In our Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong's National Day Rally speech earlier, he finally highligted a national concern - Singapore's low fertility rate.

He noted that many are remaining single, not because they want to, but upon graduation, are too busy with work and have too narrow a social circle. So, our dear PM suggested the revival of matchmaker.

Indeed, Singapore is facing a rapid drop in fertility rate but with the rising costs, doubt many young couples will want to have more children. Just like Japan or Korea, Singaporeans' mindset are, "One is enough".

It takes a lot of time and effort to bring up a child. Aside from giving your child the best in everything, many young couples still look forward to enjoying themselves. Having more than one child, will mean sacrificing more time, effort and money for his/her well-being.

Blame it not on couples' mindset, but on our rising standard of living. Although PM Lee proposed a 4-month maternity leave compared to the current 3-month, it is not much of a lure for couples.

In fact, recent reports show that employers, especially SMEs (Small, Medium Enterprises) are asking female staff to leave upon knowing they are pregnant. Of course, employers will definitely cite unsatisfactory work performance as the reason. Of course, not every lady is as fortunate to be working in an MNC or civil service sector. With the nagging thought that your employer will fire you upon you being pregnant, are women willing to take such risks?

Until employers in Singapore start to implement a more family-focused working environment, I doubt that our nation's fertility rate will go up.