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<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR>More babies for S'pore? Win battle of the mind first
</TR><!-- headline one : end --><!-- show image if available --></TBODY></TABLE>
<!-- START OF : div id="storytext"--><!-- more than 4 paragraphs -->AFTER having so successfully overcome scepticism concerning our destiny 43 years ago, Singaporeans now facing a second serious doubt - on whether we can boost our fertility rate.
Many, including foreign experts, do not think we can. They say no countries have succeeded yet in what they label 'social engineering'.
Why should failures in Japan or other countries to raise their birth rates automatically mean a doomed failure for Singapore?
Should Japan's citizen population drop by half in 60 years, it would still be a sizeable 63 million, with the proportion of its citizens unlikely to fall below 70 per cent of its total population.
But Singaporeans understand they cannot afford to let the citizen number drop by half, with the number of immigrants outnumbering new births by two times for more than a decade.
Don't forget, we have a strong Government behind us. More importantly, Singaporeans will always, as in the past, act according to good reason.
What we believe will determine the actions we take. We have to evaluate our beliefs and thoughts. Are our expectations realistic? Are countries with one-third our per capita gross domestic product more conducive for raising babies than ours? While some difficulties are real, could some worries been blown out of proportion? Are we really in such a 'no hope' stage?
To succeed, we must first win the battle in this vital psychological front, helping people put things in the proper perspective.
We are facing a multifaceted issue. We need to look squarely at all obstacles in our way. Pay attention to every detail, such as the influences our children and young adults are subject to, the treatment of mothers in the workplace, and the social and physical environments.
It is like fighting a multi-front war, where every citizen and every contribution counts, and every barrier or adversity must be effectively dealt with. In short, a holistic and nationalistic approach is needed to tackle the issue, and the stake must be upped.
We can sing We Are Singapore with greater pride and meaning in the future if we can overcome this second biggest scepticism. Sustaining our population will make our nation-building more complete. With this, we will become a more attractive and respected nation.
Ng Ya Ken
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR>More babies for S'pore? Win battle of the mind first
</TR><!-- headline one : end --><!-- show image if available --></TBODY></TABLE>
<!-- START OF : div id="storytext"--><!-- more than 4 paragraphs -->AFTER having so successfully overcome scepticism concerning our destiny 43 years ago, Singaporeans now facing a second serious doubt - on whether we can boost our fertility rate.
Many, including foreign experts, do not think we can. They say no countries have succeeded yet in what they label 'social engineering'.
Why should failures in Japan or other countries to raise their birth rates automatically mean a doomed failure for Singapore?
Should Japan's citizen population drop by half in 60 years, it would still be a sizeable 63 million, with the proportion of its citizens unlikely to fall below 70 per cent of its total population.
But Singaporeans understand they cannot afford to let the citizen number drop by half, with the number of immigrants outnumbering new births by two times for more than a decade.
Don't forget, we have a strong Government behind us. More importantly, Singaporeans will always, as in the past, act according to good reason.
What we believe will determine the actions we take. We have to evaluate our beliefs and thoughts. Are our expectations realistic? Are countries with one-third our per capita gross domestic product more conducive for raising babies than ours? While some difficulties are real, could some worries been blown out of proportion? Are we really in such a 'no hope' stage?
To succeed, we must first win the battle in this vital psychological front, helping people put things in the proper perspective.
We are facing a multifaceted issue. We need to look squarely at all obstacles in our way. Pay attention to every detail, such as the influences our children and young adults are subject to, the treatment of mothers in the workplace, and the social and physical environments.
It is like fighting a multi-front war, where every citizen and every contribution counts, and every barrier or adversity must be effectively dealt with. In short, a holistic and nationalistic approach is needed to tackle the issue, and the stake must be upped.
We can sing We Are Singapore with greater pride and meaning in the future if we can overcome this second biggest scepticism. Sustaining our population will make our nation-building more complete. With this, we will become a more attractive and respected nation.
Ng Ya Ken
