I was shocked to learn during the course of this week that if a girl less than 16 years old were pregnant, she would not need to get her parent’s consent to abort the baby, but she must get her parent’s consent if she wants to carry the baby to full term or to subsequently put the baby out to adoption. I may have been told the facts of law wrongly, but if true, it is shocking for me to learn that the whole system is skewed towards aborting the baby. For the girl, to abort the baby would at least save her from any scolding at home! 

On a separate issue, I had the special opportunity to visit the charity known as Sanctuary House. Sanctuary House arranges for infants and children up to 16 years old to be put into foster homes. The foster parents take them in on a temporary basis, which may be for a few days, but in exceptional cases could go on to a few months or even years. These are children who need a sanctuary away from their own parents while their parents sort out the issues that trouble the parents.  

It was so heart-warming to learn that there are a fair number of families in Singapore willing to open their homes to these needful children. At the same time, however, it was somewhat disappointing to learn that a clear majority of these willing foster parents are expatriates, while the clear minority are Singaporeans. The cynical call this Asians opening their cheque books while Caucasians open their hearts. It may be an unfair characterization, but the facts of numbers cannot be denied. Perhaps we would get better with heart work as we mature as a country and a society; but then again, perhaps we wouldn’t.