KOTA KINABALU: When a child marries early, it robs the young person’s future, says Kapayan assemblyman Jannie Lasimbang, calling for increased efforts to end the practice.
Advocating for greater awareness, Lasimbang urged for school-level initiatives to educate students and teachers on the implications of child marriage, including organised talks to address the issue.
“I have seen girls who marry early being forced into a life of servitude, taking on all domestic duties such as washing, cleaning, and cooking.
"Their future is no longer in their hands,” she said during recent talks at SMK Keningau and Tenom’s SMK Entabuan.
Lasimbang began this campaign in 2018 during her tenure as the assistant law and native affairs minister.
“I hope to push forward the implementation of a Ten-Year Plan to End Marriage Under 18 Years, which was agreed upon during a multi-stakeholder workshop with the government and Unicef,” she said.
She also criticised the delay in revising the Rules of the Native Court Enactment 1992, aimed at streamlining applications for marriages under 18, adding that, "it has been five years, yet no progress has been made”.
Lasimbang stressed that child marriage perpetuates poverty and violates children’s rights.
The school talks, spearheaded by Pacos Trust and supported by European Union funding, are a step toward realising the plan.
Fifteen schools in Sabah are being engaged to discuss issues affecting youth, with child marriage taking centre stage.
Lasimbang encouraged students to speak out if they or someone they know is at risk and to spread the message within their families that child marriage is harmful.
The initiative also involved representatives from various sectors.
Local NGOs, community leaders, and government officials discussed legal and enforcement challenges, while healthcare professionals highlighted the physical and psychological risks.
At the event, Datuk Dr Tarsiah Zaman, president of the Sabah Women’s Advisory Council, shed light on the prevalence of child marriage in Sabah.
Suzannah Piny from the National Population and Family Development Board addressed the social, health, and economic consequences, such as disrupted education and health complications from early pregnancies.
Jubili Anilik, a young lawyer, explained that under the Penal Code, it is a criminal offence to engage in sexual activity with a girl under 16, stressing that marriage should not be used as a loophole.
He also elaborated on how the Civil, Syariah, and Native courts handle such cases.
