Reluctance to tell first wife main excuse men marry again abroad, says exco

SHAH ALAM - Reluctance to tell the first wife is the main factor most husbands in this country choose to marry abroad, especially in southern Thailand.

Federal Territories syarie lawyers council exco Roshdan Sujak Rafie said there are also a number of couples who do not want to inform their family of the second wife, especially the guardian, because they fear that the marriage will not be approved and agreed upon.

He also said that the process of second marriage in Malaysia usually takes a long time.

"Furthermore, if it is done according to the correct procedure, the first wife will be called and asked for 'permission' to allow the husband to marry again.

"It will cause fights and can even drag out the polygamy application case for longer.

"Even proof of ability will also be scrutinized and taken seriously by the court," he said.

He added that the abroad marriage registration process is easier compared to the application procedure for polygamy in this country.

"In fact, the punishment for the offense of polygamy without permission or marriage in Thailand is low and can be paid by the couple," he said.

Commenting further, Roshdan said one of the main issues to be faced by couples tying the knot in Thailand is regarding marriage registration.

He said, if the marriage is not registered, then legally the couple does not have a Malaysian marriage certificate and thus the marriage is not recognized in this country.

"If you don't have a Malaysian marriage certificate, it cause a problem if the couple has a child because the birth cannot be registered legally.

"It will also cause issues related to inheritance and claims related to marriage rights that cannot be implemented as long as the marriage is not registered," he said.