More wives = less adultery and prostitution?

Critics pooh-pooh claims; want more done to cut divorce rates and help single mums
Don't marry young virgin girls; marry single mothers or widows instead. This was a suggestion made recently by a Kelantan state official to would-be polygamists. But the idea drew flak from some critics, who said instead that more efforts should be made to reduce divorce rates and assist single mothers.

The issue of polygamy is being hotly debated now, with the controversial Kelantan official's suggestion and the emergence of a Polygamy Club founded in August by the wife of a polygamist. Madam Hatijah Aam, 55, said she started the club with the aim of curbing social ills such as prostitution and adultery. It has 300 members

Muslim men are allowed up to four wives under Islamic law. Critics say the practice is cruel and has been distorted from its original purpose. The practice was prevalent during Prophet Muhammad's era to provide for the many widows and orphans, as a consequence of men dying in frequent wars. Activists say most modern polygamists in Malaysia marry younger women and neglect their first wives.