IS IT RIGHT? Asserting the husband's right to enter into polygamous marriage without the first wife's consent will only perpetuate the injustice already experienced by most women and children in polygamous marriages, SIS says.KUALA LUMPUR: Will loosening up 'second wife' regulations for men really help unmarried Muslim women of an advanced age?

Not according NGO Sisters In Islam (SIS), who believe that labelling unmarried women as a problem is nothing short of "derogatory and disrespectful."

Yesterday, the Penang Islamic Religious Department had announced that Penang men would no longer be required to seek permission from their first wife to enter polygamous marriages, and that permission from the Syariah court would be sufficient.

Department director Datuk Sazali Hussein, in justifying the move, said it would "help curb the problem of unmarried women". The husbands, he said, would be required to provide solid reasons before the Syariah court can grant the request.

SIS, however, slammed the loosening of the requirements and said it would only add to the problems faced by women in polygamous marriages.

SIS Media and Communication Officer, Aishah Ab Rahman told Malaysian Digest that they were concerned that the newly announced provision will only add-on to the injustice that most women and children are already experiencing in polygamous marriages, whereby the responsible authority did not thoroughly consider the consequences it would bring on the emotional security and well-being of the wives and children caught in the situation.

"Asserting the husband's right to enter into polygamous marriage without the first wife's consent will only perpetuate the injustice already experienced by most women and children in polygamous marriages.

"This has serious repercussions to the sense of material and emotional security and well-being of both first and second wives and their children and limits the prospects of the family's future," she said.

SIS claimed that based on its research on the impact of polygamy on Muslim families in Peninsular Malaysia, 64.8 percent of first wives have had their husbands made the decision on polygamy without their consent. It said though there are no provisions made to obtain the consent of the first wife in Malaysia, those who do obtain consent do so to be able to register their polygamous marriages as made mandatory by law.

Aishah also slammed the justification as "ambiguous" and said generalizing unmarried women as a social ill was uncalled for.

"There are women who choose not to marry and in any case, they may be accomplished women, living contented lives than those who are married.

"Labeling unmarried women as problematic is not only derogatory but disrespectful to them," she said.

The Penang Islamic Religious Department was responding to a query by a reader of Utusan Malaysia's 'Forum' column. The reader had suggested that the authorities waive the need for first wife's consent for men who wish to marry women over 30-years-old.

He also suggested for the leniency on requirement to produce salary slip or conformation of wages from employers of the husband, whereby a mutual agreement between the newlyweds would be sufficient.

- mD

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Penang Men No Longer Need First Wife's Permission To Take On Second Wife