I refer to the article “Gay Singaporean doctor to appeal failed adoption of his biological son” (Jan 5).

I find it disheartening that at a time when our population is declining, when we have a clear need for the population to increase, when the manpower of our armed forces is in decline, the Government has chosen an option to appease citizens and not pick the option for the utilitarian good.

Our key national institutions will face a manpower shortage (“S’pore’s ‘demographic time bomb’ starts ticking next year: UOB report”; Dec 6) and this will pose an existential threat in the future.

The decision to set the precedence to prevent homosexuals from adopting their surrogate children is worrying for society in the long run.

The courts rejected the claim on the basis of it not being “possible in socially conservative Singapore”, which is a social construct that can be reworked through education.

Individuals will likely decry that surrogacy destroys the family unit, but there is ostensibly no reliable evidence to support this assertion.

Others will say that there is a need for children to have a father and a mother, but there are multiple case studies of individuals having perfectly normal lives with a single parent.

Compromise is needed between the two sides. I understand the need to appease the segment of the population who is intransigent to any form of social change, but the Government cannot and should not be fearful to do what is practically good for Singapore.

Cross-referencing to India’s legal system (which enforces a similar Code 377 to Singapore), there is nothing within the law preventing the surrogacy from a homosexual parent. If the legal precedence for the matter is to allow the couple to have a surrogacy, what makes Singapore’s law inherently “socially conservative”? Are we more socially conservative than India?

And what exactly does “socially conservative Singapore” mean? There are so many facets of conservative thought. The vagueness of this thought is dangerous, for there have been times when social conservative thought was used as an excuse to bar inter-racial or inter-faith marriages (and likewise, adoptions). It allows a free reign for society to oppress individuals.

The decision made in the case of the gay father does not benefit Singapore.