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Women, Family and Community Development parliamentary secretary Datin Paduka Chew Mei Fun yesterday jokingly suggested that men were to blame for the high number of women who remained spinsters.
"There would be fewer single women if men were willing to marry women who were more educated and earning higher salaries," she said.
"My advice to men is this: Focus on your education."
Her reply to Datuk Baharum Mohamed (BN-Sekijang) was met with laughter and approving nods, even from male members of parliament, who seemed to concur with the Petaling Jaya Utara MP.
In his supplementary question, Baharum had stated that local men ended up with foreign brides because Malaysian women were not interested in getting married.
Chew, who is single, had earlier replied to Fong Po Kuan (DAP-Batu Gajah)’s question, which touched on syndicates that offered "mail order" foreign brides for local men.
She had said that the ministry could not stop "mail order" marriages.
"If foreign women have valid travel documents and are legally married to local men, then it becomes a legal mixed marriage which is common in Malaysia."
She, however, pointed out that the ministry would not tolerate scams that misled women.
"Syndicates which trick women into prostitution and other immoral activities will not be tolerated.
"The ministry is working closely with the police and the Immigration Department to curb the smuggling and trafficking in women."
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