The Terengganu government has launched a matchmaking portal to help singles and single parents in the state find life partners in a safe and shariah-compliant manner.
Menteri besar Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar said the “Portal Jodoh Darul Iman” would not only speed up matchmaking but also provide guidance, counselling and support for couples preparing for marriage.
“This effort is expected to increase the number of marriages and, in turn, boost the falling birth rate in the state,” he said at the launch of the programme.
According to the statistics department, Putrajaya, Perak and Terengganu experienced the largest decrease in Muslim marriages in 2022, with drops of 19.6%, 12.8% and 11.3%, respectively.
Samsuri also noted the global trend of late marriages, declining birth rates and the increasing reluctance to marry.
He said such patterns could have long-term impacts on families and the society.
“If this trend continues, it will have major consequences for our country, demographically and socially, as we have seen in Western nations.”
As such, Samsuri expressed hope that the setting up of the marriage portal would help address the issue.
According to SeaAsia Stats, Malaysia ranks third in Southeast Asia for the highest share of unmarried individuals, at 44.68%. This includes those who had never married, were divorced, separated or widowed.
Malaysia is just behind Brunei (44.9%) and Cambodia (44.6%).
The figures are based on 2021 data from the UN’s population division.
