Kuala Lumpur - Body odour, boring pyjamas and lacklustre sex have been blamed for the high divorce rate in Malaysia's north-eastern state of Terengganu, a news report said Monday.

Couples who had been married for less than five years and were on the verge of separation told marriage counsellors that predictable sex and body odour were some of the main reasons for their break up.

"I know of one case where a separation was triggered just because the spouse smelled of fish crackers," said Muhammad Ramli Nuh, the deputy chairman of the state religious and information committee.

Muhammad Ramli told The Star daily that at least three in every 10 marriages in the state ended in divorce, adding that the government was now finding innovative ways to perk up the sex lives of married couples.

Top of its list is inviting cosmetics firms to introduce "exotic and sensuous fragrances that can arouse sexual desire" in married couples, the report said.

The government also plans to hold grooming workshops for husbands and wives, adding that marriage consultants have been hired to advise couples on the right lingerie to be worn at intimate moments.

The Terengganu government also recently announced it would pay for feuding couples on the brink of divorce to take a second honeymoon as part of efforts to patch up their marriage.

Government statistics reveal that some 20 per cent of all marriages in Malaysia end up in divorce annually, with the numbers increasing every year. (dpa)