According to Malaysian MP Datuk Shabudin Yahaya, marriage is the only way to solve the problems a rape victim faces. Speaking in Parliament on Tuesday, Yahaya said a rapist and a victim should get married and have a “second chance to turn a new leaf”.

Getting married will help the rape victim and the accused lead a better, healthier life, he said according to BBC. “She will have a husband at least, and this could serve as a remedy to growing social problems,” he said.

Malaysia recently passed a new law on sexual offences against children which offers stronger legal protection for children, and criminalises child grooming – a term used to describe the act of an adult befriending a child which later leads to sexual abuse, reported The Guardian.

However, the new law does not ban child marriage. The Malaysian Parliament on Tuesday was debating a proposal to amend the Sexual Offences Against Children Bill to end child marriage in the country.

Responding to the proposal, Yahaya said some girls between the ages of 12 and 15 are “physically and spiritually” ready to get married, reported The Telegraph. “They reach puberty at the age of nine or 12. At that time their body is already akin to them being 18 years old,” Yahaya said.

The MP belongs to the Barisan National, the coalition that has formed the government in Malaysia since 1957.

After facing severe backlash for his comments, Yahaya on Wednesday said his comments were taken out of context by the media, Channel News Asia reported. However, he said he rejected the motion to ban child marriage as it was against provisions under the Sharia law. He said marriage is not a “backdoor exit to legalise rape”.