Polygamy Inc.

{ } For Malaysian company Global Ikhwan, the rare and controversial practice of polygamy is integral to their way of life

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Driving

through the streets of the commuter town of Rawang, 30 kilometres north of Malaysia’s capital city Kuala Lumpur, Azlina Jamaluddin is more than eager to challenge any criticism of polygamous marriage.

A born-again Muslim and self-proclaimed “working woman”, the 48-year-old dentist ascribes her professional success and personal growth to polygamy.

“I can work, I have more time for myself and I don’t need to take care of my children all the time, as the other wives share the childrearing responsibilities with me,” she shares.

Azlina wasn’t always supportive of the practice, however – like many people in Malaysia. Although legal, polygamy is still largely frowned upon in the country. She only considered asking her husband to take another wife after she was introduced to the religious teachings of Global Ikhwan – the “Islamic business” she has been working for since 2001.

Contrary to the commonly held belief that it is mostly men who pursue polygamous relationships, she was the spouse convincing her husband to seek out a second wife. He now also works for the same company as Azlina, and has three wives, having adopted the new lifestyle.

“Initially, he wouldn’t have married another woman. He’s just not that kind of guy,” the manager of one of the company’s health clinics explains. Azlina admits that in the

early days, she too had doubts about where her newfound faith had brought her. But her love for God and religion took priority over her weariness.

“My friends and my mother told me, ‘ You are going to join this movement and your husband will marry another woman.’ It worried me for a while. I didn’t know which way to go. I wasn’t in the movement at full blast. But I really loved God and I loved the movement.”

Today, Azlina cannot imagine her life without the company, which is often referred to by the employees of Global Ikhwan (“Global Brother” in Malay), herself included, as a “movement”.

It is the fusion of the corporate with the religious that has been raising many eyebrows over the years, as well as the historical links between the business and a banned Islamic sect called Al-arqam – a reference that Azlina dismisses.

“We are a group learning about Islam. And in life you need to eat and you need to live, so for that we have a company. You can call it a movement, you can call it a company.” However, she adds, “You cannot separate the company from the religion.”

Founded in the 1960s by Ashaari Mohammad, who had 40 children with his four wives – the maximum number allowed under Malaysian law – Al-arqam owned a number of businesses and had strict rules regarding Islamic dress codes and behaviour.

The sect was banned by the Malaysian religious authorities in 1994, with five members arrested and detained under the Internal Security Act. At the time, the authorities asserted that the teachings of Ashaari were deviant because they alluded to supernatural powers and promoted unorthodox views about communicating with the Prophet.

In the wake of the ban, Ashaari set up an “Islamic business” called Rufaqa, which became Syarikat Global Ikhwan, and was shortened to Global Ikhwan in May 2013.

In the company clinic, for example, clients pay as much as they can afford – those with little means pay nothing.

The goal is not to make a profit; rather it is to adhere to good Islamic practices, according to the CEO. “A good Muslim is not simply a person who stays in the mosque or is fasting. A good Muslim is the person who benefits other people,” Lokman explains.

Walking around the facilities, one cannot help but notice the ubiquity of colourful headscarves. “Here we encourage women to work, because they have to contribute to the society. One quarter of the employees are men,” says the chief executive. “The rest are women.”

His wives are no different. Linked to the original Al-arqam sect in one way or another, all of them work or have previously worked for the company. They also attended Global Ikhwan schools or pursued higher education at company-approved universities.

POLYGAMY IN numbers

MARTA KASZTELAN is a freelance journalist and documentary filmmaker covering Southeast Asia and Eastern Europe. She is based in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

THOMAS CRISTOFOLETTI works in Southeast Asia as a humanitarian photographer and videographer.