On Oct 24, the PAS government in Kelantan announced that it would amend the polygamy rules to make it easy for the state's male politicians to take another wife. Terengganu state government would be prepared on the application of its assembly representatives to follow suit, ostensibly to solve the problem of single women in the state.

Marriage licences would be issued to male assembly representatives who wanted to practise polygamy and the usual need to first apply for permission from the state religious authorities, who would normally notify their first wives for prior consent, would presumably be waived ("Terengganu may approve second wife for legislators", The New Straits Times Interactive , Dec 22).

Deputy Information Minister Zainuddin Maidin (Zam) had criticised PAS' stand when asked to comment on the statement by PAS' women wing in support of the stand. The wing's chief Fatimah Zainab was reported to have said that Muslim women would not object or get angry if their husband practised polygamy on condition that it was to protect single mothers and their children who had lost their father and not out of sexual desire ( Sunday Star , Dec 22).

Zam asked, with considerable force of logic, "Why should it be for the [male] state assembly [representatives] only" and not the rest of Terengganu's males?

Zam had earlier justified the government's ban of a Toyota advertisement on television featuring Hollywood heartthrob Brad Pitt on grounds that the use of Western faces in advertisements could create an inferiority complex among Asians Gov't bans Brad Pitt advertisement ).

Might it not be the case that his unhappiness with PAS' stand to ease polygamy for its male assembly representatives could be based on it possibly creating an inferiority complex among Umno's assemblypersons, both male and female?

One should not forget as what Dr Farish A Noor said in Learning from the worst that there is a fierce Islamisation race between Umno and PAS, seemingly going out of control in this country.

In Islamic discourse, polygamy has always been justified if the men taking more than one wife are economically better off and could do justice to the wives.

Now what must have been objectionable from Zam's angle about PAS' move to ease polygamy for its male assembly representatives is that it implies that PAS' male representatives are economically or genetically or spiritually of a higher standing or more fair-minded and altruistic in treatment of women than ordinary men folk (including Umno's male representatives).

While some men (whether Muslim or otherwise) may think of having more than one wife as a means to gratify their lusts, PAS is however sending the signal that its male assembly representatives are ostensibly doing so for the social, altruistic and charitable reason of taking care of single women in their states.

Now surely this holier, and more social, altruistic and charitable attitude ascribed to PAS male assemblypersons may not only have an influence on voters, but if believed, may induce, by sheer comparison, a sense of inferiority complex among their Umno counterparts, let alone also throw an inducement for party crossover in order to enjoy the 'perks' that PAS government confers to its male assembly representatives.

The women members of Umno Wanita and Puteri may also feel a sense of inferiority complex when PAS women's chief Fatimah said that Muslim women would not object or get angry if their husband practised polygamy on condition that it was to protect single mothers and their children who had lost their father and not out of sexual desire. This gives the impression that PAS' women are more generous and altruistic in sharing their husbands for the social and public good.

As far as I know, women of whatever religious, racial or cultural denomination are not naturally inclined nor willing to share their husbands with other women no matter what public or social good because of their universal selfish desire to confine, appropriate and apply their husbands' financial emotional and time resources to only their and their children's well-being and good — and no others.

It is a rare woman who is willing to share her husband's resources with another woman just because the second wife is a single mother whose children need taking care of.

To be fair, it is also a rare man — especially if he were an assembly representative for PAS who obviously is not supposed to indulge in corruption and easy money — to be willing to toil from the sweat of his brow — and groins — not for lust but for the social charity to take care of single mothers and other men's children in the state.

But who knows? The norm is one thing. For such professed altruism, PAS' male assemblyperson may be that rare breed who would practise polygamy for noble reasons and not for selfish motives of lust, and we can all take the cue to follow.

For if they dump their first wives after "extracting all their sweetness" for lust and not noble reasons, they should be whipped until they become impotent, so said PAS spiritual leader Nik Aziz Nik Mat ( Errant husbands should be whipped until impotent: Nik Aziz ).

This however would surely give others like us, not so enlightened, an inferiority complex, as Zam would have grounds to complain.