KUCHING, Aug 30, 2012: PKR national women wing vice head Voon Shiak Ni has told Assistant Minister for Youth Development Karim Hamzah to "just shut up" and not issue statement degrading the female community.
"His call for a review of the statury rape law so the age of consent for girls be lowered from 16 years is an irresponsible statement," Voon told reporters today.
Picture left: Voon (seated, second right) at a press conference. Sarawak PKR chief Baru Bian is on her right.
“We wish to tell him that he has blatantly insulted the women race and has shown that he is being insensitive towards the implications of sexual crimes inflicted upon women and girls,” she said.
Voon challenged Karim to tell women, especially mothers of young children, that he is supporting sex among children as young as 12 years old.
“It is really unbecoming and irresponsible of him, as an assistant minister, to make such a statement,” she said.
Voon asked Karim at what consent age the girls should have sex.
"If he talking about 12 or 13 years old for the consent age to be imposed from the present 16 years?" she asked.
Picture right: Voon (centre) with Sarawak PKR chief Baru Bian and Lynette Tan (right).
Voon said the age limit of 16 years is universally imposed, not just Malaysia.
She said the two girls involved in the two cases of statutory rape which have been brought to court were 12 and 13 years when they had sex with two men.
"These two girls are still young and do not know of their rights," she added.
Karim, in suggesting that the statutory rape law be reviewed, claimed that many
cases of statutory rape involved “victims” who were willing partners.
He claimed that many children nowadays were matured physically and mentally, including their understanding of sex.
He felt that it was not fair to bring the men to court when the victims themselves were conensual partners. By Sematong Express.
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