Polygamous Primitives Sacked in Surabaya!

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Delighted to see that Surabaya’s sensible Mayor Tri Rismaharini (above) has sacked some of her bureaucrats for engaging in the backward practice of polygamy. (Jakarta Globe, today)

Incredibly,had they applied for a permit, they’d have avoided dismissal!

Marriage laws here are pretty peculiar, and I’m not talking today about the absurd obstacles faced by couples wishing to wed across the creed gap.

Even some senior politicians still take advantage of 1974 legislation which permits men – but not of course women (sex equality doesn’t figure) – to take extra spouses, if the existing spouse is disabled, terminally ill or unable to bear children.

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How demeaning can you get, an overt assertion of second-class status! What about wives whose husbands are disabled, terminally ill…or impotent! 

One wonders how many politicians how many male politicos fall into any of those categories. 

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• Masruchah

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Civilised people here look down on polygamists, and regard it as an unhealthy practice – Ms. Masruchah, of the National Commission on Violence Against Women said. “There’s no such things as healthy polygamy, as there are always people who get hurt because of the second and subsequent marriages.”

Quite true!

But meantime, until Indonesia advances far enough to extirpate the Dark Age custom, should not wise parliamentarians, in the interests of fairness, consider legalising polyandry?