>TO raise Singapore's birth rate, mindsets about marriage will have to change and matchmaking could be an option, said Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong in his National Day Rally speech on Sunday night.
Speaking in Mandarin, Mr Lee said young people would need to see marriage as an important part of life.
Some people are marrying later, not because they want to wait, but because they find it harder to find the right partner, he said.
PM Lee attributed this to smaller social circles, busier work schedules and personal challenges faced in wooing the opposite sex.
In tackling the problem, he cited the example of "Parental Matchmaking Sessions" in Beijing, where parents secretly go to find suitable partners for their children.
There thousands of parents exchange photos and educational qualifications of their children, and take down phone numbers.
The People's Association (PA) ought to organise something along these lines, he said.
PM Lee stressed that the fertility problem is especially pertinent to the Chinese community.
In Singapore, a Total Fertility Rate (TFR) of 2.1 is the replacement level. The current national level is 1.29 and for the Chinese community it is an acute 1.14.
This means each family will only replace either the father or mother, and numbers will decline rapidly in a few generations, he said.
In conclusion, PM Lee hopes parents will encourage their children in a sensitive manner to start families, and that children will take this matter seriously as well.
Ultimately, he added, this is a personal matter and the government can only facilitate.
