Arthur Beng Kian Lam
Singapore
“Sir, the aim of the Electronic Road Pricing (ERP) is to encourage optimal road usage so that car ownership can be increased. My questions to the Minister are (1) what is the estimated cost to a motorist, ie, the median, that the Ministry of Communications is expecting?”
“Sir, one point of clarification, please. I am very pleased to hear the announcement made by the Senior Minister of State about the very comprehensive way in which IT is going to be applied in schools. I am also very glad to hear that six more computers are going to be added to the existing five for administration.”
“Sir, my topic is on public transport in mature HDB estates. Sir, we are all excited about the plans to achieve a world-class public transport system. However, as many of the mature towns have little or no reserve land, it would seem that the bus will still be the mainstay of transportation. I would like to ask the Minister two questions.”
“The Minister has implemented a paradigm shift in his approach to personnel management. The new salary scales announced are welcomed and will do much to raise the morale of the teachers. I am glad to hear that the Minister recognises the principal as the CEO of a school. This gives a significant recognition to the role of the principal.”
“Sir, I am glad to know that the Minister will be taking active steps to implement the IMC and that he himself will be chairing the Ministerial Steering Committee which will include the Minister for Education and the Minister for Home Affairs.”
“However, upgrading is necessary as the business of the centre will be affected if the town is not upgraded, and experience has shown that the business in upgraded town centres indeed improves. Sir, the HDB or MND earns from the sale of shops. Should not a sum from this be allocated to town councils for the upgrading process?”
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“What is spent on tuition could be better spent on full-day school. The net effect may be not only more cost-effective, but will also address the social problems faced by working couples. Let us give Full Day School another try. Perhaps on the question of cost for Full Day School, the Government could consider a dollar for dollar grant, that is, if the parents spend $100 extra on Day School - rather than they spend $100 on tuition - the Government gives $100 extra to the school. Public Transport Sir, both of the major bus companies - SBS and TIBS - are public listed, and together hold the monopoly or duopoly of bus services. The Report states that "as public listed companies, they have to generate profits for their shareholders". Does this not also hold true for all companies? Is this not the wish of all businesses and even governments? The Report in paragraph 14, page 84, states that profits of the two bus companies fell from $55 million in 1988 to $23 million in 1990. Note that they did not lose money. Therefore, bus fares were increased, and "profits recovered and amounted to $51m in 1992". When diesel prices increased during the Gulf War in 1991, bus fares increased. When diesel prices fell, other reasons were given for not reducing bus fares. However, they made a hefty $51 million profit in 1992. The Ministry of Communications should watch these reasons given more carefully. The Public Transport Council should be more alert. Finally, Sir, as a nation which has been rated to have one of the world's leading workforce, we naturally have high expectations. I agree that our expectations cannot be unrealistically high, or else we will lose our competitive edge in the international market.”
“The other reasons given for higher hospital bills were attributed to change in disease patterns and demand for more and better health care services. I agree that these two are contributory factors. However, if nearly half of the patients are warded in B2 and C in 1992, as shown in Chart 5.1 on page 46, my own conclusion is that restructuring must be a significant, if not, a major, cause of fee increases. This is further reinforced by the recommendation of the CRC itself that there should be "at least one government hospital". Education Sir, I welcome the recommendations on education, especially the capping of the subsidy rate for the universities. I would like to make reference to the costs for primary and secondary students, especially the issue of private tuition. The Ministry of Education survey showed that parents at the primary level spent on the average $108 per month, and those in the secondary level $172 per month on tuition. This goes to show that parents feel that their children need more academic assistance. Sir, at this point, I would like the CRC and the Ministry of Education especially, to give the issue of the Day School a second look. It was a good concept, which failed. The causes are many. They could have been the facilities, curriculum, staffing, or the target group could have been wrong in that we included from primary one to primary six, where maybe it should be only those who are the older children from primary four to primary six. Perhaps we should study the reasons for the failure of what I consider a most worthy project. With the problems of working parents, and now with parents having to travel overseas to work, compounded with that of teen-gangs and the concern of drop-outs, Day School may well be the solution.”
“The public needs to be further reassured: Who will be responsible for this coordination? It will not be an easy task to coordinate the various Ministries and statutory boards, and now even GLCs and public-listed companies (for example, the bus companies and soon Singapore Telecom). Perhaps, the Frontbench would like to comment on this. The public needs to know which Minister or Committee of Ministers will be responsible for this. Sir, regarding the explanation that certain increases, for example, in health and housing, which were rapid and steep in the post-recession years, I find it difficult to accept this explanation. During the recession years, all Singaporeans sacrificed through the CPF cut-back. This helped in the speedy recovery of the economy. Surely, there was no urgent need to "catch up" so quickly. I make this point because I hope that this sort of "quick-fix" solution will never happen again. Do we expect those patients who were sick and admitted to restructured hospital in 1989 and 1990 to accept this? It would indeed be very difficult to convince them. Thus, I agree with the Committee that in the issue of achieving "target subsidy rates" the "time-frame" must be very clearly spelt out. The Government must also be flexible in this respect and take into account factors like a recession or unforeseen factors. If the civil service is forced to stick rigidly to these target dates, the increases to the public may become painful or unaffordable. This is one aspect in which there is no credit at all to over-achieve. Sir, on the issue of health, the CRC "agreed that restructuring was not a major cause of fee increases".”
“Sir, I rise to support the motion. Sir, I would first like to congratulate the Chairman and Committee members for the thoroughness in which they dealt with the issues under review. I would like to comment on some areas of the Report. Firstly, the Consumer Price Index. Sir, when the Prime Minister commissioned this Committee to its task, many Singaporeans looked eagerly to its work and report. That members of the SDP opted out of this Committee is an opportunity wasted on their part, and shows a lack of commitment on their part. In contrast, Mr Low Thia Khiang made a Minority Report. I must give him credit for the effort he has put in. Sir, the public expects the CPI to be all-encompassing. As the Report has stated, and I quote: "public unhappiness over the CPI stemmed from a misunderstanding of the nature and purpose of the index." In layman's terms, the public is looking for an index which they can use to compare various costs. They want to use this index to convey to the Government about areas which they believe costs are rising too rapidly or too steeply. Thus, it is the public's concerns over the cost of housing, health care, education and transport that could not be conveyed to the Government through the CPI. However, these costs did rise, and in some areas, very steeply. Furthermore, the combined effect of the various increases did indeed "hurt the pocket", although in varying degrees. Each of these increases could be justified by each Ministry, but taken as a group, it did hurt, and it hurt a little bit more. I therefore welcome especially recommendation No. 47 of the Committee that Government fee increases should be carefully coordinated to avoid the same mistake again. However, the Committee stops short here.”
“As we invest and depend more on IT, and as IT will affect the life of every Singaporean, having such a body will help ensure high standards of practice and a high ethical code to enhance the status of IT professionals and protect the customer or individual. Thus, just as one can make a complaint to the Law Society or Medical Council, one has recourse to complain to a similar body in the IT industry, for example, an IT Council. This IT Council can also set standards, for example, it can make audit trails a compulsory feature of computer systems. The National Computer Board could be the body to spearhead this. However, as with the Law Society or Medical Council, to be effective, they must be given statutory powers by this House to deal with complaints, set up disciplinary committees, and ultimately to de-register the unethical or recalcitrant. The challenge to the IT industry is indeed great. But I have great confidence that they will be able to meet this. 2.30 pm”
“This will provide all users the necessary infrastructural confidence to go IT, and protect the individual Singaporean whose very personal data will sometimes be stored in the system. More professionals, businesses and Government agencies will then turn to IT to make their operations more efficient. Sir, deterrence is a very important part of the safeguard. In the case of these crimes, each and everyone of them must be premeditated or may even be master-minded by a professional. I am satisfied with most of the punishments prescribed in Part II, and I accept the explanation of the Minister regarding the two-tier approach to punishment. However, I would like to seek the Minister's clarification on Part II, clauses 3(1) and 5(1). Clause 3(1) deals with "securing access without authority". This is the first step to any mischievous or criminal intentions. Clause 5(1) deals with "unauthorised modification of the contents" -the first step towards what one calls in layman's terms "sabotage of a system". These are serious offences, and potentially can be very damaging. Although the Bill allows for judicial discretion in allowing a jail sentence not exceeding two years (which recognises the potential seriousness of these offences), I believe that the fine prescribed (not exceeding $2,000) is inadequate. To be an effective deterrent to the first step of worse things to come, this fine should be $5,000 or even $10,000. I hope that the Minister will reconsider this and, with experience of this Bill, perhaps this could be revised at a later stage. Sir, I would like to close by asking the Minister if there are plans to form a self-regulatory body for the computer or IT industry, like we have for other professionals, eg, lawyers, accountants, doctors and engineers.”
“The National Computer Board (NCB) has played a very important role as a catalyst and master planner for the use of IT in Singapore. Its master plan - the IT 2000 Master Plan - will touch and improve the quality of life of every Singaporean. We should congratulate the NCB, the EDB and all its partners in this ambitious plan. However, as critical data will be stored, both for business and for individuals, it is timely that this Bill is introduced to provide protection in the following areas: (a) to have unauthorised access to a system; (b) to modify computer material without proper authorization; (c) to intercept computer service without authority, and (d) to abet these acts. Sir, any person who has access to the computer - and he does not have to be a systems analyst - actually has access to data which, if used as it was planned for, will be positive. But he can also tap the information for ill-intentions, eg, crime, personal embarrassment, or business sabotage. For example, the data entry clerk or programmer can sell the list of the names and addresses of a financial institution to a direct mailing company. This would result in voluminous junk mail for all of us. Worse still, a disgruntled employee or business competitor may be tempted to alter or erase programs or data, or make copies of the data. If this happens, for example, to a trading house or financial institution, just imagine the damage or havoc that can be caused. Thankfully, the industry can build in safeguards, for example, security levels into a system, but the integrity of the persons who have access to the computer terminal is the only and final safeguard to the system. I thus welcome the provisions of this Bill and congratulate the Minister on its timeliness and thoroughness.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, Singapore is committed to the use of information technology to assist us in our economic development and to improve our quality of life. Today, the computer is an essential part of the office equipment and management of many a business both large and small. The smooth running and success of business may depend on the data that is captured in these computers. For example, a breakdown of the computers is a major disaster for financial and trading houses, many Government agencies and even small businesses. Sir, using a computer is like using the TV set or driving a car. Many of us know how to use the TV set or drive a car, but few of us understand the complicated circuitry of the TV set or the special features of a car engine. If something should go wrong, we depend on the technicians, mechanics or engineers to advise us. In the case of the computer industry, we depend on the data entry clerks, programmers, systems analysts, hardware and software support teams and the electronic engineers. Likewise, the person who uses the computer for very intricate procedures, from the managing director to the clerical assistant, thanks to technology which has made the computer so user-friendly, does not need to know the intricacies of the inside of the computer box. What makes for successful computerisation? It begins with good advice from the professionals to select the correct hardware and software for the purpose (what the industry calls the "solution" to the needs of the customer) and the daily operation of relying on dependable staff to key in and update the correct data. As the industry saying goes: "garbage in, garbage out". Thus, all the persons involved, from the initial stage of design to data entry and users, play a critical role.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I rise to support the Bill. Sir, I could not agree with the Minister more that we must act swiftly and decisively to send the correct message to these parasites of society. Sir, every MP in this House would have been approached by his residents on this problem of harassment by moneylenders. Often, innocent parties, like the wife and children, are also harassed and threatened. Worse still, in cases of mistaken identity, grievous hurt can be inflicted on the innocent. I thus welcome the proposed enhanced penalties and the extension of these penalties to debt collectors. Sir, I would just like to bring another point to the Minister's attention. I am sure the Minister is aware that there is another aggrieved party, that is, the owners or managers of common property, for example, the Town Councils. Often, threatening messages and graffiti are pasted or even sprayed in the void decks, lifts and lift lobbies. It causes a great deal of money to get all these rectified. Should not these vandals also be made to pay for defacing these common properties?”
“What were the words he used? "Betrayal", "hurt", "disappointment". This is not a man who is vindictive. This is not a man who goes around fixing people. He tried to help this young man. He stuck his head out and almost got it chopped. He even pleaded for Dr Chee, so much so he got the 14th month bonus. Yet, when this young man came to see him for advice as to whether he should go into politics, he carried with him a tape-recorder which did not belong to him, with a tape which did not belong to him, and recorded the conversation. This reminds me of my own initial days before I decided to become an MP. My wife and I visited Dr Tan Cheng Bock and his wife to have a talk with him on the pros and cons and the problems of being an MP. I did not carry a tape-recorder, I assure you, Dr Tan. But it really brought back memories. You are seeking out a friend, someone you can trust, someone who would tell you the problems of being an MP. And yet you carry along with you a tape-recorder. I think this is almost unforgivable.”
“Is this the political system we want to adopt? Next time, what will happen? If a Member, or anyone of us, or a Member of the Opposition is not promoted in a department whose Head may, unfortunately, again happen to be Dr Vasoo, he will be accused of being politically motivated. If someone cannot find employment in the University, it is political motivation. If someone cannot find admission to a junior college, it is political motivation. Where will all these lead us? Sir, when asked if Dr Chee would heed the party's advice, he said, "I will be the laughing stock, if I stop now." Pride, we see here, comes in the way and not penitence. I would urge him, for his own sake, and if not for his own sake, as Dr Tan Cheng Bock said, for the sake of his ill mother, to stop this and not let pride get in the way. Sir, the reaction of the PAP shows that this whole affair is politically motivated. Firstly, let us note that no PAP MP, besides Dr Vasoo in his capacity as Head of Department, commented on this whole affair. Mr Chiam, unfortunately, was beaten by Mr Chia Shi Teck in bringing up this motion to the House. This motion was not proposed by any PAP MP. It was the Prime Minister who directed us to support this motion and we did out of respect for him and due to his very persuasive techniques. Sir, many of us here did not believe that it was correct to discuss this whole issue here. Why? Because we believe that Dr Chee, who is not in this House and not an MP, when we discuss this whole affair, he will not be here to defend himself. We did not feel that it was fair to him. But in the light of the fact that the NMP has moved this motion, we felt that we had no choice but to participate. Lastly, let me close by referring to my good Friend, Dr Vasoo. You have listened to him.”
“No, Sir. They provided a doctor to check on Dr Chee daily and they paid for his bills. He was a doctor who neither belonged to the SDP nor the Workers' Party. But they also said in the press statement: 'Contrary to media reports, the SDP and its Secretary-General have full confidence in Dr Chee and have always supported Dr Chee in the sincerity of his actions.' Next quote: 'The SDP sympathises and respects the deep conviction and belief of Dr Chee in his present course of action.' What is this present course of action? The hunger strike. What does all this tantamount to? Condoning, encouraging, manipulating or abetting? I do not know. Sir, the SDP has politicised the whole issue and has tried, unfortunately, for them but, fortunately, for Singapore, to make Singaporeans believe that the hunger strike is the right way and the only way to redress this issue. I quote: 'The SDP believes that Singaporeans are now enlightened and will take note of what Dr Chee is doing for the long-term good of Singapore. We were asked to believe that hunger strikes are the way to redress whatever we feel is wrong and that is being done wrong to us. This is for the long-term good of Singapore.' Dr Chee goes even further. As first Assistant Secretary-General, SDP, as I have said, it is equivalent to a Deputy Prime Minister, to galvanise support for himself and when talking of political realities in Singapore, he asked "whether Singaporeans want to live with this aspect of Singapore's political life?" Here, he was talking about being victimised, etc, and if not, to take concrete action, like himself, to change it. What is this concrete action that he is talking about? Hunger strike. Sir, on 8th April, in reaction to the SDP's statement, Dr Chee urged the SDP to put pressure on the NUS.”
“Because the ultimate would be damage to his health and, of course, when taken to the infinite end, it would mean death. When he was asked why he went on a hunger strike, he said that this was the peaceful way to show his protest. Peaceful, for who? For himself. It definitely caused discomfort to his family, to his mother, to his relatives, to his brothers and siblings. It does not give us a good picture of a man committed to a cause, a man who was so affected and so conscientious about what he believed in that he decided to go for a hunger strike. Sir, he also said that he did not want to cause unnecessary alarm. But look, what have all these done? Day after day, we have newspaper reports about what is happening to him. And one writer to the Straits Times had this to say. He was quite amused in the beginning when he read about the hunger strike. But when he sat down in a coffeeshop, and he heard students talking about it that they can also use this as a tactic, he was worried. He asked the newspapers to stop carrying stories about this. And this morning we heard Mr Chiam challenging Mr Peh to a hunger strike. How much further is this going to carry on? Sir, in the course of all this, how did the SDP react? They issued a very cunning statement. On one hand, they would seem to be so fair and reasonable. They said that the hunger strike was his own personal decision. It is a very fair statement. It showed concern. It called on Dr Chee to stop his hunger strike. Mr Chiam See Tong rose ---”
“Let us quickly recapitulate the sequence of events and some salient points which show that the SDP has politically manipulated this whole betrayal. The charade actually started before the Marine Parade GRC by-election, that is, in September 1992. When Dr Chee received the news of his termination from NUS, he alleged that the action was politically motivated and he subsequently also informed his party colleagues, that is, he expected his party to respond. What other evidence do we need to show that this is politically motivated? We feel that the SDP is out to make political capital of this. Before all this happened, Dr Chee was very involved in the exchange of letters in the Straits Times and was a rising star in the SDP and heir apparent to Mr Chiam. He was, if you compare it with the PAP hierarchy, equivalent to a Deputy Prime Minister. Sir, subsequently, he decided to seek redress and to go on a hunger strike from 6.00 am on 5th April 1993. Hunger strikes are no small matters and they are not matters to be taken lightly. As my colleague, Mr Peh, has said earlier in Mandarin, before the hunger strike which was announced to start at 6.00 am, he had a grand feast at 5.30 am, a feast prepared by his wife. If I may take a translation from the Lianhe Zaobao, as I do not read the Chinese papers, this is what it says. It is an article written by Mr Lim Kim Huat. 'His wife, Dr Huang Chih-Mei, personally prepared a breakfast which comprise vegetables, beans, mushrooms, chicken and rice for Dr Chee before his hunger strike. At 6.00 am yesterday, Dr Chee sitting on a sofa in the living room, read the Lianhe Zaobao and the Straits Times and began his hunger strike.' Sir, hunger strikes are never to be taken lightly. Why?”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, Mr Chia Shi Teck has described this incident as the saga of Dr Chee Soon Juan. I think that it would be better described as a betrayal of Dr S. Vasoo. Sir, this whole affair started because Dr Chee alleged that his dismissal was politically motivated, that is, by the PAP. It would seem that political manipulation of this whole affair by the SDP is a more correct assessment. In alleging that the dismissal was politically motivated, Mr Chiam gave these reasons. Firstly, because Dr Vasoo, the Head of Department, happened to be a PAP MP. Now that Dr Vasoo has given his whole explanation, I am sure that this House is convinced, if Mr Chiam is not, of the wrongdoings and misconduct of Dr Chee. Mr Chiam has also made a big song and dance about all the letters that Dr Chee had written to the press and how these had affected the case. He also mentioned about the involvement of Mr Matthias Yao and Dr Ong Chit Chung. Sir, let me say that all these have no bearing on the case. Many people write to the press but the Party has never been accused of being politically motivated against this person. Sir, the letter from the University of Georgia has also given proof to show that this whole affair is politically motivated. However, we should note that the letter was dated 12th April, that is, after the hunger strike was announced and the letter that was written to Prof. George Hynd was dated 8th April. And, as mentioned by Dr Vasoo, Prof. George Hynd was a lecturer of Dr Chee Soon Juan and he was a person known to him before. Sir, the disclosures made by the Minister for Education and Dr S. Vasoo, as Head of Dr Chee's Department, speak for themselves.”
“Sir, I shall be very brief. I rise to support the Bill. In this Bill, the civil jurisdictions of a District Court and a Magistrate's Court have been increased. This will result in improved efficiency in the administration of justice. The Government Parliamentary Committee welcomes the plan to restructure the courts. Sir, in particular, I welcome the new section 41A in clause 18 which provides that the Chief Justice may by order direct proceedings commenced in the District Court to be heard and determined by the High Court. This, in my mind, is a welcome safeguard to the system when we are investing enhanced responsibilities and powers to the District and Magistrate's Court.”
“And I further suggest to the Minister that this is an opportune moment for us to cut the bonds of what lawyers call the doctrine of stare decisis and to declare that our Court of Appeal, being de facto, the highest court in Singapore, is now well capable of deciding what the law is for Singapore without necessarily having to follow the decisions of its predecessors. This has been done in other Commonwealth countries that have had similar problems in the Caribbean and East Africa. The courts will, of course, give great respect and great weight to decisions of predecessor courts. But there is a difference between having persuasive judgement and one that is irretrievably binding. This is why I will be suggesting in Committee that we have a specific section to make it absolutely clear that our Court of Appeal is autochthonous. As for the other matters that I would like to bring up, may I briefly say that one deals with the extra-territorial criminal jurisdiction of the High Court and the other deals with anomalies that arise on appeal. But as far as the general principle of the Bill is concerned, may I reiterate my support for this Bill. 4.57 pm [Mr Deputy Speaker (Mr Abdullah Tarmugi) in the Chair]”
“The establishment of this permanent Court of Appeal creates a body with the moral authority to say to the High Court and to other courts in Singapore, to say to everyone in Singapore, short of Parliament, "This is the law, this is what the law is." Because once the Court of Appeal has spoken, short of Parliament and short of a theoretical appeal to the Privy Council, the Court of Appeal's word actually is law. The problem really is what do we do about decisions of predecessors of the Court of Appeal. In England, they have not faced with the problem of predecessor courts for over a century. But because of our history, we have more than a dozen predecessor courts. We have the Court of Appeal of the Straits Settlements, the Court of Appeal of the Colony of Singapore and the Federal Court of Malaysia. We have also other courts which became part of the Federal Court of Malaysia, like the Court of Appeal of the Federation of Malaya, its predecessor, the Court of Appeal of the Malayan Union, its predecessor, the Court of Appeal of the Federated Malay States, the Court of Appeal of Sarawak-Borneo-Brunei. All of these predecessor courts, in some ways, have contributed to the corpus of law. The problem is that, in 1970, the then Chief Justice, in a case called Mah Kah Yew v Public Prosecutor, said that the Court of Appeal in Singapore is bound by the decisions of the Federal Court of Malaysia and of predecessors of the Federal Court of Malaysia. This means that if you can find a decision, say, a Borneo Court, in 1955, that decision binds the Singapore Court of Appeal. The Singapore Court of Appeal must follow that decision. I suggest that to be bound by this dead decision is certainly not in line with our independent status.”
“I wonder why this clause is necessary. If a person has been acquitted by the Court, why should he be remanded further, even if it is only for 48 hours just because the Public Prosecutor is filing a notice of appeal? The Minister has made reference to foreigners. What about Singaporeans whose passports may be held by the authority? Need they be remanded? Under what circumstances will this be done and what is the rationale behind this? Sir, in closing, I would like to express my surprise that Mr Chiam and the other Members of the Opposition have not given their support to the setting up of this Court of Appeal. I just wonder why. Assoc. Prof. Walter Woon: Mr Speaker, Sir, may I say how welcome this Bill is. We have waited a long time for a permanent Court of Appeal - 23 years to be exact, since January 1970. It is a long time to be without a proper Court of Appeal. I have comments on specific matters but, on this part, I will try to confine myself just to one general matter. The significance of a permanent Court of Appeal goes beyond just indicating the maturity of our legal system. Any common law legal system cannot function unless we have adequate precedents from the courts. In other words, cases of the courts are decided and which they rule upon and which are reported in the law reports because these law reports form the backbone of the law for future generations. Hitherto, the Court of Appeal has not been a permanent organisation. The members of the Court of Appeal have been drawn from among the High Court Judges themselves. And one can imagine that it is rather difficult for one High Court Judge to say another High Court Judge is wrong, especially if the other High Court Judge might be sitting on appeal over this first High Court Judge's decision later on.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the GPC for Home Affairs and Law, some three years ago, highlighted the need for a single permanent Court of Appeal. The Minister for Law, while agreeing to the merits for this, explained that because of the shortage of Judges at that time, we were not yet ready to set up a permanent Court of Appeal. I am glad that this Bill before the House today will see the crystallisation of a single permanent Court of Appeal for Singapore. Sir, while I support the Bill in general, I would like to seek the Minister's clarification on three specific clauses of the Bill, some of which he has touched upon. Firstly, clause 14. The new section 28A empowers the Chief Justice to allocate certain proceedings commenced in the High Court to be heard and determined by a District Court. Under what criteria or guidelines will this be done? While I appreciate the need for efficiency in the administration of justice, will the parties involved not be aggrieved or unhappy? Will they not interpret this as a diminution of the importance of their case? Next, clause 17. Clause 17 re-enacts section 34 of the Act in a modified form. It increases the amount or value of the subject-matter at trial for which leave is required to appeal to the Court of Appeal from $2,000 to $30,000, an increase of some 15 times. Is this increase too excessive? I understand the need to discourage frivolous appeals and thus overload the Court of Appeal, but the figure of $30,000 would seem to be rather excessive. Clause 22. This clause empowers the High Court to order an accused person who has been acquitted to be remanded in custody for a period not exceeding 48 hours on application by the Public Prosecutor pending the filing of the notice of appeal. Sir, I am a layman and not a lawyer.”
“Sir, I rise to support the Bill. Sir, there are two aspects to this Bill, as the Minister has said. Firstly, more time is given to the Presidential Elections Committee for the certification of the suitability of a candidate. This is good as it allows for more thorough checking. Secondly, it is good that the procedures and safeguards for the counting of votes are laid down clearly in this Bill. From my observation, the procedures follow closely the present practices at our elections and I am confident of these procedures. In any election, a poor loser can always cry foul if the procedures are not clear and the system completely transparent. This will achieve both these aims. Sir, the Presidential Elections, being a nationwide election, mean that there will be many counting stations, that is, a decentralised system as mentioned by the Minister. As the candidate cannot be in every counting station, it is fair that a candidate is allowed one counting agent per counting station. Sir, in the whole election process, the ballot box will never be out of sight of the candidate or his agent except when the ballot box has to be transported from the polling station to the counting station, that is, when the ballot boxes are in the bus or other vehicle. However, I believe that a serious candidate or his agent would have placed his seal on the ballot box at the time when the polling ceases. This is one very important safeguard. I hope that the Minister can elaborate on other safeguards that need, if he feels necessary, to be introduced to assure all that the system is indeed intact. Personally, I am satisfied with the present system.”
“Sir, I am glad that the Ministry has been and will be focusing on the problem areas. Once again, I congratulate the Ministry. I am also glad that the Ministry has innovative programmes like the prison visit scheme and the video tape for senior citizens on how to protect themselves. Sir, I beg leave to withdraw my amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.”
“Let us assist them to settle down in Singapore with minimum of fuss and bureaucratic hassle. Will the Minister please consider having more flexible guidelines for such cases?”
“Sir, the Ministry has liberalised its immigration policy in 1989 to attract more skills and talents to Singapore. This is a very important factor that will help increase the pool of skilled workers, professionals and entrepreneurs for our economic growth and prosperity. We must continue to welcome such people from abroad for the sake of our future. Our policies can do with fine-tuning from time to time. I am referring to the issue of applications for permanent residence (PR) by foreign husbands of Singapore ladies. This issue has been raised in Parliament before by various MPs and, most recently, by Mrs Yu-Foo Yee Shoon, who asked whether the Ministry was willing to allow the economic and financial status of the Singaporean spouse to be the determining factor in PR applications regardless of sex. I have noted the Minister's answer that the qualifications and skills of the Singapore spouse, regardless of whether the spouse is the husband or wife, are taken into account. However, where the foreign spouse is the husband, he should be gainfully employed and be able to support his family. I understand the rationale behind such a policy. One cannot argue against it. But I do feel that the criteria regarding employment can be made more flexible. The foreign husband should not, in every case, be required to be employed in Singapore. It may not always be easy for a foreign husband to find a job immediately in Singapore. By insisting that the husband who is a foreigner be gainfully employed before he can be granted PR, we may be seen to be discriminating against our women citizens who are married to foreigners. Let us remind ourselves that as Singapore goes global, more of our men and women will marry spouses of different nationalities.”
“Sir, the Singapore Civil Defence Force has been successful in reaching out to the community for volunteers. The present pool of CD volunteers has now undergone some form of basic civil defence training and the skills of many of them have been put to use during civil defence mishaps, for example, the shophouse collapse in Chinatown. The manpower strength of CD reservists is also increasing. I would like to know what is the future direction of the Civil Defence Volunteer Scheme for, say, the next five to ten years. For those who have served many years as a volunteer, perhaps, some can be singled out for higher duties or responsibilities. They must be given a more meaningful role in Total Defence. I believe that there is a need to motivate our volunteers further so that they can contribute better to civil defence readiness in Singapore. Sir, I next turn to the issue of high-rise fire control. Singapore is a city of high-rise buildings. Such buildings are getting taller every year. The events worldwide have shown that even in this modern day, no city is spared of disasters involving high rise buildings. Recently, in Amsterdam, a jumbo jet crashed into a number of residential apartment blocks. In New York, the World Trade Centre, which is more than a hundred storeys high, had to be evacuated because of a bomb blast in its basement. We are fortunate that the fires that we have had in high-rise buildings were very small by comparison, eg, Asia Radio and Hilton Hotel. I am aware that our fire safety standards are very high and that the SCDF is constantly upgrading its standards and ability to deal with all kinds of fire. I would like to hear from the Minister what further measures are being contemplated to make high-rise buildings even safer in the future. May I continue, Sir?”
“There's another factor that goes right home in every sense and that's too much violence in videos and on television.' We can also benefit from his wise words to the media: 'We can say to those who make and distribute films and videos - think whether a relentless diet of violence won't have a serious effect on the young ... and we can say to television programmers - don't just be careful when you show it, be careful what you show.' Here again, parents must be mindful of their role in nurturing these young minds into responsible adults. Yes, the intellectual may say that crime is multifactorial, that is, many factors, for example, socio-economic and education, contribute to crime, and not only TV. The question to ask ourselves is whether we wait for students of sociology to prove that there is a direct "cause and effect" between broadcasting and violence, or do we use commonsense and act now. I urge the two Ministers to act now. I would like to know from the Minister the Police's assessment of the impact of TV violence on the crime situation today and what can be done to ensure that our happy and secure environment does not degenerate.”
“Yes, Sir. I am pleased with the Minister's recent announcement of the crime statistics of 1992. Singapore has become even safer than before. On behalf of my GPC, I compliment the Minister and his officers for their hard work in keeping Singapore safe for all Singaporeans. Although we have a high standard of law enforcement and our people have a sense of security, a few new problems have surfaced. For example, in the past, we had the problem of road bullies. This problem was effectively dealt with when many such bullies were arrested and severely punished. The fact that this problem suddenly "mushroomed" reminds us that we must be ever vigilant and not be afraid to take drastic remedial action to stop anti-social acts. Today, we have other problems. The activities of loan sharks were highlighted recently when those who borrowed money from illegal moneylenders were subject to harassment and intimidation, and assaulted. A number of the culprits were arrested but more remained at large. If necessary, we must toughen our laws and lift up enforcement measures as we must send the right signals that Singaporeans do not tolerate thuggery in our society and infliction of severe injuries by criminals on helpless victims. At the same time, Sir, we see more violence in programmes telecast over television. I recall that this issue was raised with the Minister in the Committee of Supply last year. I am glad that the Minister for Home Affairs and the Minister for Information and the Arts are together addressing the situation, and that a committee has now been formed to study this problem further. The British Prime Minister, Mr John Major, said: 'What we watch is the single biggest influence on many people's thinking ...”
“They have no liberty to use public parks and libraries as private camp-grounds and hotels, no liberty to turn subway stations into evil-smelling urinals, no liberty to trash other people's property or, if able-bodied, no liberty to eat other people's bread. They have no liberty to pollute the air other people breathe or the water other people drink. If convicted of crime, they have no liberty to forestall or evade just punishment, for years, at public expense. They have no liberty to sell drugs or carry weapons on school playgrounds. By our standards, Singapore is not free. But look at some of the things Singapore is. It is today unquestionably the safest and cleanest urban area on the face of the Earth. It is also one of the most civilized and prosperous.".”
“Despite the very favourable crime statistics of 1992, there was a slight increase in the number of cases of outraging of modesty. This must be studied further as our society must remain safe for all categories of people: the young, the old, the adults, as well as our young ladies. Sir, I am not trying to paint a frightening scenario of a potential crime situation. Indeed, I believe Singapore will remain high in the list of safe communities. What I am saying is that we must not allow ourselves to drift into complacency. The Police should now pay more attention to specific types of crime so that our society will become even safer for all. I would like to have the Minister's comments on how he intends to address these problems. Sir, I would also like to end by quoting from an article from a local newspaper in America entitled, "A tale of two cities: Singapore and almost any city in America". This is what the writer, Mr Richard L. Schreadley, had to say: "In the lifetime of most of us now living, .... the threat to urban civilization has assumed a new dimension. Crime, racism (white, black, yellow and brown), drugs, bad air, bad water, choking traffic, crumbling infrastructure, dwindling tax bases - these are the modern destroyers of cities. It is the same all over the world - well, almost all over the world. There is Singapore. It is, perhaps, the exception proving the rule. It is the one place I know of where urban problems have been met head on, and progress, remarkable progress, achieved. 1.30 pm Singaporeans have paid a price, of course. They do not enjoy many of the liberties Americans take for granted. They have no liberty to fill their streets and thoroughfares, curb to curb, with cars and trucks and motorbikes.”
“Sir, I beg to move, That the total sum to be allocated for Head Q of the Main Estimates be reduced by $100. Sir, Singapore enjoys a safe living environment where crime rates are among the lowest in the world. This is largely due to our sound policies and legislation on law and order, and effective enforcement on the ground. It will continue to be so because the enforcement agencies of the Ministry of Home Affairs are constantly improving themselves, eg, in the areas of training and doctrine, upgrading of operational readiness, and improvement of technical capabilities such as crime investigation. While the Police have been effective in dealing with crime, it is necessary to ensure that their efforts are not hampered by other factors. For example, I have noticed that while our crime rates are under control, the nature of crimes appears to have become more vicious. Crimes are being committed with greater violence. We have read of violence by teenage groups, and infliction of severe injuries by criminals on helpless victims. There was also a rising number of cases of "granny-bashing". This too must not be tolerated. These are not only mere acts of violence but are an extreme form of bullying. We also have the problem of teenage gangs, including female gangs. These wayward youth groups commit theft, intimidation and cause public nuisance. The Police are taking stern action but we must also monitor the trend. If necessary, the Police should work with the Ministry of Community Development or the Ministry of Education to see how the problem can be minimised in the long run. Of course, the ultimate responsibility must lie with responsible parenthood. The proper upbringing of the next generation cannot be relegated to teachers, lesser still law enforcement officers.”
“Sir, I am glad to hear from the Minister that more services will be added on and that the needs of the small firms are being looked into. Sir, I beg leave to withdraw the amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. The sum of $14,112,280 for Head B ordered to stand part of the Main Estimates. The sum of $1,080,200 for Head B ordered to stand part of the Development Estimates. Head Q -”
“Sir, I beg to move, That the total sum to be allocated for Head B of the Main Estimates be reduced by $100. Sir, when LawNet was introduced last year, there was a lot of excitement and also apprehension, as would be expected of any change. What percentage of legal firms are now using LawNet? What assistance has been given to the smaller legal firms? Has there been a productivity gain in the exercise? What is the Minister's overall assessment of the introduction of LawNet?”
“Sir, I beg to move, That the total sum to be allocated for Head E of the Main Estimates be reduced by $100. Sir, in the last year many new changes have taken place in the courts. There are now evening sessions of court, many new Judicial Commissioners have been appointed, and Judicial Clerks now assist the honourable Justices. These are but some of the changes. I am especially delighted that the Criminal Court of Appeal has been set up and that the Bill is now before this House. I would like to ask the Minister how all these changes have affected the judicial system as a whole and what other changes are being planned for? Have the lawyers been able to cope with the increase in the workload that has considerably shortened the waiting time for cases to be cleared?”
“In this respect, I must thank the Minister for keeping to his word. One case that clearly remains in my mind is the gratitude of a family (my residents) who had half their deceased's hospital bill of $46,000 waived, and the remainder was allowed to be paid by an instalment plan by several children from their CPF. This very expensive bill is due to the fact that the patient had a long and complicated illness. In addition, of course, recently we also have Medifund introduced as part of the community's share. 2.45 pm Sir, for many years, we have focused on costs of hospital care. As we move towards more ambulatory or outpatient care of patients, the Ministry should now look into ways to allow Medisave to be used for outpatient care, both for the private and public sectors. With the ageing of the population, the outpatient care of the retired and elderly can be a heavy financial drain. Perhaps a system can be worked out starting with a specific list of the more prevalent degenerative illnesses, eg, high blood pressure, diabetes and cardiac diseases. As an additional safeguard, "caps" can be placed on the amount allowed for co-payment from the Medisave account. For the economically-active, this scheme can also complement that which the employer is willing to pay. Most employers have a maximum medical benefit both for hospitalisation and outpatient medical care. Let me end by saying that in the majority of cases, there is no abuse of the present system of Medisave. However, with a greying population, we really need to see how Medisave can be used, yet effectively controlled, to assist the patient in outpatient care.”
“Sir, I would first like to declare my interest on the subject as I am a doctor in private practice. Sir, when we look at the issue of health care, we have to accept that there are two levels of responsibility. First, personal responsibility and, second, community responsibility. Each person is first and foremost responsible for his own good health. If he is intent on leading a lifestyle of smoking, heavy alcohol consumption, and of having multiple sex partners, then he is courting a life of heavy health care expenditure, and denying himself and his family the good health that is a pre-requisite for social and economic happiness. In this respect, we should all applaud the healthy lifestyle programme and give it our full support. However, we all know that even for those living the most healthy lifestyle, illnesses (eg, cancer and especially degenerative illnesses which come on with age) will not be spared. Here is where at best early detection can minimise or slow down the effects of disease. Thus, when we talk of health care costs, there must be in place a "safety net" to complement the individual. We have chosen the Medisave way whereby the individual saves for his future medical needs. We have refined this to include an insurance element, the catastrosphic Health Care Plan administered as part of Medisave for certain categories of patients. On the community's part, the Government and the employers are the major players. Other social, welfare and religious groups, I am glad to note, are recently taking on a more active role, especially in the care of the elderly, and terminally ill in the hospice care. Government's role has been in the provision of subsidy at both inpatient and outpatient levels, including waiver of fees.”
“Sir, I would like to seek some clarification from the Minister. First, I would like to thank him for giving the CCC advisors the choice regarding the use of the vacant land. The problem revolves around what is a permanent structure. So if he could instruct his officers to accept the recommendations of our estate managers, who are also professionals, that would help us as we will always take into account the aesthetics and safety aspects.”
“Sir, I wish to speak on the subject of vacant land adjacent to HDB shops, especially that of coffeeshops or eating houses. The coffeeshops and other eating houses in our housing estates serve an important social need. They are not mere businesses. As many families eat one or more meals in these establishments, quite often there is insufficient seating room. Will the Ministry of National development allow these shops to put additional tables on the adjoining land if it is available? For safety reasons, namely, killer litter, it would be reasonable to allow them to put up some structure to protect the customers. Putting up canvas-like tentage is insufficient protection, especially as someone can easily set this on fire by throwing down a cigarette. With time, this will also become very unsightly. A more permanent structure with safe building materials may be required. This will, thus, be more costly. What is the Ministry of National Development's policy on this? 1.45 pm”
“The employee, when admitted to hospital, has the Medisave scheme to fall back on should medical cost exceed that provided by his employer. However, as early ambulatory care, ie, outpatient treatment is the favoured mode of treatment whenever possible, the cost of outpatient medical care will increase. This is now, by and large, taken care of by the employers. Thus, to have a "cap" on this may encourage the employer now to pass this on to the employee. As Medisave cannot in the main be used for outpatient care, except for certain cases, this would mean that the employee has now to foot his own medical bill. May I propose for the Minister's consideration that health care costs for those re-employed after retirement be not included into this 2% and be made tax deductible. Furthermore, a significant portion of an employer's medical bill may be incurred through statutory requirements, eg. work-permit medical examination and tests; statutory medical examinations required under the Factories Act. In my mind, these "medical costs" again should not be included into the 2%, which should be used for curative medicine. What about preventive programmes? The promotion of healthy life styles (a national goal for us), health screening and health education all cost money. These are very important to creating a healthy nation. Should expenditure of these also not be excluded from the 2%? Lastly, as a point for clarification, will costs incurred under the Workmen's Compensation Act be included in this 2%? In my mind, they should not be. In conclusion, Sir, I support the motion, and hope that the Minister will continue in his generous mood for next year's budget.”
“As this is a time where we are making a major change in our tax system, no tax or levy should be sacrosanct, and we should dare to review some of these "sacred cows". Assistance for the lower income The rebates on HDB rentals, service and conservancy charges, the proposed tax rebate, the increase in Edusave grants, Public Assistance and the Singapore Allowance will cover 90% of the households with incomes below $1,500. The CCC grant scheme of $3 million per annum is meant to cover the other needy citizens not covered in these schemes. I note that this scheme will be administered by the CCCs which come under the umbrella of the Ministry of Community Development. I hope that the MCD will accept the recommendations of the CCCs readily without too much bureaucratic impediments. Health Care Expenditure Sir, I next come to the health care expenditure. Mr Speaker, Sir, before I speak on this, I wish to declare my interest as a medical practitioner in private practice. While I agree that as a national objective, we must contain health care spending, I feel that it is unnecessary for the Government to cap the tax deductibility of expenses on medical benefits by employers. This is because, like all other overhead expenses, every employer will be extremely conscious of costs. Furthermore, a contradiction arises when companies are being urged to raise the retirement age. To be fair to the Minister, he did say that "companies are free to give medical benefits even beyond this 2% figure". However, now that the figure has been endorsed by Government, many would take this as a limit of their responsibility, or as a benchmark. Mr Speaker, Sir, most companies provide hospitalisation medical benefits and outpatient medical care.”
“External dimension of the Singapore Economy Over the last year, and especially in the last four months, much has been said and done to encourage Singaporeans to venture overseas. In this area, statutory boards and GLCs, I believe, have done well. I am glad that the statutory boards and GLCs have been urged to link-up with the private sector for these overseas ventures. Indeed, the private sector, especially the small and medium-sized companies need the assistance (financial and infrastructural support) of these bodies to take that first bold step overseas. This should be actively pursued by both parties. I am glad to note in this morning's papers that financing is also being looked into by the Minister of State's Committee on Promoting Enterprises Overseas. Sir, the Minister in his speech said, and I quote: 'The Government is sometimes accused of levying increasingly heavy taxes on Singaporeans.' This is a general perception. The Minister produced figures "to show this up". However, the figures that he revealed showed that taxes made up 22% of GDP before the 1985 recession, 20% of GDP since 1988, it went down; and then it went up again to 23% of GDP for 1992. These taxes included taxes and levies like the ARF, COEs, and the foreign worker levy. My feeling is that for certain categories of Singaporeans, for example, the middle-income group, this figure may actually be higher. His officers may like to look into this in detail. The general perception is that the Government is levying increasingly heavy taxes. In particular, we should review the foreign maid/foreign worker levy, and the whole array of taxes and levies with regard to private vehicle ownership.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the budget presentation on 26th February 1993 came as welcome relief to the majority of Singaporeans. The fears and speculations of the GST were by and large satisfactorily addressed. To some, the generosity of the Minister for Finance was welcomed with disbelief. It is said that there are four ages of man: (i) where you believe in Santa Claus when you were a child; (ii) where you do not believe in Santa Claus when you became a sceptical adult; (iii) where you are Santa Claus himself when you were in a position to hand out; and (iv) where you look like Santa Claus. I guess the Minister is really in the stage of being like Santa Claus in this particular budget. Goods and Services Tax (GST) The proposal of 3% as the starting point of the GST has been made more palatable by the offsets offered by the Government. These offsets enhance the credibility of the PAP, and not otherwise, as stated by Mr Chiam. It is the success of the PAP's economic policy that allows the Government to implement a revenue negative low 3% GST. The promise that the GST will stay at 3% for at least five years or longer is reassuring. However, the Minister may like to clarify whether the increase in retail cost due to GST would be actually 3% or more. This is because there will be, and must be, an administration cost incurred by businesses in the implementation of the GST. Furthermore, the collection of the GST will be "up-front", thus incurring a "cash-flow" or "bank interest" on these moneys. Some retailers have expressed that these administrative costs may amount to something like 2%. Thus, the final cost to the customer may be closer to 5%. Will the Minister please clarify?”
“It is also my hope that the Minister will consider the following cases: (1) How do we deal with the cases of those people who have never obtained a driving licence, were caught driving without a valid licence and punished, and then go on repeating the offence? If they are caught again, how should we deal with them? (2) Singapore is a very international cosmopolitan country. There are many foreigners who are here on holiday or are working and staying here. These people are in possession of driving licences issued by their own countries. If they happened to be what I described as "extremist drivers" who have repeated previous convictions in dangerous driving or driving under the influence of alcohol in their own countries, and they are caught committing such similar offences in Singapore, then how do we deal with them? Will the Minister consider getting in touch with the Traffic Police Department of the countries concerned so as to promote better road safety in the various countries? Finally, Sir, I would like to refer to the point raised by Dr Arthur Beng. I do not agree with his suggestion that people with suspended driving licence should not own a car. I personally think that a driving licence and owning a car are two entirely different matters. They are totally unrelated. I think the main thing to do is to promote public education. Tell them that once their licences are suspended, they should not carry on driving. There is nothing wrong in owning a car. I support the Bill. 4.45 pm”
“They are the recalcitrant, recidivists, people who keep on repeating the offences, such as those driving under the influence of alcohol and those who were charged with dangerous driving and so on. Basically, I endorse the views of the Minister that these motorists have already been given ample and repeated warnings by the courts, the Traffic Police, etc. Despite being punished again and again, these motorists sill persistently choose to act in contempt of court and ignore the law and order. They just simply do not care about the authority. They continue to commit the same offences. For this small group of people, using severe punishment against them is a real necessity. They truly deserve it! Only then can it achieve its deterrent effect. When this Bill becomes law, I believe it will make Singapore roads even safer and will also prevent or reduce unnecessary traffic accidents which cause unnecessary loss of lives and properties. Sir, here I would like to suggest to the Minister that apart from legislation, I think, more importantly, we should go through public education and the mass media to educate our people. This is indeed very important. I hope that the Minister, after the legislation is passed, will take immediate steps to instruct the Traffic Police or the Public Relations Department of the Police Force to launch a series of campaigns to drive home the message that breaking the law can be prevented. Driving under the influence of alcohol can be prevented. Dangerous driving can be prevented! Driving while under suspension can also be prevented. The repeat of such offences can be prevented! If all these can be prevented, then the so-called extremist motorists will not have to face such severe punishments.”
“However, he should be given reasonable time to effect the transfer of ownership. On the part of motor vehicle owners, let us not be shy to ask for the driving licence of someone whom we may not know too well who wants to borrow our vehicle. After all, all car rental companies do not hesitate to do this. Sir, I would also urge the Minister to ask the Traffic Police and ROV to constantly remind those who have been disqualified, for example, by mailers, of the seriousness of driving under disqualification. This should also be explained to the parent, if the person is a young man or woman, or spouse, especially as they may not be aware of the serious consequences. Pressure from the family, I believe, can assist. As the saying goes: "Prevention is better than cure". The cure in this case is indeed a very bitter but necessary pill. Sir, at the end of the day, Members of this House have to ask themselves why, with better education and a more affluent and perhaps gracious society, we have had to introduce more severe punishments over the years. As the Minister has mentioned, in the case of drunken driving, even after enhanced punishments, we still have chronic offenders. Perhaps during the Committee of Supply debate, we should consider this. Mr Choo Wee Khiang( In Mandarin): Mr Speaker, Sir, having heard the explanation from the Minister, I am very satisfied with the rationale behind the Road Traffic (Amendment) Bill, and I support the Bill. As a matter of fact, this Road Traffic (Amendment) Bill is aimed at dealing with those whom I would describe as extremist drivers or motorists, that is, those motorists whose licences have been suspended and yet repeat the offences.”
“In this regard, let us again remind ourselves, as the Minister has said, that the motor vehicle can be a lethal weapon in the hands of the irresponsible. Furthermore, morally, what it means is that the disqualified person has totally no regard for the law, and is totally irresponsible to other innocent road users, who may include pedestrians. The punishments spell out escalating punishments for the recalcitrant. Although punishment for the first offence is already severe, that for subsequent offences is even more severe. For the third offence, the court will have the power to further enhance these up to three times. Sir, when we consider this Bill, we again have to remind ourselves that it is important to have this Bill as a deterrent because it is not easy for the Traffic Police to detect a person driving under disqualification until he has committed an offence, ie, until maybe someone has been hurt or killed on the road. The alternative to this would be to mount massive, disruptive and regular checks on all motorists. This will result in regular disruption to traffic flow and inconvenience to the innocent majority. The bottom line is that it is not easy to detect this offence until it is too late to protect the innocent. Sir, some feedback has come to me regarding the "fairness" to forfeit the motor vehicle, as the owner may be innocent. I believe that the proposed section 43(3B)(a) and (b) provides adequate protection to innocent parties. In this regard, I would like to suggest that when a person is disqualified, and to prevent him from falling temptation to driving the vehicle again, he should also not be allowed to own a vehicle. Administratively, this may be cumbersome, but it would be good not to tempt him.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, at first glance, one may be shocked that the House is being asked to support a Bill whereby for a road traffic offence, a hefty fine of up to $10,000, imprisonment and even caning are being considered. However, on closer scrutiny, the nature of the offence justifies this Bill. Let me explain. Sir, before a person is disqualified from holding a driving licence, he must have committed one, or usually several driving offences. This would include offences of a serious nature, for example, reckless driving, disregard of the traffic light ("red" light), driving under the influence of alcohol, etc. After this, he would be allowed to defend or mitigate his offences to the Traffic Police or in a court of law. When found guilty, then only does disqualification as the ultimate form of punishment in serious driving offences take place. Disqualification is usually for a specific period after which the driver has to be re-tested or he has to undergo a remedial driving course before his licence is reinstated to ensure that he is no longer a danger to the public. As the Minister has mentioned, this Bill addresses a small group of recalcitrant people. Sir, laws are passed in this House to protect the innocent majority. A person driving whilst under disqualification is a person driving without a valid driving licence. Thus, he is not insured. Should there be any accident, and a third party is injured, the person or persons have no recourse to insurance coverage. If the accident results in a third party death, the bereaved party has no recourse to insurance claims. This is the tangible result of an accident involving a person driving without a valid driving licence.”
“Many of my parliamentary colleagues, I am sure, have also come across cases where a wife and child or children have been thrown out of the deceased husband's home just because the husband had been a joint tenant, say, with his father or someone else. This new amendment which facilitates the unilateral severance of joint tenancy is most welcome.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I rise to support the Bill. Sir, I am neither a lawyer nor knowledgeable about the intricacies of land law or the registration of titles. But I do know, from discussions with lawyers, that many in the legal fraternity welcome this Bill. I commend the Minister for Law for having consulted many different interest groups, like the Law Society, the Real Estate Developers' Association of Singapore and others. In view of these consultations, I wonder why it was necessary for him to refer the Bill to a Select Committee. I accept the Minister's explanation that this is indeed a very technical Bill and it can also have implications for property owners that it is right that they should have yet another opportunity to give their views. I also hope that experts on property law in Singapore will come forward if they have views on improving this Bill. This is indeed a massive piece of law. I wish to comment only on two aspects which, I believe, are of general public interest. Firstly, doing away with adverse possession. Sir, I completely support this proposal to do away with adverse possession as a means of getting title to land that actually belongs to someone else. I think it is not right that a landowner with an established title should be deprived of his title just because, for example, he has been away from the country and his neighbour has encroached on part of his land and squatting on it for many years. Next, unilateral severance of joint tenancy. Sir, I have listened to the explanation given by the Minister and I wish to lend my support to this amendment.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the Ministry has put in much time and effort to study the experience of other countries before coming up with this Bill. This Bill will indeed give our enforcement agencies yet another means to deter and curb the activities of drug traffickers. Indeed, it is a major milestone in our anti-drug enforcement programme. I have two questions for the Minister. First, with the CAD now also being tasked to handle cases of drug money laundering, will there still be a financial investigation unit in the CNB? What are the implications of CAD's involvement on CNB's resources? I hope the CNB will have adequate manpower for this new function. Indeed, it is my hope that the involvement of CAD officials will be an interim measure whilst CNB officers gain expertise and exposure. Secondly, it is important for such investigations to be conducted in such manner that not only will the culprits not enjoy their ill-gotten gains but also the confidentiality of the financial accounts of innocent parties is safeguarded. I would like to ask the Minister whether the officers of CNB and CAD have had adequate training and exposure compared to the experience of their overseas counterparts to enable them to be effective in their investigation work under the new Act.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I support the amendments which have been recommended by the Chief Justice. Sir, the Small Claims Tribunal is a machinery which was set up to settle disputes arising from a contract for sale of goods or provision of services. The procedure is simple, informal, inexpensive and expeditious. Lawyers are precluded from representing and being party to the proceedings before a tribunal. The primary function of the tribunal is to attempt to bring the parties to a dispute to an agreed settlement. The prominence is given to the mediating function of the tribunal. I am glad that the amendments do not affect the simplicity of the proceedings or compromise the safeguards provided in the Act. In allowing the Registrar to decide in cases where a claim is outside the jurisdiction of the tribunal or when one party fails to appear, will, in fact, allow for the speedy disposal of cases before the tribunal and enable the tribunal to deal with its increasingly large volume of cases. However, this will not compromise the safeguards of the Act as the decision of the Registrar can be appealed against by the aggrieved party. The appeal will be heard by a referee (a magistrate in the Subordinate Courts). Prior to the amendment, the Registrar had no power to decide on such cases. The matter had to be referred to the referee, thus causing delay. The amendments also alleviate some of the problems faced by the Town Councils. Town Councils run on a tight budget and depend on managing agents to assist them. The amendment will enable the managing agents to represent Town Councils in proceedings before a tribunal.”