THEY were fighting words from a man so frail, his voice quavered as he threw down the gauntlet.

'Singapore's birth rate continues to decline despite the Government's special tax incentives, such as the baby bonus schemes,' Mr Chiam See Tong (Potong Pasir) said yesterday. 'As usual, the PAP practice is simply throwing money at the problem and encouraging more foreigners to fill the gap. Little attention is paid to the accompanying social consequences.'

It was a resolute attack not only in its content, but also in the valiant way Mr Chiam fought to speak his mind.

He paused often, searching for the next word to say. He had missed his assigned cue to speak but the Speaker of the House gave him extra time.

As he struggled to rise from his chair, his neighbour, Dr Lee Boon Yang (Jalan Besar GRC), a former minister, moved to assist him.

But his physical weakness, the result of a stroke he had suffered in February 2008, did not stop Mr Chiam from driving an incisive critique home.

The real reasons why Singapore's total fertility rate had dropped to 1.23 - among the lowest worldwide - were high costs in housing, education and childcare, job insecurity and long work hours, he argued.

His alternatives were: To change attitudes towards unwed mothers, boost social safety nets and control costs.

'As long as things continue to worsen for families in the form of high cost of living or taxes, there will be an imbalance,' Mr Chiam said. 'A more integrated and holistic approach is required.'

He added that Singapore should take lessons from Sweden and France, two countries which have reversed declining fertility trends.

One of Mr Chiam's suggestions, that of increased incentives for couples seeking fertility treatment such as in-vitro fertilisation (IVF), was shared by Mr Seah Kian Peng (Marine Parade GRC), who suggested that the first course of IVF treatment be fully paid for by the Government.

Beginning in August 2008, the Government introduced a $3,000 subsidy for up to three IVF cycles carried out in public hospitals. As of February last year , public hospitals charged around $7,000 to $10,000 per IVF cycle.

Mr Seah quoted statistics, reported by The Straits Times last year, which found the number of women undergoing IVF rose 40 per cent to 50 per cent in the months after the subsidy, compared to the same period in 2007.

Apart from enhanced maternity leave and introducing paternity leave, Mr Seah suggested giving couples who are planning to start a family higher priority in applying for Housing Board flats.

The Government could also raise the number of university places for Singaporeans. 'Many of us worry about our children as they near 18 years old,' Mr Seah said. 'Why not aim for at least 30 per cent of Singaporean children having a place in a Singaporean university?'

This article was first published in The Straits Times.