Compared to foreigners and women in their cohort, Singaporean men marry late and put off the idea of having children because they lack savings and money to buy a flat.
This trend stems from the low National Service allowance and the years dedicated to serving the nation, said presidential hopeful Tan Kin Lian. He attributed Singapore's low birthrate to the two and a half years' duration that Singaporean men must serve as part of NS, as men find themselves having to catch up with the women and foreigners in terms of income and age.
He said this was also the reason why there was not enough Singaporeans entering the workforce, and that foreign talent had to be imported.
He called the competition for jobs by locals with foreign workers an "unfair competition", as Singaporeans' incomes must be able to cover cost of living in Singapore, while a foreign worker can get by on a lower salary that will be more than adequate to cover his family's living expenses in a country where costs are lower.
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