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.”
The complete record
Every one of 769 lines we hold for Ahmad Mattar, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 11 of 16.
“Mr Chairman, Sir, first of all, I would like to thank the Members for Kampong Ubi, Geylang Serai, Pasir Panjang, Telok Blangah and Kaki Bukit for the accolades they have given to the Majlis Ugama Islam Singapura (MUIS). MUIS will do its very best to give Muslims in Singapore the services they deserve. Sir, as most of the speakers have touched on pilgrimage arrangements for this year's Haj, I shall attempt a general reply not only to all the points they have raised but also on other aspects of the arrangements which they and the Muslims in Singapore ought to know. First of all, let me deal with one other issue raised by the hon. Member for Kampong Ubi. Sir, the Member wants to know the reason for the increase in grant to MUIS for FY 83. The grant to MUIS for FY 83 is $623,000. This is $178,000 or 40% more than the grant given to MUIS in FY 82. The Expenditure On Manpower (EOM) takes up $391,800, an increase of $63,100 or 19% over the FY 82 allocation. The Other Operating Expenditure (OOE) amounts to $231,200, an increase of $115,200 or 99%. The increase in the grant to MUIS for EOM is the result of the revision of staff salaries, the consolidation of NWC awards and the upgrading of one post of Clerical Officer to Executive Officer to be departmentally designated "Assistant Mufti". There are several reasons for the large increase in the grant for OOE. $58,000 has been approved for MUIS to publish a book on Muslims in Singapore for distribution internationally. $10,000 has been allocated for MUIS to rent a room in Makkah for use as a Medical Clinic for pilgrims, and $18,000 will be spent on a Word Processor. Another $6,600 has been approved for the maintenance of the official car provided for the use of the President of MUIS.”
“And not providing proper safety for the workers would be a negligent act. Has the Ministry considered prosecuting any of the employers or persons responsible for the safety under the sections of the Penal Code which carry greater sanctions? Where a person is prosecuted for causing the death of another by a negligent act, there is a prison term of two years if he is found guilty. Has the Ministry considered using the provisions in the Penal Code against employers? It may be that the provisions in the Factories Act do not allow for prosecutions in all cases where the employers have violated the safety code or requirements. Yesterday reference was made by a Member about the legislation in other countries. Has the Ministry any plans to bring in new legislation? For example, Safety in Work Places Act, laying down comprehensive rules and guidance for the safety of workers and then providing penal sanctions against employers who violate these codes or requirements laid down in the Act? I think the Ministry should think along these lines. I would urge the Ministry to consider that the safety of our workers must rank as a high priority with the Ministry more than anything else. I do not think the health and safety of our workers must be regarded as expendable in our pursuit of economic progress or industrial progress in our society. Workers must never be regarded as human fodder in our pursuit of all this success economically or industrially. I would like the Minister to state whether there have been any prosecutions of employers for the deaths that had occurred last year and the results of these prosecutions.”
“I asked then how many had been prosecuted in the courts, and we were told that only 33 employers were prosecuted for violation of the provisions of the Factories Act in 1982. I understand from the figures given to me by the Ministry of Labour that in 19% of the accidents, the fault lay solely with the employers. 19% of the figure of 5,760 works out to 1,094. In 16% of the accidents, the fault lay with both employers and employees. Again, for 5,760, 16% works out to 921, making a total of 2,016 accidents where the employers were wholly or partly to blame. I understood from the Minister of State that his department had imposed fines upon employers or suspended work for periods of time as sanctions for the violation of the safety precautions by employers. But what I do want to appeal to the Ministry is that the Ministry should consider prosecuting more of these employers who violate safety precautions in court. As I said, 1982 only saw 33 prosecutions in court and if you base that on the 2,016 accidents for which employers were wholly and partly responsible, it works out to only 1.6%. I do not know what is the reluctance or the difficulty that the Ministry has in prosecuting more of these employers in court. May I suggest to the Ministry that a prosecution in court will be far more salutary because it will bring to the attention of the public those companies or employers who are disregarding the safety of their workers. I think publicity itself would be a salutary effect apart from the fines or punishment that may be inflicted by the court. There were 80 deaths. I do not know whether any employer had been prosecuted for any of these deaths. There are sections in the Penal Code which make a person liable if he causes the death of another by a negligent act.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, nothing. MAIN AND DEVELOPMENT ESTIMATES OF SINGAPORE FOR THE FINANCIAL YEAR 1ST APRIL, 1983 TO 31ST MARCH, 1984 Order read for resumed consideration in Committee of Supply [5th Allotted Day]. [Mr Speaker in the Chair] 3.12 p.m. Head R (cont.) - Resumption of Debate on Question [21st March, 1983]. "That the sum to be allocated for Head R be reduced by $10 in respect of Subhead RD-03 of the Main Estimates." - [Dr Chau Sik Ting]. Question again proposed Mr J.B. Jeyaretnam (Anson): Mr Speaker, Sir, before I speak on this Sub-head, may I again, in view of your ruling, say that my firm does act for workmen in industrial accidents, but I have no direct personal pecuniary interest in any of the matters that I am raising in this House today. Sir, this Subhead is concerned with Industrial Safety, and it is about that that I wish to speak this afternoon. At the sitting of this House on the 4th March, I asked the Hon. Minister of State whether he would give me some figures on the accidents at work places for the year 1982. The figures were given to me yesterday, and I have them here. I see from here, Sir, that there were 5,760 accidents in the manufacturing and construction industries alone. And then there are another 131 accidents in the other industries and trades. We were told on 4th March, 1983, that deaths in the building industry had gone up by about 75%, 49 deaths, in 1982. But from the figures given to me, I see that there were a total of 80 deaths for the whole of the year at work places. I see that these 5,760 accidents in these two industries work out to more than 15 accidents per day, assuming that the workers work a full 365 days a year. That, may I say respectfully, Sir, would appear to me to be a very high rate of accident in these two industries.”
“The answer is: the Report of the Census of Singapore Population, 1980. This Report revealed that there were only 679 Malays with University qualifications in Singapore in 1980 compared to about 31,000 Chinese and 3,500 Indians. The Report further revealed, Sir, that of the total number of Malays aged five years and above in 1980, about 65% of them did not possess GCE 'O' level qualifications. Of these, 42% did not even pass the PSLE. So with these facts and figures staring in the eyes, Sir, the Muslim Members of this House got together one day to consider what best could be done to improve the situation, Following this, two meetings were held with leaders of seven leading Muslim organizations in Singapore which have been active in the field of secular education. It was agreed at these meetings, Sir, that we should put our heads together to see what could be done to improve the educational performances of Muslim students. Hence MENDAKI was formed on 10th October 1981. Subsequently four other leading Muslim organizations active in the field of religious education were included on MENDAKI. This, in a nutshell, is a brief account of events leading to the formation of MENDAKI.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the opposition political party referred to by the hon. Member for Ang Mo Kio is the Pertubohan Kebangsaan Melayu Singapore (PKMS). As I have stated in my concluding remark, Sir, MENDAKI is not an organ of the Ministry of Social Affairs. It is a voluntary effort on the part of the Muslim community. So since MENDAKI is not an organ of the Ministry of Social Affairs, it cannot be an organ of the Government, Even if MENDAKI was initiated by the Government, so what? If it is to profit the Muslim Singaporeans, why not? Let us take the Mosque Building Fund, Sir, as an example. Had it not been for the Government's efforts to set up the Fund through the CPF, the Muslim Religious Council (MUIS) could not have built ultramodern, multi-purpose mosques at the rate of one a year. This is a fact, Sir, and it is not something we need be apologetic about. MUIS has built six mosques under Phase I of its Mosque Building Programme, and it will be building nine more between now and the end of the decade. Mr Speaker, Sir, I can still vividly recall the Prime Minister's speech at the opening of the MENDAKI Congress in May last year. His words are still ringing in my ears. The Prime Minister said, Sir: 'it is in the interest of all to have Malay Singaporeans better-educated and better-qualified and to increase their contribution to Singapore's development.' For the benefit of this House and with your indulgence, Sir, I shall briefly describe how MENDAKI was formed. As a group of individuals, Sir, and more importantly, as Muslims, we, the Muslim Members of this House, have been very concerned with the poor achievements of Muslim Singaporeans, in particular the Malays in their educational performances. So what prompted us to form MENDAKI, you may ask, Sir?”
“The survey disclosed that the schools were using different textbooks obtained from various sources. The Committee, however, was of the view that the textbooks were acceptable and it therefore recommended their continued use. The Committee will soon start a project to write textbooks to suit the Singapore context. Training Course for religious teachers MUIS has organised three training courses since 1973. All religious teachers from madrasahs, mosques and other relevant institutions were invited to attend these courses. The last course, which was held at Masjid Al-Muttaqin from 22 to 30 November 1982, was attended by 120 religious teachers. Syllabi and textbooks for use by pupils in the madrasahs were among the topics discussed in the course. Future Plans In the long term, the following steps are being considered by the Committee: a. Courses/Seminars More courses and seminars will be organised from time to time to meet the needs of the religious teachers. b. Review The textbooks and syllabi will be subjected to periodic reviews by the Committee which will submit its recommendation for consideration by MUIS. c. Visits The Committee will organise a series of visits to madrasahs and mosques to see how religious classes are being conducted. Dialogues with the teachers will be arranged during such visits.”
“To ensure that the subject is taught only by qualified Muslim teachers, the Ministry of Education has enlisted the help of the Majlis Ugama Islam Singapura in: a. identifying suitable Muslim teachers to teach Islamic Religious Knowledge; b. providing a properly structured training course for these teachers; c. drawing up a training programme relevant to the needs of the teachers; and d. identifying suitable teachers for the training course. MUIS has also been asked to recommend, and where possible prepare, textbooks and teaching materials. MUIS set up a special committee headed by the Mufti of Singapore to deal with the Ministry of Education's requests. 145 teachers were selected to attend a training course in teaching Islamic Religious Knowledge. This 45-hour-long course was completed on 30 October 1982. The teachers were required to sit for an examination at the end of it to test their competence. Those teachers who successfully completed the course by attending at least 90% of the lectures and passing the end-of-course examination will receive a Certificate of Participation issued jointly by the Ministry of Education and MUIS. (iii) The following steps had been and are being taken to promote the use of better and appropriate syllabi and textbooks for the teaching of Islam for primary school students in mosques, madrasahs and other relevant institutions: Syllabi After a detailed study of the religious education conducted in madrasahs, MUIS set up a committee to prepare a set of syllabi for primary school students. The syllabi prepared by this committee were distributed to all madrasahs and mosques in Singapore for implementation. Textbooks The Committee also carried out a survey of the textbooks used by madrasahs in Singapore.”
“It is still too early to decide on the facilities to be provided next year. When all the details have been worked out for the 1983 pilgrimage, MUIS will disclose them to the pilgrims for their information. ADMINISTRATION OF MUSLIM LAW ACT AND TEACHING OF ISLAMIC RELIGIOUS KNOWLEDGE 22. Encik Mansor Haji Sukaimi asked the Acting Minister for Social Affairs what steps are being taken by his Ministry and the Majlis Ugama Islam Singapura (i) to implement the entire provisions of the Administration of Muslim Law Act; (ii) to prepare for the introduction of the Islamic Religious Knowledge subject to secondary school students; and (iii) to promote the use of better and appropriate syllabi and text books for the teaching of Islam for primary school students in mosques, "madrasahs" and other relevant institutions. Dr Ahmad Mattar: (i) All sections of the Administration of Muslim Law Act except two have been brought into operation. The two exceptions are sections 81 and 82 which relate to the control of religious schools and the giving of grants to religious schools respectively. The proper implementation of the provisions of these two sections would require the setting up of a special unit in MUIS made up of at least two trained teachers to supervise and inspect religious schools, and a Board to conduct tests for teachers employed by the religious schools. It is the intention of the Ministry to bring these two sections of the Act into force as soon as suitable personnel can be found to staff the special unit and the Board. (ii) The teaching of Islamic Religious Knowledge in secondary schools is the responsibility of the Ministry of Education.”
“2,328 Muslims from Singapore went on pilgrimage to Makkah in 1982. 683 of them travelled by MUIS-sponsored flights and 1,645 went by other flights. Of the pilgrims who went by MUIS-sponsored flights, 17 passed away whilst on pilgrimage. 15 were Singapore citizens, 1 was a Malaysian citizen and 1 an Indonesian citizen. We do not know how many pilgrims who went by other flights passed away whilst on pilgrimage. Travel agents are not required to report to MUIS the death of their pilgrims in the Holy Cities. Just as the facilities for the 1982 pilgrimage were improved after obtaining feedback from pilgrims who went on the Haj in 1981, MUIS will soon be gathering feedback from the pilgrims who returned recently, on the facilities that could be improved. MUIS will pay particular attention to the adequacy of the medical and nursing team which accompanies the pilgrims. The team was strengthened this year with the addition of one medical officer. For the 1983 pilgrimage, MUIS will monitor the number of pilgrims registering to go on the Haj to determine whether the two doctors and four nurses provided are adequate or should be increased. The value of the medicines dispensed to sick pilgrims increased almost four fold this year compared to 1981 and the range of medicines provided was widened on the recommendation of the doctors and nurses. They will again be asked to recommend the types of medicines and the quantity to be supplied for the 1983 pilgrimage. MUIS rented two rooms in Makkah during the pilgrimage season this year for use as clinics to care for sick pilgrims. Preliminary comments received indicate that it is preferable to have one large clinic, more centrally located and better staffed to look after the sick.”
“Sir, I think the Member for Anson is in the habit of asking this question in the very last minute available. I have invited him to submit a Question for Oral Answer. He has not done so. He seems to choose the dying minutes of the debate to ask this question. I invite him once again to submit a Question for Oral Answer and I will give him a lengthy reply. With your permission, Sir, I do not think I would like to reply to the Member's question. I would like to invite him once again to submit a Question for Oral Answer.”
“Sir, if I may be permitted to interrupt.”
“Sir, as I have said in my reply earlier on to the Member for Kampong Kembangan, it is the responsibility of my Ministry to care for the under-privileged and handicapped, and this includes the category of disabled persons the Member for Anson has talked about. Sir, for the information of the Member for Anson and for the information of this House, the Singapore Council of Social Service, which is under my Ministry, has, on behalf of the voluntary organizations serving disabled persons, submitted a memorandum to the Ministry of Education on the need for greater Government involvement in the provision of special education for the disabled. I believe discussion has been held between my colleague, the Hon. Minister of State of Education, with the persons concerned, and things are being considered now. What the Member for Anson has suggested - that we look into the equipment and teacher to student ratio - all these have been taken into account in this memorandum which was submitted by the SCSS on behalf of organizations serving disabled persons.”
“I think my colleague, the Minister for Health, has more than adequately replied to the Member for Anson. I have nothing more to add.”
“Supportive services. I knew he did not have time to take it up yesterday. But nevertheless, I will reply on behalf of my colleague, the Minister for Health. Sir, my Ministry is aware of the problem brought up to this House by the Member for Anson, and is presently considering a proposal in conjunction with the Ministry of Health to renovate a total of 25 Trafalgar Huts and the vacated Lorong Buang Kok Government School situated next to the Trafalgar Hospital to house this group of persons. Fifteen of the 25 huts had already been renovated at a cost of $103,300 by the Ministry of Health. The renovations involved the installation of heat-resistant ceilings, the replacement of the electrical wiring system and general repainting of the premises. When completed, these Huts are expected to house about 400 such persons. A paper on this proposal including staff requirements had been sent to the Ministry of Finance. Sir, there are about 800 destitute patients in the Woodbridge Hospital who do not require close medical treatment. However, because they have no relatives to discharge to, they are allowed to continue staying in the Hospital. It was agreed at a meeting between the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Social Affairs that the former is primarily responsible for the treatment of sick cases that can be cured. In this case, there is no permanent cure for the mentally ill persons, and it would be more cost-effective for them to be looked after by the Ministry of Social Affairs. The Trafalgar Huts proposal will cater for 400 such persons. The balance 400 will remain with the Ministry of Health until such time suitable premises can be found to house them. So the Government is looking into supportive services for such category of patients.”
“We are anticipating the number of aged 60-year-olds by the turn of the century, by the mid-1980's and by 1990. We plan ahead. The second issue raised by the Member for Anson was to appeal for public utilities consumed at voluntary homes to be charged domestic rates instead of commercial rates. This matter has been referred to my Ministry time and again. The matter has been taken up with the Public Utilities Board. The Board has replied that it is prepared to apply the Domestic Water Tariff and the Domestic Electricity Tariff to voluntary organizations, charity Homes and voluntary welfare Homes which are used exclusively for residential purposes for the aged, aged sick, orphans, handicapped and delinquents. 7.30 p.m. However, these Homes will have to undertake, at their own expense if necessary, all the work connected with the installation of separate electricity and water meters for the portion of premises not used for residential purposes. This decision should go a long way to reduce the recurrent cost on utilities. So the PUB has been very considerate and I think my colleague, the Minister for Trade and Industry, who is in charge of PUB, and who is known to be a very considerate and sympathetic person, has done his best to accommodate the wishes of such Homes. The last point raised by the Member for Anson was on the chronic sick.”
“Waiting list? Sir, there is no waiting list. There are vacancies. Maybe I would like to join my colleague, the Minister for Health when he was debating on the Woodbridge Hospital, in asking if the Member for Anson would care to apply for admission to any one of these Homes. He can get a place there.”
“Bedridden, yes. First of all, Sir, the Home for the Aged Sick at Jalan Payoh Lai. It has a capacity of 144. The number of residents as at December 1981 was 138. The Sree Narayana Mission Home for the Aged Sick at Canberra Road in Sembawang has a capacity of 100. The number of residents as at December 1981 was 82. And Villa Francis at No. 9 Mandai Estate has a capacity for 150. The number of residents as at December 1981 was 124.”
“Sir, first, I would like to answer the Member for Anson as to the waiting list for admission to the existing three Homes for the Aged Sick.”
“For this year's pilgrimage, MUIS has negotiated with a pilgrim broker in Makkah for about 800 MUIS-registered Singapore pilgrims to be accommodated in two or three lodging houses adjacent to one another. This will enable the Nursing and Welfare Officers to attend to Singapore pilgrims who have health problems without unnecessary delay. However, there may be some Singapore pilgrims who still prefer to stay with pilgrim brokers of their own choice in Makkah and Medina. These pilgrims will have to accept that they may not be v!sited by the Nursing and Welfare Officers as often as they would like if the lodging houses in which they are accommodated are scattered and some distance away from the main group. For this year's pilgrims, MUIS is also looking into the feasibility of having at least one official to stay back to look after the pilgrims who fall sick and have to remain in Jeddah to recuperate. The presence of the official will be a comfort to the pilgrims as well as their anxious relatives in Singapore.”
“Lastly, the Member for Kaki Bukit, in rushing through his speech because time was catching up, wanted to know whether surpluses from the Fitrah could be channelled to an Educational Fund. Unfortunately, the proposal of the Member for Kaki Bukit that an educational foundation fund be established from surpluses of Fitrah collected from Muslims, is not allowed under Muslim law. This does not come from me. It comes from the Mufti. I think I have answered all the points raised by the Member for Kaki Bukit. I shall now turn to the point raised by the Member for Telok Blangah. He has raised two points. On the administration of mosques on which I have answered in fairly great detail in my reply to the Member for Kaki Bukit, I would like to assure the hon. Member for Telok Blangah that MUIS will do its best to help the Mosque Management Committees as well as the Mosque Building Committees in the management of their affairs. The next point raised by the Member for Telok Blangah was on the Haj. I would like to thank the hon. Member for Telok Blangah for the favourable report on the arrangements made by MUIS for the pilgrims during their Haj. He did not base this on rumour because he went for the Haj himself last year. I know it. Last year was the first time that MUIS included a doctor in its nursing welfare team to look after the pilgrims. In addition to the Medical Officer, there were four Nursing Officers and four Welfare Officers. Sir, the Holy Cities of Makkah and Medina are acutely congested during the Haj period. Pilgrims from all over the world face the common problem of accommodation.”
“This being so, I am sure he will agree with me that it would be a better suggestion to have more storeys (funds permitting, that is) to the new mosques to be built than to ask for a bigger piece of land for each mosque. As regards false doctrines, I think I have given the answer to a similar question raised by the Member for Pasir Panjang. The Member for Kaki Bukit went on to discuss undesirable publications. Sir, whenever a complaint about undesirable publication is received by MUIS, a thorough investigation is carried out to determine whether it is genuine. If it is substantiated, MUIS will then inform the Ministry of Culture to ban the publication. This is the standard practice and understanding between MUIS and the Ministry of Culture. On films and programmes shown on TV, a very well known Muslim educationist, himself a devout Muslim, sits on the Board of the Singapore Broadcasting Corporation. One of the duties of the Board is to ensure, among other things, that films shown on TV are not morally unacceptable to the Muslims. Apart from these precautionary measures, Sir, I am sure SBC would also welcome suggestions and positive criticisms from Muslim viewers with a view to improving our TV programmes. The next point raised by the Member for Kaki Bukit was on void deck or shop unit for religious classes. MUIS will lend every assistance to religious organizations to find suitable premises to conduct religious classes. It will explore with HDB and other agencies the feasibility of tapping facilities in public housing estates for the running of religious classes. [Mr Deputy Speaker in the Chair] 6.50 p.m.”
“However, there is an insufficient number of Muslim professionals who have come forward to serve on these Mosque Management Committees. I have said this before in this House and also outside this House. Perhaps hon. Members of Parliament can persuade some of their Muslim friends to volunteer their services so that more and better activities can be organized in the mosque. But, of course, I would like to add that appointments to the Mosque Management Committees are subject to approval by MUIS. Another issue raised by the Member for Kaki Bukit is how MUIS can ensure proper management of mosques. Sir, to ensure that the mosques are properly managed and run, MUIS has actively assisted the Mosque Management Committees in their activities. For example, courses on mosque management and accounting were conducted for members of Mosque Management Committees as well as Mosque Building Committees. More of such courses will be conducted in future for the benefit of the new Mosque Management Committees. Officials in the Finance Section of the MUIS Secretariat often assist and advise members of the Mosque Management Committees and Mosque Building Committees on keeping proper records of monies collected and spent by them. MUIS Secretariat staff also hold frequent dialogue sessions with members of these Committees to help resolve their problems, if any, with them. MUIS officials attend important meetings of the Mosque Management Committees and Mosque Building Committees to give advice whenever needed. Then the hon. Member for Kaki Bukit asked whether MUIS could get bigger allocations of land from the HDB for the purpose of building mosques. If I recall his speech, Sir, the Member for Kaki Bukit has rightly pointed out that there is a scarcity of land in the Republic.”
“Check on False Teaching of Islam Since 1974, MUIS has received nine complaints on false teachings of Islam. Investigations on eight of these complaints have been completed, whilst the ninth is still being looked into. In the eight cases completed, five were referred to the Fatwa Committee for deliberation whilst the three more straightforward ones were handled by the Mufti personally. 6.45 p.m. In all these eight cases, the Fatwa Committee and the Mufti have advised these teachers of the wrong doctrines they propagated and requested them to stop their practice. Sir, the Muslim community has been alerted to the unscrupulous intentions of the propagators of such false doctrines by exposing their wrong teachings in MUIS publications like Warita and at Friday sermons. MUIS has also requested members of the Jawatankuasa Haiah Dakwah Islamiah (JHD) Pusat and its 24 district committees to be alert to any person propagating false teachings and to report him to MUIS. JHD is committed to promote the propagation of the teachings of Islam to the local Muslim public and, in doing so, will inform Muslims to be aware of false teachings. I now come to the issue raised by the Member for Kaki Bukit. If I am not mistaken, he has raised about 10 issues altogether. First, I will deal with the work of the Mosque Management Committee and the difficulties and the problems faced by them. Members of the Mosque Management Committees are all volunteers. Most of them are holding full-time jobs during the day and some, on shift duties, may at times even work at night. Given these limitations, Sir, I am very satisfied with the good work that they have been doing for the Muslim community in Singapore.”
“the fees to be paid by children and adults attending religious classes organized by Mosque Management Committees; 4. the rental for the use of conference rooms in mosques by Muslim organizations; and 5. the syllabus for kindergarten and religious classes conducted in the various mosques. This Committee will involve Mosque Management Committee members in pooling their efforts to jointly celebrate Muslim festivals, such as the Maulud (or the celebration to commemorate the Prophet's birthday). Members of LARAS comprise representatives of the Management Committees of the six mosques built under Phase I of the Mosque Building Programme and representatives of the Mosque Building Committees of four mosques to be built under Phase 2. The building committees of the remaining five mosques under Phase 2 will be invited to join LARAS as and when they are formed. Each management or building committee is represented on LARAS by its Chairman, Secretary and Treasurer. The projects are being undertaken by LARAS to raise funds. They are the sale of Hari Raya cards and the organization of a Jog-a-walk. LARAS will print 100,000 cards for sale to the Muslim public in 1982. The profit from the sale will be distributed based on the number of cards sold by each member. A Jog-a-walk will be launched towards the end of the year. Other activities are in the pipeline. Sir, while the Mosque Buildinq Committees are receptive to the concept of centralized fund-raising activities, there are some Muslim individuals who prefer to donate regularly to a specific mosque. That is why Mosque Building Committees appoint block representatives to collect, from such individuals, monthly voluntary donations for the Administration Fund of the mosque concerned.”
“The post of Executive Officer (Finance) has recently been advertised after several unsuccessful attempts to second a suitable officer from the civil service to fill this position. Activities which are related to religious affairs have increased significantly during the last couple of years, and it is the Mufti's responsibility to ensure the efficient resolution of problems in this area of work. Last year, my Ministry requested the Ministry of Finance (Budget Division) to create a post in the General Executive Personnel Group so that an officer can be recruited to assist the Mufti. Unfortunately, this request was turned down. The MUIS Secretariat has 26 officers. It is headed, as Members have mentioned earlier on, by a very capable President who has more than 30 years of administrative and teaching experience behind him. I am confident that under his able guidance MUIS is fully capable of performing its multifarious activities efficiently. Development of new mosques I agree with the Member that there should be a central body to plan, to organize and implement fund-raising projects to finance the activities of the new mosques. I am pleased to state, Sir, that MUIS has given its unequivocal support to the formation of a joint committee to coordinate the activities of mosques in HDB new towns. This Committee known as Jawatankuasa Penyelaras Masjid (Mosque Coordinating Committee) or LARAS for short, was set up in January this year. While the main object of this Committee is to centralize fund-raising activities, its other laudable objects are to standardize: 1. the salaries of imams, bilals and religious teachers; 2. the allowances to be paid to guest speakers who are invited by Mosque Management Committees to give talks on special occasions; 3.”
“Sir, qualified Islamic Religious Knowledge teachers employed full-time with the Ministry of Education will enjoy the same terms and conditions of service as their colleagues in the Education scheme of service. As far as the part-time teachers are concerned, their terms and conditions of employment will be comparable to those of other part-time teachers employed by the Education Ministry. They will be paid the current rates. This was assured to me by the Ministry of Education. If the Member for Geylang Serai would like my colleague, the Minister of State of Education to confirm what I have said, he is available in the House. I next turn to some of the issues raised by the Member for Pasir Panjang. He has touched on three important issues. Firstly, on the manpower of MUIS; secondly, on the building of new mosques by MUIS, and the third issue raised was the check on false teachings of Islam. Manpower Last year, during the debate on the Estimates of Expenditure for the Financial Year 1981, in reply to a question by the Member for Telok Blangah, I informed the House that my Ministry had asked the Management Services Department to make a study of the MUIS Secretariat. The House was told that consequent to the MSD study, the Ministry of Finance had approved one post of Financial Officer and one post of Public Relations Officer, both in the Executive Personnel Group, and the upgrading of the part-time post of President of MUIS to a full-time Superscale Grade 'H' post. An Education Officer has been seconded from the Ministry of Education to MUIS to perform the duties of Public Relations and Information Officer.”
“MUIS will work closely with the Ministry to assess the suitability of these teachers as well as to recommend other religious teachers should there be a shortage of teachers to teach the subject either in Malay or in English. The Member wants to know the steps to be taken to ensure the provision of qualified teachers. At this moment, Sir, most of the 30 teachers qualified to teach IRK have been deployed to teach ML2 in schools (or Malay as second language). However, in view of the Education Ministry's policy on religious knowledge, these teachers will be deployed to teach the subject in Secondary 3 and 4 in the first instance. In case the Ministry of Education is still short of IRK teachers, then MUIS will assist the Ministry in identifying teachers from the present complement of ML1 and ML2 teachers in schools. MUIS and the Ministry of Education will ensure that teachers so identified will not only have a basic grounding in Islam but also possess an acceptable attitude towards the teaching of the subject. If more Islamic Religious Knowledge teachers are needed, the Education Ministry will also consider employing part-time teachers from amongst the existing complement of Ugama teachers presently teaching in Islamic schools in Singapore and authorized by MUIS. MUIS is prepared to assist the Education Ministry to draw up a teacher-training programme for IRK. The training should be undertaken this year and the next so that full implementation can take effect as scheduled in 1984. The Member for Geylang Serai also wants an assurance that the terms and conditions of employment of Islamic religious teachers are attractive.”
“Noted, Sir. Anyway, for mosques to be built under Phase 2 of the Mosque Building Programme, MUIS will liaise more closely with the HDB, its agent, to ensure that there will be more stringent supervision during the construction period to minimize defects. The Member for Geylang Serai then discussed the renovation of old mosques. MUIS has provided, and will continue to provide, every assistance to Management Committees of old mosques that are in need of repairs and renovations. Firstly, before the Mosque Management Committee finalize plans for renovations, they are advised against embarking on grandiose renovations which are beyond their ability to pay. They should undertake only essential repairs, if they foresee difficulty in raising the required funds. Management Committees of old mosques undertaking renovations are also encouraged to be self-reliant by organizing fund-raising projects to meet the cost of renovation. Besides issuing the Mosque Management Committees with permits for fund-raising, MUIS also monitors the progress of the projects closely. When the situation calls for it, MUIS, in conjunction with the Singapore Local Council for Mosques, also assists the Management Committees to secure additional funds. The third issue raised by the Member for Geylang Serai is on Islamic Religious Knowledge (IRK) in schools. So far, IRK classes have been conducted in the Malay language only. The Ministry of Education has decided that all ethnic Malay pupils in Secondary 3 and 4 will offer only Islamic Religious Knowledge programme which will be fully implemented in all schools by 1984. The subject will be taught by qualified Muslim teachers employed by the Ministry of Education.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, as I have said, Mr Tan was quite happy at the Woodlands Home for the Aged. He is a destitute person. He was having some kind of employment there too when he was at the Woodlands Home for the Aged. It was at the request of the Rochore Kongsi Home for the Aged - because as I have said earlier on, they could not afford to engage a warden on a full-time basis - that the Social Welfare Department recommended that Mr Tan be given the job. So, as I said, it is the Kongsi which is applying for the Public Assistance, and not Mr Tan. I am afraid that we have to abide by certain strict criteria in awarding Public Assistance. So the position remains as it is.”
“This is one of the criteria which we follow when we consider cases of Public Assistance, or whenever we review existing cases who are receiving Public Assistance. In this case, the argument that has been brought forth by the Rochore Kongsi Home for the Aged to the Social Welfare Department is that the Public Assistance of $60 per month cannot maintain a destitute at today's cost of food alone. The argument by the Social Welfare Department was that this was also applicable to all the other recipients of Public Assistance in the Kongsi. This has been going on for some time, Sir. I am aware of this case. In this case, it is not Mr Tan who is asking for Public Assistance. It is the Rochore Kongsi Home for the Aged which is asking for the Public Assistance. The Social Welfare Department strongly feels that if the Rochore Kongsi Home for the Aged thinks that Mr Tan has become a burden to the Kongsi, then the Social Welfare Department will be happy to re-admit him to the Woodlands Home where he came from. Dr Toh Chin Chye: Mr Speaker, Sir, if the Minister for Social Affairs has worked out the estimates for running the Woodlands Home and the Woodstock Home which, together, have a total of 721 persons, he will find that on the average it will cost him $3,670 per person per year. And he is asking for Mr Tan to go back to the Woodlands Home at $3,769 per person per year, whereas we are asking the Minister or his staff to award Mr Tan $720 per year, at $60 per month. I am afraid the economics of it is all lost.”
“Then the Member for Rochore also talked of a case of a Public Assistance recipient whose allowance was withdrawn. This recipient is a resident of the Rochore Kongsi Home for the Aged. 6.00 p.m. Sir, first of all, let me recapitulate the facts of this case. I will not mention the full name of this person. I will just call him Mr Tan. The said Mr Tan was transferred from the Woodlands Home for the Aged to the Rochore Kongsi Home for the Aged in July 1977. As the Kongsi needed a warden but could not afford one on a full-time basis, Mr Tan was recommended by my Ministry for the job. Mr Tan was then paid a Public Assistance allowance of $40 per month and an honorarium of $80 per month. Out of the total of $120 per month received, Mr Tan had to contribute $40 per month, i.e. from his Public Assistance allowance, towards his maintenance in the Home. When the Public Assistance rate was revised in February 1980 from $40 to $60 per month, the honorarium given to him by the Home was also revised to $100 per month. He was then required to contribute $60 per month towards his maintenance in the Home. This was the tacit agreement between the Rochore Kongsi Home for the Aged and the Social Welfare Department. Sir, when Mr Tan's case was reviewed in February 1981 to ascertain his continued eligibility for the allowance under the revised Public Assistance scheme of 1st February 1980, he was found to be ineligible for Public Assistance under the new regulations, as he was a resident warden of the Home with an income of $100 per month. He would still have $40 pocket money after deduction of $60 per month for his maintenance in the Home, even when his Public Assistance allowance of $60 was withdrawn.”
“However, upon the request of the Singapore Council of Social Service, five copies were sent to, the Council on 15th June, 1981, with specific instruction that it was not for public release. I am unable to establish how the press managed to get hold of the report. In fact, during Suspension just now, I was approached by a lady reporter who gave me a list of questions. She wanted to interview me on the Report of the Committee on the Care for the Aged. Based on the revelation by the hon. Member for Rochore that there has already been a leakage to the press, I do not think I will grant her that interview.”
“In addition, voluntary and religious welfare organizations provide between 2,100 and 2,200 beds in institutions run by them. Sir, we are mindful that most of these destitutes, having migrated to Singapore in the first half of the century, unaccompanied by their families, have contributed their fair share to the development of Singapore. Now that they have lost the ability to look after themselves, it is our duty to make sure that their basic needs are met. So, Sir, these "starving hordes" can only exist in the fertile imagination of the Member for Anson. It occurs to me that otherwise these people would have offered their services to the many employers who are having to recruit labour from other countries. I think I have more or less finished with the issues raised by the hon. Member for Kampong Kembangan. I shall now turn to the issues raised by the Member for Rochore. I must thank the Member for Rochore for his sympathy to me as well as to my Ministry. I shall do my best, with his support, I hope, to get more money from my colleague, the Minister for Finance. He talked of a survey on the aged which appeared in a local,press. He said that it did not make any sense reading it. If that article does not make any sense to the Member for Rochore or to any reader, then it is the newspapers that is to be blamed. The survey which was reported in the local press is, in fact, Appendix VI to the Report of the Committee on the Care of the Aged which my colleague, the Minister for Health, mentioned in this House yesterday, and which my colleague, the Minister for Trade and Industry, also mentioned in his Budget Statement. The Report, Sir, is still under consideration by me. It has not been released to the public yet.”
“Sir, the report in the International Herald Tribune and the report in the New York Times are the out-pourings of a man who, if you ask me, Sir, is himself starving of ideas and issues. It is the responsibility of my Ministry to care for the under-privileged and the handicapped. Twenty years ago, Sir, there were thousands and thousands of people - more than 20,000 to be exact - who were receiving Public Assistance from the Government. Today there are only 3,300. Sir, sustained economic growth during the last 20 years of PAP rule in Singapore has ensured that every Singaporean who is willing and able to work can find a job. As a result, only a small number of persons, the genuinely needy comprising the physically infirm and disabled, rely on Public Assistance from the Government today. As I have mentioned in my reply to the hon. Member for Punggol on 15th March, 1982, the Public Assistance which the recipients receive is being supplemented by additional assistance in cash and in kind from welfare voluntary organizations and also from other funds administered by my Ministry. Let there be no mistake. This PAP Government knows where compassion ends and welfarism begins. We have no intention of smothering initiative and industry. We do not reward indolence. My Ministry has for many years now implemented a continuing programme to alleviate the hardship of a singularly unfortunate sector of our population, namely, the destitutes. They comprise the elderly and the frail who can no longer look after themselves and have no close relatives in Singapore. My Ministry runs four welfare homes with a total capacity of about 1,400 beds to cater to the needs of the destitutes.”
“But should we be surprised by such portrayal, by such description of Singapore from the Member for Anson? I am not surprised, especially after I have watched his conduct in this House during the current sittings. Sir, if a Member of Parliament can utter untruths in this august Chamber, he can utter untruths elsewhere outside this Chamber. He can utter untruths at rallies during elections, by-elections; he can utter untruths at dinners at which he is the so-called guest of honour; he can also utter untruths to naive and gullible reporters. Before I proceed to answer the Member for Kampong Kembangan, Sir, I would like to ask the Member for Anson one simple, straightforward question. Did he or did he not say or write those words which I have just read? Yes or no? That is all I am asking. He can answer later.”
“I think the Member for Anson was not listening when I explained to him. Whenever a Singapore citizen and a non-citizen approach the Registrar to file a Notice of Marriage, the non-citizen would be advised first to apply for the permission of the Commissioner for Employment. But if he rejects the advice and insists on going through with the marriage, the marriage will be solemnized and registered. But such couples will, of course, be answerable to the Immigration Department and the Work Permit Office of the Labour Ministry.”
“I have just read the paragraph where he has written: 'I have asked this question from the Commissioner of Employment both in letter to him from my firm of J.B. Jeyaretnam & Co., acting as Solicitors for a client . . .. etc., etc. Maybe I would present this copy to you, Mr Speaker. [Copy of letter handed in to Mr Speaker.]”
“You have not answered mine. Would you like to declare your pecuniary interest, if any, in this case?”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I have here with me a copy of the letter the Member for Anson wrote to the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Home Affairs, dated 7th December, 1981. This letter was signed by him in his capacity then as "MP-elect for Anson." In this letter, Sir, three questions have been asked: (1) pertaining to the Commissioner for Employment; (2) to the Immigration Department; and (3) which is of interest to me, pertains to the Registrar of Marriages. I shall read to you, Sir, the paragraph concerned: 'By what authority does the Registrar of Marriages in Singapore refuse to register a marriage of a Singapore citizen to a non-citizen if they wish to get married in Singapore?' This is exactly the question the Member for Anson is asking me to answer today, except, perhaps, slightly differently worded. The Member went on further, and this is the most interesting part: 'I have asked this question from the Commissioner of Employment both in letter to him from my firm of J.B. Jeyaretnam & Co., acting as Solicitors for a client and also over the telephone when I spoke to him. To this day I have not received any reply except a telephone call to my office to say that it was a legal question and that my firm will get an official reply.' This letter was carbon-copied to the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Labour and also the client so named in the letter.”
“Point of order, Sir. Would the Member for Anson declare whether he has any pecuniary interest in this case?”
“I would not like to give an answer in half a minute. I would invite the Member for Anson to submit a question for oral answer, and I will give him the full explanation. ANNUAL BUDGET STATEMENT Order read for Resumption of Debate on Question [5th March, 1982][2nd Allotted Day], "That Parliament approves the financial policy of the Government for the financial year 1st April, 1982 to 31st March, 1983."- [Dr Tony Tan Kong Yam, Minister for Trade and Industry]. Question again proposed. 3.30 p.m.”
“Yes, it was reduced in line with our family planning policy. As a Government which is pragmatic and honest, we are not ashamed to say that there was a reduction. There is nothing to hide. This is in line with the Government's policy on family planning. There are other more stringent measures which we have taken and which we have made known to the public. If the Member for Anson submits a question for oral answer, I will give him all the details to show that he has been confused. Mr Jeyaretnam rose -”
“I thought he was supposed to come out with figures for me. Anyway, typical of PAP Members of Parliament, I take my job seriously and have come up with the answer. First of all, it is not true to say that the Public Assistance rates were reduced in 1973. I think the Member for Anson was confused between "rates" and the "maximum allowance per household."”
“They withdrew. Their families said that they could support them.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, as I have mentioned in my answer to the hon. Member for Punggol, these 2,035 cases are persons with children and relatives who are able and are willing to support them. There is no question of. appeal. These are cases of public assistance recipients with families, children or relatives who are able and are willing to support them. Therefore, they withdrew from the Public Assistance Scheme.”
“We certainly appreciate the efforts of these organizations, and I would like to see more of such activities being organized. With the pooling of these resources in this direction, I am confident that we do not have to introduce any legislation on the maintenance of the needy, aged parents.”
“How does this come about? The answer is very simple. To a Muslim, to be filial is more than just a moral obligation. It is his religious duty. I cannot help going back into history because yesterday the Member for Anson went back into history, about 20 years ago, when he queried why the public assistance rates prior to 1973 were revised downwards, In the days of old Singapore, Sir, it was quite common to see three or four generations living happily under one roof in a kampong. I am happy to say that this age-old tradition is still being observed, even as more and more Muslims, more and more Malays, live in HDB flats. Adult children who live away from their parents provide regular financial support to the latter. They also hold reunions on festive and religious occasions. The small number of parents who experience unfilial conduct on the pan of their children are usually too ashamed of the fact to even talk about it. I mention all this, Sir, because I feel that there is something positive, something useful that we can derive from Religious Knowledge in our efforts to inculcate filial piety in our young citizens. Besides the school, the Government, through its Family Planning and Population Board (FPPB), also conducts family life education programmes for newly married couples. My colleague, the Hon. Minister for Health, may want to confirm this. Such programmes are also conducted by private organizations, like the Family Planning Association, the Roman Catholic Church. For the Muslims, such programmes are also being organized by the Adult Religious Students' Association of Singapore (better known as PERDAUS), and the Islamic Theological Association of Singapore (better known as PERTAPIS), for those who are about to be married.”
“Secondly, making young parents aware that their responsibility towards their children does not end with the provision of food, clothing and shelter, and that without their active cooperation it will not be possible to ensure that children will grow up with a deep sense of belonging as a member of the family. Sir, the second factor is very important because the alienation of children from parents does not only occur in households where parents have failed to discharge their basic responsibility of providing the essentials of life to their children. The weakening of the bonds between parents and children can also come about as a result of the failure on the part of a parent to relate to the children during infancy and, more important, during adolescence. This is exactly what I meant when I said that filial piety is a two-way process. On the education of the children, I think we all agree that the Ministry of Education's recent move to introduce Religious Knowledge as a compulsory subject at Secondary 3 and 4 levels is a step in the right direction, although people in certain quarters feel that this subject should have been introduced at levels lower than Secondary 3. But that is beside the point. I think we all agree that religious knowledge is a very good subject because we all know that the major religions of the world preach filial piety and also compassion for the poor and the handicapped..But I would like to caution here that in implementing this new syllabus, we have to guard ourselves against lending support to evangelistic fervour or to the spreading of religious bigotry. If I may digress a little, Sir. As a Muslim myself, I feel proud to say that the Muslim society in Singapore, and elsewhere, attaches great importance to filial piety and respect for the aged.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, let me first answer the second part of the hon. Member's question, Frankly speaking, Sir, I have my doubts too. I do not think that legislation can promote filial piety. Sir, filial piety is a matter of the heart. It is a two-way process. Both the parents and the adult children have their respective roles to play. But, like all laws, Sir, the proposed legislation, if ever it is introduced, will be aimed at the minority. The primary purpose of the law is, therefore, to codify an obligation which all sections of the community already recognize and which the vast majority of adult children gladly discharge. So this piece of legislation, if ever it is introduced, would therefore act as a deterrent to the errant minority who neglect their needy, aged parents. Therefore, those of us who are already discharging our obligations to our parents have nothing to fear about this legislation, if it is introduced. Mr Speaker, Sir, I personally feel that to counsel anyone on filial piety, after he has reached adulthood, is going to be difficult. I would not say that it is impossible because my Ministry, after repeated attempts and sustained efforts, has been fairly successful in a limited number of cases. Therefore I would rather classify this task as difficult, not impossible. If we really want to succeed in preserving the integrity of the family and also to avoid the social scourge of children neglecting their needy, aged parents, we have to introduce educational programmes with a view to, firstly, instilling in the minds of the young, respect for the elderly and a sense of life-long duty towards one's parents.”