PUTRAJAYA: The proposal by Kelantan police chief Comm Datuk Mohd Yusoff Mamat that underage girls involved in consensual sexual relations with men should also face legal action is just his personal view, says Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail.
He stressed that the remark does not represent the stance of the government or his ministry.
"That is his personal view, and it remains his personal view. It has not reached a point where I need to comment further," he told reporters after inspecting operations at the National Registration Department (NRD) headquarters here on Tuesday (Sept 23).
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He added that Comm Yusoff's remarks were made based on statistics and situations specific to Kelantan.
"He expressed an opinion based on figures from the state. That is his view," Saifuddin Nasution added.
The minister reiterated that such opinions do not reflect the national consensus, adding that the government would only make decisions on matters of this nature through proper legal processes.
“If it involves national policy, it must be tabled in Parliament... and any relevant Acts amended first,” he said.
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On Sunday (Sept 21), Comm Yusoff had suggested charging underage girls in statutory rape cases, not just the adult male perpetrators.
He claimed statistics indicated that almost 90% of such cases are consensual.
On Monday (Sept 22), Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Law and Institutional Reform) Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said dismissed any changes to the government's stance on statutory rape cases.
"For now, we adhere to the international standard that ‘statutory rape is statutory rape," she stressed.
Wanita MCA chief Datuk Wong You Fong described the suggestion to charge underage girls over statutory rape as counterproductive, a step backwards and ethically indefensible.
She added that it also failed to grasp the psychological, social and legal complexities of child grooming.
