Dating, should guy always pay or split the bill?

Married now, but dated plenty, here is my honest take. In Malaysia there is still a cultural lean towards the guy paying especially early on, and many appreciate the gesture, but the scene HAS shifted, plenty of independent women prefer to split or at least take turns, and see insisting on always paying as either old fashioned or creating an imbalance. What matters most is reading YOUR person and communicating, not following a rigid rule. What worked for me: I offered to pay the first date or two as a gesture (no big deal, sets a warm tone), then naturally let it become shared, sometimes she pays, sometimes I do, or we alternate ("I got this one, you get the next"). The alternating approach is elegant because it implies more dates AND shares the load. If she always lets you pay and never offers, that tells you something about her expectations, and vice versa. The stinginess worry is overblown, generosity is about attitude not always footing every bill. A partnership mindset from early on is healthier than a provider/receiver dynamic that can breed resentment. Just talk about it lightly if unsure, mature people appreciate the honesty.