A VIDEO of a wedding banquet in Kuching, Sarawak allegedly featuring a man taking two brides at the same time has gone viral.
The video which has since been taken down by the original poster has gained widespread notoriety with mainstream media reporting on the celebration though details remain sketchy. Sin Chew Sarawak claims that the groom operates a kolo mee stall at the Farley Food Court but much remains pure conjecture.
The point of contention among netizens centres around the legality of the marriage(s) as many have pointed out that polygamy among non-Muslims is illegal. Even when done in accordance with Syariah laws, many terms need to be complied.
It was speculated that one of the brides in the video is a foreigner and it has been highlighted that any future offspring may face citizenship issues due to the marriage not being recognised as legally binding.
This is a sample of netizens comments from Borneo Network’s Facebook page which shared the video.
One said it was up to the parties involved to do as they pleased as it was their lives and happiness at stake, conveniently ignoring the glaring fact that such polygamy is illegal for non-Muslims in Malaysia.
Of course, there were those who were in awe of the groom’s “machismo” and wished they had similar “good fortune”.
One netizen quipped that this was fine as long as the groom had the “stamina” to keep both wives happy and satisfied.
Some netizens surmised that anything is possible when one is wealthy.
One netizen surmised that the lucky gent was able to attract two wives because his kolo mee was indeed very tasty!
While another quipped that he could now open an outlet in Indonesia (as one of the spouses is believed to hail from there).
One netizen cheekily noted how this “news” has caught the attention of the entire nation insinuating that this was the dream of many-a-guy.
One netizen said that the most important thing was for all parties involved to have a sense of mutual understanding for the arrangement to work.
The pertinent point is for all legalities to be observed to ensure no complications arise from this matrimonial arrangement. This includes the rights of spouses and of children born from this union, not to mention issues surrounding citizenship.
Given the amount of interest this groom’s 2-in-1 wedding seems to have generated, the relevant Ministries may want to make the laws surrounding polygamy crystal clear, lest some think it is now permissible (for non-Muslims) in Malaysia. – March 19, 2024
Post-script: Non-Muslims can marry only one spouse according to Malaysia’s civil and customary laws, according to Sarawak’s Women, Childhood and Community Wellbeing Development Minister Fatimah Abdullah.
“We have laws governing civil marriage and Muslim marriage while in Sarawak we also have native customary marriages,” she explained. “According to our legal system, non-Muslims can marry only one spouse in a civil marriage or native customary marriage.”
Fatimah also said she was informed by the National Registration Department (NRD) that the event was not a legal marriage ceremony but a dinner reception.
Main pic credit: Borneo Bulletin
