PM Wong replies to girl, 6, who wrote letter to him saying she doesn't want another sibling after NDR rally

Prime Minister Lawrence Wong has written a reply to Sarah, a six-year-old girl who penned a letter to him after his recent National Day Rally announcements.

On Aug. 23, PM Wong announced a suite of marriage and parenthood support measures during the 2026 National Day Rally.

These included increased childcare leave provisions, additional chances at the public housing ballot for each child aged 18 and below, as well as lower fees at government-supported preschools.

For Sarah, however, the government’s push for parenthood hit a little too close to home.

"Dear Lorens Wong..."

Speaking to Mothership, Sarah’s mother, Humairah Suhaimi, said she had initially decided to play a prank on her daughter.

Sarah had been resting her head on her mother's stomach when she said she could hear sounds coming from it.

Humairah jokingly told her that the sounds were her "baby brother and sister".

She then took the joke a step further, telling Sarah that PM Wong wanted Singaporeans to have more babies — and that families might get more money if they did.

Sarah did not find this funny at all.

In a video sent to Mothership, Sarah can be seen bawling and telling her mother, "I don't want a new baby."

"We don't need a lot of money!" she cried.

She then promptly sat down and wrote a passionate letter to PM Wong, asking him not to give her another sibling.

This was the letter she wrote:

For Sarah, writing the letter was serious business.

When asked if Sarah had any help with the letter, Humairah said that her daughter had asked her for some pointers, including how to spell PM Wong's name.

However, she told her that PM Wong would know if she had helped, and might not take the letter seriously.

"So she just winged it," Humairah said.

Sarah then dug through a drawer and found an envelope to put her letter in.

It turns out, Sarah had also met PM Wong at an event in 2025, so she knew exactly who she was writing to.

Humairah gave her the address for the Prime Minister’s Office, and subsequently helped her to mail the letter there.

She also emailed the office a soft copy.

Sarah's brother did not share the same sentiment

Humairah said that while Sarah was adamant about not having another sibling, her nine-year-old brother, Adam, did not share the same sentiment.

She said Adam "wasn’t too pleased" when he later read the letter, as he had always hoped for another sibling.

And Sarah had anticipated this.

"Also don’t listen to Adam if he wants more siblings because I don’t want," she wrote in her letter, well aware that her brother would not be on her side.

Humairah said Sarah's letter took her by surprise, describing her daughter to be "quite playful".

"Getting her to sit and write is almost an impossible task," she said. "So I was really very impressed and taken aback that she could write this much."

Humairah said that as the youngest of two siblings — and the youngest cousin on both sides of her family — Sarah has always enjoyed being the "baby" of the family.

"She doesn't fancy the idea of another sibling taking over that throne from here," said Humairah.

Beyond the humour, Humairah said she thought the experience had also turned into a useful exercise for her daughter.

"She got to practice her writing," she joked.

Since writing the letter, Sarah has also started writing letters to her parents.

"Maybe she's taken a liking to this."

She even started making her own envelopes.

Sarah does not need my permission to remain the youngest: PM Wong

To the family’s surprise, PM Wong sent a reply on Aug. 30.

In his email, he thanked Sarah for taking the trouble to write to him and asked Humairah to assure her that Sarah "does not need [his] permission to remain the youngest in the family".

"We will continue doing our best to make Singapore a good place for families to raise their children — whether they decide to have two, three, or more!"

Humairah has yet to show Sarah the reply, but said she plans to do so and will record her daughter's reaction.

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