From correspondents in Federal Territory, Malaysia, 04:31 PM IST

Bad relationship with their mother-in-law ranked as the top reason for divorce among ethnic Indians, and one of the main reasons given by divorced ethnic Chinese and Malay couples in Malaysia, a government study revealed Tuesday.

A total of 30 percent of divorced ethnic Indian couples cited 'interference' from in-laws, specifically mothers-in-law, as the main reason for their break-ups, the National Population and Family Development Board said.

Some 25 percent of ethnic Indian respondents cited infidelity as the reason for break-ups, director-general Aminah Abdul Rahman was quoted as saying by the Star daily.

Ethnic Malay and Chinese couples also ranked meddlesome mothers-in-law as one of the main reasons for their marriage meltdowns, she said.

The study revealed that incompatibility, irresponsibility and gambling habits were some of the other reasons for divorce.

The data showed that divorce was more likely to happen in the age groups under 25 and above 40.

(Staff Writer, © IANS)