Dialog Legal: Jurnal Syariah, Jurisprudensi dan Tata Negara
Vol. 2 No. 1 (2026): Januari

Child Marriage in Malaysia and Indonesia in Legal Anthropology Perspective: Between Local Traditions and Islamic Legal Regulation

Wahyudi, Wahyudi (Unknown)
Abdulah Pakarti, Muhammad Husni (Unknown)
Mukhlas, Oyo Sunaryo (Unknown)
Saebeni, Beni Ahmad (Unknown)
Arif Zakaria, Mohd Radhuan (Unknown)



Article Info

Publish Date
03 Dec 2025

Abstract

Child marriage remains a crucial issue in Indonesia and Malaysia even though both countries have laws restricting it. This study aims to analyze the dynamics of child marriage in the perspective of legal anthropology, focusing on the interaction between local traditions and Islamic legal regulations. Through a qualitative approach and literature study, this study found that the root of the problem of child marriage lies not only in economic and educational factors, but also in the strong influence of old-fashioned social, cultural, and religious norms that are often dialectic with formal law. In Indonesia, the existence of Law No. 16 of 2019 has not been fully effective due to the high number of marriage dispensation applications and the strong practice of elopement such as merariq. In Malaysia, state autonomy in Islamic family law creates regulatory variations and complexities in handling child marriage. This study concludes that a holistic approach through strengthening the role of religious courts, economic empowerment, inclusive education, and campaigns involving religious and customary leaders are key in breaking the chain of child marriage.

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Journal Info

Abbrev

dialoglegal

Publisher

Subject

Law, Crime, Criminology & Criminal Justice

Description

Dialog Legal: Jurnal Syariah, Jurisprudensi dan Tata Negara adalah jurnal ilmiah yang berfokus pada kajian-kajian hukum Islam (syariah), hukum positif (jurisprudensi), serta tata negara. Jurnal ini bertujuan menjadi wadah akademik untuk mengembangkan pemikiran hukum berbasis integrasi nilai-nilai ...