Ahmad Mattar
Singapore
“Sir, I would like to urge the Minister, the newly appointed panel chaired by Mr Hsuan Owyang, and certainly the people in charge of Channel 12 Pte Ltd, to look into the quality of Malay programmes on Channel 12. There is not much point in increasing the number of hours of Malay programmes on Channel 12 if quality is not there.”
“Because if SBC conducts those surveys or SBC administers the people meter, what other conclusions can we get? Finally, Sir, I would like to urge the Minister, and certainly the General Manager of SBC, to re-look into SBC's programmes.”
“Mr Chairman, Sir, Encik Ibrahim Othman has asked a number of questions on Muslim divorces. On the actual number of Muslim divorces registered in 1992, the answer is 1,002.”
“45 pm Sir, on wakaf properties, the House may want to know that the first development project comprising four units of terrace houses at Duku Road has been completed. This year, two more projects at Lorong L and Lorong G, Telok Kurau, will be launched.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I am aware of that circular. Unfortunately, my Public Health Officers have reported that despite the circular there has not been any improvement to the littering problem. Even till this morning, Sir, when we inspected Potong Pasir, littering was still evident.”
“Sir, the question has been answered and the photographs have also been labelled with the time they were taken. My point is that if the Member claims that his constituency does not have a littering problem, then there should not be any litter at any time of the day, 5.30 am regardless.”
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“Mr Peh Chin Hua( In Mandarin): Sir, as in the Yangtze River, the waves from behind drive those in front. So each new generation excels the previous generation. I think this is a principle that we must observe. TCS is giving more opportunities for new artistes to prove themselves, but many people feel that TV artistes with some experience have been side-lined prematurely. This is a great pity. Although new artistes are important, old artistes should not be neglected. The senior artistes have accumulated a lot of invaluable experience, and they can act and perform very well. They have a large following of viewers, particularly the older folks. For example, the Hong Kong actress Xiao Fang Fang, who is in her 40s, recently won the Best Actress Award. I hope TCS can make better use of senior artistes to promote the development of our TV industry. At the same time, it will also be able to promote a better sense of belonging among the new artistes. Because if they see the old artistes being put aside, they will regard acting as a temporary and transient career. It will not be good for their confidence-building. I hope the Minister will look into this matter.”
“The ban on the use of dialects also caused difficulty to the Government when transmitting messages to senior citizens. Later on, when the Government realised its mistake, it allowed Radio to broadcast news in Chinese dialects, and some dialect operas were also allowed on TV on a very limited scale. These are encouraging practices. Yesterday, Mr Peh Chin Hua also made reference to the need for some space for dialect programmes over TV and the Minister has already replied to it. So I will not dwell on this subject any more. I would like to refer to documentaries in Malay and in Chinese. In recent years, the quality of some of our TV programmes has improved, especially Focus, News, sports programmes and other locally-produced documentaries or features. They are very good. Unfortunately, there are also some quality documentaries imported from Europe and the United States which are screened without Chinese or Malay subtitles. So I hope MITA can direct TCS to spend more money and engage more sub-titlers to intensify the effort in this area. On the other hand, if we can have documentaries from Hong Kong, China and Taiwan with their dialogue translated into Malay, Tamil or English and documentaries from Europe and United States similarly with their dialogue translated into Chinese, Malay or Tamil, it would be even better. Next, let me deal with another topic. Sir, some of my Malay compatriots have reflected to me that TCS is not providing enough Malay programmes. The Malay films which TCS telecast are all very old imported programmes of very poor quality. Just now, Dr Ahmad Mattar also made some reference to this. I would like the Minister to take note of this matter. I hope MITA can direct TCS to review the situation.”
“So the compere for this kind of programme is very important, because he should be able to make sure that viewers and the phone-in people do not lose sight of our main principle of promoting the Speak Mandarin campaign. In the programme, a student was asked, "Do you speak dialect at home?" The student replied, "Yes, but I use dialect only to scold people." Everybody laughed when the answer was given. Is the purpose of learning a dialect for using it to scold people? When this point of view was put across on TV, there was no proper explanation. There was no censorship on this kind of viewpoint. At that time, the compere did not tell the viewers that it was wrong to learn a dialect to use it to scold people. I think this is a very important point that was missed by the compere. As Mr Peh Chin Hua has said, I also feel that we should be very careful in handling a programme like Let's Talk. If the programme is handled properly, it is good for the country and also very good for our people. It would enable our people and the viewers to have a better understanding of our social, political, economic, regional affairs and international situations. Sir, I hope the Minister will respond positively to the four points that I have raised. Mr Cheo Chai Chen (Nee Soon Central)( In Mandarin): Sir, in order to make Mandarin a common language among the Chinese in Singapore, there is a control over the use of dialects, especially in the early stage of the Speak Mandarin campaign. TV stations were not allowed to telecast dialect programmes. Although the intention and purpose of the Government were good, the complete ban on dialect programmes on TV was a bit insensible, as it disregarded the interest of the older Chinese people who cannot understand Mandarin and English.”
“If there is not enough advertisement revenue during this period to offset the cost of production, then, in future, will it not force the TV station to raise the TV licence fees again? 1.45 pm The fourth point is on Jieti Fahui, or Let's Talk. I agree with Mr Peh that this should be a serious programme. The compere is very important. His knowledge, demeanour and conduct of the discussion are very important. Because if he is not very familiar with the issue, he will not be able to conduct the discussion properly. It is only when he has a deep understanding of the subject matter that people will not be led into some ambiguous thinking, or left in doubt after watching this programme. In other words, we must make people understand the subject under discussion. Next, allow me to talk about dialect programmes. I think in one of the Let's Talk programmes, the issue of whether the control of dialect programmes over TV should be relaxed was discussed. What was the result? Because many viewers phoned in, it gave the impression that the great majority of the viewers of this programme wanted a relaxation on the control of dialect programmes over TV. Yesterday, the Minister gave a very correct and proper response, and he emphasised the importance of Mandarin. In other words, we cannot go back on our main principle of promoting the Speak Mandarin campaign. Therefore, in handling this kind of programme, I think the compere should be able to come to a more precise conclusion, rather than an ambiguous or opposite one, so as to ensure that viewers with different views are not influenced by the controversy of whether or not dialect programmes should be telecast.”
“Will it one day degenerate into those phone-for-sex services in some countries, with undesirable effects on our young people? I would like to ask the Minister what sort of monitoring system do we have to keep tab on this kind of service. For those below the age of 18, parental consent is required. May I ask: are parents capable of monitoring the use of the telephone 24 hours a day? I think we need to give serious consideration to this matter. Secondly, on TV shopping programme. According to feedback from some of my constituents, this is a hard-sell tactic to promote the advertised products, with the promoters blowing their own trumpet, something like the Chinese gongfu men in the past selling medicine in the streets. Of course, this is just a commercial advertisement, but I feel that the interest of consumers in Singapore must be protected. Under what circumstances can we allow the TV stations to be used for this kind of hard-sell commercials? I hope that the Minister can direct the TV station and the Consumers Association of Singapore (CASE) to monitor these programmes and set the standards for this kind of commercials. Because, right now, we do not know how many consumers have bought these products and ended up with lots of complaints. The third point is on TV programmes from midnight to early hours in the morning. Firstly, I do not object to TCS providing a 24-hour service round the clock. But I would like to understand from the Minister what are the long-term objectives of our programming, the format, the contents, and how can they be improved over the long term. I am also concerned about the viewership from midnight to the early hours of the morning. Can the advertisement revenue be adequate to offset the cost of broadcasting?”
“Sir, who is in charge of commercials in RCS, and in particular in WARNA 94.2 FM, if I may ask the Minister? I hope that the Malay Programme Advisory Committee will advise this person, if he is not a Muslim, on the significance of Ramadan, and to be more careful in whatever he does, vis-a-vis the programmes on WARNA during this holy month. If this person in charge is a Muslim, then, I am very surprised and indeed disappointed with his insensitivity. But whoever is in charge, Sir, Muslim or non-Muslim, the person should be careful not to sell the souls of Muslim listeners of WARNA for the sake of advertisement revenue. Finally, Sir, in spite of all my criticisms of TV12 Private Limited, I would like to thank the management and staff of TV12 Private Limited for sending me this very beautiful Hari Raya card, together with a bottle of cookies that came with it. Unlike its Malay programmes on Prime 12, Sir, the TV12 cookies were really good. Mr Choo Wee Khiang (Jalan Besar GRC)( In Mandarin): Sir, on TV programmes, I have four matters to raise. First, the phone-in programme or the 1900 series; second, TV shopping programme; third, programmes screened from midnight to the early hours of the morning; and, fourth, "Jieti fahui", the programme referred to by Mr Peh just now. On the 1900 phone-in programme, according to my understanding, there is an advertisement which says, "If you are bored and you want somebody to talk to, to make friends, or to look for a life-time partner, call 1900!" And those who are below the age of 18 must get the consent from their parents before they phone-in. I am somewhat worried about this programme. My fear is that this kind of pay-as-you-phone-in programme will give rise to undesirable effects.”
“And today, 16 years later, it is a corporatised body. But corporatisation means further commercialisation, and this has its attendant problems. The need to make profits means that the corporatised SBA will have to introduce measures which at times can be undesirable. And this brings me to comment on Radio programmes of WARNA 94.2 FM. But before I go on, I would like to say, Sir, that, by and large, WARNA's programmes are good. They are entertaining; they are informative; they are educational. And indeed the network has a team of talented and innovative producers. However, I was a little disturbed by the goings-on in WARNA during the recent holy month of Ramadan. You see, Sir, WARNA broadcasts the Azan, or call to prayer, five times a day, and especially during Ramadan, the fourth Azan, that is the Azan that tells Muslims that they can break the fast, was immediately followed by a religious song, or Qasidah, as we call it in Arabic. The Qasidah praises "Allah and Prophet Muhammed", befitting the fasting month. But, unfortunately, Sir, the Qasidah was abruptly cut at 7.29 pm, one minute before WARNA's news at 7.30 came on the air. And the Qasidah was replaced by "Maggi Noodles Soup", "Golden Chance", and such commercials. And even the less-than-one-minute announcement by the Mufti on Hari Raya Aidil Fitri, made at 7.45 pm on Monday, 19th February, 1996, was not immediately followed by the Takbir, as it should be. Instead, the Mufti's announcement was quickly followed by strings of "Noodles", "Golden Chance", and such commercials. The Takbir came on the air only at 7.50 pm and went on till 8.00 pm. Incidentally, the Takbir is a series of religious incantations praising Allah, welcoming the month of Shawal, that is, the month of Hari Raya.”
“Speaking of Brunei, I am just wondering if the Minister is aware that about a month or so ago, Prime 12 telecast the full text of a speech by the Brunei Permanent Secretary for Health when he officiated at a closing ceremony of a food nutrition course. At last year's Committee of Supply, I did draw the attention of the Minister of a similar coverage of the speech of Her Majesty, the Raja Isteri, when she officiated at a handicraft exhibition in Bandar Seri Begawan. One year has since passed, and we are still getting such programmes on Prime 12. There must be reasons for this. And I hope the Minister can tell us what these reasons are. Sir, except for his annual National Day Rally speech, which is televised live, I do not think the former SBC, now TCS, or TV 12 Private Limited, has ever given full coverage to any of the speeches of Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong, let alone Permanent Secretaries of Government Ministries. Therefore, without being disrespectful to Her Majesty, the Raja Isteri, and not wanting to sound unfriendly to the Permanent Secretary for Health, may I ask the Minister what is the relevance of such programmes to Malay Singaporean viewers of Prime 12? Sir, I am happy to note that a Malay Programme Advisory Committee, under the chairmanship of Dr Yaacob Ibrahim, the first Deputy Chairman of MENDAKI, has been set up to advise the Singapore Broadcasting Authority (SBA) on Malay programmes. Could the Minister tell us the progress of this Committee and what it plans to do to improve the quality of Malay programmes on Prime 12? And will the Minister make public the recommendations of this Committee? Sir, if you recall, the former SBC was first converted from a Government department to a statutory board on 1st February 1980.”
“Mr Chairman, Sir, I rise this time to speak on Malay programmes on Prime 12 of TV12 Private Limited and on WARNA 94.2 FM of Radio Corporation of Singapore (RCS). Sir, on 15th March 1994, during the Committee of Supply to consider the estimates of his Ministry, the Minister for Information and the Arts gave this House a host of reasons why the then SBC must go for local productions. Amongst other things, BG George Yeo told this House, and I quote: `They must go for local productions because the experience all over the world is that people like information, education, entertainment about their own local communities.' [Hansard, Vol. 62, Cols. 1035 - 1036]. Sir, if that is the case, then why is it that we are still getting a lot of Malay programmes from Brunei, Malaysia and Indonesia on Prime 12? I am sorry to have to tell the Minister, Sir, that many of these programmes lack quality. Some of them are even old programmes, perhaps seen by television viewers in their respective countries of origin sometime ago. And to make matters worse, some of these programmes have been further edited, presumably by TV12, that they are no longer wholesome. I suspect, Sir, that editing by TV12 is necessary, even though there is hardly anything objectionable on the programme, in order to make way for television commercials. Sir, is it because it is much cheaper to source Malay programmes from the countries that I have mentioned, compared to if they were to be produced locally, that they are being shown on Prime 12? Sir, I mentioned Brunei earlier on in my speech.”
“Sir, I would like to urge the Minister, the newly appointed panel chaired by Mr Hsuan Owyang, and certainly the people in charge of Channel 12 Pte Ltd, to look into the quality of Malay programmes on Channel 12. There is not much point in increasing the number of hours of Malay programmes on Channel 12 if quality is not there. And if the people in charge of Channel 12 think that by increasing the number of hours of Malay programmes for Channel 12 Malay Singaporeans are going to be happy, then they are sadly mistaken. Sir, if we do not take an interest in the way Malay programmes are being planned, then I am afraid, as far as Malay viewers are concerned, Channel 12 will degenerate into a channel that is void of any meaningful viewing. It will degenerate into a channel that even the Malays themselves do not want to watch. Sir, I hope this time the Minister will give concrete replies to the points raised, and not come out with some general philosophical statements as he did last year.”
“Sir, if the Minister suggests that we should go for more local productions, then why is it that we are still getting Malay programmes from Malaysia, Indonesia and Brunei? And speaking of Brunei, I do not know if the Minister is aware that about a month or so ago, on a Saturday afternoon during the recent fasting month, Channel 12 showed the full text of a speech by Her Majesty, the Raja Isteri Pengiran Anak Hajjah Salleha, wife of the Sultan of Brunei, when she officiated at a handicraft exhibition of some sort in Bandar Seri Begawan. Not only that, Channel 12 also showed the full text of the speech of the chairperson of the exhibition's organising committee. Without being disrespectful to Her Majesty, Sir, may I ask the Minister what is the relevance of this programme to Singaporean Malays watching Channel 12? What I want to know from the Minister is what has happened to all the Malay producers of the former SBC - names like Mokram Kassim, Amirudin Abbas, Suhaimi Jais, just to name a few? They must have been redeployed somewhere when SBC was chopped into bits and pieces, resulting in TCS, RCS, Channel 12 Pte Ltd and God knows what else. These are Malay producers of calibre. They have good track records based on the programmes that they have produced for SBC. In fact, some of them are now producing English programmes, a testimony to their abilities. If they are around, what I want to know from the Minister is: what are they doing now? If they are on full-time production of English programmes, or if they have left Caldecott Hill for greener pastures elsewhere, have the vacancies they created been filled?”
“If this could not be done, for whatever reasons, then do not dedicate it, so to speak, to Hari Raya. 4.00 pm Now I come to Channel 12. Sir, what is the policy of Channel 12 Pte Ltd, if I may ask the Minister? Because, as a viewer, it seems to me that where there is money to be made, through sponsorships, Channel 12 Pte Ltd would grab it. And the programme that immediately comes to mind is the "Japan Hour". What is the purpose of telecasting this weekly current affairs programme in Japanese other than meeting the interest of the small Japanese community here in Singapore? Of course, TCS has now introduced English sub-titles to this programme. Even so, what is the relevance to Singaporeans of this programme which shows daily happenings in Japan? Sir, this policy of Channel 12 Pte Ltd is not new. In fact, it is a carry over of the policy of the former SBC. I remember tuning into Channel 12 one evening early last year and, lo and behold, what did I find? 44th NHK Anniversary Song Festival or something like that, all in Japanese. And a check with the issue of Radio Times of that week revealed that a three or four-hour slot had been reserved just for that programme. My question is: Is Channel 12 Pte Ltd catering to the interests of foreign minority groups here? The Minister may wish to explain. But, Sir, my greatest concern is over Malay programmes that Malay viewers get to watch on Channel 12. I remember the Minister saying in this House on 15th March 1994 that we should go for more local productions. By that, I presume good local productions, not of the standard of Ra Ra Show or Gotcha. Sir, to me, Gotcha is downright stupid.”
“Yes, to me watching TV is part of my duty. Otherwise, I would not know what is going on. Chicago Hope, the much acclaimed X-Files, Message from Nam, just to name a few. Sir, TCS's current affairs programmes - Money Mind, Inside Asia, Talking Point - are, by and large, not bad, although I must say that there is room for improvement in the pronunciation and diction of some of the presenters of Talking Point. Now, I come to AM Singapore. I am sorry to say, Sir, that there is not much substance in this programme, unlike similar programmes like Malaysia TV3's Malaysia Hari Ini, or Malaysia Today, and RTM1's Selamat Pagi Malaysia, or Good Morning Malaysia. Sir, I am sure TCS could put Diana Koh to much better use than to make her sit in the studio every morning from 6.00 to 8.30, Monday to Friday, just to co-host AM Singapore. I am sure viewers of Channel 5 would agree with me if I say that we miss Diana Koh on News 5 at 10.30 pm. Sir, I am very disappointed with TCS' recent Road Show which was telecast on Sunday, 12th March. I would not bring this matter up if it was just an ordinary Road Show. But this particular Road Show was not an ordinary Road Show. It was a Road Show to celebrate Hari Raya Aidilfitri. And to capture the mood and the spirit of Hari Raya, the location chosen, and quite appropriate too, was Geylang. In fact, a theme, Colours of Hari Raya, was given to this particular Road Show. But what do we get, Sir? The entire show was in English except for three songs in Malay. Even the traditional dikir barat was in English. Sir, whatever the reasons were, I feel that it would have been more appropriate to have the whole Road Show, or at least a good part of it, in Malay.”
“Sir, the tone of my speech this afternoon is very much dictated by my mood which in turn is dictated by whether or not I have been happy with TV programmes on Channels 5 and 12 in the past one year. Sir, I do not watch Channel 8 for obvious reason. So it is not in my position to comment its programmes. But I believe my Mandarin-speaking colleagues in this House will. Sir, if you recall, last year, I have labelled the former SBC as the "Same Boring Channel". In fact, I think I am expected to come up with a new name for TCS. Indeed, I have received a number of suggestions from my well-wishers. But, for today, I can assure the Minister that he need not worry, I am not going to do that. But I am sorry to have to tell him that it is still the "Same Boring Channel" as far as Malay programmes on Channel 12 are concerned. But before I lambast Channel 12, or more appropriately the company, Channel 12 Pte Limited, let me give credit where credit is due. Sir, I must congratulate Television Corporation of Singapore, or TCS, for its local productions of Masters of the Sea and Under One Roof. And I must compliment the cast, especially Nora Samosir, Donald Lee, Tan Keng Wah, Margaret Chan, Moses Lim, Koh Chieng Mun, for their splendid performances, although I must say that Margaret Chan as the matriarch Tan Geok Neo in Masters of the Sea tends to overact at times but, nonetheless, she is good. Sir, TCS should also be congratulated for some of its good and entertaining mini-series in English. Scarlett, for example, which is a sequel to Gone with the Wind. Chicago Hope - An hon. Member: Whole day, you are watching TV.”
“Because if SBC conducts those surveys or SBC administers the people meter, what other conclusions can we get? Finally, Sir, I would like to urge the Minister, and certainly the General Manager of SBC, to re-look into SBC's programmes. If we do not take an interest in the way programming is being planned, then I am afraid SBC will continue to degenerate into a channel that is void of any meaningful viewing.”
“If that is the case, could I ask the Minister for the reasons why SBC is showing a number of Malaysia's TV3 Malay programmes on SBC 12? And included among these is "Muzik, Muzik 93". It is a musical, telecast time: between 2.30 and 3.30 pm on Saturday. There is another one called Pi Mai Pi Mai Tang Tu, a half-hour comedy, telecast time: 5.00 pm, also on Saturday. 2+1, another half-hour comedy series, telecast time: 3.00 pm on Saturday. I can go on with a few more but I think three will be sufficient as an illustration. [Dr Yeo Ning Hong enters the Chamber]. Welcome to the club, Dr Yeo. What I want to know from the Minister is: what has happened to all the Malay producers of SBC? Names like Mockram Kassim, Amiruddin Abbas and Suhaimi Jais, for that matter. I know the Minister will say that Suhaimi Jais is busy producing English programmes. Okay. But what has happened to the rest of them? These are Malay producers of calibre. They have good track records of the kind of programmes they produced for SBC. I know they are still on SBC's payroll and therefore what I want to know from the Minister is: what are they doing? Sir, in trying to defend SBC's decision to up the TV licence fee, the Minister, at the sitting of this House on 23rd February, did say that the number of viewers of SBC programmes has increased. Today, we get to see on SBC Channel 5 another of SBC's claim, namely, that 99% of housewives watch SBC programmes weekly. What I want to know from the Minister, Sir, is this: how is it that SBC always comes to these happy conclusions? Do the conclusions come from surveys or people meter, as the Minister put it yesterday? If so, who conducts the surveys or who administers the people meter?”
“Anyway, Sir, I congratulate the Minister for withdrawing Ra Ra Show although he did tell us yesterday that he did it with most reluctance. Next, I want to know from him when can we expect the demise of Gotcha! Sir, with regard to video clip re-runs, I have nothing more to add to what has been so eloquently, so aptly, put across by my colleague, the Minister for Defence. I can see that Dr Yeo could hardly wait till July when he comes over to this side of the House to have his first public salvo on SBC. He is not here. Anyway, I welcome Dr Yeo to join the unofficial backbenchers' SBC Monitoring Club. Dr Yeo adequately summarised the frustrations of viewers who at one time were made to listen to and watch, for example, Mariah Carey perform "Dreamlover" over and over again. Sir, I enjoy Mariah Carey's songs but to watch her perform "Dreamlover" ad nauseam, to borrow Dr Yeo's expression, is quite something else. What did SBC do as a result of Dr Yeo's comments? They began to show the Black Knights ad nauseam. Either this was SBC's rude response to Dr Yeo's criticism or the person or persons in charge of programming did not use very much of the stuff up here [indicating] to draw up programmes for us, the viewers. This is the problem of being a monopoly in the country and, to make matters worse, SBC keeps on telling us how good they are. I know many viewers, myself included, who have switched off SBC and given up on it. It is better to watch video tapes, laser discs or turn on a Malaysian channel or even go to the cinema. But, Sir, my greatest concern is over the Malay programmes that Malay viewers get to watch on SBC 12. In his reply yesterday, the Minister said that SBC must go for more local productions, and good local productions.”
“Sir, after 22 years in office, I feel very, very good to speak from this side of the House. Sir, "Channel 5 - Where it all happens" - that is the slogan we hear from SBC these days and quite often too. But I think a more appropriate slogan, Sir, is "Channel 5 - What is happening". All I can say is that lots of strange things are happening on SBC 5 and 12 and perhaps on SBC 8 too. I say "perhaps" because I do not normally watch SBC 8 for obvious reasons. Sir, judging by the many criticisms and complaints we get, SBC is going downhill unless something is done to save it. But of course SBC will tell us how great a station it is by its so-called "New Look", by its new $8- million newsroom. But what do we, as viewers, get? The Same Boring Channel. That's what SBC stands for: Same Boring Channel. Mr Chairman, Sir, I agree with many of the observations made by previous speakers on SBC. However, I would like to add my own comments on locally produced programmes. But before I do that, Sir, I would like to state at the outset that I am not against local talents. I am not against local groups. Indeed, there are a number of such groups in Singapore today which are worthy of our support. Singapore Dance Theatre (SDT) is one very good example. Sometimes I wonder whether Government has given the SDT as much support as it has the SSO. The Minister may want to comment on that. Coming back to the subject of local production: Sir, if local productions are insulting the intelligence of Singaporeans, then I say we should not support them. In this respect, the Ra Ra Show and Gotcha!, which SBC considers clever, funny and entertaining, come under this category of production.”
“45 pm Sir, on wakaf properties, the House may want to know that the first development project comprising four units of terrace houses at Duku Road has been completed. This year, two more projects at Lorong L and Lorong G, Telok Kurau, will be launched. When completed, MUIS will sell these properties on a 99-year lease and funds generated from the sale will be used for the development of other properties. On travel agents for pilgrimage to the Holy Lands, I take note of the suggestions by Encik Mohamad Maidin and we will have them considered by MUIS.”
“This is a condition imposed by MUIS recently, Sir, arising from financial difficulties the Hasanah Mosque Management Committee landed themselves in when they spent more than what they had raised in the rebuilding of their mosque in Teban Gardens. I know turn to Zakat Harta. Under the Administration of Muslim Law Act (AMLA), MUIS can require Muslims in Singapore to pay their Zakat Harta, like their Zakat Fitrah, to MUIS only. However, that particular provision in AMLA has not been invoked. Sir, whilst MUIS is accountable for the collection of Zakat Harta, the same accountability applies to other organisations which also collect Zakat Harta. These organisations should publish their zakat accounts so that contributors are aware of how the collections are allocated to the eight asnaf or categories of recipients. Sir, to encourage Muslims to pay the Zakat Harta, MUIS publishes a brochure on the subject for distribution to the Muslim public. Sir, with regard to Halal certificates, I would like to inform this House that MUIS is the sole authority to issue such certificates. In 1992, 108 eating establishments were issued with the MUIS Halal certificate. The certificate has a validity period of one year and is renewable. MUIS conducts surprise checks on these establishments to ensure that the holder of the Halal certificate complies strictly to the Halal requirements. Of the 108 Halal certificate holders, two so far have been suspended for breaching some of the Halal requirements laid out by MUIS. Neither of them have been brought to court yet, but a report has been lodged with the relevant authority for follow-up action. 4.”
“Sir, between Encik Ibrahim Othman and Encik Mohamad Maidin, they have covered five subjects. I shall attempt to give complete answers to as many subjects as possible within the five minutes at my disposal. Sir, on the Mosque Building Fund (MBF), Encik Ibrahim may wish to know that the monthly collection of the Fund is about $400,000. The money is currently being used to meet the development cost of the new Masjid Alkaff Kampung Melayu now being constructed at Bedok Reservoir. With construction cost escalating, the MBF collections are quite inadequate and, hitherto, MUIS has advanced about $1 million from its baitulmal account to help meet some of the payments of the earlier mosques built under the Mosque Building Programme. To meet the shortfall in the MBF, MUIS, since 1989, has launched two campaigns to encourage Muslims in Singapore to contribute more to the MBF. MUIS is closely monitoring the cash flow situation of the MBF and will decide later whether or not to mount another campaign. Sir, with regard to Phase III of the MUIS' Mosque Building Programme, Encik Ibrahim may be pleased to know that it will start in 1994 with the construction of the first mosque in Chua Chu Kang. On re-building of old mosques, I would like to stress that MUIS does not finance such programme. The Management Committees of these mosques are usually encouraged to repair or upgrade rather than re-build them. However, before embarking on such projects, the Management Committees are to seek MUIS' approval. But whether they repair, upgrade or rebuild, Management Committees of old mosques are required to have in their kitty at least 75% of the estimated cost before MUIS allows them to proceed with the work.”
“Mr Chairman, Sir, Encik Ibrahim Othman has asked a number of questions on Muslim divorces. On the actual number of Muslim divorces registered in 1992, the answer is 1,002. On whether the various programmes mounted by the Syariah Court and the other organisations have been successful in reducing the number of divorces, my answer is "fairly successful". For instance, Sir, of the 3,082 applications for divorce for the five-year period (1988 to 1992), 1,097 cases, or slightly more than a third, were reconciled. On whether the Syariah Court has done any study on the background of couples seeking divorce, the answer is, of course, yes. In carrying out its conciliation work, the Syariah Court inevitably studies the background of the couples seeking divorce and, apart from helping parties reach a conciliation, the studies also help to identify the main causes of divorce in the Muslim community. These matters are taken into account by the Registry of Muslim Marriages when preparing Marriage Guidance Course for couples intending to get married.”
“Sir, the question has been answered and the photographs have also been labelled with the time they were taken. My point is that if the Member claims that his constituency does not have a littering problem, then there should not be any litter at any time of the day, 5.30 am regardless. ESTIMATES OF EXPENDITURE FOR THE FINANCIAL YEAR 1ST APRIL, 1993 TO 31ST MARCH, 1994 Order read for consideration in Committee of Supply [5th Allotted Day]. [Mr Speaker in the Chair] Head P (cont.) - Amendment moved [15th March, 1993], "That the sum to be allocated for Head P of the Main Estimates be reduced by $10 in respect of Code PA 1500." - [Dr Kanwaljit Soin].”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, if Potong Pasir Constituency does not have a littering problem, as the Member claims, there should not be any litter at any time. Mr Chiam See Tong rose ---”
“Mr Chiam may be interested to know that we talked to some of the cleaners employed by the contractor engaged by the Potong Pasir Town Council and they told us that in some blocks the littering is so bad that they have got to be cleaned twice a day - once at 6.30 in the morning and the other time is around 2.00 in the afternoon.”
“Sir, the job specification given to me by none other than Mr Chiam himself is simple and straightforward. He claims that he does not have a littering problem and my job is to show that he has. The photographs clearly show there is a littering problem. True, the photographs were taken before the cleaners swept the litter.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I am aware of that circular. Unfortunately, my Public Health Officers have reported that despite the circular there has not been any improvement to the littering problem. Even till this morning, Sir, when we inspected Potong Pasir, littering was still evident. I have another set of photographs, Sir, fresh from the dark room of my Ministry, taken early this morning. For example, you can see discarded beer bottles at the open space near or beside Block 136 Potong Pasir Avenue 3; the grass verge next to Block 107, Potong Pasir Avenue 1, is also very badly littered; a discarded shopping trolley is found at the void deck of Block 102, Potong Pasir Avenue 1, and so on and so forth. I have only one set of the photographs which I shall circulate to Members.”
“Yes, Sir. [Copy of photographs handed to Mr Chiam See Tong]. If you look at the photographs, the types of litter range from waste paper to cardboard box and lubricating oil container (Photo No. 4), to plastic bags and food wrappers (Photo No. 10), and even to discarded vinyl zip-up cupboards (Photo No. 12). Sir, the evidence I have shows beyond any reasonable doubt that there is a littering problem in Potong Pasir Constituency.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, when I last discussed the littering problem with the Member for Potong Pasir in this House on 26 February 93, he was adamant that his constituency did not have a littering problem. I would like to report, Sir, that either the Member does not want to believe that his constituency has a littering problem or he does not know that there is such a problem. When I asked my staff to inspect Potong Pasir, they reported that they found heavy littering in several places. Sir, if you recall, the Member for Potong Pasir, at the meeting of this House on 26 February 93, had asked me to name a block or any particular area in Potong Pasir which had been littered. I shall oblige him now, Sir, not with just one block but several blocks and with photographs too. The blocks are 101, 102, 108, 119 and 120 of Potong Pasir Avenue 1; Blocks 136 and 142 of Potong Pasir Avenue 3; and the children's playground adjacent to Block 120 of Potong Pasir Avenue 1. For some of these blocks, for example, Blocks 101, 119 and 120 of Potong Pasir Avenue 1, litter was found on repeat visits. I have got some photographs which I shall distribute to you, Sir.”
“We do send Public Health Officers to inspect abattoirs, especially the ones that are slaughtering halal chicken and we do it as frequently as we can because Public Health Officers have other functions to perform as well. LIBERALISATION OF USE OF CPF FOR INVESTMENT AND HOUSING (Statement by the Minister for Labour)”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, at present, there are 13 licensed poultry abattoirs and their combined output is sufficient to meet the demand for dressed poultry from wet market stalls, supermarkets, retail outlets and food establishments. In addition, Sir, four new licensed poultry abattoirs will be commissioned soon.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I am pleased to inform the House that with poultry slaughtering phased out in the last lot of wet markets on 1st March this year, the exercise, which started in April 1991 has been successfully completed. The general condition of the 102 wetmarkets has improved markedly. Today, wet markets are no longer messy. The floors are now much drier. Odour, noise, littering and waste water from live poultry stalls have also been eliminated. The dressed poultry sold in wet markets and other retail outlets are now entirely supplied by licensed poultry abattoirs. The poultry are hygienically and freshly slaughtered and the date of slaughter is tagged. Poultry that are slaughtered according to Muslim rites are also tagged halal. There were no complaints received from consumers on the freshness of poultry since the law requiring the date marking of dressed poultry was introduced in July 1992.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I am glad to report that the cleanliness of public toilets in Singapore has improved significantly over the past two years. The number found to be dirty or with defective sanitary fittings has decreased from 911 in 1991 to 489 in 1992. Generally, the operators of public toilets have become more aware of their responsibility and many of them have responded positively to my Ministry's call to upgrade the standard of our public toilets. So far, a total of 910 private, Government and statutory board premises have upgraded their toilets and fitted them with sensor-operated flush valves. About 80% of these upgraded toilets are located in eating establishments. Last December, Sir, my Ministry introduced a regulation requiring operators of public toilets to provide adequate toilet paper, soap or liquid detergent, clean towels or hand dryers and litter bins. It is hoped that members of the public will not abuse the basic toiletries provided but learn to use them in a responsible manner. Sir, even with the improvement to our public toilets, my Ministry still receives an average of 10 complaints a month on dirty public toilets. We will continue to impress upon operators of public toilets to maintain a high standard of cleanliness. I would like to call upon users of these toilets to cooperate by treating public toilets as if they were their own. Members of the public can help the operators maintain the toilets in a clean, dry and tidy condition. POULTRY SLAUGHTERING IN WET MARKETS (Phasing out) 2. Mr Teo Chong Tee asked the Minister for the Environment whether the phasing out of poultry slaughtering in wet markets has achieved its objective and whether there have been complaints from consumers about the freshness of the poultry.”
“I am speaking from memory, Sir. I think it will cost between $500 and $1,000, if I am correct. The modification will cost about that much.”
“They will be allowed until the year 2030. Home air-conditioners, therefore, will not be affected by the phasing-out of CFCs on 1st January 1996.”
“Sir, in 1989, Singapore signed the Montreal Protocol which specified the phase-out date of 1st January 2000 for CFCs. Since then, Sir, we have helped the affected industries to switch to production processes that do not depend on CFCs. EDB and SISIR provided financial and technical assistance respectively to the companies making the switch. Our CFC consumption in 1992 has dropped to about 1,900 tonnes from 4,000 tonnes in 1986. In fact, Sir, we are very much ahead of the phase-out schedule under the Protocol. 1.15 pm However, Sir, as correctly mentioned by Dr John Chen, parties to the Montreal Protocol have recently decided to bring forward the phase-out date by four years. Fortunately for us, Sir, because of the prompt actions taken by us in the past few years, we are now in a good position to comply with the new phase-out date of 1st January 1996. I would also like to add that the new phase-out date applies to the use as well as the production of CFCs. So global supply of CFCs will dwindle as major CFC producers scale down their operations nearer the phase-out date. Our industries will have no choice but to make the switch. Vehicle air-conditioners that use CFCs can either be modified or changed to use substitute coolants. We anticipate that nearer the phase-out date of 1st January 1996, vehicle air-conditioners using CFCs may be in excess of demand. To prevent any dumping of such air-conditioners in Singapore, it will be necessary to control the use of CFCs in new vehicles ahead of the phase-out date. With this in mind, the Government has decided that all air-conditioners fitted in new vehicles registered in Singapore from 1st January 1995 should use coolants that are free of CFCs. Refrigerants used in home air-conditioners have low ozone-depleting potential.”
“As I mentioned just now, Sir, the levels of particulates, nitrogen oxides and hydrocarbons have not improved. At best, they remain steady. They will rise as the number of diesel vehicles increases. So the use of 0.3%-sulphur diesel will enable us at some future date to introduce new emission standards to reduce the amount of these pollutants in our air should they increase. Assoc. Prof. Low Seow Chay spoke on compressed natural gas (CNG) vehicles. Sir, CNG is, of course, a much cleaner fuel than petrol and diesel. Therefore, from the environmental viewpoint, vehicles powered by CNG are therefore more desirable than conventional vehicles. But the use of CNG vehicles in Singapore depends on our ability to source the natural gas. Then there must also be the infrastructure for the safe storage and distribution of the gas. My Ministry is forming an inter-ministry workgroup to study in detail the use of clean vehicles. Incentives to promote the use of CNG vehicles will certainly be one of the issues to be looked into. As the Member correctly pointed out, it will be some years before electric vehicles become commercially viable. The electric vehicles that have been developed so far have a limited range of about 100-150 km per battery charged. As he mentioned just now, each battery charge takes up to eight hours. More research and development on electric vehicles is obviously needed. But even when produced on a commercial scale, I feel that electric vehicles will still cost more than conventional vehicles. At an appropriate time, the Government will study the need for incentives to make it worthwhile to own and operate such vehicles. Sir, I shall now turn to the final subject of discussion: Environmentally Hazardous Substances, raised by Dr John Chen.”
“With these measures, air pollution levels in Singapore have either dropped or held steady, although there are now 40% more vehicles on our roads than in 1981. Sir, the improvement in the ambient lead level is most significant. The level, as it stands today, is only one-seventh of the 1981 level. Half the cars that can run on unleaded petrol have already switched to the cleaner fuel. What I would like to do is to urge the remaining half to switch to unleaded petrol so that our air will be even cleaner. Sir, the experience over the last two years shows that unleaded petrol does not lower engine performance. Besides, it is much cheaper. Sir, the levels of carbon monoxide and sulphur dioxide in our air have also improved. They are now about 70% of their respective levels in 1981. Hydrocarbon and particulate levels are steady. However, the roadside levels of nitrogen oxides are slowly rising. The levels of all these pollutants will rise if more cars are added to our roads. Therefore, to keep them from rising, we must continue to adopt more stringent emission limits and to use cleaner fuels. Sir, I would like to take this opportunity to announce that from 1996 the sulphur level in automotive diesel will be reduced from the current limit of 0.5% by weight to 0.3% by weight. It is estimated that particulate emissions from diesel vehicles can be reduced by another 25% if sulphur in automotive diesel is reduced from 0.5% to 0.3% by weight. What about cost to the consumer, you may ask? Sir, the use of lower sulphur diesel should not result in higher costs of fuel. In fact, one of the oil companies is currently retailing 0.3%-sulphur diesel at the same pump price as the 0.5%-sulphur diesel.”
“Mr Chairman, Sir, on the subject of safety audits for the chemical industry, I would like to emphasise that all aspects pertaining to safety are carefully studied before a chemical plant is allowed to be set up in Singapore. Of primary importance, Sir, is the proper siting of these chemical plants away from congested public places. The design of the plant must also incorporate whatever safety measures and controls that may be imposed as a result of the study. All these measures and controls will, to a large extent, minimise the potential hazards. At present, chemical plants are regularly checked by the relevant authorities, such as the Department of Industrial Safety of the Ministry of Labour, the Fire Safety Bureau of the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Pollution Control Department of my Ministry, to ensure continued compliance with the requirements. They are also required to seek approval for any major changes which may affect the safety environment of the plants. Requiring companies, new and old, which operate chemical plants or potentially hazardous factories to comply with all the statutory safety measures will prevent accidents. It is also in the interest of such companies to conduct their own safety audits regularly, as suggested by Dr Chen. Such audits can be undertaken by in-house safety professionals or specialist safety consultants. I believe the Ministry of Labour is currently conducting a study to identify these companies and to encourage them to conduct safety audits. On the subject of vehicle emission control, as raised by the Member for Thomson GRC, the House may want to know that over the years we have adopted various measures to keep our air clean. These measures include the use of cleaner fuels and the adoption of stricter emission standards.”
“Since my Ministry introduced the Green Labelling Scheme in August last year, we have received enthusiastic response from manufacturers and retailers to participate in the Scheme. A recent survey conducted by my Ministry showed that support from members of the public for Green Label products has also been encouraging. Six of the 15 companies surveyed reported an increase in the sale of Green Label products ranging from 2% to 60%. And I would certainly like to congratulate our environment-friendly citizens who have made a choice to protect our environment.”
“We can only minimise its impact. So to control noise, our primary focus will be on preventive measures to minimise noise impact. As far as possible, we will use appropriate engineering or planning measures to do this. For example, to reduce traffic noise from expressways, the PWD has implemented several measures such as lowering the road gradient, optimising traffic flows and controlling speed limits. The PWD is also looking into the feasibility of using noise absorbing materials for paving roads. And to cut down traffic noise level further, the ROV is currently examining the noise emission standards for vehicles. Sir, we have the necessary legislation to control various types of noise and these are enforced by several appropriate authorities. But the House may be interested to know that the Green Plan Workgroup on Noise has recommended the setting up of a central unit in my Ministry to ensure that controls by the various authorities are guided by well-coordinated policy directions and objectives. Apart from a few areas where new legislation may be required, existing laws are sufficiently comprehensive. I will now answer some of the issues raised by Mr Choo Wee Khiang. To minimise the impact of noise from the CTE, residential developments in the vicinity of the CTE are kept at least 30 metres away from the expressway. The PWD, as I have mentioned earlier on, has implemented several other measures to minimise the impact of traffic noise from the Central Expressway. Sir, on Green Labelling, the Scheme now covers 5 product categories - 4 on recycled paper products and 1 on carbon-zinc batteries. In the next 4 months, another eight product categories will be introduced and these include alkaline batteries, compact fluorescent lamps and detergents.”
“For example, we are now trying out a small mobile machine to clean open parks and walkways. If proven successful, this machine can replace a few workers. But in the longer-term, there will be a limit to mechanisation and it will be necessary and crucial to have the community's support and cooperation. If everyone can help keep our public places clean by not littering, we will need fewer workers for public cleansing. As to whether Government takes a national approach in attempting to solve the cleansing of public places, the answer is yes. My Ministry does consult other relevant authorities, when necessary, to ensure that designs or modifications of infrastructures take into account public cleansing, especially in areas where it may not be possible to mechanise. For example, we got the PWD to redesign the inlet to the scupper drains as the older design gave rise to cleansing problems. We have also got the PWD to provide ramps for pedestrian malls and walkways to facilitate the use of mechanised mobile cleansing machines. Sometime ago, we also convinced the Parks and Recreation Department not to plant Ketapang trees as they shed leaves continuously which clogged up drains and drain outlets. Dr Chen also wants to know how much more of the rubbish we generate can be incinerated. With the completion of the third incineration plant at Senoko, we now have a total incineration capacity of 5,700 tonnes per day and we are able to burn all incinerable refuse generated up to the year 1997. With regard to his suggestion that sewers carry disintegrated solids to certain points for disposal, I will certainly ask the relevant department of my Ministry to look into the proposal. Let me turn to the subject of noise pollution. It will not be possible to eliminate noise.”
“The Pre-paid Bag System requires households to buy special bags for their refuse. The price of each bag will include the refuse removal fee. So households which throw out less rubbish will spend less on the bags. The Variable Bin System requires each household to obtain special bins for its refuse and the monthly refuse removal fee will depend on the size of the bin. By throwing less away, a smaller bin will be needed and the household will pay a lower fee. Sir, the introduction of a volume-based fee system will be a major change for Singapore. My Ministry will be considering these proposals very, very carefully before any decision is taken. We will not rush into it. On the subject of recycling brought up by Dr John Chen, our assessment is that it has achieved its objective of encouraging members of the public to practise resource conservation. Since the launching of the recycling programme, my Ministry has set up a total of 58 recycling centres. I agree with Dr Chen that there are some people who misuse the recycling bins, but I am happy to say that they form a small minority. The Member may wish to know that apart from recycling bins, my Ministry has also launched a pilot project in a housing estate for door-to-door collection of recyclable materials. We will also be launching a purpose-built recycling collection vehicle to serve about 10 private residential estates in the Bukit Timah area as part of my Ministry's expansion of the recycling programme. Dr Chen, like Mr Chew Heng Ching yesterday, has touched on a problem that my Ministry is most mindful of when he spoke on the shortage of public cleansing workers. Because of the problem we anticipate, my Ministry has over the years progressively introduced mechanisation to replace manual workers.”
“On the subject of dengue haemorrhagic fever, I am happy to say that the outbreak of the disease which occurred last year has been brought under control. The average number of cases over the past two months was 16 per week as compared to 55 cases per week last year. Nearly 5,000 households were fined for breeding mosquitoes within their premises last year. Three repeat offenders were prosecuted in court. Although the overall situation has improved, I would still like to urge Singaporeans to continue to take steps to prevent mosquito breeding. Sir, as the population of Aedes mosquitoes increases in a neighbourhood, that neighbourhood comes under threat of dengue haemorrhagic fever outbreak. Public health education will be my Ministry's overall strategy. We will also strengthen our monitoring and surveillance capabilities by building a quicker and more responsive alert system. This will enable any localised build-up of Aedes mosquitoes to be detected early so that ground operations can be mobilised quickly. For the information of this House, by the middle of this year, our surveillance programme will be fully computerised. On the subject of waste minimisation, this House may wish to note that the Green Plan Workgroup on Resource Conservation has made a number of recommendations to discourage excessive waste generation. One of the recommendations of the Workgroup is for households to pay by the amount of refuse discarded. In this way, the Workgroup hopes that less refuse will be generated as households curb their refuse output in order to save on refuse removal fees. Such a volume-based fee can take a number of forms. My Ministry is presently considering two alternatives: the Pre-paid Bag System and the Variable Bin System for landed properties. What are these systems?”
“This is becoming quite a serious problem and is preventing the removal of refuse from centralised refuse chutes in a number of housing estates. My Ministry is working with the HDB and several town councils to see how best obstruction caused by illegal parking can be minimised. I would also like to seek the cooperation of motorists to refrain from parking illegally in front of centralised refuse chutes and bin centres. 12.45 pm Mr Goh Choon Kang yesterday expressed concern over the effect of tendering out hawker stalls on food prices. Let me at the outset clarify that, apart from the four hawker stalls at Newton Food Centre, the other stalls that were put up for tender recently were the vacant wet market stalls. As I have said earlier, these vacant wet market stalls were in excess of what we need for resettlement purposes. Sir, food prices are not likely to rise as a result of the tendering out of these vacant wet market stalls. The number of vacant wet market stalls put up for tender forms only a small proportion of the overall number. For example, the Buffalo Road Market has about 400 stalls, of which only 13 were tendered out. These 13 stalls will not be able to compete with the rest in the market if their food prices were high. In fact, food prices in private dry markets are comparable to those in wet markets even though dry market stallholders pay very much higher rentals. Sir, tendering is a more efficient and equitable method of allocating limited resources. In the past, applicants for hawker stalls had to participate in ballots. Success depended on luck, rather than on their ability to provide good service to the customers.”
“In countries like the UK and indeed in the US and other countries in Europe, households give a lot of cooperation to refuse collectors. In these countries, refuse is collected once a week. In order to minimise littering and other public health problems, residents bring out the refuse on collection day. Sir, in Singapore, everyone should also cooperate and not take refuse collection for granted. For example, for the 85% of residents living in flats, if they were to bag their refuse before dropping them into the chutes, the workmen will certainly find it much easier to empty the bins at the chute. For those who live in landed property, the one-man-operated (OMO) method may be a possible way of reducing the number of refuse collection workers required. Alternate-day collection may be another alternative. But really, Sir, if everyone practises waste minimisation through reuse and recycling, there will be less waste and we may not even need the extra workmen in future. But whatever it is, my Ministry will continue to provide a good level of refuse collection service despite the manpower shortage. Mr Charles Chong yesterday spoke of complaints from Pasir Ris residents about the non-collection of refuse from their centralised refuse chutes and he wanted to know what my Ministry proposes to do to deal with such situation so that refuse would be collected regularly. Sir, refuse thrown down the centralised chutes is collected in special bins at the bottom of the chutes. As the quantity in each bin is large, the refuse has to be mechanically removed by our refuse trucks. Indiscriminate parking of vehicles in front of these chutes obstructs our operation.”
“Mr Chairman, Sir, let me fist deal with the subject of Privatisation of Hawker Centres. However, I would like to inform this House and, in particular, hon. Members who spoke on the subject at yesterday's sitting, that I will be speaking in general terms as many of the details of the scheme are still being worked out. Sir, the Government is looking into the possibility of selling hawker stalls to incumbent stallholders. After buying over the stalls, the hawkers can, as suggested by Mr Peh Chin Hua yesterday, form management committees to manage the respective hawker centres. The terms and conditions of the sale will be made as attractive as possible. The selling price will be kept affordable and the details of the terms and conditions of sale and selling price will be announced later. Sir, I may add that the privatisation proposal for hawker centres is separate and distinct from the recent tendering of vacant wet market stalls. The vacant wet market stalls that were put out for tender recently were in excess of what we need for resettlement purposes. Let me assure Members of this House that stalls that are already occupied will not be tendered out. It is our intention to sell them to incumbent stallholders. On the subject of Refuse Collection, Sir, I must thank Mr Chew Heng Ching for bringing up a very real concern which my Ministry faces. In the short term, my Ministry will attempt to overcome the manpower shortage by introducing more labour-saving methods for refuse collection. For example, refuse compactors will be installed at more bin centres. However, in the longer term, Sir, we will need the support and the cooperation of the community at large.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I beg to report that the Committee of Supply has made progress on the Estimates for the financial year 1993/1994, and ask leave to sit again tomorrow.”
“Sir, Mr Chin Harn Tong wants to know whether it is necessary to make CWO offenders wear a vest with the words, "CORRECTIVE WORK ORDER" emblazoned on the back of the vest. Sir, my Ministry's view is that we need to identify the CWO offenders to protect the innocent. Our workers and workers from the Parks and Recreation Department who are assigned to pick litter in parks and beaches must not be mistaken for CWO offenders. There are also many occasions when school children and voluntary workers from clubs, etc, who go down to parks and beaches to clean up the place as part of their community service. These people too must not be mistaken for CWO offenders. Therefore, I say that it is necessary for CWO offenders to wear the vest with the words "CORRECTIVE WORK ORDER" at the back of the vest.”
“Not every littering offender will be charged in court and punished with a CWO. Only those who litter with fairly large objects, like food containers, bags, bottles, and repeat offenders, will be liable to the CWO. This means that only about 10% to 15% of littering offenders will be liable to CWO. Since the CWOs must necessarily be held in a public place, it is inevitable that future CWO exercises will continue to attract attention from the public and the media. Sir, littering is something which concerns all of us because all of us want to live in a clean environment. Therefore, public interest in the matter is to be expected. Media coverage will serve to remind the public of the consequences of littering. And judging from the reports that I have received from my Public Health Officers and as highlighted by the Straits Times on Monday, 8th March, the deterrent effect of CWO is beginning to be effective. Sir, I would like to assure this House that it is not my Ministry's intention, nor is it its desire to taunt or embarrass the littering offenders unnecessarily. The very act itself is an embarrassment to the offender. That is inevitable. There is only one way to avoid being in that situation: DO NOT LITTER. Sir, being forgetful and leaving behind litter in public places is a very poor excuse for a lack of care and consideration for other people and for the environment. This we cannot accept. Because if we do, then everybody will be using that as an excuse whenever they are apprehended for littering. Sir, it only takes that bit of effort not to litter and the CWO, hopefully, will serve to heighten awareness and make people more conscious of their role in protecting the environment and the environmental public health.”