The government is drafting a standard operating procedure (SOP) for syariah courts to tighten provisions for child marriage, said Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Mujahid Yusof Rawa today.

Calling it a “short-term measure”, the de facto religion minister said the government intends to eventually ban child marriage.

“We are coming up with an SOP to tighten up (the procedure) because as long as there is a provision (in law for child marriage) … you have to respect that.

“This is just (a) temporary measure, the long term is very important. We should come to a point where child marriage is banned,” he told the press at the Parliament lobby this morning.