The competition for having dragon babies is on, as it is believed that children born in the Year of the Dragon will be blessed with success and good fortune. With the Year of the Dragon beginning on Feb 10, the time for getting married to have Dragon babies is running out. However, the pressure to get married is not just because of Chinese New Year, but also because Malaysia is a country that values tradition and family, making marriage a dominant cultural norm.
A survey of 500 single Malaysians conducted by local matchmaking firm Lunch Actually found that 29% of men and 26% of women felt more pressure to get married even before the pandemic. The median age for Malaysian women to get married has increased from 22.1 years old in 2000 to 28.1 in 2020, while for men, it has gone from 24.1 years old in 2000 to 28 in 2020, according to the Department of Statistics Malaysia.
The number of individuals 15 years and above who have never married has increased from 3.1 million in 1970 to 8.4 million in 2020 based on DOSM census data. This has added more pressure on single people to get married, and even made its way to the Dewan Rakyat floor when the issue of late marriage among Muslim women was raised.
“Singleism,” which refers to stereotyping, stigmatizing, and discrimination against single people, can be a problem, but singlehood should not be seen as an issue. Assoc Prof Dr Rohaiza Rokis at the International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) states that it would be a bigger problem if single people were forced into marriage, especially at a young age, and that decisions to remain single should be carefully considered.
The increase in median marriage age for women in Malaysia is attributed to various factors including not having a good match and wanting to focus on work and career opportunities. Financial factors may also play a significant role, as single women seek financial freedom and have more career opportunities. Society should understand the reasons behind these decisions rather than blame individuals for staying single or marrying late.
Policymaking decisions should be guided by these factors, as they impact the private and public sector. Efforts should be made to address unequal gender division of labor and provide incentives for single people to own homes. The government has started recognizing the growing demographic of single people in the country by increasing cash aid for single youth and announcing plans to build affordable housing for single individuals under the Rumah Selangorku 3.0 program. These initiatives aim to support single people and provide financial stability.
