Feature: Brunei's Match-Making Programme

Matching making has been around for centuries. In certain parts of the world, through the village match-maker who is often an astrologer, parents will seek for a suitable person for their child to marry when he or she comes of age, which is usually 18 years old. This is still practiced today, especially in some parts of India where young children between the ages of 7 to 12 years old are match-made and are promised to each other. When they come of age, a wedding ceremony is celebrated to confirm the marriage. During the golden days in China, this kind of situation also existed however, the difference was that the young girl that was promised to be the suitable match for someones son was taken from her family at an age as young as 12 years old.

Nowadays, fortunately parents are more open minded and often leave it up to us to find our soulmate. However, there is still that minority of parents that try to matchmake their grown-up children with sons or daughters of their friends. This normally becomes a habit for some mothers, especially if their daughters have reached the age of 30 and are still not married. At times, this habit becomes quite irritating for some sons and daughters, yet we should try to understand that our parents only care for our well being and just want to see us settled down with a family of our own.

Sometimes one has a criteria of characteristics that are impossible to find in any human being, sometimes one spends too much time on their career and in their office that they do not socialize outside their work life and sometimes one just looks too hard and ends up dating every tom, dick and harry only to be dumped by them a week later. Often these people end up alone and depressed because everyone they know is either engaged, married or has a family. This leads them to seek comfort from colleagues at work. Yet, many others continue to be patient and end up with their soulmate soon enough. For those who feel like they have given up on love, there might be one last chance for you to find it, Brunei's Soulmate Seeking Program. (Perkhidmatan Mencari Jodoh)

This program has been organized by the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports for those young ladies and gentlemen aged between 30 to 45 years old, who have searched high and low for a soulmate and have failed. Applicable for Bruneians and Permanent Residents only, this program requires you to submit a few details of yourself and what you seek for in a soulmate. The form can be viewed here. Upon completion and within two weeks of filling out the online form, simply take a copy of your IC and a photograph to the Ministry for approval. More details on this program here. For those who are brave enough to give it a go, good luck!!