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.”
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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 31 of 33.
“An interesting comparison may be made of the number of abortions done in the countries which have liberalised their abortion laws against their maternal mortality rates. In every country which has done so, although the incidence of abortions increased after its laws were enacted, the maternal mortality rates decreased. This is quite surprising as one would expect that with the increased number of interferences of pregnancies, maternal mortality rates would have increased instead of decreased. The reason is that previously many of the deaths were due to the women subjecting themselves to illegal abortions with all the attendant dangers. Perhaps I may explain here that maternal mortality figures include deaths to mothers due to deliveries as well as during pregnancy. It might be justifiably surmised that a result of liberalising the laws of abortion is that women will turn to abortions legally done in the safe, sterile facilities of hospitals rather than resort to an illegal abortionist. Further, it is clear that more recent figures on abortion mortality are coin-parable to, if not better than, those of maternal mortality. In Singapore, no death from abortions induced in the hospital was recorded out of 820 and 1,376 cases in 1967 and 1968 respectively. In Czechoslovakia a similar experience was recorded for the same years. In Scandinavia the overall mortality rate for abortion is 0.7 to 1,000 which compares favourably with maternal mortality rates in other countries. In comparison, the maternal mortality rates in Singapore stood at 0.32 per 1,000 in 1967. Another medical objection is that there will be recurrent demands for abortion by the same women.”
“Therefore, the argument that legalised abortion will undermine family planning is yet another piece of fantasy and does not take into account the experience of women who have had abortions. Few of them would choose an abortion in preference to contraceptive practice. In our Singapore society in particular we know that there is always the fear of undergoing an operation and our women will certainly not submit to an operation unless as a last resort. Persons who think otherwise have probably no knowledge of these matters. If I may repeat again, the nature of the relationship of our family planning campaign and the Abortion Bill is that family planning is prevention and legalised abortion is the cure. Perhaps another analogy from the game of cricket might drive home the point -family planning is the wicket-keeper whereas legalised abortion is the long stop. The third category is medical objections. They say that induced abortion is a surgical procedure which, like all surgical procedures, carries a degree of risk to the life and health of the woman. Figures quoted should be looked at with great care and with a critical eye. For one thing, the hazards of abortion differ, depending on the stage of pregnancy. In the early stages - up to about 16 weeks of pregnancy - the abortion is induced by scraping out the contents of the womb. This is a comparatively simple operation which in some cases can be done as an operative procedure in an Outpatient Department. Under the circumstances the mortality rate is excessively low. Evacuation of the uterus at a slightly more developed stage will require an operation on the pregnant uterus. Obviously such a procedure carries a slightly higher risk.”
“Is it not a fact that promiscuity is a matter that must depend upon the moral fibre and character of the particular individual and the type of society that individual comes from rather than the availability of contra ceptive measures or legalised abortion? (d) And finally, the opponents state that the moral principle cannot he sacrificed for "economic expediency" and that the practice of abortion will undermine the family planning programme. This view again is equally fallacious. In all countries which have liberalised their laws on abortion, it has been shown that the numbers of abortions declined when family planning programmes were instituted. This was particularly seen in Japan. Often it is forgotten that in Japan abortion laws were liberalised before family planning was generally accepted by the population. After the passage of the Eugenics Law in 1949, amended in 1952, giving even greater liberty, abortions rapidly increased in numbers in Japan. But after 1955, when family planning programmes were instituted, abortions have declined steadily. Another important point with regard to the experience in Japan which is often overlooked is that their family planning programme is still backward. The present laws in Japan forbid the use of the pill and the intra-uterine device in family planning. This fact is stated in the publication entitled Japan's Experience in Family Planning - Past or Present edited by M. Muramatsu. Therefore, Japanese women have little choice in the family planning methods since the pill and the I.U.D. are illegal. As we know from our experience of family planning in Singapore, the majority of the women who have accepted family planning are on the pill and the I.U.D. Yet when family planning was introduced in Japan abortions have declined.”
“In countries which have adopted very liberal laws on family planning and abortions such as in Japan, the East European countries and Scandinavia, these conclusions have not been justified. There have been no essential differences between human values and moral judgments between these countries and others which have not liberalized their laws. There is the same sense of family unity and parental urge towards their children. Births, marriages and deaths have been the same. To those who take this line that legalised abortion will bring about degradation of human life, I would like to suggest that they should themselves just as well ponder the fact that by allowing a child to be born into this world unwanted and uncared for, condemned to a life of squalor, misery and crime, is this not just as surely to destroy the person or his personality and his family? Will this not more surely bring about the degradation of human life? (b) Another moral argument is that abortions should not be made available as persons should be made responsible for their acts. Abortions are an easy way out from their responsibility for the care of children and again will tend towards moral decay. This argument is also quite ludicrous. If a similar line of argument is accepted, then persons suffering from, say, venereal disease, should not be treated because he should be made to bear the responsibility for his foolishness. (c) Another small argument which is just as fallacious is that legalised abortion will encourage promiscuity. If this argument is valid, will not family planning by contraceptive methods encourage promiscuity even more? Common sense will tell us that if a person wants to be promiscuous - and you cannot prevent it - the pill which is freely available will be a better safeguard.”
“While the woman is given a freedom of choice, and the individual medical practitioner the freedom to act within his conscience, is it right, may I ask, Mr Speaker, Sir, in our multi-racial and multi-religious society for opponents to the liberalisation of the laws on abortion to impose their moral or religious standards upon the entire community? If the United Kingdom experience is an indication - where legal abortions have increased several-fold since the Abortion Act was passed a year ago -it proves that the public have endorsed the Act and are asking that it be implemented more liberally. Ethical, moral and social reasons form the second category. Based on religious premises, moral reasons are advocated against abortions and these reasons are further extended to social issues. The arguments may be stated as follows: (a) Abortion is destruction of life; allowing abortions to be done reduces respect for the sanctity of life resulting in a degrading of character which will lead to a lowering of morality, licentiousness and increased promiscuity. A recent variation of the argument brought up by a medical man is that abortion is the destruction of life and is completely at variance with a doctor's fundamental ethics. Allowing it will blunt this sensitivity towards the importance of saving life and may have disastrous results, turning doctors into dangerous persons. Those who predict these dire consequences have very flimsy grounds indeed. Their conclusions must surely be purely conjectural. They have indeed allowed themselves to run away with fantasies. The same arguments were raised by the opponents of birth control. It cannot be said that these practices have resulted in licentiousness, a break-up of families and homes.”
“Rarely a 27-week foetus lives after a natural birth, and a surviving foetus so small, fragile, and immature has grave likelihood of serious brain damage. Therefore, to forestall this possibility a full 3-week leeway is given in producing an aborted foetus. Abortion up to the 24th week, but not beyond, is therefore allowed under clause 6 of the Bill. From the technical view-point of the operation, abortion before the 16th week of pregnancy is simple and virtually danger-free, and between the 16th and the 24th week it is more complicated and slightly more hazardous. The religious view-point is, of course, respected. It is precisely for this reason that persons with conscientious objections to performing the operation may refuse to do so. But such persons might also ponder their responsibility. While they may have a conscientious objection to perform the operation, it does not absolve them from advising on whether or not an abortion is necessary as a method of treatment. However, as I have stated just now, to allow ourselves to be tied up with the religious arguments for or against abortion which in any case will never result in any satisfactory conclusions, even if the debate goes on till the cows come home, is entirely futile. I am sure hon. Members of this House who are charged with the welfare of the community will look at this issue on a realistic and rational basis and judge what is to the best interest of the community. I would like to emphasise here that the Bill does not force anyone to have, or to perform, an abortion.”
“Learned men, medical or otherwise, for centuries have not been able to agree on whether the foetus is human life. In my view abortion is not murder. The destruction of the early conceptus differs in no essential way from destruction of the sperm cell or egg cell before the act of fertilization. No one mourns for a sperm killed by a spermatoxic contraceptive cream or an ovum permitted to die twelve hours after ovulation, because the woman from whose ovary it came knew how to prevent its survival by practising the rhythm technique of birth control. Further, few also mourn the death of the fertilized ovum when it is prevented from implantation by the intra-uterine device or certain contraceptive "pills" - for such is the action, it is surmised, by which these contraceptives work. Sperm and egg are living cells before fertilization; otherwise, conception could not occur. An early conception is not a human being; it is a potential human being. The difference between an early embryo and a living person is immense. The embryo has no consciousness, no life experience. Therefore, equating the elimination of a mass of developing cells with infanticide, euthanasia, and genocide is offensive and patently fallacious. The further charge that the liberalisation of abortion laws will inevitably lead to these practices is a non sequitur and is illogical and wickedly inflammatory. Has liberalisation of divorce laws led to the abolition of marriage, if I may ask? The end-point when abortion is no longer permissible, as provided by the Bill, is not governed by intangibles like the exact day or week when the foetus is assumed to receive its soul or when its mind is thought first to function, but by purely medical considerations.”
“It will not be a substitute for family planning by con traceptive methods but a vital complement to provide that ultimate clinical security for the woman who does not wish to have an unwanted child. Abortions should be permitted as a logical and ultimate step for contraceptive failures. So it is that this Bill must be looked upon as a social Bill which must be regarded as an adjunct to family planning. In this respect, it must be read together with the Family Planning and Population Board Act, 1965, the Sterilization Bill which is being introduced concurrently with the Abortion Bill and other steps taken or will be taken to encourage small families. Often people who criticise the Bill ignore the Sterilization Bill which is also before Parliament. Mr Speaker, Sir, now I would like to deal with the arguments against liberalising and reforming our law on abortion. I must say that there has been quite a lot of public debate and discussions going on on this controversial subject of abortion outside this House even before the Bill was presented to Parliament. At the same time, there have been quite a number of loose arguments being bandied about resulting in some misconceptions. I shall, of course, try to correct these misconceptions that have arisen. I shall now dispose of the opposing arguments. No doubt some hon. Members who oppose this Bill will advance further arguments in the course of the debate in this House. I shall, of course, deal with them in my reply. Mr Speaker, Sir, opposition views fall under three main categories: The first category is religious. Briefly the basis of objection is that abortions destroy the life of a foetus. Since the foetus is the beginning of human life, induction of abortion is equivalent to murder. This is a matter of view-point.”
“Since Government entered this field of activity, attendances have been in excess of the target numbers. The dramatic falling birth rates are due to the acceptance of birth control techniques. There may be some who argue that since family planning is a success in Singapore there is therefore no necessity to seek the aid of legalised abortion. The answer to this is quite simple. Apart from the fact that the Bill is not intended as a means of population control, there is an additional important reason for the Bill. Contraceptive techniques are not yet completely effective. There are failures even though instructions are followed closely in any one of the techniques used. It would, therefore. stimulate the practice of contraception if failed contraception is regarded as a criterion for abortion. It would be logical where there are failures in the method used as advised or provided through Family Planning clinics that pregnancies occurring should be allowed to be aborted. In the studies of women using the intra-uterine devices immediately after birth at the Kandang Kerbau Hospital, it was demonstrated that 40 pregnancies have resulted out of 3,044 women; and 177 pregnancies out of 5,694 women. While in demographic terms this was small, between two and three per cent of the women, the problem is a real one, and a personal tragedy. These women did not want to be pregnant again. It is not known if they sought termination of their pregnancy elsewhere. The concept of failed contraception as a criterion for a permissive abortion would motivate more women to seek family planning advice and endeavour to follow it. In other words, "failed contraception" is one of the reasons for liberalising the laws on abortion.”
“Let me state now categorically, as I have stated before, that legalised abortion will not be a substitute for family planning but will be a vital complement to provide that ultimate security for the women who does not wish to have the unwanted child. Although the countries of Eastern Europe and Scandinavia that permitted abortion had done it primarily to prevent the sad consequences of illegal abortions and to enable the women to decide on their pregnancy - and not in order to limit the population - in these countries it reduced the birth rate con siderably. Therefore, if in the process of the operations of our proposed abortion law our population increase is reduced, this would be one of the incidental benefits to our community. The point of the advantage of a lower rate of population growth for Singapore need not be laboured as it is all too evident in overcrowded Singapore. Let me only state that ours is an island of limited area with one of the highest densities of population in the world -about 8,900 persons for every square mile. And the population is increasing, although at a decreasing rate, at 1.8 per cent a year. At this rate the population which now stands at two million people will double in about 39 years, i.e., by about AD 2010. Steps must, therefore, be taken now to decrease further this rate of growth if we do not wish to face the disastrous consequences of running out of land or be reduced to penury. Mr Speaker, Sir, it is true that the Government's family planning campaign has achieved tremendous success. Family planning has been generally accepted by the population as evidenced by the number of women attending the Government Family Planning clinics over the last two years.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, advocating the fundamental right of a woman to have an abortion if her family circumstances are not right for the birth of a child is not therefore made merely on grounds of principles, legal or otherwise. There is also the interest of the community. Underlying all this is that every child born in our Republic should be a wanted child; a child that can be cared for, and provided for. It is needless for me to say that decently cared and provided children develop to their maximum potential, make the most of the opportunities offered by society and in return make a successful contribution to it. Conversely, it is mainly from the ranks of the unwanted children, the illegitimate and broken homes where most of the delinquents, the criminals and the antisocial elements are derived. Our society in Singapore cannot afford to breed such people. The central purpose of the Bill may, therefore, be stated thus: to assure the quality of life of children born in Singapore - to ensure that the children born are wanted children, being children who will be properly cared for and have opportunities for education and the full development of their faculties so that they can grow up to lead meaningful lives and be usef iii members of our society. Another important benefit to our society that would result from this Bill would be to lower the rate of our population growth and help to tackle our problem of population explosion so that our population can be kept in bearable numbers where each has reasonable expectation of livelihood and a reasonable quality of life. However let me hasten to correct any mis conception that may have arisen that this Bill is intended to control population growth and replace family planning by contraceptive methods.”
“Up to this stage the reasons I have advanced for introducing the Bill have been those relating to the health and welfare of the pregnant woman or that of her family. Important as these reasons are and which alone would justify the passing of this Bill, the more fundamental reason which should also be the concern of hon. Members of this House who are charged with the overall welfare of the community, is the underlying social aims or objectives of the Bill. The reasons so far described pertain to the individual and the other reasons relevant to the community have not been described. The former is based on medical opinion and the welfare of the individual and the family, while the latter is based on the community welfare. In advancing the reasons for reforming the law, passing reference was made to the important social reasons affecting the community. The eugenic reasons for abortion, for example, would save the mother and her family the tragedy of the care of a defective child. But it also saves the state from the expenses of providing for the care of such children. For often the handicapped children are abandoned, or the families require assistance in caring for them; and expensive medical or institutional care is required throughout the life of the handicapped children. But what is even more important is that the bringing up of defectives gradually enlarges the pool of defectives in the population. As no civilised society would in its conscience abandon such children, the result is that instead of breeding the best qualities in our population the quality becomes poorer. We will, in fact, have reversed nature's process. Instead of breeding the fittest for survival, we will be breeding for our own decline.”
“Needless to say, this will certainly reduce drastically the number of illegal abortions if it does not eliminate it altogether and with it the consequent toll of mortality and morbidity amongst our women. The Bill recognises these problems and faces up to them squarely. Clause S (2) (b) in fact breaks new ground by permitting abortion to be done for purely social and economic reasons. This extends beyond the provisions which appear in abortion legislation in the Scandinavian countries, (where the pregnant woman's environment must be related to a medical prognosis - i.e., abortion on a socio-medical ground). The Bill, however, is comparable to similar provisions to be found in abortion legislation in Czechoslovakia, Poland and to he as liberal as in Japan. But it has not gone as far as the legislation on abortion of the Soviet Union, Bulgaria and Hungary which authorise abortions on demand. The Bill recognises, however, the right of every woman to choose when she wants a child; and the right to have an abortion in case of an unwanted pregnancy on socio-economic grounds. Abortion for social reasons would therefore speed the goal of making each child a wanted child; reduce the army of neglected and rejected children; and "take the powder out of shot-gun marriages", in Poland, for example, the illegitimacy rate fell from 16 per 1,000 to 9 per 1,000 after the law was amended permitting abortions for social reasons. Abortion offered under these reasons certainly offer a substitute of a safe medical procedure for an unsafe one offered by the illegal abortionist. Abortion for social reasons would also remove the conditions which encourage the flagrant practice, that ferment disrespect for the law.”
“, a stone, is pressed against the uterus and bound down tightly to the abdomen or wedged into the pelvis. Sometimes this technique is combined with insertion of a foreign body in the cervix.' Mr Speaker, Sir, I have many more such examples, but because of the time factor, I think the examples that I have given will suffice at the moment. Such examples of human anguish, suffering and tragedy perhaps may anger some at the unenlightened laws on abortions that we have here. But they do also serve to put the arguments advanced on ethical or religious grounds of opposing abortion under these circumstances in their proper perspective, that is, these opposing arguments are in comparison rather petty and highly theoretical and academic. Contrary to popular belief, we can see from the examples that the majority of the women who sought illegal abortions are married women who had already too many children and who for socio-economic reasons are not able and cannot afford to face the birth of another child. This category of women will certainly come under the clause which will allow them an abortion on socioeconomic grounds and thereby save them front the suffering and the great risk to their lives in resorting to the back-street abortionist. However, I wish to make it quite clear here that I am not claiming that the Bill will completely wipe out illegal abortions in Singapore. What I am saying is that clause 5 (2) (b) will offer an alternative solution for a comparatively safe abortion under aseptic conditions for the woman who qualifies on socio-economic grounds and who would otherwise in her desperation resort to the back-street abortionist.”
“Mother of 8 children, ages ranging from 14 years to 11 months. Husband is a pensioner. Patient was reluctant to divulge who the abortionist was or where she practised and told this story - A Malay woman hawker came to the patient's home to sell mats. She saw the patient surrounded and harried by many children, and enquired if she was pregnant and if so whether she wanted to be relieved of her burden. Said that she did this as a social service and not for gain. She massaged the patient's abdomen and squeezed the uterus at the same time inserting a finger into the vagina. She felt some pain and started to bleed. She paid the woman a token sum of $5. Bleeding increased and she began to bleed profusely and was admitted. On admission she had a temperature of 101�F. and a foul discharge and there was evidence of forcible dilatation of the cervix. A description of do-it-yourself and back-street abortion is contained in Dr Lee's publication which is as follows: 'All sorts of substances have been inserted, e.g., bamboo leaves, bamboo slivers soaked in alcohol, hair pins, catheters, lidi (veins of palm leaf), roots, stems of leaves, e.g., sireh, grasses, fruits, vegetables, e.g., brinjals, rumput rendang, three stems of daun dedap tied together, sticks wrapped in cotton wool sometimes soaked in oil or some antiseptic. The Malays practise a form of local interference known as urut (massage). Here the uterus is vigorously massaged in order to dislodge the foetus. The practitioners of this are quite efficient. The uterus is kneaded if possible, and massaged with the thumbs downwards and towards the vagina. Bruises can be seen on the abdomen of patients. Thereafter, if necessary, a hard object, e.g.”
“Said 'something' was inserted per vaginam and there was slight pain on in sertion. She was unable to give details as she was lying down and too frightened to observe anything. She was given six tablets to take home. She began to have fever on 4th October. 1964, and was admitted on 8th October, 1964. Case A481 Chinese seamstress, aged 34. Mother of 6 children, ages ranging from 11 to 2 years. Husband is a carpenter who earns $150 per month. Has been using vaginal tablets for contraception since the birth of the youngest child. She paid a Malay woman $10 to abort her baby on 21st December, 1964. This woman called at her house and brought along with her a thin rubber piece about a foot in length. This was inserted per vagina and patient was told to take it out only when bleeding became excessive. She was advised not to give infor mation to her friends or relatives. Patient did as she was told. She was admitted to hospital on 22nd December, 1964, with a temperature of 105�F. [Mr Speaker in the Chair] 4.00 p.m. Case A122 33-year old Chinese housewife. Roman Catholic. Mother of 6 children, ages from 12 years to 4 years. Had a previous abortion before this present one last year. Was admitted with a fever of 103�F. Refused to change her story - which was this - she bought some pills from a Chinese medicine shop but does not know what they are called. Said she took the same pills for her previous abortion and they worked wonderfully she had a complete abortion and she did not come to hospital, in addition to the pills she took 5 whole pineapples and 3 bottles of beer. When the inter viewer suggested to her that this would not cause her high fever, she reluctantly said that she had inserted a finger into her womb and dislodged the foetus! Case A345 A 29-year old Malay housewife.”
“D, thesis entitled The Non-Clinical A spects of Induced A bortions in Singapore. They are as follows: Case A298 27-year old Chinese housewife. Mother of three, ages ranging from 5 years to 9 months. Husband is a sailor who earns $200 per month. Was admitted with a fever of 103�F. Strongly denied interference. Later when told that there was evidence of interference she claimed that she only tried oral methods - pineapple, stout and hung hua. When shown, after the curettage. the products of conception with a stick in them, she sheepishly admitted interference, but said that it was self-inserted. Case A237 Chinese widow, aged 28, whose husband had been killed by falling logs in February 1964. Patient was admitted on 20th October, 1964, for incomplete abor tion which she claimed was due to a fall. Mother of five children, ages 8 to 1 year. When friends heard of her predicament, they recommended a general practitioner who was willing to abort her for $25. She was made to lie down and some liquid was pumped into her. There was no pain. She was given some tablets. She started to bleed on the very day. Bleeding persisted and she called on, the doctor again. She was given an injection, tablets and mixture, and paid $6. She returned again after a few days as the bleeding did not stop as hoped. However, it seems that the doctor took it as a big joke and told her not to worry as the baby would be aborted eventually even if it took one or two months. She came to hospital. Case A202 27-year old Indian housewife, mother of 8 children, ages ranging from 12 years to 7 months. Husband is a gardener, earns $120 per month. Pays $20 rent. She paid $25 to a general practitioner for an abortion on 2nd October, 1964.”
“Ironically this is, however, quite the contrary. Prosecution for criminal abortion is a rare occasion, and the conviction of one is even rarer still. In Singapore in the last five years, there were three prosecutions and only one conviction; and it was not a doctor who was convicted. It is often forgotten that no law can be effective unless it has the general approval of the people. The widespread incidence of criminal abor tions suggests not only that the law is ineffective but also that abortion is generally approved by the community. In countries which have recognised the demand for abortions for social reasons and have legalised them, the abortions performed for these reasons form approximately 70 to 95 per cent of all abortions done. Thus the problem to be faced up is the large numbers of women who for one reason or other are prepared to flout the laws and covertly seek out the back-street abortionist. The result is the terrible cost to health and the tragic consequences which are all too well known. That is the price of illegal abortions. Further, the prohibition of abortion has a discriminatory effect. For the rich, who have the means, seem remarkably able to obtain abortions. Among the poor who cannot afford the high fees of illegal abortions, resort is made to the untrained incompetents or the back-street abortionist, or they even attempt it themselves, often with fatal results. Perhaps if I quote a number of real life examples to illustrate the desperation of our women in Singapore caught with an unwanted pregnancy, and the lengths to which they are prepared to go to get rid of the pregnancy, I will be able to drive home my point. These examples are collected from a study on abortions made by Dr Y. K. Lee and published in his M.”
“Criminal abortions in Singapore are not known because obviously such figures are not available as they are not reported. A study of criminal abortions admitted into Kandang Kerbau Hospital for a six-month period in 1964 recorded 1,230 patients. Projected for a year the total number of abortions would have been 2,500 in that year. This was a study made by Dr Y. K. Lee for an M.D, thesis which was published in 1965. Since the total number of abortions is usually estimated to be 10 per cent of all pregnancies, this would have worked out to about 6,000 a year in Singa pore. Of these, 5,000 are estimated to have been criminally induced. This gives an incidence of 8.3 per cent of criminal abortions to all pregnancies in Singapore. The figures of abortions from other countries vary but have been described as high and constituting a major health problem, "abortion being the greatest epidemic of our times". In the United States it has been estimated that criminal abortions number one million a year, or number in the region of one out of four or five pregnancies (20 per cent to 25 per cent). In the United Kingdom it has been variously estimated to number from 50,000 to 250,000 per year. In the Scandinavian countries, the incidence of criminal abortions is reported to be between 5 per cent and 10 per cent of all pregnancies. The numbers of women submitting themselves to criminal abortions, therefore, run into several millions throughout the world. A figure quoted is 25 million a year (out of a total of 120 million live births a year). The cost in suffering and pain to the individual and the financial burden on the state must add up to something colossal. Since the laws are flouted and violated so frequently, it might he assumed that prosecutions would be numerous.”
“Common examples are - when there are already too many children in the family, when the addition of yet another will mean inability to upkeep the family; when the pregnancy occurs too close to the previous one; when the pregnancy will bring about social ruin as when the woman is unmarried, is deserted or when she is on the threshold of a career or when the woman is too young or too old; and many others. This is the problem of an unwanted pregnancy, the gravity of which only an ostrich is unaware. Of course, there are people who would put on a straight collar and moralise and argue that she should have known better or that she should bear full responsibility for her action. Often under such circumstances the predicament and anguish of the woman is ignored. It is all very easy to pontificate on someone else's predicament. The Bill faces up to this problem and offers a solution, by providing for environmental or social considerations for permitting an abortion as set out in clause 5 (2) (b) . Since in our present law there is no such provision for the performance of abortions for environmental or social reasons, the majority of women under such circumstances are driven to seek relief from the unwanted pregnancy by resorting to dangerous do-it-yourself home procedures or resort to back-street and illegal abortionists, usually with tragic results. Does not the real immorality lie in the restrictive laws which drive women to illegal abortions? Let me now deal with the problem of illegal abortions in Singapore. Whereas the number of induced abortions for medical reasons in the Kandang Kerbau Hospital is small, the number done illicitly has been estimated at several thousands a year.”
“These minority groups in their opposition will no doubt advance their familiar arguments which are highly theoretical and often emotional, of divine creation and the sanctity of the fertilised ovum or the foetus which is quite different from a living person, (concepts which have sprung from the Middle Ages and beyond). To enter into such types of arguments for or against, to justify or oppose abortion is, to my mind, entirely futile and to ignore completely the realities of the modern world and its problems. I would just like to invite these groups to visit the Mental Defective Section of the Woodbridge Hospital to see for themselves the mental defectives or "mongols" whom we have to care for. Perhaps then they may begin to think in more rational terms and start to question the very purpose of the Divine creating such mental defectives, the nature of whose existence in this world is just to vegetate. Similarly, where pregnancy has been caused by sexual crimes such as rape, incest, or following intercourse with an insane or feeble-minded person, who is not accountable for her sexual responsibility, abortions on humanitarian grounds will be permitted under clause 5 (2) (d) of the Bill. All the conditions which I have described, meaning the medical, eugenic and humanitarian considerations for the termination of pregnancy, would be said to be generally acceptable and justifiable on the grounds that the health and welfare of the mother is paramount and takes precedence over any consideration of the unborn foetus. However, there are a host of other conditions for which women seek termination of an unwanted pregnancy.”
“[Mr Deputy Speaker in the Chair] 3.45 p.m. Let me now turn to the other conditions on which the termination of pregnancy may be authorised under clause 5 (2) . Let me first deal with the eugenic considerations. There are several conditions which are known to carry a high risk of the birth of a mentally handicapped child or the birth of a deformed child normally termed a "monster" or the birth of a "mongol". Certain of these are due to inherited conditions. In others, the affliction might be due to an infection of the mother in the early stages of pregnancy. German measles in a pregnant woman especially in the very early months of pregnancy carries a high probability that the child will be born with some severe abnormalities. Certain drugs or X-ray examinations taken in early pregnancy are also known to cause such defects. The disastrous effects of the thalidomide drug is well known and are still fresh in our memory. In conditions where there is a likelihood of the birth of a mentally or physically deformed child, few can deny that it would be an act of kindness or even a moral obligation to avoid the tragedy and the serious repercussions to the parents, the child, and society alike by permitting abortion. It is also fully justified by a further reason that it is an acknowledged social evil to countenance the breeding of defectives in society. This consideration may be described as the eugenic reason for abortion, and the provision is embodied in clause 5 (2) (c) of the Bill. Of course, there will always be the few who will on religious and ethical grounds oppose permitting abortion even under these conditions.”
“The Bill seeks to correct the present legal ambiguities by stating in clear terms the medical conditions under which abortions can be performed; to permit the prompt operation which will be performed under the best possible conditions. The intent of the Bill is to promote the well-being of the woman and to avoid impairment of her health, in the interests of humanity and human progress. The Bill, therefore, seeks to codify what is now generally accepted as the medical reasons for treatment by termination of pregnancy. In clause 5 (2) (a) the conditions under which therapeutic abortion can be done are unambiguously stated. It may be done where the pregnancy would involve risk to the life of the pregnant woman or injury to her physical or mental health. The common practice where two practitioners consult together before termination of pregnancy is advised is also recognised under clause 5 (3) which provides for an abortion if two practitioners in consultation and, acting in good faith, advise that the abortion is necessary on medical grounds. And in clause 5 (5) , a medical practitioner may terminate pregnancy in an emergency where it is immediately necessary to save the life or to prevent grave permanent injury to the physical or mental health of the pregnant mother. The provisions therefore permit abortions if there is any medical reason to warrant an operation because such an operation will safeguard the life and health of the mother. It does not need any complicated arguments other than common sense to tell us that such abortions are justifiable as there is no reason why the pregnant woman should be forced to go through the ordeal and anguish of pregnancy and child birth which can endanger her life, or have serious repercussions on her physical and mental health.”
“The law in Singapore does not specifically recognise any interference with pregnancy on any grounds except "in good faith for the purpose of saving the lifc of the woman", it has, however, been interpreted by general definition and by judicial authority, that the phrase "to save life" has the meaning of "to preserve health", and since life depends on health, abortions may be performed to preserve the physical and mental health of the mother. In other words, induced abortion may be done for the purpose of treatment and these are usually termed "therapeutic abortions". Judicial precedent, however, forms a rather flimsy basis for the performance of therapeutic abortions. It is said that the law cannot expect medicine to be practised under sufferance. Under the existing law, therefore, an obstetrician can be considered to have infringed it in the performance of an abortion other than for the purpose of saving the life of the pregnant woman. If his action is ever questioned, his sole defence to justify his action in performing the operation is that it was not only for the reason that it was necessary in his opinion, but also to prove that it was done to save the life of the mother. The present law, therefore, presents serious conflicts to the practitioner -between a duty to serve the patient and a duty to obey the law. Doctors who are fearful of the possible consequences may fail to recommend termination of pregnancy. The result is that an abortion which should be done for the sake of the mother is not done, or if done is done too late and when the pregnant woman's life is endangered.”
“Mr Speaker. Sir, I beg to move, "That the Bill be now read a Second time." This Bill is designated to reform and hiberalise the law of abortion in Singaport so that treatment to terminate pregnancy may be carried out, subject to certain safeguards, by registered medical practitioners acting on the authority of the Termination of Pregnancy Authorisation Board on medical, social, humanitarian and eugenic grounds, or by any registered medical practitioner acting in consultation with another registered medical practitioner on extended medical grounds, or by a registered medical practitioner as an emergency treatment to save the life or to prevent grave permanent injury to the physical or mental health of the pregnant woman. This is in summary what the Bill proposes to do. But what are its objectives? A full explanation of its underlying purposes will be given when I come to elaborate on its provisions. First, let me give a reason why it is necessary to reform and liberalise our laws on abortion. Our laws on abortion are based on the old Indian Penal Code which in turn was derived from English law, Even the English have liberalised their laws on abortion by the passage o' the United Kingdom Abortion Act of 1967 which became operative on 27th April, 1968. The present law on abortion in Singapore is found in our Penal Code. The relevant sections are sections 312 to 316 and section 511 of the Penal Code. Legally, an abortion is the expulsion of the foetus from the uterus at any time before the full term of pregnancy. To induce an abortion, i.e., an artificial abortion, is a statutory crime. The problem of induced abortion is that it is governed by criminal law rather than medical knowledge.”
“CRIMINAL PROCEDURE CODE (AMENDMENT) BILL "to amend the Criminal Procedure Code (Chapter 132 of the Revised Edition)", presented by Mr Barker; read the First time, to be read a Second time on the next available sitting of Parliament, and to be printed. CONSTITUTION (AMENDMENT) BILL "to amend the Constitution of Singapore", recommendation of President signified; presented by Mr Barker; read the First time, to be read a Second time on the next available sitting of Parliament, and to be printed. SUPREME COURT OF JUDICATURE BILL "to amend and consolidate the law relating to the constitution and powers of the Superior Courts of Judicature", presented by Mr Barker; read the First time, to be read a Second time on the next available sitting of Parliament, and to be printed. DRUGS (PREVENTION OF MISUSE) BILL "to penalize the possession, and restrict the importation, of drugs of certain kinds", presented by the Minister for Health (Mr Chua Sian Chin); read the First time, to be read a Second time on the next available sitting of Parliament, and to be printed. REARRANGEMENT OF ORDER OF BUSINESS 3.35 p.m. Resolved, "That this House proceeds to deal with item 3 on the Order Paper before item 1." - [Mr Barker]. HIRE-PURCHASE BILL (As reported from Select Committee) Order for Third Reading read. 3.36 p.m.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, there is an agreed division of function between the Government Hospital Ambulance Service and that provided by the Fire Brigade. The Fire Brigade provides an accident ambulance service while the hospitals provide for all other medical emergencies. While the Fire Brigade Ambulance Service is centred at its main centre at Hill Street, it has sub-centres in other areas of the island. For the present, there are no plans to set up a new accident ambulance centre at Jurong Town. But this will be considered should the calls for an accident ambulance service increase to justify it. The hospital ambulance service is a decentralised one. Each hospital has its own small fleet of ambulances. There are no hospital ambulance centres outside the hospitals. BILLS INTRODUCED 3.30 p.m. ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT BOARD (AMENDMENT) BILL "to amend the Economic Development Board Ordinance, 1961 (No. 21 of 1961)", presented by the Minister for Finance (Dr Goh Keng Swee); read the First time, to be read a Second time on the next available sitting of Parliament, and to be printed. PORT OF SINGAPORE AUTHORITY (AMENDMENT) BILL "to amend the Port of Singapore Authority Ordinance, 1963 (No. 36 of 1963)", presented by the Minister for Law and National Development (Mr E. W. Barker) (for the Minister for Communications); read the First time, to be read a Second time on the next available Sitting of Parliament, and to be printed. NATIONAL SERVICE (AMENDMENT) BILL "to amend the National Service Ordinance, 1952, of Malaysia (No. 37 of 1952)", presented by the Minister for Defence (Mr Lim Kim San); read the First time, to be read a Second time on the next available sitting of Parliament, and to be printed.”
“This Ministry is, in addition, actively considering the feasibility of building an incinerator not only for disposal of part of the daily refuse tonnage, but also to facilitate the proper disposal of carcasses, condemned foodstuffs, security documents, and other material that require incineration for proper disposal. JURONG TOWN (Provision of ambulances) 26. Mr Ho Kah Leong asked the Minister for Health if he will consider setting up an ambulance service centre in Jurong Town, in view of the growing population and the increasing number of accidents there.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, refuse disposal at the moment in Singapore is by dumping of the collected refuse into swamplands under controlled conditions. There are three such refuse dumping grounds on the island located at the 7 ms. Tampines Road, in Koh Sek Lim Road, and at the end of Choa Chu Kang Road. The Public Health Division collects and transports all refuse to these sites for disposal every day, with about 85 per cent of all refuse disposed of in this manner being dumped at the Tampines refuse dumping ground. There are accordingly no mechanical refuse disposal plants being operated by this Ministry. However, in view of the shortage of land for industrialisation and for development into commercial and residential complexes, dumping of refuse into swamplands, although a less expensive method of refuse disposal, is considered no more appropriate as the swampland so reclaimed is unsuitable for housing or industrial development. Such method of dumping is also not very satisfactory from the health point of view as it gives rise to stench and some fly breeding in the dumping area. To this end, this Ministry has considered the suitability of using other methods of refuse disposal such as composting, incineration, controlled tipping and the more recent technique of compacting refuse into high density bales and using these compacted refuse bales for land reclamation. The use of compacted bales of refuse for land reclamation work has been successfully exploited in Japan and appears to be an economical way of refuse disposal which may be adopted with advantage in Singapore, especially when used in conjunction with land reclamation schemes, for light or single storey structures for industrial or residential purposes.”
“The number of pregnancies resulting from the following offences between 1-1-67 to 31-12-67 are:- (i) rape under section 375 of the Penal Code 3 (ii) incest under section 376A of the Penal Code 2 (iii) unlawful carnal connection under section 128(1) (j) of the Women's Charter 3”
“Sir, I beg to move, "That Parliament doth agree with the Committee on the said resolution." Question put, and agreed to. Resolution accordingly agreed to. ADJOURNMENT Resolved, "That Parliament do now adjourn." - [Mr Chua Sian Chin]. Adjourned accordingly at twenty-one minutes past Seven o'clock p.m. WRITTEN ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS Friday, 20th December, 1968 OFFENCES AGAINST WOMEN 1. Mr J. F. Conceicao asked the Minister for Defence what is (a) the number of reports made to the Police between 1st January, 1967, and 31st December, 1967, of offences of- (i) rape under section 375 of the Penal Code; (ii) incest against women under section 376A of the Penal Code; and (iii) unlawful carnal connection under section 128(1) (j) of the Women's Charter; and (b) the number of cases in each of the above-mentioned categories which resulted in prosecutions.”
“Sir, I beg to report that the Committee of Supply has come to a certain resolution. Resolution reported - That the sum of $321,999,410 shall be supplied to the Government under the heads of expenditure for the public services shown in the Development Estimates for the financial year 1st January, 1969, to 31st March, 1970, contained in Paper Cmd. 28 of 1968.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the question put by the Member for Serangoon Gardens presumably refers to Wards Nos. 12 and 13 of Tan Tock Seng Hospital. These wards are above ground level and have numerous windows and doors. The ventilation is good and the height of the ceilings is above 14 feet. The wards have corrugated asbestos fittings and doors. It will appear that the wards referred to are in generally good condition and there is no proposal at the moment to replace them with new buildings. In future, these wards will be replaced with new buildings to serve the changing needs of the hospital. However, at the moment, they are providing good service to patients and are in no way inferior to comparable wards in other hospitals in Singapore.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, "That Parliament doth agree with the Committee on the said resolution." Question put, and agreed to. Resolution accordingly agreed to. NATIONAL MUSEUM (AMENDMENT) BILL Order for Second Reading read. 7.55 p.m.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to report that the Committee of Supply has come to a certain resolution. Resolution reported - That the sum of $892,503,120 shall be supplied to the Government under the heads of expenditure for the public services shown in the Estimates of Expenditure for the financial year 1st January, 1969, to 31st March, 1970, contained in Paper Cmd. 27 of 1968.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, in reply to the Member for Geylang Serai, I must say that in Geylang Serai Constituency, 30 additional premises have been taken over by the Katong District Office and have given service since the new Local Government Conservancy Regulations were brought into force in July this year. It has to be admitted that during the year, there have been times when difficulty was experienced in refuse collection caused partly by the breakdown of vehicles and partly by the shortage of wagons. Some of these difficulties have been overcome. Sir, if I enumerate the figures of refuse removed and the productivity of labour for the Katong District, it will definitely prove to this House that since the middle of this year, an effort has been made by the workers of the Ministry of Health to increase productivity. This will disprove what the Member for Geylang Serai has said, that the Health Ministry is not putting enough effort into making Singapore one of the cleanest cities in Southeast Asia. However, I am not in a position to give detailed figures.”
“I believe I have already answered the question. Guillemard Road Market must be filled and, therefore, it will not be abandoned. As I have said, the Government cannot afford to build markets and then leave them vacant.”
“Moreover, a non- citizen hawker may transfer his or her licence to another member of his or her family if that member of the family is a Singapore citizen and is unemployed. The Government cannot in the public interest allow fresh applications from non- citizen hawkers, even those with blue identity cards.”
“If I may quote certain paragraphs from the press statement which was issued just before the survey commenced. These are as follows: `The long-term solution to the hawker problem can be achieved if hawkers accept that it is in their interest to trade in proper licensed premises, such as markets, shop-houses and indoor hawker centres, which have essential facilities such as pipe water, electricity and other sanitary facilities. The Ministry of Health, in close liaison with the Ministry of National Development and the Housing and Development Board, have decided to tackle the problem jointly in an effort to find a long-term solution to the problem. One primary objective is to ensure the provision of reasonably satisfactory indoor or covered accommodation to replace present hawker sites in streets and back- lanes. However, to what extent such facilities should be provided and where they should be located cannot be accurately planned ahead unless an accurate censorship of hawkers is taken.' Mr Speaker, Sir, our intentions are clearly stated here. I do not think there should be any suspicions of our intentions. The next point brought up by the Member for Delta was in regard to non-citizens who apply for hawker licences. The policy on this has been laid down with great care to protect the rights and welfare of Singapore citizens. Hawker licences for non-citizens already in possession of them are being renewed on a temporary basis, that is, from month to month, provided they hawk at authorised sites. This refers primarily to holders of blue identity cards, as applications for the renewal of licences of those not in possession of blue identity cards or with foreign passports are rejected outright.”
“It is expected that the resiting exercise in respect of this market will take place in the latter half of February 1969.. The other question is, how do we intend to allocate these vacant pitches? They are as follows, in order of priority: (a) Licensed hawkers in Guillemard Road and Old Kallang Airport Markets; (b) Registered licensed hawkers in the vicinity; and (c) Other applicants. I would like to point out, particularly to the Member for Mountbatten, that it is advisable for those who applied for these pitches years ago to apply again, as some records were destroyed in the fire which took place in the Hawkers Department some years ago. This is to make doubly sure that their names are on record. The other point is whether the Housing and Development Board intends to build another market in the Old Kallang Airport Estate. I cannot speak for the Housing and Development Board. But I would like to say that unless vacancies in the existing markets are filled, I do not think it is justified to have another market built. Let me turn to the observations made by the Member for Delta. She raised the question of what we intend to do after we have completed the island-wide survey of hawkers, and expressed certain misgivings on the part of hawkers at large. She said that they were suspicious of our intentions and would, therefore, like to have a categorical statement from the Health Ministry of our intentions. Mr Speaker, Sir, the answer is quite simple. As a matter of fact, before the island-wide survey of hawkers commenced, a press statement was issued. It clearly stated our intentions. I do not think there should be any justification for any suspicions of our intentions.”
“But, again quoting the case of the Orchard Road Car Park, I am told that not only are the Koek Road hawkers who were resited at the Orchard Road Car Park happy because they are making a lot of money, but there are many other hawkers also who are trying to get pitches in the Orchard Road Car Park. Mr Speaker, Sir, we in the Health Ministry, perhaps unlike some Members, are quite prepared to take unpopular measures to protect the long-term interests of the community as well as the hawkers. We are not out for praise or popularity. We are not in this political business for personal gain.. If we know that what we do is right, we will do it. We prefer to be cursed now and praised later, rather than to be praised now and cursed for the rest of our lives. After the hawkers' survey, we shall work out a scheme in which all hawkers will be resited in proper premises. I cannot say that we can do so overnight. It will take some time. But we are determined to do what is right. The Member for Mountbatten brought up the question of the Old Kallang Airport Market and asked whether there are any vacancies there and what plans we have to fill the vacancies now existing. Mr Speaker, Sir, the survey of the Old Kallang Airport Market has been completed. It has been ascertained that the following number of stalls are available: (1) inside the market, 38 stalls; (2) covered pitches outside the market, 115 day stalls and 194 night stalls. As I have said, the resiting exercise will not, however, take place until the island-wide hawker survey, which commenced on 2nd December, is completed. It will be around the end of January or middle of January next year, depending on how fast progress is made.”
“Once the hawkers' survey is over, all vacant pitches in all markets will be filled and each market will cater for almost every type and variety of market produce. Those who do not take this excellent opportunity of occupying stalls in the market but persist in illegally occupying sites outside it or occupying unauthorised pitches will be prosecuted. It is, therefore, the intention of the Ministry event ually to have all the hawkers in Singapore trade within premises, otherwise Singapore cannot become the clean and green garden city that it should be. Further, it is ridiculous and unfair for the stall- holders in markets to pay licence fees if we allow unlicensed hawkers to hawk outside the market and steal away the business of those inside the markets. Mr Speaker, Sir, I for one will admit that the hawker problem is a most difficult one. But we must be realistic and practical in tackling it. We must look at the long-term interest of the community as well as of the hawkers themselves. In order to attain these objectives, we have unfortunately to carry out unpopular measures. To quote a good example, when the Hawkers Department in the Ministry of Health wanted to clear the hawkers in the Koek Road area and get them resited at the Orchard Road Car Park, all of them protested. Some of them alleged that the Hawkers Department was trying to take away their rice-bowl and that they could only "catch mosquitoes" -in the Orchard Road Car Park. As Members know, the Orchard Road Car Park is now the most popular hawker centre in the whole of Singapore. 7.30 p.m. We have to take unpopular measures at the moment. Some of the hawkers are perhaps short-sighted and do not see the advantages of what we propose to do, and invariably they oppose us at first.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I will reply first to the Member for Mountbatten. He spoke on the unpopularity of Guillemard Road Market. According to him, only a few hawkers who have been resited there are still in the market. Guillemard Road Market was built in 1955 at a cost of about $18,000. It was so built that it would be convenient to all householders in the vicinity as they would not have to travel very far to do their marketing. For some reason or other, this market is occupied by only 25 licensed hawkers although there is room, for a total of 109, and 102 licences have.~ in fact, been issued. As it is physically impossible for 25 licensed hawkers ~o cater for the marketing requirement$ of the people in the vicinity, it is inevitabIe that they will rather go to the Old Kallang Airport Market to do their marketing as every marketing item can be purchased there. This has re sulted in less patronage of Guillemard Road Market and, therefore, it is unpopular. This state of affairs can fairly be attributed to the hawkers themselves. It is a vicious circle. Unless all the hawkers who have been allotted pitches there go and occupy them so that a person who wants to purchase a list of items can do so in that market, it will not be desirable for the people in the vicinity to make their purchases there. Therefore, it is a vicious circle. The fault lies squarely with the hawkers themselves. Another point is the building of markets which are rejected by the hawkers. The Member for Mountbatten has suggested that such markets can be converted for some other useful purpose. Land in Singapore is scarce. The conversion into recreational halls of mar kets which are sited and specially selected for their central location will be a sheer waste of public funds.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I am sorry that I have overlooked the Member for Jalan Kayu. The Member's query is about the disposal of refuse in the rural areas. It is indeed a problem. In fact, the officials of the Ministry of Health are working out the details and as soon as the plans are ready they will liaise with those Members of Parliament whose areas are affected. I am sure the Member for Jalan Kayu will then know more of the details.”
“The next point which was brought up by the Member for Serangoon Gardens concerns vacancies existing in Serangoon Gardens Market. At the moment, there are 50 vacant stalls in the market for which applications will be open as soon as the island-wide hawker survey, which was launched on the 2nd of December this year, is completed. It is expected that the survey, when completed around the end of January 1969, will give us an accurate picture of how many licensed and unlicensed hawkers in approved sites or otherwise are conducting their business. With such information, it will be possible for us to plan and suitably allocate stalls to the hawkers in the order of priority as follows: (a) licensed hawkers in the vicinity; (b) registered unlicensed hawkers in the vicinity; and (c) other hawkers. Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, to allocate any of th-e stalls before the survey is over would lead to difficulties later on, as more deserving hawkers are likely to be left out. It must be remembered that the long-term solution to the hawker problem is for all hawkers to conduct their trade within premises. Steps have been taken in this direction, and with the co-operation of the Housing and Development Board and the Urban Renewal Department, it is hoped that all hawkers will be housed in suitable premises in the next five years. The short answer to the question raised by the Member for Serangoon Gardens is that it is expected that the 50 stalls in Serangoon Gardens Market will be open for balloting and occupation in the first quarter of 1969.”
“There has also been a corresponding increase in mosquito-borne diseases in Singapore, especially over the last six years. A recent survey of the breeding habitat of nuisance mosquitoes showed that out of a sample of 2,852 areas in which these mosquitoes were found breeding, over 60 per cent of such breeding was found in concrete drains and culverts. There is no doubt that drains are the favourite habitat of these nuisance mosquitoes, and where such drains are choked with refuse and have stagnant pools of water, mosquito breeding is usually prolific. It therefore follows that regular and thorough public cleansing work to dig up and remove the refuse, debris and silt from the drains, to clear choked -drains, drain off stagnant pools of water to ensure an unobstructed flow of water in these drains, will be a primary requirement in the prevention of mosquito breeding in the drains. For such drain cleansing work to be effectively carried- out, there has to be unimpeded access to all sections of open drains for the public cleansing worker to get into and to work in. Concrete slabs on the drains will deny access to the drains and will accordingly be physically obstructing and impeding this very necessary and routine cleansing work. As a public health requirement, drains should therefore not be covered and where -drains have been slabbed over, then such covered- slabs should, as far as possible, be removed. The Member for Serangoon Gardens said that we should not expose the drains to the view of visitors. If we want a system of closed drains, then there must be a system of sewers as they have in other countries. But in Singapore we do not have such a system. We have only a system of monsoon drains.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, first, I would like to touch upon the first point which the Member for Serangoon Gardens has made. He said that the burden of the application of the public health law that we have passed- would mainly fall on the poor people. Being a lawyer, the Member for Serangoon Gardens should know that every person is equal before the law whether he is poor or rich, a big towkay or just an ordinary workman. Another point I would like to bring up in reply to his statement is that it does not mean that the poor people are dirty and the rich people are clean. As a matter of fact, poor people who live in a humble hut can be very clean. In my coilstituency tours during the "Keep Singapore Clean" campaign, I saw people who live in humble huts keep their places very, very clean. On the other hand, I passed big compound houses with Mercedes cars parked inside and I found that they were quite dirty. It is not true that poor people are dirty or will have dirt around their houses. I say that cleanliness is something which should be pursued by everybody, whether he is rich or poor. 7.00 p.m. The second point I would like to bring up is in reply to the Member for Serangoon Gardens who wanted to know why the Ministry of Health has been unslabbing the drains. The answer is quite obvious. We have done so as a health measure to facilitate public cleansing, prevent choking of drains and reduce mosquito breeding. The mosquito nuisance has been in existence in Singapore for many years, but following the increase and rapid tempo of urban development and the extensive covering of roadside drains, especially in the more congested areas in the city, the preponderance of mosquito complaints from 1958 onwards has emphasised the mounting seriousness of the urban mosquito problem.”
“I would say that, at the moment, the Ministry of Health is starting a Maternity Unit in the Thomson Road General Hospital in order to increase labour ward facilities. However, I wish to point out that the position is not as serious as it was two or three years ago. This is largely due to the fact that there has been a substantial decrease in our birth rate in Singapore. As a result, the pressure on the use of the labour wards in Kandang Kerbau Hospital has substantially decreased this year.”
“To date there are three doctors Cytologists and nine cytotechnicians providing this service in the Cytology Department of Kandang Kerbau Hospital. The staff are pooled together from Kandang Kerbau Hospital an-d the Family Planning and Popula tion Board, and screening smears from patients of Kandang Kerbau Hospital an-d selected cases from the Family Planning and Population Board clinics are sent to the Cytology Unit. 6.45 p.m. May I elaborate by giving Members some figures regarding the work of the Cytology Laboratory in Kan- dang Kerbau Hospital. The number of smears done in 1965 was 464. In 1966, it increased to 1,744. And in 1967, it reached the figure of 3,957. From the smears which were done, 42 confirmed cases were discovered in 1966. In 1967, 88 cases were discovered. The returns from the Cytology Laboratory of Kandang Kerbau Hospital concerning cases from the Family Plan ning and Population Board are as follows. The number of patients screened in 1967 was 5,713 and the number of confirmed cancer cases discovered was 17. Sir, presently, it is not possible to screen all patients attending Kandang Kerbau Hospital as a routine step, and only indicated patient screening is practised. This is not part of the programme of any cancer research centre, although research pertaining to obstetrical and gyncological problems is going on in Kandang Kerbau Hospital. As the Member for Delta has said, it is possible to effect a cure in early cases of cancer of the womb by excision surgery. The other point brought up by the Member for Delta concerns the services rendered by Kandang Kerbau Hospital. She mentioned that there are not enough labour wards in Kandang Kerbau Hospital. Of course, she would like to know what measures we are taking.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, may I first reply to the allegations made by the Member for Geylang Serai. I cannot agree more with the Member that it is important to ensure high standards of courtesy among our public servants. However, I believe there has been an all-round improvement in this respect. In a large Ministry, such as the Ministry of Health which has about 20,000 employees approximately one-third of all Government employees there are bound to be complaints against a few employees now and then. Where details have been given in specific complaints, investigations have been made and appropriate action has been taken against the offenders. I can assure Members that should any of them have any complaints to make, these will certainly be looked into. In fact, the Ministry of Health will be extremely grateful to receive authenticated complaints. They must be specific and not general or vague, so that appropriate disciplinary action can be taken against the offend ers. By this means, the Ministry of Health hopes to raise the standard of efficiency and service of its staff to higher levels. Turning to the question of cancer in women brought up by the Member for Delta, I cannot agree with her more that cancer is a major and grave problem in Singapore. Unfortunately, medical experts would tell us that the cancer research carried out up to the present has not been able to tell us what actually causes cancer. Perhaps the Member for Joo Chiat can elaborate further on this. Therefore, as long as the basic cause of cancer is unknown, preventive measures will, therefore, not be possible. However, we in the Health Ministry have been giving a screening service for detecting cancer in women in Kandang Kerbau Hospital. This was started in September 1964.”