AMN / WEB DESK
Prime Minister of Singapore Lee Hsien Loong has urged married Singaporean couples to have babies during the year of the Dragon and assured them of his government’s support. Many Chinese-origin families consider children born in the Year of the Dragon to be especially auspicious.
He wished all Singaporeans good health, and a happy Chinese New Year. In his annual Chinese New Year message, the PM said, his government will build a Singapore Made for Families, and continue supporting people’s marriage and parenthood aspirations.
The PM also noted that fertility rates around the world have been declining, especially in developed societies such as Singapore. He said, support for infant caregiving and work-life harmony has been progressively strengthened to see parents through their children’s formative years. He added that government-paid paternity leave was recently doubled from two weeks to four weeks voluntarily. Singaporeans will celebrate the Chinese New Year this weekend.