HEALTH Minister Khaw Boon Wan recently raised the question of whether surrogate motherhood should be allowed.

In the United States, it is not uncommon for a surrogate mother to be paid a sum of between US$10,000 (S$15,000) and US$30,000.

Since a monetary transaction is involved, this practice of renting a womb is also dubbed "mercenary motherhood" by some.

Apart from the complex legal issues involved, surrogate motherhood is considered morally illicit for the following reasons:

It runs counter to the sanctity of marriage and goes against the dignity of procreation.

It represents a failure to fulfil the obligations of maternal love, which includes conjugal fidelity and responsible motherhood.

It offends the dignity and right of the child to be conceived, carried in the womb, brought into the world and brought up by his own parents.

It establishes - to the detriment of families - a division between the physical, psychological and moral elements which constitute a family.

Singapore should not rush blindly into legalising surrogate motherhood and regret the decision later because its implications on family life in particular and on society in general were not fully understood.

Mr Nelson Quah

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