NGO Tenaganita, which promotes the rights of women, migrants, and refugees, said it sheltered 11 “child brides” last year – one of whom was only eight years old.
Tenaganita director Glorene A Das said the organisation caught wind of the illicit child bride trade in Malaysia back in 2000, with Malaysia growing to be a terminal and transit point for global child bride syndicates.
She told Bernama that the child brides, who were of Bangladeshi and Rohingya descent, were products of oppression and poor quality of life in their home countries, where parents have to resort to marrying off their daughters to foreigners through illegal agencies.
Parents are reported to pay between RM6,800 to RM7,000 for ensuring their children are married off to Bangladeshi and Rohingya men living in Malaysia.
“Most of the individuals that Tenaganita shelters are those who have been identified as trafficking victims.
“We don’t have anyone under our shelter now and the 11 girls we sheltered last year have resettled in their community here,” she said.
Glorene added that Tenaganita handled 40 child trafficking cases last year, including the 11 child brides.
The NGO has also handled previous child bride cases involving citizens of Vietnam, India, and China.
Bukit Aman CID director Mohamad Salleh declined to comment when approached on the matter, but did say the PDRM would investigate every report it received and would take stern action against criminals.
