The BN lawmaker under fire for making controversial remarks about child marriage and rape has blamed the media, claiming his words were taken out of context.

Tasek Gelugor MP Shabudin Yahaya said he was "disappointed and shocked" that the media reported his debate "in an inaccurate manner".

"It gave the impression that I encouraged sexual crimes, and supported marriage between rapists and their victims," Shabudin said in a statement today.

He said a report by The Star Online which highlighted his remark about girls aged between nine and 12 being allowed to wed, was an extreme example, and rare among Muslims.

He also said that his emphasis was on girls who reached puberty but claimed the media - especially in their headlines - had cited him as saying nine-year-olds can marry regardless of whether they have reached puberty.

The Star Online report had cited Shabudin as saying that girls who reached puberty as early as nine years old were "physically and spiritually" ready for marriage.

The lawmaker yesterday objected to a proposal to amend the Sexual Offences against Children Bill to ban child marriages.

In his debate, he explained that there were laws that allowed girls under 16 to be wed, with consent from syariah courts.

The former Syariah Court judge also said that statutory rape - sexual relations with an underaged girl, regardless of whether she consented - was a crime, but that there was no legal provision preventing a victim from marrying her rapist.

But when asked by Pasir Puteh MP Nik Mazian Nik Mohamad on whether he was talking about zina (extra-marital sex) or the coercive crime of rape, Shabudin said regardless, marriage could be a social remedy for such problems.

In his statement today, Shabudin also said that there were many cases of statutory rape "with consent" occurring, which families often sought to cover up through marriages.

However, he maintained that rape was still a crime and criminal action should be taken against the perpetrator.

Shabudin refused to speak to the media after holding an exclusive interview with RTM at the Parliament media room today.

During the media scrum to get his remarks, one reporter asked the Tasek Gelugor MP if he had a daughter.

That question went unanswered.

The Hansard for the April 4 proceedings are available on the Parliament website (Shabudin's speech begins on page 82). Translated excerpts of Shabudin's speech in Parliament yesterday, edited for clarity, follows:

Shabudin: There is a provision in Section 18 (of Muslim marriage laws) which states that in certain cases, girls under the age of 16, when marriage is necessary, must first get permission from the syariah courts.

They can't simply get married, they must refer to the decision of the syariah court judges first.

The issue of sexual crimes and child marriages, both matters must be viewed separately.

On the issue of sexual crime, when there is illicit sex with a girl under the age of 16, that can be classified as rape. Thus, even in Islam, there is no exception.

Thus if there is any law that can punish someone for rape, that law must be carried out.

But at the same time, it does not become an obstacle if the couple have decided or agree to be wed, because it is not wrong for a girl under the age of 16 to marry someone who "merogol" (raped) her.

In terms of law, there is no offence. What offence occurred is that the man raped a girl under the age of 16.

When we talk about 12-year-olds, 15-year-olds, we don't see their physical bodies. Because some 12- or 15-year-olds, their bodies are like that of 18-year-olds. So in this matter, it is not impossible that they get married.

They have reached puberty at the age of nine-, 12-years-old, their bodies are like 18-year-olds.

Meaning that physically and spiritually, it does not become an obstacle for them to get married.

Regarding what Kota Raja (Amanah's Siti Mariah Mahmud) said about (teens) getting husbands who are "haprak" (useless) and so on, this is a subjective and unpredictable matter.

I have overseen a case, where a teacher, the husband, sodomised his wife.

We assume he would be an educated, good person, but their actions can't be ascertained.

So we should not say when a girl marries a husband, and maybe the husband had raped her, then we continue to say that the husband is a bad person, haprak, and is evil forever.

Maybe they have a process, maybe they will repent and regret. People who regret are better than those who don't regret. So we can't place the assumption that someone will continue to be bad, as the exit clause to get out of our problem.

Nik Mazian: Is this about rape or zina? Zina is consensual, but rape is forced, that is a crime.

Shabudin: Yes, I accept that. The problem is whether he committed zina or rape, what is important is that he goes through a process of keinsafan (realisation) and repenting.

Those who commit zina, or rape, the offence is still a criminal offence, but they have a chance. Maybe with the marriage, they can go through a better life that is healthier and better.

And the wife who was raped, maybe if she can get married she won't have to go through a bleak future. At least she has a husband, someone can be her husband at the point of time, and this can be a remedy to social problems that occur.