Love me, love my IQ

THE upper crust and the rest - that's how the merger of two of Singapore's three official matchmaking agencies has grouped the marriageable members of the island nation's society.

Those Singaporeans who graduate from tertiary institutions are privileged to be members of the Social Development Unit (SDU), the first matchmaking agency formed in 1984.

For the rest, the official opportunity to find a spouse is now provided by the new Social Development Service (SDS), created by the amalgamation of the Social Development Section and the Social Promotion Section.

The Social Development Section was set up in 1985 to cater to single Singaporeans who had completed a secondary education, while the Social Promotion Section, launched in 1990, offered membership to those without this qualification. The authorities say that the merger gives these singles 'a bigger pool to choose from' - nearly 100,000 members. But the move suggests that government officials who emphasise the importance of the nation's elite marrying within their social group are less concerned about whether other Singaporeans marry their equals.

The SDU was created after Singapore's former Prime Minister, Lee Kuan Yew, stressed the need for university graduates to marry fellow graduates, with the aim of producing smarter future citizens. He urged men and women not to 'marry down'.

The head of the new SDS, Mrs Lee Peng Hoon, sounded a different note when speaking about her charges. She said one in four brides ties the knot with a man who has lower educational qualifications.

'These are young men who don't mind marrying up,' she said. 'In fact, they think it is better, partly because the girls can help support the family.