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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“I question the assumption of the Member for Khe Bong thot the police knows that it is a wrongful arrest. That is an assumption which I question. Of course, if I know that it was a wrongful arrest we shall take remedial measures. But let us be quite pragmatic about these matters. Quite a number of persons who have been rightfully arrested always claim, even to me during my meet-the-people sessions, that they have been wrongfully arrested. Of course, I should not jump to conclusion. I will always investigate the matter and invariably I find that there was no such wrongful arrest.”
“Sir, I cannot agree more with the Member for Punggol that the police must act cautiously and not to embarrass innocent members of the public. But the fact is that if the police officers have been negligent in arresting people recklessly, then action will be taken against the officers concerned. In Singapore today it does not mean that if a person has money, he will be protected from all wrongdoings, and he can employ lawyers. Even if he does not have the money to employ lawyers, there is always the MP who can take up his case, maybe more effectively.”
“Sir, I think that is part of the duty of the MP. If the wrongful arrestee goes to the MP, of course, the MP will advise the person concerned one of two things - either employ a lawyer if he can afford it, or if he cannot afford it, the MP can always write to the Ministry or to me, and we will investigate.”
“Sir, if a wrongful arrest has been made, then the person concerned can sue the police and the matter will be decided by the civil court.”
“Sir, as far as handcuffing is concerned, that is the normal practice when they arrest a person. Otherwise if the person gets away because the police officer did not handcuff him, then it would be a case of negligence on the part of the police officer. That is the normal course of things, not only in Singapore but in all countries of the world. Arrest means handcuffing the person, whatever the consequences. But the fact is, and I would like to stress this, that the police must not and they do not make an arrest without reasonable evidence.”
“Here again, unfortunately the matter has not been brought to my attention much earlier. Had he brought it to my attention we would have investigated the matter. Mr M.K.A. Jabbar( In Tamil): Sir, I agree with the Minister on one point. But before deciding the guilt of a person, he should not be handcuffed. There are three or four thousand workers there. If they were to do anything in anger, it will affect the economy of the country. I do not object to taking people away for investigations. I agree that the offenders should be punished.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, it is unfortunate that the Member for Radin Mas did not report the second incident to the police. I was wondering why, because bottle-throwing is quite a se.-ious offence. It could have broken the head of the Member for Radin Mas, and we might have to have a by-electionl Nevertheless I would like to assure the Member that the police is always conscious of the fact that prevention is better than cure. I do not think it is true to say that the police did not send people there when the Member held his victory parade. It is not always the practice to send uniformed policemen. They could have sent plain-clothes policemen there, which is more effective. But as the Member knows, in a high-rise estate it is very difficult to detect the culprit if the bottle was thrown from a height of a 10-storey or 16-storey block. However, if he had reported the matter immediately after the incident, some investigation could have been made and we might be able to apprehend the culprit. With regard to the first incident, I must say that the Member cannot assume that there was no evidence before the two persons were arrested. Why should the police officer waste his time arresting them if there was no evidence? It could be that there was no sufficient evidence. But if there were some evidence, then they have to investigate and make the arrest. But after investigation if there is no sufficient evidence to prosecute the person in court, the person is released. As Members know, our system of law and justice is such that a person is not guilty unless he is proved or found to be guilty by a magistrate or a judge beyond reasonable doubt. So I cannot agree with the Member for Radin Mas that those two persons were arrested without reasonable evidence.”
“Sir, I beg to report that the Committee of Supply has made progress on the Main and Development Estimates for the financial year 1st April, 1981 to 31st March, 1982 and ask leave to sit again tomorrow.”
“Mr Ho See Beng asked the Minister for National Development (a) if the Housing and Development Board will consider giving priority for the purchase of larger units or applications for transfer to larger units to tenants who have lived in HDB one-room flats for eight years or more: and (b) in view of the popularity of the two-room flats, whether the HDB plans to renovate and enlarge the one-room flats to larger units.”
“6% of the authorized strength of the Force. Through regular recruitment exercises, the percentage improved to 6.8% in 1978, 7.1% in 1979 and 6.4% in 1980. From 1977 to 1980, 14,976 persons applied to join the Police Force. Of this total, 8,643 were found eligible and subsequently 1,165 were recruited after they had passed the interviews, medical examinations and screening. For this year, the Police will hold two recruitment exercises. The large numbers of applications received during recruitment exercises indicate that the conditions of service in the Police Force are not unattractive. However, efforts have been made to improve the career prospects of Police Officers. The more significant measures are as follows: (1) the introduction of field promotions for outstanding junior officers, soon after they have shown bravery and competence in the field, and more recently merit promotions for other outstanding junior officers in between the regular bi-annual promotion exercises; (2) increased opportunities for junior officers to perform duties of a higher rank so that they can be tested and considered for promotion if they perform well; and (3) the introduction of new promotion ranks of Senior Assistant Superintendent of Police and the Deputy Assistant Commissioner of Police. HDB ONE-ROOM FLATS (Enlargement of and priority to tenants for transfer to larger units) 5.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, in January this year, seven junior officers resigned from the Police Force. Last month, two senior officers and 26 junior officers resigned. Since the introduction of the 13th month pay, February and July each year are the months in which most resignations take place. Those who are thinking of resigning from the Force early in the year will make up their minds by June and resign in July. They know that if they were to wait further, then it would be better to wait till they collect their 13th month pay in December, serve notice of resignation in January and leave in February. Those who have decided to resign in the second half of the year, therefore, wait till February to leave. In 1980, 16 junior officers resigned in February and another 16 resigned in July. However, for the whole year there were only 113 resignations. On average, between nine and 10 junior officers resigned per month. The 113 resignations for the whole year represented only 1.8% of the actual strength of junior officers at the end of that year. Therefore, although the number of resignations in February this year was high, there is no cause for alarm. Since the bulk of the resignations is junior officers, they would not adversely affect the Force nor weaken law enforcement. Furthermore, 29 of the 33 junior officers were Constables, and there were only one Sergeant and one Corporal who resigned. Forty-two of them had less than four years' service. Resignations represent one side of the coin. The other is recruitment. The staffing position of the Force as reflected in the number of vacancies is the net result of resignations and recruitment. In fact, the position of vacancies in the Police Force has improved over the last four years. In 1977, vacancies accounted for 12.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, unsolved criminal cases are never treated as "closed" cases. SINGAPORE POLICE FORCE (Resignations) 4. Mr Yeo Choo Kok asked the Minister for Home Affairs whether the recent resignations of officers from the Singapore Police Force have affected the Force and weakened law enforcement; and if his Ministry has taken measures to fill those vacancies and to improve the conditions of service so as to encourage officers to stay on.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, from the figures supplied by the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau, 44 persons were convicted in court on charges of bribery in 1980. There was no professional from the public sector among them. However, there were three professionals from the private sector - two architects and an engineer. In the same year, 72 persons were convicted on charges of criminal breach of trust. Again, no professional from the public sector was involved but there were two from the private sector. One was an accountant and the other a lawyer. MASS RAPID TRANSIT (Study of proposal for all-bus system) 5. Mr Ng Kah Ting asked the Minister for Communications and Minister for Labour whether it was necessary to conduct another study to assess the Hansen Review Team's proposal of an all-bus system; what is the purpose of Phase B of the Study, how long the Study will take and how much it will cost; and whether a firm decision on the MRT will be taken by Government after the Study.”
“The answer is yes. I will not only assure him but I will also take a very serious view of any dereliction of duty. BRIBERY AND CRIMINAL BREACH OF TRUST (Figures for 1980) 4. Encik Wan Hussin Zoohri asked the Minister for Home Affairs, for the year 1980, (a) how many persons were convicted on charges of (i) bribery, and (ii) criminal breach of trust; and (b) how many of such persons were professionals from (i) the public sector, and (ii) the private sector.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the case mentioned by the hon. Member for Khe Bong has been under investigation by the Police before it was publicized in the press. These investigations, as to whether there was neglect of duty on the part of the police officer concerned in not pursuing the matter further than he did, have now reached the stage where the papers have been referred to the Attorney-General's Chambers. The Attorney-General has advised that facts relating to the alleged abduction of the 10-year old girl and the investigations following therefrom should not be disclosed publicly at this stage because the girl concerned will, in all probability, be a material witness at the trial of the three persons who have been charged with murdering two children in Toa Payoh. As the House will appreciate, the three accused face capital charges and the matter is sub judice and disclosures which may prejudice the outcome of their cases should be avoided. I am, nonetheless, aware that this case has generated considerable public interest. I wish to assure the House that a serious view has been taken of the matter and I will not hesitate to discipline any police officer who has been found guilty of dereliction of duty.”
“For example, it is the practice of the petroleum, banking and finance industries to pay annual wage supplements of 2 3/4 to 3 months' wages. New companies in these industries that were set up on or after 1st July 1972 were, however, restricted to paying annual wage supplement of up to one month's wages. A few of these companies have expressed their unhappiness over their inability to pay the same amount of AWS as their rivals in the same industry. They have pointed out that this would create difficulties in their attracting and retaining staff. There is, therefore, a case for allowing such new companies to pay at their discretion similar annual wage supplement as other companies in the same industry. In view of all these considerations, the Government has accepted the NWC recommendation that employers be allowed at their discretion to pay AWS above the frozen quantum up to a maximum of three months' wages without seeking the prior written permission of the Minister for Finance. This NWC proposal is now embodied in the Bill before the House. The other amendments in the Bill are to remove ambiguities in the present section 46 of the Employment Act. Sir, I beg to move. Question put, and agreed to. Bill accordingly read a Second time and committed to a Committee of the whole House. The House immediately resolved itself into a Committee on the Bill. - [Mr Sia Kah Hui]. Bill considered in Committee. [Mr Speaker in the Chair] Clause 1 ordered to stand part of the Bill. Clause 2 -”
“Employers were given a right to make an option between negotiating for the payment of both an annual wage supplement and a bonus or both an annual wage supplement and annual wage increases. An employer who could not afford to pay any of these combinations was allowed to negotiate for the payment of an annual wage supplement or bonus or annual wage increases. The amounts of AWS payable by employers were frozen. Where an employer has paid bonuses of a month's wages or more before 1st July 1972, the annual wage supplement should be the average of the bonuses of the last three years or the last annual bonus whichever was higher but subject to a maximum of three months' wages. However, where employers had not paid bonuses or paid bonuses of less than one month's wages before 1st July 1972, the annual wage supplement should not exceed one month's wages. In December 1975, section 46 was amended to allow an employer who wants to pay above the frozen quantum of AWS to do so after he has sought the prior written permission of the Minister for Finance. Sir, the present AWS policy has been in operation for a number of years. Circumstances have changed. More employers are now paying wage increases through the implementation of National Wages Council's recommendations, and disputes over payment of annual wage supplement hardly arise. We have also found that most of the applications for additional AWS have been made by the same employers year after year. From 1975 to 1979, there were 512 applications for approval from the Minister for Finance to pay annual wage supplement above the frozen quantum. Of these 512 applications, 464 applications or 91% were approved. In addition, we have also discovered that there is a need to relax it in relation to certain new companies.”
“Sir, if I am in the Ministry of Health, I would be quite willing to give him the figures. Unfortunately, I am standing in for the Minister for Health who has just been called away. If the Member for Whampoa seriously wants the figures, I am quite sure the Ministry of Health will be prepared to give him the figures of the number of unmarried mothers, and so on and so forth. Question put, and agreed to. Bill accordingly read a Second time and committed to a Committee of the whole House. The House immediately resolved itself into a Committee on the Bill. - [Mr Chua Sian Chin]. Bill considered in Committee; reported without amendment; read a Third time and passed. EMPLOYMENT (AMENDMENT) BILL Order for Second Reading read. 3.03 p.m. The Acting Minister for Labour (Mr Sia Kah Hui): Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, "That the Bill be now read a Second time." The Bill seeks principally to amend section 46 of the Employment Act to give effect to the National Wages Council's recommendation that employers be allowed at their discretion to pay an annual wage supplement above the frozen quantum up to a maximum of three months' wages without seeking the prior approval of the Minister for Finance. Hon. Members may recall that in 1972 the National Wages Council, in the interest of orderly wage increases and reduction of disputes on bonuses, recommended a policy to freeze the amount of annual wage supplements (AWS) that may be payable by employers. As a result, section 46 of the Employment Act was repealed and re-enacted to enable a trade union of employees to negotiate for the payment of either both an annual wage supplement and a bonus or both an annual wage supplement and annual wage increases.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, in reply, may I say that as far as the Ministry of Health is concerned, and particularly the Singapore Family Planning and Population Board, they do not encourage abortion. This has been stated over and over again. Because there are other and better methods of birth control, they have therefore been doing their very best to propagate these various methods of birth control. But if, in spite of that, a woman still conceives, and if it is an unwanted baby, then she should be free to choose whether to have the baby or to abort it. That is the rationale of the Abortion Act. It is something that is voluntary, some- thing given to a woman who does not want the baby, to have an abortion as a last resort, of course, under certain conditions. I do not think I would like to answer the Member for Whampoa about abortion being murder. That has been debated long ago when I first introduced the Abortion Bill. In my training as a lawyer, I have never been taught that, in law, abortion is murder. The Member for Whampoa may use other definitions from other authorities which I do not consider as authorities. As I have said, this is a matter of free choice. It is a matter of your own personal belief, and on what principles you define murder and on what principles you define right and wrong. I have all the time been saying that on religious beliefs or moral principles, you should be free to choose what moral principles or what religious principles you want to believe in, and that you should not impose your moral principles and beliefs on another person unless, of course, it is against the law of the land.”
“Where prosecution is not possible because witnesses are not prepared to give evidence in court, the secret society elements are detained or placed under Police supervision in accordance with the provisions in the Criminal Law (Temporary Provisions) Act. With a view to finding a long-term solution to the secret society menace, I have appointed a team comprising psychologists and sociologists to conduct an in-depth study of the problem. It is headed by the Senior Psychologist of Woodbridge Hospital. The aim of the study is to determine why secret societies should still exist in Singapore despite the tremendous economic, social and educational development that has been achieved over the last 20 years or so. The team is expected to present its report in March next year.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I must first make a distinction between gang fights involving secret society elements and other secret society incidents. A gang fight, as understood by the Police, is a clash between two rival groups of secret society members. A secret society incident is one in which one group of secret society members attack and assault persons who may or may not be secret society elements. The persons attacked would invariably be outnumbered and they would try to flee. During the period 1st January to 19th November this year, there were one gang fight and 11 secret society incidents. These 11 secret society incidents resulted in six deaths. The comparative figures for the last three years are as follows:- No. No. No. of killed No. of killed secret in secret gang in gang society society Year fights fights incidents incidents 1977 3 - 10 4 1978 6 2 4 4 1979 6 - 5 3 The figures show that there is a decrease in the number of gang fights this year but the number of one-sided attacks by secret society elements has increased when compared to the last three years. This explains the higher number of deaths that have resulted from secret society violence. There is, however, no increase in the frequency of secret society violence. The Police will continue to maintain surveillance on secret society suspects and those who are on record as having been secret society members or associates. They will gather intelligence in areas where secret society activities are reported to be taking place. Whenever it is necessary, an operation or other action will be taken to arrest and prosecute the culprits.”
“Mr Sia Khoon Seong asked the Minister for Finance (a) when and how the Government intends to implement the 1980 NWC recommendation on the second tier payment of 3% for the above-average workers in the public sector; (b) whether he is able to indicate at this juncture the probable percentage of the public service that will get the 3% increase; (c) how his Ministry defines an above-average watchman, clerk, nurse, teacher, lawyer, doctor, administrative officer and permanent secretary, among others; and (d) whether all permanent secretaries and other superscale officers will automatically get the 3% increase, and, if so, what is the rationale. The Minister for Finance (Mr Hon Sui Sen): Mr Speaker, Sir, as both the Members for Delta and Moulmein have raised questions on implementing the NWC recommendation for the payment of the additional wage increase to above-average performers in the public service, it would be convenient if I could answer their questions together.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, there was only one gang fight at a hawker centre but none at shopping complexes between 1st January, 1980, and 25th October, 1980. The fight which took place at the Bedok South Hawker Centre on 18th January, 1980, was between 12 members of two secret societies. They are all Singaporeans and five of them were charged and convicted in court for rioting. However, during the same period, there were 153 fights at hawker centres and 201 fights at shopping complexes. These fights were between individuals or small groups of persons and had no secret society connection. Most of the fights resulted from arguments over minor issues, such as prices and seating arrangements at hawker centres. A total of 12 foreigners, namely, 10 Malaysians and two European boys, were involved in 11 of the fights. The Police will continue to take preventive measures, including visits by its uniformed officers on patrol, to curb such incidents. Where the situation warrants, detectives or plainclothes officers will also be deployed. 1980 NATIONAL WAGES COUNCIL RECOMMENDATIONS (Implementation of second tier payment in Public Service) 5. Mr Yeo Choo Kok asked the Minister for Finance whether his Ministry has finalized the criteria for assessing the eligibility of employees in the public sector for the 1980 National Wages Council's recommendation of the 3% award for above-average employees, and, if so, when the recommendation will be implemented and how many will benefit from it. 6.”
“The answer is none. GANG FIGHTS AT HAWKER CENTRES AND SHOPPING COMPLEXES (Measures to curb) 4. Mr Yeo Choo Kok asked the Minister for Home Affairs, that since 1st January 1980 up to the latest convenient date, how many gang fights have taken place in hawker centres and shopping complexes and how many foreigners were involved in those fights; and what plans he has to curb such incidents in the interests of the public.”
“Sir, to date, in 1980, we have not arrested any drug trafficker for an offence that entails the death penalty if he is prosecuted and convicted.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, since the enactment of the death penalty in 1975, 20 major drug traffickers have been arrested and prosecuted. Eighteen have been tried in Court and sentenced to death. Six of them were executed after they failed in their appeals to the Privy Council. With vigorous and sustained enforcement, the organised drug trafficking syndicates have been smashed. The deterrent effect of enforcement, convictions and executions is reflected in the declining number of major drug traffickers arrested for such offences after the introduction of the death penalty. In 1976, 11 major drug traffickers were arrested. The figure dropped to six in 1977, one in 1978 and one in 1979. What is even more significant is that the pattern of trafficking has changed to ant trafficking. The ant traffickers smuggle very small amounts of drugs from Johore Bahru into Singapore. With strict enforcement action at our checkpoints, not much could get through. As a result the addicts are finding it difficult to get their supplies from the street pushers and they have to pay a high price for the drugs. This scarcity has resulted in an increase in the price of heroin at the street level from $35 per gram in 1977 to $333 per gram in the first half of this year. For the foreseeable future, I have no intention of introducing amending legislation. There must, however, be no relaxation in enforcement so that distribution networks which have been smashed are not rebuilt or new ones created. This together with the deterrence of the death penalty will continue to keep the drug problem in Singapore under control.”
“Sir, the exit control scheme was implemented on 3rd January, 1978. As I have said before, with this exit control scheme, we have been able to identify those who have overstayed and to deal with them. During the period March 1978 to December 1979, 43,954 visitors overstayed. Of these, 121 were prosecuted in court, while 10,090 were offered composition fines. Another 30,548 visitors who had overstayed for only a week or less were let off with a warning. During 1979, 1,450 visitors were checked by the Immigration Department on receipt of information that they were working illegally, in other words, they had abused their social visit pass. However, only two of them were subsequently prosecuted in court. Regular spot checks are conducted at work sites where foreigners are suspected to be working illegally. Where there is sufficient evidence, the visitors and their employers are charged in court. In addition, my Ministry is considering a scheme to prevent those who are working illegally from posing as visitors and renewing their 14-day social visit pass at the check-point frequently. Sir, illegal immigration was prevalent in the 1970's and early 1970's. An Immigration Task Force was formed in June 1973 to deal with the problem. The number of illegal immigrants arrested in that year was 2,223. Since then the situation has improved significantly, and only 95 illegal immigrants were arrested last year although there was no let-up in enforcement. Although the incidence of illegal entry has dropped considerably, the Immigration Task Force and other enforcement agencies will continue to be vigilant.”
“Sir, I agree entirely with the Member for Khe Bong that there is room for improvement. We are improving all the time, as the figures so far indicate. With regard to the system of priority, we always have a system of priority. If it is necessary for an application to be processed as a matter of priority and there is a good case for it, we will do it and we have done that sometimes. Mr Ho See Beng( In Mandarin): Sir, I beg leave to withdraw my amendment. Amendment by leave, withdrawn.”
“A housewife and a businessman both apply for citizenship. The housewife has nothing to do with any company as she is not in business and therefore makes no contribution to the economy. Of course, it would be of no consequence whether or not the housewife is granted citizenship speedily. But as for the businessman, his assets and business activities could make significant contributions to our economy and, under such circumstances, he should be given some priority. It is only reasonable that the businessman's application be given priority over the housewife's. For this reason, I believe some consideration should be given.”
“This is unsatisfactory as it is slow, and during peak hours such checking, even on a random basis, can lead to serious congestion at the checkpoint. The position is becoming increasingly impossible unless the screening is computerised. There are two reasons for this. First, the volume of visitors coming through the checkpoint has increased and will increase further. In 1978, 10.8 million people entered Singapore through the checkpoint. In 1979, it has increased by 24.9% to 13.5 million people. Second, the blacklist is also growing, largely because visitors who commit drug offences in Singapore are now issued with Prohibition of Entry Orders. Sir, computerising the blacklist has the following advantages over manual checking of the fat Kalamazoo: 1. A computerised blacklist is more secure; 2. A computerised blacklist can be updated with a single entry whereas updating the Kalamazoos is a repetitive and tedious process; 3. A substantial increase in the number of records in the computer files will not significantly affect the screening time; and 4. The blacklist file can be used to screen applications for immigration facilities, e.g. extension of stay, at the Immigration head office. This will cut down the waiting time of applicants. Mr Ho See Beng( In Mandarin): Sir, I am very satisfied with the answer on the Immigration Department. Regarding my query on citizenship, I believe there is still room for improvement. There are thousands of applicants and each one of them would like to have his application processed as early as possible. I appreciate the problem that the Department is facing, but I believe that whatever we do, there must be some order of priority. If there is no order, then there can be no system of work. Let me quote an example.”
“Applicants for new passports and renewal of passports will not need to make two trips to the Immigration Department because screening time will have been drastically reduced and the machine-printing of passports will speed up the whole process. 2. Applicants will not need to fill up tedious forms. All they need to provide is their identity card number. 3. Something like 800,000 index cards on international passport holders will not be necessary any more, thus freeing valuable space. 4. There will be a saving of some five clerks because the amount of writing will be greatly reduced. 5. By computerising the blacklist and tapping the NRO records, the issue of new passports and renewal of passports can be decentralised, and this will enable the Department to bring its services nearer to the people. As regards the control functions of the Department, the Exit Control Scheme is already computerised. When a visitor arrives, one portion of his embarkation/disembarkation card is retained by the Department and the control number, scheduled date of depar- ture, and other details are stored in the computer. When he leaves, the control number of the other portion of his embarkation/disembarkation card is keyed into the computer. When the two numbers are matched, it signifies that the visitor has left. In this way, a list of unmatched records representing over-stayers is generated by the computer and the Department is thus alerted. The Department has submitted a proposal to the Ministry of Finance to introduce on-line screening at the Woodlands Checkpoint, the railway station at Keppel Road and at the Department's headquarters. Currently, screening is done manually.”
“No. I am not passing the buck. Parliament House is too big a building to be considered a buck. The Member for Telok Blangah asked whether the Immigration Department has computerised its operations and, if not, whether there are any plans to do so. The Immigration Department has computerised some of its operations and there are plans to computerise further. The Department's work may be broadly divided into documentation, that is, the issue of documents, such as passports, entry permits, etc., and control, that is, checking of travel papers of people arriving and leaving the checkpoints. I will discuss these separately. First, the area of documentation. The Immigration Department has discovered that it can make use of the computerised records of the National Registration Office (NRO) to screen applications for passports and to issue passports. The NRO records contain all the information that is normally required of an applicant for a passport. The Immigration Department will also store the blacklist in the computer. Terminals will be installed to screen applicants against the blacklist and to retrieve information. Printers will also be installed so that when a record is traced and it is not on the blacklist, the printer will print the necessary details onto the passport. The Ministry of Finance has approved the project, and the Computer Services Department is working out the details of the system. It is expected to be operational early next year. This computerised system will have several advantages and perhaps Members would like to know. 1.”
“So we are not going to have any new building, and the Empress Place building will perhaps be preserved by the Preservation of Monuments Board. With regard to Parliament House, I do not think I am competent to answer the question. But if the Member is interested, he can put in a question to the relevant authority for an answer. An hon. Member: Passing the buck again!”
“In 1979 we considered 2,676 applications from those who are the only non-citizen in the family. Of these, 2,384 or 89.1% were approved, and only 292 or 10.9% were refused mainly because they were unemployed, had no steady employment, or had character defects. 4.30 p.m. The Member for Khe Bong mentioned a particular case saying that the applicant had made a valuable economic contribution to Singapore. I do not know which case he is referring to but it seems that such a case would be favourably considered. If the Member were to write to me, I would look into the matter. Now let me turn to Immigration administration. The Member for Khe Bong asked whether the present premises occupied by the Immigration Department at the Empress Place building would be demolished and erect a new building in its place. He reasons that the building is too old and therefore too costly to renovate. My answer is that we have no plans to demolish the Empress Place Government building or to construct a new building. In fact, for his information, the Preservation of Monuments Board is considering classifying the Empress Place building as a national monument because of its historical value. We did, however, request the Government Buildings Committee to consider constructing a new building outside the Central Business District to house the Immigration Department and other departments which are currently occupying the Government Offices building. However, the Committee decided instead to give the Immigration Department additional space by allocating to them the space vacated by the Currency Board when they moved to the CPF building. This additional space vacated by the Currency Board is now being renovated at a cost of $1.6 million. Renovations will be completed by January 1981.”
“In fact, the case which the Member for Changi referred to is not the case which the Member for Punggol understood. For such cases, as I have said, if they can have conclusive proof of birth in Singapore, then they need not apply for Singapore citizenship. They will be citizens of Singapore by birth. A citizen by birth is superior to a citizen by registration. Therefore, we require this strict documentary proof of birth in Singapore before we can regard that person as a citizen. Nevertheless, if there is no conclusive proof, such a person can still apply for citizenship and be granted citizenship by registration if he satisfies the various requirements or criteria for grant of citizenship. Both the Members for Khe Bong and Changi wanted the citizenship applications to be speedily processed. The answer is that the processing of citizenship applications has been speeded up in the last two years. In 1978 there were 12,815 applications and 10,953 were dealt with. At the end of that year, 24,862 applications were awaiting decision. However, in 1979, 12,267 applications were received but 22,154 were dealt with, so that by the end of that year the number of applications pending decision dropped to 14,489. There was, therefore, a reduction of the backlog by 41.7%. The Registry of Citizenship will try its best to further reduce the backlog. Where the applicants meet the requirements for the grant of citizenship, the applications are processed without delay. Further consideration is given to applicants with strong family roots and who are unlikely to become a burden to Singapore. In addition the Government grants citizenship liberally to those who are the only non-citizen in the family.”
“I am referring to persons who were born before we passed an amendment requiring one of the parents to be a citizen of Singapore in order to be a citizen by birth. I think this is the type of application which the Member for Changi has been referring to.”
“Sir, two matters have been raised - one is citizenship and the other is computerisation of the Immigration Department. May I start with the matter of citizenship, since it has been raised first. The Member for Changi has stated that "the grant of citizenship is not a right but a privilege and every case is treated on its own merit." I confirm that. The Member for Khe Bong quoted Confucius, saying that "All men are brothers." In other words, all men are equal. He wonders why in Singapore different applications for citizenship are treated unequally. My reply to the Member for Khe Bong is that, as far as Singapore is concerned, all citizens are equal.”
“Sir, the answer is that the sum of $2,350 which was allocated under this Code for the Vigilante Corps for FY 79 was for the purpose of purchasing some filing cabinets and fire extinguishers. However, the big sum of $103,900 for FY 80, an allocation of more than $100,000, is for the purchase of four mini-buses to replace four existing mini-buses which are now over 10 years old and have been recommended for scrapping in this financial year.”
“The answer to the Member for Kim Seng is that we are looking deeper into the problems of road safety. In fact, as a result of our enforcement action and other measures, in 1979 we were able to reduce the number of accidents and road deaths. But, unfortunately, for the first two months (or coming to three months) of this year, we have suffered a set-back. Nevertheless, we will study the situation in depth and do our best to coordinate with the other Government departments and hope to break the back of the mounting fatalities as a result of road accidents.”
“Sir, may I put the picture right for the Member for Toa Payoh? Singapore is not a static State. It is changing all the time. Our roads are changing. As a result of new roads, we have new traffic signs and the planting of trees by the road-side. They are on-going affairs. Sometimes these committees have to catch up with the developments and to find remedies. Perhaps the Member for Toa Payoh could have noticed that something is not right at a certain road junction. I am quite sure that the committees or the authorities concerned must have seen to it. I can assure the Member that measures are always taken to remedy any deficiency. But, of course, we also try to prevent such deficiencies, if it is possible to foresee them. But there are many departments doing a lot of work. Singapore is on the move, and many of these departments are also on the move. Dr Ong Leong Boon: Sir, I am a little bit disturbed by the reply of the Hon. Minister. He seems to give the impression that there is adequate and close coordination between the various departments concerned with road safety. I would have thought that the answer should be the other way round. Just to illustrate the enormity of this problem. I think we all remember very vividly the Spyros incident, in which about 70 people died. It was a national disaster. So far, over the last 2 1/2 months many people have died on the roads. At this rate we could have the equivalent of about five times this number of people dying over a period of one year. In other words, there would be five "Spyros incidents" occurring on our roads. This is an enormous problem. I think we should look deeper into the question of road safety. 4.00 p.m.”
“Sir, I am sorry to have missed out the point raised by the Member for Alexandra. I agree with him entirely that in such matters as traffic accidents, it is best that we also learn from the experiences of other countries which have high records of road safety. In fact, this is being done all the time. Before we introduce any scheme to improve the traffic situation or to prevent road accidents, we first learn from other countries. If from time to time we can spare the officers concerned and there is opportunity, we do send such officers overseas to learn whatever they can from countries which have a good record of road safety. With regard to a departmental committee comprising representatives from the various Ministries and departments concerned with road traffic, as I have said in reply to the Member for Toa Payoh, we have quite a number of these committees. However, each committee deals with a specific topic, either road digging or bus bays, and so on. But, at the same time, we also have a liaison committee comprising representatives from the Ministry of Communications, Registry of Vehicles, the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Traffic Police to study the causes of accidents and perhaps find possible remedies. We have already got this committee going. It has already been functioning for about a year or so. If necessary, we may enlarge this committee to bring in representatives from other relevant departments.”
“The patrol crew will then report on the situation at the scene to the Police Radio Control Room which will then pass on the information to the Traffic Police. If there is traffic congestion, the patrol crew will direct the traffic until the arrival of the Traffic Mobile Squad. The Traffic Police will then send an investigation officer to the scene if any person is injured or killed in the accident. The Traffic Police have one inspector and six sergeants to investigate all accidents which result in injury. Most of the accidents happen during the day, especially during peak hours. From the Traffic Police Headquarters at Maxwell Road, the investigating officers go to the scene of the accident as quickly as possible. When they have finished their work at one location, they are instructed through their walkie-talkie to proceed directly to another location in order to save time. However, during peak hours some delay is inevitable unless many more officers are rostered for this job resulting in much under-employment during off-peak hours. It is also logical for the Traffic Police to attend to the more serious accidents first. It is a question of priority. In minor accidents where no one is injured, there is no necessity for the Police to be present at the scene. In such minor accidents, the parties involved should first remove their vehicles to the side of the road so as not to cause congestion, exchange particulars, and perhaps try to work out a settlement among themselves, thereby leaving the Police to deal with accidents involving injury and death. May I, therefore, assure the Member for Changi that there is no lapse of efficiency on the part of the investigating team of the Traffic Police.”
“This Committee examines areas of traffic congestion and finds solutions, such as road diversion, and other traffic schemes to relieve the congestion. The Traffic Police are also represented on the Co-ordination Committee on road-opening headed by the Assistant Director of the Public Works Department. This Committee is the approving authority for all proposals to dig up roads, lay, repair or maintain water pipes, and so on. While in this Committee, the Traffic Police keep in touch with the various bodies which carry out road works. It is through this Committee that the Traffic Police have been able to obtain the agreement of the various bodies to get the contractors, on pain of having to pay a penalty, to display adequate signs at a proper distance: ahead of road works to warn approaching motorists. The Traffic Police have also been working closely with the Registry of Vehicles on the siting or resiting of bus bays, bus stops, and taxi stands. In other words, there is close cooperation among the various departments to make our roads safer. Coming to the Member for Changi, he complains that whenever there is an accident the Traffic Police investigation team arrives rather late. May I inform him that the Police Radio Control Room receives about 120 calls a day from the public about road accidents. About 30 of these are calls in which someone has been injured. When a call is received, the Police radio operator asks the caller whether any person is injured or killed. This is necessary so that other emergency services can be called, for example, an ambulance to convey the injured to the hospital or the fire brigade to rescue any person trapped in a vehicle. At the same time, the nearest patrol car is despatched to the scene of the accident.”
“So the Member for Alexandra can be sure that they are accurate. The other point he asked was why did the Traffic Police mount speed traps on, what the Member thinks, safe roads? May I say that many motorists speed along roads which are straight and wide because they think that such roads are safe. In fact, such roads are safe only if motorists travel within the speed limit. They tend to forget or remember too late that the greater the speed, the more difficult it is to correct an error and the more severe the impact when the accident cannot be avoided. At 50 km an hour a minor error can be rectified, but at 80 km an hour it will have disastrous consequences. About pedestrians being killed in road accidents, I agree with the Member for Alexandra that it is better to have overhead bridges because they are much safer to cross, rather than to use pedestrian crossings. As I have stated previously, we have located 104 places where these high pedestrian bridges should be built. But it will take some time to build these 104 overhead bridges, and I hope that they can be built and completed within two years at the latest. 3.45 p.m. Coming to the Member for Toa Payoh, he spoke about the need for coordination between the Traffic Police and the various Government departments to improve the road conditions so that they can be made safe. He quoted the example of trees being planted along roads in such a way that they were a hazard to motorists. May I say that the Traffic Police have always been working very closely with the other Government departments. For example, the officer-in-charge of the Traffic Police is the Chairman of the Highway Committee which comprises representatives from the Public Works Department and the Registry of Vehicles.”
“Sir, first, may I thank the Member for Alexandra and the Member for Khe Bong whose sentiments I share. I feel that their speeches are most encouraging to the Traffic Enforcement Division of the Police which has been working very hard to try, as best as they can, to reduce the rate of accidents and the rate of fatalities on our roads. I can assure the Member for Alexandra that the safety campaign that we organise and implement from time to time will be an on-going affair. In fact, it has been an on- going affair for the last 18 months or so. I do not wish to say very much more than what I have already said in answer to a Question by the Member for Ang Mo Kio two days ago, but only to add that the Traffic Police have planned to bring the road safety message to as wide a public as possible, even right up to the doorsteps of HDB flat dwellers. The Traffic Police will be holding safety exhibitions at the void decks of the various blocks of flats in as many housing estates as possible. What I do not agree with the Member for Alexandra is his statement that there may be some deficiency in the radar guns which are used by the Traffic Police to trap speeding motorists. The Traffic Police use a newly equipped T3 digital radar gun in speed traps. This measuring instrument has been in use for many years by Police Forces in the United States, Australia and New Zealand and many European countries. The accuracy of the speed gun is as high as 99.95%. Further, to ensure its reliability, all these instruments are tested on a moving Police vehicle which has a calibrated speedometer before as well as after each speed trap operation. Furthermore, they are also checked fortnightly by technicians of the Police Communications Branch.”
“No. From 1972 we have been building a number of headquarters stations. On the eastern side of the Island, we have Joo Chiat Police Station, which is also out of place because of shifts of population to the Bedok and Chai Chee areas. We also need a headquarters station in the Joo Chiat Division. We also need to relocate the C Division, that is, the Beach Road Police Station, and we have found a suitable site for it at Aljunied Road. C Division includes the MacPherson constituency as well. So the Member can rest assured that as a Member of Parliament for MacPherson, I have a personal interest in getting a head-quarters station for the three or four other divisions which now have very old stations built.”
“There are plans. In fact, the plans have been submitted to the Ministry of Finance. They are now being discussed. There have been some disagreements. As far as I am concerned, I do not quarrel with the Member's sentiments -”
“I think the debate is getting to be a bit childish. What does the Member mean by "plans"? Does he mean architectural plans, or plans for delineation of the divisional boundaries, adding two more to make 10? Or does he mean plans for a new headquarters station? If he means architectural plans, we do not have the plans. But if he means delineation of boundaries and thus creating two more, and plans to build the headquarters stations, we have the plans. I cannot produce it right now, but if the Member could come to my Ministry I can show him the plans. An hon. Member: He has got no time.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I am indebted to the Member for Khe Bong for trying to side with me. I hope they will not accuse me of collusion with him. May I just clarify that even if I were to issue more martial art licences, the money collected will go to revenue. That means it goes to the Treasury. I am just stating a fact which I believe all Members know. All licence fees go to revenue. On the question of who is not doing his best, Members have got to take it from me that, as far as the Ministry of Home Affairs is concerned, we are doing our best. We have the plans. Since we have already built three divisional headquarters police stations, there is no difficulty in taking the same plans and make the necessary modifications to the plans for a new divisional headquarters station. Perhaps the Member does not know the financial procedure of Government. We cannot do anything in the way of commissioning an architect to draw up the building plans until we get approval from the Treasury. I hope my colleague, the Minister for Finance, will not think that I have plotted with both the Member for Punggol and the Member for Jalan Kayu to make such a strong advocacy for new headquarters stations. I hope he does not think so.”
“After all, commandments are now the fashion in this House. What I can say is that I appreciate the need for a new F Divisional Headquarters because the present headquarters station at Paya Lebar is out of the way and there is a dire need for it to be shifted to Ang Mo Kio where there is a growing concentration of population. Since we could not relocate the station in Ang Mo Kio New Town, at least we were able to set up a police post, although in the words of the Member for Jalan Kayu, "it is very inadequate." I agree with him that it is inadequate but at least we tried to do something in the meantime.”