MISTER Chua U-Zyn was aghast at the idea of proposing over the phone.
“The guy is being very insincere (if he does so). Perhaps he is not serious about the proposal,”  the 26-year-old IT professional said.

Nine in 10 Singaporeans find making a marriage proposal over the phone unacceptable, unlike citizens in China and India.

Ms Zhou Shimei, 28, a corporate-communications executive, said: “The right guy would make the effort to make it special for me. It shouldn’t be like ordering takeaway.”

The findings came from a poll by Microsoft Windows Mobile last month.

In comparison, in countries like China and India, where couples can live far from one another, more than one in two feel it is acceptable to propose over the phone.
The survey found that Singaporeans drew the line at using their phones when it comes to highly personal engagements, although one in 10 would end a relationship over the   phone.

The survey also reinforced perceptions that Singaporeans are very attached to their mobile phones.

Singaporean mobile-phone users ranked highest among six Asian countries and territories, including China and Taiwan, when it came to picking up phones during meal  times.

Close to one in two respondents also admitted to using their phones while driving.

Ms Sandra Goh, a business group director in Microsoft, said mobile phones remain “an integral part” of the Singaporean lifestyle, even amid the bad times.

“Although Singaporeans may have become more cost-conscious, the economic downturn has not affected their mobilephone usage,” she said.

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