The accreditation is part of the ministry's vision to 'nurture a vibrant dating scene that provides singles with options that are accessible, varied and of high standards,' said Mrs Yu-Foo Yee Shoon, Minister of State of MCYS at the ceremony.

The accreditation framework comprises a Code of Professional Conduct, as well as Accreditation Criteria and Standards for dating agencies and practitioners.

The Singapore Development Unit (SDU) Trust Mark will help singles differenciate genuine players from fly-by-night agencies, said Associate Professor Paulin Straughan, who chairs the accreditation council.

SDU estimates that there are about 20 to 30 bona fide dating agencies catering to the local market.

The agencies accredited yesterday included familiar names like Lunch Actually, GoMovieDate, and Singles Mingle, which organise social events for singles and set up dates.

Launched by the Ministry for Community Development Youth and Sports (MCYS) in Jul last year, the accreditation system will set bench marks for agencies here.

To get accredited, agency owners have to undergo training, comply with a code of conduct and meet accreditation criteria and standards.

Applicants had to attend compulsory training co-developed by the government

Accreditation lasts for two years, during which time checks will be conducted periodically by SDU.

Dating agencies may charge membership fees ranging from $50 to over $2,000 per year, or charge by the number of matches made. On average, singles should expect to spend around $100 to get a date.

At the award presentation yesterday, Mrs Shoon, said that the unit formed by merging the SDU and the Social Development Unit would continue to support the private sector, and help organise large scale events for singles.

More details on the merger will be announced by the end of the year.

Founder of GoMovieDate Matthew Tan said he saw opportunities to work with the merged unit.

'Already, we are in talks about running activities for them,' he said.

The government has adopted new initiatives to develop and professionalise the local dating industry since 2006. It set up the Partner Connection Fund and launched the accreditation framework for private dating agencies in 2007.

Singapore has one of the lowest total fertility rates in the world at 1.29, behind the 2.1 needed to replace the population. To encourage more Singaporeans to marry and have babies, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong in August announced a package of $700 million (US$496 million) a year to boost the city-state's birth rate. --SPH, Xinhua

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SERIOUSLY?!?!

SPEND A $100 JUST TO SET UP A DATE, THAT YOU MIGHT NOT EVEN LIKE?!?!

my god, now i feel so much more fired-up to teach what i teach. as far as i'm concerned, i think this is just plain RIDICULOUS. Ever heard of the saying, "It's better to teach a man how to fish, than to just give him fish."? these people are paying for the fish when all they have to do is LEARN HOW TO FISH! LEARN HOW TO MEET AND DATE WOMEN! even if you set them up with a partner they like, it's just like handing a man a bottle of nail polish. "NOW WHAT?!"

this is so appalling!

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now back to my original topic.

when i was 7 years old, i moved into my then-new house in seletar. i remember anticipating walks or car-rides to the seletar market which was about a kilometre away. back then, when i was younger, obese and juggling a passionate affair with power-rangers and ninja-turtles, walking for more than 100m was considered a monumental achievement. if there was one thing that could really push me and bring out the warrior in me, it was FOOD.

back then, there was seletar market. on the surface, it was not exactly anything special. it wasn't modern. it was not very clean, in fact, it was pretty run-down. the police post was more like a hide-out for tired cops and the run-down playgrounds were more dangerous than they were fun. but it was the place where i GREW up and had a shitload of memories. it was the place i got into my first-ever fist-fight. it was the place i first learnt how to play soccer and basket-ball. it was the first place i ever went out to without parental guidance. it was the place where i used to buy macdonalds to pamper my girlfriend when i was in primary 5. it was the first time i took a dump outside of a toilet. it was at the Seletar market where i discovered my personal favourite food. those in the area during that time, you will remember this. the legendary MEE HOON KUEY!

today, so many years after the market closed down, i re-discovered the mee hoon kuey stall which held so many memories! ahhhh, the signature hand-made and hand-pulled mee hoon kuey, the aromatic ikan-billis soup, the ever-juicy peeled-prawns, the usual handful of "heng chye", the delightful egg which fuses nicely into the soup along with the subtle touch of ikan billis and spring onions. and to top it all off, chilli that is ACTUALLY SPICY!

the mee hoon kuey stall is open from monday to sunday, except on wednesdays. it opens from 6am in the morning till about 2.30pm in the afternoon. they are now located at toa payoh lorong 8.

needless to say, lunch with mummy was excellent today. i can't wait to go back there again!

adios,

xav