KUALA TERENGGANU, MALAYSIA - After three futile attempts, an odd-job worker walked out of the Syariah High Court here beaming after it granted him permission to marry his newfound sweetheart who is 16 years his junior.

In giving Mohamed Nor Awang the nod yesterday to marry Suzi Sulong, 34, judge Sheikh Ahmad Ismail Hakim noted that his three wives had consented to him taking a fourth wife.

Sheikh Ahmad also cited Mohamed's perseverance in appearing three times before the court - on March 16, May 15 and May 18 - to appeal his case, as one of the factors for the court to grant its consent.

'To be frank with you, before this proceeding, I met your future wife and her family and urged them to look for another candidate as you already have three wives, but Suzi told me that no man could replace you in her heart,' the judge told Mohamed.

Sheikh Ahmad admitted that the court found it difficult to grant him permission at first due to that fact that he might not be able to maintain four wives on his monthly RM3,000 income.

'But your three wives told the court they are willing to help each other out (financially), which shows there is cooperation among them,' he said in delivering his judgement.

Sheikh Ahmad said the court also took into consideration Mohamed's plea that his work performance would be affected should the court denied his application.

The proceeding yesterday recorded statements from two witnesses who vouched for Mohamed's ability to maintain a fourth wife on the supplementary income that he obtained from recycling abandoned wood.

Mohamed, 51, has 18 children, the youngest three years old, with his three wives, Wan Rukiah Mat Yusoff, 52, Kalthum Dollah, 39, and Noraini Daud, 40.