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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
Maroosha Muzaffar

Malaysian state’s cash incentive for teenage marriages sparks backlash

Representative. Visitors take pictures as the Petronas Twin Towers are covered in haze in Kuala Lumpur on 11 August 2026 - (AFP/Getty)

Rights groups and politicians criticised a proposed cash incentive for newlyweds in Malaysia’s Perak state after officials confirmed that people as young as 15 could qualify.

The Perak government is considering a one-off payment of 500 ringgit (£92) to first-time newlyweds aged 15 to 35 born in the state or living there for at least 10 years.

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