CHAIRMAN’S REVIEW robust and specific laws to protect children from all forms of sexual violence and abuse will be immediately put in place; including laws that will assist the police, prosecutors and enforcement agencies to pursue, disrupt and bring to justice those who attempt to sexually groom children online. Unilateral religious conversion of children continued as a subject of passionate debate this year. It has surfaced again and again in the political realm, in the media and within the Courts. In 2016, the discussions attained a new climax when the Government announced amendments to legislation, in particular the Law Reform (Marriage and Divorce) (Amendment) Bill 2016, to prevent the unilateral conversion of a child. The amendments in SUHAKAM’s view will establish coherent and consistent standards for reconciling the principle of the best interests of the child with the Constitutional rights of parents in the exercise of their freedom of religion as both parties in a civil marriage shall give consent for their child to be converted to Islam. SUHAKAM also supports the proposal that a child shall keep their religious affiliation, so that he or she can freely decide his/ her faith, according to belief, when he/she attains the age of majority (18 years). Considering that it is essential to promote understanding, tolerance and respect in matters relating to freedom of religion and belief, SUHAKAM stresses that the issue of unilateral conversion of children in Malaysia and the many obstacles to the full enjoyment of the right to freedom of religion must be quickly resolved by Parliament. Members of Parliament have a responsibility to examine existing laws and amend or repeal any that are discriminatory, inequitable or archaic, and SUHAKAM hopes that Parliament will quickly address this pending issues of national interest. Child, early and forced marriages are universal problems that cut across countries, religions, cultures and political regimes. As this practice is a human rights violation that compromises a girl’s development by resulting in early pregnancy, interrupting her education, limiting her opportunities for career advancement and placing her at increased risk of domestic violence, SUHAKAM endorsed the proposal by the Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development (MWFCD) this year to increase the minimum age for marriage to 18 for Muslim girls in the country. This complies with the Child Act 2001, which defines children as those below the age of 18. While there have been commendable efforts by the Ministry to discourage the practice and to raise awareness on the adverse consequences of child marriage, on the law-making front, Parliament has not performed to expectation. While Parliaments should involve NHRIs in the legislative processes, including by inviting them to give advice about the human rights compatibility of proposed laws and policies, SUHAKAM is yet to be consulted. Over the last year, SUHAKAM has continued to work with its international partners including the Commonwealth Forum on National Human Rights Institutions (CFNHRI); Asia Pacific Forum of National Human Rights Institutions SUHAKAM ANNUAL REPORT 2016 11 suhakam 2new.indd 11 3/23/17 5:54 PM