Number 5 and out in the cold

On Sunday the MP came by.

In our 8/9 years there, we have never seen or met our MP. Now election over and MP changed, and so we finally get a chance to meet the man. Mr Seah Kian Peng. Good firm handshake.

Took opportunity to 'pour out my woes' - heh.

There is a small park in a corner of Jln Riang. The kids of the neighbourhood love to hang out there. There's a playground with sandpit, a bastketball court and some swings. In the evenings, the maids of the neighbourhood hang out there with their charges, children kick around a ball, older kids shoot some hoops and place comes alive with chatter and noise. Unfortunately, the park is right next to the house belonging to the resident killjoy.

This launty living there loves to call the cops and confiscate stray footballs that go over her wall. And no matter how the children plead and apologise, they don't get their balls back. She's got a big box full of balls - at least 20 of them. I have seen one expat Australian family (with 5 kids in tow!) standing outside the auntie's house pleading for their ball back. Quite funny because the Australians can't quite understand the auntie, who keeps yelling: "我听不懂！ 我不会给你你们的 ball!" but to their credit, remained calm and kept repeating their apologies and asking for the ball. The aunty must have given in out of frustration for I saw the family walking past with said ball - the lone survivor out of ball prison.

This auntie has complained many times and the cops have come to take down particulars, given the kids' warning etc. Finally, she got the RC to lobby to change the park - so the basketball court went. The dwarf fir trees went up flanking her wall. The No Football signs went up.

According to my brother who has played many a basketball game on the court before it was demolished, this aunty has always been like this, complaining and confiscating stray balls for years.

I thought it rather mean-spirited of her - denying kids the chance to play and run and let off steam. We live in a private estate which means no space to kick a ball around unless we do so in the roads, which is dangerous. So the only place for kids to do this is in the park. So much for healthy lifestyle, community bonding etc.

I thought it was time someone spoke up for the kids.

Also raised pet peeve of zero benefits and zero baby bonus for my children. All have been denied any benefits due to dates. Number three was born 9 days shy of the Apr 1 2001 launch of the baby bonus scheme. Number 4 was born without any benefits because benefits only applied to the third child. By the time they extended the benefits to baby number 4, baby number five was born - and so did not get a cent.

We now talk so much about declining population, the need to have foreign talent etc. And newspapers are doing a great PR blitz with stories of happy immigrants, big happy families etc. Tax dollars are going into schemes to help entice foreign talent to come and stay etc. Yet we put caps on benefits for children of large families. If every Singaporean is important and indeed, as the PM himself said, no Singaporean will be left behind, then how come my kids don't get a red dime?

They are Singaporeans too are they not? My 4th child will serve NS and my kids will contribute to the economy someday. But somehow, they don't count.

I say: if it is so important and crucial to raise the population by births, don't stint and stinge. Give to ALL children, regardless of birth order, regardless of deadlines or dates. Those are just numbers. But the gift of children are real. Real to us as parents, and eventually, real to the country as citizens as well.

Husband says I can talk till the cows come home but nothing will change.

I am an optimist. And there are no cows in Singapore.

I hope Mr Seah passes the message on.