PETALING JAYA: A Sarawak roundtable involving native leaders, women and youths has failed to reach a consensus on a specific “marriageable age” under native customary laws, reflecting differing cultural views across ethnic communities, says a state NGO.
However, participants strongly agreed that when pregnancy outside marriage occurred between consenting teenagers, both parties should be provided with support instead of being punished, according to a report by the Sarawak Women for Women Society (SWWS).
The society said views differed among ethnic groups, with some proposing a minimum marriageable age of 18 for girls and 21 for boys, others suggesting 16 for girls and 18 for boys, while some did not specify any age, resulting in a lack of consensus.