Anonymous Academician's justification for polygamy (or more correctly, polygyny) in his letter Polygamy better than illicit affairs reminds me of my lecturer who once said a million people answering a question wrongly does not make their answers right. Or as they say, two wrongs do not make a right. It is in human nature to lust but that does not make it right.

The fact that polygamy is accepted by some religion or culture does not make it right per se. Islam imposes many conditions on polygamy. Mormons also allow it to protect the womenfolk when many of their menfolk died.

Anonymous Academician is wrong to say the Chinese do not frown upon their men taking a second wife. In Chinese literature and according to Confucius, the practice is frowned upon and discouraged. Chinese men take extra wives and more than four — kiasu (afraid of losing) behaviour in the past — for that matter, because of lust and status.

The predominantly male parliamentarians also delayed the enforcement of Law Reform (Marriage and Divorce) Act 1976 which provides for monogamous marriages for non-Muslim Malaysians until 1982.

Annonymous Academician also argued that it is better for men to have second wives than illicit affairs. Justifications for polygamy must only be seen from the women's view. Any other view is but an excuse for men's real reason — lust.

It is interesting to note how three different religions deal with this menace we call "lust".

  • Buddhism preached self-restraint and controlling of one's desires. It holds the men responsible.

  • Islam, as is practised by some, punishes the women by making them cover up lest they cause lust in men. The fault lies with the women.

  • A cult with Hindu origins known as the Rajneesh says it is natural to have desires. The solution is to quench the desires to the full extent. Thus sex orgies are common to its disciples. The solution is similar to the pure economic theory of demand and supply: the more sex you have, the less you desire.

    • Many men — Muslim or otherwise — starts off with the Muslim line in their argument for polygamy but ends up sounding like a Rajneesh.