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.
-CNA/ac