Non-Stigmatising Terminology for Children Born out of Wedlock and Inheritance Parity Solutions

12 Mr David Hoe asked the Minister for Social and Family Development (a) whether the Ministry will consider reviewing and replacing the term "illegitimate" with non-stigmatising terminology such as "non-marital child" across laws, forms, and guidance in the context of children born out of wedlock; and (b) whether the Ministry is studying alternatives to adoption or marriage to secure parental responsibility and inheritance parity for such children of single unwed mothers.

Mr Masagos Zulkifli B M M: There are currently no plans to review the term "illegitimacy", which is a legal concept with established meaning applied across various statutes. Where benefits or laws differentiate based on legitimacy status, they reflect the Government's efforts to promote strong marriages and parenthood within marriage. This is in line with the prevailing social norms of the family as the building block of society.

Under the Women's Charter, parents are obliged to maintain their children, regardless of their legitimacy status. In the area of inheritance under intestacy laws, an illegitimate child is entitled to inherit a part or the whole of his mother's estate if the mother dies with no surviving legitimate issue. The mother, on the other hand, is entitled to inherit a part or the whole of her illegitimate child's estate, as if the child was legitimate and she was the sole surviving parent. Parents who wish to provide for their illegitimate children can still do so through a will.