Pejuang’s Mukhriz Mahathir has criticised a government portal over its write-up on polygamy, saying it was among the reasons why Islam is misunderstood.

According to MyGovernment, which is a “single gateway to all government online services”, polygamy is required by Islam, among others, due to the husband’s “incredible sense of sexual desire” that the wife cannot fulfil.

“This is among the reasons why Islam is misunderstood,” the Jerlun MP and former Kedah menteri besar said in an Instagram post, reported Free Malaysia Today

Mukhriz, the son of former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad, also wondered where the list of caveats to be imposed on a man intending to practise polygamy was.

Another reason cited by the portal is because the wife is always sick and because she is unable to give birth due to health reasons.

Mukhriz is not the only one who took issue with the post, with some on Twitter also hitting out at MyGovernment for not listing down the other requirements for polygamy.

In 2019, a survey by women’s group Sisters In Islam (SIS) found that 70% of the respondents accept that a husband has the right to practise polygamy, but only if he can treat all the wives fairly.

However, only 32% of those surveyed would allow their husbands to take another wife.