Chew Heng Ching
Singapore
“Sir, in terms of sports facilities, we, as a nation, are certainly very well-endowed. We have many stadiums, swimming complexes, sports halls, multi-purpose fields, tennis courts, school fields and many, many more.”
“These jobs need not necessarily be limited to menial jobs like cleaners, sweepers and lift attendants, but could be extended to include the services of older professionals such as engineers, accountants, managers, and clerical officers.”
“For this reason, Sir, I am a bit disappointed with the Budget in that we could have done more for our SMEs, many of which have also made sacrifices in the past and are still struggling and not able to reap the benefits of economic recovery.”
“In so doing, we may have addressed the form of the issue at high cost to our charities, deterred some good people from coming forward to serve and to volunteer, but may miss out on the substance, which is the bigger picture, ie, what is the best means with reasonable level of disclosure and accountability to help meet the needs of the nee…”
“May I, therefore, suggest that the Government look into the plight of these wet market stall owners. Many wanted to give up their stalls but, with outstanding loans from the banks, they could not. Some wanted to sell their stalls but there were no buyers. And their children are not willing to take over the stalls.”
“May I therefore propose that the Ministry, in the light of this massive LUP project announced by the PM, review the adequacy and the use of town council sinking funds.”
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“Sir, may I ask the Minister whether he is happy with the role played by the private medical sector in health education and preventive health care and whether there are plans to get the private medical sector to play a greater role in these areas.”
“Sir, more than 85% of our population live in HDB estates. The cleanliness of these estates is a matter of great concern to many of us in this House, especially to those of us whose constituencies consist largely of HDB flats. Presently, the cleaning work in HDB estates is done by HDB employees as well as by contract workers. From my experience in touring my constituency and in block visits, and I am sure many Members in the House will agree with me, I found that flats under the care and maintenance of HDB's own employees are always cleaner than those assigned to contract workers. It appears that HDB employees can do a better cleaning job than contract workers. Why is it so? Sir, it has got to do with HDB tender system for contract work for cleaning. I believe contracts were let out by public tender and the work is always given to the lowest tenderer. There is a saying that if you pay peanuts, you get monkeys. It makes one wonder whether awarding a tender to the lowest tenderer is the right thing to do. What about other criteria, their track records and so on? May I ask the Minister how are tenders for cleaning work in HDB estates normally awarded, and how does the HDB monitor the performance of these cleaning contractors?”
“Sir, we are ahead of schedule. I have an amendment No. 23(i). Would you let me say a few words? The Chairman: You have missed your turn. You can join in the debate after the Minister has replied, and if there is time. But I think there should be time.”
“Sir, will the scheme be extended to registration of traditional Chinese medicines in any of the subsequent phases?”
“Sir, I have three supplementary questions. Firstly, may I ask the Senior Parliamentary Secretary whether he is aware that many families have been allotted the stalls on hardship ground? They have borrowed money to renovate the stalls and start off a business but only to discover that it is a total failure after a few months. Secondly, in the light of this, would it not be better not to offer stalls to these hardship cases? Thirdly, will the Ministry consider tendering out these vacant stalls?”
“Sir, will the Minister pay particular attention to the cleanliness of public toilets in public swimming pools and in recreational areas?”
“Sir, with the move towards self-management of hawker centres in the long term, will the Ministry review its decision not to build any more hawker centres?”
“MRT and Marina development have almost been completed. The Singapore River is also cleaned up. Our express highways have also been completed. All the physical development for a gracious society has taken shape now. But the question is the quality and social behaviour of our people, I am not sure whether our people are prepared and ready to accept such a gracious living. Not long ago, our cleansing workers stopped work for one day and we saw a lot of rubbish everywhere. In the hawkers' centres, when people stared at each other or when the curry fish head ordered happened to be larger than desired, killings took place. Violence is resorted to settle petty quarrels. All these give rise to the question whether the quality and the psychological condition of our people have reached a state when they are ready to enter the age of gracious living. That is why we should not forget our cultural build up and spiritual development also, after our material construction and economic development. Thank you. BG Lee Hsien Loong: Sir, if I may pursue with my clarification. Now that the Member for Potong Pasir has read the Hansard record, does he concede that I never said the words which he attributed to me this morning?”
“So from the cultural point of view, I would like to say that this would be the age of the people who use chopsticks. Some may say I sound like being Chinese chauvinistic. Japamnese use chopsticks. The four little dragons of Asia which are closely behind Japan economically are dominating the development of the Pacific century. Closely behind them is the big dragon, China. Recently according to the newspaper report, Thailand will be the fifth little dragon. According to the IMF, in respect of the amount of foreign exchange reserve, Japan is number one. Taiwan is third. West Germany is second. Among these top three, none of them is an English-speaking country. Therefore, from this we can ascertain that in the next century the centre of economy, politics and even military development will be on the western side of the Pacific. And we are situated on this side. In his speech, the Minister for Finance said that to face increasing protectionism, we have to seek new markets for our products. In other words, non-western countries should be explored. We should look towards Asia, particularly Japan for new markets, as the Member for Whampoa just said this morning. He also said that in the past six years, the US had seen some economic growth, but such growth was not sound and he gave cogent analysis and reasons for that. From all sorts of happenings around us, we should realize we should not look only towards the Western countries for markets. We have to face up to reality and look at our geopolitical situation and cultural background. The conclusion is that we should look towards the Western side of the Pacific for our new markets. The Government's policy for the 1990s is to build up a gracious society. All the material infrastructure for which has almost been completed now.”
“Sir, these are some of the real problems and fears expressed by Singaporeans when approached to go abroad to work. I think as Singaporeans we need to take a broader view of things. We need to widen our outlook and working abroad for a few years has its merits. It actually enriches our experience and makes us a better person, more confident in our work. Sir, venturing abroad and investing overseas is the next stage of our economic development. In fact, we should soon be talking of GNP instead of GDP growth, and it is a step in the right direction for us. It is an inevitable outcome of our smallness as a country. We should now seriously begin to address this issue, anticipate problems and find solutions to them. May I, therefore, suggest that the Government, through the Economic Development Board, form a task force to look at these problems with a view to enable more companies to venture abroad and to encourage more Singaporeans to take up jobs abroad for short stints. Mr Yeo Choo Kok (Delta)( In Mandarin): Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, any right minded Singaporean will support this budget. Just now the Member for Potong Pasir said it is an election budget. No sound country in the world would introduce a budget that would do harm to the people during recession time or election year. This is a well-thought budget and a farsighted one. The Newsweek of the 22nd February has a cover page story entitled "The Pacific Century". In that issue, there were several articles which described, analysed and explained why the next century would be the Pacific Centry. I looked at the world map. I looked particularly at the western shores of the Pacific Ocean. I noticed that from Beijing down to Singapore, peoples of these countries use chopsticks.”
“They could perhaps take part in equity participation of these overseas investments. Sir, with this move to invest our financial resources overseas, it becomes natural for companies to begin to send Singaporeans abroad to manage these investments. And this means working abroad for a few years for Singaporeans. From my experience, Singaporeans are generally very reluctant to go abroad to work. To many, life in Singapore is too good, too comfortable. We have the convenience of shopping centres, a great variety of hawker food, and now the MRT. To many Singaporeans, adapting to a foreign lifestyle does not appeal to them at all. They are ,not used to the food, the climate, and even the social customs overseas. They are afraid that a short stint abroad will actually affect their career advancement at home. There will be a cut in family income if they go abroad as their wives would have to quit their jobs. They may miss the opportunity to purchase a good HDB flat or a house in a good location and at the right price. They do not want to miss the property cycle. And to the married Singaporeans, the cost and the quality of education abroad for their children worry them. Many fear that when their children return from abroad they would not able to pass the Second Language in their PSLE or even the 'O' level examinations. And to a reservist Singaporean, he fears that upon his return he could be posted to a new unit where he has to start life all over again, which means getting to know his fellow soldiers, building up rapport and even the possibility of starting the in-camp training cycle all over again. And there are others who are worried that they will be totally shut off from news and developments at home while they are abroad.”
“The next stage of our economic development is a new thrust to encourage Singapore companies to venture abroad more aggressively. Ours is but a small domestic market. As our economy grows and expands, it becomes natural that we are emerging as a major foreign investor and this is necessary also because of increasing protectionistic trends overseas. Other reasons include access to cheaper raw materials, cheaper labour, lower taxes, new technology and risk diversification. We should now take a bold step forward to venture abroad. The Budget shows that the Government has once again provided the impetus for this. The overseas investment incentive scheme and the OHQ unilateral tax credit scheme announced in the Budget cannot come at a more appropriate time. In our efforts to encourage more Singapore companies to venture abroad, the Government is now even prepared to share risk in their overseas investments. Under this scheme, there will be a 100% tax write-off for losses from sales of shares in or liquidation of approved overseas investments. I understand that EDB is now working out a scheme to assist local companies to invest abroad by helping to link them with reputable companies overseas. Sir, I think this is indeed a praiseworthy move. The private sector, being the engine of growth, should now seriously consider gearing themselves for expansion and to invest overseas. The bigger companies can, of course, go on their own. For the smaller companies, there is now a pressing need for them to get together, join forces to merge and pool their resources. Perhaps the bigger government companies, like Temasek Holdings and the Sheng-Li Group, could give a helping hand to these smaller local companies in their venture abroad.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I rise to support the motion standing in the name of the Minister for Finance. The FY 88 Budget, as expected, turned out to be a painless one. It saw no major tax changes. It was a mild Budget with few surprises and indeed the only surprise was what did not happen - no increase in CPF rates, no adjustment to SDF levy, and no increase in road tax. Sir, I think the Budget is a prudent one. It reminds us of the need to stay on course towards achieving our vision of a developed economy by the turn of the century. At the same time, it shows that the Government is fully aware of the need for our companies to remain competitive internationally. Therefore, the decision to defer increases in various statutory costs pending a review of the economy in the middle of the year should be applauded. Sir, I urge the Government to examine closely all factors influencing our economy during the review. Of particular concern is the increasingly tight labour market situation which, if left unchecked, could result in increasing cost of business and even an overheated economy. We must avoid the early 1980's experience of a tight labour market situation which saw Singaporeans hopping from job to job resulting in high labour turnover rate which is not good for the economy. I hope the Government during the review will among various things consider untightening the labour market, even as a short-term measure, if our economy continues its current growth momentum. By this, Sir, I am not advocating that the foreign workers' levy should be lowered for there are many other ways to untighten the labour market. This Budget seems to mark the beginning of a new economic era.”
“May I ask the Minister whether, as a short term measure, the Ministry has attempted to recruit nurses from overseas, and how successful were these attempts?”
“This would be a double blow to our Singapore companies, coming at a time when they have just emerged from the recession and implemented drastic measures to become more competitive. I hope the US Government would review its decision, conduct a more careful study of Singapore's situation and consider deferring the withdrawal of GSP benefits from Singapore by a few more years. I support the suggestion by the Member for Chong Boon that our Government should continue to take up the matter of GSP benefits with the US Government. I would also like to ask the Minister for Trade and Industry whether he has plans or measures to prevent other countries, such as Japan and the European Community, from following the US footsteps to prematurely withdraw Singapore from the GSP list. This recent development of US GSP has once again confirmed our vulnerability as a very small nation. The move also sends a strong signal to our local businessmen that we cannot remain complacent but to continue to upgrade and be productive, to improve our international competitiveness and to diversify our markets. Perhaps it is appropriate at this juncture for our local businessmen to seriously consider joining forces, merging and forming what we call Singapore MNCs to compete overseas. Only by investing and operating in overseas markets can our businessmen overcome protective trade barriers. I hope this development will help accelerate the process of formation of Singapore MNCs.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I share the view that the US move is a breach of faith as it had earlier promised to continue GSP privilege to Singapore in return for enacting the Copyright law. Till today, we are still puzzled as to why the US has chosen to withdraw GSP benefits from Singapore. If it is because of income, we have yet to hit the per capita GNP ceiling of US$8,500. Is it because the trade balance between the two countries is in our favour? But the US Government must remember that we have a trade deficit with them for many years. Only recently did we begin to enjoy a small trade surplus. Did we impose tariff barriers against US products recently? But we are a free port. Our relationship with the US on a government-to-government basis has never been better. What then are the reasons for graduating us? I urge our Government to seek from the US Government clear criteria for removing Singapore from the GSP list. It is estimated that about $1.5 billion worth of exports to USA will be affected by the move next year. As a result, we are likely to lose something like $50 million worth of benefits. This impact may not appear great but it would be if other countries, such as Japan and the European Community, were to follow the US footsteps to remove Singapore from the GSP list. The overall impact on the economy, including job losses, will be significant. The removal of Singapore from the US GSP list from January next year appears to come at the wrong time for us, especially when economists and businessmen have forecasted that there could be a slowdown in our economy in the next one to two years, including the possibility of another economic recession.”
“Sir, with this proposed extension of Medisave usage, are there plans to increase the contribution rate or to raise the limit of $15,000?”
“Sir, based on the growth of 5 to 6%, what proportion of the growth is likely to come from employment creation; how many jobs are likely to be created; and from which economic sectors? BG Lee Hsien Loong: Mr Speaker, Sir, clairvoyant as MTI is, we do not have the answers to all those questions. We are projecting a labour force growth of about 2%. It certainly cannot be more than this because we know the number of young people coming into the workforce, about 40,000 a year. You can tell roughly the number who will retire each year, about 20,000. And we cannot easily expand the total number of foreign workers within the economy very much more, because we already have so many foreign workers. So that sets a constraint. That means the balance of the growth has to be made up through productivity improvements. Whether we will achieve that depends on whether companies invest in equipment and training. It also depends on demand: having put in this capacity, whether we can sell our goods and services overseas. I am sure by the end of the year, what the Member wants to know will be known.”
“Sir, I rise to support the formation of the Totalisator Board because I think its intentions are good. However, I wish to seek two clarifications from the Minister. With the formation of this Board, does it mean that the Government has relaxed or will relax its stand on gambling, since income from the Totalisator's agencies will become a good source of revenue for the State, for community development and for the promotion of art, culture and sports? My second question relates to the operations of Big Sweep and Toto by Singapore Pools. Is there a plan in the longer term to eventually include Singapore Pools under the purview of the Board?”
“Bill considered in Committee; reported without amendment; read a Third time and passed. EXEMPTED BUSINESS (Motion) Resolved, "That the proceedings on the remaining item on the Order Paper today be exempted at this day's sitting from the provisions of Standing Order No. 1." - [Mr Wong Kan Seng]. AMENDMENT OF STANDING ORDERS”
“If you follow it through to the logical conclusion, nearly every cent in Singapore is earned from exports. Where do we draw the line? We have drawn the line at the first stage, which I think is probably the cleanest place to do it. Small companies who really want to go overseas, as I said, should get together and form consortia. As for section 44E and F and having to establish a base in your financial records so we know what is your normal overseas earning and only earnings above that base will be entitled to tax exemption, the Member suggests that it can be quite embarrassing at times to have a confession session with the Comptroller of Income Tax. I do not know about this embarrassment. I pay my taxes every year. I have never had such a problem. But, more seriously, this is a principle which has already been established for economic expansion incentives for merchandise. It is not a new principle we are introducing. It is necessary to have a floor. Without a floor, we will be giving away incentives to encourage people to do things which they have already been doing all along. One of the cardinal principles of any Minister for Finance is never to give people money to do things which they are already doing. Because if you do that, there will be no end and eventually there will be no money. Because of this principle, I think the export expansion incentive is workable. The rule has not prevented the merchandise incentive from working, and I think the services incentive will also be a success. 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. - [BG Lee Hsien Loong].”
“It has not prevented a very strong growth in our visitor arrivals this year. We have had 15% more tourists this year since January than in the same period last year. So we should see the problem in perspective. The other tourism problem - not enough airline seats - is more interesting. So many visitors are coming that the aeroplane capacities are inadequate. For example, this year, from Japan alone, there has been an increase of one-third in the number of tourist arrivals. The aeroplanes are all fully booked. STPB is aware of this problem. So is SIA, of course, because this represents good business for them. I understand that SIA will very shortly be negotiating with the Japanese for more flights on the route. The point raised by the Member for Kaki Bukit - how export incentive for services is more advantageous for big companies than small ones. That is true because to operate overseas, unless you have the critical mass, it is hard to penetrate the market and take the risks, which are significant. So small companies which supply to big companies which then operate overseas will not benefit directly from this. But I would offer two points for his consideration. One, small companies who want to do overseas business can get together in consortia and operate overseas. Some have done so. In that way, they can benefit from the rules. Secondly, we have to draw the line somewhere. Let us say, he operates a company selling businesses to China. I am a subcontractor of his. According to the argument presented, I should benefit also from the tax incentive. But I do not provide everything myself because I buy supplies from other people who are sub, sub-contractors. There are many expenses which I incur in Singapore.”
“This year alone, between January and July, for total investment allowances, we have $679 million worth of projects, of which $112 million are local companies. These are the bigger ones. Then we have for smaller companies, $117 million worth of projects, of which the local companies take $59 million, a bigger share. Admittedly, in absolute numbers, this is not a lot, but I think it is significant. The assistance is reaching a sector of the economy which we would like also to promote, in an even-handed way. Small businesses and percolation of economic benefits down to shopkeepers. We can see the performance of the economy. Last year manufacturing and transport and communications were the boom sectors. This year, growth has diffused to banking, to retail trade, to commerce, to supermarkets and department stores. That is percolation. Has it gone down to every last provision shop and every last small shopkeeper in Singapore? I would say no. Not yet. Partly it has further to go. Partly also because many small shops operate in traditional ways which are not well adapted to the new economy. For the small shops to prosper, they must adapt to the changing circumstances and reorganize their management. Provision shops must convert themselves into members of mini-market chains. Those provision shops which have done so have, in fact, prospered in the last two years. I encourage others to do so. As for tourism, tour agents taking tourists to particular outlets and then collecting premiums, this is an age-old problem. When we find unscrupulous tour agents, we catch them. The best solution is to make sure that there is free competition so that other tour agents come in and the market bids the premium down. I think the problem is within control.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, one of the fundamental principles on which we have managed this economy is that we open it to free and fair competition so that whoever is best able to make use of our economic resources, our manpower, our infrastructure, our political stability, in order to generate economic wealth, that is whom we promote, whether it is a local or a foreigner. The beneficiaries ultimately will be the Singapore population. This is the best way to safeguard the Singapore population. Therefore, to propose incentives which overtly discriminate between local investors and foreign entrepreneurs, I think, goes contrary to this fundamental spirit and would be totally wrong. Of course, we understand that local companies do have some additional difficulties adapting to the new economic environment. In the manufacturing sector, we are not at a comparative advantage. We are at a comparative advantage offering infrastructure, so that multinationals with technology, with markets, with their economic might, can come and make use of it, employ Singaporeans and do well here. But for Singapore companies to take full advantage of the same set of circumstances is not so easy. There is no easy way out. Pioneer status benefits, by and large, the bigger companies. We have introduced another incentive - the investment allowance - which is more suited to small and medium-sized companies, so that they too will be encouraged to invest in new activities. I am happy to tell the House that since we liberalized the provision of investment allowances two years ago, and particularly since we made it easier for small companies to benefit from these allowances, the number of small companies which have taken them has gone up.”
“Will the Minister please clarify this observation? Sir, the other observation relates to implementation of the scheme. Section 44E and section 44F of the Bill require that the aplication be sent to the Inland Revenue Department in order to establish the qualifying income base. Inevitably, this will require Income Tax officials to scrutinize past financial records and practices of companies which choose to apply for the scheme. To many a businessman and company executive, having to face Income Tax officials is often not a pleasant experience. It is an onerous task and at times can be quite embarrassing. I will not be surprised therefore that many deserving companies may choose to stay away from the scheme. This may negate our efforts to promote the service companies. Sir, whilst I agree that meeting with Income Tax officials is a necessary part of the application procedure under the scheme, may I suggest that the Minister consider making the encounter with Income Tax officials less painful, less onerous and more pleasant. BG Lee Hsien Loong: Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I have not prepared a tour of the horizon of the economy of Singapore. I will come straight to the point. The Member for Whampoa asked about the Singapore labour market. I expressed myself comprehensively on this subject this morning in answer to the question from the Member for Potong Pasir. I have nothing to add to those remarks. Should incentives for the local private sector be better than incentives for overseas investors?”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I shall be relevant. I shall come to the point straightaway. I rise to support the Economic Expansion Incentives Bill, in particular, Part VIA on the export of services. The section is meant to encourage Singapore companies to export their services and expertise overseas. This is indeed an admirable move. In a small country like ours, with a high concentration of professional talents and skills, selling such services overseas becomes a logical extension in the growth of our services sector. Indeed, the services sector has and will continue to be an important pillar of growth in the years to come. Sir, I have two observations or comments to raise with the Hon. Minister. First, I wish to draw the Minister's attention to page 7 of the Bill under section 44A, which attempts to define "overseas customers" under "qualifying services". It is stated that these services refer only to overseas services undertaken with respect to overseas projects for persons who are neither residents of nor permanent establishments in Singapore. Sir, will this definition of "overseas customers" not prevent a Singapore services company providing support services to a larger Singapore company from being eligible under the scheme? Sir, many small services companies need to build up a track record overseas. By themselves they find it difficult to achieve this. They therefore often rely on a bigger Singapore company, a big brother so to say, in the initial years to secure the business and build up that track record. By limiting the customer definition to only non residents and non permanent establishments in Singapore, are we not shutting out this scheme to many small services companies that provide support to bigger Singapore companies overseas?”
“Sir, I would like to ask the Minister what measures the Ministry of Health is taking to ensure that this does not happen in Singapore.”
“Sir, these are some of the examples to show the confusion in the implementation of the Act if administered separately by two Ministries. There is therefore a great need for the two Ministries to coordinate closely in the implementation of the Act. Sir, hazardous industrial chemicals and medicinal poisons are two different types of chemicals. In practice, the import, transport, storage, use and disposal of industrial chemicals and medicinal poisons are different. The GPC is therefore of the view that it will be necessary in the longer term for the Poisons Act to be replaced by two new Acts such as (a) the Medicinal Poisons and Drugs Act and (b) the Hazardous Industrial Substances Act, with the legislation and administration of the Medicinal Poisons and Drugs Act under the Ministry of Health while that of the Hazardous Industrial Substances Act under the Ministry of the Environment. This will go a long way to avoid confusion and ensure more efficient administration of the laws governing medicinal poisons and hazardous industrial substances. Sir, the amendment to increase the maximum penalty from $500 to $1,000 for those who commit offences under the Act is, to serve as a strong deterrent to illegal practices, particularly to those caught selling poisons without a licence or in unlicensed premises. It appears from what the Minister has said that the problem of infringement of the Act - of illegal import and sale of poisons - is indeed a serious one. Doubling the fine in this instance may not be enough. The GPC urges the Ministry to step up enforcement actions against these offenders. Related to this problem is the concern expressed by some that drugs banned in developed countries are still being imported and sold in developing countries.”
“Sir, I rise to speak on the Bill on behalf of the GPC for Environment and Health. The GPC is of the opinion that the amendments are necessary and indeed could have been made earlier. But this was not possible because the Ministry of the Environment was not ready then to take over the issue of licences and permits for hazardous substances. It is clear from what the Minister has just said that the amendments are made with three objectives in mind: (a) to delegate authority to the Ministry of the Environment for the issue of licences for hazardous industrial chemicals; (b) to simplify existing licensing procedures; and (c) to impose harsher penalties for those who commit offences under the Act. Sir, attempts at simplifying the existing licensing procedures are laudable. They reflect the Government's continuing emphasis to reduce red-tape and to provide greater flexibility to the private sector businessmen. Whilst the GPC appreciates the need for the Ministry of Health to streamline licensing procedures and delegate authority to the Ministry of the Environment for the issue of licences and permits for hazardous industrial substances, we think that problems and confusion may arise in practice with two Ministries administering the Act. The public may not know which Ministry to go to obtain a licence or a permit for a particular substance or to launch a complaint against a particular licensee. Under the Bill, the Director of Medical Services will be responsible for maintaining a master register of all licensees which includes licensees of hazardous industrial chemicals. Should not the maintenance of a master register on such licensees be left to the Ministry of the Environment?”
“Sir, I think the Ministry should seriously review the adequacy of public toilets and provide more public toilets in popular public places used by Singaporeans over the week-end. Sir, the lack of public toilets may have some correlation with the condition of public toilets today. The insanitary condition of some of our public toilets has been raised many a time in this House. I do not wish to debate it at great length today. It suffice me to mention that the problem of dirty toilets is still with us. I am aware that the Ministry of the Environment has been conscientiously tackling this problem through education and through enforcement action. It bears repeating that we cannot rely on the Ministry alone to solve this problem. We, the users, have a part to play too. In my experience as an MP for my constituency, I have made many a house visit and upon requests by residents inspected complaints of leaking toilets. Not surprisingly, I found most of these toilets in the home were neat, clean and tidy. Sir, we must be civic-minded. We should use and treat public toilets in the same manner as we use and treat our own toilets in the home. I hope the Ministry of the Environment could help convey this message through users of public toilets. Sir, I support the Bill.”
“Cleanliness begins in the school and at home but this is an on-going and indeed a longer-term solution. There could be in the not too distant future a more effective solution to our problem of littering in housing estates and this could be found if we introduce the Town Council concept of running HDB estates. Under this scheme, the amount of conservancy charges could be pegged to the amount of litter to be cleared. The lesser the amount, the lower the charges. The more litter to be cleared, the higher the charges. This scheme has the advantage of not just promoting greater neighbourliness among residents but also to get residents to cooperate with each other to keep their flats, their void decks clean and tidy . Therein may lie the solution to our littering problem in HDB estates. Sir, I would now like to cover very briefly clause 54 which states that the Commissioner for Public Health "may provide and maintain in proper and convenient situations toilets for public use". Sir, we discussed this subject among the GPC and its Resource Panel and it was felt that there is generally a lack of public toilets today in popular public places like the East Coast Parkway, the West Coast Park and fitness parks or barbecue parks. Very often, we see picnickers having to walk distances to wash and change themselves. And at the beach, many are lazy, many choose to change themselves in public. Some choose to wrap themselves in towel and change. To us Singaporeans, this may be a common sight. But to the foreigners, to the tourists, this is something quite unusual an act in public. An hon. Member: No.”
“Sir, the Bill is a step forward in our fight to preserve a higher standard of environmental public health. The proposed amendments serve to tighten the weaknesses in the system as well as incorporate changes in line with trends in public health. Sir, I would like to touch briefly on clause 21 pertaining to the limits on fine for persons prosecuted in court for littering and clause 54 on the provision and the conditions of our public toilets. The Senior Parliamentary Secretary for the Environment Ministry disclosed earlier this year in this House that some 8,449 persons were prosecuted in court for littering last year. This works out to a ratio of 1 in 300 Singaporeans caught and prosecuted in court for littering last year. This figure is not low if we were to include all those who littered and were not caught. A majority of these people prosecuted were caught littering in HDB estates. The amendment to double the upper limit on the fine from $500 to $1,000 will serve as a psychological deterrent to would-be litter-bugs. At best, it is a temporary solution to improving the cleanliness of our environment. I am not sure that if we were to continue to increase the limit on the fine, it will be a viable long- term solution towards a litter-free environment. Sir, as I said, littering is more common in HDB estates than in other public places for the chances of being caught throwing litter from a highrise flat are indeed very slim compared to a similar act in a public place, be it at a market, at the hawker centre, at the cinema or at the bus stop. Stepping up enforcement by Ministry officials may be a solution but this can be a very labour-intensive and costly affair for the State. Ultimately, the solution lies in education.”
“Pharmaceutical Services (9) That the sum to be allocated for Head P be reduced by $10 in respect of Subhead PC-01-1210 of the Main Estimates.”
“Administration (5) That the sum to be allocated for Head P be reduced by $10 in respect of Subhead PA-00 of the Main Estimates.”
“Revenue Division (4) That the sum to be allocated for Head N be reduced by $10 in respect of Subhead NK-01-1210 of the Main Estimates.”
“I beg leave to withdraw. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.”
“This will help the motorist to plan his travel route early before he is caught in the jam. Sir, it was announced recently that the PWD is planning to install an electronic watchdog system at our expressways to ensure a safer and smoother ride for motorists. While this may be the longer term solution to the problem of traffic jams at expressways, the system will not help to alleviate traffic jams in other roads. Sir, may I ask the Minister what steps will the Traffic Police take to ensure better management of traffic jams?”
“Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head Q be reduced by $10 in respect of Subhead QC-09-1210 of the Main Estimates*. Sir, the main task of the Traffic Police is to reduce the number of accidents on the road without jeopardizing the smooth and orderly flow of traffic. We are fully aware that the Traffic Police has done a great job in reducing traffic accidents in Singapore for their records are indeed impressive, with the fatality rate of traffic accidents at less than 1 per 10,000 population and casualty rate at less than 4 per 1,000. The stringent driver's testing criteria, demerit points system, road safety education programme and suppression of hell-riding activities have made these achievements possible. The use of BMW patrol cars, installation of traffic light surveillance cameras, use of breath analyser and moving radar guns have also helped to check speeding and reduce accident rates. Sir, whilst the Traffic Police has been effective in reducing the number of road accidents, the general impression is that they are still slow in responding to traffic jam situations arising out of road accidents, traffic light breakdowns or floods. There were occasions in the past when motorists felt that had the Traffic Police been more alert and responsive, queues of cars building up at traffic jams could have been avoided. Directional signs could have been set up quickly at strategic locations way before the traffic jams to draw motorists' attention to the jams ahead and to divert them to alternative routes. The SBC too could play its role by announcing the jams more frequently over radio for travelling motorists, perhaps as often as an SAF mobilization or recall exercise.”
“Sir, may I ask the Minister whether the anticipated take-off in economic activity this year, which will result in a greater demand for goods and services, will have any likely impact on the inflation outlook which he has just painted? BG Lee Hsien Loong:Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, it depends. Most of our demand is external demand. The goods are sold overseas. The feedback is not into the prices within Singapore. There would be feedback within Singapore if wage increases, for example, are faster than productivity increases, so that workers are paid more than the value of the goods and the services which they produce. When too much money goes round chasing too few goods, inflation goes up. On present trends, there is no sign of that. Our unions are extremely reasonable. Wage settlements have been extremely moderate and, as Members have been informed by the Minister for Finance, last year wage increases were negligible, less than 1%. So I do not see any risk of that this year. MAIN AND DEVELOPMENT ESTIMATES OF SINGAPORE FOR THE FINANCIAL YEAR 1ST APRIL, 1987 TO 31ST MARCH, 1988 Order read for consideration in Committee of Supply [5th Allotted Day]. [Mr Deputy Speaker in the Chair] Head I - Resumption of Debate on Question [20th March, 1987], "That the sum to be allocated for Head I be reduced by $10 in respect of Subhead IA-01 of the Main Estimates." - [Mr Lai Tha Chai]. Question again proposed. 11.23 am”
“Drainage Department (14) That the sum to be allocated for Head M be reduced by $10 in respect of Subhead ME-01-1210 of the Main Estimates.”
“Cleansing Services and Public Health Regulation (6) That the sum to be allocated for Head M be reduced by $10 in respect of Subhead MC-03-1210 of the Main Estimates.”
“Sir, I have a matter to raise which has policy and funding implications. Sir, I notice that the Ministry of the Environment has budgetted some $170 million for drainage project for the next financial year. Of this, $96 million is for on-going drainage projects while $73 million is for new projects. Sir, our efforts to stop the flood seem to get more and more costly every year. In FY 84 we spent some $35 million on drainage projects. This went up to $42 million in FY 85 and $100 million last year. My question to the Minister is,why these increases? Is it because we are receiving more rainfall in recent years? Or is it because while we solved one drainage problem we have inadvertently created drainage problems elsewhere? Is there a total and coordinated effort to tackle the flooding problem in Singapore? Can the Minister enlighten the House on his Ministry's longer term plan to tackle the flood situation in Singapore?”
“Housing and Development Board (31) That the sum to be allocated for Head T be reduced by $10 in respect of Subhead TH-00 of the Main Estimates.”
“Sir, may I ask the Minister whether in capturing unemployment statistics, the Ministry officials distinguish between what we call "hardcore unemployment" (people who have been unemployed for perhaps more than 12 months) and "frictional unemployment" (people who are in job transition, temporarily unemployed)?”
“What proportion of these illegal hawkers are repeat offenders?”
“Sir, would the Senior Parliamentary Secretary be able to tell us the age profile and the financial background of these illegal hawkers, and what proportion of these illegal hawkers are actually repeat offenders?”
“Sir, what is the average fine imposed for each of these offences in the last one year?”
“Many of these small-time operators in Housing Board estates are not in a position to be able to pay hefty fines when prosecuted. The second point which I have raised in the Second Reading concerns profiteering and inflation. My concern then was that profiteering by copyright owners may be possible because these people might take undue advantage of the new law. I am glad that the Select Committee has now amended the Bill to allow for parallel importations of legitimate reproductions of copyright material. But we should not rest on our laurels. While this will provide competition and keep prices down, there is nothing to prevent copyright owners and parallel importers from ganging up to profiteer. I therefore suggest that the Government Anti-Profiteering and Inflation Committee together with CASE monitor closely developments in this area. Finally, I think the new law is a very complex one. It took the Government some five years to draft it and the Select Committee some six months to review it. The implementation of the new law is indeed a great leap forward for the country. But copyright laws are never uniform. They vary from country to country. The Law Ministry should pay particular attention to its implementation and amend the law as and when appropriate.”
“Sir, I think we have had enough of computer jargon. Shall we come back to something more layman? I just want to make two comments on the Bill. The Select Committee has done a great job. The amended Bill has struck a balance between the competing needs of copyright owners and consumers. I mentioned in the debate during the Second Reading of the Bill that the Minister should consider granting a grace period of six months to a year for businessmen to adjust. I spoke on that in the context of our economic reces- sion half a year ago because in a recessionary period it is very difficult for businessmen to raise funds to invest in new or alternative activities. However, economic conditions have improved in the course of the last six months, and it appears that our economy is on its way to a gradual but yet uneven recovery. In the course of the last six months to a year, I believe large scale operators of pirated copyright material have also adjusted themselves. They have disposed of their stocks of pirated copyright materials. Many have changed trade. Some, quite logically, have become agents or distributors for legitimate copyright products. However, I still like to urge the Minister to consider granting a grace period whereby the small-time businessmen, especially the small-time shop operators in Housing Board estates, could be excused from prosecution, if possible, during this grace period. Many of these people are still ignorant of the details of the new copyright law and many of them are still loaded with stocks of pirated copyright material which are not easy to dispose of. What is more, I think the Bill as amended by the Select Committee has now made it easier for copyright owners to take legal action.”
“They are as important to the defence and national security of Singapore as they are in the generation of wealth. But most employers, as the Minister has stated, quite understandably have placed national defence before wealth generation. Most employers have willingly released their men for their annual in-camp training. Notwithstanding this, I think Mindef could still minimize inconveniences and disruptions to reservists' civilian careers by planning carefully the in-camp training programme. The planning of training programme and unit administration could perhaps be carried out over week-ends, or a few evenings before the main troops move in. In that way, it will minimize inconveniences and disruptions to reservists in their civilian jobs. I support the Bill, Sir.”