I WAS dismayed to read the recent reports on the proposal to provide more incentives to young married couples to boost the national birth rate.

In days of yore, our parents did not have such incentives, yet it did not deter them from having large families.

Children were a blessing and a manifestation of the couple's union, motivated solely by unconditional love.

Having large families was also a source of joy and comfort for them in their old age, in terms of emotional support and financial security.

Could the young couples of today be missing the point when they need incentives to have more babies? Shouldn't genuine love be themain foundation of wedded bliss and procreation?

Had our parents depended on being motivated by financial incentives offered by the state, my generation may not have seen the light of day.

The use of monetary incentives is always fraught with the danger of creating an insatiable demand for more incentives.

It is akin to drinking salt water. The more you drink, the thirstier you get.

Let us emulate the example of our parents, who needed only love, rather than monetary incentives, to give us and our siblings the gift of life.

Mr Nelson Quah

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