Singapore, Asia's most aggressive nanny state, has come up with a dating guide for young people on how to plan that perfect romantic outing.

Titled "When Boy Meets Girl, The Chemistry Guide", the government manual pooh-poohs such drab ideas, beloved in the island republic, as the dinner-movie routine or splitting the bill at a shopping mall food court.

Instead it suggests a picnic on the beach or taking your dog for a walk in Singapore's lush Botanic Gardens " so long as your date's not afraid of man's best friend. Museums and book stores also get the thumbs up.

And if all those ideas fail, look through one of the state-controlled newspapers and pick out an event that catches both of your attention.

The manual was produced by Singapore's Orwellian-sounding Social Development Unit, a department which aims to get young people away from their desks and into matrimony.

The government in this prosperous city-state is worried about low population growth. It offers tax breaks to encourage women to get married and have babies. The official dating agency also organizes parties and other activities to help educated single people get together.

The Social Development Unit's director, Tan-Huang Shuo Mei, told the Singapore Sunday Times that many Singaporeans were so shy or had become so obsessed with their careers that they had real trouble getting a relationship off the ground, and so such basic advice really was necessary.

"By sharing dating tips and socialisation do's and dont's, we aim to empower singles by helping them with basic courtship skills, showing them that it's really a natural process," she was quoted as saying. Many observers see the new dating scheme as blatant social engineering.

But it is nothing out of the ordinary in a country which tries to control how you go to the toilet, cross the road, speak English, clean your home and when you can chew gum.