MATCHMAKERS USED NO MORE IN MALA El

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 29002, 17 September 1959, Page 2

MATCHMAKERS USED NO MORE IN MALA El

Marriages in Malaya were no longer arranged by matchmakers, said Mrs Gunn Lay Teik, wife of the High Commissioner for Malaya in New Zealand and Australia, who visited Christchurch yesterday. Fifty years ago the matchmaker would visit the parents of a girl of marriageable age and the wedding would be arranged without consulting either the boy or girl involved. Today, said Mrs Gunn, the young people could choose for themselves pad as a result were getting married later —about-18. The Western influence in Malaya was quite strong, said Mrs Gunn. The girls “permed” their hair, in spite of some parental opposition, and enjoyed wearing Western clothes because of the great variety of styles. The traditional cheongsam dress never varied in design. It had a high collar, a diagonal fastening across the shoulder and a tight skirt, slit up the side. Though Malayan girls wore this on many occasions, they like a blouse and skirt for wear at the office ond favoured Western evening dresses for balls.

“Our girls are very fashionconscious.” said Mrs Gunn, who was wearing a traditional cheongsam dress of blue wool, decorated at the collar with a braided fastening in the form of a spray of flowers, “and they are very keen on sport, too. They play badminton, basketball, hockey, tennis and golf. Sometimes they beat the men at golf.” Since the war, said Mrs Gunn,

women in Malaya had gained much freedom and were able to enter professions previously open only to men. Mrs Gunn’s eldest daughter was the first woman member of Kuala Lumpur Town and the State Council, and was the second woman barrister in Malaya. Another daughter is studying accountancy in Sydney. Mrs Gunn has four daughters and two sons, who have all been educated in England. Three of her daughters are now married and she has four grandchildren. One of the few things she regrets about her husband’s appointment in Canberra is that she is so far away from her family. “I saw very little of them when they were at school,” she said yesterday, “and now we are miles apart again.” Mrs Gunn has been busy in Australia scrutinising the plans for the High Commissioner’s new house. “The first plan only showed one bathroom for three upstairs bedrooms.” she said. “But, after all. we are living in a modern age and must keep up-to-date, so I sent the plan back and asked for more bathrooms." Three plans were submitted and Mrs Gunn approved one with five upstairs bedrooms and four bathrooms, all decorated in different colours. The baths are set into the floor, so that they are easy to step into. “The house will take a year to complete but when it is finished it will be something all Malayans can be proud of,” said Mrs Gunn.