A Singaporean man’s quest for love has left him single and nearly RM40,000 poorer after failed attempts at finding a wife through a matchmaking agency.
The man, known as Wang, told Singaporean news outlet, Lianhe Zaobao that he had engaged the services of True Love Vietnam Bride Matchmaker, a Vietnamese matchmaking agency that claims to be “the preferred international matchmaking agency for bachelors looking for the perfect life partner.”
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His first attempt led him to Vietnam, where he met a woman named Ah Hua. Wang paid a betrothal fee of S$2,000 (approx. RM6,600), only to later discover that she was already engaged.
“If I wanted to marry her, I had to pay her the betrothal gift right away and hold the wedding the following month. Only then would she break off the engagement and marry me instead,” he recounted.
The relationship quickly fell apart due to disagreements, and Wang was introduced to another woman. However, he was required to pay the full amount before she could be brought to Singapore. Despite complying, he later found out she was unable to enter the country, leaving him disheartened and out of pocket by S$12,000 (approx. RM39,600).
“Now I have spent about $12,000 and still have not married anyone,” he lamented, believing the agency had deceived him.
In response, the agency’s director, Mark Lin, denied any wrongdoing, stating that Wang had been introduced to 20 women but was unable to settle on a partner.
“I have been in this business for 23 years. Most customers need to meet only one or two women before falling in love and getting married.
“But Mr Wang has dragged it out for so long and has seen so many women but still can’t get married. Whose problem is that?” he said.
Lin claimed that the agency had spent nearly S$7,000 to S$8,000 (approx. RM23,100 to RM26,400) in fees for Wang and argued that he barely made any profit.
As for the second woman, Lin explained that registering the marriage beforehand could have improved her chances of entering Singapore.
“If you register, it means you want her to enter the country as your wife, but I am not the one getting married. If he doesn’t go through the procedures, I can’t do anything about it,” he said.
