Straits Times
MARCH 13, 2004
MP ONG SEH HONG CLEARS THE AIR
My speech taken out of context
I REFER to the report, 'It's your 'duty' to procreate' (ST, March
10), and the letters to the Forum (ST, March 12).
My Budget speech, which was made in Mandarin, had been taken out of
context, resulting in these myths:
I dismissed the notion that family planning is a personal
decision.
I suggested that procreation is a duty to the state, implying a
legal duty.
I suggested using the stick on couples who do not have
children.
I neither suggested such draconian measures nor called for the
stick to be employed. I have not suggested that infertile couples
be penalised.
I referred to procreation as a moral obligation to our parents,
families, society and the country. I did not refer to it as a duty
to the state.
The translation of the relevant part of my speech in Mandarin was:
'It is not only the bounden duty of everyone to procreate but it is
also the moral obligation (or moral responsibility) of every
citizen towards his family, parents, society and the state.'
However, the report omitted the words 'bounden' and 'moral' and
quoted me as saying: 'Procreation is not only the duty of everyone
but also the responsibility of every citizen towards his family,
parents, society and country.' The omission of the two key words
distorted my meaning.
When I drafted my speech, I took into account the feedback of my
residents. Many suggested that where procreation was once a means
to carry on the family name, today it served to make the family
more complete. Several elderly constituents lamented that they felt
life was incomplete because their children had not borne them
grandchildren.
In Mencius' mind, knowing and not fulfilling one's parents' wishes
makes one guilty of being unfilial. This was the intention of my
allusion to Mencius.
My mention of moral responsibility to other citizens and to society
at large, taken in the context of my speech, also refers to the
belief that our actions have repercussions on others. In this
sense, not having children today, which I agree is an individual's
choice, has repercussions on society. In my speech, I also called
for various incentives, like extending maternity leave up to the
fifth child. This was not reported.
I noted that our early policy on family planning heavily penalised
mothers who had more than two children. So I specifically called
for 'refraining from penalising those who choose not to have
children but to make the latter prepare for their old age'.
Procreation is a delicate matter and I have been balanced in my
approach.
DR ONG SEH HONG
MP for Aljunied GRC
