PETALING (The Star) - Add “boyfriend” to the list of items Malaysians can get online for Chinese New Year.
The phenomenon of renting fake girlfriends or boyfriends for Chinese New Year began in China a number of years ago and has now landed on our shores.
News reports said that in China, some single women under pressure from their parents to marry choose instead to rent a fake boyfriend to present to their unsuspecting parents on Chinese New Year Day.
The practice has since grown to even include renting boyfriends for shopping trips.
Online shopping portal Lazada Malaysia is said to be offering lucky bidders a chance to spend time with one of several dashing leng chai (handsome boy) and all for a good cause.
The “Slash” the Leng Chai promotion which recently ended, allowed Lazada customers to choose from a number of eligible bachelors whose photographs were posted on the portal’s website.
They are then required to “slash” the price for featured bachelors to bring it down from RM8,888.88 to RM0 on the Lazada app.
Those taking part can get help from friends and family to help achieve the 48 slashes required to bring the price to win a date to RM0.
Lazada will contact successful buyers from tomorrow to Wednesday.
The winners will then get to spend an afternoon with their leng chai at a nursing home where they will spend quality time with the senior citizens there.
According to a China Daily newspaper article, many men in China advertise their availability ahead of Chinese New Year on the QQ social media platform.
The starting price to rent a boyfriend in China during the festival ranges from 1,000 yuan (RM606.69) to 1,500 yuan (RM910.13) per day.
Apart from the rental fee, the customer must pay for her fake boyfriend’s round-trip travel fares and other expenses such as meals.
There are even websites in China where fake boyfriends and girlfriends offer their services.
One of the websites has a list of photos of men and women who can be rented during Chinese New Year to accompany their customers to their hometowns.
Some shopping malls in China have also started offering “boyfriend-sharing” services.
Shared boyfriends will offer their clients services which include holding their bags, taking photos and chatting.
https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2019/01/20/malaysians-can-finally...
