2 brides, 1 groom: Chinese wedding in Malaysia leaves locals puzzled

A wedding reception with a Chinese groom and two brides has left Malaysians baffled.

Some are asking: Can a non-Muslim man marry more than one woman? 

The wedding reception was reportedly held in a restaurant in Sarawak on Monday (March 11), with the groom and his brides donning both Chinese and Western-style outfits.

In photos posted on Facebook, which have since been removed, the groom, a noodle stall owner, was seen holding the hands of both brides during the ceremony. 

They were also shot pouring a champagne tower, cutting a five-tier wedding cake, and partaking in celebratory toasts on stage.

One woman is Chinese, while the other is of Indonesian descent, Malaysian media reported.

While some netizens congratulated the trio and wished them happiness, others questioned the legality of the union.

"Can Chinese marry two wives? In the past, it was understood that they could only marry one. Correct me if I'm mistaken," said one Facebook user.

Another netizen said: "They're filming a movie, right? It's impossible to have two wives, the law doesn't allow it."

Sarawak's Women, Childhood, and Community Wellbeing Development Minister, Datuk Sri Fatimah Abdullah clarified that non-Muslims are only permitted to marry one spouse under the country's existing civil and customary laws, reported New Straits Times.

She added that Malaysian law distinguishes between Islamic and civil marriage, and native customary marriages are recognised in Sarawak as well.

"Muslim marriages, on the other hand, follow their own set of rules," she said.

Fatimah explained that her ministry's jurisdiction does not cover matters related to marriage law enforcement and refrained from commenting further on the Chinese wedding.

She added that such issues fall under the purview of the National Registration Department.

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bhavya.rawat@asiaone.com