Chua Sian Chin
Singapore
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I rise to speak on this Bill as a person who had been in Government for many years and before that in legal practice for more than eight years and now back in legal practice. While I was in Government, I had cognizance of the shortcomings of the legal profession.”
“It is 62 members out of a total of 1,335 practising lawyers. This has brought about a situation which no responsible government can let it pass in the public interest. The Government has good reasons to deal with this situation firmly. In fact, the present amendments have only made a small inroad in self-regulation.”
“At the same time, a minority group of activists has also chosen to take on the Government by calling an Extraordinary General Meeting of the Law Society to pass fierce resolutions against the Government. This group comprised only 62 members.”
“Though he has only limited Constitutional powers and acts on the advice of the Cabinet, he is the symbol of the unity, loyalty and aspirations of the people of Singapore.”
“- to hold classes for children of his constituents. What right has he got? The PAP MPs equally have no such rights. It is the right of the Government, if they think so, to have such classes. In fact, through the People's Association, they have been holding kindergarten classes in the community centres.”
“It is the Government who says that, and the Government has the right to say it because they are responsible for the Government of Singapore. And it is not what I say or what you say. Let me turn to the Member for Potong Pasir. He also produced some exhibits which are equally bogus.”
The complete record
Every one of 1,639 lines we hold for Chua Sian Chin, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 10 of 33.
“Sir, may I answer the first point about spouses and children of citizens or permanent residents who are in Singapore on Social Visit Passes and are precluded from seeking employment. May I clarify that there is no such rule? They are not precluded from seeking employment, but before taking on any job they must apply for a work permit if the job does not pay more than $750 per month. In other words, they are treated in the same way as the other job-seekers who apply for work permits. I think they should not be treated more favourably or unfavourably. So long as they satisfy the criteria laid down by the Ministry of Labour for the grant of work permits, they will be granted work permits. But before they work they must apply for a work permit. That is our policy and it is a straightforward matter. For those who earn a salary of more than $750 per month they must apply for Employment Passes, and if they satisfy the criteria then they will be given Employment Passes. The second question is on work permit holders who have defied the Commissioner for Employment in respect of marriage. Their predicament has been brought about by their own selves. Although this is a Ministry of Labour matter, I think it is a policy which has been made known. They have defied the regulations of the Commissioner for Employment and they should know the consequences before embarking on such a marriage. In the work permit policy I think there is a way in which the couple may be able to be together and, that is, to sign a sterilisation bond. That being so, there is no case for a relaxation of the present work permit policy. Therefore, before a couple marry they should first apply to the Commissioner for Employment for permission.”
“Sir, there is such an advisory committee. But membership is limited in number. If we were to invite Backbenchers to sit in the committee, we have to discontinue membership of some of them. But I will think about the point brought up by the Member for Jurong. Whatever it is, I am quite prepared to discuss the question of citizenship, the criteria and so on, in this House or outside the House. If Members have any more questions, I am prepared to answer them.”
“I have said in public the set of criteria for the grant of citizenship, and that criteria can be used by persons who apply, and for Members of Parliament to explain. We cannot and we should not give the reasons in our notice of rejection. There may be a number of reasons why an application has been rejected. If we state the reasons, it can lead to interminable arguments. In fact, the arguments in this debate appear to be interminable. What more if we have it stated in the reply. Because then the applicant will say, "Why must I come under this and that criteria?" I would agree if this is a matter of right. But this is not a matter of right. The grant of citizenship is a privilege and the Authority reserves the right to consider the application on its own merit and make a decision, because the Authority concerned must bear in mind its authority. As the Member for Kim Seng says, "I also have my work and responsibility as a Member of Parliament", so also do I have my work and responsibility as a Minister in looking after the interests of the citizens of Singapore. Our first responsibility is to the citizens of Singapore and the grant of citizenship is a privilege given to non-citizens to become our citizens.”
“Of course, there is a range. A clear example would be if the person is the only non-citizen in the family, that means, his father, mother and brothers are Singapore citizens, then he definitely has got strong family roots in Singapore.”
“I believe the Member for Geylang Serai has a case where the applicant is the only non-citizen in the family. If he can let me know the details of the application, I will look into the matter. But the point is this. There are other factors as well to consider in granting citizenship; as I said, character, background, and so on. If the applicant is the only non-citizen in the family, his chances are very good. So I invite him to let me have the details, and I will look into the matter. The other point which I have to answer the Member for Toa Payoh is about skilled workmen. There again skill is one of the factors. There may be other factors. Whether or not the employer supports his application is something which I do not think the Citizenship Registry should get itself involved. So long as the Citizenship Registry is satisfied that the applicant has got skills and that he will be an asset to Sin a ore and not be a burden, then his application will be favourably considered.”
“Sir, on his first supplementary question as to why he cannot state in the refusal notification that, "If you have further grounds, you may then reapply", the reason is that it begets another question which is, "What are the further grounds?" And so it goes on. It will set off a chain of interminable correspondence. The point is, as I said, the person will know the various criteria in the granting of citizenship. When an application has been rejected, the applicant should more or less know that if he applies again almost immediately, he certainly will not get it. But later on if there is a change in, say, his income, then maybe his chances of getting citizenship would increase, and therefore there is hope for him when he reapplies. Haji Rahmat bin Kenap (Geylang Serai)( In Malay): Sir, in my constituency there is one family in which three of the children have got a pink identity card, but unfortunately the last child has got a blue identity card. Can the Minister inform us of the reasons?”
“May I add that, by and large, people who cannot produce a birth certificate to prove birth in Singapore are able to produce other documentary evidence. On the other hand, I agree that there may be a number of persons who were genuinely born in Singapore but unfortunately were not able to produce proof of it. As I said before, in answer to the Member for Kim Seng, the Government has and will continue to give special consideration to applicants who are blue identity card holders and who are the only non-citizen members in the family. If they were genuinely born in Singapore, by and large, they would come under this category. So they would be given special consideration. As regards giving reasons for rejection, may I say that it is not as simple as all that. A number of factors have to be considered before citizenship applications are approved. One of them is character of the applicant, and so on. It is not possible to state all that in the reply to the applicant. It could lead to interminable argument, particularly when grant of citizenship is not a right. It is quite different from applying for a Housing and Development Board flat where there is a clear income limit placed on the applicant.”
“A labourer with low income and then became a hawker earning a high income, whether he would be granted citizenship. Of course, there are other factors to be considered. As I said, if he can satisfy the criterion in respect of income, it means that he will not be a liability to the country, and therefore his chances are better. Then the Member asked me what if the applicant became a skilled worker. There again, if he is a skilled worker, his chances of getting citizenship are that much better. The Member for Toa Payoh asked me whether elderly people with strong family roots in Singapore and are supported by their children could be granted Singapore citizenship. May I repeat again that, as far as the policy is concerned, those who have strong family roots in Singapore and are unlikely to become a burden to Singapore will be given favourable consideration. However, in granting citizenship to elderly applicants, may I add that we must be certain that there is little likelihood of the children, who are now supporting them, later on abandoning their support. We must also consider the factor, whether the desire for citizenship is not just to get places for the parents in the Home for the Aged, because that will increase our problems. 7.00 p.m. He also asked whether or not special consideration for citizenship would be given to applicants who claimed to be born in Singapore but were unable to produce documentary evidence to support their claim. I say it is not possible to concede that. May I explain why? If we do so, many people who were not born in Singapore will claim birth in Singapore just to obtain that special consideration.”
“But 8,162 applications were rejected. On 28th February 1979, 18,948 applications were pending, which is an improvement over the 23,000 pending at the end of 1977. So it is not that bad. May I explain why there is a backlog of cases? It is mainly due to the fact that those who were rejected again file their applications almost immediately, although their income and family circumstances, etc., have not changed in any way to improve their chances of citizenship. Then the Member asked me about those applicants who have strong family roots and who are the only non-citizen member in the family. May I say that we have been granting citizenship very liberally to this category of applicants. In fact, the number of applications approved has been increased by this category of cases. Sir, I cannot tell the Member offhand how many of these cases were approved. But I can assure him that there were quite a number of such cases. The Member quoted my answer to a previous Question from the Member for Kolam Ayer regarding the criteria for the grant of citizenship. He agreed with some of the criteria but he had reservations on the criteria of liability to the country. May I say that the grant of citizenship is not a right. It is important that when a person is granted citizenship, he should not be a burden to the country. That is the most important thing. There are also other criteria, one of which, of course, is character. If a person is of bad character, I do not think he deserves citizenship. Sir, turning to the Member for Toa Payoh, he wanted to know whether if a person who started off as a worker with a low income - Mr Cheong Yuen Chee: As a labourer.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, may I reply to the Member for Kim Seng first? He is a bit impatient. So I will reply to him first. The Member quoted the backlog of cases for 1977 which was over 23,000. He quoted from Hansard It is true. May I say that this year the position has improved.”
“Sir, the relapse is due to a number of factors, and not just an inadequate number of supervision officers One of the main factors is the weak character of the addict and his family support. If someone can bring him back to his family, always reminding him not to mix with bad company, and he has a steady job, there may not be a relapse. But if he goes back to his former surroundings or former so-called friends who had taken to drug addiction, there may be a relapse. Of course, enforcement is also important. If a reformed drug addict has ready access to drugs, then he may be tempted to go back to drugs. But there are a number of factors. I cannot say if any one factor is responsible for the relapse. This is something which we will have to study further in depth, and perhaps come up with some solution and innovation. I think I have forgotten to answer the Member for Kolam Ayer's question. He said that the Misuse of Drugs Act has been amended once every two years. We amended it because, as I have said, this is a frontier subject. We do not know the total solution. But we are now in a position to know fairly well what the problem is and how to tackle it. I can assure the Member that we do not propose to amend the Misuse of Drugs Act at the moment. Our object is to improve upon our measures on rehabilitation. This is our main emphasis at the moment and it is being directed on the hard-core addicts.”
“Sir, I agree that it is quite complicated. May I explain again? The first figure I gave was 36.6%. This is the relapse rate out of over 8,000 ex-addicts, of over 3,000. As I have said, the figure was calculated from a figure of over 3,000 as a percentage of the base of over 8,000. That is why we get 36%. We have not specified the period. But once we start specifying the period of two years, then we will get a higher relapse rate. That proves the point made by the Member for Kim Seng. That is why it went up to over 66%. That is the position. But as I have said, as far as the 66% rate of recidivism is concerned, it is too early to say anything because we have only over 300 supervisees who have undergone the two-year period of supervision. I think we must wait for another six or nine months when more drug supervisees would have undergone the two-year period of supervision before we can come to a definite figure of relapse. I hope the rate of recidivism will be as low as it is reasonably possible to achieve.”
“Sir, I have not much to say after the eloquent speech of the Member for Kim Seng. I only wish to clarify one point. I did not say that drug addicts are lazy and that they do not want to work. I did not say that. What I said was that we should not assume that every one of them wants to work. That was what I said, and I gave figures. I think that is a fair and correct statement. The Member should please not twist my remarks with his eloquence. Besides clarifying that point, may I say that I share the views of the Member with regard to job placement. The point is that everyone must try his very best. The Government and the private employers must do their bit for the ex-drug addicts. The crux of the matter is, where do we place them? I think they should be placed in jobs which will not lead them back to drugs. The last point made by the Member concerns the relapse rate, when he says, the longer the period the higher the percentage of relapse. I am sorry I attributed that remark to the Member for Kampong Kembangan. I withdraw that. I should not attribute that wise remark to the Member for Kim Seng.”
“Sir, my reply is that we have been cooperating very closely. The Central Narcotics Bureau and their counterpart in Malaysia have been cooperating very closely with a view to solving a mutual problem, and as a result of cooperation some drug traffickers have been arrested. But I do not think I should disclose more, otherwise we will be revealing our strategy.”
“Under this category, in January and February this year, 190 persons with negative urine test result were committed for medical examination and observation, and the medical officers reported that 140 persons or 73.6% exhibited distinct clinical symptoms of drug withdrawal syndrome consistent with narcotic addiction. They were put in the drug rehabilitation centre for treatment. I think I have answered all the points. If I have left out any, I would like Members to raise it and I would answer it.”
“And people are likely to be arrested on suspicion of having consumed drugs illegally if: (i) They appear to be in a daze or stupor in public places; (ii) They are found in places where drug abuse is known to have occurred; (iii) They make contact with drug pushers; (iv) They are seen in the company of known drug addicts; and (v) They are caught in possession of drugs or in the company of others who have drugs. Of course, some spot checks will be made now and then but they will not be arrested unless they fall under any of these conditions which I have just enumerated. In other words, innocent people are therefore unlikely to be arrested. The Member has brought up the point that among those arrested and who had their urine tested, from quite a number of them it was found that their urine samples did not contain narcotics. That is true. But may I say that, if the urine sample does not show traces of narcotics, it does not mean that the person is not a drug addict. On the other hand, if the urine sample is positive, then of course that person is proved to be a drug addict; not necessarily the other way round. Perhaps the Member for Kim Seng who is a medical man, or the Member for Mountbatten who is a chemist, or the Member for Buona Vista could attest to this. In cases of heroin or morphine, one can see traces of it, but in the case of cannabis, if a person is addicted to cannabis or MX pills, one cannot see traces of it but that does not mean he is not a drug addict. Nevertheless, if a person appears to be in a state of stupor, under the law he can be sent for observation and the doctors can see whether he suffers from withdrawal symptoms. If he does, then he will be certified a drug addict and he will be sent to the drug rehabilitation centre for his own good.”
“In fact, some volunteer groups are already visiting the DRCs for this purpose. As far as the Member for Kampong Kembangan is concerned, he has gathered a group of volunteer counsellors from his constituency. In fact, there is no objection to his volunteer counsellors doing the same thing. However, owing to the large number of SANA and constituency volunteer counsellors, a system will have to be worked out so that the visits of counsellors will not disrupt the functioning of the DRCs. For this purpose, SANA will be asked to coordinate. In fact, on the Member for Kampong Kembangan's suggestion, counselling courses geared to the needs of each constituency will be conducted if an MP so requests and volunteer counsellors are available. I would like to say that SANA will be conducting the first of such courses on 26th March this year for Kampong Kembangan constituency, and more courses will be conducted if there are at least 50 counsellors for each course. The Member for Kampong Kembangan has brought up the point that in making arrest of drug addicts the enforcement officers should behave correctly and not allow their actions to be interpreted as a harassment and high-handed. I agree with him entirely. But I would like to assure the Member that the officers do not make indiscriminate arrests. To make an arrest, an enforcement officer must first of all have reasonable suspicion that an offence has been committed. Reasonable suspicion is drawn from: 1. Information which has been verified by investigation, or 2. Observation of suspicious behaviour or circumstances.”
“As far as relapses are concerned, there are many reasons why drug addicts go back to drugs. The two common reasons are frustration with life and problems with parents and girl friends. But underlying these reasons is the fact that addicts are basically weak in character, and this is the basic problem which we are up against. Because they are weak in character they try to escape from the realities of life instead of facing them. If only they would face the realities, then we would have won. But, nevertheless, it is important that every help is given to the ex-addicts and addicts to overcome this problem. I come to the point brought up by the Member for Kampong Kembangan about the families of these drug addicts, that is, the emphasis on family ties. He has brought up a very important point. Some of them became drug addicts because the families did not care for them. If only the families had cared for them and had time for them, then I think this problem would not have arisen in the first place. But, nevertheless, this has happened and they have taken drugs. If the families now realise the abdication of their responsibility and they want to make up for it, every encouragement is given to the families to come forward and help the drug addict on the long and arduous journey back to normal life. Not only families are encouraged to help him but also members of the public to volunteer as counsellors. This is the point which has been brought up by the Member for Kampong Kembangan. Every facility will be given for these volunteer counsellors to get to know the addicts early while they are still in the DRCs so that their counselling can be facilitated after their release. The counsellors must get to know them.”
“We use whatever manpower available for supervision. We have been using part-time national servicemen in the Special Constabulary and Vigilante Corps for urine tests when the supervisees come for the test every five days. Of course, we cannot just depend only on part-time personnel to do the work. So we employ 67 full-time supervisee officers to do the work. There again, we found them to be not sufficient. We are requesting the Establishment Division for more posts of supervisee officers. Apart from supervision that is done by the Central Narcotics Bureau, we also have supervisees who are being counselled by SANA volunteer counsellors. In other words, it is again a two-pronged approach. One is strict supervision by supervision officers working under the Central Narcotics Bureau. At the same time we have volunteer counsellors who counsel the supervisees and they are trained and organised by SANA. 6.15 p.m. The Member for Bedok asked me whether a study has been undertaken to find out what happens to ex-drug addicts after rehabilitation and release from the DRCs. No such study has been made. However, it would have been clear from what I have said about recidivism and supervision that my Ministry is monitoring closely the behaviour of ex-drug addicts during their two-year period of supervision after release from the DRCs.”
“The 3,210 supervisees relapsed at various points of time during the two-year supervision. Another way of measuring recidivism is to calculate the percentage of supervisees who successfully completed the two-year supervision. That is the point made by the Member for Kampong Kembangan. The longer the period, the more relapses he gets. However, since the supervision scheme has been functioning for only 2 1/2 years, at the moment the number who have completed the two-year supervision period is only 358. Out of the 358, 238 have relapsed, giving the recidivism rate as high as 66.5%. However, it is too early to say that this is the correct recidivism rate, since only a small number has completed the two years. Whatever it is, progress has been made because before this we have recidivism rates of 80% to 90%. As I say, these figures of recidivism are still tentative and I am sure we will get the correct recidivism rate in another six to nine months. I am confident that with all that we are doing, concentrating on rehabilitation, we will get a low rate of recidivism, as far as is humanly possible. The Member for Kim Seng asked whether we have any figures to compare with the experience of other countries. I am afraid we have not got the recidivism rate figures from any other country. But I am told that the recidivism rate in other countries, particularly the developed countries, is very high, 80-90%. So we are now on a frontier subject. We have to pursue it from our own experience. I am quite confident that, now that we have contained the problem, we will put emphasis on rehabilitation. I think we can bring down the rate of recidivism as low as possible. I come to the point made by the Member for Punggol. He asked whether we have got sufficient staff to supervise them well.”
“As Members know, this is because our legal system allows for appeal right up to the Privy Council, and if the Privy Council turns down the appeal, then the person is executed. Of course, before execution, he can appeal to the President for clemency. That takes time. That is why only two were executed last year. One of them was detained at the President's pleasure because of age. The remaining 13 are awaiting appeal. Another three traffickers have been charged and are awaiting trial in the High Court, and they will suffer the death penalty, if convicted. Let me answer the question on supervision and the number of drug addicts in our rehabilitation centres at the moment. First, the number of addicts who are now in our rehabilitation centres. On 15th March, 1979, there were 3,263 addicts in the DRCs; 3,011 are males and 252 are females. Between 1st August 1976 and the end of January 1979 a total of 9,657 ex-addicts were placed under our supervision scheme. May I explain our supervision scheme? Our supervision scheme for drug addicts is over a period of two years immediately after the ex-drug addict is released from the DRCs. Out of these 9,657 ex-addicts under supervision, a number of these supervisees were subsequently taken out of the scheme. They include those who were enlisted for national service and those who were sentenced to imprisonment for non-drug offences. So there remains after the deduction 8,732 supervisees. Out of this figure, 3,210 have since relapsed. In other words, the recidivism rate is 36.8%, which is arrived at by computing the 3,210 supervisees, who relapsed, as a percentage of 8,732 supervisees. If that is the rate of recidivism, then I say we have done well. In fact, this is only an apparent rate. Let me explain.”
“He knows what he is talking about because he himself is involved in helping these people in his constituency. 216 or 33.3% were found unsuitable for reasons other than the fact that they were ex-addicts. They were not found suitable not because they were ex-addicts but for other reasons. The remaining 58 or 9% are still awaiting the results of their applications. As I said, it must not be assumed that all ex-addicts are eager to work. Among the 217 ex-addicts who rejected job offers, some said that the salary was inadequate. There were also some who considered the workplace too far from home. Nevertheless SANA will continue to persuade more employers to take in ex-addicts as part of their contribution to rehabilitation. I would also like to appeal personally to all employers to do their bit by employing ex-addicts. I also know that the Labour Ministry has also joined in this effort and the Employment Service of the Labour Ministry is now working closely with SANA. They are also trying their best to get employment for ex-drug addicts. May I answer some of the points brought up by the Member for Punggol. He has again raised the matter of confidentiality of information given by members of the public to the narcotics officers. I have stated that the officers have a duty to keep the information confidential and they cannot breach it. If they breach it they are com mining an offence. The Member for Punggol asked me about drug enforcement against drug traffickers, how many have been sentenced to death and how many have been hanged. Since 12th December when the provision for the death penalty was introduced for trafficking of drugs exceeding a certain amount, 16 traffickers have been sentenced to death by the High Court. Of these, two were executed last year. Why only two?”
“But as the Minister for Home Affairs, I would like to say this: on principle, if a person has been on drugs but he has been rehabilitated, he should be employed. But the question is, where do you employ him? So it is a question of job placement in the various Government departments and statutory boards. You must not put him in sensitive jobs. 6.00 p.m. May I explain what I mean by sensitive jobs? It is just like putting him in a place where we inadvertently put him to some temptation. For example, we employ him and put him in charge of a Government outpatient clinic, or even in the Accident and Emergency Unit. I do not think we should put him there because, as we know, they can have access to things like barbiturates, morphines, and so on. On principle, there is no reason why Government departments and statutory boards should not take them in, but it is a question of the right department and the fight type of job. As far as job placement is concerned, besides the Government departments and statutory boards, the private firms and organisations should also do their bit for the ex-drug addict, because it is a national problem and by helping them with jobs they are helping to solve a national problem. For this, the Singapore Anti-Narcotics Association (SANA) has started a job placement scheme for ex-addicts. By the end of February 1979, SANA was able to get 140 private organisations and firms to pledge employment for ex-addicts. A total of 649 ex-addicts applied for jobs in these organisations. Of the 649 applicants, 158 or 24.3% were successfully placed in jobs, whereas 217 or 33.4% rejected jobs offered to them. That illustrates the point brought up by the Member for Kampong Kembangan.”
“Sir, I am also glad to say that we have contained the drug addiction problem in the sense that there are now fewer new addicts joining the drug addict population. I think this is an achievement because unless we are able to prevent new addicts from addiction, we will never solve the problem. May I just give Members some figures with regard to this. During the last Budget debate in March last year, I informed the House that the drug problem had been contained and I gave the figures as follows - the ratio of new addicts, meaning those not on CNB record, to old addicts, meaning those on CNB records. Those figures were: Persons arrested in January 1978, last year, the ratio of old to new addicts was 0.85:1. However, in January this year this ratio has fallen sharply to 0.21:1. In summary, this indicates that the number of persons who become addicts has been drastically reduced and our problem now is primarily confined to dealing with hard-core addicts. That is why I say that we are now emphasising on tackling the problem of rehabilitation. I agree with the various Members, including the Member for Kampong Kembangan, that one of the problems which we have to solve is the employment of ex-drug addicts, in other words, when they are released they should be found jobs. With regard to the question on the policy of Government departments and statutory boards towards taking ex-drug addicts into the service, the new Minister for Trade and Industry, speaking as the Senior Minister of State for Finance in charge of the Establishment, had explained to the House the policy of the Government. This was in answer to the question raised by the Member for Khe Bong. I do not want to elaborate further what he has said.”
“With regard to drug trafficking and drug pushing, I can definitely say that there has been a decrease of drug pushing and trafficking in Singapore. In 1977, 348 drug traffickers and pushers were arrested. Although there was no let-up in enforcement, only 289 traffickers and pushers were arrested in 1978. The decrease in drug trafficking and pushing is clearly illustrated when one compares the 1978 first half-year figure of arrests to the second half-year figure. In the first half of 1978, 196 traffickers and pushers were arrested whereas in the second half, only 83 such persons were arrested. Sir, since Operation Ferret started in April 1977 up to 15th March this year, a total of 11,411 addicts were sent to drug rehabilitation centres. In addition, 2,557 persons were prosecuted in court and 1,882 were referred to the SAF for further action. The drug pushing network has been disrupted and drug addicts no longer carry out their activities blatantly in public places. However, as I said, some of them have now turned to barbiturates as a substitute which they usually take with alcohol. The abuse of barbiturates became noticeable in August last year when there was an increase in the number of persons admitted to hospitals in a state of coma due to barbiturate poisoning, because barbiturates when taken in large quantities is a poison and can kill. At the peak, in the month of September 1978, there were 45 barbiturate-coma cases a month in hospitals. However, our enforcement action against the abuse of barbiturates by addicts has kept the problem in check and the number of comatose cases, I am glad to say, has now come down to 19 in February this year.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, may I start with answering the Member for Kim Seng. The Member has stated quite correctly that although we have contained the problem of drug addiction, we are still a long way off. The picture is not so rosy because it is an enormous problem. May I say that drug enforcement and rehabilitation is a continuing battle. In the event of our succeeding in combating one aspect of it, something else crops up and we have to follow up. It is a battle which we have to wage without any let-up whatsoever. When enforcement against traffickers and pushers results in drying up supplies of heroin and cannabis in Singapore, addicts would cross the Causeway to purchase and smuggle small quantities into Singapore on their return. We therefore deny drug supervisees travel documents. This reduced but could not eliminate the ant trafficker going through the Woodlands checkpoint. So what we have done is to use narcotic detector dogs at the Woodlands checkpoint to help us to intercept. Numerous small amounts of heroin and cannabis are secreted under the seats of passenger buses. We have managed to make it difficult for even small quantities of drugs to come in through the Causeway. But as soon as we have done that, we find that some of the addicts have now switched over to barbiturates, I think the Member for Kim Seng being a medical doctor will understand this. So my Ministry has been in consultation with the Ministry of Health which, in turn, is seeking the cooperation of private medical practitioners to monitor the situation and to prevent drug supervisees from getting hold of barbiturates. From heroin, they have now gone to barbiturates.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir. may I answer the Member for Kolam Ayer first? He has brought up an interesting point. As I said, we use all ways and means to put across the road safety message. So if we use one slogan which cannot put across the message to some people but it does to some other people, then if there is a suggestion to reverse the message and it can be put across effectively, we will use it. Perhaps we may use both. As regards the Member for Anson, I agree that the language of the road sign he mentioned is not very appropriate. In fact, what we have been doing for such dangerous junctions is to put up a sign of a skull meaning, "If you do not drive carefully, you may end up like this." Mr Ch'ng Jit Koon( In Mandarin): Sir, I beg leave to withdraw my amendment. Amendment by leave, withdrawn.”
“Perhaps the car in question did not have the flashing light which they ought to have. If that was the case, I agree with the Member that it would cause a danger to other road users. The Member for Khe Bong has also got a case. He said there was a delay of about one month in the issue of a summons. If he gives me the details, I am sure I can answer him why it has taken so long. In fact, it should not take that long. The normal time taken is about two weeks. The Member for Khe Bong also said that after having been issued with a summons one month later, he has forgotten about the offence. I do not think that anyone can easily forget a traffic offence after a lapse of one month.”
“With regard to the Member for Jalan Kayu, he asked whether it is legal for Traffic Policemen to use unmarked cars. I say, it is legal for them to use unmarked cars. But more interesting is his question about unmarked cars; that in chasing after an offending motorist who is reckless or a hell-driver, whether that might not cause a danger. For the information of the Member, although the car is unmarked they always have a police light or blinker. As soon as they go on a chase, they will put the blinker on the roof of the car and switch it on. It will then be no longer unmarked. We cannot say, therefore, that an unmarked police car cannot be identified when they are chasing an offender.”
“If the trend towards fewer serious accidents continues and our road users are constantly being educated and motivated to behave correctly, the number of persons killed and seriously injured on our roads in 1979 may become, I hope, the lowest in the past 15 years. Turning to the next point on enforcement, the Member for Changi said that many motorists got away scot-free because there were no policemen around. On the other hand, the Member for Jalan Kayu said that some of them had been summoned because the traffic policemen stood behind trees, or even up the trees, as suggested by my predecessor, to catch them. May I say that the reason for the selective enforcement policy is that we cannot have policemen everywhere at all road junctions. It is not possible. So we must be selective, and concentrate on those offences which are likely to result in accidents. That is why the Traffic Accident Study Unit undertook an in-depth study of accidents, and they have now come to the conclusion that certain types of drivers are more prone to accidents. That is why a study of the profiles of the various types of drivers will aid them in their selective enforcement. The Member for Changi complained that many motorists have got away with indiscriminate parking. It may well be that in certain circumstances they could have got away but, as I have said, in our enforcement policy we concentrate on major and serious offences. It ought to be so. But if illegal parking results in obstruction to traffic, then I think it is no longer a minor offence but a serious offence. If the Member for Changi knows of cases of illegal parking which result in obstruction and traffic jams, of course, I would be happy if he could inform me of the place and enforcement will be effected.”
“The aim of the traffic games is to teach the young the importance of road safety in their different roles as road users. Now, may I turn specifically to the Member for Changi. He said that in spite of all that had been done to enforce the law and also the points demerit system which, he said, was good, yet the situation had not improved. I cannot agree with him because the situation has improved. A test of whether or not the situation has improved cannot be based on the number of convictions we get or the number of summonses we issue but on the accident rate. I have told the Traffic Department, particularly the officers in charge, that that is the test of whether their strategy of an educational programme and of selective enforcement has been a success or not. Nobody can doubt the validity of that test, that is, whether the number of traffic accidents, particularly deaths and serious accidents, have declined. I do not think the officer in charge can be foolish enough to tell his officers, "Bring in more summonses and you will get a promotion", because that will not help him. The only thing that will help him is to show quality enforcement. In other words, he must catch the dangerous and reckless drivers who are the cause of accidents rather than those who park illegally unless they cause obstruction. Let me give some statistics to prove my point that the accident figures indicate that the current traffic police policy of selective enforcement and education is producing favourable results. From September 1978 to January 1979, a total of 122 people were killed and 965 seriously injured in traffic accidents. On the other hand, for the same period last year, the figures were 155 persons killed and 1,486 seriously injured.”
“This manual will be comprehensive and authoritative, highlighting the various aspects of road safety, such as the Highway Code, traffic offences, signs, accidents, their causes and how to prevent them. Though the manual has been prepared with the drivers in mind, there are also sections for other road users. Care has been taken to see that the manual is simple yet comprehensive. It has also been attractively designed in its layout, with 150 full colour photographs and 200 illustrations. This is not a public relations job, but for information and education. The manual will be available in the English and Chinese editions, and should the need arise editions in the other languages will also be produced. It will be sold at a nominal price. I hope that the manual will be read by all road users, especially motorists, and it can be kept in the glove compartment of the vehicle for ready reference. I would like to mention here that some credit should be given to the Member for Kim Seng who, Members will recall, brought to our attention in last year's Budget debate the need for such information to be made available to our road users. He rightly pointed out that a large number of road users were not fully conversant with the Highway Code. In order to convincingly prove his point, he even considered himself as one of those not fully conversant with the Highway Code. I was thus fully convinced and, as a result, we are going to have a road safety manual. In addition, the Traffic Police, in conjunction with the Ministry of Education, the Public Works Department and a sponsor in the private sector, is planning a traffic games garden. A three hectare site at the East Coast Park has been allocated for that purpose.”
“Sir, if some members of the public are not convinced, I cannot help it. I have stated quite clearly the two-pronged strategy of selective enforcement and education. Sir, a Traffic Accident Study Unit was formed in September 1978 to carry out research into the causes of accidents and to make recommendations to reduce the number of serious accidents. Profiles of dangerous and accident-prone road users were drawn up. Accident prone locations were also identified. Recommendations on engineering improvement, optimal deployment of patrol officers and road safety education were made. As a result of these studies, an educational programme was devised. The studies revealed that the main cause of accidents is the careless and negligent behaviour of road users whether they be drivers or pedestrians. I think the Member for Tiong Bahru has referred to the various publicity media that are used. One is the press when every Monday a message is put across to the public in all the language newspapers. We even advertised these messages during football matches in the National Stadium Sir, for the young we have road safety campaigns, such as safe cycling and rallies. Traffic games are also conducted. During festive and rainy seasons motorists are reminded to be more careful, by way of advice, about the dangers of alcohol and the hazards of wet weather. Every means available is used to put across the road safety messages. So it is not just enforcement. Education must also follow hand-in-hand, Besides all the publicity, it is felt that there is a real need for information on road safety to be made readily available to road users, particularly drivers, in a handy and durable form. The traffic police has, therefore, embarked on the important project of producing a road safety manual.”
“That Traffic police officers have to bring in a certain quota of offenders. May I have clarification on that?”
“Sir, as is expected, as far as the performance of the Police is concerned, we get compliments as well as brickbats. That is life, Sir. First of all, I would like to thank the Member for Tiong Bahru for complimenting the Traffic Police road education programme. It is rare, as can be seen from the beginning of this debate, particularly in a Budget debate, for the Traffic Police to be complimented. But, Sir, I have no apologies for this. I think they deserve it for they are tackling a difficult task with determination and imagination. Sir, may I elaborate on the method of tackling this problem. To reduce road accidents, the Traffic Police has to adopt a two-pronged strategy of selective enforcement and education of road users. They concentrate their enforcement on motorists who commit dangerous acts and serious traffic offences. The education programme, on the other hand, serves to remind all road users about the hazards of road traffic and to teach them the correct behaviour on the roads. This is the policy and the measure which they have been taking. 4.00 p.m. The oft-repeated question about traffic policemen having to bring in a quota of offenders is all nonsense. I think it is a figment of the imagination. Maybe the Member for Jalan Kayu has heard it from someone who, in turn, has heard it from yet another person. It is not true at all. If it is true, I would like more information on the matter and I will certainly investigate on it. Mr Hwang Soo Jin: Sir, I did not hear the Minister quite clearly. Would the Minister repeat what is not true?”
“Sir, as I said, statistics alone is not good enough. It is the rapport and the cooperation between the Member of Parliament and the community leaders and the police that is more important. Therefore, I do not think we should go further into the debate on the supply of statistics because it will be a futile one and it will not end up with better cooperation and rapport.”
“Sir, I think statistics alone - maybe the Member for Whampoa will agree - will not convey very much unless it is accompanied with explanations, and so on. If the Member for Kampong Kembangan has been receiving these statistics on a revised format which he himself has agreed to, and if he requires further explanation, then I am sure there will be further explanation by the Officer-in-Charge of the Joo Chiat Police Division, which covers his constituency. It is not that the Police do not want to reveal more information than what is required by the Member of Parliament or the community leaders. It is only that the Police must act responsibly and not divulge unnecessary information. These are very personal information, pertaining maybe to very young offenders who may thereby be stigmatised. Surely there is rapport between the Officer-in-Charge of the Division and the Member of Parliament of the constituency within that Division, as in the case of Toa Payoh mentioned by the Member for Whampoa, and moreover the Member for Kampong Kembangan and the community leaders in Kampong Kembangan are also engaged with Project Libra where there is close cooperation. I fail to see why these statistics cannot be more meaningful if the request is made for clarification of the crime or drug situation in his constituency. As I say, mere supply of statistics is a very impersonal thing. It will not help very much unless it is accompanied with clarification and explanation.”
“The Commissioner also did not agree to provide information on the location of the offence, age of the offender, and date and time of the offence, because it would involve a lot of unnecessary work. The Commissioner then suggested a revised format for supplying the monthly statistics. This revised format will indicate for each type of offence whether the offenders are from within the constituency or outside and the age range of offenders. That was a letter sent to the Member for Kampong Kembangan by the Commissioner of Police. The hon. Member in his reply to the Commissioner agreed to the modified format. May I refer to his reply, Sir, because I think it will be clear if I just read a few excerpts from the reply. It says: 'I am grateful for the advice you have given me and I appreciate the legal implications for requesting the addresses of arrested persons. I am also grateful for your comments that offenders residing within the constituency might have been committing crimes outside the constituency. And as such the statistics which I requested for previously may not reflect the complete and true picture. I appreciate the consequent workload that would involve if the original statistics I have requested for are to be supplied on a monthly basis. I am therefore agreeable to your proposed format.' Sir, I am quite surprised that the Member raised this matter again because I thought this matter has been closed. May I just refer to the proposed format* which was agreed? Mr Speaker, Sir, I think this is sufficient crime statistics (Cols. 901 - 902) to indicate the crime and drug situation in the constituency concerned. Besides, this format has already been agreed upon. crime statistics (Cols. 901 - 902)”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I entirely agree with the sentiments expressed by the Member for Kampong Kembangan. I also agree that the MP and the community leaders who are interested in the crime situation or drug addiction situation in the constituency be given information on these matters. But the crux of the matter or disagreement is how much information and what sort of information can be given that is sufficient for such cooperation and rapport. Sir, since the matter was brought up by the Member for Kampong Kembangan earlier in the Budget debate, and he referred to the correspondence which he had with the Commissioner of Police on this matter, I have with me here copies of the relevant correspondence between the Member and the Commissioner of Police. Sir, the Commissioner of Police did not agree to provide to the Member details, such as the names, addresses of offenders and the results of court proceedings, for good reasons which he stated in his letter to the hon. Member. The reasons are: 'Firstly, the disclosure might bring about civil suits for damages against the Police by offenders, if they were subsequently acquitted or discharged by the court. Secondly, it would be a breach of the law under the Children and Young Persons Act and the Probation of Offenders Act to disclose the findings of guilt of young offenders.' Finally, there was the question of the social stigma the offenders would have to bear if the Police were to divulge information of their arrest, particularly if the offences were minor, and these laws, Mr Speaker, Sir, cover not only disclosure to ordinary members of the public but also Members of Parliament and community leaders. I am saying this not in any disparaging context.”
“Moreover, it would also be in the interest of the Police to ensure that Members of Parliament understand the true situation of crime in their constituency. Of course, if there is anything which is especially confidential, surely the Police can request the Members of Parliament to be discreet in the use of such statistics and to limit the circulation and distribution of such statistics. Sir, may I know whether the Minister has plans to design a comprehensive crime statistics and reporting system and to make it available to Members of Parliament on a regular basis so as to help Members of Parliament understand and be aware of the crime profile of their constituency and gear the community service function of the constituency towards effective prevention and control of crime.”
“Secondly, in all constituencies, we have already established community organisational networks and structures, like the CCC and its subsections, residents' committees, youth groups, sports organisations and, usually, the Members of Parliament have very close rapport with these organisations in the constituency. In other words, they constitute the ready-made machinery for transmitting crime control programmes and for their implementation at grass-roots level with close support of community leaders. Thirdly, these community leaders and members of civic organisations in the constituency are leaders and members of the very society where crimes occur. With them and through them, it will be very much easier for the Police to seek closer rapport with and strong support from the community in removing the sources of or factors for crime. If the Police really desire to get the strong cooperation and support of these community organisations and their leaders and members, and if they want the support to be meaningful and effective, then I should think the best way to achieve this is by helping leaders in these organisations to understand the true picture of the crime situation. Therefore, for this purpose, the preparation and use of comprehensive crime statistics of the constituency will be extremely useful to community leaders and will indeed make preventive and rehabilitative programmes against crime more effective. I am aware, Mr Speaker, Sir, that the Police statistics are often confidential in nature. But then surely the Police and Members of Parliament can work out some agreed schemes or procedures to ensure confidentiality.”
“Sir, I said, "two cases recently." The case brought up by the Acting Minister for Social Affairs was brought up last year. Amendment by leave, withdrawn. Encik Mansor Haji Sukaimi (Kampong Kembangan): Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head Q be reduced by $10 in respect of Subhead Code QD-02 of the Main Estimates. Sir, during the debate on the Estimates for the Prime Minister's Office, I raised the question on statistics on crime, including drug offences, which could be usefully supplied to community leaders so that they could understand the crime profile of their respective constituencies. The Senior Minister of State (Prime Minister's Office) assured us that he would consult the Hon. Minister for Home Affairs on this matter. I would like to seek clarification from the Hon. Minister for Home Affairs on this point. It will indeed be helpful to Members of Parliament if they know what crimes are being committed in their respective constituencies, where they are being committed, why are they committed, at what time, the age group of the crime offenders, and so on. With such information, I think it will be easier for Members of Parliament, members of the Citizens' Consultative Committees, youth groups, sports and civic organisations in the constituencies to work together in helping the Police to reduce the crime rates in the constituencies. 3.15 p.m. The roles of the Member of Parliament and community leaders are especially critical on these matters. This is so because of a number of reasons. Firstly, the Member of Parliament fortunately is usually well received by his constituents. As a result, his personal involvement in studying problems of crime and in seeking ways and means to reduce them would ensure greater impact.”
“Sir, with regard to breach of confidentiality, I cannot say off-hand how many cases have been brought to the notice of my Ministry. As far as I know, recently only two cases have been brought up by the Member for Punggol.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I do not know exactly the import of the Member's remarks. I thought I have already stated quite clearly that the two cases which he brought to the attention of my Parliamentary Secretary are under investigation. As soon as it has been concluded, a decision will be taken on whether or not they have been substantiated. If they have been substantiated, then action will be taken to punish the offenders.”
“They are under investigation under the direction of my Parliamentary Secretary, the Member for Aljunied, who raised such a matter in 1976. I am quite sure that the Member for Punggol will be quite confident that there will be a thorough and impartial investigation into his complaint. May I also add that I have full confidence in my Parliamentary Secretary's ability and determination to do just that.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I cannot but entirely agree with the Member for Punggol that the Police and the CNB officers should never disclose the source of all information. Such disclosures in breach of confidentiality will undermine the trust of the public in both the Police and the CNB. Sir, I am indeed grateful to the Member for having read the relevant excerpts of my speech which I made in the 1976 Budget debate on this matter. I do not think I need to restate the lengthy explanation which I made in that debate as a result of the answer to the amendment moved by the Member for Aljunied who was then a Backbencher and who now happens to be my Parliamentary Secretary. Mr Speaker, Sir, whatever information is given to the Police is confidential information and the same goes for information given to the Narcotics officers. In fact, upon their appointment, Police officers and the CNB officers sign an undertaking to safeguard official information under the Official Secrets Act (Cap. 223). They are liable to face prosecution if they breach this undertaking. Any Police officer or CNB officer who is found to have divulged confidential information to unauthorised persons will be dealt with severely, including prosecution in court. However, to be fair we must also bear in mind that there is always a possibility that such allegations may not be true. To do justice to both sides, every case will, therefore, have to be thoroughly and impartially investigated. Mr Speaker, Sir, I believe that the Member for Punggol has chosen to move this amendment because he had written to my Parliamentary Secretary lodging a complaint in respect of two cases. May I say that the two cases are now under investigation.”
“These proposals take into account the trend that new recruits to the Immigration Service have better educational qualifications and unless career prospects am improved they may not remain in the service for long. My Ministry is now awaiting a reply from the Ministry of Finance. I believe that the matter can be amicably concluded. As for working environment of Immigration Officers, improvements have been made wherever possible, such as the provision of more spacious rest rooms and canteens. The Department has also provided life-jackets, rain-jackets, gloves and oil-resistant footwear for those officers who have to board vessels in the course of their work. I therefore disagree with the Member that the morale of the Immigration Officers now is low. The figures he quoted, which he said came from the AUPE, indicate that there were only seven resignations in 1978 as compared to 45 in 1977. May I correct him that the Exit Control Scheme was introduced on the 3rd January 1978 and not in 1977 as stated by him. Therefore, it follows that his conclusion that the highest number of resignations in 1977 must have affected the effectiveness of the control over foreign visitors cannot be correct.”
“Sir, the short answer to the Member for Serangoon Gardens is yes. May I just elaborate on what I promised to do in the last Budget debate and what has been done. During the last Budget debate I remember that the Member for Serangoon Gardens brought up three grievances of Immigration Officers. The first grievance was that some officers had to travel great distances to checkpoints, and my reply was that the officers in many other services were in a similar situation. The second grievance was that officers working at headquarters were favoured for assignment to the Task Force. I reassured the Member that selection for the Task Force was based on the merits of individual officers and not where they had been working at. The third grievance was on low pay for Immigration Officers. I said at that time that I did not think the problem was as serious as the Member had made it to be, but I promised to look into the matter. Sir, my Ministry undertook a review of the Immigration Scheme of Service. In October last year, a set of proposals to adjust the salary scales in the service was submitted to the Ministry of Finance. One of the proposals is to upgrade Immigration Officers from Division IV to Division III and place them on the same salary scale as Customs Officers. I believe that was one of the grievance brought up. The starting salary on the proposed scale will remain the same but the maximum will be $120 more than the existing scale. Another proposal put up is that Immigration Officers will be eligible for promotion to Division II if they pass a qualifying examination.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, fifty-three work permit holders who have signed the Sterilization Bond have been granted permanent residence. Work permit holders who have signed the Sterilization Bond are only considered for permanent stay if they are (a) skilled workers; or (b) wives of Singapore citizens. In addition, permanent residence will only be granted:- (i) after both the husband and wife have been sterilized after the birth of their second child; or (ii) 5 years after they signed the Bond if they have no children or only one child; or (iii) if they have passed child-bearing age or cannot have any more children on medical grounds. DAILY-RATED EMPLOYEES IN PUBLIC SECTOR 5. Mr Yeo Toon Chia asked the Minister for Finance (a) what is the number of daily-rated workers in Government departments and statutory boards as at the latest convenient date; and (b) in view of Singapore's economic progress, whether his Ministry will consider converting the daily-rated workers to monthly paid staff.”
“Sir, that again is another rhetorical question. The answer is that there is no such need to preserve such areas. ACCIDENTS INVOLVING MINISTRY OF DEFENCE VEHICLES (Particulars) 7. Mr Ng Kah Ting asked the Minister of Defence how many vehicles of his Ministry were involved in accidents in 1976, 1977 and 1978; how many of the accidents were serious and how many were fatal; and what steps have been or are being taken to reduce the number of accidents to the minimum.”