(AFP) Cupid's arrows seem to have missed ethnic Chinese men who have responded poorly to a "Cupid Club" launched last month by MCA, a report said today.

The party established the club on July 15 to matchmake single Chinese and raise the birthrate of the minority population.

It is targeting singles aged between 25 and 45, telling them that "Single is freedom and marriage is happier."

The club is organising its first event, a party dubbed "Knowing me, knowing you", yesterday at a Kuala Lumpur hotel.

All 150 places for women have been filled up for the party but only 85 men have signed up so far, Cupids Club chairman Chew Mei Fun told The Star newspaper.

Chew urged Chinese bachelors not to hesitate in signing up for the party, which would include games and lucky draws.

Two officials dressed up as the "God of Moon" and the "Woman in Red" - both characters from Chinese folklore - will move among participants and act as messengers, she said.

"We will organise the activities in such a way that the participants will mingle naturally and break the ice," she added.

Chew, who is an MCA member of parliament and is single, said official statistics showed there were more unmarried Malaysian men than women in all age groups, except between 40 and 49.

The 1999 survey showed there were 502,000 bachelors aged between 30 and 39, compared to only 266,000 unmarried woman. Similarly there were 315,000 singles men aged between 30 and 39, compared to 193,000 women.

The first 10 couples who meet at the club and subsequently get married will receive a 500 ringgit (131 dollar) voucher.

Ethnic Chinese now make up about a quarter of the population but the birthrate is falling faster than that of the Malay and Indian population. The community fears a loss of political influence if its numbers keep dwindling.