KUALA LUMPUR, June 20 — An in-depth study needs to be done to determine the factors which caused local Muslims to marry foreigners in the country.

Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Dr Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki said such a study should be carried out taking into account the trend where more Malaysians chose to do so.

“I think a more scientific study needs to be done, probably its love but there may also be other factors, like do they marry because they want to get PR (permanent resident) status and so on,” he said this when answering a question from Senator Datuk Dr Johari Mat in the Dewan Negara here, today.

Earlier, when replying to Senator Tan Sri Mohd Ali Rustam’s query on the number of Malaysian Muslims who married foreigners, Asyraf Wajdi said information relating to the marriage or registration of Muslims in the country, including those from abroad, were under the supervision and management of the respective state Islamic religious departments.

“For example, information from the Federal Territory Islamic Religious Department shows that the number of Malaysians who married foreigners between 2011 and 2015, amounted to 2144 people,” he said adding that 2028 of the foreigners were male, while 116 were female. — Bernama