KUALA LUMPUR: An economist has listed a lack of financial planning and getting hitched at a very young age as some of the reasons marriages fail, in the wake of numbers from the statistics department showing a 3.2% increase in divorces from 2016 to 2017.
Speaking to FMT, Mohammad Shatar Sabran said women reach social maturity at 23 and men at 25.
“But they get married as it is trendy or they are under peer pressure,” he said.
Adding that others are influenced by what they see on social media, he urged the youth to bear in mind that marriage is about love, sacrifice and responsibility.
According to the statistics department, there were 49,965 divorces in 2016. This rose to 51,642 in 2017.
The majority of these were recorded among those aged 30 to 34.
Selangor recorded the highest number of divorces among Muslim couples with over 24,000 in 2017 and 2018 due to financial issues and a lack of understanding between spouses.
Financial consultant Rohani Mohd Shahir agreed that many youth were influenced by the lifestyles displayed by others on social media. She said such couples had a penchant for comparing themselves with these people, including by showing off luxury items to accumulate “likes”.
She also spoke of those who became influenced to the point that they were willing to incur debt just to live a lavish lifestyle.
“They see others buying a luxury car, so they purchase one too. They see others buying luxury homes, and they get one too even though they can’t afford it.”
Noting the importance of living within one’s means, she warned that spending in order to keep up with others could strain finances and ultimately lead to divorce.
Nuradli Ridzwan Shah Mohd Dali, an economic analyst from Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia, concurred that financial problems were a main cause of divorce.
“Even earning just enough can cause couples to bicker as they cannot make ends meet,” he said.
Adding however that it was impossible to start a family without undergoing financial difficulties, he suggested that marriage courses include a section on financial planning and management to prepare youth for family life.
from Free Malaysia Today https://ift.tt/3aAiXTU
via IFTTT
No comments:
Post a Comment