Ch'ng Jit Koon
Singapore
“Sir, the Member wants to know the future commitment of the Government. I can assure him that the Government and NCSS have and will continue to assist all the VWOs to extend their reach and enhance their service delivery to individuals and families in need. The Member asked why the report cannot be disclosed.”
“As I have answered earlier, this is a confidential report and is meant for internal reference. All the recommendations in the Report of the Master Plan are already being implemented. What we are doing first is to implement the recommendation in the Report on the computerisation programme which I have already mentioned just now.”
“No. I have to continue with my answer. (In Mandarin): I feel that this question need not be repeated. We do not have to argue over and over again because all this is in accordance with the original plan of the PA formulated a few years ago. We cannot change our original plan just because the Member for Potong Pasir has objected to it.”
“Sir, as from 1980 the number of campaigns organized has been actually cut down, a lot. Those mentioned by the hon. Member just now were actually campaigns from 1980 onwards. All campaigns are organized for specific purposes.”
“To ask the Minister for Labour (a) what is the rationale for the stipulation that an undischarged bankrupt is not allowed the use of his Central Provident Fund contributions to purchase a Housing and Development Board flat; (b) what is the number of persons affected; and (c) whether he will consider amending the aforementioned stipulation…”
“Sir, what I actually intend to touch on are matters relating to the Housing and Development Board. I notice there is another amendment to consider the HDB's allocation. It is on amendment (10) under this Head. I propose to speak when that amendment comes up for debate.”
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“Sir, the Member wants to know the future commitment of the Government. I can assure him that the Government and NCSS have and will continue to assist all the VWOs to extend their reach and enhance their service delivery to individuals and families in need. The Member asked why the report cannot be disclosed. I think there is no need to do so. As I said earlier, the report is confidential and it is an internal document. I do not have my Minister's clearance to release it. HOUGANG AVENUE 3 IN OLD PUNGGOL ESTATE (Redevelopment) 2. Mr Low Thia Khiang asked the Minister for National Development whether his Ministry has plans to redevelop the area at Hougang Avenue 3 in the Old Punggol Estate.”
“Sir, as Dr Soin is a board member of NCSS, I suggest that she bring up this matter and discuss it within NCSS.”
“It is a matter agreed to between the Government and NCSS.”
“Sir, it is actually an internal working paper and it is confidential in nature.”
“As I have answered earlier, this is a confidential report and is meant for internal reference. All the recommendations in the Report of the Master Plan are already being implemented. What we are doing first is to implement the recommendation in the Report on the computerisation programme which I have already mentioned just now. The others are already on-going.”
“These plans are reinforced by a rolling 5-year plan for longer term programmes and activities. The future plan for the CCs and other grassroots organisations is to build on their success and organise more and better programmes to strengthen social cohesion and racial harmony. The CCs and grassroots organisations will be nimble and adaptable to the changing society. They will continue to review their programme to keep pace with the needs of our better educated and more affluent population. They will encourage more people to volunteer their service and take part in their activities. They will also welcome any suggestions to improve and implement their work plan. On the other hand, in terms of hardware, the CCs will also continue to upgrade their facilities to serve the people better. The PA has 81 big modern CCs. In the next five years, this figure will be increased by six to 87. At the same time, the Government is also going to extend 38 existing modern CCs and upgrade another 46 existing CCs which are 10 years or older. In the process, the PA also reviews the facilities of the CCs in consultation with the community leaders. Sir, I am glad to inform the House that as a result of constant review of the programmes and continued upgrading of the facilities, the CCs have been able to meet the changing needs and interest of the people. Today's big modern CCs are lively hubs of community activities ranging from the traditional such as Malay kompang, Chinese calligraphy, Indian dance, etc., to the modern such as computer programming, foreign language studies, ballet, classical music, etc. The Chairman: Order. Mr Ch'ng, we are running behind time. You may like to complete your answer. Mr Ch'ng Jit Koon( In Mandarin): I have finished my reply to the points raised by Mrs Yu-Foo.”
“Sir, I am replying on behalf of the Minister-in-charge of the People's Association. (In Mandarin): Sir, as correctly pointed out by Mrs Yu-Foo Yee Shoon, the People's Association (PA) was established in 1960 with the primary objectives of promoting racial harmony and strengthening social cohesion and acting as a bridge between the Government and the people. These objectives are as valid today as they were in 1960. In order to achieve these objectives, the PA and its network of community centres clubs (CCs) and grassroots organisations such as Citizens' Consultative Committees (CCCs), Community Centre Management Committees (CCMCs) and Residents' Committees (RCs) organise a wide range of social, cultural, recreational, sports, educational and other activities to serve the people. In the process, they have brought the people of different races, culture and religions closer together and helped to foster a bond between the Government and the people. They have also turned the CCs into the focal points for the residents in their respective constituencies. These would not have been possible without the voluntary and dedicated service of the grassroots leaders who help to run the CCs and other grassroots organisations. They deserve the support of the people to continue with the good work. Sir, PA is fully aware of the social changes taking place in Singapore as a result of greater affluence, better educated people and urbanisation. The PA and the grassroots organisations are keeping pace with the changing needs of our society. Every year, the PA and its grassroots organisations conduct an activity review and formulate an annual work plan taking into consideration the feedback and needs of the people.”
“Sir, the CCCs and RCs, together with other grassroots organizations, play a vital role in community development and nation building. They help forge a sense of community, improve communication between the people and the Government and foster in our people a social conscience and a spirit of voluntarism. They are doing good work and deserve all the support and encouragement we can give them to enable them to better serve the community. I therefore share the hon. Member's concern about the efficiency of the secretariat services provided for the CCCs and RCs. Sir, the Community Life Committee set up under the Advisory Council on Family and Community Life noted the greater role grassroots organizations will play in fostering a participatory community. The Committee therefore recommended that the CCC District Secretariats and the RC Group Secretariats be merged into a common network of Secretariats to provide better support to the CCCs and RCs. This move will streamline procedures and minimize duplication of efforts. We are now working out the details of this recommendation for implementation by the end of the year. This move, together with the guidance of the CCC/RC advisers, will enhance the coordination of grassroots activities and improve the service of the CCCs and RCs in each constituency.”
“No. I have to continue with my answer. (In Mandarin): I feel that this question need not be repeated. We do not have to argue over and over again because all this is in accordance with the original plan of the PA formulated a few years ago. We cannot change our original plan just because the Member for Potong Pasir has objected to it.”
“The Member for Potong Pasir again harped on his old tune. He wants the PA to reopen the Sennett Community Centre. As for the reasons why the centre was closed, he was quite clear when he mentioned the reasons very fully. The closure of Sennett Community Centre was in the plan of the PA, which was formulated by the PA some years ago. If the Member for Potong Pasir is interested to know, I can tell him that in 1984, when he was not an MP yet, 15 community centres were closed down. In 1985, 13 community centres were closed down. In the next few years, another 29 community centres will be closed down. This is purely because we want to make full and better use of the resources of the various community centres. It is not enough just to build the community centre. It is also necessary to have large sums of money to renovate and maintain the community centre premises and the community leaders have to raise fund to support all sorts of activities organised for the residents. In the case of Potong Pasir, when the Sennett Community Centre was closed down, it does not mean that the constituents of Potong Pasir are denied of a community centre. Instead, they have been provided with a better community centre with better facilities ---”
“Sir, some Members of this House have also mentioned that the PA should allow the CCMCs and the Youth Committees to have more latitude and flexibility in their activities and programmes. Indeed, it has been so and there are consultants providing them with correct direction and consultations on these matters. There is another point. The Member for Fengshan, with the support of the Member for Geylang Serai, implored that the Government should provide more funds to help build more community centres. At the same time since there are more and more new demands and needs, therefore the present basic facilities of the present community centres should be expanded and reviewed. For the benefit of the public, I would like to briefly explain that the approved facilities of modern community centre and the existing Government policy for funding its building. A modern community centre has basic and additional facilities. The basic facilities are those which a modern community centre needs to carry out most of its activities and these include offices, conference room, activity rooms and a multi-purpose hall. The additional facilities are optional and more specialized. These include music room, health fitness room, squash court and dark room. The Government has been generous in funding the building of modern community centres. Apart from paying for the land cost, it assumes the full cost for the building and the facilities except for the $100,000 contribution from the community. For building the additional facilities, the Government pays half of the cost. Sir, some Members suggested that the definition of basic facilities be reviewed and that the Government should give more subsidy. I will ask the PA to look into these suggestions.”
“Hence, in their plans and action to reach out to them, the PA and its community centres have organized a wide range of activities for today's youths:- (a) Voluntary Service Programmes, for example, youths are encouraged to help in community and charity work such as national campaigns, help for the aged and the disabled, and conducting tuition classes for children. (b) Sports and Recreation Programmes, e.g. squash, sports tournaments and outdoor activities. (c) Cultural Programmes, e.g. disco, breakdance, folk dance and traditional dances. (d) self-development and Leadership Training Programmes, e.g. Seminars or national problems and policies. (e) Youth Exchange Programmes, e.g. exchange of visits with ASEAN countries. Sir, in response, to its latest survey conducted in December last year, PA plans to conduct more continuing education courses which are career orientated for the youths to improve themselves academically and technically. Such courses include computer programming, language classes and tuition for academic subjects. To meet the growing demand of our youths for outdoor activiites and sea sports, PA and its community centre youth groups are organising more outdoor activities such as expedition, sea sports, camping and hiking. The PA is also building more facilities to cater to this interest. Sir, the PA and its community centres are really trying very hard and doing their best to attract as many youths as possible to take part in the activities organised for them. In fact, the 95% increase in the PA Youth Movement membership from 43,000 in February 1982 to 84,000 in February 1986 indicates that the community centres' activities to attract to-day's youths. More can and will be done to attract as many youths as possible.”
“These national awards would be coordinated by the Ministry of Community Development for implementation with effect from 1986, and these national awards would take the form of a long service certificate plus a medal. Members of the grassroots organizations are often invited by Government leaders or national bodies for talks, dialogue sessions or attending functions, etc. As RC members have also been contributing to community services, they will also be given priority in the allocation of HDB flats. In addition, with effect from this year, meritorious awards will also be given up to a maximum of 5 RCs annually. These awards are aimed at promoting teamwork and healthy competition among the RCs in the fulfilment of their objective. For the purpose of these awards, the RCs will be assessed in the following two broad areas:- Effectiveness as a channel of communication, and (b) Resourcefulness in implementing projects or activities. The Member for Siglap proposed that the People's Association (PA) and its community centres should expand their scope of activities through wider programmes to attract greater youth participation. I am pleased to inform the House that there are plans to expand and upgrade the activities of the PA and its community centres in order to reach out to as many youths as possible. To achieve this, the PA, inter alia, conducts regular surveys to ascertain the needs, interests, problems and aspiration's of our youths. The surveys have confirmed the interests and needs are varied.”
“Also, when necessary, the adjacent space can also be made use of conveniently. So it is not necessary at the present stage for the HDB to allot more space for the purpose of building another unit. In his speech yesterday, the Member for Braddell Heights had praised the RCs and their members for their contributions towards community development and he asked whether the Government would take cognizance of their services. The answer is yes, the Government does appreciate their contributions. Presently, the Government is giving long service awards to members of CCC/CCMC amd WSC with 10, 15 and 20 years's service. With effect from this year, the Government has decided to implement the long service awards uniformly to community service workers from the various grassroots organizations, including the CCCs, RCs, CCMCs, women sub-committees, youth executive committees, constituency sports clubs management committees, civil defence coordinating committees and boys' club management committees as follows: (a) 5-year Community Service Award, (b)National Award for 10-year Community Service, (c) National Award for 15-year Community Service, and (d) National Award for 20-year Community Service. The 5-year Community Service Award could be implemented by the relevant Ministries or Statutory Boards straightaway. The award would take the form of certificate of appreciation for a minimum 5-year service in a particular community organisation. However, for the purpose of national awards for 10, 15 and 20 years' community service, the length of service of a proposed recipient would be his total accumulated service with one or more of such grassroots organizations mentioned above.”
“Also, members of the RCs are usually employed elsewhere. They have limited spare time and take turns to look after their centre. Therefore, the Government encourages the RCs to set up clubs or youth clubs so that these clubs will attract the senior citizens and the young people to come together and take part in RC activities suitable for them. I am glad that the RCs in Changkat and Braddell Heights constituencies and some others are able to do this. I am also agreeable to many Members' proposal to encourage the setting up of senior citizens clubs and youth clubs to use RC premises in the day time for their activities and to organize more outdoor activities to attract both young and old residents and make full use of RC centres. RCs will then be able to overcome the problem of manpower shortage and play a better role. The Government also hopes that the RCs can also cooperate in the activities of community centres by making use of the community centres to organize activities on a larger scale, such as encouraging the holding of "Respect the Elders" functions at the community centres. At the same time, the senior citizen's club, when necessary, can also make use of the empty space next to the RC premises for their pastime activities such as chess, chit-chat over a cup of tea, and so on. This will be convenient to them and they can also keep simple utensils at RC premises. In this way it is not necessary to spend a large sum of money on setting up another club premises. I am sure the HDB generally will not object to such use by the RCs. At present the HDB is improving the design of new RC premises. The present 60 sq metres for an RC centres will be increased to 80 sq metres so that there will be better facilities and space for such activities.”
“The Member requested that HDB should allot one more unit to the RC concerned for such activities. In principle, the request looks grand. But we should understand that the centre for RC is set up for the purpose of enabling the RC to have an office to meet and to foster good relationship with the residents. For their convenience, the RC centre is at the void deck of a block of flats. Since there is limited space, a certain portion of the void deck will have to be assigned for other uses, such as for funerals, wedding or other forms of gathering for the residents. Therefore, the RC centre should not be too large as to inconvenience other users since the RC's service is only confined to the residents in the zone unlike that provided by a community centre. We certainly do not want to see the RC centre develop into another community centre. The RC should be playing a role complementary to the community centre. The aim of the Government is to maximise the limited resources of each constituency so as to enable the community centre to adequately provide a wide range of activities for the residents. Therefore, it will not be possible to allocate more resources to the RCs. At the moment, we have 213 RC centres in existence. The number will increase with the increase in number of RCs. To expand the space of all these RC centres, the Government will have to incur more expenditure. During the present economic recession, it is not appropriate for Government to consider this proposal. In fact, most of the RC centres at this stage are not fully utilised. They are usually open only in the evening. The main reason is that they are constained by finance. So they cannot afford to employ a keeper and open the premises for the whole day.”
“Sir, I have been asked to reply to some of the queries or comments made by various Members yesterday and this morning. I am going to do it in Mandarin. (In Mandarin): Sir, yesterday the Member for Changkat in her speech mentioned that she had noticed some aged people gathering at the void decks of some HDB blocks. She therefore suggested that the Ministry of Community Development should request the HDB to set up a senior citizens corner outside the RC office for senior citizens to gather informally to pass away their time, such as to play chess, to read newspapers or to chit-chat. She also stressed that the setting up of such a corner at the void decks in HDB estates would not only help them to have better liaison with the younger people but also help the residents by way of keeping a watch on the security of their estates. I should say that her views are quite correct. The HDB has since the end of last year started to allocate certain portions of void decks in some of the newer estates as senior citizens' corner. The HDB had provided some tables there for the senior citizens to play chess and to sit around for chit-chatting. Things are being done for them. However, I am not saying that this is enough to meet their needs. I would say that whether there should be other facilities or that the facilities provided should be improved depends on how the senior citizens themselves make use of the existing facilities. The RCs and their advisers can also help to give their advice and to make representations to us for consideration. The Member for Braddell Heights talked about the many activities of the RCs. The RCs are organizing a lot of activities. Therefore, one centre for an RC is insufficient.”
“I would certainly agree with the Member for Serangoon Gardens that we should continue to provide whatever assistance necessary to make the CCCs as well as the other community organizations an effective channel of feedback. In this connection, the Advisers to the community organizations can certainly play an important role by providing leadership and guidance for discussions on national issues. Seminars and talks on national policies could also be organized on a regular basis. Sir, I would like to take this opportunity to inform the Member for Serangoon Gardens that a Community Organizations Steering Committee will be set up to coordinate overall policies and activities of the CCCs, CCMCs and RCs. The Steering Committee will be chaired by the First Deputy Prime Minister. Apart from ensuring common policies which will certainly help remove any possibility of confusion and conflict among the three organizations, the Steering Committee will decide on the criteria for selection, appointment and recognition of members. The Steering Committee will continuously refine the definition of the role and function of each organization. It will also set down guidelines on how the activities of other existing and new community and civic organizations, such as the Constituency Sports Club, can be coordinated with the CCCs, CCMCs and the RCs.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I have been asked to reply and I shall do it in Mandarin. (In Mandarin) Sir, the CCCs have been in existence for almost 20 years and they have fully discharged their role in bridging the gap between the Government and the people. Members of the CCCs come from all walks of life and are therefore able to reach out to a wide spectrum of our population in transmitting Government decisions and policies to the people and, in turn, the people's views and suggestions to the Government. With the formation of the RCs, some of the functions hitherto performed by the CCCs, such as problems related to improving living conditions at the neighbourhood level have been assumed by the RCs, thereby allowing the CCCs to devote more time on their consultative role. Steps have been taken to strengthen the role of the CCCs to provide effective feedback on national policies. Dialogue sessions with Ministers on national issues have been organized for not only the CCCs but also the CCMCs and the RCs to provide them with the necessary background and rationale of Government policies. At such sessions, community leaders have also taken the opportunity to give their views and suggestions. Representatives of the community organizations who attended these sessions were requested to brief their members at their monthly meetings and to stimulate further discussion on the matter. To facilitate discussion, transcripts of the dialogue sessions were provided. I am pleased to say that quite a number of CCCs have made it a regular feature in their monthly meetings to discuss issues of national importance. Views and suggestions arising from such discussions were then transmitted to the relevant authorities wherever applicable.”
“Sir, as from 1980 the number of campaigns organized has been actually cut down, a lot. Those mentioned by the hon. Member just now were actually campaigns from 1980 onwards. All campaigns are organized for specific purposes. All activities organized for each of these campaigns are to create the necessary impact and to drive home the specific message. The number of campaigns organized for this year has been kept to the minimum and is considered as manageable by all these grassroots organizations. However, any good suggestions that can help to achieve the target set are always welcome. I shall take note of the points made by the hon. Member.”
“The point, Sir, is that each time we have a national campaign, we have to involve these community leaders. We have to motivate them; we have to get them to go out, door-to-door distribution of pamphlets, and in hawker centres. We have to get them to organize film shows, exhibitions, talks, forums, and so on and so forth. My point, Sir, is that these people are serving in a voluntary capacity and each one of these organizations already has its own activities, including monthly meetings. Are we not overtaxing these people in terms of their time and efforts? Are we getting the results that we want? I get the curious feeling that maybe people become blase; people even become cynical. Another campaign. What are we doing? And we get a proliferation of buttons and pamphlets and so on, but what do people do with these? Do they use them as toilet paper, or do they read them or pin them up? I am quite serious about this because, unless we gear the campaigns properly so that people are motivated and the message really gets down to the ground, we are defeating the purpose. Are we getting the feedback on the efficacy of these campaigns?”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I have been directed by the Prime Minister to reply. In so far as I am aware, no Ministry or statutory board has complained that the numerous campaigns organized have prevented them from achieving the desired results. For the information of the hon. Member for Whampoa, prior to 1980 there was no centralized coordination of the schedule of the various national campaigns. These campaigns have often overlapped and the effectiveness of the campaign diluted. The media which are required to play a key role find it difficult to service two or more campaigns simultaneously. Grassroots organizations such as the Citizens' Consultative Committee, the Community Centre Management Committee and the Residents' Committee, which often assisted in national campaigns, have found overlapping campaigns difficult to manage. It was then decided that the Prime Minister's Office should coordinate the timing of the various national campaigns. Sir, campaigns are actually an on-going affair and a particular month has been chosen or set aside for the numerous activities which are being organized to create the necessary impact and to drive home the desired message. Campaigns will continue to be organized as and when there is a need for them. Dr Augustine Tan: Sir, I welcome the efforts of the Prime Minister's Office to coordinate these campaigns. But I did notice that since the Prime Minister's Office took over this responsibility, we have more campaigns than ever before. Sir, I want to emphasize this point because the Senior Parliamentary Secretary made mention of organizations like the Citizen's Consultative Committee, the Management Committee of Community Centres and Residents' Committees.”
“(4) That the sum to be allocated for Head I be reduced by $10 in respect of Subhead IF-02 of the Main Estimates.”
“Mr Ch'ng Jit Koon( In Mandarin): Since the Senior Parliamentary Secretary is willing to consider such a case, which means there is still a hope, I beg leave to withdraw my amendment. Amendment by leave, withdrawn. 5.15 p.m.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, from the hon. Senior Parliamentary Secretary's reply, it gives the impression that he is worried that if, on the one hand, we are resiting roadside hawkers in hawker centres and markets; and, on the other hand, we are allowing coffee-shops to extend their business operations to the five-foot way, this would seem to contradict policy. But the point I am trying to emphasize is that the authorities concerned should take into consideration the physical constraints of the place and its practical needs and circumstances of each case. The hon. Senior Parliamentary Secretary said he is aware of that certain eating shop I am talking about. In this particular case, there is a dead end on the five-foot way. So there is no question of causing any obstruction to pedestrians. The hon. Parliamentary Secretary's other worry is that cockroaches, flies and rats may breed there. May I ask: if the shopkeeper concerned is prepared to remove the tables and chairs and clean up the place after the rush periods and to ensure that there is no breeding of pests, then under such circumstances will he accede to the request of that shopkeeper? Mr Chor Yeok Eng( In Mandarin): Mr Speaker, Sir, I mentioned just now that if there are special circumstances to warrant such a request, then we will give due consideration. And as the Member has said, if occupation of the passage will not obstruct or cause any inconvenience to members of the public, then we will further consider his request. If it is found permissible, we will make certain proper arrangements for the shopkeeper concerned to extend his operations to the five-foot way.”
“To ask the Minister for Labour (a) what is the rationale for the stipulation that an undischarged bankrupt is not allowed the use of his Central Provident Fund contributions to purchase a Housing and Development Board flat; (b) what is the number of persons affected; and (c) whether he will consider amending the aforementioned stipulation as there is already adequate safeguard that the vendor of an HDB flat will have to repay into his account in the CPF the monies withdrawn by him. Mr Ch'ng Jit Koon being on leave of absence -”
“I am not moving, Sir. The sum of $190,581,390 for Head K ordered to stand part of the Main Estimates. The sum of $79,717,380 for Head K ordered to stand part of the Development Estimates. Head L -”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the points which I intend to raise have already been discussed just now. I have nothing more to add.”
“(5) That the sum to be allocated for Head W be reduced by $10 in respect of item 1210 of Subhead Code WC-01 of the Main Estimates.”
“May I reserve the right to speak on amendment (10)?”
“Sir, what I actually intend to touch on are matters relating to the Housing and Development Board. I notice there is another amendment to consider the HDB's allocation. It is on amendment (10) under this Head. I propose to speak when that amendment comes up for debate.”
“The shopkeepers have jointly appealed to me to persuade the HDB to allow them to maintain the present monthly rental and defer the annual rent increase of 10% until such time when either the Singapore Tourist Promotion Board decides to organise tours for tourists through the travel agents to visit Changi Village or when the Changi International Airport becomes operational in mid-1980, whichever comes about first. By which time, it is hoped that the demand for their services will greatly improve. As for the hawkers who have requested for a change of stalls to other markets and food centres, I hope that the HDB's Area Office will kindly consider their request in view of poor business in the Changi Village Market and Food Centre. Furthermore, Sir, I would like to ask the Hon. Minister what immediate steps will be taken to improve the situation that I have just highlighted, should the appeal and requests by these affected people be unacceptable.”
“However, this cannot be said for the project at Changi Village which falls within my constituency. More than a year ago the RDB completed the Changi Village Market and Food Centre which has a total of 166 stalls, some of which are still vacant today. The HDB also built 92 units of three-room flats and 46 shops besides the Changi Village Market and Food Centre. I understand that further development projects by the HDB in this area were shelved. Up till today, the market is poorly patronised as the expected growth in population in Changi Village does not come about as a consequence. Demand for their goods is very lacking. Business at the food centre is only slightly better than the market, as it is usually frequented by picnickers and the SBS workers. Although the rent for the hawker stalls is low when compared with the rent for stalls in other markets and food centres, these hawkers still find it difficult to keep their heads above the water. The shopkeepers are also in a dilemma. Although they are granted concessional rental rising from $277, they are also finding it, difficult to meet as their present business is solely dependent on the residents who occupy only a handful of the three-room flats in the vicinity. In fact, the demand for their services from these residents is very poor. Needless to say, Sir, all these are the results of poor planning and bad foresight for my constituency by the Housing and Development Board. This has brought about unnecessary losses not only to most of the hawkers in the Changi Village Market and Food Centre but also to the shopkeepers as well since their business started sometime in early 1976. Undoubtedly, this has caused discontent among these people whose business has been adversely affected.”
“The shop was opened from early morning right up to 2.00 or 3.00 a.m. The residents in the neighbourhood were disturbed by noise from the shop. So they lodged complaints to the authorities and the HDB had to forbid the shopkeeper to use the corridors and to limit the hours of business to 12.00 midnight, thus severely affecting the business of this shop. Consequently, the shopkeeper has owed more than $30,000 in rental to the HDB. I learn that the HDB is now taking legal action to repossess the shop, as she is not able to pay arrears amounting to more than $30,000. The HDB had accepted the highest bid from her, and so allotted the shop to her. As a result, she now owes the HDB more than $30,000 in rentals. I am not speaking in defence of this shopkeeper because she had not estimated properly before she made such a tender. As a result, she now has incurred great losses in the business. I say she has nobody else to blame but herself. I have raised this matter here because I want to make this as an illustration to show my contention that there are shortcomings in the HDB's tender system for shop premises. I hope the authorities concerned will take steps to review this tender system as early as possible. Mr Teo Chong Tee: Sir, every year the Government is spending large sums of money on national development. The Housing and Development Board is undertaking most of the housing development. Today, when one takes a ride around Singapore, one can see HDB flats mushrooming all over Singapore. The HDB not only builds low-cost flats for the people but also hawker centres, markets and shops for hawkers and shopkeepers. Most of the development projects are well-planned and this has brought satisfaction to the people.”
“Sir, I understand that civil servants who want to buy HDB flats do not have to make a down payment, and those who are affected by Government's development plan or renewal scheme are given the same treatment. Even those who are renting the HDB flats which are later offered for sale do not have to make a down payment when they want to purchase the flats which they are residing. Since the authority can afford to look after the interests of these people by giving them such consessionary treatment, why cannot the Board also make things easier for those who do not pay CPF contributions to purchase flats? Sir, I would also like to criticise the HDB for its tender system of allocating shop premises. This matter has been raised in this House a number of times, and every time it was hushed up by the Minister who said that there was no better way. According to the present system, the shop premises to be rented out are put on tender and they are rented out to those who make the highest bid, without regard to whether the rentals tendered are so exorbitant that the tenderers may not be able to maintain their businesses thus incurring arrears or even closing down their businesses eventually. Sir, in my constituency, there has been such a case as stated. My constitutency is a housing estate. There are no factories, big offices or tourist resorts. A coffeeshop was leased out by tender at a monthly rental of $5,300 to a woman. So this shopkeeper had to sublet as many parts of the shop premises as possible in order to relieve her heavy financial burden. The result is that there were so many hawker stalls in the shop premises that there was not enough space for tables and chairs. So these were placed along the corridors, both the front and rear.”
“Sir, in order to enable our citizens to own their houses, the Housing and Development Board has built flats and sold them at cheap prices to Singapore citizens. Moreover, to encourage it, eligible citizens are allowed under the home ownership scheme of the Board to make use of their CPF contributions to purchase them. According to the Senior Minister of State for National Development in a reply to my Question for Oral Answer in this House the other day, he said that: 'As at 31st December, 1976, a total of 110,591 units of flats have been sold under the "Home Ownership" scheme. Of this, 7,685 units were purchased outright, while 63,148 units [or 57%] were purchased through the owners' CPF contribution either outright or on an instalment basis.' There are still about 60,000 applicants on the waiting list. According to the situation at the moment, an applicant will have to wait for three years or more before he can be allotted a flat. Sir, under the current policy of the Board an applicant who wishes to purchase a flat must pay 20% of the price as a down payment. To fulfill such a condition is a problem to people like taxi drivers, casual workers, lorry drivers and most hawkers, because they do not have enough savings and they also do not pay CPF contributions. So it is quite difficult to make the 20% down payment. This deters them from applying for the purchase of flats. In order to carry out the home-ownership scheme thoroughly. I suggest the HDB should consider reducing the down payment from 20% to 10% in order that these people who do not pay CPF contributions can also enjoy the benefits of the scheme. Or alternatively, the HDB could consider to allow them to pay 10% first when they apply for flats and on allocation, they should pay up the remaining 10%.”
“As I have said, in a small island like Singapore where there is hardly any elbow room, we have to be very careful about the usage of land. I do not know whether the Member would like to have a Chinese wayang playing every morning next to his house. He shook his head. He does not like it. Similarly, when a congregation of people meet every morning in a residential area, they are bound to create some sort of nuisance. Therefore, probably complaints have been received from neighbours, and that is the reason why notice has been given to them to stop meeting in the morning for prayers in a residential area. We are very careful about illegal use.”
“Therefore, there are very good opportunities for promotion for very good officers in the Planning Department as well as in other Government departments. To come to the specific case of the Chief Planner. The Chief Planner was dismissed from service in 1973. As a result of that, a division took place between the Planning Division and the Development Control Division. At one time there were quite a lot of irregularities and laxity in enforcing development control. That was one of the reasons why probably the Chief Planner was dismissed. Then the Deputy Planner left us for greener fields abroad. At the moment we have an acting Chief Planner, and when he will be promoted will depend upon a promotion exercise by the Public Service Commission. He has mentioned about inconsistency in allowing development between adjacent parcels of land. Normally it is unlikely that there will be much difference between development allowed on adjacent pieces of land. But, of course, there must be some difference. The adjacent pieces of land may be of different shape or they may be of irregular shapes. They may be smaller or bigger. But on the whole it depends on the zoning. If they are in an industrial zone and the pieces of land are side by side, planning for industrial use is allowed and the plot ratio would almost be the same. I am unable to tell him why or where the difference is in the example he quoted, unless he gives me more specific details. If he really wants to know why it is so, perhaps he can get the information by sending in a Question for Oral Answer. Finally, he wants to know why the Building Control Division gives notice to a congregation of people who say prayers in the morning in a residential area.”
“I am a little surprised that the Member should mention that there is confusion among members of the public as to the roles these two departments are playing. This arrangement was set up in 1972, that is, four years ago, and I do not expect members of the public, especially the architects who are professionals in their own right to be confused over this division of labour. He has said that the BCD is performing a very important role because it enforces planning control, In a small island like Singapore it is imperative that there should be careful use and allocation of land, otherwise we will have residential areas side by side with factories and the whole place will be polluted. The BCD is playing an important role and, as such, he has suggested that it should be upgraded to a department. At the same time, he has suggested that it should be a part of the Planning Department. I think there is a bit of confusion. But no matter what it is, I think what he is trying to stress is the importance of planning control in Singapore. I fully agree with that because it should be the only authority to see how construction should be undertaken. He is a bit worried about opportunities for promotion in the department itself. Like most Government departments, there are ample opportunities for good officers to be promoted. We have a very unbiased and a very wise body consisting of private members who sit on a promotion board for civil servants, namely, the Public Service Commission. As hon. Members know, there is a new Government policy whereby good officers are promoted in spite of the fact that there are no posts. They are promoted on their own merit without having to wait for the creation of a post.”
“Whether it will really help to lower the price of beef or not will depend upon a lot of factors. 3.00 p.m. But one would expect that with more avenues of supply, prices are likely to fall. But here, as I have said, it depends upon a lot of other things, for instance, transport cost and feed cost. But our purpose here is, of course, to try to find a new source of supply to Singapore. If we have more supplies available, prices would naturally fall. In addition, the MOF and the PIE have also formed a joint company, the Sing Thai Grains (Private) Limited, to promote the marketing of Thai agricultural produce in Singapore. Of course, where suitable joint ventures with other countries in this region are proposed, they will be welcome. We will join with other ASEAN countries in promoting joint ventures. The Member for Anson has a very good insight into what is going on in the Planning Department in the Ministry of National Development. But to put matters straight, let me first say that the Planning Department is concerned with long-term and medium-term planning. It is concerned with the Master Plan. In other words, the Planning Department is concerned with the use of land in Singapore, subdividing them into zones for certain specific uses. The Development Control Division is the enforcing department. In other words, it sees to it that where a building construction is being undertaken, it should conform to the Master Plan or to the plan drawn up by the Planning Department. These are the different roles. The Planning Department will deal with applications for construction from statutory bodies and Government departments, whereas the Development Control Division will deal with applications for construction from the private sector and from the citizens.”
“Our first priority, of course, is to provide the housing, and here I think the Member is quite satisfied that an assurance has been given to him that the recreational facilities he seeks for Neighbourhood I will be completed very soon and work is going on in Neighbourhood II. In planning for a new town, there are certain basic principles. The town shall be self-contained. As far as possible, it should have a town centre, sports facilities, playing fields, parking areas. When the plan is being drawn up the Housing Board would normally consult with other Government agencies, such as the PWD, the Sports Council and even the bus company so that all the necessary amenities could be provided. Also from time to time we get feedbacks from residents, and MPs too, about shortages of certain requirements or a lack of facilities in some of the towns. Where the suggestions are useful they are adopted. Therefore, suggestions from MPs are always welcome when we are planning a new town. I think that should be sufficient answer or clarification for the Member for Bedok. The Prime Minister recently visited Thailand and concluded an agreement with the Thai Government. In that agreement, there is provision for a cattle project in a joint venture between the Marketing Organisation for Farmers of Thailand (MOF) and Singapore's Primary Industries Enterprises (PIE). This joint venture will enable our veterinary surgeons to participate in the management of cattle rearing in Thailand for export and it will also enable our veterinary surgeons to examine the cattle before export to Singapore to ensure that they do not suffer from any disease. So this project will give us an additional supply of cattle.”
“Sir, what I would like to say mainly concerns the Housing and Developing Board. I reserve this for amendment (6)*. (See Col. 1476.) The Minister for National Development and Communications (Mr Lim Kim San): Sir, I am glad that when the Member for Bedok mentioned that the Housing Board will be ruling quite a large proportion of the population of Singapore, he mentioned "ruling" within inverted commas. Let me assure him that the Housing and Development Board does not seek to rule the people of Singapore but seek to house the people of Singapore. I am a bit puzzled by his remarks. He said that there was no delegation of authority to the officers to make small decisions and yet he found them helpful, co-operative and prompt in taking action. If there had been no delegation of authority, the staff would be unable to take prompt action. Let me assure him that we know that the Housing Board is expanding and will soon be managing a very large proportion of dwellings in Singapore. In keeping with modern management methods, only important policy matters are decided in the HDB headquarters and, wherever possible, administrative and routine procedures are delegated to the local officials. To come to the planning of new towns. It would be ideal if we can at the same time provide all the facilities of a town as well as housing. Marine Parade has been quoted as an example where the residents are able to enjoy living in very good quality flats and at the same time have all the facilities available. It is the same with Bedok. Wherever possible, Sir, we would like to provide all the facilities at the same time but perhaps there may be some technical reasons for being unable to do so.”
“(8) That the sum to be allocated for Head W be reduced by $10 in respect of item (b) of subhead AAA 3020.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I agree with the Minister of State's answer that in other Government departments there are also daily-rated workers. But in the case of daily-rated workers in schools it is different because they have longer holidays. Being daily-rated workers, they are not paid during the long holidays. I would like to ask the Minister of State whether he would consider giving the daily-rated workers some other work to do during the school vacation.”
“(12) That the sum to be allocated for Head Q be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead AAA 8301. The sum of $47,749,860 for Head Q ordered to stand part of the Main Estimates. The sum of $10,407,000 for Head Q ordered to stand part of the Development Estimates. Head R -”
“Sir, I understand the Nanyang University authorities have consulted some specialists on a comprehensive plan for development. I wonder whether the proposal to build the Students' Hostel, Staff Quarters and other buildings has been envisaged in the comprehensive plan for the development of Nanyang University.”
“Just to require the students to cut out and paste newspaper cuttings mechanically is to achieve nothing for the teachers and the students themselves. It is deceiving oneself as well as others. So I feel that this practice of the specialist inspectors vying for show should stop. I would go so far as to suggest that there should be a coordinating committee in the Ministry of Education to ensure that there will be a fair distribution of time among the various subjects for secondary school students, so that there will be no more stereotyped method of teaching. Recently some parents are vexed about the use of simplified Chinese characters because their children now write a number of simplified characters which many people do not understand. The simplified Chinese characters initiated by the Ministry of Education have increased from 502 to 2,248 characters. Some of them have been considered not suitable for use are still being used in the magazines and newspapers. Some new locally created simplified Chinese characters are not to be found in any Chinese dictionary. This gives rise to a greater problem for the students studying the language. Our history is very short and our new culture is still in the making. We should not create a Picasso-type of simplified Chinese character experts. Sir, language takes a long time to develop. It is also a common fact that language develops with the history of a country. It is my hope that the Ministry of Education in promoting the use of simplified Chinese characters could accept and pay attention to the new development of Chinese culture in this field. We should not be narrow-minded and obstinate.”
“But we all know that the present secondary students, particularly those in Secondary I and II, have to take as many as ten subjects. On top of that, they have to attend technical lessons and go for workshop practice and a host of ECA activities. In the case of school girls, they have to learn domestic science as well. If various specialist inspectors intend to show off their performances by way of increasing the workload and lessons of the teachers and students, in the end, the students will suffer more. The obvious consequences would be that, they fear to attend school and will not know a subject well. A friend of mine told me that he has two children in the same secondary school, one in Secondary I and the other in Secondary II. In order to teach the students how to read newspapers, the language teachers make the students do press cuttings on editorials. The civics teachers also want these two students to cut out items on civic news, The music teachers also want them to do the same thing but on musical events. As a result, my friend finds a lot of holes in his newspapers, and that one set of newspapers is not enough to share between the two sons. He has to buy another set of newspapers for them to cut out. He also says that, as marks are given for newspaper cuttings, his sons have to spend some time to cut them out and paste them up properly and show them to the teachers for marking. In fact, they have no time to read the newspaper cuttings, some of which they might not even comprehend. If the example I have quoted is the cause for an increased sale of newspapers, which may be misinterpreted as the rise in our cultural standard, then it is a travesty of the truth.”
“Sir, many times I have criticised the Ministry of Education as a Ministry which has changed its policy most frequently. Last Monday when we were debating the Budget statement, a number of Members in this House expressed their concern over the confusion caused by the frequent changes of policy in the Ministry of Education. Even a few moments ago, some Members have also touched on this subject. Some senior officers in the Ministry of Education, in order to show off that they know more than the others, try to copy whatever they have gathered from overseas for implementation in Singapore. But they have not made a thorough study of local conditions to see whether what they have copied would fit into our education system. So what they have copied was implemented. The moment they found that something has gone wrong with such implementation, they changed their policy. So we had a situation in which instructions issued in the morning were changed in the evening. As a result, teachers and principals were completely at a loss. Sir, I have been given to understand that the various specialist inspectors in the Ministry of Education have called up teachers in charge of various subjects to discuss invariably how to improve the teaching standard of those subjects. This is, of course, a good move since the aim is to improve. But in such a discussion they invariably say that the teachers must do more work to bring about an all-round improvement. So they must do this, do that, and everything else. As a result the teacher's work-load is increased and the students also have their increased burden. But if the students have very few subjects to study, then the situation is different.”
“(3) That the sum to be allocated for Head U be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead BDA 1111. The Chairman: Mr Conceicao, Amendment (3).”