The two are at Halal Speed Dating, a new matchmaking event in Kuala Lumpur that is helping Malaysian Muslims find partners in a largely conservative society where courtship is frowned upon and marriages are often arranged. The dating service is halal, meaning permissible under Islamic law, as it is practised with an Islamic twist: Women speed daters must be chaperoned by a wali, or guardian, until she gets married and who grants her the permission to do so. Malaysia is a largely moderate Muslim country, where Islam is the official religion and ethnic Malay Muslims make up two thirds of the 30 million people.
Many young Malaysians meet as young people do in many places, including through the dating app Tinder and on Facebook, but dating is complicated for young Muslims in Malaysia, where public displays of affection and intimacy before marriage is strictly disapproved of.
Malaysian Muslims face possible fines and jail terms for committing "khalwat", the Islamic crime of being alone with a member of the opposite sex other than a spouse or close relative.
As conservative attitudes are rising, the speed dating sessions have been embraced as an alternative to online match-making sites or apps that many Malaysian Muslims view as geared more for Western-style casual flings. Promising an Islamic courtship in a "dignified manner," Halal Speed Dating requires that women be chaperoned and that all participants ultimately plan to wed.
Its founders say most of their clients hope to find a spouse. A client can shortlist up to three possible partners but can only negotiate marriage with one at a time, in accordance with Islamic rules.
