Protecting Muslim women against abuse of polygamy in Malaysia: Legal perspective

Polygamy remains a controversial issue not only in Malaysia but also in many Muslim countries around the world. From the legal perspective, Muslim men, who choose to enter into polygamous marriages and abuse it, largely due to the absence of eff ective measures taken to curtail the problems bring this about. In Malaysia, these steps include the incorporation of specific provisions controlling the practice of polygamy in the Islamic Family Law Enactments of each state. This move is considered as a step towards formulating better laws to control abuses in the practice of polygamy. This paper discusses the concept behind existing provisions and looks into adequacy of such laws. It also aims at identifying problems and provides suggestions on how women could remain protected within a polygamous set up