of nominated mp says people should go back to work on saturdays

Reconsider 5-day week?: MORE free time did not result in more babies, so people should go back to work on Saturdays.

Nominated MP Loo Choon Yong on Tuesday threw up the most provocative suggestion during the Budget debate when he questioned the benefits of the five-day work week.

Speaking on the second day of the debate on the Budget Statement, he said the move to a shorter work week by the public sector and then the private sectors in in 2004 could have eroded the Singaporean's work ethic, while not improving the fertility rate in any meaningful way.

The number of live births only inched up to 39,490 in 2007 from 37,485 in 2003.

Nominated MP Loo Choon Yong on Tuesday threw up the most provocative suggestion during the Budget debate when he questioned the benefits of the five-day work week.

Mr Loo said,

We should accept that as a people our procreation talent is not our forte - nothing to crow about. I urge the Government to take steps to determine whether our productivity and competitiveness have been affected by the five-day week and to review the policy, if necessary. I have nothing against our young Singaporeans having fun and partying. But I hope they will work as hard as they play.

Also read AFP ("Procreation 'not our forte,' says Singapore MP")