Chiang Hai Ding
Singapore
“We in Singapore cannot reasonably expect to be left unmolested, seeing that the Communist Party of Malaya (CPM) regards Peninsular Malaysia and Singapore as one. namely, Malaya. Subversion, communist as well as non-communist, is one of the facts of life. But we can successfully overcome all attempts to subvert us.”
“However, our children need to possess a common hope for the future, a vision common to them all, a Singapore dream, which will inspire them, create new sensitivities and release their energies to build upon what we have already achieved.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the Minister has been specific and concrete about wayangs. Mongolian dances and whatnots, He has asked us for support. I am sure that this House is willing and is waiting to give him the support if he will be able to give us concrete and precise plans and policies.”
“Many of the kindergarten classes are converted residential flats, invariably on the second floor. I would like to propose that parts of the ground floor, where they are empty, be enclosed for use as kindergartens.”
“We have also recently liberalized our exchange rules and regulations to treat ASEAN as part of the scheduled territories, thereby permitting free and liberal transfer of funds. The Finance Minister in his Budget Statement has made further tax concessions to develop the Asian Dollar market.”
“To me, the great challenge of this decade is for us to survive and progress as an independent and sovereign nation in the fluid situation that is being very rapidly created in South-east Asia. We will need the ingenuity of all our people, the young and the not so young, to steer safely through the rough waters ahead.”
The complete record
Every one of 52 lines we hold for Chiang Hai Ding, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 1 of 2.
“We in Singapore cannot reasonably expect to be left unmolested, seeing that the Communist Party of Malaya (CPM) regards Peninsular Malaysia and Singapore as one. namely, Malaya. Subversion, communist as well as non-communist, is one of the facts of life. But we can successfully overcome all attempts to subvert us. provided we remain "vigilant and discriminating" and provided the PAP continues to govern "with circumspection and moderation". Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I beg to move the Motion standing in my name. Question put. and agreed to. Resolved, That the following Address in reply to the Speech of the President be agreed to:-- "We, the Parliament of the Republic of Singapore, express our thanks to the President for the Speech which he delivered on behalf of the Government at the opening of the First Session of this Parliament." ADJOURNMENT Resolved, "That Parliament do now adjourn to Monday, 28th February, 1977." - [Mr. E. W. Barker]. Adjourned accordingly at Twelve minutes to Five o'clock p.m. to Monday, 28th February 1977”
“However, if a bureaucrat takes the initiative, he runs the risk of being accused of usurping the supremacy or sovereignty of Parliament. But strict adherence to his Instruction Manual does not provide him with safety either: he can be accused of being inflexible. unimaginative, even inhuman. A number of Members in this House are ex-civil servants. They range from Ministers to rat-catchers to Backbenchers. Have we here a Mr Hyde and Dr Jekyll transformation? Do inflexible, unimaginative and inhuman bureaucrats become enterprising, sensitive and warm politicians? Should we try to run our civil servants through this House to sensitize them? If our ex-civil servant Members were already sensitive in the first place, should we have allowed them to remain in the civil service? That also does not seem like a practical solution. I believe that civil servants who forget to be civil, who forget that their duty is to serve the public, should be reported and if found to be at fault, appropriately punished. The machinery to do this exists, and should be used. The third observation I want to make is about national security, which occupied a good part of the President's Address and which engaged the attention of many Members, During our debate the confessions of G, Raman appeared and several arrests were made. They reveal to us the ever-present threat to our national security, The communist danger is not a bogey. It is not the figment of a fertile imagination. In other countries communists have attempted to or actually succeeded in seizing power. Two of our ASEAN neighbours have recently mounted more intensive operations to meet the escalating danger from the communists.”
“These comments have contributed immeasurably to public interest in the debate and reassured our constituents that they truly have a voice in this Parliament. Their satisfaction with Government's policies as well as their dissatisfaction have both been voiced in this House. The Leader of the House has referred to the cut and thrust of debate, particularly in the last three days. It is my impression, which he confirmed, that more thrusts were proferred by the Ministers while more cuts were sustained by the Backbenchers! I propose to make only three observations: First, the large number of comments. including complaints, about the Housing and Development Board is surely an index of its success. If only 5% instead of 50% of our people were living in HDB flats, we would have had far fewer reference to the problems that the HDB generates. Backbenchers, many of whom would not have been from the PAP, in reflecting the needs of their constituents. would have been demanding in this House that the Government build more flats rather than better quality flats. This is not to say there are no problems at all. I have my fair share of dealings with the HDB. I have not always succeeded in meeting the wishes of my HDB constituents. But I have always received courtesy and cooperation. And I think that most Members would have had the same experience. My second observation relates to comments and complaints about the civil service. I would feel sorry for the civil servants except for the fact that they are particularly able to take care of themselves. Furthermore, they have a stout defender in the Minister for Finances I am truly astonished to learn that he can and does give them hell from time to time.”
“I presume all Members know what they are - we cannot do without, or we do badly without any of them. On the other hand, our appendix, we can do without. I am willing to be corrected by the hon. Member for Kim Seng. I am told that some surgeons remove the appendix of their patients for free, during operation. Coming after a total of almost a dozen Ministerial statements, including the Prime Minister's yesterday, what I have to say now is very much in the nature of an appendix. We all can do without it but in extenuation an appendix does not appear to do any great harm and it is only a very little thing. If you, Sir, and other hon. Members will relax and make yourself and themselves comfortable, I shall try to set another record in this House and make this, my second speech, the shortest speech of all the speeches delivered during this debate. Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, a total of 35 Backbenchers, six Parliamentary Secretaries and one Minister of State participated in the debate. I thank the Leader of the House for giving me the honor to move the Motion and thank all Members for having participated in the debate and for their support. It is clear from what has been discussed that Members had taken to heart what the Leader of the House said to them: to let their conscience be their guide and to speak freely with open minds. All of us in this House, the press and the public, had looked forward with the greatest interest to what the eleven "new boys" had to say. They have not disappointed us. They add their experience and expertise to that already presented in the House. This House has heard wide-ranging and critical comment on the Government's general policies as well as their implementation at grass-roots level.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, the vital organs of our body - An hon. Member: Such as?”
“However, our children need to possess a common hope for the future, a vision common to them all, a Singapore dream, which will inspire them, create new sensitivities and release their energies to build upon what we have already achieved. Then when our children raise their glasses to a toast Wo Kuo Wan Suay they will be pledging, "My country, will live 10,000 years". Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move. Question proposed. 3.00 p.m.”
“I believe that our children, in addition to knowing their mother tongue, must also learn the history of the countries whence their ancestors came, why they came, what they had to endure, what factors enabled them to survive, to develop and to prosper, and how they have come to found a nation - Singapore. Indeed, as a matter of deliberate policy, we have to encourage our children to identify with places and events, and especially people in Singapore. Who was Cheang Hong Lim who had a square named after him and who until recently was represented in this House? What of Hoo Ah Kay, popularly known as Whampoa, a name given to an electoral division, which was once eliminated, then resuscitated? Many Members represent constituencies named after people whose lives have meaning, interest and instruction for our young, such as Aljunied, Braddell, Kuo Chuan and Mountbatten. I must not forget MacPherson constituency represented by the Minister for Education. When we have a shared and active knowledge of our past as a means to appreciate the contributions of the people who settled here, then we can dream of a common future. When will Singaporeans begin to have such a dream? A dream such as an American freedom-fighter had. Martin Luther King in his most famous speech, made just before he was assassinated, said, `I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the colour of their skin, but by the content of their character.' Mr Speaker, Sir, in the last one dozen years we have begun to build a new Singapore, independent and sovereign. The physical landscape has changed almost beyond recognition in many parts of our island.”
“For Singapore to thrive, we have to engender in Singaporeans an intense and passionate devotion and love for country. This cannot be legislated into existence. As a student, I recall seeing a film based on the life of Chopin, composer, and pianist. He quit his homeland. He won fame. He enjoyed himself. He was the "constant companion" of the leading woman's libber of the age. One day, a Polish thought struck him. He was reminded that his country lay under foreign domination and that his compatriots were suffering. To bring home to Chopin the fact that he seemed to have forgotten his country, his visitor poured into his hands a little bag of earth brought from Poland. And Chopin wept as he saw and felt his native soil. He gave concerts to raise money for his country's struggle for freedom. And in so doing ruined his health and died. It is a romantic story but it is the patriotism that matters. I was therefore saddened to hear over RTS the other night that three of our National Service officers (two of them medical doctors and one a university student) called up for National Service had shirked their responsibility. These men have no patriotism. They took all that Singapore can give them. Then they packed up and quit. They had put self above all else. These few are exceptions but they were well-instructed Singaporeans. How do we go about inculcating patriotism? We start without some of the advantages enjoyed by other and older nations, such as a historical state with some claims to greatness, the existence of some inspiring monuments, memories of a long, heroic struggle against foreign invaders and colonizers. I do not have the answers. But the answer does not lie in the misbegotten subject Education For Living.”
“The discussion of matters of our economic well-being leads us to what I believe to be the nub of the President's Address, which also received attention in the several Addenda of the Prime Minister, the Minister for Education and the Minister for Culture. Singaporeans are told what we must not do as a people. We must "not abandon the cardinal precepts of our long-proven culture systems". We must not seek to model our lives on "Western mores and their contemporary life-styles". Our children will be taught not to adopt the "life-style and values of the West that are alien and pernicious to Singapore society." We are advised to "unequivocably uphold Asian precepts" and to provide our young with the "necessary cultural ballast against the erosion of traditional norms and values". But what are these important, desirable things? The Prime Minister tells us what we ought not to be; we cannot be "a simple copying of either China, the Malaysian archipelago, or India, from whence most of our ancestors came. Nor can we be a copy of Britain." The Minister for Culture enjoins us to develop Singapore's "rich cultural heritage derived from the Malay, Chinese, Indian and western civilisations, and, through their cross-fertilization, to evolve a national identity." The Minister for Education believes that he has an action plan - "to inculcate social discipline and national identity and to imbue in pupils moral and civic values" through the subject called Education For Living. I am happy that we have begun to discuss this crucial subject. But we have far to go before Singaporeans possess characteristics that can identify them as Singaporeans, that set us apart from others.”
“Where is Singapore headed for? We do not even possess two of the factors listed which affect growth - agricultural production and non-renewable resource depletion. None of us would want to generate pollution unnecessarily. Must we inevitably reach our limits to growth? Or can we go on growing indefinitely? As a still emerging LDC (or less developed country), we have no option but to try to grow. Except population-wise. We have very finite resources. Ingenuity and technology can overcome some of the limiting factors. As we run out of land to build houses, we build high-rise apartments; and we reclaim land from the sea. As we run out of roads, we cut back on cars and we consider travelling underground. As the growth of our entrepot trade slowed down, we industrialised; and we developed banking, insurance and ancillary services to provide a living for our people. We have overcome the limitations of our Island by linking our national economy with international and regional economies. The leadership, political and bureaucratic, have undoubtably given some thought to the long-range problems that confront our mini-state. The Ministry of Defence, for example, for which strategic planning is of the utmost importance, is considering National Service for women, as the population growth slows down because Singaporeans accept that "Two is Enough". We have done very well so far in the face of formidable odds. In the short-run, there will be difficulties, but these are not insurmountable. But what of the long-term? Let all of us in this House, and others outside who are in the public as well as in the private sectors, give more serious and sustained consideration to our long-term development.”
“Yet American writers insist that democracy in America exists and indeed flourishes. In that country, for the first 30 years after 1776, there was a loosely-structured one-party system of government. During George Washington's first presidency, all important differences of opinion were expressed within the government party, and the government party was a party of stability, dedicated to the belief that the first imperative of government in a new nation was to govern and sustain itself. Two pieces of legislation passed in 1798 are of particular interest to new nations. The Aliens and Sedition Acts gave the President the power to order out of the country any alien whom he thought dangerous to the public peace or whom he had reasonable grounds to suspect of plotting against his government. Such aliens did not have recourse to courts of law. The Sedition Act was intended to cope with citizens, or aliens, who too severely criticised the government. It was a serious offence "to publish a false or malicious writing against the Government of the United States, the President or Congress with the purpose of stirring up hatred or resistance against them." Mr Speaker, Sir, perhaps we have more to learn from the Americans than merely their science and technology, their management skills and marketing know-how. But let us look ahead. A book on the "Limits to Growth" listed five basic factors that determine growth on this planet: population increase. agricultural production, nonrenewable resource depletion, industrial output and pollution generation. On a global scale, it is argued that unless mankind voluntarily imposes limits to growth. disaster will follow. Opposite viewpoints exist, of course. They argue that conditions in the world will become better and brighter.”
“I believe, however, that we must constantly ask ourselves whether we are doing enough to train Singapore professionals, in the banks, the insurance companies, in the fields of personnel management and the like. all of which are vital to the growth of our economy. The work of artisans must be complemented and supported by that of professionals. The strength of our economy is vital to our national resilience. As the President noted, the Americans have departed from Vietnam and Thailand. There are new governments in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia. There is only a residual and miniscule Western presence in Asia. When the Western powers depart, the political institutions they leave behind invariably go by the board. Very, very few of the countries of Asia and Africa, which became independent after World War II, have continued to work the democratic system they inherited; such a system consists of more than one political party and assumes the holding of periodic elections for the people to choose their representatives. In Singapore, for the third time, the people have returned the PAP to all the seats in this House. Such a situation is possible in the British Parliament. It has not happened, but that is another story. It almost happened in the then Federation of Malaya. The Tunku's party, campaigning on a platform of Merdeka, won 51 of the 52 contested seats. As Members well know, there are variations within the democratic system as described above. Countries in the Commonwealth which adopted the Westminster model will find it difficult to describe as democratic a government in which the chief executive, the President, is not elected, nor the Vice-President nor the Cabinet Ministers. This was the case in America after Watergate.”
“Only in this way has it been possible for Singaporeans to enjoy the quality of life that they do. It is never true that the best things in life are free. We have to work for them. Teachers do not teach our children for free. Doctors do not minister to their patients for free. The Housing and Development Board does not give away apartments. But the productivity of Singaporean and their contribution to the state coffers, make it possible for the state to subsidize, not give for free, education, medical treatment and housing. Asian societies lay great store by proper education. Singapore is no exception. At the risk of repeating the obvious, we must guard against "over-education". In another island-economy. Taiwan, there are university graduates who do translations to earn $2.50 a day while carpenters earn $25 a day. Lest Members conclude that this is an Asian phenomenon, the "job crisis" plagues advanced economies as well. In France, universities are described as the "unemployment machine", because half the graduates in recent years cannot find jobs. From America in the northern hemisphere to Australia in the south, the story is the same. We cannot waste our limited resources to educate people who do not meet the needs of our economy. We cannot afford any waste. Of all the countries in the world. Singapore is the most dependent on imported food. It is difficult to strike the right balance between higher standards of education so much desired by parents, and the proper type of education to provide their children with a bright future. The Ministry of Education is to be congratulated on correctly emphasising technical education which includes trade and artisan programmes conducted by the Industrial Training Board.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move. `That the following Address in reply to the Speech of the President be agreed to:- "We, the Parliament of the Republic of Singapore. express our thanks to the President for the Speech which he delivered on behalf of the Government at the opening of the First Session of this Parliament.".' The President, in his succinct Address, presented a frank review of the main security, economic and social problems that our country will face in the next few years. He called upon Members of the House, especially those not holding office, to subject every major policy to the closest scrutiny. In this current debate we will miss the late Member for Radin Mas. He was a good friend and his was a cheerful presence in this House. Our thoughts must go to his widow and children. Our thoughts also today must go to the Member for Bukit Merah who lies stricken in hospital. Those of us who are present in the House today will surely heed the call of the President and do our duty. There is much to debate and there will be more to do afterwards. In his Address, the President warned Singaporeans against soft options. There have been none. There can be none. Our people have paid their way, all the way. The General Elections of 1 976 demonstrate that Singaporeans are sophisticated; they reject attempts by opposition parties to beguile them with promises of "something for nothing" and "everything for less". More Singaporeans today pay income tax than 10 years ago. In 1965 only 4% of the population paid income tax; today 8% do so. And the Singaporean is paying more as well. In 1965 he paid, in the form of income tax, property tax, estate duty, customs and excise, about l0% of his per capita income. Today, the Singaporean pays something closer to 20%.”
“(13) That the sum to be allocated for Head R be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead AAA 8301.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the Minister has been specific and concrete about wayangs. Mongolian dances and whatnots, He has asked us for support. I am sure that this House is willing and is waiting to give him the support if he will be able to give us concrete and precise plans and policies.”
“And this House, I am confident, will vote to Culture, the appropriate sums to carry out its work. For now, it is my regret to move to reduce subhead AAA 1004 by $10. 3.15 p.m.”
“Are there any particular art forms that we have consciously promoted for our people's appreciation? I am sure that Singaporeans are not merely people sporting short hair, most of whom should not smoke and many of whom are illiterate in two languages. It pains me to propose a cut of $ 10/- from the Minister. He needs, or his Ministry needs, every cent it can get. I know that we cannot measure culture in quantitative terms. But I ask Members to join me to look at how much we have spent on Culture since we became independent ten years ago. Through the courtesy of the staff of Parliament every Member should have on his chair an Appendix (See cols 711-2) setting out the percentage of the Ordinary and Development Estimates that this House voted for Culture since 1965. If you look at the figures in the Appendix*, it will bear out the limited financial allocations that we have made to Culture, In the Ordinary Estimates the percentage allocated to Culture of the total fell steadily from a high of 3.9% in 1965 to 1.5% in 1975/76. The figure proposed for 1976/77 is 1.4%. In the Development Estimates the story is about the same except for a bump in 1972-75. Otherwise, once again we see a decline from 1.5% in 1965 to 0.55% in 1975/76. The figure proposed for 1976/77 is 0.56%. It is time that we defined our cultural policy and produced a plan to promote culture in Singapore. There are people' and institutions in Singapore interested in promoting culture. They need the support and leadership from Government. If the Minister has a policy and a plan now, I am sure many members will be delighted to hear it. If not. I trust that this time next year he will unveil his programme. Once that is articulated, we can discuss, argue and begin to implement decisions.”
“Sir, after listening to the Member for Katong, who made a very plaintive speech. I suspect that the solution to his problem may not lie in transferring wine from one kind of bottle to another but in inviting the Minister to drink the wine that he offers year in and year out, always under the present circumstances with such good spirit. Singapore is located at an international cross-road. It has a relatively open society and is therefore subjected to many cultural influences. Our people are regularly reminded by the political leadership of our need for "cultural ballast". We have furthermore, in the last decade and a half, literally transformed the life-style of our people. More than half live in high-rise flats instead of kampong-type environments. We are now also engaged in manufacturing. industry, shipbuilding and repairing, banking and other services, whereas previously our people were essentially traders. In the process we have become collectively richer. Our Gross Domestic Product at factor cost rose four times from $3,043.4 million in 1965 to $12,831.7 million in 1975. Our per capita GDP in 1965 was $1,566. By 1975 it also rose almost four times to $5,917. Mr Speaker, we have an economic policy which, the Member for Jalan Kayu has just told us, is eminently successful. We have a labour policy, a foreign policy, a defence policy, even a policy for sports. In education, as this House was reminded, so forcefully reminded, we have policies galore. But what is our cultural policy? What are our plans and objectives? Seventeen years have passed since we formed the government, ten since we became independent. Where are we now? Are we culturally an identifiable people? Are there, for example, songs that we, or our children, can all sing? Or dances that they can all enjoy?”
“Many of the kindergarten classes are converted residential flats, invariably on the second floor. I would like to propose that parts of the ground floor, where they are empty, be enclosed for use as kindergartens. These should be adjacent to open spaces, part of which should be fenced, so that children can play there safely under the supervision of teachers. Mothers will be relieved. Children should have open spaces to play in instead of within another set of walls.”
“Thirdly, for those with low incomes, part of which are lost in resettlement when they leave the land, we should try to alleviate their problems, their hardship in the short-run by giving them hawkers' licences if they qualify, and by reserving some jobs in the estates for them and their families, such as car park attendants, sweepers and cleaners. Fourthly, how to increase neighbourliness? I am not sure how this ought to be tackled. We have to make collections of people into communities with their own distinctive character. Residents' associations have been tried. By and large, they have not proved to be spectacularly successful. The Member for Stamford several years ago proposed community halls for each block for the common use of residents as a meeting place. The Member for Leng Kee and I have tried this out in our constituencies and they work quite well. Community halls can very usefully supplement the larger community centres. They do provide a focal point for activities and more of them should be made available, both in the older and new estates. Finally, I turn to the problem of young children. Our gardens, zoos, reservoirs and beaches are solidly packed with people seeking the freedom from the confines of walls and seeking communion with Nature. I believe we cannot sever our link with Nature without doing incalculable harm to our emotional well-being. I am grateful that the HDB built a total of 1 7 gardens and playgrounds, big and small, in Buona Vista Estate in my constituency. I propose to build one more field, the Minister permitting. Our Government is not unaware of this problem. Land has been reclaimed from the sea to construct park-lands. Even the dead have been moved to create space for the living. Can more be done in the HDB estates? I believe yes.”
“This will mean that they remain an integral part of the community, close enough to other people, including relatives who can visit them, care for them and contribute towards their maintenance. The hospitals would not accept these people. I have tried writing letters on behalf of them. They may create serious problems for their families, if they have such families. I believe it should also be possible to persuade retired nurses to work part-time within their estates to provide professional care for such persons. 4.15 p.m. Secondly, as we have basically broken the back of the housing problem, we should begin to pay some attention to the accommodation needs of single people. Until now, priority has been correctly given to families. But bachelors, male and female, are not unproductive, in the economic sense. As the recently appointed Malaysian Finance Minister pointed out, both he and his deputy minister, are bachelors! Some years ago I wrote about this subject to the HDB. Today I wish to raise it again with the Minister. I believe that we should now construct some bachelor units among the new housing estates and convert some of the older flats for sale or rental to bachelors who can satisfy the HDB that they are indeed economically productive. We have made it a national ideal to have small families. Now that families can find accommodation almost immediately if they are not unduly fussy about location, there is no reason why Government should not begin to cater for those who have, for the time being at least, not added to our population size.”
“They miss their friends and the familiar haunts. The known landmarks are gone at a time when cherished social values are also being questioned as our society strives to industrialise and modernise. Perhaps this is only a transitional period as first-generation flat-dwellers did not grow up with each other. But privacy commands a very high premium when people have, of necessity, to live very close to each other. Another problem exists in particular with young children. They are more often than not confined to their flats, despite the presence of open spaces in the estates. In the kampongs children could go out of the house to play in the back or front yard with mother or grandmother keeping a watchful eye from within the house, while doing the housework. But not now. A mother just cannot look out or down and keep an eye on her child playing fifteen floors below on the play-deck, on the grass or on the empty ground under the flat. What can be done about these problems that arise from our improving housing situation? The HDB does have some flexibility even in respect of older estates. Some flats are being vacated as people move on to better ones. Others have vacated when it is discovered that they have previously-undeclared properties. Leases fall due. In the case of estates under construction provision can be made for improvements. I would like to propose the incorporation of certain units of flats, preferably low-rise (say, up to four-storeys in new estates such as those in Buona Vista), for the accommodation of problem persons - emotionally-disturbed, displaced and single older people.”
“I am sure that these problems are not all new, but they are new to those who are affected, We have changed the way of life of our people. There are undoubted benefits - improved health conditions, electricity, potable water, modern sanitation, proximity to schools and medical facilities, etc. These are pluses. There can be no going back to what was previously the case. However, in the kampong-type situation, a relative who was emotionally-disturbed but not dangerous could be accommodated. Understanding friends and neighbours assisted to see that he or she did not come to any harm. In the high-rise flat situation this supportive and reassuring environment is absent. Space is at a premium and neighbours may be strangers. Then we have the problem of older folks. Previously, the old lady, for example, may live in an outhouse, only joining the rest of the family when she feels so inclined. Now this option does not exist. Hopefully, she can adjust to the rest of the family, and vice-versa. If she cannot, there can be disorder under Heaven! The problem is even worse if the older folks do not have relatives to live with. This problem also afflicts the not-so-old who are not married and, therefore, not eligible for HDB flats. I think we can all recognize that it is not so easy to find people of the same sex with whom to share a flat to satisfy the HDB rules and regulations. Another problem is that in the kampong situation a family may be able to grow some fruits and vegetables and to rear fish, chickens, pigs, etc, to supplement the meagre family income. Living in flats, however, the best thing to grow is probably cactus, especially during the dry weather we suffered recently. Another problem of flat-dwellers is that of loneliness.”
“Mr Speaker. Sir, the Ministry of National Development accounts for 5.33% of the Main Estimates and 42.15% of the Development Estimates, a total of 21 .68% on over one-fifth of all planned expenditure for FY 1976-77. It is second only to the Ministry of Finance itself, which accounts for 27.64% or over one-quarter. This is a huge sum. The Ministry of National Development impinges very considerably on the lives of Singaporeans. In most cases it is for the better although inevitably it creates problems for some. The scope of the Ministry can be divided into two unequal parts .- that which affects people more directly. and the other which deals with subjects like primary production, agriculture and fisheries. I propose to look at the first. The Minister is responsible for the Housing and Development Board. The expenditure involved here is enormous. The HDB will receive a loan of $792 million this year (compared with $718 million last year) besides an additional contribution of $46 million (compared with $36 million last year). The HDB's expenditure will exceed that of the entire Ministry of Defence which received 12.56% of the planned expenditure and is the third largest ministry in terms of allocation of funds. The HDB housed fully 50% of Singapore's population at the end of last year. This figure will rise to 6 5-70% by 1980, by which time the proportion of housing units built by private developers should be very small indeed. It will be Government that will look after the housing needs of most Singaporeans. My purpose in proposing a cut in the Minister's pay is to draw his attention to some problems of people previously living in kampong-type environments when they move into high-rise flats and to elicit his response to some suggestions on solving these problems.”
“We have also recently liberalized our exchange rules and regulations to treat ASEAN as part of the scheduled territories, thereby permitting free and liberal transfer of funds. The Finance Minister in his Budget Statement has made further tax concessions to develop the Asian Dollar market. We have done these things without negotiating with our colleagues for reciprocal advantages. Our Government has demonstrated its earnest desire to build upon the achievements of ASEAN. We will now have a permanent secretariat for ASEAN. We should now be even better able to cooperate and coordinate our efforts to build a strong, prosperous and resilient region in which our people can live in amity and peace. Mr Speaker, Sir, I have pleasure in supporting the Budget Statement. 6.07 p.m.”
“In addition to national investment and trade promotion missions abroad, let us also send ASEAN missions, Other people and groups overseas such as the EEC, the United States, Australia and New Zealand, think of ASEAN as a group. So, let us also "sell" ASEAN as a group. When many projects are attracted our way, various projects must inevitably end up in each of our laps. Conversely, when overseas economic missions visit one of our countries, let us encourage them to visit as many of the other ASEAN countries as well. Last week, a Canadian mission did just that. This trend should also be encouraged. By all means let us compete, within limits to make ASEAN an even more attractive place to invest in, compared with other places. We are, after all, named as one of the world's fastest developing regions. With these cooperative actions we will draw even closer together, generate greater investor confidence and investment opportunities, to realise the opportunities in ASEAN for our people. We each contribute our individual strengths. For example. Singapore has a ready source of financing in the Asian Dollar market. When it originated in 1968 it siphoned off floating US dollars to Tokyo and London. Today the flow has been reversed and such dollars flow principally from Europe to finance development in the Asian region, including ASEAN. Today Singapore is rated as the seventh in a list of ten top financial centres of the world, the second in Asia after Tokyo and ahead of Hongkong. Singapore has also encouraged the financing of development projects in the region by reducing the tax earned on profits from offshore investments.”
“It appears that other Communist parties in the region are also similarly afflicted, Needless to say, these mothers-in-law do not see eye-to-eye with each other to the discomfiture of the long-suffering daughters. However, all this said and done, we in ASEAN cannot be accused of not proffering friendship to the new regimes in their task of rebuilding their shattered economies. Nor should we be provoked to respond in like manner when Hanoi calls for a new confrontation in South-east Asia. Our very name. Association of South-east Asian Nations, means that membership is not limited for all time to only our five states. But new members must help strengthen the association and not weaken it by encouraging subversion and disruption. Our continued social well-being and political stability are founded on our people's faith in themselves and our commitment to work for our long-term future. We have all chosen the free enterprise system, although modified to suit our particular circumstances. We regard it as the most rapid and least painful path to economic growth of our respective countries. This economic growth depends on a climate of confidence which will lead investors to invest capital and enterprise. The view on the ground in ASEAN is infinitely more promising, than that from the board rooms of Europe, United States, Japan and elsewhere. Only here in South-east Asia does the investor get a feel for the men and women who make this place work. Only here in South-east Asia can he sense the excitement of societies in transition, gearing-up for the breakthrough which will uplift them from poverty to the abundance that is their heritage. The historic Bali meeting has taken place. The Kuala Lumpur follow-up has also produced concrete proposals. What more can we do as a group?”
“Population-wise, our combined total of almost 250 million exceeds that of the United States, is double that of Japan and almost five times that of the three Indo-Chinese states. In area, we are double the combined area of the nine EEC countries. Resource-wise, we have petroleum in abundance. 98% of the world's abaca fibre, 90% of the tropical hardwood. 85% of the natural rubber and palm oil. 80% of coconuts and 62% of tin. Poor countries we may be now, but poverty is not our heritage. Thirdly, while it is true that ASEAN countries are encountering insurgency problems, it is worthwhile remembering that in almost every case we have experienced and defeated Communist threats, each in our own way. If the Indo-Chinese Communists have been strikingly successful in holding at bay the world's mightiest military power, it is also worthwhile remembering that they were fighting a nationalist struggle on their own soil, which the Americans and their allies were not. Any crossing of national frontiers by foreign soldiers today escalates that war and precipitates predictable responses. The lessons of our recent history have been taken to heart, and our Heads of Government at Bali firmly reiterated their commitment to economic growth with social justice to overcome the challenge of domestic insurgency threats. Fourthly, let us not mislead ourselves to think that problems are our monopoly. It is just that, being closed societies, less is known about the problems of the Indo-Chinese states. They have fought a long and agonizing war which has just ended, National reconstruction will be a herculean task. An Indo-Chinese friend in days gone by used to tell me that his country suffered from having two mothers-in-law - the Chinese and the Russian.”
“Mr Speaker. Sir, since the last Budget session, very significant events have occurred in our part of the world, The consequences of these are still being worked out even though some of the effects are already felt. I refer to the fall of the Indo-Chinese states to the Communists. We can try to lay blame on this or other party. However, not much is gained by the pointing of fingers, the wringing of hands and the shedding of tears, Lessons may be learnt, For those of us who live in South-east Asia, it is imperative that we disabuse Hanoi which believes that history is on its side, because the Indo-Chinese call themselves "progressives" and call others "reactionaries". Our Minister for Finance referred to ASEAN in his Budget Statement. We in ASEAN are quite strong. We have not been devastated by war. On the contrary, we have been able to cooperate with each other and with others outside our region ever since we signed the Bangkok Declaration in August 1967. We have slowly but definitely engendered a sense of regional cohesion and solidarity among our political, bureaucratic and business elites. Last week, we read that bankers in ASEAN want to hold a convention and even establish a federation. The recently appointed Malaysian Minister of Finance, Tengku Razaleigh, is President of the ASEAN Chambers of Commerce and Industry. Insofar as the fall of the Indo-Chinese states brought the five of us ever closer together. culminating in the Heads of Government meeting in Bali last month, the events of the last 12 months can be said to contain a silver lining. Further to what I have said, we constitute a not inconsequential grouping of people and resources.”
“Our economic problems and those of the rest of the world notwithstanding, let us keep it that way for our children. And let us try to pass on to them something of that "graciousness" referred to in the Addendum on the Ministry of Culture. Where else but in Singapore can we find an ethnic Indian, born in India, educated in Singapore, possessing a Science degree from the University of Singapore (a Master's degree in Marine Biology) and writing beautiful love poems to his ethnic Chinese wife in an English language magazine? I do not propose to read out his poems today but, in view of the forthcoming visit of our Foreign Minister to Peking, perhaps Mr Speaker and hon. Members will bear with me if I read three lines: To the east, where there is sunrise The mind must turn for the beginning of the world, in which only love matters. (Chandran Nair, Her World, February 1975, p. 27) The poems are published in a local women's magazine. This is perhaps appropriate, considering that 1975 has been designated United Nation's International Women's Year. I hope that the additional fact that this is also the Year of the Rabbit, which does not stop at two, will not create any special problems for our Minister for Health. Mr Speaker, in conclusion, I wish to express my thanks and support to the President for his Address last Friday. 4.50 p.m.”
“I am at one with the Member for Kallang when he raised the subject of small digit car numbers. What can young minds conclude from learning that Mr XYZ paid the Government so many hundred or so many thousand dollars to be able to use a certain licence number plate. They will not, I fear, conclude that Mr XYZ has a heart of gold, although I am told the money goes to charity. I fear that the children will conclude that the done thing is to show your friends that not only can you afford a bigger car than they but that you can also afford a small digit number plate to go with it. This is two-upmanship which we should hardly like to see, much less encourage. I applaud the statement in the President's Address that the Government wilt make it more attractive for young couples to have their parents live with them. As many Members have pointed out, we are an Asian society in which elders are regarded with respect, and rightly so. Family unity is a cornerstone of our social stability and a strong factor in preventing the disruption of our Asian way of life. If we care not for our parents then we set an example for our children not to care for us as we grow old which, alas, we must. I recall a story from my childhood that the head of a household fashioned a wooden bowl for his aged father to use as the old man kept breaking the ordinary rice bowl. One day he found his young son chipping away at a piece of wood. When questioned the little boy replied that he was making a wooden bowl for his father to use when he became old like grandfather. The father, thus shamed, gave the old man ordinary rice bowls to use. I do not wish to carry on, but we in Singapore are a singular example of a nation state - modernizing, Asian and multiracial.”
“As he or she rides in the NTUC bus he should know who were Raffles, Balestier, Boon Keng, Hong Lim or Kuo Chuan. He must know himself and be able to identify with Singapore. This, alas, is gone when the retrograde step of abolishing history in schools was taken. I have nothing against the new subject "Education for Living" which my friend, the Parliamentary Secretary for Education, who sits in front of me made available to me. It is taught in the mother tongue of the child which is a good thing. However, it appears to be a course in community-living and is not designed for nation-building. It is therefore no substitute for history. Both could be included in the school curriculum: the one to give our children the cultural ballast which our leaders so often talk about, the other to engender the civic consciousness to ease the strains and stresses of living in a congested city state. Our young and ourselves as well, not so young, are constantly reminded that nobody owes Singapore a living. Each and every one has to earn his keep. That is fine. Only by facing up to this hard fact of life and sharpening our competitive edge can we survive in a very tough world. But life is not just a ratrace. Let us leave that race to the rats. There must be other things in life besides the struggle for more and more of the material things of life.”
“However, other Members of the House, such as my colleagues from Moulmein, Telok Blangah, Paya Lebar and Jurong are more familiar and competent to deal with the subject. I am concerned, however, with the values that our children are growing up with. What kind of values will they possess at the end of a six- or now perhaps seven-year primary school education? If I may say my piece, I am in favour of seven years. What will our children's perception be at the end of another four years of secondary school and then, if they make the grade, of a further two years Pre-University schooling? I will not touch on university education which is different in nature and concept and generates problems of a different kind. We became a sovereign state less than ten years ago. We are literally a nation without a history, without memories, such as the Chinese, Japanese and Koreans have of each other, or the English, French and German, to take another example. So, despite the existence of the largest British naval base outside of the British Isles in Singapore and its fall and Singapore's military occupation by the Japanese Imperial Forces for three and a half years. there were still people a few years ago, parents of young Singaporeans, who asked why we needed the Singapore Armed Forces. I am therefore perturbed by the decision of the Ministry of Education to scrap history from the curriculum. Not because I used to teach the subject, I no longer do, but because I believe that every Singapore child must know what are his roots, the antiquity and cultural richness of the lands whence his forefathers came. He will want to know how his parents and himself came to be in Singapore and why it is a multiracial society with four official languages.”
“It is likewise exposed to social and cultural influences from abroad, such as long hair, high heel boots, broad belts, jeans and the like - I refer only to men's fashions since we have at the present time, no lady hon. Members. We are also exposed to the international traffic in drugs which is more pernicious. But we cannot shut our doors and windows upon the outside world, for that would be the end of us. We cannot isolate ourselves. To survive and to progress we have to keep our minds open; we have to learn from others, to adapt and to modernize. Some people reject modernization because they equate it with westernization. However, we can modernize without sacrificing our Asian identity. Some years ago, the Professor of Malay Studies, Dr Syed Hussein Alatas, explained to me the difference between modernization, which he applauded, and westernization, about which he was suspicious. Said the Professor: `To have running water in your home is modernization. But to install a long-bath and then stand in it to have a shower, that is westernization.' I would like to confine my remarks today about our young Singaporeans, on how to equip them with the proper values to survive, progress and enjoy life in a world that has become increasingly tough and competitive. In the Addendum on the Ministry of Education, the President referred to the restructuring of the educational system and the need for in-service courses to familiarise principals and teachers with the philosophy of the new system. We have had so many changes in the system of education in Singapore that perhaps we ought to declare a moratorium to see what structure we have got before further restructuring.”
“Thirdly, since the PAP formed the government in 1959 we have embarked on becoming a manufacturing centre, selling our wares to the world. Fourthly, since the decision to do so was taken in 1968 we are well on the way to becoming a financial centre. And now we are aiming to become a brains centre as well. All these developments result in the increasing interaction of Singapore with other countries. What happens in these countries must inevitably be transmitted to us. Not all external developments affect us adversely. In fact, the reverse often is the case. When other countries prosper, so do we. However, when they suffer high oil prices, high rates of interest, low commodity prices and a slowdown of economic activity, we in turn suffer with them. To put it in another way, when the world has the flu we can hardly hope to escape from catching a cold. But to what extent we suffer does depend on ourselves. Our Republic has interactions not only economically but also politically with other countries. In some instances, the two do not go hand in hand. The Southeast Asian political scene has changed very dramatically in the last few years. The American and Western military presence is diminishing. It is in the nature of power politics that other powers, greater or smaller, will seek to establish positions of influence since hegemony is not possible. The President has referred to the important role that ASEAN can play to strengthen stability and peace in the region, by not permitting external powers to exploit differences between the five of us: Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand. Our country is not only affected by external economic and political developments.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I rise to support the Motion standing in the name of the Member for Kim Kent. In his speech last Friday evening, the President emphasised the great effect of external events on Singapore when he said: `Provided there is no war and another oil embargo or other major catastrophe, Singaporeans will adjust to slower growth rates.' External events led to the establishment and the development of Singapore. It is not my intention today to provide hon. Members with a tourist-guide history of Singapore. The proximity of the Raffles Professor of History, the Member for Alexandra, on my left, is a deterrent for which hon. Members will no doubt be grateful. However, it cannot be doubted that conditions in the 19th century in China, India and elsewhere in South-east Asia persuaded our forefathers that Singapore offered greater opportunities for a better life for themselves and their families. They, and those who came after them, created what we have in Singapore today. Our Republic can take just pride in our achievements when we compare ourselves with other countries possessing vaster land areas, larger populations and an abundance of natural resources. The world today, especially in the last 18 months, has become an even more interdependent one. There is no escape from the effects of inflation and recession, of mounting unemployment and in many cases of terror and violence visited upon the innocent and the unsuspecting. In fact, Singapore has suffered relatively little from these afflictions considering how exposed a country we are. We are exposed because, firstly, traditionally we are an entrepot port. Secondly, we are also a centre for transport and communications.”
“Monday, 2nd August, Sir. ADJOURNMENT Resolved, "That Parliament do now adjourn." -[Mr Barker]. Adjourned accordingly at Thirty minutes past Four o'clock p.m.”
“To me, the great challenge of this decade is for us to survive and progress as an independent and sovereign nation in the fluid situation that is being very rapidly created in South-east Asia. We will need the ingenuity of all our people, the young and the not so young, to steer safely through the rough waters ahead. I would also suggest to Government to send abroad groups of our community leaders, particularly members of the Citizens' Consultative Committees and community centre management committees. They can see for themselves the problems and achievements of our neighbours. I am sure there will be much that they can learn to put to good use for our country. And on that note I wish to thank you, Mr Speaker, Sir, and Members of the House for the courtesy and patience you have shown. Sir, I beg to move. Question proposed.”
“We in Singapore are one main connexion between these two oceans. Like the real estate in Ulu Pandan in recent years, the value of Singapore has also risen very considerably. We are too small a country to be able to influence appreciably the attitudes and policies of the big Powers. However, we must be certain that we understand and interpret correctly their real intentions so that we can plan for the best interests of Singapore. At the same time, we need to establish closer ties with our Southeast Asian neighbours. We need to learn what are their problems and their achievements. The Ministry of Education in recent years organised two seminars, one on "South-east Asia Today" and the other on "Communism and Democracy". The seminars gave our Pre-University students some insight into these problems and the thinking of our leaders on them. They also served to provoke greater thought and discussion among the students themselves. From my association with these seminars as well as meeting students in the University of Singapore and schools, I am greatly encouraged by the positive and realistic approach of most of them. I would like to urge Government to send parties of our students to visit our neighbours in South-east Asia, beginning possibly with the close ASEAN countries. We already offer scholarships for ASEAN students to come to Singapore, but we can encourage larger numbers to come on visits. I am sure that our young people would like to have their views heard and some of their proposals implemented. Mere articulation of ideas may be good for the ego, but ideas are of little benefit to the people at large unless they are tested and put into operation.”
“The Ministry of Health also has an interest in water, or rather in those people who, through inadvertence or inconsideration, breed mosquitoes in it. The progress that we have achieved is the hard work of a political leadership, a civil service, men and women in the uniformed services, both labour and management in the private sector, who by and large lived through a period when Asia was convulsed by revolutionary changes. These changes sharpened their awareness of the forces of history that were at play and they responded positively to the challenges of the time. Revolutionary changes, such as military occupation by an external power, will not be allowed to happen again. It does not mean that there are no longer challenges to grip the imagination of our young, no problems for them to grapple with. One of Magellan's ships circumnavigated the globe in 1521. It was a singular feat by any standard. But in 1969 Neil Armstrong landed on the moon, a feat that I myself stayed up all night to watch on London Television. Our burgeoning industries and the expressed intention of our Government to make Singapore a financial centre open vast opportunities for the diligent, the able and the enterprising. Also open are careers in the uniformed services and the teaching profession. However, the young who have not undergone the metamorphosis brought about by revolutionary changes must consciously develop their political instincts in order to enjoy their inheritance and to build upon it. If they should become complacent and negligent, they will run into difficulties in the years ahead. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs addendum has noted some of the major recent developments. The Indian Ocean has joined the Pacific Ocean in attracting the interest of the big Powers.”
“The Minister for Science and Technology recently called for a diminution of distrust between academics and bureaucrats. I support him and further propose greater co-operation between academics and business executives. We need a new breed of managers, professional in their approach to the problems of a manufacturing economy and international in their outlook, because our industries are export-oriented. Our banks ought to consolidate, to co-operate and to upgrade management skills so that we can become international bankers. It is a sad fact that our 11 domestic banks have a total of only 11 branches overseas, excluding Malaysia. Water is one problem that interests several Ministries. When Stamford Raffles came to Singapore in 1819, one of its attractions in addition to its strategic location and excellent natural harbour was the abundance of good fresh water. However, the increased demand resulting from the rapid expansion of homes for our people and the development of industries has caused a temporary shortage of supply. When we have a seasonal surplus, the Ministry of National Development intervenes, Members of the House will be pleased to know that the Bukit Timah Flood Alleviation Scheme, which is located in Ulu Pandan, is nearing completion. When we have too little of water, as in recent months, the Public Utilities Board of the Prime Minister's Office becomes involved, and we M.P.s go around exhorting people to conserve its use. After effective anti-pollution measures, we can extract one-third of the average daily rainfall of 750 million gallons. We will then be able to meet the demand for water for many years to come.”
“I also believe that workers must obtain an increasing share in the wealth generated as a result of their greater efficiency and productivity. This will no doubt come after the effects of the British military run-down have been assessed. We are really all workers, as some of my friends in the University of Singapore have at long last recognized. They have organised a trade union. It is to be hoped that they will recognize, too, the common interests of all workers, whether they work standing up or sitting down. The President touched on a crucial problem arising out of our rapid economic growth. We are making the transition from an economy based largely on entrepot trade and services to one based on manufacturing and services. We run the risk that some of our businessmen have not yet been able to distinguish between entrepreneurial and managerial skills. It is one thing to be a successful merchant; it is quite another to be the successful manager of a large corporation - be it manufacturing, servicing, transportation and communications or, for that matter, finance and banking. It is a very different thing to study or to teach political history or political science, and to participate in the political process itself. So it is with the study and teaching of Economics and Business Administration and the practice of the market place. I wonder whether we should not attempt to reduce the distance between our two Universities in Singapore on the one hand, and Raffles Place on the other. The Universities can provide the theoretical conceptual framework and intellectual discipline. Raffles Place can demonstrate how important are considerations of P and L, namely, Profit and Loss, of meeting deadlines and can provide potential managers with on-the-job experience.”
“I will only add the trite comment that the absence of such growth can be relied upon most assuredly to generate the greatest unhappiness. In the six years since our separation from Malaysia, the average annual growth rate of our Gross Domestic Product was 12.8 per cent. Previously, in the six years before separation, the average annual growth rate was 7.6 per cent. We therefore have cause for satisfaction. But there are new problems which we had not hitherto faced as the various parts of the addendum to the President's speech remind us. The Ministry of Science and Technology is taking steps to establish an "indigenous technological capability", and the Ministry of Education to expand the supply of technical skills. These measures to overcome the present temporary shortage of skilled labour are to be commended. In this respect, though Ulu Pandan is not an industrial constituency, we also contribute towards meeting the challenge of industrialization with our Dunearn Secondary Technical School. I am fully in support of the declared intention of the Ministry of Labour to punish "recalcitrant employers wilfully neglecting the safety and health of workers", and to treble the quantum of workmen's compensation. We have earlier this afternoon heard how urgent the problem of workmen's safety is from the Minister of State for Labour. Workers have strong voices in this House, as we also recently heard. For example, the efforts of the Honourable Member for Kallang have led to silicosis being regarded now as an occupational disease. I am in full agreement with Government's view that employers who have been making "exceptional profits" ought to give better bonuses in recognition of the workers' contribution to the present economic prosperity.”
“Another 500,000 will live in the 100,000 flats to be built in the next five years, some of which will be located in Ulu Pandan. These flats are subsidised by the Government. Thus the less affluent of our people are directly benefiting from the wealth that is being generated in Singapore. The more well-to-do have homes in the many fine housing estates and blocks of luxury flats that abound in our island. I have no doubt whatsoever that our people will defend what they have created and what they own. I am also confident that I speak for all Members in this House that we will not be deflected from our course towards a modern, multiracial, democratic and industrialized island-nation. Three years ago, the debate following the speech of our late President Yusof Bin Ishak was sombre. We faced many problems then, for the British Government had decided to accelerate their military withdrawal. The Member for Nee Soon on that occasion spoke about maintaining a rate of growth of Gross Domestic Product of eight per cent. There must have been many at that time, academic economists included those adherents of that dismal science - who must have thought him an incorrigible optimist. But his confidence in the will and determination of our people was well founded. If today that Honourable Member were to predict the same rate of growth of eight per cent for our economy, which I am sure he will not, he would be suspected of being a congenital pessimist. This is the measure of our success in overcoming our economic problems. Of course, not all of our problems are solved by a mere doubling of the rate of growth of the Gross Domestic Product. The Minister of Defence sagely observed in a recent speech that economic growth by itself does not necessarily generate happiness all round.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, `That the following Address in reply to the speech of the President be agreed to : - "We, the Parliament of the Republic of Singapore, express our thanks to the President for the speech which he delivered on behalf of the Government at the opening of the Second Session of this Parliament.".'. It is a great honour for me to move this motion as the 58th Member of this 58-Member House. It is my practice to address my colleague, the Honourable Member for Kampong Kapor, with due deference as "Mr. 57", for he had his victory at the 1970 by-elections declared five minutes before mine. The President began his speech with these words: "After six years of separate independence, we have shown that Singapore is viable." Those words constitute a simple statement of fact. There were many who were saddened by the separation of our country from Malaysia six years ago. Our leaders and people then knew that the road ahead as an independent and sovereign Republic of Singapore would be a hard one. They must today look back with considerable satisfaction on what has been achieved. Characteristically, however, because of the sterner stuff of which they are made, our people seek still higher performance from themselves for our country. As our President observed, we want the quality of life to go up. The quality of life for us in Singapore, like our Housing and Development Board flats which house one in three of our people, has no alternative but to go up. For it not to go up is to expose our people to poverty and degradation. Today we are rapidly becoming a nation. Our people today are able to cohere and to respond collectively to challenges to the Republic. They have a stake here. Some 700,000 of our citizens live in 125,000 H.D.B, flats.”
“But they were one in evolving a sense of belonging to the Vigilante Corps and of national identity.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, may I explain why I am speaking up for the police and the Vigilante Corps? Recently members of the Ulu Pandan Citizens' Consultative Committee and I paid a visit to a police department and the Vigilante Corps. Members of the Vigilante Corps have assisted the community centre in my constituency at various functions. The members of the Citizens' Consultative Committee and I recently visited two Vigilante Corps training centres along Dunearn Road. We were briefed on the objectives of the Vigilante Corps and shown some of its activities. I think we should look beyond such minor issues as the table manners of the Vigilante Corps trainees. I do not know the reason, but it could possibly be that they were kept from the food for too long by a lengthy speech, thereby leading to hunger on their part. 7.00 p.m. Some of us may not realise that the V.C. trainees comprise largely young men who are not highly educated in a formal sense, i.e., they may not necessarily possess Master's or Doctor's degrees. They are also a very large number, about 18,000 of them. These young men are being given opportunities to learn such useful skills as fire fighting, first aid and other related subjects of civil defence. They are also being given opportunities, which they might not otherwise enjoy, to take part in a wide variety of recreational facilities such as gymnastics, judo, fencing (both Western and Eastern), and cultural pursuits, like playing the harmonica in brass bands. My Citizens' Consultative Committee members and I were highly impressed by the efforts of the Vigilante Corps to promote good citizenship which we observed in the two training centres that we visited. The instructors and the trainees came from all races and spoke a wide variety of languages and dialects.”
“The appointment of a committee of inquiry into the terms and conditions of service of the police force is another step in the right direction. The reduction of the allocation in respect of this Ministry is not a step in the right direction. In recent months, although the police force has achieved a certain measure of notoriety as expounded by the Member for Mountbatten, it has, nevertheless, achieved other notable successes in crime detection and it is to be congratulated. Perhaps this increased productivity on the part of the force is an additional reason for an overdue salary revision. I feel safe and secure in Singapore and I believe that most of us do as well. The crooks should not. This safety and security cannot always be found in many cities of the world. I hope that we will always feel safe and secure in Singapore. But we must recognise that we will have to pay for this and, therefore. I do not support the proposed reduction in the allocation.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, in Singapore we tend to take for granted the existence and the functions of the police force. Policemen have been with us for so long and, because they have discharged their duties efficiently but quietly, we have tended to ignore them, following, as it were, the principle of letting sleeping dogs lie. In contrast, the Singapore Armed Forces have been glamorous subjects, much written up by journalists and written about by parents as well as national servicemen themselves, until the latter were warned by the Minister of Defence that this practice was a breach of the Queen's Regulations. I have nothing against our Armed Forces or against glamour for that matter. I am in favour of both. But think we have been hard on our police force. For five years since we became an independent republic, the police has been sandwiched in the M.I.D, between Ministry and Defence, with the result that Interior, or Home Affairs as it is now known today, has been relegated to the background and virtually forgotten. The police force has been undermanned and underpaid; sometimes misunderstood, at other times maligned. I am reminded of students in an agricultural college in a neighbouring country who, several years ago, complained in the press that their profession, agriculture, which is the world's second oldest profession, was taken for granted and forgotten. These students pointed out that their profession was more respectable, probably more useful in an economic if not in a social sense, than the world's oldest profession. Sir, I think it is time that our police force got the attention and appreciation which is their due. The resurrection of the Ministry of Home Affairs is a step in the right direction.”