Member of Parliament (MP) Datuk Shabudin Yahya has offered up some advice to rape victims looking to pick up the pieces of their shattered lives — marry your rapist.
The objectively ludicrous concept was brought up during his speech in Dewan Rakyat (the lower house of Parliament), while debating the Child Sexual Offences Bill.
“For a wife that was raped, if she can marry (the person) she would not go through such a bleak future. At least she has someone who can become her husband. So this will be a remedy to social problems,” the MP from Tasek Gelugor said. No, really — check out his statements on this New Straits Times report.
Shabudin had been objecting to an amendment to the Bill, which aimed to spell out the invalidity of child marriages. Teo Nie Ching (DAP-Kulai) insisted for child marriages to be included as an offence under the Bill, but the proposed amendment was voted down.
The Sexual Offences Against Children Bill 2017 was passed in Dewan Rakyat without any major changes.
Shabudin believes that there’s no problem if girls are married off at the age of 9 to 12 — as long as their parents or guardians seek permission from the Shariah Courts.
“They reach puberty at the age of 9, or 12. And at that time, the physical state of their body is already akin to them being 18 years old,” he said. “So physically and spiritually it is not a barrier for the girl to marry”.
The man went further in defending his controversial opinions — by essentially saying that rapists should be given a chance.
“Maybe he repents, or regrets. It is better to have people who regret rather than people who do not regret. So in this case, let us not put an assumption that the person will remain bad. (Marriage) can be an exit clause for this problem,” he said.
Overwhelming outrage
Of course there was outrage among the political circle. Here’s one comment by Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Rahman Dahlan:
Here’s another by Selangor Speaker Hanna Yeoh in a statement to Malay Mail Online.
“This should be the awakening call for women to realise that the time is now to enter politics and occupy space in Parliament/State Assemblies. There is no greater urgency than now to kick such perverted mindset out, so our next generation of girls can be found in a safer environment”
Here’s one by the Prime Minister’s own brother — and CIMB group chairman — Datuk Seri Nazir Razak:
Batu kawan MP Kasthuri Patto went one step further — calling for Prime Minister Najib Razak to sack Shabudin if he is serious about protecting children against sexual predators.
Meanwhile, Shabudin himself has yet to respond to the (righteous) criticism lobbed at him.
