It's Friday's night in Singapore and, once again, Madeline Tan (28) doesn't have a date. Like many women she feels ready to settle down as she approaches thirty. She has experienced more than a little family pressure about still being single at her age. And it is not only her family but also her government who are keen for her to marry and reproduce.
Living in one of the world's most successful economies, Madeline has a good education and the pick of jobs. Her salary as a radio executive means she can drive a luxury car and go shopping. Singapore's government believes that, to ensure continuous prosperity, future generations must become more intelligent. And it is concerned that female graduates – ideal for breeding this super-race – are staying single and childless. Singapore's men, on the other hand, are marrying less educated women. So, the government has launched a campaign to encourage the 'right' couples to get together.
Putting off marriage and parenthood is becoming more common in all industrialized nations. This is partly because high pressure jobs leave little time for socializing and meeting potential partners. In Singapore, the problem is made worse by cultural traditions. The sexes are not encouraged to mix during childhood or to date until after university.
Research scientists Kee-Chuan Goh (29) has never had a girlfriend. "There's a first time for everything.", he says. Like Madeline he has signed up with the SDU (Social Development Unit), the government's very own dating agency. It is open only to graduates, who sign up for five years, although most members are married within three.
Government-sponsored ads on prime-time TV aim to get the message across. In one, a young man sits on a park bench, sighing, “Where is my dream girl?” At the other end, a girl stares into space thinking, “Where is the man of my dreams?” They fail to notice each other and wander off, lonely. A voice-over warns “Why not reality? You could wait a lifetime for a dream.”

(Adapted from Clockwise Upper Intermediate by Jon Naunton)