Man's 10 Wives Is 6 Too Many

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia - A Muslim preacher who married 10 women in defiance of Islamic law was sentenced yesterday to 25 months in prison.

Abdul Talib Harun, 35, a Singaporean living in Malaysia, also was fined the equivalent of $5,700 by a Muslim religious court in the southern city of Johor Bahru, according to local reporters.

Islamic law permits only four wives.

Judge Zainuddin Munajat sentenced each of Abdul Talib's four lawful wives to a month in jail and fined them $200 apiece for cohabiting with the six illegal wives.

The illegal wives were sentenced to three months and fined $1,000.

All 10 wives praised Abdul Talib as a good preacher and a good father to their 17 children.