About 40 girls and leaders from Girl Guides Association Malaysia (GGAM) together with various NGOs gathered at the parliament gate this morning to hand over more than 156,000 petitions/signatures to the Deputy Minister of Women, Family and Community Development.

The issue of child marriage came under the spotlight in July, following reports that a 41-year-old man had taken an 11-year-old girl as his third wife.Girl Guides Association Malaysia representing 250,000 member nationwide to urge the government to end child marriage in the country. Child marriage is harmful to all girls, this is wrong and must stop. Our girls should be staying in school and not taking role as a wife or mother when they are not physically and mentally ready.

We believe that through education,we can eradicate child marriage completely. Girl Guides Association Malaysia certainly will make an impact.' Said Dato Jeyadhevi, Chief Commissioner of GGAM

Besides hand over the petitions, Girl Guides members also managed to pass some of the #NoBridesUnder18 posters to the ministers to remind them what our girls want for themselves!

'I believe child marriage must end because every child should be entitled to education and they should have freedom to do things that only a child can do.' 16 year-old Guide, Leona Azhar.

'Child marriage isn’t a personal matter between those engaging in it it — It’s a form of child abuse and it is our duty to protect the children from it.' 18 year-old Ranger, Kellysya Shah

Several government representatives were present to receive the memo and petition, including Deputy Women, Family and Community Development Minister Hannah Yeoh, Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Fuziah Salleh, Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Hanipa Maidin, Deputy Education Minister Teo Nie Ching, Petaling Jaya MP Maria Chin Abdullah and Lembah Pantai MP Fahmi Fadzil.

Deputy Women, Family and Community Development Minister Hannah Yeoh (Lady in white receiving poster from our member) expressed her appreciation at the public support to push for an end to child marriage in Malaysia. She said the government would continue to fight for an end to child marriage.

“The government hears you. Even if you only have 10 signatures, we will still do what needs to be done. We also want to end child marriage,” Hannah Yeoh added.

Deputy Women, Family and Community Development Minister Hannah Yeoh (in white) & Deputy Education Minister Teo Nie Ching (in pink) were talking about girls about our #NoBridesUnder18 campaign.

Members of GGAM with Minister of Education, Dr. Maszlee Malik

Mesyuarat Pesuruhjaya Pandu Puteri Remaja Tahun 2019