Khairy Jamaluddin speaks to reporters at Parliament in Kuala Lumpur November 12, 2018. — Picture by Azneal Ishak

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 15 — Former minister Khairy Jamaluddin criticised a newspaper today for a “misleading” report that suggested the deputy prime minister said child marriages will stay.

Khairy took to Twitter to highlight the article by an English-language newspaper titled “Malaysia to allow child marriages to go on, but tighter enforcement” written based on Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail’s parliamentary reply.

“This is misleading and unfair to DPM @drwanazizah who answered my question this morning in Parliament. She clearly said Malaysia is moving to ban child marriages.

“Until those laws can be amended, there will be tighter enforcement of said existing laws,” he wrote on Twitter.

In her reply, the DPM said there were plans to amend two laws next year to tighten requirements for child marriages in order to protect minors who enter such matrimony.

Dr Wan Azizah’s deputy, Hannah Yeoh, also responded by thanking Khairy and criticising local media outlets.

“Our Malaysian media really need to be more diligent in understanding the issues and more ethical in reporting headlines. I have never been this frustrated. Malaysians — read beyond headlines please,” Yeoh wrote.