KUALA LUMPUR: Indian-Malaysians are divorcing at a higher rate in recent years, a cultural leader said this week. The news has also left the community surprised, believing that as a minority their tight knit ethnic group would remain together and stronger in the face of rising antagonism. Tamil Bell Club Malaysia national president S.V. Lingam said that if the trend continued, the community would be plagued with social problems. Malaysia Nanban quoted him as saying the lack of understanding and the absence of a give-and-take attitude among married couples were the main causes for the increasing number of divorces. He said that a few years ago, there were only 200 divorce cases annually. He suggested religious organizations like Malaysia Hindu Sangam consider conducting compulsory marriage courses for couples to provide guidance on the responsibilities and requirements of making a marriage successful. Some, however, believe the rise is due to a loosening of society and cultural controls as Indians become more part of mainstream Malaysian culture and society. "It does not surprise me because our younger generation wants to go on their own and now that is leading to middle-aged Indians seeing that they can have their lives back," said sociologist Ingrid Gupta, an Indian-Malaysian who emigrated to the United Kingdom where she is a consultant. She told Bikyanews.com that "the rise in divorces can easily be connected to the liberalization of Malaysian society as a whole and this has trickled-down to the Indian community." BN
