In the case of Chinese men, it had to do with their ego, said Women, Family and Community Development Ministry parliamentary secretary Datuk Paduka Chew Mei Fun.
She said they would not want to marry women who were better qualified or had higher incomes than them.
Chew was replying to a question by Datuk Abdul Rashid Ngah who wanted to know why many of the men looking for brides overseas were Chinese. She said creating a mindset of gender equality was the answer to the problem.
"If this cannot be accepted, then men just have to study hard to better their lot," she said to laughter in the House. Replying to another question, she said some men had found that marrying foreigners was no guarantee of happiness.
"Problems surfaced because of cultural differences and lack of understanding. There were also cases of the foreign agents cheating the men."
Chew also said the Fourth Malaysian Population and Family Study carried out by the National Population and Family Development Board revealed that women stayed single or married late because they could not find suitable partners.
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