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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“I am happy to say that the idea of Environment Day is being carefully considered by my Ministry and activities for the proposed Environment Day will include tree planting and other environmental aspects such as clean markets, clean rivers, smoke-free environment, good landscaping, etc, etc. The overall aim of this Environment Day is to inculcate amongst Singaporeans a greater sense of awareness, appreciation and concern for their living environment. As for, the other suggestions by Mr Goh Chee Wee we will consider getting the cooperation of the Ministry of Health and also the Ministry of Communication and Information. I now turn to the issues raised by Mr Yatiman Yusof. In particular, Sir, he wants to know the steps taken by Government to equip ourselves to face possible massive sea pollution resulting from disasters similar to those faced by other coastal countries. Under the Prevention of Pollution of the Sea Act and regulations thereunder, all owners of oil refineries and oil terminals in Singapore are required to store equipment and dispersants to deal with any oil pollution of Singapore waters. In addition, Sir, PSA also maintains a fleet of 12 tug boats with anti-oil pollution equipment on board. An Oil Spill Contingency plan is also administered by the PSA to coordinate emergency action to be taken in the event of an oil pollution. There is also in existence a mutual assistance plan with Indonesia and Malaysia to combat oil pollution. In this respect, the three countries carried out a joint exercise two years ago coordinated by Indonesia, and Malaysia is currently planning the next exercise. Members may be interested to know that a draft ASEAN Contingency Plan is now under consideration.”
“Mr Chairman, Sir, both Mr Goh Chee Wee, Chairman of GPC for the Environment, and Mr Ibrahim Othman have stressed the need for Government to continue with public education programmes in order to keep Singapore clean and green. In fact, Mr Ibrahim Othman wants to know the various steps my Ministry will be taking in terms of enforcement, education, etc. to maintain a clean and green environment. Sir, since the launching of the first Keep Singapore Clean Campaign by the Prime Minister in 1968, the Government has car- ried out numerous campaigns, conducted public health education programmes, organised anti-littering enforcement and built up an efficient cleansing workforce and system. All these have collectively brought about an achievement which has won Singapore much praise and world recognition as one of the cleanest cities in the world. But, Sir, there is need to sustain the drive to bring home the anti-littering message. Sad to say, littering is still prevalent in HDB housing estates, beaches and parks, car parks and other public areas. The way to solve the littering problem and to eliminate any man-made pollution to the environment is to raise the level of environmental consciousness in our society. In our effort to raise the level of environmental consciousness in our society, my Ministry will try to reach out to the population through several ways. First, we will have a publicity blitz through the mass media. Second, we will work very closely with the Ministry of Education to reach out to school children. And third, we will also work very closely with grassroots organisations to reach out to residents in housing estates. Both Mr Goh Chee Wee and Mr Ibrahim Othman have suggested that perhaps we should have an Environment Day organised.”
“Dr Lee Siew-Choh asked the Minister for Home Affairs whether the Government will consider relaxing its demands on political detainee Chia Thye Poh and immediately and unconditionally release him from detention in Sentosa now that the political situation has completely changed in the Thai-Malaysian border and the West.”
“If the customer persists in smoking on the premises, the management may then call on the Ministry's public health inspectors or the Police for assistance. To ensure that managements understand the rationale behind the legislation and are able to clearly explain the probibition to their customers, my Ministry held dialogue sessions with members of the Singapore Hotel Association and the Restaurant Association of Singapore before the law came into effect on 1st November 1989. Relevant sections of the law, as well as literature on the harm of cigarettes sidestream smoke, were distributed to members of the associations. The dialogue sessions saw an active participation from the association members, and I am pleased to inform the House that they followed up with positive measures to enforce the law. "No-smoking" signs were placed in the prohibited places to remind both the local population and tourists of the prohibition. The staff of the prohibited places were briefed on the way to approach smokers to advise them on the prohibition. Some of the hotels also highlighted the prohibition in their in-house magazines. Since 1st November 1989, officers from my Ministry have closely monitored the premises placed under the ambit of the Smoking (Prohibition in Certain Places) Act. The monitoring has shown that managements have played their part in enforcing the law. Members of the public including tourists are today observing the smoking prohibition. CHIA THYE POH (Lifting of restrictive conditions) 5.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, first of all, let me say that one of the major users of CFCs in Singapore is the electronic industry. And here the CFCs are used as a solvent or cleansing agent. As far as I know, a number of leading disk drive manufacturers in Singapore are investing large sums of money on water-based cleaning systems which, according to them, will substantially reduce the dependency on CFCs. I am also aware of a supplier who is doing something to reduce the consumption of CFCs. This particular supplier who supplies refrigerants to the marine industry is offering services to help ships convert their cooling systems to a type of CFC which is not restricted. SMOKING PROHIBITION IN RESTRICTED PLACES (Clarification of legislation to tourists) 4. Mrs Yu-Foo Yee Shoon asked the Minister for the Environment what steps are being taken to clarify to foreign tourists the recent legislation against smoking in restricted places so that they can better understand its rationale and implementation. The Senior Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for the Environment (Mr Eugene Yap Giau Cheng) (for the Minister for the Environment): Mr Speaker, Sir, I am answering on behalf of my Minister. The managements of premises which come under the Smoking (Prohibition in Certain Places) Act have a major role to play in enforcing the smoking prohibition. Under the Act, the managements have to put up appropriate signages to inform their customers that smoking is not permitted on their premises. In the event that a customer smokes in a prohibited place, the management will have to inform him of the prohibition and then ask him to either stop smoking or leave the premises.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the depletion of the ozone layer has been linked mainly to the presence of chlorofluorocarbons, more commonly referred to as CFCs, and halons in the stratosphere. It is a problem of global dimensions and only through concerted international co-operation can we hope to prevent further damage to the ozone layer. Introduced in September 1987, the Montreal Protocol for the Control of Ozone Depleting Substances is an international treaty which provides the framework and controls for a regulated reduction in the use of some types of CFCs that are very damaging to the ozone layer. Singapore became party to this treaty in January 1989. Sir, since October 1989, measures have been taken to reduce controlled CFCs imported into and used in Singapore to 1986 levels. The Government has introduced legislation to control the import and export of controlled CFCS. Further reductions will be made in the quantity of controlled CFCs imported into and used in Singapore to 80% of 1986 levels commencing July 1993 and 50% of 1986 levels commencing July 1998. Three types of halons, controlled under the Montreal Protocol, will be frozen at 1986 levels commencing January 1992. Sir, to minimise the impact on our industries, financial assistance will be provided by the EDB as well as technological assistance by SISIR to identify and develop suitable substitutes and CFC recycling processes.”
“All I know is that the reimbursement from Environment to the HDB in the last two years, prior to the introduction of compounding, was an average of about $600,000 per year. I do not know whether the HDB can really estimate how much they have actually spent on enforcing littering offences. This is because the HDB officers empowered under the EPHA are not assigned solely to do enforcement work on littering and other public health offences. They have other jobs as well. Some of them are supervising contract workers, looking after hawker centres, attending to complaints, and so on and so forth. So I do not think HDB can really apportion the amount of money they have spent, to say that this is the amount they spend on enforcement against littering and other public health offences. I do not know whether my colleague, the Minister for National Development, would like to add to what I have just said. The Member also wants to know whether the Government is prepared to give a subsidy to the Town Councils. At this point of time, Sir, the Government is only prepared to give 50% of the compounded fines arising from cases enforced by the Town Councils. I think I have answered the questions. With regard to the Member for Potong Pasir, I must appreciate him mentioning that he is managing his Town Council. But I did not mention anywhere in my speech about EMS. Question put, and agreed to. Bill accordingly read a Second time and committed to a Committee of the whole House. The House immediately resolved itself into a Committee on the Bill. - [Dr Ahmad Mattar]. Bill considered in Committee; reported without amendment; read a Third time and passed. TRUSTEES (AMENDMENT) BILL Order for Second Reading read. 4.50 pm”
“On whether Town Councils can opt to leave the enforcement to the Ministry of the Environment, the answer is of course yes. The overall responsibility against littering, spitting and other public health offences rests with my Ministry. If a Town Council chooses not to be empowered and take the role of the enforcer, then of course my Ministry will have to carry out the enforcement. Sir, the Member for Cheng San GRC, and concurrently the Chairman of Cheng San Town Council, wants to know if the fines collected for cases enforced by Town Councils can be given to Town Councils. Let me briefly explain. In the past, when the HDB undertook prosecution in court for cases enforced by HDB officers, the Government reimbursed HDB the total amount of fines collected by the courts. This was to defray HDB's enforcement as well as prosecution costs. But since 1st May this year, when littering offences were made compoundable, HDB need not prosecute any case in court. All cases enforced by HDB officers are now referred directly to the Ministry of the Environment for prosecution actions Consequently, Sir, HDB will be reimbursed $50 per case as decided by the Ministry of Finance on the basis of 50% of the compounded fine. This is to defray HDB's enforcement cost while the remaining 50% is to defray Environment's prosecution cost. By the same consideration, Sir, $50 per case will be reimbursed to Town Councils for all cases enforced by them or their managing agents. Sir, the Member also wants to know with regard to the cost incurred by HDB in discharging its responsibilities under the EPHA. I am afraid I do not have the figures with me.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, first of all, I would like to thank hon. Members who have spoken on the Bill. Let me state at the outset, that the delegation of authority to the staff or management agents of Town Councils will not be made compulsory. Town Councils individually will decide whether or not they want to be empowered to take action on spitting and littering offences. The choice is theirs. The decision rests completely with them. However, from the long experience we have in a similar arrangement with the HDB, I think this arrangement can go a long way to help Town Councils manage the estates under their charge more effectively. Sir, Mr Chin Harn Tong, the Member for Aljunied GRC and concurrently the Chairman of the Aljunied Town Council, finds the proposal to delegate power of enforcing a legislation to a non-public agency a little unusual and therefore wants to know whether there is any precedence to support it. Sir, empowering a non-public agency or a person who is not a public officer to enforce certain provisions of a legislation is not an unusual practice. For example, managing agents appointed by management corporations of private condominiums can, under certain clauses of the Land Titles (Strata) Act, be empowered to enforce certain provisions of the Act. Sir, on uniformity in enforcement, we can expect to have different degrees of strictness among Town Councils. It will all depend on how clean a Town Council chooses to keep its estate. And, of course, my Ministry would not like to see wide variations in the standards of cleanliness in Town Council estates. But I think and I am confident that no Town Council will ever allow its estate to deteriorate to a state which can pose a health hazard.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, "That the Bill be now read a Second time." The Environmental Public Health Act, Chapter 95 (EPHA), provides for the Commissioner of Public Health to authorise a public officer, which includes any officer of a statutory board, to carry out any or all of the powers in the Act. Since 1977, Sir, Housing and Development Board officers have been authorised under the EPHA to enforce against littering, spitting, illegal hawking and other public health offences within HDB estates. Given such authorisation, HDB officers were able to deal directly with offenders encountered during the officers' duties within the estates. To continue with the arrangement in housing estates managed by Town Councils, the Commissioner of Public Health will empower staff of the Town Councils with a similar authorisation. However, Sir, the nine Town Councils formed so far, do not have any field staff of their own. Instead, all of them have engaged a private management company to look after and maintain their respective estates. It is, therefore, necessary to amend the EPHA to allow the Commissioner of Public Health to empower the staff of private management companies engaged by Town Councils to enforce against littering, spitting and other public health offences within Town Council estates. Sir, I beg to move. Question proposed.”
“The Ministry first introduced date marking of pre-packed food in October 1979 to four items of perishable food, namely, cream, cultured milk drink, pasteurised milk, and yoghurt. In September 1986, another 12 food items were added to the list. Items of pre-packed food selected for date-marking are those that have relatively short shelf-lives, ie readily perishable food and food products that are often found to be spoilt or infested with weevils due to prolonged storage. Officers from my Ministry enforce the requirement for date- marking very strictly. Routine inspections are carried out daily in supermarkets, provision shops and other retail outlets. The health inspectors will check amongst other things, that food which require date-marking are properly date-marked and that they are not expired. From last year until to date, a total of 272 offences involving date-marking were dealt with. There were 161 offences on the sale of food with expired date-mark, 100 offences on food without date-mark and 11 offences for tampering with date-marks. My Ministry has organised a number of seminars to familiarise food traders, manufacturers, importers and retailers with the food laws. We are satisfied that those in the food business are familiar with and understand the requirements in our food laws. My Ministry is also satisfied that the existing regulations on date-marking are adequate. However, such regulations are reviewed from time to time and if deemed necessary, more food items may be required to be date-marked in the future. rates - SINGAPORE OUTGOING TELEX RATES VS. CORRESPONDING INCOMING RATES, SINGAPORE IDD RATES VS. CORRESPONDING INCOMING RATES, COMPARISON OF POSTAGE RATE FOR A 20 GRAMME DOMESTIC LETTER (Cols. 397 - 402)”
“In addition, the Ministry has given wide publicity over the mass media and carried out public health education on anti mosquito breeding through the use of exhibitions, posters, pamphlets, newspaper advertisements, TV slides and filmlets. It is imperative, however, that everyone be constantly vigilant against breeding Aedes mosquito in his or her home. Dengue fever epidemics will occur whenever the Aedes mosquito population is allowed to build up. As there is no vaccine against dengue fever, the only means to minimize outbreaks is to prevent the breeding of Aedes mosquitoes. This can be achieved if members of the public help by preventing Aedes breeding in their homes. The Ministry of the Environment will continue to educate the public and monitor the Aedes population and the disease situation closely. CANING SENTENCE ON SOMKID KAMJAN (Impact on Singapore-Thai relations) 8. Mr Abdullah Tarmugi asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs (a) what is his assessment of the Thai Government's response to the caning sentence on Somkid Kamjan, especially its impact on Singapore-Thai relations; (b) whether it will damage our business and other interests in Thailand; and (c) what is our Government's stand on the Thai protest.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the recent spate of dengue fever in the Eastern part of Singapore was due to an unusually high mosquito population in the area. At the peak of the outbreak, up to 12% of premises inspected in one neighbourhood were found to be breeding the Aedes mosquitoes. And most of the breedings were found in roof gutters, vases, flower pot plates and other domestic containers. The Aedes mosquito, which is the vector responsible for the transmission of dengue fever, breeds in clean waters under shade. Its breeding habitats are therefore usually indoors or in the gardens of compound houses. An interesting observation was made in the recent outbreak. Fewer HDB homes were found to be breeding Aedes mosquitoes. The majority of the breedings were found in compound houses and consequently the majority of dengue fever cases occurred amongst residents of compound houses. It would appear that awareness of the breeding of Aedes mosquitoes amongst HDB estate residents is very high. The high awareness and cooperation amongst HDB residents in keeping their homes free from Aedes breedings is highly commendable. The Aedes mosquito breeds all year round but more so in certain months, such as April to June and November to December, coinciding with the higher rainfalls during these periods. An all year-round surveillance on mosquito breeding is carried out by health inspectors from my Ministry. Daily checks are made in areas with a track record of frequent breedings and complaints received from other areas are thoroughly investigated into. All mosquito breedings are destroyed and those found breeding mosquitoes are warned or fined.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, Kallang Gasworks is an industrial plant. The emissions from the Gasworks arise from the combustion of naptha, the raw material for the manufacture of town gas. These emissions do not pose any health hazard to the residents. Normally, they are discharged through tall chimneys and dispersed in the atmosphere. But occasionally they are blown downwards by strong winds and residents in high-rise apartments nearby can smell them. Such emissions from an industrial plant can be minimized but not totally eliminated. The PUB has therefore installed gas detectors to monitor their level, and sound an alarm if it increases. In the long-term, the Gasworks should be relocated away from populated areas. In fact, the Government has drawn up plans to redevelop the Kallang area, and intends to move the Gasworks out within 10 years. DENGUE FEVER IN SIGLAP (Measures to prevent recurrences) 7. Mr Abdullah Tarmugi asked the Minister for the Environment whether the causes of the recent spate of dengue fever in Siglap and some other constituencies have been identified; and what measures his Ministry has taken and plans to take to avoid such future occurrences.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the reconstruction of Montgomery Bridge at Serangoon Road commenced in October 1987 and is expected to complete by July 1989. ILLEGAL ENTRY OF THAI WORKERS (Measures to prevent) 8. Mr Teo Chong Tee asked the Minister for Home Affairs why were there more than 2,000 Thai illegal workers found to have entered Singapore without proper travel documents at the time of their contact with the law and what stringent measures are being taken to ensure effective prevention of such illegal entry by foreigners.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the flood alleviation programme for the Tanjong Katong area is expected to be completed by end 1991. The work involves the reconstruction of two drainage pumping stations with higher capacity pumps, the widening and deepening of existing drains, and the raising of some low-lying roads. Work began in July last year and is currently in progress. Flooding in the Tanjong Katong area will be substantially alleviated with the completion of this project. RECONSTRUCTION OF MONTGOMERY BRIDGE (Commencement and completion) The following Question stood in the name of Mr Chiam See Tong - 7. To ask the Minister for the Environment if he will give the commencement date and the expected completion date of the reconstruction of Montgomery Bridge at Serangoon Road.”
“At the moment, about 40% of our refuse are dumped and with the coming into operation of the Senoko incineration plant, now under construction, we need ony dump 15% of our refuse. We can at most incinerate 85% of our refuse. The remaining 15% has got to be dumped. CPF EDUCATION SCHEME 3. Mrs Yu-Foo Yee Shoon asked the Minister for Labour whether the study on the use of Central Provident Fund for education has been completed; and, if so, what percentage of the CPF contributors will benefit from the scheme.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, actually this subject had been discussed when the Committee of Supply debated the estimates of my Ministry. However, Sir, for the benefit of the Member for Pasir Panjang GRC and also for the benefit of the people of Pulau Sakeng, I shall go over the facts once more. Sir, at present the Ministry of the Environment operates the dumping grounds at Lorong Halus and Lim Chu Kang. Currently, we are developing another dumping ground of about 63 hectares next to the existing one at Lorong Halus. These dumping grounds are expected to be exhausted by the year 1997 and thereafter we will need to dispose of our non-incinerable refuse as well as the incineration ash from our incineration plants on an offshore dumping ground. An offshore area east of Pulau Semakau and west of Pulau Sakeng has been safeguarded for this purpose. Sir, the impact on marine life and also the people of Pulau Sakeng can be controlled by proper design and operation of this dumping ground. For example, there will be no dumping into the open seas and specially constructed impermeable bunds will enclose the dumping site and any wastewater from the site will be treated before discharge into the open sea. The whole dumping operation can therefore be virtually isolated, thus reducing its impact on the surrounding marine environment and also the people of Pulau Sakeng. Notwithstanding these measures, Sir, my Ministry will monitor the offshore dumping activities to ensure that the surrounding marine environment and the people of Pulau Sakeng are adequately protected.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to report that the Committee of Supply has made further progress on the Main and Development Estimates for the financial year 1989/90, and ask leave to sit again tomorrow.”
“My Ministry appoints two consultants so that design work of various sections of the diversion canal can proceed simultaneously. Similarly, Sir, the main construction work is divided into five contracts so that work can be carried out along the entire canal concurrently. Sir, the NCMP Dr Lee Siew-Choh says that in spite of work going on in Bukit Timah, flood occurrences are more frequent nowadays. This is because we get more rainfall these days. And secondly, Sir, it is not possible to reconstruct a canal in a congested area without carrying out work inside the canal itself. So low-level bunds have to be erected inside the canal to keep the worksite, where concrete is being poured, dry. Sir, these bunds are low enough not to cause flooding in moderate rainfall. But flooding will occur under heavy rainfall with or without these bunds, for the simple reason the canal itself is currently under-sized. These bunds, however, do obstruct the free flow of water so that floods, when they do occur, may take a longer time to subside. I am afraid we have to bear with this aggravation until the construction works along Bukit Timah/Dunearn Roads are completed by February next year.”
“Mr Chairman, Sir, Mr Chin Harn Tong, the Member for Aljunied GRC, wants to know where the flood-prone areas of Singapore are. Sir, the three major flood-prone areas in Singapore are Bukit Timah, Kranji and Tanjong Katong. Major flood alleviation schemes are in progress for all these three areas, in addition to drainage improvement projects in other smaller pockets of flood-prone areas in different parts of the island. Next, Mr Chin Harn Tong also spoke of flood announcements. Sir, at present announcements of flood situation are based on police reports. The Police receive the feedback on flood situation from their field officers and the information is then relayed to SBC for announcement over radio. Sir, my Drainage Department is implementing a project to install a computerized telemetric system that will enable the instantaneous monitoring of water levels in all the drains and canals in flood-prone areas and the immediate notification of the Police and SBC by automated telexes. The system, Sir, currently under development and testing, is a pilot installation covering six sites in the Bukit Timah and Kallang catchments. When completed, it will facilitate timely announcement of flood situations at the pilot sites. Sir, the Drainage Department will evaluate the cost-effectiveness of this pilot installation before considering its expansion to cover other areas. The Member for Aljunied GRC, Mr Chin Harn Tong, wants to know the completion date of Bukit Timah Flood Alleviation Scheme Phase IIA and its cost. The completion date, Sir, is expected to be February 1990 and the project costs $240 million. Encik Ibrahim Othman wants to know whether the project can be expedited. Sir, in fact, this has already been done to expedite the completion of the scheme.”
“Just as importantly, Sir, the public, as users, should display greater civic con- sciousness in the proper and considerate use of public toilets. With regard to spitting, again raised by the Member for Telok Blangah, I must say, Sir, that my Public Health Inspectors and other staff of my Ministry are constantly on the look-out for such offenders. The police also provide feedback on such offenders for the Ministry to follow up with prosecution. I would also like to urge members of the public to give similar feedback to us for follow-up action. To remind members of the public who drive especially, that it is an offence to litter or spit from their vehicle, my Ministry intends to give greater publicity on the matter in the latter part of the year. I shall now call on my Senior Parliamentary Secretary to attend to other hawker and hawker-related issues raised by Members.”
“Building managements and cleansing contractors who do not do a good job add on to this problem. Enforcement alone will not eradicate this problem. My Ministry would like to place more emphasis on an educational approach in getting the public to show more consideration and care when using public toilets. Sir, since 1983 my Ministry has carried out three campaigns on "Clean Public Toilets", with the most recent one held in January last year. The campaigns have raised the level of awareness among the public, building managements, and cleansing contractors on the proper use and upkeep of public toilets. This has resulted in generally cleaner, better maintained and equipped toilets. Here, Sir, I would like to thank the Straits Times and the Shin Min Daily News for their contributions to my Ministry's campaign last year. I do not know what headlines were used by Shin Min Daily News but certainly Straits Times' "Toilets of Shame" had pulled up the socks of managements of buildings where these toilets were housed. I hope the Straits Times and Shin Min Daily News, and indeed all the other papers, will play their part when my Ministry conducts another campaign in the middle of this year. However, I would like to add that over and above publicizing Toilets of Shame, they should also publicize what I would call "Toilets of Fame" because I believe that the managements who have taken great pains in keeping their public toilets clean should be given the publicity they deserve. What I would like to emphasize, Sir, is that the task of ensuring that our public toilets are kept clean and dry does not rest with the Ministry of the Environment or with the managements of public toilets alone.”
“The rising cost of refuse disposal and, in particular, the high cost of constructing and operating the third incineration plant now under construction at Senoko will thereafter cause our balance to be in the deficit. At that time we may have to revise our refuse disposal fee structure and I certainly will take into consideration some of the suggestions made by the Member for Boon Lay. The Member for Changi wants to know whether our incineration plants are able to cope with the volume of refuse generated daily. He also wants to know whether the Government plans to build any more incineration plants. Sir, currently, the incineration plants at Ulu Pandan and Tuas can incinerate 60% of our daily refuse and these two plants are able to cope with their designed capacities. The Ministry is presently constructing a third incineration plant at Senoko, and when completed in 1992, this plant, together with the ones at Ulu Pandan and Tuas should be able to incinerate 85% of our incinerable refuse; and this represents all our incinerable refuse. The remaining 15% are non-incinerable refuse and has to be dumped. Whether we will build another incineration plant depends on our refuse output. At present, about 5,000 tonnes of refuse are produced daily and this is expected to increase to about 6,900 tonnes by the year 2010 and to 7,500 tonnes by the year 2030. The combined incineration capacity of Ulu Pandan, Tuas and Senoko is 5,600 tonnes per day. From the projections I have given, a fourth incineration plant would only be necessary after the year 2030. The Member for Telok Blangah has commented on the rather sad state of affairs in our public toilets. The bulk of the problem of dirty toilets is attributed to bad social habits.”
“Now, this waiver of fee is really to encourage households with bulky waste, such as unwanted furniture or unwanted electrical appliances, or even renovation contractors with small loads of construction debris to bring in their waste to the Ministry's disposal facilities for proper disposal. But, of course, with effect from the lst of next month, Sir, the total refuse brought in by a vehicle within the same day will be added up and if the total exceeds one tonne appropriate fee will be levied. As the computerized weighbridges at the two dumping grounds, the two incineration plants and the Kim Chuan Transfer Station at Lorong Chuan are all linked by telecommunication lines to the Ministry's computer, it will not be hard for us to know the total load brought in by any vehicle making several trips in a day to dump the refuse. The Member for Boon Lay also wants to know whether our refuse collection service is self-financing or subsidized. During FY87, the Ministry collected a revenue of $69.7 million from refuse removal fees as well as from the sale of electricity and scrap iron from our incineration plants. The cost incurred by the Ministry for refuse removal and disposal by incineration during the same financial year was $55.2 million, thus giving a surplus of $14.5 million. However, I must add, Sir, that there are hidden subsidies for the Ministry's refuse removal activity and these hidden subsidies include the waiver of registration fees, insurance and road tax for the Ministry's fleet of 229 refuse collection vehicles, and also the opportunity cost of land and buildings. These hidden costs are estimated to be in the region of $4 million. So, a more accurate surplus would be about $10 million. We expect our accounts to remain in the black for a few more years.”
“I shall now turn to points raised by the Member for Boon Lay. First of all, he talked of privatization of refuse collection by town council. Sir, the removal of domestic refuse is an essential service. This is because domestic refuse with its high organic content decomposes and putrefies easily in our hot climate. Failure to handle such refuse properly and efficiently can give rise to serious public health risk to the population. So over the years, Sir, the Government has built an effective and reliable service to ensure that domestic refuse is collected from every household daily. However, all industrial and trade refuse are collected by private waste collectors. Collectively, they collect about 1,700 tonnes per day or roughly 33% of the total refuse generated daily in Singapore. Private waste contractors are also allowed to collect domestic refuse from condominiums. However, as a pilot project, my Ministry has given approval in March 1987 to Ang Mo Kio East Town Council to use private waste contractors for its housing estates. Now that the Ang Mo Kio East Town Council has been formally gazetted as Cheng San Town Council, I understand that the Cheng San Town Council under the new regime led by Mayor Heng Chiang Meng is actively pursuing the matter. The Member for Boon Lay also spoke of the practice by some private waste collectors of breaking up their refuse loads into smaller loads so that they can take advantage of the waiver of the disposal fee. Sir, we are aware of this. What happens at the moment, Sir, is that any person who brings in a refuse load of less than one tonne is not charged any disposal fee.”
“Mr Chairman, Sir, the hon. Members for Boon Lay, Telok Blangah and Changi have all spoken on the privatization of hawker centres. All I can say at this point of time, Sir, is that the Ministry of the Environment and the Ministry of National Development are currently studying how the operations and management of hawker centres can be upgraded to provide a more efficient and pleasant service to consumers and also to give a better return on public investment. Sir, the subject of privatization will, of course, be thoroughly examined and the concerns raised by Mr Goh Chee Wee, Mr Teo Chong Tee, and Dr Koh Lam Son, will be carefuly weighed and considered. When the study is completed, Sir, and a policy decision is taken, a formal statement giving all the details will be made. Sir, the hon. Member for Telok Blangah and Encik Ibrahim Othman, the Member for Bedok, have also spoken on the slaughtering of live poultry in wet markets. Indeed, Sir, the slaughtering of live poultry in wet markets has gone beyond the scale practised in the past. And as pointed out by the Member for Telok Blangah, many stallholders are not slaughtering for walk-in customers only but are also using the small and inadequate slaughtering yard to slaughter in mass quantities to supply to restaurants, hawker centres, etc. As a result, Sir, public health standards are compromised. The drains and market concourses are polluted with sullage water and poultry droppings. My Ministry receives a lot of complaints of noise and smell from the slaughtering and the storage of live birds in wet markets. Sir, my Ministry and the Primary Production Department of the Ministry of National Development are currently looking into the need to phase out or scale down slaughtering of poultry in wet markets.”
“Mr Chairman, Sir, as a party to the Montreal Protocol, we will have to observe the following restrictions in the consumption of the controlled products, namely, the chlorofluorocarbons or CFCs and halons: Firstly, we have to freeze consumption of CFCs at 1986 levels from the 12-month period commencing July 1989. Secondly, we have to reduce consumption of CFCs to 80% of the 1986 levels for the 12-month period commencing July 1993, and subsequently to 50% of the 1986 levels for the 12-month period commencing July 1998. Thirdly we have also to freeze consumption of halons at 1986 levels for the 12-month period commencing January 1992. Sir, as all the controlled substances are imported, the Trade Development Board is presently looking at the possibility of enforcing controls at the point of entry. The electronics industry is one of the major users of the controlled substances, particularly the CFCs. Other major users are the aerosol manufacturers, polyethylene manufacturers and, of course, refrigeration plant manufacturers. To minimize the impact on our industry, Sir, relevant agencies like the EDB and SISIR are currently working with companies in the affected industries to help them explore the possibility of using alternative substances.”
“This dumping ground is expected to be exhausted by the year 1997 and thereafter an offshore dumping ground would be needed to meet our needs beyond the turn of the century and the Planning Department has proposed that an offshore area east of Pulau Semakau, as mentioned by the hon. Member, be used as a future disposal site. The possible impact of the proposed Pulau Semakau dumping ground on the marine environment can be controlled by proper design and operation of the dumping ground. For example, there will be no dumping to the open sea; specially constructed impermeable bunds will enclose the dumping site; and any waste water from the site will be adequately treated before discharge into the open sea. In other words, Sir, the whole dumping operation can virtually be isolated, thus reducing the impact on the surrounding marine environment. In fact, Sir, my Ministry is now in the process of selecting consultants with the relevant experience, and reducing the impact on the marine environment will certainly be a priority in our design consideration. With regard to smoke emissions from heavy vehicles, the Member may be pleased to know that we are taking action not only on Singapore-registered vehicles but also on Malaysian-registered vehicles. And I have got the cooperation of my counterpart in Malaysia, Datuk Amar Stephen Yong, the Minister of Science, Technology and Environment.”
“These countries have no choice but to go for unleaded petrol. Sir, in Singapore, we do not have photochemical smog. There is therefore no need to introduce unleaded petrol in the country. The Member for Boon Lay also wants to know whether our drinking water is adequately protected against contamination from toxic waste and other contaminants. In other words, is our drinking water safe? Sir, my Ministry has adopted several pre-emptive measures to prevent pollution in our catchment areas and these measures include (a) not allowing factories which produce large quantities of liquid industrial effluent or which store large quantities of toxic waste to be sited in our catchment areas; (b) requiring factories allowed within water catchments to discharge their effluent into sewers; and (c) not allowing the transport of toxic chemicals in bulk quantities through water catchments. Over and above these measures, Sir, more stringent regulations have been introduced in 1988 under our Toxic Industrial Waste Regulations to control the production, storage, treatment, disposal and the transportation of toxic industrial waste. All these are done to ensure that our drinking water is safe for us to drink. With regard to dumping ground, Sir, let me begin by saying that the Ministry of the Environment has at present two dumping grounds - one at Lorong Halus in the Tampines area and another at Lim Chu Kang. The latter receives mostly incinerated ash from our incineration plants while the one at Lorong Halus receives all refuse that has to be dumped. Of concern to us, Sir, is the capacity of Lorong Halus dumping ground.”
“Our continuous monitoring programme, which incidentally has been going on since 1971, shows that the ambient air quality in our industrial estates as well as in other parts of Singapore is well within the standards stipulated by internationally reputable agencies like the WHO and the USEPA (United States Environmental Protection Agency). I must say, Sir, that our existing anti-pollution laws and measures taken to control pollution have served us well. Despite rapid industrialization on a densely populated and highly urbanized island, we have managed to keep our environment clean, safe and smoke-free. I now turn to lead content in petrol, Sir. The lead content in petrol in Singapore has been reduced from 0.84 grammes of lead per litre of petrol in 1980 to 0.15 grammes of lead per litre of petrol today. As a result, Sir, the roadside concentration of lead in the air has dropped from 2 m/Nm3 in 1980 to 0.4 mg/Nm3 today. The acceptable level of lead in the air, as recommended by USEPA, is 1.5 mg/Nm3. As As you can see, Sir, the lead level in our air is well within the recommended level. Sir, there is no plan to introduce unleaded or lead free petrol, as the Member calls it, in Singapore. In most countries, Sir, unleaded petrol is introduced to complement efforts in vehicular exhaust emission control. Sir, besides lead, vehicular exhausts also contain nitrogen oxides and hydrocarbons which can, under certain atmospheric and weather conditions, react to form photochemical smog. So countries which suffer from this form of pollution have to fit what they call "catalytic converters" to their vehicles to reduce the emission of these nitrogen oxides and hydrocarbons. The presence of lead in petrol damages these converters.”
“Mr Chairman, Sir, the Member for Boon Lay and concurrently Chairman of the GPC for the Environment has raised a number of points. Sir, on air pollution by industries, the Member wants to know whether our existing anti-pollution laws and measures taken are adequate. Mr Chairman, Sir, I would like to emphasize at the outset that all industries in Singapore are required to install pollution control equipment to clean, so to speak, the gases released into the atmosphere to levels specified in our Clean Air Act. Sir, as I have indicated in my reply to a supplementary question raised by Mr Chin Harn Tong, Member of Aljunied GRC, at yesterday's sitting, the more pollutive industries are those with large fuel-burning equipment, such as the petrochemical plants, the oil refineries and the power stations. Besides complying with emission standards in the Clean Air Act, these industries, Sir, are sited at remote locations or on offshore islands so that the impact on population centres is further minimized. But notwithstanding these measures, Sir, low level emissions from industries cannot be totally avoided and these have given rise to complaints of smoke and smell nuisance in some areas, particularly in the Jurong area, as mentioned by the hon. Member, and as raised in a Question for Oral Answer by the Member for Yuhua yesterday. We have checked these complaints, Sir, and found that the concentration of pollutants from these emissions do not pose any health or safety risks to people living in these areas. My Ministry is working closely with the factories concerned to try to further reduce the amounts of emissions.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the more pollutive industries in Jurong are those with large fuel-burning equipment and these are mainly the petro-chemical plants,the oil refineries and the power stations. Besides complying with the emission standards specified in the Clean Air Act, these industries, as an added precaution, are sited at remote locations or on offshore islands so that the impact on population centres is further minimized. Sir, other sources of pollution in Jurong, particularly the Jurong North Area, are the brickworks. It has nothing to do with Brickworks Constituency. In the past, when the area was scarcely populated, pollution from brickworks had little or no impact at all on the surrounding areas. With the development of highrise HDB flats in Jurong East, Jurong West and Bukit Batok, the soot from these brickworks are affecting the people; so they complain. What my Ministry had done was to require these brickworks to phase out the use of old kilns which were the main source of pollution because of the poor design. In fact, Sir, the brickworks which are allowed to remain in the Jurong North area are those with newer and cleaner kilns. SUPPLY AND SUPPLEMENTARY SUPPLY BILLS Resolved, That, notwithstanding the Standing Orders, the second and third readings of the Supply Bill for FY 1989/90 and the Supplementary Supply Bill for FY 1988/89 may be proceeded with immediately after the conclusion of the proceedings on the Main and Development Estimates for FY 1989/90. - [Dr Richard Hu Tsu Tau]. MAIN AND DEVELOPMENT ESTIMATES OF SINGAPORE FOR THE FINANCIAL YEAR 1ST APRIL, 1989 TO 31ST MARCH, 1990 Order read for consideration in Committee of Supply [1st Allotted Day]. [Mr Speaker in the Chair]”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the levels of various air pollutants such as total acidity, smoke, suspended particles, sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxides in various parts of Singapore, including Jurong, have been kept under continuous monitoring since 1971. The results show that the level of air pollution in Jurong, as well as in other parts of Singapore, is well within the ambient air quality standards recommended by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA). The levels of various pollutants in Jurong are not only within the standards but are also very low. For example, the 1988 levels of sulphur dioxide, total acidity and nitrogen dioxide in Jurong were 35, 24 and 35 ug/Nm3 respectively. The WHO standards for these pollutants are 80, 60 and 100 ug/Nm3 respectively. As a large part of Jurong is industrial, the air in Jurong, admittedly, would not be as good as that in other parts of Singapore which are largely rural or residential. Nonetheless, Sir, the air in Jurong is safe. Mr Chin Harn Tong (Aljunied GRC): Sir, what are the main sources of pollution in Jurong? Secondly, what steps have been taken to minimize the pollution from these sources?”
“The answer is no, Sir, because with adequate treatment and disposal facilities available in Singapore I see no reason why factories in Singapore should dump their waste illegally. Besides, the penalties are fairly severe. RELEASE OF FRANCIS SEOW 6. Mr Chiam See Tong asked the Minister for Home Affairs whether the American Government had requested the Singapore Government to release Francis Seow.”
“' But more seriously, Sir, if the guilty person has polluted our inland waters, eg, rivers, reservoirs and so on, he can be charged under the Water Pollution Control and Drainage Act. If found guilty the penalty is $10,000 or imprisonment not exceeding six months or both. For a second or subsequent conviction, the penalty is $20,000 and an imprisonment term of not more than a year.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, my Ministry has a policy of requiring factories using toxic materials to set up in-house plants to treat their own toxic wastes. These factories are required to operate these plants to acceptable standards. The treated liquid effluent is discharged into our sewers and finally undergoes treatment at our sewage treatment works. Solid residues from these plants are buried under controlled conditions at our dumping grounds. There are also plants in Singapore which recover and re-cycle toxic waste materials, eg, solvents and oils. These are plants approved by my Ministry and factories which do not have in-house treatment plants of their own are allowed to send their toxic wastes to these plants for treatment. Again, Sir, solid residues from these plants are buried under controlled conditions at our dumping grounds. The Pollution Control Department of my Ministry inspects all these factories with in-house treatment plants once a month and those factories which are found not to be operating satisfactorily are of course inspected more frequently. At these inspections, samples of treated effluent are taken and analyzed and if they are not found to be satisfactory the factories concerned will be told that they have to do something about it. With regard to penalty, Sir, section 108 of the Environmental Public Health Act says: 'Any person who contravenes or fails to comply with any of the provisions of this Act shall be guilty of an offence and where no penalty is expressly provided shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $2,000 and in the case of a second or subsequent conviction to a fine not exceeding $4,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 3 months or to both.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, it must be said at the outset that the allegations were only reported in the Thai press and we do not have accurate information from any other source. The Thai press reported that the alleged shipments took place between 1981 and 1983, which is more than five years ago and detailed records are no longer available. We have, however, examined what we believe were the Bills of Lading relating to the shipment. The Bills of Lading indicated that there was a Thai company that had purchased the materials consigned and letters of credit had been issued to the Thai company by Thai banks. The Bills of Lading do not support the case of a blind shipment of toxic waste from a factory in Singapore to a fictitious company in Thailand as the foreign reports had made it out to be. Sir, Singapore is also a re-export and transhipment centre. There is reason to believe, from the Bills of Lading, that the drums and their contents have been either transhipped or re-exported from Singapore. We do not know what the contents of the drums really are, but the Bills of Lading describe them as silicone, which is a non-toxic stable compound used in adhesives, and Nisol Brightener, which is a compound used to achieve a bright finish in nickel plating. From the information we have, there is no evidence to say that the drums contained toxic waste from factories in Singapore shipped out to fictitious addresses in Thailand. I might also add that the Ministry of the Environment does not condone any dumping of toxic waste in foreign countries by local companies. There are sufficient waste disposal facilities in Singapore for us to deal with our own waste.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, the Singapore Government has reacted soberly, rationally and with restraint to this incident. Let us hope that the US State Department can react likewise.”
“But if they participate at the instigation of and with financial assistance from foreign elements, they will lose their political integrity and end up as tools for foreign subversion. Singaporeans by all means should take a keen interest and participate actively in politics. But they must at all costs preserve their political integrity. They must not allow themselves to become easy prey to manipulation by foreign elements and become their proxies. Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, the US State Department has hitherto denied that its officials had interfered in our internal politics. The Americans are not likely to remove the fig leaf they have put up. Diplomatically, Sir, this is a face-saving device but it would not do any good to the fostering of ties between the US and her friends. It is most unwise to adopt this fig-leaf policy in the face of conclusive evidence and especially when such an unpleasant incident happens to a friendly nation. Sir, exonerating errant officials unreservedly can only give the impression of insidiousness and irrationality, unbecoming of a great nation. Sir, if the US Embassy here and the State Department in Washington had reprimanded the errant officials based on facts and evidence and apologized, as they had done in 1961 over improper activities in Singapore by certain US officials, they would have done better in preserving their esteem and dignity and in reinstating their conviction in the sovereignty of nations as a basic human right. But their continued refusal to acknowledge this interference, Sir, has not helped matters. And as long as the US administration continues to exonerate errant officials and tries to turn black into white, it will only anger self-respecting Singaporeans further.”
“Sir, all self-respecting Singaporeans should feel outraged by foreign interference and subversion rather than be afraid of offending them. They should come forward and, in one voice, censure the surreptitious operation of US State Department officials who actively encouraged and instigated some lawyers and a number of professionals who are unhappy with the Government to contest against the ruling party in the coming General Elections. Sir, if you still remember, about a fortnight ago my colleague, the Minister for Trade and Industry, disclosed that a number of US officials and Congressmen had quietly asked Singapore not to make public its findings on the investigations into detained lawyer Francis Seow. Should Government allow itself to be deterred from disclosing the findings of its investigations into Seow and hurriedly close the case instead? I say, Sir, Singaporeans have every right to know Francis Seow's role in this American interference in our domestic affairs. The Government cannot bow to American pressure. It owes it to the people to make public the findings of its investigations, however embarrassing they may be to the Americans. That was how American meddlings in our domestic politics were dealt with in the past. This is how we deal with it now. We expose them. We do not hide them. Sir, a strong, efficient and clean government has existed in Singapore for more than two decades now. This is the choice of Singaporeans, and no foreign government, mass media or human rights group has the right to interfere with and influence the choice of Singaporeans. In a democracy, it is the legitimate political right of citizens to take part in politics, to oppose the ruling party or even replace it through elections.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I rise in support of the motion standing in the name of the Member for Braddell Heights. Sir, after Government's exposure of Hendrickson's interference in our domestic politics, I held several discussions with a number of people, both young and old. While the older ones amongst them, particularly those who had witnessed similar interferences in the past, are solidly behind Government's action, there are those amongst the younger ones who feel uneasy about the exposure. They think it is foolhardy for a small country like Singapore to offend a superpower like the United States. Then there are those who want an end to what they call "the rhetoric on the Hendrickson's affair." Yet, there is another category of Singaporeans, naive perhaps, who call for the periodic re-evaluation of the Internal Security Act (ISA) to see "what latitude may be allowed". Sir, on the ISA, I do not intend to repeat what the Prime Minister had succinctly put across in this House last Friday. All I would like to emphasize is that we need the ISA and in its present form. The Government will stand by its record. We will defend the ISA. Sir, indeed the United States is a superpower. But should we keep quiet when her officials meddle in our domestic politics? True, Sir, Singapore is a small country. But must it suffer foreign interference and subversion in silence? And I address foreign interference and subversion as two separate issues. Foreign interference impinges upon our sovereignty but foreign subversion cuts at our survival. And it is because we are a small country, not only must our sovereignty be protected but there is also no room in our political arena to accommodate foreign subversive activities.”
“Mr Chiam See Tong didn't. BG Lee Hsien Loong: Dr Lee Siew Choh never sought a guarantee. Mr Jeyaretnam never sought a guarantee. Even the Member for Potong Pasir. Despite his words in support of the American position this morning, which were out of order, he has not told us whether he has a guarantee or not. But I do not believe he has. If I am mistaken, I stand corrected.”
“Dr Ahmad Mattar( In Malay): Mr Chairman, in 1987 MUIS unveiled its three-year operational plans, which included inter-alia: the establishment of a Religious Education Unit to control and regulate Islamic religious institutions which are currently run independently; taking over the administration of pilgrimage affairs in response to the requirements of the Ministry of Pilgrimage and Endowments of Saudi Arabia; the implementation of programmes to strengthen relations with the Muslim community in Singapore; the stepping up of missionary activities; and improving MUIS' image by increased participation in international and regional conferences. Mr Chairman, MUIS receives a grant from Government which, in the last five years, averaged $660,000 annually grant is not sufficient for MUIS to implement its programme fully and effectively and it has had to supplement will its own funds up to an annual average of about $990,000 in the last five years. While MUIS can resort to using part of its Fitrah and Zakat Harta collections for religious education and dakwah activities and its General Wakaf Fund for its other programmes, these are limited by the amount that MUIS receives each year. MUIS will strive to explore ways and means of increasing its own funds to carry out its activities and if these are still insufficient, it will then try to make a strong case to Government for its annual grant to be augmented. Encik Othman bin Haron Eusofe( In Malay): On behalf of my colleagues who have spoken, I thank the Minister and I beg leave to withdraw my amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. The sum of $106,577,750 for Head J ordered to stand part of the Main Estimates. The sum of $23,051,000 for Head J ordered to stand part of the Development Estimates. Head U -”
“If we look at the revised FY 87 expenditure, it is stated that the Government allocation was $708,540, whereas for FY 88 the estimated budget is $631,400. This means a shortfall of about 10.9%. We have just heard the Minister when he replied to the Member for Geylang Serai that the functions of MUIS are expanding.This is reflected in the 1986 Annual Report of MUIS which says that between September and November 1986 MUIS held consultations or "syura" with several local organizations, leaders, scholars, to seek their views on how MUIS could draft its policies and new programmes. As a result of this we formed nine departments in MUIS and these nine departments have announced their operational plans. This shows a broadening of functions and an increasing amount of work for MUIS. This would, of course, also increase the expectations of the community of the functions and tasks of MUIS. But as we scrutinize the distribution of work in the MUIS secretariat, we would find a number of officers having to perform functions in more than one department. For example, there is one Executive Officer who has to perform functions in two departments, the administration and the missionary departments. And an Assistant Mufti has to deal with law and education. Certainly, this is an anomalous situation - so much work being done by such a limited number of officers. So I would appeal to the Minister to urge the Minister for Finance to rectify this anomaly - increased functions but reduced allocation of funds. I would like some explanation from the Minister.”
“He also wants to know the possibility of these organizations carrying out social activities, such as anti-drug abuse counselling service. Dakwah activities held at void decks, community halls and sports complexes are coordinated by the 24 District Missionary Committees or JHDs, spread throughout Singapore. These District Committees coordinate all dakwah activities organized by Muslim organizations at local level. They are, in turn, coordinated by the Central Missionary Committee which now includes representatives of the Dakwah Committee of MUIS and mosques. The Muslim Counselling Service-SANA (MCS-SANA), of which MUIS is actively involved, has appealed to mosques and local Muslim organizations for Voluntary Aftercare officers. To date, 27 Muslims have volunteered and are at present undergoing a Counselling Course at SANA. Meanwhile,a Task Force to tackle the problem of drug addiction among Malay youths has been formed. This Task Force consisting of representatives from MUIS and nine other Muslim organizations is chaired by Encik Abdullah Tarmugi, the Member for Siglap. Details of this Task Force have already been announced by me on 5th March and the nine other Muslim organizations on this Task Force are: MENDAKI, the Central Council of Malay Cultural Organizations Singapore, the Singapore Malay Teachers Union, Malay Language Teachers Association, Young Women Muslim Association, PERTAPIS, MCS-Sana, Central Missionary Committee, and the Kampong Kembangan Anti-Drug Abuse Task Force. Encik Wan Hussin bin Haji Zoohri (Kampong Ubi)( In Malay): Mr Chairman, in discussing the role of the MUIS, I would like to draw the attention of the Minister to the Budget estimates for the Muslim Religious Council.”
“This is also in line with the suggestion by the President of Singapore, Mr Wee Kim Wee, at a recent celebration of the Prophet's Birthday, that MUIS plays a more important role to seek the support of all Muslim organizations for a joint effort in the activity I mentioned. What are the steps made towards this effort? I would like clarification on this point. Dr Ahmad Mattar( In Malay): Sir, the Member for Pasir Panjang raised two questions. The first concerns the progress in the construction of mosques under Phase II. Sir, since the implementation of Phase II of the Mosque Building Programme, four mosques have been completed; two are still under construction while three more are at advanced stages of planning. The four completed mosques are: Masjid En-Naeem at Hougang, Masjid Darul Aman at Kampong Ubi, Masjid Darul Makmur at Yishun and Masjid Al Mukminin at Jurong East. The two mosques under construction are: Masjid Darussalam at Clementi and Masjid Al-Amin at Telok Blangah/Radin Mas. Masjid Darussalam will be ready by the end of this year and Masjid Al-Amin, early next year. The remaining three mosques are: Masjid Darul Ghufran at Tampines, Masjid Ar-Raudhah at Bukit Batok and Masjid Kampong Siglap at Jalan Sempadan. Piling work on Masjid Darul Ghufran has recently been completed and construction work is expected to commence soon. Tenders received for the construction of Masjid Ar-Raudhah are presently being evaluated by MUIS. The design for Masjid Kampong Siglap is being finalised. Mr Chairman, the Member for Pasir Panjang's second question touches on MUIS' plans to coordinate dakwah activities with local Muslim organizations in Singapore.”
“A Finance Sub-committee consisting of Muslim professionals has also been set up to explore the sources of funds. Encik Abbas Abu Amin( In Malay):Sir, I would like to know about the progress made in the construction of new mosques under Phase II. The question is: How many more modern mosques are being and will be constructed and when are they expected to be completed? What are the problems, if any, which might be impeding the smooth completion of the Phase II mosques? The second issue I wish to get clarification on concerns the steps taken by the MUIS to coordinate the various missionary activities organized by the various local Muslim organizations like the JHDs, Jamiyah, block representative committees and other private organizations so that these missionary activities could be better organized. This will enable the Muslim community in Singapore to benefit and to give their wholehearted support towards such activities. From the feedback that I have received, there are many similar activities conducted one after the other for several days at a time, drawing the attention of the local Muslim residents in each locality. It is better if these activities could be properly planned, organized, and scheduled in such a manner as to make effective use of time and energy for all concerned, the organisers as well as the residents in the area. In addition, I would like to suggest that MUIS also coordinate other activities besides missionary activities to mobilize the whole Muslim population to combat anti-social activities, which appear to have strong influence on our youths in Singapore. One such activity is the effort against drug abuse.”
“Sir, a comprehensive review of the Administration of Muslim Law Act (AMLA) has been conducted by an AMLA Review Committee of MUIS. Their recommendations, endorsed by the council, have been submitted to the Ministry for consideration. The changes recommended are many and substantial and will have to be given careful consideration. And these include suggestions made by the hon. Member for Tanah Merah. However, I cannot tell exactly when AMLA will be revised. However, I wish to assure the member for Tanah Merah that priority attention is being accorded to this. I now move on to the question on the progress made in the development of the three wakaf lands. Sir, MUIS has been served notice to develop three wakaf lands, namely, Wakaf Abdul Hamid at Gentle Road, Wakaf Jabbar at Duku Road and Wakaf Kassim at Changi Road. MUIS has appointed a Wakaf Development Committee made up of professionals and learned Muslim to make recommendations on the development of the said wakaf lands. The Committee has recommended that Wakaf Jabbar be developed into a residential property comprising 4 units of terrace houses while Wakaf Kassim should be developed into a commercial complex comprising a multi-functional mosque, a medical centre, a school and commercial premises. As the land of Wakaf Abdul Hamid is small, the Committee has recommended that it be properly landscaped. Sir, an architect has been appointed to prepare blueprints for the development projects. However, progress is slowas the three wakafs do not have their own sources of funds for development purposes. Of the three wakaf developments, that of Wakaf Kassim at Changi Road is the biggest. An architect has already been appointed to do the preliminary drawing and estimated project costs.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the maintenance provided by my Minister is as follows: a) daily sweeping of the compound to clear litter and leaves; b) weekly mosquito surveillance within and outside the buildings; c) monthly grass cutting and occasional pruning of trees and shrubs; and also d) overseeing the security of the premises by daily deployment of a watchman. TAXI KIOSKS (Particulars) 5. Mr Yeo Choo Kok asked the Minister for Communications and Information (a) how many taxi kiosks are there as at the latest convenient date; (b) who own these kiosks; and (c) whether these kiosks are being properly managed, maintained and made use of. The Senior Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Communications and Information (Mr Ho Kah Leong) (for the Minister for Communications and Information): Sir, I am answering on behalf of my Minister. There are 31 taxi kiosks in Singapore, 10 of which are owned by the NTUC Comfort. The rest are owned by individual groups of taxi drivers who elect committees to organize and manage the kiosks. Generally, all the kiosks are properly managed, maintained and used.”