Che Abdul Karim, 41, (right) has married an 11-year-old Thai girl known as ‘Ayu’. Picture: TwitterGlobal disgust is building after a 41-year-old man took the 11-year-old daughter of an impoverished Thai couple as his third wife
Outrage is growing around the globe, after details emerged of a 41-year-old Muslim man, taking the 11-year-old daughter of an impoverished employee as his third wife.
Che Abdul Karim, of Kampung Lalang village in Kuala Betis, Malaysia, reportedly travelled to the border town of Sungai Golok in southern Thailand to wed the child last month.
The girl’s parents work as rubber tappers for Mr Karim, who has children aged five to 18 by his first two wives, according to The Borneo Post.
News of the illegal union spread after the man’s second wife, 34, posted a photograph of the pair on social media with the caption: “Selamat pengantin baru suamiku. Suami 41, maduku 11.'' (Congratulations on your wedding, my husband, 41, his other wife, 11)
Malaysian online news site The Star reported that the woman deleted the post after it went viral but said in another post that she had referred the matter to the courts and the Malaysian Department of Welfare.
The underage bride has never been to school and is a friend of one of Mr Karim’s children, according to The Post.
Her parents agreed on the condition it would be a “nikah gantung” (suspended marriage) and he would wait until she turned 16 — the minimum legal age for marriage in Malaysia — before living together as husband and wife.
Che Abdul Karim, 41, (right) has married an 11-year-old Thai girl known as ‘Ayu’. Picture: TwitterSpeaking Malaysian wire service Bernama Mr Karim said: “I know that my third wife is only 11 years old, that she does not attend school and that she has to reach the age of 16 for us to live together. Ayu agrees to this too.”
He said he took part in a marriage solemnisation ceremony on June 18 in the presence of Ayu’s parents, who had given them their blessing.
However, the union has caused outrage both around the globe and locally.
Speaking to The Star, Mr Karim's estranged second wife said: “I never expected this to actually happen.”
“If he marries a woman and not a child, I can accept it. I even tried to match-make him with another woman but he declined. What angers me is he married my child’s friend.”
She added that she could “no longer stand” her husband and that both she and Mr Karim’s first wife planned to divorce him.
In response Mr Karim said he was offended by the outrage and planned to sue media for defamation over allegations his other two wives were furious he had married a child.
“I was disappointed with various criticisms and allegations made against me in the social media after I took her as my third wife,” he told Free Malaysia.
“I am looking into this matter to pursue a legal action to clear my name from the inaccurate and malicious allegations.”
