Marriage is something people think you’re supposed to look forward to. After all, it’s perceived as one of life’s ‘goals’. However, not everyone agrees. In fact, there’s a group of men in Teluk Intan, Perak who have their own stance on the matter!
This group of men, aged 40 to 79 have openly declared their determination to not get married. Otherwise known as the “Bachelor Association”, they often spend their days together doing things they like. According to them, their refusal to get married stems from its current high cost.
One of the men, Mr. Liang who is 63 claimed they did want to get married. However, the idea was dropped once they considered the full cost of expenses required. His biggest concern was apparently the dowry. Mr. Liang stated that while dowries ten years ago may have cost at most RM50,000, nowadays, the maximum was RM300,000. “I only have an ordinary job,” he reportedly said. “How can I save enough to get married?”
Another member of the “Bachelor Association” Li Donglai aged 79 shared his experience with an expensive dowry. Apparently, he did have a girlfriend previously. However, his girlfriend’s family requested a dowry of RM250,000. As a vegetable farmer, he couldn’t pay the dowry and eventually had to give up on getting married.
Donglai in particular feels not getting married isn’t a problem although plenty of his friends have gotten married. “It’s not easy to take care of others if you don’t have enough money. Now, if you don’t have RM250,000, basically (don’t even) think about getting married,” he said. Donglai added that in addition to saving up for the wedding, one also had to consider money for a house and a car.
However, some netizens claim that if they truly wanted to get married, they would have done what it takes to do so. Others disagreed with their claims that you need a certain amount for marriage. They pointed out that you can cut costs if its too expensive.
Still, the group is apparently pretty happy with their bachelor life right now. They are enjoying being able to do what they want, such as meeting up with their friends. They’ve clearly made up their minds that they don’t need to be married to be happy. Kudos to them for choosing a lifestyle that suits them!
Sources: China Press, Lowyat
