SINGAPORE: Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has said that the country will
stick to its policy of encouraging traditional families.
He made this point at a
television forum hosted by Channel NewsAsia to discuss the country's future on
Friday.
The forum, called "A
Conversation With PM Lee", also involved Education Minister Heng Swee
Keat, and Members of Parliament Indranee Rajah and Dr Intan Azura Mokhtar.
The Singaporeans at the forum
were a diverse mix - entrepreneurs, students, housewives and even new citizens.
The forum was not so much about
getting immediate answers from the panel, but rather it was a chance to air
their views and aspirations about Singapore, in a no-holds barred discussion.
One of those at the forum,
fashion designer Jo Soh, said: "If I can't find a husband that I want to
marry, why can't I have a child as a single woman? Or why can't de-facto
couples be recognised? Why can't de-facto couples have children and still have
the same access to subsidies and rights?"
It was a question that prompted
PM Lee to ask for a straw poll on the issue - should non-married couples have
children?
The vote was split almost equal -
46 per cent voted "yes" and 54 per cent said "no".
While it took Mr Lee by surprise,
he underlined the fact that Singapore society has benefited from sticking to a
policy of encouraging traditional families.
He said: "There have been
some significant advantages to our society to aim for that norm because a kid
brought up by a single mother or single father, I think, is at a disadvantaged
in many ways, (in terms of) resources, guidance, stability of the family
background.
"We are not static but
society is evolving and I think the norms will evolve. We can't prevent it from
changing but we also don't want it to just go wherever the latest fashion
is."
The panel also stressed though
that it was not about penalising single parents.
MP for Tanjong Pagar GRC Indranee
Rajah, said: "There really is nothing wrong about being a single parent or
having diversity. The challenge in Singapore is we have different people with
different viewpoints and how does the government manage that. So the point is
you have to move fairly carefully on how you signal it.
"What the government does is
not intended to penalise those who are not married but to actually help those
who are married and looking at additional expenses. So hopefully we can look at
it from that viewpoint. It's not meant to be a penalty but at the same time as
society evolves, we can examine how it's going and how we can move as a society."
The conversation also delved into
Singapore's future and the need to define what the country is aiming for over
the next two to three decades.
Mr Lee said: "We never
arrive, you see. We're always on a journey. If you have arrived, you fall off
the bicycle. We have to keep on moving and aiming for something which is in
front of you, which is worthwhile."
He also acknowledged that
consensus building will not be easy, but what is needed is a shared purpose.
Mr Lee said: "There will be
many dreams and many aspirations among Singaporeans, there has to be a certain
shared purpose and identity. We're all Singaporeans, that is something which
distinguishes us, so we recognise one another, we feel together.
"But we have different
things that we may like to do. You may want to teach, you may want to be in
social enterprise, you may want to be in the arts or in music, or you feel
passionately about building your business.
"I think the special thing
about Singapore is that whichever aspirations you have, you have a chance of
achieving it here. Your child, son and daughter also ought to have more of a
chance of making it over here."
Another question asked during the
forum was whether Singaporeans feel that the next generation will have a better
future?
70 per cent of the audience
responded affirmatively.
Education Minister Heng Swee
Keat, who heads the committee that is facilitating the national conversation
about Singapore's future, felt it was an encouraging sign.
He said: "I'm actually quite
optimistic when I hear from all of you. When you talk about values, many of you
have expressed aspirations about the Singapore that you want.
"If many of us speak up
about the sort of issues that we have just discussed, I think our sense of
common purpose will come together. I'm hoping that in the coming weeks and
months, we will have a rich and meaningful conversation among Singaporeans
about where we want to go."
The forum was an interactive
dialogue which saw Singaporeans expressing their views freely.
This is just the start of the
Singapore Conversation. Many more of such dialogues will be rolled out over the
next few months involving Singaporeans from all walks of life. Some will be in
different languages, some in smaller settings and some also away from the media
glare, to facilitate a free flow of conversation.
On his Facebook page, Mr Lee said
that the discussion was lively and often intense, and that participants made
many eloquent arguments and useful proposals. He also said that it was a good
start to the national conversation.
The full video of the forum is
available on channelnewsasia.com/conversation.
Imelda Saad
-CNA/ac
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