If you have both a Singaporean dad and a Singaporean mum, you may soon be in the minority in Singapore.

Only 57 per cent of babies born in Singapore today are 'pure' Singaporeans. Meaning, both their parents are Singaporean.

This is according to latest statistics from the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority.

This is down from 67 per cent eight years ago.

In contrast, the proportion of babies born to foreign parents is rising . In 2000, the figure was 11 per cent. This year, it is 18 per cent.

A quarter of babies born today have only one Singaporean parent. The reasons:

• More Singaporeans are marrying non-Singaporeans and having children here.

• More expat couples are having children here.

• Singaporeans are having fewer babies.

If the trend continues, babies of mixed parentage may soon outnumber 'pure' Singapore babies.

Why is this important?

If more than 40 per cent of the babies born in Singapore have another country they can call home, will the children and their parents choose to live here in the future?

A National Population Secretariat spokesman said that it is not surprising to see more transnational marriages here, given the number of foreigners drawn here by economic opportunities, quality of life and other factors.

The spokesman said: 'Singapore is an open and cosmopolitan society... In a sense, Singaporeans now have more choices for potential life.'

We look at three Singapore families.

LEX AND AMELIA WHITLOCK: AUSTRALIAN DAD, S'POREAN MUM

He looked like a biker, but his values were okay with her traditional family

'IT matters not where we are from; to Temasek we now belong.'

Perhaps the words of this junior college school song most aptly describe the mindset that Singaporeans must adapt, in light of the ever-increasing number of foreigners settling here.

Madam June Bee Ling, 35, a Singaporean, recalls vividly the reactions she got when she started dating Australian Gene Whitlock, 36, in 1995.

She said: 'People asked me, 'Are you sure? It's a different culture.' His hair was so long, people thought he was a Harley rider. They said, 'Look at you and him, you're not a match at all.'

But Mr Whitlock's personality and his values - he doesn't drink, smoke or gamble - eventually won over even Madam June's traditional father.

The couple married in 1999 and now have two children, Lex, 5, and Amelia, 2, both Singaporeans.

While things are better now, Mr Whitlock still feels that Singaporeans place too much emphasis on what race people are.

Madam June said that in their Pasir Ris Housing Board estate, 'everybody knows him, he's so distinctive. He's the angmoh'.

Mr Whitlock said: 'You still have to say what race you are when you apply for a job or take part in a competition. It doesn't matter where you're from. Yet people fixate on it.'

TIA PEYRAN-TAN: FRENCH DAD, S'POREAN MUM

Mum: S'pore could be more family-friendly

Tia Peyran-Tan is 18 months old.

Photo: Tan May Chin

She was born here and is a Singaporean, but also holds a French passport.

Her Singaporean mum, 34, and her French dad, 36, decided to live in Singapore while they are in their 30s and forging their careers.

Her mother, Madam Tan May Chin, a marketing director, said: 'We hope to move on once we reach certain maturity in our careers. Going back to Europe is definitely an option.'

She feels that Singapore is not as family-friendly as European countries - and she knows of several 'half-half' babies and their parents who have already chosen to leave.

Madam Tan said: 'I have several friends who have moved out of Singapore, choosing the country of their spouse even though they delivered their babies here.'

But she said the recently released measures were a wonderful step in the right direction - in particular, the four months of maternity leave.

She feels that more can be done in terms of paternity leave and medical subsidies for very young children.

For example, Tia caught bronchitis in May. After three visits to the family doctor to no avail, Madam Tan took her to a private paediatrician. The total bill came up to $1,000.

When the illness recurred two weeks ago, she had to take two weeks' leave, because her mother-in-law is overseas and her own mother has dementia and is unable to help. The medical bill so far: $650.

She said: 'Considering our very low birth rate, a lot more can and must be done to encourage parenthood.'

ZUBIN AND VIVAAN: INDIAN PARENTS

Their boys will serve NS

THE Jains are Indian nationals who have lived here as permanent residents for eight years.

Their elder son, Zubin, 6, was born in India, while younger son Vivaan, 1, was born in Singapore.

Both boys are also Singapore permanent residents and will have to serve national service (NS).

Their father, Mr Amit Jain, 36, assistant director of Nanyang Technological University's international relations office, said: 'A lot of expats keep their children on student passes and renew them every year, because they don't want their sons to do NS.

'But for us, if we are living in a country, we want to follow the norms.'

They are keen to stay here for the long term because of Singapore's excellent infrastructure.

They live in campus accommodation, but have been looking to buy a property, to 'grow more roots'.

The boys' mother, Madam Asiya Bakht, 34, a senior reporter for a British publishing group, said: 'We both have jobs here, our kids are settled.

'Both our sons have spent their whole lives here. My parents call my older son 'Singapori'.'He has a Singapore accent, he went to a local kindergarten, and he has a very strong concept of Singapore.

'To him, the National Day Parade is a big thing - he'll make us take part and buy little flags to fly.'

While the couple are still holding on to their own Indian nationalities for now - something they both feel very emotionally attached to - they will let their sons choose their own nationalities in the future.

This article was first published in The New Paper on Aug 23, 2008.