Muslim authorities in a northern Malaysian state have loosened polygamy laws in an attempt to dissuade men from sneaking abroad to marry new wives, a cleric said Thursday.
More than 100 Muslim men have recently married second spouses in Perlis state, 500 kilometers (300 miles) north of Kuala Lumpur, after authorities relaxed rules making it difficult for some men to wed again, said Jahya Husein, the state's top Islamic cleric.
"This is what we're publicizing — if you want to practice polygamy, come to Perlis," Jahya told The Associated Press. "Don't run off to Thailand to get married secretly."
Under Islamic laws enforced in Malaysia, Muslim men can have up to four wives, but they need to fulfill various requirements before they can marry again, including obtaining signed permission from their existing spouse and the state religious department.
Illegal polygamy is punishable by prison sentences and fines handed down by Islamic courts.
Despite the risks, more than 500 Malaysian husbands held secret weddings in neighboring Thailand last year and returned home with their additional wives, government officials estimate.
Nearly two-thirds of Malaysia's 23 million people are ethnic Malay Muslims, who are subject to Islamic as well as secular laws. The country is widely viewed as a moderate Muslim nation, and polygamy is relatively rare outside wealthy circles and royalty.
But the reduction of red tape in Perlis could make the practice more common, Jahya said.
Husbands in the tiny, mostly rural state no longer need their wives' written consent to remarry. Polygamy registration rates have been made more affordable — 500 ringgit (US$130) for Perlis residents and 1,000 ringgit (US$260) for Malaysian outsiders. Men also need not undergo fresh marital instruction courses before remarrying, which is customary in other states.
But some restrictions still apply. Husbands should be financially secure to support a second family and confirm they are not trying to hurt their existing spouse by remarrying.
Authorities fear illegal marriages involving foreign brides could lead to social ills, broken marriages with existing spouses and complications when the couple have children.
Lo'lo Ghazali, a senior women's leader in the opposition Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party, expressed hope that the relaxation of rules in Perlis would reduce illegal marriages, which she said violated Islamic values and threatened the rights of wives.
"Polygamy is not wrong," Lo'lo told the AP. "If the move in Perlis keeps men from having mistresses or illegal wives by making it easier to marry twice legally, then it is good."
But Malaysian women's affairs minister Shahrizat Abdul Jalil worried the state's move might spur some men to wed recklessly and jeopardize their existing marriages.
"Marriage is like building a mosque," Shahrizat was quoted as saying by the Bernama national news agency. "In your enthusiasm to build a second, third or fourth mosque, don't allow the first and original mosque to be wrecked."