As parents, MPs Hany Soh (Marsiling–Yew Tee GRC) and Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim (Chua Chu Kang GRC) understand firsthand the challenges of starting and raising a family. That is why both MPs have come together and filed an important motion on how we, as a society, can come together to support families at every stage of life.
Addressing various issues, including housing, healthcare, and work-life balance, PAP MPs have spoken up for all parents and parents-to-be. Because, as a Party, we hear your concerns loud and clear.
Financial help to help raise a child
The Baby Bonus, enhanced in 2023, has helped alleviate the financial burden for many families. However, our PAP MPs have more ideas on what can be done.
Families incur many expenses, such as pre-natal checkups and the purchase of baby essentials before the child is born, said Ms Soh. “As such, I implore the government to consider releasing the baby bonus once the expecting mother clears her first trimester.”
For MP Xie Yao Quan (Jurong GRC), full-day childcare can be made more affordable by raising subsidies and thus reducing co-payment by $100. Next, the government can provide every child between the ages of 7 and 16 with $600 in cash yearly to help fund educational expenses.
To kickstart these programs, Mr Xie suggested the creation of a $10 billion Future Generations Package and endowment fund, similar to the past packages for our seniors. This will send a strong signal of the PAP’s commitment to our future generations, said Mr Xie.
Finally, MP Melvin Yong (Radin Mas SMC) reiterated his calls for parents with babies born in the first quarter of 2025 to enjoy the same benefits as all other parents with SG60 babies.
Keeping housing accessible and affordable
To make resale flats more affordable to young couples, Ms Soh suggested the use of housing loans or CPF savings to cover the Cash Over Valuation (COV) component of resale flats. This will help young couples with limited savings overcome the hurdle of entering the resale market.
Ms Soh also proposed that families be allowed to seek a lower loan, or defer their housing loan in the first few years of a child’s birth. “This could go to great lengths to ease part of the financial burdens and pressure on new parents,” said Ms Soh.
For young couples who have successfully applied for a BTO flat, MP Yip Hon Weng (Yio Chu Kang SMC) has called for more affordable rental options, which will allow couples the space to start a family earlier. This can be achieved by relaxing the criteria or increasing the supply of the Parenthood Provisional Housing Scheme (PPHS), said Mr Yip.
Meanwhile, MP Gan Thiam Poh (Ang Mo Kio GRC) called for more flexibility to accommodate growing families. He has urged the government to allow couples with at least two babies to upgrade to a bigger flat before their Minimum Occupation Period (MOP).
Encouraging hands-on fatherhood
To encourage more fathers to take an active role in their child’s early years, Mr Zhulkarnain proposed making it mandatory for fathers to take paternity leave.
Acknowledging how this could result in operational challenges for businesses, Mr Zhulkarnain suggested an increase in the short-term foreign manpower quota to plug the gap in certain sectors.
Lastly, couples can be encouraged to share their parental leave equitably. To achieve that, Mr Zhulkarnain called for financial incentives such as childcare subsidies and tax breaks for such couples.
MP Joan Pereira (Tanjong Pagar GRC) echoed the call for more fathers to spend quality time with their children. “Employers should offer more flexible options for working fathers without stigma,” said Ms Pereira.
Public campaigns can also help raise awareness about the positive impact of active fatherhood, shared Ms Pereira. This can go some way to dispel the traditionalist views of fatherhood.
Reducing barriers to work life balance
Without a work-life balance, parents will not be able to spend quality with their child, said MP Melvin Yong (Radin Mas SMC). To address this, Mr Yong has once again urged employers to implement a Right to Disconnect policy at the workplace.
Next, MP Yeo Wang Ling (Pasir Ris–Punggol GRC) called for the government to provide more resources to businesses to implement Flexible Work Arrangements (FWAs) at the workplace. In a survey conducted by NTUC, 77.6% of respondents cited FWA as their most preferred form of support in balancing work and caregiving, said Ms Yeo.
Enhancing caregiving and parental leave
Currently, employees are only eligible for childcare leave if their child is under 7 years old. However, MP Louis Ng (Nee Soon GRC) noted this is often not enough. As such, Mr Ng has called for an extension of childcare leave for all children up to the age of 12.
The government should also provide such childcare leave provisions on a per-child basis. As all parents know, children do not fall ill at the same time, shared MP Desmond Choo (Tampines GRC).
“I encourage efforts to see how we can further support these families through increased childcare leave for those with more than one child,” said Mr Choo.
Supporting families of children with disabilities
Raising a child is hard work, more so if the child has complex needs and requires long-term medical care. To help alleviate caregivers’ stress, MP Rachel Ong (West Coast GRC) proposed an extension of childcare leave to age 18 for parents of children with disabilities.
Easing the pressure of fertility treatment
MP Nadia Samdin (Ang Mo Kio GRC) wants to help Singaporeans fulfil their dreams of having children. To that end, she has called for the expanded use of MediSave for fertility screening and elective egg freezing (EEF).
After a marathon debate, the motion calling for more support to help Singaporeans start and raise a family was passed in Parliament. Singaporeans will not be alone in this rewarding and fulfilling journey, said MP Hany Soh in her closing speech. “Please trust that this House will be with you along every step of your journey to starting and raising your family.”
