SIS said PAS persists in shifting the focus away from the actual challenges by concentrating on things that do not tackle urgent societal issues, especially concerning women’s rights.
“They prioritise the retention of power at the expense of genuine advocacy for women’s rights, gender equality, and internationally recognised conventions such as the Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women (Cedaw).
“Their actions, rather than reflecting the responsible conduct of an opposition, demonstrate a desperate attempt to sustain attention through any available means,” it said in a statement today.
On Tuesday, Tuan Ibrahim told the Dewan Rakyat that moral support should be given to men to pursue polygamous marriages as a solution to late marriage among Muslim women.
The Kubang Kerian MP said a 2010 census showed there were 4.8 million unmarried women aged 30 and above. From the figure, 56% cited financial reasons as a reason to avoid marriage, 18.5% cited inability to find a suitable spouse, and 9.4% decided not to get married as they wished to focus on their careers.
He said even though polygamy is a sensitive topic, the government “must be rational about the issue”.
SIS said PAS’s persistent fixation on polygamy as a solution starkly showcases the party’s lack of sensibility and disconnect from the urgent needs of society.
In reality, it said, the ramifications of polygamy unveil the intricacies and hardships endured by wives in such unions.
It cited data from its free legal clinic, Telenisa, which revealed that in 2022, 24% of polygamous marriages occur without the wife’s consent, 18% of husbands in polygamous marriages fail to provide maintenance to their wives, and 14% neglect child maintenance.
“It is imperative for the public to discern the true nature of PAS. (They are) a failed opposition more preoccupied with inconsequential matters than fulfilling its role of responsibly scrutinising and balancing the government,” SIS said.
Shared partnership
Women’s Aid Organisation (WAO) described Tuan Ibrahim’s polygamy proposal as a “very simplistic solution” which assumes that women do not get married because of the lack of spousal candidates. This assumption is “not substantiated and remains dangerously speculative”.
“Before promoting polygamy, we have to ensure that men must first know their responsibility to their wives in a shared, mutually agreed and consensual partnership and in raising children,” WAO senior advocacy officer Zati Hanani Zainol Abidin said.
She said men must also understand that women are not merely to be wed and have children, but are whole individuals deserving of respect and equal partnership free of all forms of violence, including financial and psychological.
“Instead of giving moral support to men pursuing polygamy, it is better to put our effort in providing better support to our youth – both men and women – in terms of achieving a good standard of living and shared partnership based on mutual respect and dignity,” she said.