Southeast Asia young say no to polygamy

MOST young Muslims in Indonesia and Malaysia disapprove of polygamy but remain loathe to openly support inter-faith marriages or premarital sex, a new survey shows.

In the survey, 86.5 per cent of 1,496 Indonesians interviewed and 72.7 per cent of 1,060 Malaysians said they were against polygamy. More females opposed polygamy compared to males, who are permitted four wives under Islamic law.

The findings indicate that opinions among the young in both mainly Muslim nations "have shifted from the traditional viewpoint that sees polygamy as an Islamic precept," according to a survey summary released by the Goeth-Institut and the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom.

Muslims aged 15-25 took part in face-to-face interviews last October and November.

Indonesia and Malaysia have Southeast Asia's largest Muslim populations, and polygamy has become widely debated in both countries in recent years.

Activists estimate polygamous unions in Malaysia account for about 5 per cent of new marriages. The practice is thought to be more widespread in Indonesia, but many marriages are performed secretly at mosques and are not recorded by the state.