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Tuesday June 10, 2008
Man gets nod from wives and court to marry a fourth

KUALA TERENGGANU: A property negotiator has received the blessings of his three wives to wed his newfound sweetheart who is 30 years younger than him.

The Syariah High Court approved the application of Abu Bakar Embong, 54, after it found that the father of 25 children met all the prerequisites under Islamic law to take a fourth wife.

Judge Shaikh Ahmad Ismail granted Abu Bakar, who also has three grandchildren, permission to take Suhaili Alias, 25, as his wife.

Shaikh Ahmad advised Abu Bakar to be fair to all his wives, tend to the religious needs of his children, and take his three wives on a pilgrimage to Mecca.

Abu Bakar has fathered 11 boys and 14 girls from his three marriages, with the youngest being four months old and the eldest 25 years.

“The court had considered the affidavit submitted by Abu Bakar, where he stated that he earned RM20,000 a month and had provided houses and cars for each of his wives,” the judge added.

“Therefore, with consent from his wives, the court allows Abu Bakar to marry a fourth wife.”

His three wives – Asnah Jusoh, 46, Mazumi Ismail, 45, and Norazlina Ariffin, 25, – all from Kampung Telok Manir here, also told the court that they had no qualms about their husband marrying another.

The wives later told reporters that their husband was a loving, fair and responsible man and they had arranged for him to marry Suhaili, who is unemployed.

When met, Abu Bakar said there was no secret to keeping all his wives happy, but he believed in treating them equally.

“As long as I can afford another wife and am strong, I don’t see why I can’t marry,” added Abu Bakar, who married his first wife at the age of 19.

Recently, the same court had deferred its decision on an application by lorry driver Mohamed Nor Awang, 57, to marry for the fourth time. It was not convinced he could financially support another wife.

Mohamed had already obtained the nod from his three wives to marry clerk Suzi Sulong, 34.