KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 3 — The government will immediately launch an investigation into the supposed existence of a polygamy syndicate, said Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Islamic Affairs) Datuk Seri Zulkifli Mohamad Al-Bakri.

Sinar Ahad reported him as saying that if any report is made of the syndicate, believed to be headed by someone in the Shariah court system, and if Shariah lawyers or court officials are involved, then stern action will be taken.

"The Malaysia Shariah Judiciary Department (JKSM) and various state Shariah courts will not compromise whatsoever with such unscrupulous activities involving its personnel,” Zulkifli said in a statement yesterday.

The Islamic affairs minister added that JKSM as an agency under his purview will cooperate with the state Shariah courts, the state Islamic Enforcement Departments, the police and the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) to curb such deceit.

Zulkifli’s deputy Ahmad Marzuk Shaary said this matter should not have arisen, seeing as how the procedure for polygamous marriage in the country has already been optimally simplified.

"I am unsure if any (court) officials are involved. If true, then action will be taken without hesitation.

"The issue also involves the courts’ standard operating procedures (SOP) which ought to have been adhered to,” he said after officiating a circumcision event at Pengkalan Chepa in Kelantan yesterday.

Ahmad added that couples who choose to get married polygamously in this manner without following the SOPs are not motivated by the difficulties of getting married but instead driven by the intention to do so in a wrongful manner.

"Those who get married via this syndicate will not be spared from action by the court. Indeed, the marriage may not be in accordance with the law and as such can be considered illegitimate,” he said.

Sinar Harian ran an exposé yesterday on a syndicate that allegedly provides a shortcut for men who wish to marry one or more wives without the knowledge of their first spouse, by deceiving the Shariah courts with false information.