Majority view of family not represented

Majority view of family not represented.

IT SEEMS there is no room for alternative views in the upcoming forum, Our Families, organised by the National University of Singapore Students' Political Association ("Forum on families stirs online debate"; last Friday and "Let's make room for alternative views" by Ms Angeline Wong Hui Wei; last Saturday), as there are no speakers to represent the Government's position on the family.

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has defined the Government's position on the family unit as "one man one woman, marrying, having children and bringing up children within that framework of a stable family unit" ("Why we should leave Section 377A alone: PM"; Oct 24, 2007).

Who will represent the views of the majority of Singaporeans who are in this stable family unit where children strive?

The organisers say the forum does not support or endorse any particular group or type of family, and that the forum aims to have a healthy discussion on what a family is or should be.

But, by not having at least one speaker representing the traditional view of a family, these claims are contradictory.

It is regrettable that a group that aims to foster greater political awareness and encourage active discussion of current affairs can fail to help students to discern, clarify, defend or disagree on such a contentious issue, when all the speakers, thus far, are supporters of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) issues.

How can any student be well informed when information is so selective? Are the views of a speaker representing the traditional view of a family so unimportant?

Let this forum not be misunderstood by the public for pushing pro-homosexuality propaganda under a biased, academic platform.

The Straits Times / Forum                         Published on Tuesday, 17 March 2015

By Ho Lay Ping (Ms)