Chow Chiok Hock
Singapore
“If such a thing happens, it will be a loss to the depositor because he has lost two months' interest on that amount of money. I think there are other Members who want to speak on this Bill. So I would not like to say too much. I feel generally that the Minister should not be too insistent. He should be more flexible.”
“Sir, I have only one or two sentences to complete my speech. (In Mandarin): A number of citizens who have come from the Federation and stayed here for a certain period have been given work permits, but those who have stayed here for a longer period and who possess blue identity cards have not been able to get work permits.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, there are a few minutes left. May I take amendments (7)+ and (8)++ together, as the Member for Kampong Kembangan is not here to move amendment (8)? ++ Amendment No. (8) which also stood in the name of Inche Mohd.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to he allocated for Head 0401 he reduced by $l0 in respect of subhead 1251. Sir, this item concerns the National Service Office, under the subhead "Executive Officer". National service is supported by all the citizens of Singapore. It is for the security of our country.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, That the total sum to be allocated for Head 0103 be reduced by $l00*. * The same amendment also stood in the name of Mr Tang See Chim. Sir, since the former Member for Joo Chiat (Dr Fong Kim Heng), who was the Deputy Speaker of this Parliament, resigned, the post of Deputy Speaker has been left vacant.”
“I withdraw the amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. The sum of $433,670 for Head 1101 ordered to stand part of the Estimates. Head 1104 - The following amendment stood in the name of Mr Lim Cheng Lock - That the sum to be allocated for Head 1104 be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead 1001.”
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“If such a thing happens, it will be a loss to the depositor because he has lost two months' interest on that amount of money. I think there are other Members who want to speak on this Bill. So I would not like to say too much. I feel generally that the Minister should not be too insistent. He should be more flexible. He should send the Bill to a Select Committee and hear representations from the people concerned and amend the Bill if necessary so as to make it perfect. 4.28 p.m.”
“And if finance companies comply with these provisions, there will be liquidation within a certain period and the small industries will again suffer. I will now touch on the provision of unsecured loans which should not exceed $1,000. If this provision is to be complied with and other than the liquid assets the finance companies have, I feel there is no security for the depositors because the finance companies can also give large amounts of loans on other things. There is also a provision stipul ating that the loans given out should not be more than a certahi percentage of its paid-up capital. I should say some finance companies may find it difficult to carry on with their business because of this restriction. Small industries will also suffer. If the Government's intention is to look after the interest of the depositors, then I would suggest amending clause 16 of the Bill which provides that: `Where a finance company has accepted money from any person as a deposit the company shall within two months after the acceptance of the money issue to that person a document which acknowledges or evidences or constitutes an acknowledgment of the indebtedness of the company in respect of that deposit.' Now if the finance company does not issue a receipt on the spot on receipt of the sum of money, it can put the money away without issuing a receipt or any document to show that it has already received that sum of money deposited. Then where is the security that is talked of which the depositor can have? If the finance company has a latitude of two months, then it may, perhaps on the last day of the second month, issue a receipt of acknowledgment and the depositor will lose two months' interest on the amount of money deposited.”
“Certain transactions which are not allowed under clauses 19, 20 and 21 and so on, will have to be liquidated within six months. If finance companies had entered into such transactions and if they have to liquidate them within six months, then they will have to auction their assets and business. They have to close shop as a result of this. And what benefit will it give to the depositors if such consequences take place? Also the staff of these finance companies will be joining the camp of the unemployed. In fact, people find it more profitable to have immovable property in their pos session. For instance, a finance company can buy over a whole building for its operations and for letting Out to other businesses. Money accruing from rents would be sufficient to meet expenditure on running costs, etc., besides leaving a profit. The finance companies can pay the 36 per cent property tax and 40 per cent income tax. In addition to paying these taxes, they can also make a profit. So there will be no loss to anybody. Without the profit finance companies can secure from this sort of operation, how can they pay interest to the depositors? If they are required to auction all their immovable property, then this may shake our economy. As a result, some family and cottage industries may suffer, because they cannot get loans easily from big banks. So they have to look to finance companies for unsecured loans. The finance companies are the only providers of loans to them. According to the provisions of the Bill, finance companies are prohibited from providing unsecured loans of more than $1,000. This being the case, the small industries will suffer.”
“The Government should not discriminate against them or single them out for special treatment because they have some contribution to make to our economy. Yet there is a provision in the Bill that a finance company should have $500,000 paid-up capital and also a certain percentage of liquid assets. In fact, the capital invested in some of these finance companies exceeds the minimum amount imposed on the banks. Recently there was a regulation that if a foreigner invests $350,000 in local industries, then he can bring his family to Singapore and they can even become citizens of Singapore. [Mr Lim Cheng Lock in the Chair] 4.16 p.m. This may appear to some people as some sort of favouritism and therefore we have to look into this. There is provision for the post of Commissioner for Finance Companies to look after the operations and accounts of finance companies. Will this enhance the confidence of our people in finance companies? This legislation is aimed at safeguarding the interest of the depositors. We should look after the interest of all the people. We should base our viewpoint on the benefit which these finance companies can bring to our economy. We should bear this in mind. The Minister has said that the Bill is for the protection or the security of depositors, but he has not looked into the consequences. I am worried about the consequences that may befall finance companies as a result of the passage of this Bill. I am also rather worried about the consequences it will have on our economy, a great part of which is motivated and stimulated by finance companies through deposits by the public. The Bill also provides that finance companies should not undertake certain transactions, and unsecured loans should not be more than $1,000.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I have something to say on this amendment Bill. Certain points therein should be brought up for discussion. This Bill will not actually promote economic activity and increase the liquidity of finances in the country to the fullest extent. We know that the capital of these finance companies is obtained by way of deposits from the general public. These finance companies are quite different from ordinary banks. Since our own people invest in finance companies, the Government should look after them. The depositors are mainly middlemen and other small traders. Finance companies are not like banks which are controlled by big capitalists. Finance companies carry on operations which banks do not like to undertake. For instance, they provide loans to the ordinary people to buy cars or houses, or to set up small family or cottage industries. The ordinary people can get such loans from these finance companies which they cannot get from the banks. I feel that finance companies have a great role to play in the accumulation of capital and a very important place in our economy. This Bill touches upon something that is of great importance to the general public as well as to the finance companies. I do not oppose its introduction. This Bill regulates financing in our economy and protects the depositors. The Government will have to exercise some measure of control over these finance companies. But because of their close relationship with the population, especially our small merchants, I feel that if we control these finance companies too much or too strictly, then it may cause some undesirable consequences. These finance companies have a very close relationship with our small merchants, industrialists and ordinary people.”
“I beg leave to withdraw my amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.”
“Sir, I have only one or two sentences to complete my speech. (In Mandarin): A number of citizens who have come from the Federation and stayed here for a certain period have been given work permits, but those who have stayed here for a longer period and who possess blue identity cards have not been able to get work permits. If we have already recognised them as permanent residents of Singapore and have issued them with blue identity cards, we must also let them have work permits so that they can make a living in Singapore.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head 0901 be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead 1281+. I will also range over amendment (8)+. + Amendment No. (5) reads as follows: That the sum to be allocated for Head 0901 be reduced by $10 in respect of subheda 1251. Mr Speaker, Sir, since the introduction of the new identity cards, many Singapore born citizens have lost their rights. For instance, those born in Singapore after 1948 received cards showing that they were British subjects. Possibly there were some who were born during the Japanese occupation, but their identity cards or birth certificates were lost. When these people went to exchange their old identity cards for new ones, the National Registration Office issued them with blue identity cards indicating that they are non-ciizens who have lost their citizenship rights. So I urge the Minister to look into the cases of those people who were born after 1948. If they can produce evidence to prove that they have not left Singapore during the last ten to twenty years, they should be issued with red identity cards so that they can obtain work permits. The blue identity cards were issued only at the beginning of last year, it has only been one year since the issue of the new identity cards. On the other hand, those born in the Federation -”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, there are a few minutes left. May I take amendments (7)+ and (8)++ together, as the Member for Kampong Kembangan is not here to move amendment (8)? ++ Amendment No. (8) which also stood in the name of Inche Mohd. Ariff Bin Suradi, reads as follows: That the sum to be allocated for Head 0901 be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead 1351.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I will try to finish what I have to say in two or three minutes. Sir, the Ministry of Education, in implementing equality of treatment to all the four streams of education and in the inculcation of national consciousness in our next generation, has achieved much. This cannot be denied. But there is still room for improvement. For instance, the Member for Anson has mentioned just now that our aided schools have achieved a better performance than Government schools. Why is this so? Why does the Minister for Education send those selected by the P.S.C. to Chinese schools and they are regarded not as Government servants, whereas those who are selected by the P.S.C, and sent to other schools are regarded as Government servants? Can the Minister give me a satisfactory reply? Also why does the Ministry not allow other aided schools to be developed into Government schools? Generally speaking, our aided schools can do better than Government schools. A further point is that in certain integrated schools, some of which are having three languages and some two languages, the principals sent to them normally can speak only one language. For instance, in an integrated school where there are two languages, English and Chinese, the principal sent to this school is conversant only in English, or conversant only in Chinese. Thus, the results of such an appointment will not be very good.”
“I think this is very important because Singapore, as an independent country, cannot allow itself to be made use of by international forces. The strength of our people should not be made use of by other countries. I hope that our foreign policy will promote economic co-operation with other countries in South-east Asia in order to raise our standard of living. Some countries make use of international forces to promote trade. This is a short-term policy as finally these countries in fact resort to economic invasion. I think we should promote regional co-operation with other countries in South-east Asia on the basis of mutual benefit, In this way, we can stop Communism from spreading. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs can make efforts in this direction. Mr Speaker, Sir, as far as I know, the majority of Ambassadors abroad are males. I think the Minister for Foreign Affairs should look around for suitable female candidates to become Ambassadresses because I feel that they are more adept as far as diplomacy is concerned and perhaps they can bring more benefits to our country. If at the moment we do not have suitable candidates, I think the Government should send some women with adequate intelligence to be trained overseas so that they can be appointed as Ambassadresses in various countries in future.”
“Sir, I only wish to make a suggestion. In the allocation of posts, the Minister for Foreign Affairs and his officials should emphasise on economic development. The reason is this. The Foreign Affairs Ministry is closely associated with other countries and, therefore, the officials of this Ministry should receive very vigorous training, especially in international affairs and politics. They should pay close attention to international affairs. I understand an incident happened in the Foreign Affairs Ministry in October this year about a Japanese diplomat. A foreign correspondent made a phone call to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and asked whether it had anything to say about this Japanese diplomat. An official of the Ministry asked. "Who is this Japanese diplomat?" He did not know anything about this diplomat. 7.15 p.m. He was made a laughing stock. As he was an official in the Ministry, he should have been well versed with diplomatic figures. [Mr Speaker in the Chair] 7.16 p.m. The next point is that officials sent abroad should thoroughly understand the foreign policy of our country and at the same time should be able to publicise the fact that our country has a harmonious multi-racial society so that more tourists will be attracted to our country. They should also be upright and learned. Their selection should be based on these qualities. Madam Chan Choy Siong(In Mandarin): Mr Speaker, Sir, I have two points to make on our foreign policy. The first is that we should have more foreign markets to ensure our economic development. On the whole, our non-aligned foreign policy has won the approval of many countries. This is something that we should be proud of. We have to be alert all the time in order to promote international trade.”
“Sir, I would like to withdraw my amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. 5.00 p.m.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to he allocated for Head 0401 he reduced by $l0 in respect of subhead 1251. Sir, this item concerns the National Service Office, under the subhead "Executive Officer". National service is supported by all the citizens of Singapore. It is for the security of our country. Therefore, the people have reacted favourably to registration for national service, However, some of the national service personnel have been called for full-time training. Some of them received a high salary in the past, and now that they have been called for full-time service, they get only $60 allowance per month, There is a great gap between what they received before and what they get now. They feel that they have suffered some losses. They are, therefore, not able to maintain their families. I hope the Minister will consider increasing the allowances of those people who formerly had work to do and not pay them just $60 allowance only.”
“I am satisfied with the reply given by the Prime Minister, and I beg leave to withdraw my amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. The sum of $664,130 for Head 0103 ordered to stand part of the Estimates. Head 0104 -”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, That the total sum to be allocated for Head 0103 be reduced by $l00*. * The same amendment also stood in the name of Mr Tang See Chim. Sir, since the former Member for Joo Chiat (Dr Fong Kim Heng), who was the Deputy Speaker of this Parliament, resigned, the post of Deputy Speaker has been left vacant. Under subhead 1002 there is still a vote for Deputy Speaker. I wonder whether this House would like to elect a new Deputy Speaker to fill the vacancy. If there is no suitable candidate to fill it, perhaps we can elect a person from outside this Parliament as Deputy Speaker. I hope the Minister concerned can give a satisfactory reply.”
“Sir, I support the motion by the Minister for Finance. 6.15 p.m.”
“Thus our workers, hawkers, lorry drivers, porters, lighter-men and other people are adversely affected because of price increases in many consumer goods. The number of jobs created by these manufacturing companies and newly-established industries cannot compare with the adverse effects of the increased prices of locally-made goods on the population. On top of this, our locally-manufactured goods sometimes cannot find a market locally. As a result, some of the factories will have to close down. The Government will also lose a lot of revenue from this source. In the end only a few manufacturers will benefit from the Government policy. Such manufacturers not only enjoy a period of exemption from tax, but also other benefits. Sir, I have just said that we cannot deny that industrialisation has made some progress. But, on the other hand, we must not disappoint our local manufacturers. The point that needs consideration is how to guide them towards the industrial objectives we have in mind and to adopt the correct and proper measures to go about it. The Minister has mentioned the National Steel Industry and the Jurong Shipyard. These two institutions have, on the one hand, tried to lower their prices locally and tried to better the quality of their products in order to compete in the international market so that our people will benefit as a result. These two institutions are good examples. As for those speculative so-called industrialists, we should set up a committee to investigate them. We should reconsider the quota system and the tariffs against imported goods and matters relating thereto in order to lighten the burden of the people and to increase Government revenue in order to safeguard the interest of our country and the people.”
“But after these manufacturers have produced their goods, they not only cannot compete with imported goods in quality but also in price. Their prices are many times more than those of the imported goods. Take, for instance, matches. Before we have any factory manufacturing matches, we could buy a packet of matches for 20 to 30 cents. Every packet contains 10 boxes of 80 to 90 sticks of matches. But the Government, in order to implement their taxation policy on imported matches, and after there are local manufactures, has levied $96 on every carton of matches imported. Because of these high tariff duties, the local people have stopped buying imported matches. But the price of locally-produced matches has increased to 45 cents per packet. So this is much dearer than the price of the imported matches. The quality of our locally-manufactured matches is also inferior. Every box contains only about 50 sticks. And because there are no imported matches to compete with locally-manufactured matches, the consumers suffer. Take another example, white sugar. The situation is the same. Since a sugar refinery factory was set up in Singapore, the Government has levied tariff duties on imported sugar amounting to four cents per pound. Sugar imported from Taiwan and elsewhere has disappeared from the market. Locally-produced sugar has replaced it. But regrettably the locally-produced sugar costs 41 cents per katty. Raw sugar has to be bought from abroad and the people have to pay more for this and so the cost of living has gone up. The Government has also levied tariff duties on other imported goods so that importers have found it difficult to import foreign goods and to sell them on the market locally.”
“The tourists will be attracted by the warm reception given to them. Tourism is a labour intensive field of industry. We must give concessions to the tourist trade which will also earn for us foreign exchange which will in turn help our economic development. Mr Speaker, Sir, we should also not overlook the industrial sites in Jurong, Redhill, Tanglin Halt, Kallang Basin, Kampong Ampat, etc. These estates have all had surprising development and have won the praise of many trade delegations from various countries. These industrial estates have left them with a very deep impression of our industrial development. Our main aim is to resolve our unemployment problem and to seek a new line of living for our future generation. This aim is very proper and necessary but there are certain industrialists and manufacturers who have made use of the incentives given by the Economic Development Board to fish in troubled waters. They have raised the prices of local products and this has led to more people being unemployed. This has caused a great loss to the Government in respect of revenue and taxes. Here I would like to elaborate further. These manufacturers have put in their capital to set up factories. They have received from the Government concessions and incentives, such as a five years' tax free holiday. The Government has, in the interest of local manufacturers, levied double taxation by way of tariff against imported goods. The Government has also set up a committee to look after the local products. Also the machinery to be used by the factories will be exempted from import duty. Next, the Government is also encouraging Government departments and statutory boards and all people to buy our locally-manufactured goods and exempt almost all raw materials from import duty.”
“It is not enough for a country to have big or small financial institutions such as banks. There should be a Central Bank to organise, co-ordinate and control the various financial institutions and to direct and channel the investments of our capital so that the idle capital of the people can be channelled into correct investment fields and put to better use. A sound economic system will enhance the prestige and stability of our currency. It will boost up the confidence of the people in our currency. It will also bring prosperity to our commerce and increase our industrial development. The Minister for Finance has also paid great attention to tourism. There have been quite a number of people coming to our country on holiday. This will increase our economic prosperity. So tourism is an important item in our economy. Many tourists find difficulty in getting hotel accommodation when they come here, as mentioned by the Minister for Finance. A few months before they come to Singapore, they should book hotel accommodation in advance. Why should we not try to encourage economic development in this field? We should make more use of our limited space to build hotels vertically. Hotels can be constructed skywards. There will be many storeys and rooms to accommodate more tourists. This will create more employment opportunities. We know that the Government, in promoting and encouraging industrial development, has given a lot of incentives, for example, a five-year tax exemption period. I feel that if we want to encourage the development of tourism, we should also formulate certain programmes to encourage the tourist promoters and people in this line of business to develop tourism. A large hotel may employ more than 1,000 persons.”
“Sir, from the financial statement of the Minister for Finance, we see that over the last two years the independent Republic of Singapore has made much progress in economic fields. Our economy is progressing by leaps and bounds. The Minister has not proposed any new tax increases, and this shows that our economy is very sound and stable. I also believe that it is due to the efforts of our Government and the people as a whole that we have achieved this state of the economy. However, we should not be complacent. We should redouble our efforts to seek greater means to promote our economic development and growth, so as to further improve the standard of living of our people. We should not be complacent for what we have already achieved. Our country is a regenerating one. We are self-reliant, and we should seek our own economic development ourselves. We must not depend on others. In order to develop our national economy, I would like to make some suggestions to the Minister for Finance. First of all, we should set up a Central Bank in our country. Now that we have our own currency, a national Central Bank is very necessary at this juncture. We owe our livelihood to trade which is one of the main sources of sustenance of our country. And in order to place our commerce and trade on a very stable and firm grounding, we should have a very sound currency to back it up. At the moment, our currency is quite stable and sound among commercial and financial circles which have full confidence in it. So if we do not do what I have suggested, then some people may begin to lose faith in it. So our financial system is still not good enough. I feel that a Central Bank is one of the necessary requirements of our country for our economic development.”
“Will the Minister consider the approval of applications for citizenship by those who do riot possess birth certificates but who voted during the last two general elections?”
“-(I) No citizen shall be banished or excluded from Singapore;' there should also be added a stipulation that: `No citizen shall be deprived of his citizenship;' in order to assuage any fear or doubt of those who have acquired citizenship. But I must stress that in the interest of the Republic we should not apply this safeguard to traitors or spies. At the same time, I would suggest that the Minister should be empowered to take appropriate action against such people. If the provision can be amended to take in what I have suggested, it will be less contradictory or inconsistent. Mr Speaker, Sir, in paragraph 59 (i) of the Report, it is suggested that a small advisory body called the Council of State consisting of 21 members should be set up. If it is to be set up on a very small scale as a consultative advisory body to the Government, the number of members should not be too large; say, between five and nine members would be more ideal. This will reduce expenditure and increase the possibility of members coming to agreement more easily on any matter. Sir, various opinions have been expressed by Members of Parliament on this Report. I would like to express my support for the motion. 5.49 p.m.”
“The provisions relating to the rights and interests of the minority Malays should also cover them. Only then can it be in keeping with the spirit and principle of the multi-racial society of Singapore where there are also multi-lingual, multi-cultural and multi-religious forms and systems. Paragraph 36 recommends that Article 9 of the Malaysian Constitution be amended to provide that no citizen shall be banished or excluded from Singapore and it is recommended by the Commission to be included in the Singapore Constitution. If we accept this, then by this provision we will be able to lessen any worry among people not born here who want to be or have be come citizens of Singapore and they can be assured of their freedom of movement and human rights. This is a necessary human right to be accorded to the people by an elected responsible government and a Parliamentary democracy. But on this point I would point out that it is not mentioned whether such citizenship can be cancelled. Therefore, I would like the Minister to pay attention to this and say whether citizenship can still be deprived when this provision s accepted, namely, the provision that no citizen shall be banished or excluded from Singapore. If this point is not made clear in the provision and a person who has received citizenship has had it cancelled, he will no longer become a citizen of Singapore and may be liable to be banished from Singapore. This is somewhat inconsistent with the provisions in the Report. Therefore, with reference to paragraph 36 of the Report. I suggest in the provision which reads: `9.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, looking at the Report of the Commission as a whole, we can clearly understand that the position of the minorities in Singapore is being respected and protected. There is no racial discrimination or prejudice in this country as can be seen in this Report, and most of the recommendations are very enlightened. All this can make Singapore a model to other countries. But there is still room for improvement to perfect the Republic of Singapore. Therefore, I would like to touch upon the various recommendations of the Report in order to air my views. First of all, we can see clearly from the Report that the special position and the privileges of the Malays are specially stressed. I would like to draw your attention to the rights of one of the minorities. Paragraph 34 refers to Article 89 (2) which provides that the Government shall exercise its functions in such manner as to recognise the special position of the Malays, and to protect their various interests, etc. In other provisions, we can also find the same kind of special care and emphasis on safeguarding the interest of the Malays without seeing any mention about the same safeguards for other minority races. In principle, I support the above protection for the Malays. But obviously the Malays are not the only minority race in our Republic. The Report also points out that in the June 1963 censorship of Singapore, the Chinese comprised 75 per cent, the Malays 14 per cent, the Indians and the Pakistanis 8 per cent, and the rest 3 per cent of the total population. So from this we can see that there are other minority races besides the Malay race. These other minority races should also have their rights and interests protected in the same way by the Government.”
“So I hope the departments concerned will recruit as many of such people as possible who have volunteered to join the services of their own accord. Sir, I support this Bill. 6.07 p.m.”
“We cannot tolerate others to invade us. Our people are youthful, with much energy and spirit, and we should not stand any aggression. The national service we provide now is not the same as that provided during the colonial regime. At that time the people opposed national service vehemently and brought about various riots and violent events, and many youths went to China and other countries to escape serving their colonial masters through national service. But national service today is meant to provide the means for the people to defend their own country. Only when a country exists can a family exist. The country must come first. This should be the thinking of our people. In order to make a country strong, we must make our people strong. Before the passage of this Bill, I would like to raise a few suggestions to the Minister in charge of it. When some students are attending colleges and universities or secondary schools, it is necessary to see to that their call-up will not impede their studies. I agree to what the Parliamentary Secretary has said just now, that we should make use of the long school vacations to give them full-time training. As for those who join national service of their own accord, the Ministry should recruit them whole-heartedly without any reservation. I understand that when such people wanted to join the People's Defence Force or the other services in response to the government's call, their applications were rejected, perhaps for minor physical reasons. But this would deter their enthusiasm. They wanted to join these services not because they wanted to solve their employment problem. They merely wanted to avail themselves of the opportunity to serve their country.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the Minister of Defence may be happy to hear that there are so many unanimous voices supporting the Bill. It seems that there is general agreement on this Bill. Everybody agrees that, for the sake of national defence, every conscientious citizen should have the duty and obligation to support this Bill and take up national service to defend his country. As ours is an independent country - for that matter, a very small one - we cannot rely on foreign forces to defend ourselves. This task must devolve on our own people. Dependence on others for our defence will be detrimental to our dignity. National service will give the youth an opportunity to serve the country. Nobody can deny that the majority of our people have been staying here for many generations. Many of them have been born here and have been brought up here, and their fate is inseparably bound up and intertwined with the fate of our country. We have a common destiny. There are some people who are citizens of Singapore, their hearts are not with Singapore, and in a national crisis these people may perhaps want to escape to other countries. If we had to rely on foreign forces and these people to defend ourselves, then it would be to no avail. National service will provide military training to the youths who have been called up, and will give them a sense of pride. This military service will also make the parents of such youths proud of themselves and proud of their children, because they have the opportunity and the glorious task of defending the people and the country. As a small country, we have no intention of committing aggression against any other country. But when any country intends to invade us or threaten us, we must have the means to see ourselves through such a situation.”
“I withdraw the amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. The sum of $433,670 for Head 1101 ordered to stand part of the Estimates. Head 1104 - The following amendment stood in the name of Mr Lim Cheng Lock - That the sum to be allocated for Head 1104 be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead 1001.”
“I feel that it will be able to speed up development and contribute towards the economic development of Singapore. On matters relating to national development, I will touch on them later.”
“Sir, I feel that under the present Rent Control Ordinance, it is not possible to settle these disputes because the tenants who are protected under this Ordinance take advantage of the situation by asking for excessive amounts of compensation before they remove. On the other hand, those who are not protected under the law cannot get even a single cent before they are forced Out of their homes. Therefore, many unpleasant events take place. I feel this is a very grave social problem facing us. I do not know whether the Minister for Law can formulate any legislation to prevent such events from taking place. I will go a step further and suggest - this has also been suggested by the Member for Choa Chu Kang that if the Minister could set up an arbitration court on rent and land matters, I feel that the tenants will get proper and adequate compensation. The Review Board can look into rent conciliation and the problems of land resettlement. If the Minister is agreeable to the setting up of such a Board or Committee, a Judge can be asked to be its Chairman and the members can consist of the Commissioner of Lands, a lawyer, an architect, an assessor or a valuer. Such a Board or Committee will be able to resolve disputes between landlords and tenants. When the parties concerned cannot come to a settlement, this Board or Committee should be the final Tribunal of Appeal and the parties concerned will have to abide by its decision. Both parties should have the right to be legally represented before the Tribunal and the developer or landlord should meet any expenses for survey of the land. The housing developers should not be allowed to chase out any tenants before a decision is made by the Tribunal or before the land is approved for development by the authorities.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, That the total sum to be allocated for Head 1101 be reduced by $100.* (* See footnote at cols. 919-20) Sir, I would like to ask the Minister for Law whether he is aware that certain disputes arise between tenants and developers in respect of rent and whether he intends to amend the present Rent Control Ordinance to deal with the situation, because the Government is at present encouraging the construction of more houses by developers. He should be aware that within the purview of this law, removals have been enforced in cases of disputes between tenants and developers. The developers are selling houses at higher prices, and so the tenants want a higher compensation. Can the Ministry institute better measures to deal with the situation? For instance, certain tenants who have been asked to remove have requested several hundreds of thousands of dollars as compensation. In fact, this is only a one-sided picture as presented by a certain section of the people. But, in fact, certain capitalists or land-owners make use of the procedure under the law to demolish houses without the payment of a single cent to the tenants. There is a provision in the Rent Control Ordinance which says that all houses built after 7th September, 1947, will not be subject to rent control and that those built before this date - but not in cases where such houses have been demolished and re-built - will be protected by this Ordinance. So the developers usually resort to the provisions in the Rent Control Ordinance to put the tenants in an awkward position. Of course, there are some cases where the tenants request an excessive amount of money as compensation before they remove. All these things contribute to the higher prices of houses.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, let me speak on the Law Division.”
“I wish to speak on rent control which comes under the Law Division.”
“Could the Minister allow me to speak on both of them, because law and national development are subjects dealt with by the Minister? The Chairman: They come under the same Minister. But on what aspect of national development do you wish to speak?”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I know that Head 1101 is the Law Division. But can I have your ruling on the subject on which I wish to speak? I wish to move an amendment to Head 1101, but I would like to speak on both the Law Division and the National Development Division.”
“So I would like to tell you, Mr Speaker, that in future the selection of diplomatic heads of missions must be from professional and well-trained people, so that they will be able to shoulder their responsibilities in a better manner.”
“Mr Speaker, personally I would like to bring up only one point under this Head, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and that is in selecting the heads of diplomatic missions. We all know that when a country is independent, it must set up friendly relationships with other countries. It is no exception for Singapore. Singapore is an international port and so it has a special position to consider. Our commercial activities have been closely linked for a long time with many other countries in the world, so invariably this is reflected in our diplomatic officers, such as High Commissioners and Ambassadors, who include dignitaries from the commercial field. This is no surprise, of course. But I feel that diplomatic officers are experts themselves. They are professional people, they must receive special training, and they must be persons highly qualified academically, because they are quite different from the ordinary civil servants and the ordinary people in our own country. Their activities abroad are supposed to be representative of our own country, and they serve as a bridge between our country and other countries in the world. So on a long-term basis those who represent us abroad in foreign missions must be people who have expert knowledge, like professors and other very knowledgeable persons, comparatively speaking, so that they will be more suitable for this purpose. I do not, for a moment, try to speak ill of the capacity and status of some commercial people. I just want to bring this fact to the attention of the Minister - that if these people from the commercial field have some dealings in business relating to our trade at the same time, I do not know whether there may be a conflict of interests between the two.”
“It is, therefore, a good thing that we should set up commercial and trade relations with China, which is a great nation in Asia. Whether it is for us to do business with them or to sell our finished products to them, is all to our advantage. Perhaps some people may criticise me for making this suggestion, but I would say that if they do so, they are trying to add political colour to purely economic relations. We want to survive. We want to have more prosperity. Therefore, it is necessary that we should send some form of trade mission to China to win over this tremendous market for our country. We must set up some kind of reciprocal trade relations with China. This is necessary and essential. Mr Speaker, I support the financial policy of the Minister for Finance. 4.22 p.m.”
“I would like to talk now about trade relations in Asia as a whole. As we all know, in the past decade it has been the international tendency to switch from international and long-distance trade to short-distance local and regional trade. This is because it has been realised that it is important to have regional co-operation. Short-distance trade will save a great deal of financial and human resources and time, particularly in the case of a backward and emerging country. This kind of trade must be strengthened and consolidated. Our country is positioned in the central part of Asia and it is the gateway to the East and West. So our fate is inseparable from that of the whole of Asia. We have all the facilities and infrastructure for trade and commerce with other Asian countries. We are in a very advantageous position and it is necessary for us to set up new trade links with other countries and strengthen existing ones with other Asian countries. After our independence, several trade missions have been sent to African and East European countries, and, as a result, we have concluded several trade pacts with those countries. But there is one big country in Asia which has been overlooked and with which we have no official relations. I refer to China which has a population of 700 million. This population provides us with a tremendous market which we must not overlook. Undoubtedly we must recognize that our foreign policy is neutral and non-aligned. This is in so far as politics is concerned. But for our survival and for more prosperity, economically speaking, our economic activities must have a wider scope for expansion, since this is in keeping with our policy. We must make friends with more people, irrespective of their political ideology.”
“I believe that, apart from attracting and encouraging foreign capital, our Government must also encourage local and national capitalists to come forward to invest. So certain positive measures must be worked out to attract this frozen idle capital into our local production so that it will become useful capital. I must, of course, stress that, by so doing, we are not going to encourage people in trying to get money through illegal means, but in the past some people did so. So if we encourage them by relaxing certain regulations for the time being or for a certain limited period of time, I think it will be a more realistic approach. Otherwise, as the Minister for Finance has said in his Annual Budget Statement, this capital would invariably be invested in some finance companies which borrow money at high interest rates to be lent out in turn at even higher interest rates, thereby making these finance companies a very risky enterprise, which is no security to the depositors. As far as I am aware, a lot of poor people have saved some money and deposited it in such finance companies. If these finance companies do not have sufficient funds and are engaged in risky enterprises, then the people who suffer will be the poor people who have saved up some money and invested it in these finance companies. It is, therefore, praiseworthy that the Finance Minister is proposing some legislative action against these finance companies. But if the idle capital that I have mentioned just now can be used gainfully, as I have suggested, then a lot of finance companies would not compete among themselves for more deposits at high interest rates, and at the same time the depositors would have their money safely invested in productive enterprises.”
“Therefore, I feel that in order to encourage more capitalists to invest in economic production, it is necessary - in fact, I would say it is a prerequisite - in this context to relax certain regulations. Mr Speaker, Sir, another kind of idle capital comes from our own people. Some of them have capital for which they are unable to account legally because it may be difficult for them to do so. So because of this necessity for them to account for their capital, it remains idle. Mr Speaker, Sir, it is necessary for us to investigate into the sources of income in certain respects, and I do not, in fact, advocate that the Government entirely relaxes all the regulations for this purpose. But there are certain accomplished facts in respect of which we may be able to relax certain regulations. For example, some people might have acquired money through illegal means or through a windfall. But because of the regulations which require them to account for their capital, money or income, they have to hide it away. So, in my view, in order to give further impetus to our economic development, such capital should be made use of. Certain devices may be worked out to encourage people with such capital to come forward to invest. I would suggest that some measures may be worked out so that within a period of six months people with unaccountable income or capital may be allowed to invest within limit in certain kinds of production. We will then have more capital to develop economically. On the other hand, we can also prevent a lot of capital remaining idle. This is a good thing to those who have such idle capital, and it is also a good thing to our nation and society as a whole.”
“In other words, is there not a great deal of idle capital which is hesitant to come forward to invest because of certain restrictions and requirements? This is the question we have to answer. I believe that capital investment is a must for greater economic prosperity. But are we doing our best to attract all available capital - idle or otherwise - into production in the interest of our national survival and social prosperity? Where it is necessary, we can relax certain restrictions and regulations so that, within a short space of time, a great deal of hidden idle capital may also be attracted into production. I have discovered that there are two kinds of idle capital which may be attracted into industry to boost our economic development. Firstly, people who have come to stay here have been residents for many years. Some of them have become permanent residents while others have even become citizens of our country. These people have accumulated some capital outside Singapore - in their country of origin. If they are allowed to bring in their capital from outside for investment purposes, it will be a good thing for our economy. But so far as I am aware, these people have not transferred their liquid assets from foreign countries to Singapore to extend their business here or to invest in fresh enterprises. There is one factor which makes them hesitate to do this. If they transfer their foreign capital or convert their foreign properties into liquid assets here in Singapore, the Government will tax 40 per cent of their capital remitted to Singapore according to the income tax regulations. So a great deal of their capital is knocked off even before it is invested locally. This is not very pleasant for them.”
“Sir, I would like to take this opportunity to raise a few points. Since Singapore achieved independence, it has made remarkable progress and development in various fields, such as economy, culture, education, health and construction. Within a short year, tremendous progress in concrete form has been achieved. Even foreigners who visit Singapore are full of praise for Singapore. It is a credit to the efforts put in by the Government. But as the Prime Minister has said, we must not be complacent about our achievements so far. We must redouble our efforts with a view to greater achievements. Therefore, I would like to take this opportunity to speak on some problems existing in our country. The first question deals with capital which is a driving force behind our economic activities. We all know that the Economic Development Board has played a very important and leading role in the economic development of our country, and its achievements are very impressive and encouraging. It is clear that the Government has made very good progress in encouraging capitalists to come in and invest. Certain concessions have been announced to attract more capitalists and foreign capital into our country. In the Budget Statement, the Minister for Finance: has said that he has been able to add to these concessions. He has announced that certain new concessions will be made to new industries. This is a wise move. I hope that both local and foreign capitalists and investors will take advantage of these concessions by coming here to invest. But there is one point which I would like to bring to the attention of the Government, and that is whether it has been able to attract all available idle capital into industry.”
“Mr Speaker, may I ask the Minister in charge how many families are affected in this area, and how many have been allocated land, and why?”
“Supplementary question, Sir. (In Mandarin): I would like to ask the Minister concerned if he can tell us whether, before the Hongkong stars came to Singapore to stage a show, anybody was sent to Hongkong to negotiate with them, how much was the expense, and who was responsible for this expense.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I would also like to speak on amendment (7)+ in conjunction with this amendment. Would you allow me? + Amendments (7) reads as follows: That the sum to be allocated for Head D 08 to be reduced by $10 in respect of item 006 of subhead 016. 6.45 p.m.”
“It is not really a question of equality of men and women, or women and men.”
“Mr Speaker, I am not speaking on behalf of women. But it seems that there is only one woman Member in this House now - the Member for Delta, The other woman Member is not present now. But I feel that the men in this House should not be too harsh to the Member for Delta. She has mentioned the facilities which should be given to female parking attendants and their allocation of work. In this House there are only two women Parliamentarians who can speak on behalf of women. There are 49 gentlemen here in this House speaking on behalf of the men in Singapore. Since we have more spokesmen for the men in Singapore, of course, we should allow more latitude to the two spokesmen for the women. We should give more consideration to their speeches. I would also urge the Minister or the Parliamentary Secretary concerned not to quibble too much over their request. Madam Chan Choy Siong(In Mandarin): Mr Speaker, I merely want to reply to what the Member for Kampong Kapor has said. Just now the Member for Kampong Kapor has mentioned the principle of equality for men and women, and that the women should do an equal amount of work to show the men. I have said just now that the female car park attendants are no different from the male parking attendants in so far as work is concerned. They both work eight hours a day. What I was saying was that certain facilities should be given to female parking attendants. That is to say, I am referring to the welfare of the female parking attendants. In certain areas, the sites are not suitable for female parking attendants. Of course, I will not go into details about this. Otherwise people will accuse me of talking too much and it will not be becoming of me to talk in great detail about this.”