Agencies connecting Singaporean men with foreign wives have been around for a while, and some turn to them as a last resort after dating apps fail.
One such agency sparked controversy recently when it listed a 17-year-old bride on its Facebook page.
Source: Facebook
Furthermore, the listing stated that her potential husband must earn at least S$4,800 monthly.
Her young age and upfront salary requirements have caused a stir online, and the agency’s founder has since spoken out.
On Christmas Day (25 Dec), a Vietnamese bride agency in Singapore listed the profile of a bride on its Facebook page.
Source: Facebook
Alongside three photos of the young woman, the post also contained details such as her height and weight as well as her level of education, the latter of which stated that she attends high school.
The agency wrote that the lady needs to get to know a potential match for nine months before getting married. In other words, she will only officially marry when she is at least 18.
Furthermore, the candidate has to be below the age of 36 and earn at least S$4,800 a month.
The bride agency then ended the post with an advisory imploring people to think it through before marrying a foreign spouse.
It noted that such marriages often “break down due to financial issues”. Therefore, they should only be an option if one is financially stable.
The agency additionally advised Singaporeans to marry each other to enjoy a dual-income household, as that would make their financial situation more comfortable.
Reactions to the post are a mixed bag, with some expressing interest in the girl and others criticising her requirements.
A number of potential candidates have asked the agency to message them privately, presumably to enquire further about the bride.
Source: Facebook
One detractor, however, said that anyone who can earn a monthly salary of S$4,800 is better off living alone instead of sharing the money with her. They even went as far as to call her a “gold digger”.
Source: Facebook
Meanwhile, another commenter deemed the bride too young for them and said they could not accept this.
Speaking to Shin Min Daily News, the agency’s founder Mr Eric Koh said that the S$4,800 minimum salary requirement had been his idea, not the girl’s.
“This is to ensure the well-being of the young girl. If she were to marry and come to Singapore, there would only be one source of income in their household, and considering the current cost of living, a monthly income of S$4,800 would be more sufficient to cover living expenses,” he said.
Mr Koh also pointed out that S$4,800 is not out of line as it is close to the median salary of roughly S$5,200 reported by the Ministry of Manpower (MOM).
Additionally, he shared that the bride had asked for a husband no older than 36 years old to ensure that there would not be too big of an age gap.
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Featured image adapted from Facebook.
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