hilarious article from the straits times
MM Lee to Malays: Bring number of teen marriages down
NEARLY one in five Malay brides is below the age of 21 today, but Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew believes that this number can be cut down.
His take: It's going to take community effort, counselling - and a good dose of reality.
In typical candid fashion, he gave his assessment of one of the problems that Malay families face, such as young girls getting pregnant and then rushing into marriage.
'Surely things can be done even before the pregnancy, before mistakes are done,' he said.
'I mean, let's live with reality. You can go with the Catholic Church and say, condoms, birth control, out, not even for Aids. But in this modern world, in today's age, do you think it will work?'
Asked about the problem of dysfunctional Malay families at an interview at the Istana last week, MM Lee laid out the bare facts, and the way the community could go about tackling the early marriages and teenage pregnancies.
'I think counselling is required. Don't rush into marriage; it's sure to break up. Then second marriage, then third marriage, then it breaks up, then a ruined life.
'So I say, take a realistic approach and try and solve the problem before it becomes difficult. And don't get them married too early.'
His remarks follow Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong's address during the National Day Rally, which had touched on the sensitive issue of families with multiple problems.
PM Lee said Malays were over-represented in the ranks of dysfunctional and low-income families in Singapore, as more Malays marry young and divorce early.
This trend is worrying as the poverty cycle may continue on to the next generation: These young families often break up, and their children struggle in school. As they become teenagers, they may face pressure to start work and drop out of school, remaining trapped in poverty.
Today, 18 per cent of Malay brides are below 21 - more than twice the 9 per cent of Indian brides, and 3 per cent of Chinese brides.
MM Lee thinks the Malay community can bring the number down.
'Surely we can get it down to 6 per cent, make some effort. In 10 years, you might get it down to 3 per cent. You might even do better than the Chinese. It can be done but it needs community effort,' he said.
While the problem was a tough one, MM Lee believed the community could tackle it with a realistic approach. He pointed to the success with which the community had tackled the drug problem. 'You know, just as with drugs, nobody believed they could solve the drug problem, right?'
Ten years ago, 3,000 Malays - more than half the total number of arrests - were nabbed for drug abuse. But the community rallied round, helping out at halfway houses, and with friends and families chipping in to counsel addicts. In the first half of this year, only 40 Malays were arrested.
Noted MM Lee: 'It's an enormous achievement. It can be done.'
NEARLY one in five Malay brides is below the age of 21 today, but Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew believes that this number can be cut down.
His take: It's going to take community effort, counselling - and a good dose of reality.
In typical candid fashion, he gave his assessment of one of the problems that Malay families face, such as young girls getting pregnant and then rushing into marriage.
'Surely things can be done even before the pregnancy, before mistakes are done,' he said.
'I mean, let's live with reality. You can go with the Catholic Church and say, condoms, birth control, out, not even for Aids. But in this modern world, in today's age, do you think it will work?'
Asked about the problem of dysfunctional Malay families at an interview at the Istana last week, MM Lee laid out the bare facts, and the way the community could go about tackling the early marriages and teenage pregnancies.
'I think counselling is required. Don't rush into marriage; it's sure to break up. Then second marriage, then third marriage, then it breaks up, then a ruined life.
'So I say, take a realistic approach and try and solve the problem before it becomes difficult. And don't get them married too early.'
His remarks follow Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong's address during the National Day Rally, which had touched on the sensitive issue of families with multiple problems.
PM Lee said Malays were over-represented in the ranks of dysfunctional and low-income families in Singapore, as more Malays marry young and divorce early.
This trend is worrying as the poverty cycle may continue on to the next generation: These young families often break up, and their children struggle in school. As they become teenagers, they may face pressure to start work and drop out of school, remaining trapped in poverty.
Today, 18 per cent of Malay brides are below 21 - more than twice the 9 per cent of Indian brides, and 3 per cent of Chinese brides.
MM Lee thinks the Malay community can bring the number down.
'Surely we can get it down to 6 per cent, make some effort. In 10 years, you might get it down to 3 per cent. You might even do better than the Chinese. It can be done but it needs community effort,' he said.
While the problem was a tough one, MM Lee believed the community could tackle it with a realistic approach. He pointed to the success with which the community had tackled the drug problem. 'You know, just as with drugs, nobody believed they could solve the drug problem, right?'
Ten years ago, 3,000 Malays - more than half the total number of arrests - were nabbed for drug abuse. But the community rallied round, helping out at halfway houses, and with friends and families chipping in to counsel addicts. In the first half of this year, only 40 Malays were arrested.
Noted MM Lee: 'It's an enormous achievement. It can be done.'