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.”
The complete record
Every one of 653 lines we hold for Chew Heng Ching, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 5 of 14.
“Sir, I rise to applaud the move by the Ministry of Education and our tertiary institutions to fine-tune the admission criteria for our local universities. The encouragement of the development of all-rounded students, taking into account each student's ECAs and achievements, personality and communication skills, deductive capacity and general knowledge, is a step in the right direction, as these attributes are necessary for graduates and Singapore to succeed in the 21st century. Obviously, the objective of the new admission criteria is to nurture all-rounded talents so that our graduates will not only be equipped with specialised skills, but also be able to conduct themselves gracefully when they enter working life. Sir, I understand the Ministry will appoint a panel or committee to review the admission criteria and work out implementation details for the scheme to be effected in the year 2001. I wish to raise some concerns and suggestions to the Ministry as regards the new admission criteria. Firstly, Sir, whilst I agree that greater emphasis should be placed on ECA as a criterion for admission to the university, we should not over-emphasise this. Students could over-compensate, and parents could put undue stress on them to spend an exorbitant amount of time on ECA. The resulting participation for the sake of participation might detract from any benefits that these changes are designed to create and also compromise academic excellence, which has been the hallmark of our education system all these years. There is therefore a need, Sir, to properly establish an optimum balance between academic excellence and ECA.”
“Sir, on behalf of Members, I thank the Minister for his thorough and convincing replies. I beg leave to withdraw my amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.”
“Sir, busking was introduced on 1st October 1997. The benefits are obvious. They give the opportunity for Singapore to be a more vibrant city. They assist in the development of the arts scene. They create opportunities for both local and foreign artistes to be creative and, hopefully, lead to the development of youth interest in the arts and also participation. Sir, I believe we should further encourage busking in Singapore. The current form of controlled busking has its benefits. But I believe the National Arts Council should further liberalise busking, ie, allow more licences and more places for busking in line with our intention to be the cultural renaissance city of Asia. I, therefore, would like to urge the Minister to make the application for busking licence more accessible and to also consider allowing busking in HDB towns, and not just be confined to public parks and open spaces managed by the National Parks Board and pedestrian malls at Orchard Road. Would the Minister, therefore, give the House an update on his Ministry's latest thinking on busking?”
“Sir, I am sorry I did not catch your eye earlier. I am speaking on radio stations. Sir, in its efforts to further improve the radio services to better meet the needs of Singaporeans, the Radio Corporation of Singapore (RCS), following popular requests by MPs and the general public, introduced the arts radio station and the dialect news programmes over radio in recent months. I think these are good moves. It serves to benefit our arts loving Singaporeans and our senior citizens. Sir, the recent financial crisis developments in the region, the Indonesian crisis, the SilkAir MI 185 crash, the Thai baht crisis and so on, all show that there is a greater demand now for news coverage of international, regional and current events over radio. Singaporeans want to tune in to the latest on the news. Sir, I believe we have yet to have a station solely dedicated to providing up-to-date news. May I therefore ask the Minister what plans RCS has to set up more stations to cater to the needs of Singaporeans in general and the business community at large?”
“Sir, I rise to address some concerns specific to Singapore Cable Vision (SCV) or cable TV. Would the Minister be able to provide an update on the project to develop the infrastructure for Singapore to be a "wired city state"? One of the items on the agenda was to give every household access to cable TV, should they wish to subscribe to it. For HDB estates, the feasibility and the cost is reasonably efficient. But how does SCV handle landed estates where it could cost easily up to $3,000 to wire up an individual house? What if private estate residents refuse to pay this sum? What recourse does MITA or SCV have? Would the Minister please clarify? Sir, further to my comment on the long-term role of TCS which I raised last Friday under an earlier amendment, I would like to seek clarifications from the Minister on what MITA see as the long-term role of SCV vis-a-vis TCS? Perhaps it is timely to review the definitions and the role of SCV versus TCS, in the light of the limited resources that we have. And I mentioned last Friday that we should try to avoid too much duplication of resources.”
“In the light of this, I would like to ask the Minister if MITA has plans to really review the focus and the directions of TCS and TV12, so as to reduce the potential drain in resources from the duplicative nature of the present state of competition posed by SCV to these stations.”
“Sir, the Programme Advisory Committee (PAC) and the Advisory Committee on Chinese Dramas and Variety Shows (ACCESS) have recently submitted their reports and made numerous observations and recommendations to further improve our TV programmes. I am sure MITA will seriously look at how best to implement some of these recommendations. Sir, I rise to seek clarification from the Minister over the longer term objectives of TCS and TV12 in Singapore. There has been some concern that there appears a growing imbalance of programming in favour of entertainment over current affairs on air in these stations. Most glaringly, viewers have found that the recent SilkAir MI185 tragedy was more widely covered by foreign stations than our own TV stations. Sir, we are aware that our domestic television stations are driven by commercial interest as they have to remain viable and yet play a nation-building role, and it is not easy. However, in view of the scarcity of resources in a small country, like Singapore, it appears that increasingly with competition posed by cable TV (SCV), there may be a duplication of resources if TCS adopts a strategy to keep up with the type of entertainment programmes that SCV also caters for. Furthermore, it will be beneficial for Singaporeans who wish to take a greater interest in current and national issues to be able to access specifically to programmes that cater to them more specifically in these aspects. So it must be in the national interest, therefore, to optimise our limited resources by channelling less of TCS' resources towards entertainment and perhaps leaving SCV to do the entertainment programmes, and more resources made available to TCS towards nation-building.”
“Sir, I beg to move, That the total sum to be allocated for Head R of the Main Estimates be reduced by $100. Sir, some 1 1/2 years ago, the Government mooted the idea of having a large scale National Exhibition as part of a larger exercise on National Education to inform, educate and remind Singaporeans about our history, our roots, and on how our country came about. While National Education is taught in schools, the National Education exhibition was meant to educate the general public, the young, the middle-aged and the old, across all sections of our society. This subject of National Education exhibition was raised last year at the Committee of Supply debate on MITA, but no decision was reached as to when the Government will hold the exhibition. Sir, in the light of recent developments in the region and the impending social unrest that may unfold in our neighbouring countries, I think it makes it even more pressing now to have this National Education exhibition. Singaporeans need to be made more aware of our unique position in the region, the need for sensitivity as regards race, language, religion and culture, and the challenges that will face us in the years ahead. May I therefore ask the Minister when will this exhibition be held, and if it would be held after all, and if he would elaborate on the details of this exhibition?”
“Sir, it is also not very clear in the Bill, and this is also a matter of concern among some Singaporeans, whether the party political broadcast or the air-time given by TCS during the election campaign is affected by the Bill in question. For the people who are voting and wishing to be informed in a medium accessible to them during campaign time, perhaps a provision could be made in the Bill for such broadcasts during election campaign to be allowed. I think the Bill is not very clear on this. Perhaps the Minister may wish to clarify. In conclusion, Sir, I support the Bill and I hope the Minister will be able to clarify some of the concerns that I have raised.”
“However, I am pleased to note that in this Bill there are clear avenues open for such debate to continue unabated, as explained by the Minister. It is specified in new section 2(3)(a) of the Bill that current affairs films are deemed non-political, and that is good news. This clarity is certainly useful as we consciously seek to promote Singapore as a media hub. Similarly, while this Bill effectively prevents political advertising, it respects the integrity of the terms of political debate in Singapore by preventing serious discussion from degenerating into a sound byte and a video clip or a contest between advertising agencies. However, in our effort to be comprehensive towards the eradication of the use of such medium to conduct political debate, there is a grey area and uncertainty in the interpretation of the Bill. New section 2(b)(vi) defines a film directed towards a political end in Singapore as one where a current policy of the Government or an issue of public controversy in Singapore is involved. Sir, on this point, I would like to seek clarification from the Minister as to how the provision of this clause applies to the advertising and the promotion of Government policies and public education drives by the various Ministries. Furthermore, would there be scope for appeal and exemptions for contributions by interest groups that behave in a responsible manner whose main aim is the education and the promotion of desirable causes, such as the professional bodies, Action for AIDS, the AWARE group, among others? The severity of the present draft could be counter-productive towards the development of a civil society and the encouragement of more Singaporeans to participate and contribute in our nation's development. I would like the Minister's comments on this.”
“By disallowing the debate on political issues to be conducted through the medium of videos, both the ruling party as well as opposition parties surrender their access to what is effectively an efficient but dangerous means of debating political issues, as there is no room for immediate rebuttal in a partisan video. The impact of the use of such mass media by special interest groups with agendas inimical to the well-being and stability of society has been thoroughly researched in many other countries. The speed, the intensity and the impression that can convey in a 15-second film tape cannot be underestimated. Similarly, the tremendous damage to society, based on distortion of the truth through sensationalisation in this 15-second film tape, can undermine years of nation building and it would be almost impossible to unravel. Sir, as a multi-cultural, multi-religious and multi-racial small society like ours, the second best solution of a blanket ban across-the-board serves better to secure the cohesiveness and stability of our country than allowing the free flow of information and views which need not necessarily be conducive to society. Sir, while western liberals argue that in a market place of information, the good ideas will prevail and will outlive the bad, and that the truth will prevail over time, there is no guarantee that this will happen here in Singapore. We are too small a country to risk the consequences that a small partisan populist posture and a medium with so much influence can do as we cannot afford to make mistakes in the path that our nation takes. Sir, I am aware of the concern that the scope for genuine political debate is limited by this measure.”
“Sir, while I am supportive of the measures tabled in this Bill to tackle obscene films and protect public decency, there may appear, in our haste to stem out such negative films, an unduly onerous provision, and this is with regard to the forfeiture clause in section 16 of the Bill that seeks to retain any deposit put up by promoters and distributors of films for classification and censorship. Sir, I believe there is already a fee to be paid for submitting films for classification. By including this forfeiture provision, I wonder whether this would deter real and genuine promoters and artists from wanting to submit artistic or commendable films for classification. Given that we are actively promoting and marketing Singapore as a centre for the arts and to be the renaissance capital of Asia via the International Arts and Films Festival, which contributes both to the development of the local arts scene as well as tourism, there is concern that in our attempt to eradicate negative films, we may indirectly stifle the genuine growth of the arts scene in Singapore. I am therefore of the view that this provision should be reassessed, as they appear anathema to our goal of being the regional arts and media centre. And I submit to the Minister that perhaps an appeal process or an exemption process for classification of films for the films festivals and arts events be provided for. Sir, we note that there has been some disquiet over the extension of the Films Act to disallow the distribution and exhibition of political videos. It cannot be stressed sufficiently that the national interest is upheld given that the application of the Act across the political spectrum is even handed.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I rise to support the Bill. I am pleased that attention has been drawn to the advancement of technology which has made the proliferation and dissemination of obscene and objectionable films easier and more extensive. We are aware of the tremendous impact that moving images have on our impressionable youths. And that access to such objectionable and obscene materials has been enhanced through the use of new media like CD-ROMs, computer diskettes and electronic transmissions. In this light, the redefinition of "film" in the Bill serves to ensure that the term remains relevant today. Sir, the numerous seizures of obscene materials by the police and the extensive publicity by the media over how the peddlers of obscene material flagrantly distribute their catalogues, even directly to the mailboxes of residents in the security of their homes, show that the deterrent effect, as the Minister has explained, of current measures is grossly inadequate. And it is appropriate to revise the penalties now, last reviewed in 1981. Sir, this Bill also serves to address the cynical attempts by such peddlers to circumvent the enforcement of the law through the exploitation of minors in the distribution of obscene films. As such, we are encouraged that section 29C, as the Minister has explained, puts the onus on the part of persons having custody of the children to be directly accountable for their action. And the use of children as couriers in this trade is deplorable and we hope that the authorities can make full use of this provision to act against the principals behind.”
“Finally, Sir, I am pleased to note that within this provision of the Bill which is the new section 16, the Minister is able to grant exemption to allow, for example, institutions of higher learning to have access to such objectionable materials for research purposes. I think it is good. However, for the reassurance of this House that such discretionary powers are not unilaterally exercised, could the Minister please elaborate the guiding principles underlying any ground for exemptions?”
“Sir, I ask this question because I am concerned that a retrogressive step towards censorship would impact on the direction and the development of the literary and performing arts, an area which we are consciously promoting in line with our national objective to build a more gracious society. Would the Minister therefore update the House on the Government's latest thinking or policy towards censorship in Singapore? Sir, clause 13 of the Bill leaves it to the expert judgment of any personnel authorised under the Bill to determine whether or not any publication is objectionable. I understand that this person or so-called controller will act from time to time under the direction of the Minister. May I therefore ask the Minister if he could tell the House what are the basic parameters guiding the actions of such officers and whether or not such parameters should indeed be stipulated in this legislation? Sir, an area of clarification is also sought on the status of Internet Service Providers. The widened definition of publications includes information stored by the use of computers or other electronic device. Despite the existence of proxy services, ISP cannot fully police all such undesirable web pages and prevent access to such material, whether it is audio or visual, available through the Internet. Therefore, my question to the Minister is whether, with the passing of this Bill, operationally, the Bill will impose an overly onerous performance obligation on the part of the Internet Service Providers. Would the Minister please clarify?”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I rise to support the Bill. I am pleased to note that in this Bill, attention is being drawn to the implications of rapid and widespread dissemination of undesirable publications, aided by a new medium, such as CD-ROMS, which are also easy to duplicate. The revised definition of publications, in my mind, is long overdue in the light of the changing nature in which obscene and objectionable material is distributed and exhibited. Sir, the new provisions for obscene publications in this Bill which have been previously absent would now give our enforcement agencies ground to rein in on distributors, exhibitors and publishers of such materials and I appreciate the tough stand that this Bill places on visual images as the impact of visual images, as the Minister has just said, is far more direct and damaging than the written word. Sir, this Bill also serves to address the anomaly whereby offending vendors who sell objectionable publications would have their publications confiscated but suffer no further penalties. It is timely that penalties are now introduced and that these vendors have to be directly accountable for their participation in the distribution and sale of such objectionable materials. Sir, while I am supportive of the measures in this Bill, I would like to seek clarifications from the Minister on the various items. The first question is: is this Bill, in the opinion of the Minister, a retrogressive step towards greater censorship of publications, or is it a step forward in our effort to promote a reading society and to promote the publishing industry?”
“And it is a practice in my constituency that at this ceremony, many children, most of whom attend tuition at my RC centres, attend the flag raising ceremony. From my experience in recent years, many of these children do not sing our National Anthem correctly. Many try, but many of them often mispronounce or misuse the words in the National Anthem. For example, "cita cita" is often pronounced as "sita sita". Some even pronounce "mari" as "mali", and "rakyat" as "lakyat". And many even got the two words "bersatu" and "berseru" in the wrong place, which means that when the word is placed in the wrong phrase, the meaning of the song is different. Sir, I can go on and on to give more examples. But the point I want to put across is that I think there is a need in our school to ensure that school children be taught to sing the National Anthem correctly. Indeed, every student should be taught the meaning of the words in the National Anthem. I think we should not just teach them how to sing. To do that is easy. We leave it to the parrots. But we must teach them the meaning of the words in the National Anthem and encourage them to sing it correctly with passion, with feeling, and with love for the country. So I am proposing, Sir, as part of our National Education programme to inculcate loyalty, patriotism and get Singaporeans to understand our roots and history better, the Ministry of Education consider making it compulsory for all students, primary and secondary, to be taught the meaning of the words in the National Anthem, and to sing the song correctly. 5.00 pm”
“Sir, if we were to recall, the National Anthem "Majulah Singapura" was composed in 1958 and adopted in 1959, some nearly 40 years ago when Singapore became a self-governing state, and the Government then was looking for a national anthem to unite the different races. Sir, if one studies the wordings and the lyrics of the song, I would say the anthem is still as relevant today as it was 38 years ago. I hope Members will bear me out, particularly the Malay MPs, if I be allowed to recite the anthem and offer the English translation, for the benefit of many Members in this House who were born after 1959, and who may not understand the anthem. "Mari kita rakyat Singapura, sama sama menuju Bahagia Cita cita kita yang mulia, Berjaya Singapura Mari lah kita bersatu, dengan semangat yang baru Semua kita berseru, Majulah Singapura, Majulah Singapura." Sir, if I were to explain phrase by phrase, the first phrase: "Mari kita rakyat Singapura, sama sama menuju Bahagia" - it means that "Let us Singapore citizens together march towards happiness." The second phrase: "Cita cita kita yang mulia, Berjaya Singapura" - "Our aim which is noble is success for Singapore." The third phrase: "Mari lah kita bersatu, dengan semangat yang baru" - "Let us be united with a spirit that is new." And the last phrase: "Semua kita berseru, Majulah Singapura, Majulah Singapura" - it means that "All of us proclaim together, onward Singapore, onward Singapore." Sir, if we understand the English translation of the National Anthem, we will be able to sing the National Anthem better and pronounce it more correctly. Sir, in my constituency, we have a national observance ceremony held every year on the actual day of National Day.”
“Sir, in essence, what I am proposing is that the Minister consider forwarding or advancing the privatisation exercise, opening up the market much earlier before 1999 so that members of the public will benefit through lower cost, through free competition, and hopefully having to pay lower rubbish collection fees.”
“Sir, I believe that we do not have to wait three or four years, ie, by 1999, to free the market. I believe the private sector operators are ready to participate in refuse collection. I think we should try out a few private operators in the collection of refuse in some of our HDB homes, and even landed properties. I am aware that there is some fear from among Members of this House, and including some of our grassroots leaders and members of the public, of the dire consequences if some of these private operators default. Sir, I think you will remember that when we debated the need for Town Councils in this House, Members also expressed fear that cleaning contractors would default. We could, through our experience in running Town Councils, overcome this fear by setting criteria for private operators to tender for jobs in housing estates, for example, setting up sufficient guidelines, service standards, financial requirements, and so forth, to ensure that private operators who participate in the collection of our rubbish in HDB estates and landed properties are of sufficient standing, reputation and size, before they are allowed to participate. Sir, I wish to emphasise that it is through privatisation that we are able to keep costs down and that we could even allow differential rates, like SC&CC charges, to be levied on households and residents based on the volume of rubbish collected. I think it is difficult to implement this on a household by household basis. But I think if we implement this on a precinct by precinct basis, it is practical.”
“Sir, in moving this amendment I wish to declare my interest because I am a director of a company, one of whose subsidiaries is in the business of waste management. Sir, the recent increase in rubbish collection and refuse removal charges for flats and houses by the Ministry of the Environment, through Semac, has received complaints from some sectors of the public. Refuse collection fees for flats and houses increased by about 8.75% to 10% in the recent increase. I recall that the Ministry of the Environment's refuse collection service was corporatised in April last year, under a company called Semac Private Limited, so that it could operate as a company and function with greater flexibility. The plan was, of course, to keep costs down through encouraging greater efficiency in rubbish collection and to introduce competition eventually into the area of refuse management. The Ministry of the Environment's intention is to free the market by the year 1999 to allow private waste collectors to come into the market to compete for the collection of refuse from both domestic and trade premises. And I presume the three-year lead time is to allow Semac to get its act together before the Government opens up the market for competition by private operators. Sir, the participation of private waste collectors is not something new. Indeed, today, 50% of our solid waste generated from industrial/commercial premises, including private condominiums, are collected by private operators. So there are already private operators who have the skill and ability to operate on a large scale collecting rubbish. And the other 50% of waste generated which come mainly from homes and industrial premises are currently collected by Semac, which is MOE.”
“Sir, I am pleased with the comprehensive replies by the Minister. It is so comprehensive until he has no time to address some of the topics raised. But I am reassured by the fact that he will follow up with all the queries and suggestions raised by Members. With that, I beg leave to withdraw my amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.”
“Sir, in line with our efforts to develop Singapore as a regional media hub, we should consciously develop the film industry. With the success of our TCS and the emergence of many local production houses, I believe we have the necessary ingredients to seriously promote and develop the film industry. Much emphasis has been placed in recent years in developing artistic, creative manpower which includes film-making in our polytechnics and other educational institutions. Our TCS and local production houses are of a standard good enough to go international. And I am aware that some efforts have been made by EDB to try to promote the film industry. My question to the Minister is: where do we go from here? Will the Government seriously accelerate the development of the film industry? Sir, related to this is the Singapore International Film Festival event. This event has come a long way in the last 10 years. It has now become a significant event in the region which showcases Asian cinemas and movies. I feel that we must promote this event even more. I say this for two good reasons. Because of recent developments in the region, traditionally Hong Kong and Pusan, a place in South Korea, are well known film festival centres in Asia. With recent developments in Hong Kong, with political restrictions after 1997, and Pusan's less superior location and recent developments on the part of North and South Korea, I think we should now actively promote Singapore as a film hub for Asia. May I therefore ask the Minister if he agrees with this and if MITA or the Government has plans to achieve this.”
“This may not be wrong, but when we are talking about looking after the poor and the old, our broadcasting stations should also provide more pabulum to the senior citizens. As Mr Peh said, if you have problem getting news readers in dialect, you can seek the help of the clan associations failing which you can approach the interpreters or even go to the MPs like me for help.”
“Of course, they may learn something from their chit-chats with other senior citizens at the void decks or hearsay from the market place. But this type of information may not be accurate. Because of that, they may not understand or may even misunderstand some of the policies which may be beneficial to them. For example recently in the Budget, the Finance Minister announced the topping-up of the Medisave account for senior citizens. They need to put in only $20 instead of $50 to enjoy the $100 to $350 top-up. Very few senior citizens know about this benefit. From the two top-up exercises that we carried out in the past, a lot of senior citizens were not aware of them. They did not know where and how to top up their CPF accounts, and lost out in the benefits which they would have gained. I would suggest that we should have one more round of dialect news over the Radio every day. I suggest that after 9.00 am, those people who are working would have gone to work and the students would have gone to school and these old people might just come back from their morning qiqong exercises. So in the late morning they have the time to listen to the radio news. The Speak Mandarin campaign has achieved certain success and one extra dialect news programme will not hinder the progress of the Speak Mandarin campaign. In Singapore 21, the Prime Minister has said that one of the five pillars is to look after the senior citizens. The Minister for Finance also looks after the senior citizens because he announced the top-up of CPF Medisave Accounts. This is only material care for them. We need to give them more information and to understand what is happening to them. They need some spiritual care too. After corporatization, TCS programmes are always based on commercial consideration.”
“Therefore, I suggest that MITA should increase the frequency of dialect programmes on radio, maybe once at 7 o'clock in the morning because senior citizens normally wake up very early and the young people will be busy preparing to go to work, and another at 2 o'clock in the afternoon, after lunch, which is usually the time when the old people will be relaxing. This way, they will be able to receive news in dialects and be updated on the latest development in Singapore so that they would not feel that they are detached from society. I understand that it may be difficult to get news readers who can read the news in dialects. But I think this is not a problem. If we are keen to provide dialect programmes for our senior citizens, we should be able to so something. We can seek the help of clan associations in Singapore like the Hokkien Huay Kuan, the Kong Chow Wiu Koon, the Hainanese Association, etc, to provide the people to read news in the dialects. I hope that MITA would seriously consider this. So long as it does not hinder our bilingual policy and Speak Mandarin Campaign, we should relax this control and have more dialect programmes on radio and TV. 12.45 pm Mr Seng Han Thong (Ang Mo Kio)( In Mandarin): Sir, I support what the Member for Jalan Besar has said, because right now there is only one dialect programme, ie, the 8 pm News dialect programme on Radio. It is only five minutes and the new is read very fast. Old people need time to think to follow the news. For the older Singaporeans, if they know only dialects and for some reasons, their children are unable to keep them informed of the latest happenings or Government policies in Singapore, the only source of information they get is from the dialect news programme.”
“Dr Ho, mentioned yesterday, by screening these programmes during weekdays in the morning or afternoon, where viewership is restricted to housewives and senior citizens. Also, Sir, dialect programmes remind us of our history, our roots and our culture, which is a good way to preserve our culture and traditions. In essence, what I am proposing is that we could allow more room for dialect programmes on our television and radio so as to better educate our growing number of senior citizens and housewives on Government policies and regulations, and to encourage the promotion of our roots and culture. This could help make our life to be more interesting and colourful, without changing our policy on the Speak Mandarin Campaign, or affecting the learning of the Chinese language. Mr Peh Chin Hua (Jalan Besar)( In Mandarin): Sir, I agree and support my GPC Chairman for MITA, Mr Chew Heng Ching, and my GPC colleague, Dr Ho Tat Kin's appeal to relax our control on dialect programmes. In Singapore nowadays, we still have a lot of senior citizens who could not understand either English or Mandarin. Every evening at 8 pm, these old folks are able to enjoy the news programme broadcast in different dialects. Although they have only a few minutes where they could receive this news in the various dialects, it gives them better understanding of our Government's policies and a sense of involvement, a sense of identity and feel that they have been looked after.”
“Sir, today, the Government is adopting a more flexible approach towards the use of dialects in our mass media, ie, television and radio. The Minister for Information and the Arts has clarified earlier that MITA will gradually relax its control over dialect television programmes by allowing the SCV to screen more dialect programmes. This is indeed a good move. TCS too has relaxed over the years, but to a very limited extent, the use of dialects in some of their programmes, particularly documentary progammes where they involve interviewing senior citizens and housewives who can only speak dialects. I think this is also a good move. Sir, I also agree that the Government has to strike a fine balance between keeping dialect programmes and promoting Mandarin. However, I believe that the interference of dialect in the learning of Mandarin today is no longer a serious threat as it was in the past. It is indeed no more a regressive step if we introduce dialects in our broadcast media. Sir, under our bilingual education, Chinese children study English and Chinese in school. They speak Mandarin or English at home, and indeed very few among our children today understand dialects. Sir, I am speaking on this topic on behalf of many senior citizens and housewives who do not understand a word of Mandarin today, and who do not speak a word of Mandarin. They only understand dialects. I think we need to reach out to this group of people, particularly in explaining Government policies and regulations to them. And there is no better way to do it than through dialects. One way to do this is to broadcast these programmes during off-peak hours, as one of my GPC Members, the hon.”
“And one useful network is certainly our grassroots organisations and our grassroots leaders in the constituency. These people have direct access and interactions with the constituents. Indeed, they get feedback from the horse's mouth. May I therefore ask the Minister if TCS has such a feedback mechanism, besides the PAC and ACCESS and, if so, what are they? How effective have all these feedback mechanisms been in helping TCS and RCS to improve their programmes?”
“Sir, following feedback and suggestions from Members of this House some four years ago (I remember there was a heated debate on TCS programmes), MITA subsequently formed two Advisory Committees, ie, the Advisory Committee on Chinese Dramas and Variety Shows, or ACCESS as they call it, and the Programme Advisory Committee (PAC) to advise and provide feedback to TCS and RCS on their programmes. The Committees are well represented. They include some Members of this House and also Singaporeans holding positions of responsibilities in society and from all walks of life. Sir, the Committees are into their third or fourth year of operations and have put up useful observations and recommen dations to TCS and RCS to improve their programmes. Indeed, I think the Committees have done well. The programmes of TCS and RCS today are a marked improvement from four to five years ago. And I think there is further room for improvement. Both TCS and RCS remain receptive to suggestions for improvement and that are good signs. Sir, I propose that MITA regularly review the composition of ACCESS and PAC, and at each renewal time, when the two-year term expires, replace half the Committee and at the next renewal, replace the other half. In this way, we would continuously be able to inject new ideas and talents into the two Committees, and yet ensure continuity and consistency in their opinion and feedback. Sir, even if the PAC and ACCESS have good representations, in terms of having Singaporeans from all walks of life represented in the two Committees, relying on their observations, feedback and suggestions alone is not enough. TCS should reach out to a wider network of audience and viewers to get feedback.”
“Sir, I would like to ask the Minister to give the House an update on the Cable TV project. What percentage of the households in Singapore has been wired up to-date and when will all the households be eventually wired up? And how does the cable TV project fit into the Singapore IT 2000 Plan? Sir, I understand the subscriptions among households which are already wired up remain very low. Why is that so? Is it because the TCS programmes are too attractive offering a better alternative? Sir, the SCV has many channels providing info-educational, current affairs, cultural, sports, children's and entertainment programmes meeting the needs of Singaporeans from all walks of life. It is a pity that Singaporeans are not fully aware of this. I think the SCV must do more marketing and perhaps review its subscription fees to make them sufficiently attractive for households to subscribe. May I therefore ask the Minister what plans are in place to get more Singaporeans to subscribe to Cable TV? And in the event that SCV proves to be non-viable, will the Government come to their rescue? Sir, may I move on to the next cut.”
“Sir, I understand the Singapore Kindness Movement was registered as a society at the beginning of this year. It is a civic body with Institute of Public Character (IPC) status which means that donation to the body will be tax exempt. I understand its aim is to get Singaporeans to perform acts of kindness in their daily lives in line with our national efforts to promote gracious living. Sir, many Singaporeans I spoke to about the Kindness Movement were a little confused. They thought, since we already have the Courtesy Campaign, why the need for a movement called the Kindness Movement. Does it mean that the Courtesy Campaign has failed? Many thought if it is really necessary to have the movement, why not combine or merge the movement with the Courtesy Campaign. And just as many ask if the Courtesy Campaign will be stopped with the launch of the Kindness Movement. Sir, perhaps it is opportune for the Minister to explain to this House the objective and rationale behind the Singapore Kindness Movement, its plan for the future and what will happen to the Courtesy Campaign when the Movement is launched. Sir, can I move on to the next cut?”
“Sir, if Singaporeans were to fully understand the wordings and the meanings behind the Anthem, I am confident that they will sing the Anthem loud and clear and with great passion and pride showing their love for the country. 5.30 pm Sir, I am proposing that MITA take on this task because I consider organising this campaign as part of our national effort to educate Singaporeans on our history and heritage.”
“Sir, the Government, in order to promote our heritage, established the National Heritage Board in the year 1993. The Board now incorporates the National History Museum, the Singapore Arts Museum, Asian Civilisation Museum, National Archives of Singapore and the Oral History Centre. I understand that soon the Preservation of Monuments Board will be transferred from the Ministry of National Development to MITA. Does it mean that the Preservation of Monuments Board has shifted its emphasis from the preservation of buildings to heritage and history? May I therefore ask the Minister to clarify to Members of the House the reason for the transfer and whether the Preservation of Monuments Board will be merged into the National Heritage Board (NHP) and what he sees as the future directions of this Preservation of Monuments Board. Sir, still on the subject of heritage. In understanding Singapore's root and history, one must always understand our National Anthem "Majullah Singapura". I remember that when I was a school boy in the 60s, we were taught to read and understand the wordings in the Anthem and to sing whenever it was played. The situation is quite different today. Not many Singaporeans really understand the wordings in the Anthem because they are in Malay, our national language, and not many Singaporeans sing whenever the Anthem is played. May I therefore propose that the Government, through MITA, organise a national campaign to get Singaporeans to understand our National Anthem, the history and objective behind the wordings of the Anthem, and to encourage Singaporeans to sing whenever the Anthem is played.”
“As again mentioned by my Chairman, the recent move by the Government to promote art education through LaSalle-SIA Arts College and the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts would definitely contribute to the pool of practitioners. We know that appreciation of the arts, if introduced at an early age, would have a lasting effect. Art appreciation must also be fostered among adults. Children who have an inclination towards the arts will pursue an active career if they have the support of their parents and peers. Thus, there is a relationship between art appreciation and education. As more people appreciate art, there will be a tendency for more people to pursue a career in it. My concern here, Sir, is the policy and the promotion of art appreciation and education in Singapore. We need to encourage art appreciation from the very young, but we must also ensure that those who are interested in the arts, their interest is sustained while in school. Can we perhaps consider art education as part of our core curriculum in school? While this may be the responsibility of MOE, I believe it is the domain of MITA as the Ministry responsible for the development of the arts in Singapore to set the agenda and to work with MOE. Hence, this policy must be an integrated one between MITA and MOE. With this integrated policy, students in the arts could be given the opportunity to perform publicly and interact with arts groups in Singapore. Attachment programmes could be developed for these students. This policy would ensure that arts education is not only the purview of the trainers but also the practitioners. The net result is a policy which would ensure that arts would continue to flourish in Singapore.”
“Therefore, we suggest that community centres and community clubs which are scheduled for renovation or rebuilding in the next few years designate rooms to be offered as homes for some of these local arts groups. We further suggest that arts corners be established in every constituency where residents could display their talents and art works on a pre-determined Sunday of a month at the void deck of a certain block, for example. Finally, Sir, on the question of funding for the arts, we urge MITA to revive the idea of establishing an arts endowment fund to help promote arts and arts education in support of our goal of building a gracious society. We further propose that this fund comes from part of the budgetary surplus that we generate every year. Dr Yaacob Ibrahim (Jalan Besar): Sir, I echo the sentiments of my GPC Chairman, Mr Chew Heng Ching. I am glad to note that the efforts by the Government and private groups to promote arts in Singapore are bearing some success. We can see from the recently concluded arts festival. We drew a much larger crowd than before. Most of the performances, I am made to understand, were oversubscribed. There is also a trend of a growing appreciation of theatre, film, painting and other art forms. So I must congratulate MITA for bringing the arts to the people, especially those also living in HDB flats. Through schemes such as arts housing, art groups now can operate out of community centres and thereby contribute to art appreciation across a wider audience. In order for the arts to continue to develop and flourish in Singapore, we certainly need both the practitioners and the audience.”
“Sir, I beg to move, That the total sum to be allocated for Head R of the Main Estimates be reduced by $100. Sir, the Government has been more visible in recent years in its support of the arts. Its grant to the promotion of arts nearly doubled in the last three years. This supports the Government's overall aim to develop a more gracious and vibrant society. The Government has recently, in the Presidential Address debate, announced its financial support for LaSalle-SIA College of Arts and the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (NAFA). May I suggest that with this support, we consciously develop LaSalle-SIA College of the Arts to be a well-known academy for performing arts and NAFA to be a well-known centre for fine arts. Sir, notwithstanding this positive move by the Government, my GPC would like to see more being done to promote the arts. We propose a three-pronged action plan. Firstly, to give more support to the local arts groups. Secondly, to start our children early on an arts appreciation programme. Thirdly, to bring the arts to the HDB heartland. Sir, I believe there are about 50 to 100 local arts groups which deserve support from the Government. We would like to see more funds being made available to help these arts groups take off. On arts education, we suggest that schools organise more field trips to enhance students' understanding and appreciation of the different forms of arts and sculptures. Performing arts should also be included as part of this art appreciation programme for the children. Sir, we must also correct the image that the arts belong to the elite. We must try to bring the arts to our HDB heartland.”
“Sir, I agree with the Minister of State he alone cannot form the task force. But I hope that he will influence his colleagues in the other Ministries to consider this. With that, I beg leave to withdraw my amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. The sum of $1,020,198,860 for Head Q ordered to stand part of the Main Estimates. The sum of $907,840,000 for Head Q ordered to stand part of the Development Estimates. Head P -”
“I am therefore proposing that this task force be chaired by at least a Permanent Secretary and the best person is the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Home Affairs, with senior representatives from Ministry of Community Development, Ministry of Education, MITA, MINDEF and Ministry of Labour. I urge the Minister to consider this proposal seriously.”
“Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head Q of the Main Estimates be reduced by $10 in respect of Code QC 1500. Sir, much has been said and debated in this House about juvenile delinquency, gang fights and youth violence. The trend can be worrying and many of my constituents have expressed their concern to me. Sir, I believe the problem is more deep-seated, more deep-rooted than before. We must identify the root of the problem early and nip it in the bud. Sir, I believe that to tackle this problem, we should not leave it to the police alone. I think a large part of the Government has to be involved. Besides, the Ministry of Home Affairs, other Government Ministries should also play a role in identifying and solving this problem. I have identified the following Ministries. Ministry of Community Development, whose responsibility is the promotion of family values and community support system; Ministry of Education, the influence of the school environment on youth behaviour, slackness in school discipline, all these have implications on youth violence today; MITA, mass media may have undesirable influence on youth if censorship is not well under control; MINDEF, I believe that the two and the two-and-a-half years spent in National Service would have a bearing on youth behaviour, particularly depending on the company he mixes with; and the Ministry of Labour, I believe the omnipresence of foreign labourers in Singapore, to some extent, has undesirable social influence on our youth. Sir, I am therefore proposing that the Government seriously look into forming a special multi-Ministry task force to identify the root causes of this problem and come up with solutions. Sir, the problem is a serious one and has wide ranging implications.”
“We should inculcate in the mind of every Singaporean that we should be united and spontaneously rally behind our leaders in any similar incident in future. I believe the Malaysian politicians will understand. We have given them a clear signal. We should be vigilant all the time. Our water supply can be cut off any time. Even if we can source water from another neighbouring country, for the long-term interest of the people of Singapore, the setting up of a desalination plant is necessary. Therefore, I support the recommendation of the Member of Parliament for Chua Chu Kang to build a desalination plant. At the same time, we should make everyone in Singapore deeply understand that "water is precious" and that any wastage of water should be regarded as a serious offence. Besides educating our people to learn to save water, we should also raise water tariffs to drive home the message that water is precious. If we can make everybody feel that drinking a cup of water is just as valuable as drinking a cup of Coca-cola or a cup of mineral water, and realize that water does not come easy in Singapore, then we can convince Singaporeans to treasure every drop of water, at all times. Raising water tariffs is necessary. But I hope that when raising water tariffs, the Government will take into account the predicament of the low income families. As mentioned by DPM Lee, the Government may consider giving these families a once-off rebate at the end of the year to lighten their burden . Mr Speaker, Sir, I support the motion.”
“I would like to know whether the Ministry of National Development has any measures to prevent this kind of "bubble economy" from occurring in Singapore. Mr Speaker, Sir, the Minister for Trade and Industry mentioned in his Addendum to the President's Address that the Public Utilities Board would open up a competitive market for the power supply industry, and plans to build a pilot desalination plant. I fully agree with this idea. This is the time that we should carefully consider setting up a desalination plant. We should not forever rely on our neighbouring country for water supply, especially when our neighbour is always threatening to cut off our water supply, wanting us to submit to them. Such bullying tactics have disgusted the Singaporeans. The recent incident between Singapore and Malaysia had made me flabbergasted with the politicians in Malaysia. If Malaysia intends to have friendly relations with Singapore, then their political leaders should restrain themselves before they make any speeches. They should not demand that we must be sensitive to their feelings, while they do not care about our sensitivities at all. I hope the Malaysian political leaders will take note of this: whenever you point one finger at others, there are always three fingers pointing back at yourself. Mr Speaker, Sir, I am proud of the way our Singaporeans have behaved in the face of all these provocations. We were cool, rational and united. We did not stage any protest or demonstration. We just avoid going to Malaysia. That is the right thing to do! Since they do not welcome us, why should we go there and incur their displeasure? Mr Speaker, Sir, I am proud and happy with our people for registering our protest in such a rational and silent way.”
“From the 1960s to the 1970s and the 1980s, there was always a cyclical curve of ups and downs in the Singapore property prices, every 9 to 12 years. However, from 1985 to now, during the past 12 years, our property prices were bullish all the way, and show no sign of down trend even today. Is this not a cause for concern? Let me quote a few examples to show the trend in our property transactions: In 1965, a freehold, semi-detached house in District 10 was valued at $45,000. Today, it is worth $2.5 million, appreciation of 55 times in 32 years. In 1976, a freehold, semi-detached house in District 21 was valued at $180,000. Today, it has appreciated to $2.2 million, an increase of 12 times in 21 years. In 1985, a freehold, luxurious condominium in District 9 was valued at $400,000. Today, it is worth $2.2 million, appreciation of 5.5 times in 12 years In 1989, a freehold, semi-detached house in District 10 was valued at $880,000. Now, it is worth $2.8 million. In a short period of eight years, it has appreciated by 3.1 times. Mr Speaker, Sir, when our nation is politically stable, society is peaceful and settled, economy is prosperous, property prices will certainly go up. This is natural and there is nothing wrong about it. However, what worries me is that even with the cooling measures adopted by the Government in May last year, it does not seem to have any checking effect on the property prices. Will the property market of Singapore collapse one day, like what happened to Japan? In the event of the kind of "bubble economy" appearing in Singapore, the property invested by Singaporeans with their CPF money will depreciate, and the savings for their old-age will be affected.”
“If you want to stand out among others, to make a lot of money, you would have to invest in tu ( : land). That is why, like the Singaporeans, the Japanese and the Hong Kongers strongly believe that investment in property is a safe hedge against inflation and the means to make quick profits. Therefore, to make money, you must buy properties, buy land. Taking a job and working day in and day out is no good, it gets you nowhere! Yet, many people fail to realize that buying property is an investment, and often a speculation where a lot of risks are involved. Ever since the burst of "bubble economy" in Japan, property prices have been dropping continuously for six years, to the extent of more than 60%. The property prices now are just 40% of what they were in 1990. For example, a new 70 m2 apartment unit valued at 104.8 million yen (approximately S$1.22 million) in 1990 was worth only 40.53 million yen (approximately S$470,000) in March this year. In just six years, the value dropped by 64.27 million yen (approximately S$750,000). In other words, when the owner eventually had to sell away the property at a great loss, all his life-long savings were wiped out. At the moment, the entire residential property market in Japan is facing a situation of over supply. Now, properties in even the prime districts of Ginza and Shinju-ku are cheaper than those in Districts 9 and 10 of Singapore. Please refer to "Tokyo District 23 Special Issue May 1997 - Information on Residential Properties Weekly Issue". My question is: our property prices have been going up rapidly over the past 10 years, will it one day be like the "bubble economy" of Japan?”
“I brought up this example to make the point that every student has his own talents and potentialities. The key point is how to help them to maximise their potentialities with our current education system, so as to ensure that every child will be able to maximize his or her potential. If we can find out their potentialities, we can provide them with the right opportunities, I think this will be a good thing to the nation. It will help us to face the fierce competition ahead. As Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong said, when moving into the next millennium, the future of one country depends to a great extent on its people's learning abilities. I believe and support his view. Mr Speaker, Sir, the Addendum of the Ministry of National Development said that we would build better homes for the people. Singapore's economic growth is a visible fact and this has brought about a booming property market (which is a good thing). Because of the property boom, all properties, inclusive of HDB flats, HUDC, terrace houses and bungalows, have increased in value. However, my worry is - will the property market be a "bubble economy" like that of Japan? According to a report in "Asia Week" 1997 May Issue, the property prices in Japan were much higher than Hong Kong and Singapore in the past. However, owing to a big drop in prices, the property prices in Tokyo are now lower than Hong Kong, even lower than that of Singapore. Take a look at the Tokyo property price index. The Asians have a traditional belief that working as an employee does not get you anywhere, just as in the Chinese character gong ( : the working class ), where the vertical stroke in the centre does not stick out at the top. No breakthrough!”
“The approach of education should be to assist every student to develop their talents and maximize their potentialities. Each student has his own different kind of intelligence and talents such as linguistic, logic and reasoning, mathematical, musical, artistic, ballet, and interpersonal skills. For example, I am not inclined to learning music, ballet or foreign language. But I seem to have the aptitude for logic, mathematics, and interpersonal relations. If we can make use of traditional education, traditional courses and traditional assessments during the 10 years of basic education, I think it should be adequate. Because our students will be able to learn some basic knowledge. However, when they enter junior college, polytechnic or university, we should consider adopting a more flexible "multiple intelligence" education system so that they could express their potentialities freely. Let me quote my own example, my life experience. I found that I had an interest in politics, economics, culture and the arts when I was in Primary Five. I can still remember when I was 11 years old, I used to walk from Chin Swee Road to Hong Lim Park with my neighbours, carrying along with me a wooden stool to listen to the mass rally speeches made by Senior Minister Lee Kuan Yew or other politicians. I was quite impressed with their speeches. Today, my skill in making election campaign speeches was cultivated from the time I attended such rallies. When I was in Primary Five, I learned to help my parents to do business by selling books and stationery to my school mates to supplement our household income. I love to write, to paint, and to read. This was something I learnt when I was small, from my family background.”
“This will meet the needs of a more technology-driven economy and to survive in the fiercely competitive world. During the launch of the Seventh International Conference on Thinking at Suntec City on 2nd June, Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong called on all Singaporeans to make learning a part of their everyday lives and said the country's future will hinge on the people's ability to do this. He mentioned that we should bring about a change in the mindset of Singaporeans. We must get away from the idea that it is only the people at the management level who should be thinking and the job of the ordinary folk is just to do what he is being told to do. There are many students who score "As" in their studies but do not have the desire to continue discovering new knowledge after they leave school. Therefore, 10 or 20 years down the road, their knowledge becomes obsolete and very limited in their horizon. This is indeed a great pity. Mr Speaker, Sir, I found that my analytical skills have grown through continuous learning from society, as I grow and mature. I was not one of those top students who always scored many "As" in my school days. Many top students who did very well in school turned out to be very ordinary after they had stepped into society. On the other hand, there are students who might not have done well in their academic results, but achieved great success later on in life. Therefore, it is important that those who are academically poor should be given the opportunity and appropriately guided to re-join the mainstream later on. "Thinking Schools, Learning Nation" is indeed very important. Eminent Harvard Professor Howard Gardner advised that using a uniform method to teach all the students, review and assess them, is unfair.”
“At the same time, he indicated that we should be confident of our competitive advantages and we can face tougher competitions from neighbouring countries and the world over, without being daunted. In fact, the prospect of Singapore is better compared to any time in the past. We will upgrade our housing environment and improve our public transport system. We will safeguard our fair and open meritocracy system which is one of the core values we should uphold and protect. We will build Singapore into a gracious society. We will build a nation where everyone has a stake in Singapore's success, feels a sense of belonging and ownership. We should encourage talented people with strong ability to lead and drive ahead of our competitors. Of course, the successful Singaporeans should come forward and help the less successful. We have to foster greater social cohesion and resilience in the next generation. In this way, we will be able to realize our ideal and fulfill our wish to make Singapore our best home. During the Address, the President has specially stressed the importance of education. He said our aim is not just to improve a few schools, but to raise the quality of education across the board. These include attracting more talented people to become teachers and to instill in our students the importance of lifelong learning, flexibility and creativity. RAdm Teo Chee Hean, Minister for Education, mentioned in his Addendum to the President's Address that there will be a pilot scheme to identify and help underachievers and slow learners at the lower primary schools. I fully support this idea. I also welcome his plan of raising the intake of students into engineering and science to 60% of total intake.”
“The important thing is that they should give up the abang adik ideological baggage and treat us with equality and respect. This is the basis on which the relations between two countries can remain good and cordial. As other Members of the PAP have already pointed out, this event is a lesson for us to learn and study. This is the ideal type of material for inclusion in our National Education. Finally, Sir, I support the motion standing in the name of Dr Wang Kai Yuen. Mr Peh Chin Hua (Jalan Besar)( In Mandarin): Mr Speaker, Sir, I support the motion standing in the name of Dr Wang Kai Yuen thanking the President for his Address at the Opening of this Parliament. In his Address, the President said that we must imbue in our people a sense of history and identity. We must pass on to them the same discipline, the same drive to achieve, the same indomitable will to overcome problems that the first generation of Singaporean leaders had, the qualities that have brought Singapore so far. Our first generation leaders lived through the tumultuous events, before and after independence. The post-independence generation grew up in a different environment - peaceful, stable and prosperous. Their experiences in life are different. Nevertheless, they must learn how we became a nation, how we are different from other countries and why we must always make a special effort to stay ahead of others in order to thrive. The President pointed out that our schools will focus more on National Education. We will also get our students to understand the realities of living in this region, to realize that although our prospects can be bright, failure to stay competitive will dim them.”
“If two sovereign states want to build up bilateral relations between them on the basis of equality and mutual benefit, then surely there will not be any difficulty. Singapore has established bilateral relations with more than 100 countries in the world, and nobody has ever said that there is any difficulty in maintaining these relations. So, if you want to adopt the attitude of abang adik or the "big brother" attitude, or to take advantage of others, then you cannot blame others for being difficult. Notwithstanding all these, I think our reaction is very rational. We are very firm and restrained in our reaction. We have already practised the Confucian teaching of "being resolute in the face of enmity". We do not repay resentment with resentment. In other words, we look at the facts as they are, and reason out what is before us. So long as we continue to adopt the attitude of not being arrogant, we will be able to calmly handle the challenges and provocation thrown at us (however unreasonable they may be) in a peaceful manner. Recently, there was an article in the Nanyang Siang Pau of Malaysia which suggested that the Malaysian leaders should make use of this durian season to unfreeze our relations. In other words, the writer is saying that during this durian season, Singapore leaders can be invited to durian parties in Malaysia to enjoy the fruit and thereby untying the knots in the relations between Singapore and Malaysia. I do not know whether our Government leaders have received such an invitation. If the invitation is sincere, our leaders should consider accepting it. There is a Chinese saying: "Let he who tie the bell on the tiger take it off", meaning whoever started the trouble should end it.”