KUALA LUMPUR: A PAS lawmaker has defended child marriages, saying curbing it will only encourage pre-marital sex among minors.

Nik Mazian Nik Mohamad (PAS-Pasir Puteh) said teenagers below 16 already have sexual urges.

"If we prevent them from marrying (young), they will have to bottle up these urges or will have pre-marital sex.

"Do you agree with teenagers having pre-marital sex?" he asked Teo Nie Ching (DAP-Kulai) during the debate on the Child (Amendment) Bill 2015 in the Dewan Rakyat on Wednesday.

To this, an infuriated Teo asked Nik Mazian if he knows the definition of statutory rape.

"Having sex with someone below 16 is statutory rape. How can we allow a child to marry a rapist?

"What is important is we must have education," said Teo, referring to a case in 2013 in which a restaurant manager raped a teenager, then married her.

The 40-year-old manager was convicted of raping the 13-year-old girl in a parked car in Inanam, Sabah.