1. I just came across an article about the comments of Tasek Gelugor MP Datuk Shabudin Yahya in Parliament in respect of underage marriages and marriages between victims and rapists with utter shock and disappointment.
2. Every child has the right to live, to dream, and to have fun. While it is the parents' responsibility to provide a decent childhood for their children, the government and lawmakers have the responsibility to protect the best interest of Malaysian children....
3. It is with that convinction in mind that I believe laws are enacted to protect our children - especially underage girls. The laws is unequivocal on this matter, according to Malaysian Penal Code Section 375 (g) it is considered statutory rape for a man to have sex with a girl under 16 years of age - with or without her consent.
4. Therefore, it is abhorent in this 21st century to suggest that a rapist - who should in the first place be prosecuted - has the means to escape legal responsibility simply by marrying his victim.