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60 parents turn up for second parental matchmaking session By Ng Wei Keng, Channel NewsAsia | Posted: 14 December 2008 2140 hrs SINGAPORE: Picking up from an idea suggested by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong earlier this year, 60 parents turned up for a parental matchmaking session on Sunday to find partners for their children aged between 25 and 45 years old. This follows the success of the first such session in September where 80 parents turned up. Many of today's participants declined to be identified as they had signed up without their children's knowledge. Organisers also conducted a talk on how to broach the idea of parental matchmaking with their children as some singles may mistake it as a form of arranged marriage. But organisers said it's just a way for singles to expand their social networks. Lydia Gan, parental matchmaking session organizer, said:

Matchmaking meet They share CVs to find mates for their children at first such event here. by Goh Chin Lian - http://www.straitstimes.com/Breaking%2BNew...ory_276397.html WITH a picture of her son in her handbag, housewife Wang Lianzhi mingled with some 150 parents at the Speakers' Corner yesterday for a mass matchmaking session. 'My son's 30. He's never had a girlfriend. He's working on his computer all the time and seldom goes out,' explained Mrs Wang, 67. So she decided to play Cupid, distributing his business card to other parents. It was the first parents' matchmaking session, organised by dating agency Clique Wise which had taken up a suggestion by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. PM Lee had floated the idea of having parents play matchmaker for their children in his National Day Rally speech last month. He described how thousands of parents in Beijing secretly sought out spouses for their children at such sessions, commonly held in parks, and suggested Singapore parents try it too. Yesterday, they did. Parents took matters into their own hands, saying their children were too busy for a social life. Many like Mrs May Jow, 60, came without their children's knowledge. 'I took my daughter's photograph from the drawer without telling her,' she said. The matchmaking process was simple: Parents exchanged details of their children like age, education and current job, and asked to see a picture of the 'candidate'. Some whipped out passport-sized photographs, others 4R-sized pictures. One parent came with an 8R computer printout of the family posing with the candidate in a graduation gown. Parents were not only scrutinising the candidate's looks, but also sussing out the candidate's parents to see if they came from similar backgrounds. If all goes well, they exchange phone numbers. Some parents like Mrs Jow were on the lookout for candidates who matched their children's height and age. 'The age difference should be about three to four years and he has to be at least 1.76m tall,' said Mrs Jow, whose daughter is aged 30 and is 1.68m tall. Parents hunting for a son-in-law also wanted someone with a higher educational qualification and a stable career. Said housewife L.H. Heng, 55: 'My daughter has a polytechnic diploma. Her spouse cannot have any lesser than that.' The session's organiser, Ms Lydia Gan, said the event was held at Speakers' Corner as the older generation was familiar with Hong Lim Park. It was also free. All Ms Gan had to do was register online with the National Parks Board, since rules were eased to allow outdoor demonstrations at Speakers' Corner from Sept 1. While the matchmaking session was registered as an exhibition, and not a demonstration, it did draw onlookers like odd job labourer Jeff Tan, 60. He had dropped by after shopping in nearby Chinatown, thinking he would catch a protest in progress. But there was none. So far, only non-profit group Hearer of Cries has held a demonstration, staging a 10-minute protest against employers who abuse maids. Mr Tan said: 'I wouldn't come here specially. I work in Changi and I'm living in Tampines. It's too far.'