A Malaysian minister has shot down a proposal to set up a second wives' club to protect the rights of women in polygamous marriages, a report said Saturday.

Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Abdul Hamid Zainal Abidin was quoted by The Star as saying such associations were no solution to unfair treatment by husbands.

"For men who have more than two wives, the third or fourth wives may want to set up similar associations as well. I don't believe that such a move is practical as it will not address the real issue affecting women.

"The main cause of the problem is men," he said.

Muslim men in Malaysia are allowed to take four wives, but Abdul Hamid said they must fulfill their responsibilities and "devote equal attention to all their wives" if they want to practise polygamy.

Legal redress

Women must also understand their rights so that they could seek legal redress in the Islamic Syaria courts if they were unfairly treated, he added.

The proposal to form a second wives' club was made by a Muslim lawyer following complaints made by second wives in a recent workshop to discuss their rights, the daily said.

Some 60 percent of Malaysia's 23 million population are Muslims, who are subject to Syariah laws for civil matters such as marriage and divorce. — AFP