The following is a comment left on TOC by one of our readers, Leong Loo Ping, on the new incentives for babies, in the article, “National Day Rally – some questions”. We highlight it here without edit.

We are excited over the baby incentives. In fact we were at Gleneagles Hospital on 18-08-08 as I was due with my 4th baby. We prayed hard that my baby would be delivered earlier so that we were not miss PM’s speech.

God’s Grace and my 4th baby was born at 5.18pm and I was back to the maternity ward at 7.30pm just on time to catch PM’s speech.

The improvement made were attractive but we were disappointed that the effective date will be 01-01-09 and there was nothing planned for the father.

However, we are delighted that the effective date was brought forward to 17-08-08 and our 4th baby is also able to receive the baby incentives. Many of our friends actually already joking that we are so “responsive” to Government calling for more babies. We actually loves children and not mind having 4 children.

Please help us to extend our appreciatin and thanks to the government.

Our feedback is that the government should grant the father some Paternity Leave or at least 1st 2 weeks from baby delivery date. The father plays a very important part during the 1st few weeks. Like my husband, he only has 2 days Paternity Leave which is not enough. During the 1st weeks, he needs to take care of me, the baby, my other 3 children which are at 6 yrs, 3yrs and 2 yrs. He needs to fetch them to child care, go to work, go marketing, come home and cook for me and the children. Despite we have a maid and my mom helping during daytime, we take care of all our children ourselves onces we are not working.

He also not only helping me to change baby’s diaper, he take turns to make milk and feed our baby during midnight with me, he bath the baby and the children too

Imagine how tire it is and need at least 2 weeks for the father to get himself pumped up before he gets back to work. Especially my husband is working in the construction site and not office kind of work.

As for the mother, I personnally think that its difficult to clear the balance 4 weeks. Even the employer not mind, we also feel uneasy to take the leave if the work schedule is busy. Like myself, when now I am taking my maternity leave, my work is to be covered by another manager, He himself already have many projects and got to take up mind. (I am a Project Manager with a residential developer). I can only take 10 weeks at moment as one of my project will be completing soon by Oct 08. The other 2 weeks will have to clear by Feb 09 which I am cracking my mind how to clear once we start our busy work schedule.

Anyway, we just wish to feedback our views. We still thankful for the Government’s incentives despite we having children not because of the baby incentives. The most attractive incentives to us are the baby bonus, CDA accounts which we are using for our children child care fees and the tax rebates which my husband and me are using to deduct our yearly income tax.

Thank you.

————————

Subscribe
Notify of
0 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
You May Also Like

Three Singaporeans and one PR, victims in fatal accident in Johor

A bus fell off into a six-metre-deep ravine at KM137 of the…

Cherian George criticises Straits Times for supporting the government’s move in attacking independent journalists in Singapore

Professor Cherian George, a prominent professor of Media Studies and former member…

“养儿防老已不足以应付” 陈硕茂吁护理开销让有需求者负担得起

国会昨日三读通过《终身护保和长期护理法案》,终身护保计划将在明年推出,希望能从重度残障保险、个人储蓄和政府资助上,协助国人应付长期护理开销。 工人党阿裕尼集选区议员陈硕茂,在昨日参与国会辩论时指出,认为上述法案朝着正确方向,因为过去人说养儿防老,但在迈向人口老龄化的社会,养老挑战将更严峻,单单靠孩子已然不足。 “去年,国会讨论终身护保委员会报告时,我说过计划本身能自我持续,但是细节仍待规划,例如如何援助付不起保费的国人,也能纳入计划内?” 陈硕茂续问,我们的社会政策方向、愿景是什么?他引述《礼记》:大道之行也… 故人不独亲其亲,不独子其子,使老有所终,废疾者皆有所养。 他认为,借助风险分担关心无法自理老人和残障人士,让大家能以较低的保费,买到较高赔付额的保障,而所幸有关法案能给予合理框架,确保老有所终,废疾者皆有所养。 在终身护保下,老人因衰老、中风、失智等,六项日常活动中(冲凉、进食、更衣、如厕、走动和移动),至少三项不能自理,每月可获得约600元作为长期护理费,直到康复为止。 但陈硕茂提醒,法案以外的工作仍待规划和落实。而600元的辅助,也要考量是否足以应付、承担得了诸如聘请女佣、护理费用、疗养院、社区看护等开销?而这些市面上的护理服务价格又是否合理,让有需求者负担得起?