I completely support Mr Lim Boon Seng's call (Make marriage preparation course compulsory for all; Forum Online, June 5).

Our politicians often say that "people are our only natural resource".

To put our limited resources to better use, we cannot allow couples going into marriage to be blinded by emotions, or to be forced into a shotgun marriage.

We can make it mandatory for couples wishing to marry to undergo the following process:

•A standard medical test to uncover physical disabilities and/or genetic and hereditary defects, and to reveal them to the other party.

•A test for compatibility and differences in terms of values, beliefs, attitudes, personalities, emotional states and so on.

•A marriage preparation course tailored to the couple's needs based on the above test results, and conducted by marriage counsellors.

•Sign a prenuptial agreement upon passing the course.

In this way, couples will enter into marriage with their eyes open.

We can ill-afford Singapore's divorce rate to rise to levels seen in some western countries.

Instead, we can intervene upfront and proactively innovate to keep the divorce rate low, while filling our tiny pool with many more talents.

Cheang Peng Wah