婚礼。西蒂表示："要协调好妻子与学生的双重角色不是一件容易的事情，但是我努力让自己适应"。
　　西蒂的父母对这桩婚事没有异议，伊斯兰法庭也同意他们在七月份举行婚礼。
　　马来西亚约有2800万人口，其中穆斯林约占60%。(马来西亚规定，)在处理包括家庭问题在内的事务时，伊斯兰教法与马来西亚民法享有同等法律效力，穆斯林同样要遵守。在马来西亚，如果16岁以下的穆斯林想要结婚，必须获得伊斯兰法庭的许可。17岁以下的其他宗教教徒如要结婚，必须得到民政部门的批准。
　　马来西亚"女性援助集团"执行总监艾薇•约西亚认为，马来西亚应该废除在某些情况下支持未成年婚姻的法律。她还补充说："政府应该将(马来西亚)所有种族最低婚龄设为18岁。我们应该保护儿童"。
　　马来西亚妇女、家庭和社会发展部部长莎丽萨•阿卜杜勒•加利尔曾在7月份表示，未成年人婚姻无论"在道德还是社会影响上都令人难以接受"。
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