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This isn’t the first time Singapore’s leaders have asked citizens to go forth¹ and multiply for the good of the nation. In the early ninteen-eighties, the then prime minister, Lee Kuan Yew², not a man to mince³ his words, said it was the duty of every Singaporean to do their bit and it was important the well educated had as many babies as the less educated to maintain economic standards. The elitist undertone smacked⁴ of eugenics and the comments caused a stir. Now the current Prime Minister, Goh Chok Tong, in trying to address Singapore’s declining birthrate, has shied away from similar language but nonetheless made it clear that the island state’s population was shrinking to unacceptable levels.  
    


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WORDS go forth and multiply - expression from the Christian Bible meaning 'go and have children'

the then Prime Minister - the Prime Minister at that time

to mince his words - if you don't mince your words then you are direct, you say what you mean

elitist undertone smacked of eugenics - the suggestion that well-educated people should have as many children as less educated people is compared in a negative way to the to the study of how to improve the human race by carefully selecting parents (eugenics)

caused a stir - caused discussion and opposition

shied away from - did not want to get involved in, wanted to avoid

shrinking - if something is shrinking, it is getting smaller