Constitutional change will protect marriage definition, policies: Masagos

These include policies on public housing, education and adoption of children

- Chin Soo Fang Senior Community Correspondent

There is strong consensus in society that marriage should be between a man and a woman, with children born and raised within such families. Amendments to the Constitution to protect this definition from legal challenge will help uphold policies that reflect this consensus, Minister for Social and Family Development Masagos Zulkifli told Parliament on Monday.

These include public housing policies that give preference to married couples, policies on adopting children, guidelines on what media content is acceptable, and what children are taught, he said. For instance, the pre-school and primary school curriculum will not feature same-sex parents, and at older ages, the focus will be on treating everyone with respect and empathy, but not promoting same-sex relationships.

The amendment introduces a new Article 156 of the Constitution, which makes clear that Parliament can act to define, regulate and protect the institution of marriage. It also allows the Government and public agencies to safeguard, support, foster and promote marriage, which the law currently defines as between a man and a woman.

Speaking at the start of the debate on the changes, which are being debated together with the repeal of Section 377A of the Penal Code, which criminalises gay sex, Mr Masagos noted that the PAP Government has been consistent in its strong support for the institution of marriage and the family through its policies and legislation dating back to the Women’s Charter in 1961.