Eric Cheong Yuen Chee
Singapore
“Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head Q be reduced by $10 in respect of Code QI 1000 of the Main Estimates. The Minister has announced the issue of new identity cards. Since it affects the vast majority of the population the registration process should be made more convenient.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, as we all know, ambulance services are run by the Singapore Fire Service and also by the Government hospitals. As there is an increasing need for the sick and aged to be transported from place to place, many of these cases are non-emergency cases requiring an ambulance run by the Fire Service.”
“Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head Q be reduced by $10 in respect of Code QH 1000 of the Main Estimates. Sir, at present a work permit holder who marries a Singapore citizen without getting prior approval from the Commissioner for Employment is banned permanently from entering Singapore.”
“Sir, my other colleagues have a wide range of subjects on the drug control. I have just one point to make, and that is, whether the Minister will consider the confiscation of vehicles used in the transportation of illegal drugs. This is different from confiscation of assets that may belong to the drug traffickers.”
“Police, because of limited manpower, will emphasize high efficiency and optimum use and deployment for all the various functions, and greater emphasis will be given to mechanization and computerization. But while doing all this, the Police must continue to strive to get public support and community support.”
“Sir, the points that I wish to raise have already been covered by the Member for Boon Teck. But I have just one little point, and that is, to reinforce his argument that there is a reduction in manpower in the NPP. Originally it was eight per shift, now it has been reduced to four.”
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“Sir, I think the extra cost involved is worth spending if we can save jobs during this difficult period.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head V be reduced by $10 in respect of Subhead VA-01 Object Group 1100 of the Main Estimates. Sir, during the current recession, many long and well-estabished local trading and engineering companies have suffered substantial financial losses due to the loss of markets, both local and regional. These companies have to reduce the size of their operations as well as the size of their workforce. Concessions, like reductions in corporate tax and CPF contributions, though a welcome move, are not sufficient to help these companies tide over a difficult period. To do so, I would suggest that the MTI consider implementing a Buy Local policy. Such a policy should be temporary in nature and applied only to major construction projects, like the MRT and Changi Airport development, which are awarded to foreign contractors. Some of the engineering and construction equipment like cranes, earth-moving equipment, compressors, etc, brought in by these foreign contractors are readily available locally. The cost may be slightly higher but then we help to save jobs. Engineering and construction equipment purchased locally have a spin-off advantage. Engineers, managers, mechanics and other supporting staff are required to sell and service such equipment. Equipment brought in by foreign contractors are in many instances written-down stocks. After completion of these contracts, some of their equipment are sold off locally as used equipment, thus further depressing the market. Some of these long-established companies which I have mentioned have contributed to the economic development of Singapore for many, many years. They have also helped to develop engineering and managerial expertise in our workforce for a long period of time.”
“Sir, I understand that the Ministry of Health is currently discussing with various insurance companies on a nation-wide catastrophic medical insurance scheme. I support this idea which is commendable. Since kidney failures would normally be considered a serious illness, I assume that there is a strong possibility that this disease would in some way or another be covered by this insurance. If this is so, I would also give my support, as many patients cannot afford the $12,000 needed for dialysis treatment. However, one cause for worry is that patient-load is undoubtedly high. For instance, if there are 250 new patients each year, and assuming only 200 are able to take advantage of dialysis and survive, the additional cost from these 200 patients is $2,000,400 per year. In ten years the bill for dialysis alone will rise to $24 million. Since the insurance scheme is meant to cover all serious illnesses, such as cancer and heart diseases, the Ministry of Health must take precautions to ensure that this scheme is not overloaded by just one group of patients. I would therefore suggest that the insurance scheme provide for only a specific period of dialysis since dialysis is really meant as a temporary measure while waiting for the donor organ. Instead, the Ministry of Health should look into what some other countries have done towards obtaining organs. I understand that many have legislated for automatic donation of organs when a person dies of accidental death. Sir, I would suggest that the Ministry of Health look seriously into this possibility before implementing the catastrophic medical insurance scheme. But the Ministry of Health should ensure that those people who object to the automatic donation of their own organs are allowed to opt out of this scheme.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I have two matters to raise with the Hon. Minister. The first one is whether the HDB would consider extending the HDB mortgage loan scheme to HUDC applicants or lessees. Sir, when the HDB took over the management of HUDC estates, rules and regulations applicable to HDB lessees were extended to applicants and lessees of HUDC properties. Therefore, they should be accorded equal treatment, bearing in mind the reduction in CPF contributions, and a possible reduction in income because of the current recession. Applicants or lessees of HUDC properties can then save on interest payments. The last point I would like to raise, Sir, is to urge the HDB to review its current tenancy regulations on sub-letting of shop space. Presently, the HDB allows sub-letting of owner-occupied residential properties as well as rented properties in supermarkets, emporiums and coffee shops. I would suggest that the HDB extend this concession to tenants of HDB shophouses to allow these tenants to sub-let counter space to small scale service industries, like watch repairers, locksmiths, etc. This will help shopkeepers meet part of their rental cost and also provide for more viable means to small scale traders for doing business.”
“Sir, is the Hon. Minister aware that most major MRT projects take about two to three years to complete? And by that time, those who are adversely affected will be down and out. They will not be able to enjoy the benefits thereafter.”
“Sir, is the Hon. Minister aware that this concession only applies to those who have to move out of the shophouses to make way for the construction of MRT projects? But there are many shophouses that are partially affected by the construction and they do not have to move out. They remain there but their businesses have suffered tremendously because of the construction projects.”
“May I ask the Hon. Acting Minister for Labour whether this scheme, as proposed by him, will effectively demolish the false argument put forward by the Member for Potong Pasir that the CPF Board does not have sufficient funds to pay its members?”
“I suggest that he should declare his pecuniary interest on the matter and how much he stands to gain arising out of a reduction of 5% of the employer's contribution.”
“If this is the case, then we should consider other measures, like restricting the movement of these heavy vehicles to off-peak hours, to enable them to make more trips without resorting to speeding and also fixing of speed regulating governors on the vehicles, or even penalizing the owners of the vehicles should an accident occur. With regard to serious traffic offences committed by drivers of foreign registered vehicles, I would like to find out from the Hon. Minister whether there are adequate measures to apprehend and penalize such errant drivers who are involved in serious traffic accidents. There is also a clarification I would like to seek from the Hon. Minister on clause 8 which provides a definition for the size of a motor vehicle. It states that the vehicle should not exceed 4.0 metres. I am wondering whether we should not also consider looking at the width of a vehicle. In modern transportation, there are many vehicles which have a very much larger width than the older vehicles. Sir, the last point I wish to make is the need to have more publicity in the mass media on serious traffic accidents and prosecution of offenders. This will help to bring home the point of the need for greater road safety. Sir, I fully support the Amendment Bill.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, earlier this year I had raised in this House the need to impose stiffer penalties for drivers who commit traffic offences which resulted in serious accidents. The Amendment Bill to the Road Traffic Act, as I understand, is to provide greater supportive measures to the Traffic Police to further improve traffic management and enforcement action on errant and recalcitrant drivers. Sir, I would like to raise a few points for the Hon. Minister's consideration. Firstly, it is indeed heartening to observe that there is a significant drop in fatality rates for the first six months of this year. Although the fatality rates for motorcyclists have decreased substantially, I wonder whether it is due to stricter enforcement action or to the decrease in the number of PDL motorcyclists on the road, bearing in mind that the Traffic Police had stopped renewing or issuing new PDLs since lst April this year.1 also observed that there is no mention of whether there is any possibility of introducing separate lanes for motorcyclists as a further means of traffic control. The next point I wish to touch on is a new source of road menace, ie, the mobile concrete mixers. Most of the drivers of these vehicles drive well in excess of the speed limit of 40 kmh, especially along major roads, like Bukit Timah and the PanIsland Expressway. Imagine the disastrous consequences if these vehicles were to meet with an accident. Years ago, we had the problem posed by drivers of sand lorries travelling along Tampines Road, Despite the stricter enforcement action taken by the Traffic Police, these drivers ignored traffic regulations with impunity. I suspect the wages of these drivers are based on the number of trips made between the source of supply and the construction sites.”
“Furthermore, Sir, is the Member for Potong Pasir aware that the so-called increase in take-home pay for the workers is subject to income tax liability at the end of each year, and they also lose out by a similar amount in CPF savings? Sir, I have worked out some calculations on the current selling price of a 3-room flat in Woodlands and Yishun, that is a new town, $37,300 less 20% down-payment of $6,600, leaving a balance of $30,700. If the contributor takes a loan of $30,000 from the CPF, which is the normal case, depending on the loan period, for 10 years he has to fork out $344 pm; 15 years $262 pm; 20 years $222 pm. So if a contributor decides to purchase a flat in Woodlands or Yishun, he can make it if he takes a 20-year loan. Example 2. The selling price of a 3-room flat in Ang Mo Kio, Hougang, Bedok, Tampines, $52,200 less 20% downpayment of $9,000, leaving a balance of $43,000. That can be converted into a $40,000 loan spread over a period. For 10 years he has to pay $458 pm, 15 years $349 pm, 20 years $296 pm. And in the end, if his CPF contributions is reduced to 40%, he can never make it. These are not fictitious figures, Sir. I have obtained them from the application form from the Housing and Development Board.”
“How will a 10% reduction in CPF contribution, as envisaged by him, benefit the workers of Singapore? Sir, I have been dealing with employers for more than 25 years, and I have yet to come across an instance where an employer would voluntarily pass on any savings from any concessions, like reduction of excise duty or statutory contributions. Sometime ago the Government reduced the rate of duties on leather goods, garments, cosmetics and other consumer goods. The savings accrued out of these concessions were never passed on to the workers or the consumers. The recent reduction in entertainment duties is a case in point. There is no reduction in the price of cinema admission tickets. The Member for Potong Pasir also claimed that CPF contributors can afford to purchase HDB flats even with a reduction in CPF contributions from 50% to 40%. In the recent general election, members of Opposition parties also maintained that the people would eventually not be able to afford to purchase HDB flats based on current CPF contributions of 50%. So I am questioning the validity of his argument that with a reduction of 10% a contributor could continue to afford to purchase a Housing Board flat, If we take a worker's gross salary as $600 (Why $600? The wage norm considered by the NWC last year was $680. So I just round it up to $600) and based on 40% CPF contribution, as suggested by the Member for Potong Pasir, he will barely make it if he purchased a 3-room flat in Woodlands or Yishun with a 20-year loan. As we all are aware, most HDB lessees pay their monthly loan instalments with their monthly CPF contributions. Should a contributor choose a flat in Ang Mo Kio, Bedok, Tampines, then he has to make up the difference on his monthly instalment payment in cash.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the question I wish to raise is whether the hon. Minister for Labour would con- sider extending the use of CPF balances for major repairs to Housing Board flats, particularly in older estates. This is quite different from renovations to new HDB flats. Flats in the older HDB estates were constructed at a rapid pace, coupled with poor workmanship. And many parts of the flats deteriorated over the years and are in need of major repairs. Sir, in my Constituency there are six blocks of flats faced with problems. In many of them the wooden windows have rotted and have to be completely replaced. I conducted a survey with the help of the RCs and found that in one particular block, 80% of the windows require replacement. The original cost of the flat was only $8,500, but the cost of replacing these windows amounted to a total of $6,000. We should consider this renovation as an investment in one's own property. Most HDB residents are wage earners and they could not possibly fork out such a large sum of money at one time. I hope the Hon. Minister will give consideration to my suggestion. Sir, another point I wish to raise is that the Member for Potong Pasir made a big issue on the proposal to defer the withdrawal age of CPF contributions. He demanded whether the Government had consulted the people. Recently, he had the audacity to propose that CPF contributions be reduced from 50% to 40%. Is he aware that CPF contributions is part of a worker's wages? Whatever the percentage quantum he proposed to reduce from an employer's contribution amounts to a reduction in wages in the same percentage terms for the worker. Did the Member for Potong Pasir consult the people or the workers of Singapore that they support or agree to his proposal?”
“The majority of Extended and Monolingual course pupils pass the Primary School Leaving Examination and the Primary School Proficiency Examination, thus enabling them to proceed further in education, either in schools or the VITB. This is much better than in the old education system where many of these pupils would have dropped out during primary school with neither formal qualification nor the skills needed for employment in Singapore's modern economy. NATIONAL SCHOOL EXAMINATIONS (Standards) The following Question stood in the name of Mr Ng Kah Ting - 4. To ask the Minister for Finance, Minister for Education and Minister for Health (a) whether the standards of the Primary School Leaving Examination and the General Certificate of Education Ordinary and Advanced level examinations have been raised with the implementation of the Goh Keng Swee Report of 1979, and (b) whether examinations have been over-emphasized in the present education system.”
“Question No. 3. The Minister of State for Education and Communications and Information (Dr Tay Eng Soon) (for the Minister for Finance, Minister for Education and Minister for Health): Mr Speaker, Sir, I am replying on behalf of my Minister. Since streaming was introduced in 1979, the education wastage has been significantly reduced. Before the implementation of streaming, 20% of a Primary 1 cohort dropped out of primary school without getting any educational qualification and another 20% dropped out of secondary school without any secondary level qualification. After the implementation of streaming, the corresponding drop-out rates have been reduced to 10% for primary school and 5% for secondary school. This has resulted in a saving of about 13,000 pupils each year from becoming drop-outs. Streaming enables each child to learn and progress at his own pace. Through streaming, a weak pupil is given more time to complete his syllabus rather than being subjected to a faster pace of work which he is unable to cope with, and ends up by failing. On the other hand, brighter pupils can progress at a faster and more challenging pace. In addition, the Ministry has been developing new teaching methods and materials tailored towards the needs of pupils in all the streams. Workshops and in-service courses are conducted to train teachers to use these teaching methods and materials. Streaming gives greater opportunities for the pupils to succeed in school. Through streaming, the weaker pupils who otherwise would have failed to cope in school are now able to follow the lessons.”
“Sir, I would like to humbly suggest to the Minister and the Fire Service to consider using paramedics to take over the role of providing emergency services. What is the rationale of using paramedics for our Ambulance Service? Staff nurses, by their training, are trained to do work in hospital wards. This, of course, does not mean that they are ineffective in their Ambulance service. Paramedics, however, are trained to work under field conditions. Not only will they be required to be highly skilled first-aiders, but they must also be conversant with rescue work. Do we have such training facilities available? My answer is yes. Cooperation within the Fire Service, Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Defence (School of Military Medicine) can result in a first-class training programme. We can consider encouraging our Army medics, after their national service, to consider a career in the Fire Service as paramedics. Paramedics will also be available to our Civil Defence Force.”
“To minimize the risk of accidents involving motorcycles and heavy vehicles which often travel at excessive speeds, we should look into the possibility of introducing traffic lane separation, as practised in some countries like Sweden. We can introduce such a scheme along our expressways where there are three or more lanes. Sir, according to the Traffic Police, the accident rate on expressways is getting higher all the time. The accident density is twice that of other roads and the density of fatal accidents is about four times. Motorcycles, heavy vehicles and vehicles with restricted speeds could be confined to the two inner lanes in these expressways. We could also consider increasing the maximum speed limit on the outermost lane from the present limit of 80 kph. Many motorists still do not know how to make the best use of expressway travel. They tend to hog the road, changing lanes indiscriminately and speeding. We need to educate such motorists, first by improving the traffic management system, providing adequate informative road signs, and then follow a stricter traffic enforcement action. Sir, I know the Traffic Police has been doing a very good job, as I have already accumulated 18 demerit points myself. I hope that my suggestion would receive due consideration. Dr Arthur Beng Kian Lam (Fengshan): Mr Speaker, Sir, I will be discussing the use of staff nurses in the Ambulance Service of the Fire Brigade. 81 staff nurses are assigned from the Ministry of Health to the Fire Service. Sir, the Ministry of Health is experiencing a shortage of staff nurses. It takes years to train an efficient staff nurse. Furthermore, I am sure that many of these staff nurses also possess Post Basic Certificates, further enhancing the loss to the Ministry of Health.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, according to the traffic police statistics, 327 people were killed, 855 seriously injured and over 10,000 slightly injured in road accidents in 1984. Sir, imagine the sorrow and suffering involved. I am informed that the economic cost of these accidents runs into millions of dollars a year. The point I wish to make is, are our present preventive and enforcement measures adequate to control or minimize such traffic accidents? Perhaps we should review our present decentralized approach in the management of land transport. For example, road engineering comes under the PWD, registration of vehicles and vocational drivers is under the ROV, land transport policy is formulated at the Ministry of Communications and Information, and the Traffic Police is responsible for enforcement and driver licensing. Sir, I understand that a team of Japanese Traffic Management experts who recently visited Singapore expressed the view that the Traffic Police should take over the task of road engineering. I hope that the report of the Japanese experts, when available, will be given adequate publicity to bring home the point that road safety is the responsibility of not only the enforcement agencies but the general public as well. Sir, another point I wish to raise is the increasing number of accidents involving motorcyclists and heavy vehicles and buses. Recently, a truck jumped the road divider along Woodlands Road, colliding into several vehicles on the other side of the road, resulting in four persons killed. There are other examples of such accident. In most cases heavy vehicles were the offending parties.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, can I just reply to the hon. Member for Whampoa?”
“On renewal, if there is any upward revision in price, he must get prior approval, otherwise his licence will not be approved. This method of price control is practised by many factory canteens which subsidize their canteen operators. With computerization, Sir, there should be no difficulty in implementing such a scheme. Sir, to support my contention that price increases by some hawkers are unjustified, I would give an example of the disparity in price and quality of food sold at hawker centres and hawker stalls in HDB coffee shops. The rental paid by a hawker in an HDB coffee shop is many times more than the rental paid by one in a hawker centre, yet the food sold by the former is of better quality for the same price. Some of these stalls are close to hawker centres. They have to compete to survive. If the Government continues to subsidize rentals of hawker stalls in hawker centres, then it should exercise some control over prices of food sold in these centres. Sir, I would suggest that when all roadside hawkers are properly resited, the Ministry should reconsider the present system of charging rentals, possibly renting out by tender in the open market. This would ensure free competition and may not necessarily result in frequent increases in food prices at hawker centres provided we have a better reason to control the increase in prices of food sold in hawker centres.”
“In Japan and Switzerland, garbage is packaged at source by using a simple mechanical device which, I believe, can be modified to fit into our existing rubbish chutes and bin compounds. Perhaps we could also consider giving incentives to private developers of high-rise apartments to install such equipment in their buildings. The Jurong Town Corporation had at one time granted concessions to industrial undertakings which install anti-pollution equipment or measures in their factories. We can increase the number of refuse incinerator disposal sites and collection vehicles, but it still stinks all the way. Sir, coming to my second amendment, ie, hawker control, we have over the years built up a very high standard of environmental public health. Stringent health controls are placed on hawkers in the preparation of food and food centres. Unfortunately, we do not seem to have much control over the pricing of food served at hawker centres. Only recently, the cost of a plate of fried rice or fried noodles increased from $1.20 to $1.50, an increase of 25% in some food stalls. The reasons given were the increase in petrol prices, road tax and the impending increase in taxi fares. Come July the 1st, when the NWC recommendations are announced, I am sure there will be another round of price increases in hawker food. Some hawkers make use of every opportunity to increase prices, and in many cases they are not justifiable. Even if there is a drop in the price of rice, pork or other food items, the price of hawker food remains the same. There is no mechanism to regulate or control increases in food prices at hawker centres. One possible method is to make every hawker state the prices of food sold on his licence application.”
“Sir, at the Budget sitting last year, I raised the question of collection and disposal of garbage in Housing Board estates. Under this year's Development Estimates, $130 million is set aside for solid waste management, out of which $102 million is earmarked for a second refuse incineration plant. I do not know whether we are getting our priorities right. It appears to me that we are not giving enough priority to tackling the problem at source, ie, garbage handling at the hundreds of rubbish chutes in Housing Board estates and private high-rise apartments. Sir, the Hon. Minister has expressed concern that his Ministry is facing a problem of manpower shortage for obvious reasons. This problem of manpower shortage will be further compounded in the 1990s when 80% of our population live in Housing Board high-rise apartments. Our present garbage collection and disposal system does not take into consideration the appalling stinking working conditions and health hazards faced by our cleansing workers. Householders are also to be blamed for indiscriminately disposing the garbage without giving a second thought to the occupational hazards of the cleansing workers. The recent campaign to encourage householders to use plastic bags is ineffective. This method is only good for low-rise buildings. Garbage placed in plastic bags thrown down from a high-rise building will burst on impact. I would suggest that the Ministry liaises with other public bodies to explore various ways to improve on the design of rubbish chutes in high-rise buildings which can be integrated into a mechanized garbage collection and disposal system.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I have one amendment on the matter under discussion and another amendment* on hawker control. Can I take them together?”
“It must be recognized that over the past few years, the HDB has in fact relaxed the rules on the question of change of trade by shop-keepers. But somehow down the line, in the Area Offices, you find that certain offices are not aware of the definition of "compatible trade", and this gives rise to disputes between the tenants and the HDB. Of course, I do not envisage that a tenant of a coffee shop will be allowed to sell garments, or a tenant of a garment shop be allowed to sell fruits. But we must give the opportunity to tenants to exercise their initiative and their perseverance to improve on their business through a change of trade if, on first tender, they had tendered for a shophouse for a particular trade. In this way, we can also help them to overcome some of the difficulties they are facing presently. Sir, the last point I would like to raise is the so-called improvement of the environment. It appears that the HDB, in the process of upgrading the environment of older estates like Toa Payoh, has embarked on landscaping and construction of playgrounds, some of which are not needed by residents. I would urge the Minister to inform the HDB that, in the event that such an improvement is being planned, they should at least consult the Residents' Committees or the community leaders on whether the construction of such improvement is necessary and is acceptable by the residents concerned. There is no point spending thousands of dollars to build a playground and then you have appeals and petitions from residents wanting to dismantle this playground at great cost. Of course, we understand the desire of the HDB in trying to provide better and more modern amenities. But arising out of this ---”
“This has created a serious financial problem for the wife who has not got sufficient funds to pay for the balance of the flat. Here again, I would urge the HDB to relax its rules and regulations to allow cases of this nature where it is not the fault of any of the lessees but it arose out of tragic family circumstances. The same problem may arise in a family where eligibility is lost as a result of a death. Let us look at some of the rules and regulations of the HDB. For instance, an applicant applies for a flat at the time he was eligible because of the income limit. Subsequently should his income increase or decrease, the HDB does not make it a point to compel the lessee to give up his flat for a larger or a smaller flat. By logical conclusion, the same rule should apply to someone who has at the time of application fulfilled all the rules and regulations and subsequently lost this on account of tragic family circumstances. I hope the Minister will consider relaxing such rules. Another point I would like to raise is on the levy on resale HDB flats. In the Addendum to the President's Speech, it was stated that: 'Ours will be a society where all families not only own their homes, but have the chance to upgrade to bigger and better homes.' Here, I think there is a contradiction in so far as HDB is concerned. Where lessees of HDB flats wish to upgrade to larger homes and, because of family consideration they wish to have homes nearer their place of work or nearer to schools, they want to buy a resale flat in a particular area, they have to pay a levy, depending on the size of the flat, to the HDB. This, Sir, I submit, amounts to collecting tea money for something which the HDB has done nothing. The next point I would like to raise is the question of change of trade.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the Member for Bukit Merah and the Member for Ayer Rajah have brought up the question of eligibility for HDB applicants. Here, I would like to expand the subject further. Sir, the Member for Bukit Merah has brought up the question of the HDB disallowing large families to rent or purchase another flat unless they can form a family nucleus. We are an Asian society and being a family before the introduction of our family planning programme, over the years, the family would have a large number of children. And some of the children would be in their early 20s or late teens residing in a 1-room or 2-room flat. For practical reasons, it would be desirable for such families to be given a chance to apply for an additional flat, either rental or purchase, to enable them to overcome their family problems. On the question of &person losing the eligibility to retain the lease of an HDB flat, Sir, I think we must be practical and have compassion. Take the case of a couple who are divorced and custody of the children, if any, was awarded to the father. In such a case, if the wife is given the flat by the husband then, under current ruling, the HDB will not allow a sale to be made under the terms of a divorce settlement. I came across a case recently which is quite tragic. A woman was divorced by her husband and because of family circumstances the custody of the children was awarded to the husband. As a result, she has to give up the lease of the flat, as she has lost her eligibility to retain the lease. Here, the husband was good enough to agree to sell the existing flat to the wife at cost but the HDB disallows such a sale because it insisted that the husband must sell the flat to the wife at the posted price and not at the cost price.”
“(12) That the total sum to be allocated for Head R of the Main Estimates be reduced by $100.”
“Of course, we can restrict them by allowing sending their children only to local institutions, our National University of Singapore, the Singapore Polytechnic, the Ngee Ann Technical College or the Nanyang Technological Institute. If their children can be enrolled in these tertiary institutions, then they must have attained certain standards. Even if they cannot graduate at least they would be able to complete one or two years of study in these institutes. My colleague, the Member for Delta (Mr Yeo Choo Kok), has stated that once the students are enrolled in the tertiary institutions, they would be in a better position to marry another undergraduate. Then they would be in a better position to give birth to children of better quality. There is another point. If the children are desirous of going to work after completing their tertiary education, then they would be in a position to repay the money to the CPF. Even the parents in the lower income group or lower middle income group would be willing to do so for the sake of their children. I hope the Minister will consider this point. For a better future generation, the Minister should consider the aspirations of the people from the lower and lower middle income group.”
“Sir, I wish to thank the Minister for his clarification especially on the retention of the Special Account. There is one fundamental change between the Special Account and the proposed Medisave Account. For instance, if you are going to take the case of a contributor who has reached the age of 55 years, I agree with his explanation. But what about those who are, say, in their early 30s or 40s who have sums in excess of $10,000 or $5,000 initially for 1984? Then you find that there is a fundamental change because a person will get the balance in the Special Account in cash on retirement. But if this is transferred lock, stock and barrel into his Medisave Account, he will not be able to get this money on retirement but only upon death to his next-of-kin. That is the difference. Mr Yeo Toon Chia( In Mandarin): Sir, let me clarify. A moment ago when I was referring to education, I was not referring to primary or secondary education. I was referring to tertiary education. The Minister's answer was consistent with his predecessor. His contention was that CPF money must be used for sound investment and the best investment. If they were to use the CPF contributions for investment in private properties two years ago, then are they making good money now? Would that be a sound investment? And for those who bought SBS shares, is it the best and sound investment? I believe we can all figure out for ourselves. It is not so. I feel that we must give more consideration to the aspirations of the parents in the lower or lower middle income groups. There are enough savings in the CPF for them to send their children to the university.”
“We should take into consideration a contributor's interest rather than on the type of property he purchases. To purchase an HDB resale flat, a contributor is only allowed to use up to 140% of the HDB posted price. For example, if the vendor's price of an HDB 5-room resale flat is $150,000 and the HDB's posted price is $97,000 in the inner urban area, the contributor can only withdraw $135,000 whereas a contributor can withdraw a much larger sum if he purchases a first or second private property. Under current HDB regulations, a contributor who purchases an HDB resale flat cannot buy a second property.”
“Thank you, Sir. I propose to raise the following points for discussion on the Central Provident Fund Act. Over the years, certain provisions of the CPF Act were progressively amended to take into account changing circumstances. For example, CPF members were subsequently permitted to use their balances to purchase private properties. One important amendment was the provision to set aside a minimum of 50% to the widows of members irrespective of the amount to be paid to other nominees. On this note, I would enquire whether the Minister would consider looking into the feasibility of introducing an optional annuity scheme for CPF contributors. For instance, a contributor may withdraw part of his CPF balances on retirement and leave the rest in an annuity account. This will protect contributors who for some reason or another are not in a good position to manage the large balances accumulated and they fall prey to irresponsible siblings, other members of the family or unscrupulous persons. The next point I would like to raise is on the CPF Special Account. On 1st April this year, the balance in the Special Account will be transferred to the Medisave Account. After that date, 6% of subsequent contributions will also go into the Medisave Account. If the Special Account is to be discontinued, then it would be more appropriate for any sums in excess of $5,000 to be transferred back to the main account on 1st April, 1984 for the contributors to use for the purchase of HDB or private properties instead of waiting till a contributor reaches the age of 55 years. The last point I would like to raise is on the relaxation of using CPF balances for the purchase of resale HDB flats which is not equitable with the benefits bestowed on those who are buying private properties.”
“Sir, may I speak on my amendment now on the Central Provident Fund Act?”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, just two more points in reply to the Minister's statement. He has given the percentage of the number of people who walk to the Interchange. It is quite obvious because those people are staying in localities where there is not a good feeder bus service to the Interchange. So they walk there. Secondly, he mentioned that this has been tested successfully in other estates. I have already pointed out to him that Toa Payoh is a very small estate compared to the others and the layout of the other new estates is in a better position to have an Interchange sited there. But Toa Payoh is a very small town, only 325 hectares, as compared to the others which is twice the size. Anyway, I see no purpose in prolonging the argument. So I would like to beg leave to withdraw. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. The following amendment, standing in the name of Mr Liew Kok Pun, has been withdrawn: (7) That the sum to be allocated for Head I be reduced by $10 in respect of Subhead IC-05 Object Group 2150 of the Main Estimates.”
“One proposal was also to allow Scheme B buses to operate along the previous routes. Sir, as for the successful implementation of similar schemes in other HDB estates, let me draw the Hon. Minister's attention to the overall land area of Toa Payoh compared to other estates. I have here a chart from the HDB Annual Report 1978. In Toa Payoh, the approximate total land area is 325 hectares. This is the smallest after Queenstown. Telok Blangah, 365 hectares; Woodlands, 1,000 hectares; Bedok, 445 hectares; Ayer Rajah, 445 hectares; Ang Mo Kio, 730 hectares. The figures for Hougang and Clementi are not available. I am pessimistic as to whether the views expressed will influence the Hon. Minister to consider reverting back to the old system. The new scheme is nothing more than a cost-savings exercise for the SBS at the expense and inconvenience of commuters in Toa Payoh. Sir, I therefore wind up by making the following proposals: (1) Service 140: to extend to Shenton Way with a stop at Newton. (2) Service 141: to put up a bus stop at Clemenceau Avenue near the Girl Guides Association. (3) Service 147: to reinstate its service which was abolished. (4) Service 151: to extend to weekends. As of now, it only operates during weekdays. (5) To allow Scheme B buses a limited service around the estate to supplement the feeder service. Sir, if the SBS is unable to provide a better feeder service, then why not allow Scheme B buses to provide a better service to residents? We know that the SBS is interested in reducing cost and manpower but surely something ought to be done to relieve the inconvenience caused to commuters in Toa Payoh New Town.”
“Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head I be reduced by $10 in respect of Subhead IC-05 Object Group 1210 of the Main Estimates. Sir, I wish to raise some matters relating to the Toa Payoh Bus Interchange and Feeder Systems. In reply to a Question raised in this House on 17th January, the Hon. Minister stated (1) that the new system would provide a better bus service to the majority of residents in the estate; (2) the new system is also more efficient; (3) the feeder bus service has been successfully tested in other estates. I have conducted a survey together with my RC and CCC members in my constituency, and I believe my other colleagues from Boon Teck and Kuo Chuan have also conducted a similar survey. From preliminary returns from 200 respondents in my constituency, 154 were not in favour of the new system and would prefer reverting to the old system. In Kuo Chuan Constituency, out of the 162 respondents, 40% did not agree outright. 60% were not happy but would accept some adjustments. I would quote some of the points of the survey. Average waiting time increased by 15 minutes. Fare increase for majority by 15 cents. Travelling time increased from 15 to 45 minutes, depending on destination. Longer time to queue for tickets of OTS services. School children are most affected especially during inclement weather. They have to leave their homes at least half an hour earlier to take the main and feeder services. Under the old system, many school children take buses to the First Toa Payoh Primary and Secondary Schools. Under the present system, they have to walk to school. There are no toilet facilities in the Interchange. To most of the respondents, it is considered a waste of precious time and money.”
“Sir, I am not suggesting in any way that certain international standards have not been met. I am just posing a question to the Hon. Minister as to whether cars of Japanese make are manufactured according to certain standards for export to other countries. I am asking the Minister to confirm or to ascertain whether the ROV has the capacity or capabilities that cars of Japanese manufacture imported into Singapore have met with those standards.”
“Have any local agents of motor vehicles of a particular make recalled any vehicles if defects have been found elsewhere, or do they offer explanations like the batch of cars imported into Singapore is not of the same batch that was imported to, say, the United States? Do we have any regulations to compel sales agents or manufacturers to recall cars if any serious defects are found? I am not suggesting that the drivers involved in the two accidents were blameless. Excessive speed was possibly a major contributing factor. I suspect that there are some defects in these cars from the same country of manufacture. I hope the Hon. Minister will assure us that the standards of safety inspections in the ROV are adequate.”
“Thank you, Sir. Sir, I would like to touch on the question of road-worthiness which is of importance to motor vehicles. In reply to a Question raised by an hon. Member in this House on 2nd March, the Hon. Minister stated that preliminary studies of the manufacturers' reports concerning the two makes of vehicles have been submitted to the ROV and these reports indicated that the vehicles involved in the two accidents conformed to internationally accepted safety standards. I would like to ask the Hon. Minister whether he can state that the cars of Japanese manufacture imported into Singapore meet the safety standards of similar cars exported to countries like the USA, Western Europe and Australia. I understand that Japanese cars imported into Singapore are classified under separate safety standards which may be lower than the standards set by the countries mentioned and, of course, as a result they are cheaper. Sir, the point I wish to make is, does the ROV have the facilities and capacity to determine or verify the validity of such reports? Recently, as my colleague, the Member for Telok Blangah, has mentioned, another car of the same make as the Honda mat a similar fate and two persons were killed. As most of us are aware, manufacturers' reports and specifications on safety are often used to advertise and promote the sales of motor vehicles. Another point I wish to make is that in some countries, motor cars that are found to have defects are recalled by the sales agents or manufacturers to rectify such defects.”
“Sir, may I speak now, as my next amendment touches on the same matter? The Chairman: All right.”
“Although I took up this matter with the Area Office, the lessee paid the bill, as he was then in the process of selling his flat to a prospective buyer and he did not want to incur the displeasure of the Board which may cause him delay in the sale transaction. In this case, has the HDB established who is liable to pay for the damage caused by the fire? The lessee or the PUB? The HDB should exercise more consideration in a situation like this. They should ascertain liability before making the lessee pay for damages. Sir, the last point I wish to make is on a recent statement made by the Hon. Minister on the importation of foreign workers for the construction industry and the incentives that go with this scheme. May I ask him where will these workers be housed? In dilapidated clapboard structures, as we see in many construction sites, or properly constructed container-type quarters, or HDB flats? If these workers are housed in HDB flats, will this lead to a very much longer waiting period for applicants on the HDB rented properties waiting list?”
“It was found that a major renovation exercise is needed at this centre, and I hope the Hon. Minister will take note of this. The next point I wish to raise is the cause of fire occurring in HDB flats. According to an HDB report recently there was an average of seven fires a day in HDB flats since January this year. Of course, we should advise occupiers in HDB flats to be more cautious, but when a fire does occur the HDB should not slap on a bill for reinstatement cost on an occupier without first obtaining a fire report from the Singapore Fire Service. Sir, the point I wish to make is that not all fires are caused through the negligence of the occupiers. Therefore it is not fair to make them pay for the reinstatement cost for damages caused outside the flat. A lessee of a flat at Block 159, Toa Payoh, was made to pay for the cost of repairs and replacements to damaged electrical sub-mains, hollow block wall and paint-work at the front of the premises caused by a fire on 27th September 1983, amounting to $512.57. This amount does not include the cost of damages caused to the lessee's own flat. I made some investigations and found that the fire was presumably caused by a faulty PUB electrical meter installed along the common corridor outside the flat. The fire spread into the lessee's flat and caused considerable damage. The cost of reinstatement was borne by the lessee. The electrical system in this flat was fitted with an ELCB. Therefore, there is very little likelihood that a short-circuit originated from the flat.”
“Lessees in the remaining one-third of the flats appealed several times to the HDB, both presently and during the time they were in Boon Teck Constituency, to allow them to convert their windows to the aluminium type, but they were refused as these installations were not authorized by the Board. The dilemma is whether to dismantle two-thirds of the windows at great expense and inconvenience to everybody or to allow the other one-third to be installed to blend with the surroundings. Sir, I was not aware of this predicament as at that time this apartment block was not in my constituency. Since this block is now in my constituency, I feel it is my duty to help resolve the problem. Similarly, the hawker centre at Block 75 Toa Payoh which was constructed in the 1960s to cater to the needs of residents in the neighbourhood. Over the years, due to changes and living patterns more people are eating out, particularly at hawker centres. Moreover, the culinary skills of some of the hawkers in this centre have also attracted patrons from afar. This imposes a tremendous strain on the existing facilities. The areas set aside for patrons became inadequate. Floors inside and outside the stalls were pined with cracks and crevices due to intensive use. Drainage is becoming a serious problem, causing floods at times, as the original design was inadequate. The Ministry of the Environment alleged that these problems were caused by the stall holders. I disagree. In any hawker centre, there is bound to be a handful of incorrigibles against whom firm enforcement action has to be taken. The majority of the hawkers in this centre are very cooperative in maintaining the cleanliness of the centre. I visited this centre together with an officer from the HDB.”
“Sir, I would like to raise a few points for the Minister's consideration. First, I would like to touch on the subject of improvements made to older estates like Toa Payoh. When Toa Payoh was built in the 1960s, it was then the pride of not only the HDB but the residents as well. VIP visitors were regularly taken to view the estate. Today, some of the buildings and facilities are getting old and inadequate. I read with envy the glowing reports in the HDB 1982 Annual Report on the many new approaches adopted by the Board in the planning and design of new estates. Fresh emphasis on the visual and spatial quality of urban design, distinctive character and identity. What about Toa Payoh old town? Surely, some of these new concepts could be injected into older estates. True, Sir, some improvements were made, like replacing old water pipes, and a little landscaping; but it is not enough to cater to the needs and expectation of residents. Some of the older blocks of flats and hawker centres need to be extensively renovated. Take, for instance, Apartment Block 53, which was the first HDB VIP block in a housing estate. I believe the Hon. Minister had on several occasions taken VIP visitors to this block to view the estate in the early years. This block was originally in my constituency. However, in 1972 it was transferred to Boon Teck Constituency. Several years later it was reverted to my constituency. At that time it was a landmark in Toa Payoh. Today it resembles a forlorn old lady. In this particular block about two-thirds of the exterior casement windows were converted to attractive aluminium sliding windows, presumably by the lessees and obviously without the permission of the HDB, leaving one-third with the original design.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I would like to seek a point of clarification from the Minister with regard to clause 2 (section 7(2) and section 7A). The proposed new section 7(2) says that the Commissioner may grant a licence with or without conditions and the other one is on security. I would like to know whether the conditions imply that the employment agencies will be required to furnish security for the payment of wages for individUal workers so employed, as we are aware of the recent case of some foreign workers who were not paid and there was a near-riot as a result of non-payment of wages.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I rise in support of the introduction of this Bill. I would like to take this opportunity to raise two points. The first is on the Bill where penalties are only provided for the driver of the vehicle and nowhere is there the provision to penalize the owner of such a vehicle. Sir, as you may be aware, sometimes the drivers of these heavy motor vehicles drive such vehicles under duress or pressure from their owners. So I would have thought that there would be a corresponding penalty for owners as well as drivers of these heavy motor vehicles. Whilst on this subject, I would also like to ask the Hon. Minister for Home Affairs whether he will also consider reviewing the deterrent penalty against owners or drivers of heavy motor vehicles for illegal parking. Sir, as,we are aware, heavy motor vehicles attract a higher rate of road tax for reasons of their length and width. Penalties for illegal parking are at present uniform, between $20 and $30 depending on the nature of the offence, which is manifestly inadequate. It is obvious that a heavy motor vehicle like a trailer occupies more road space than a motor car, maybe three or four times the road space of an ordinary motor car; thus causing more serious obstruction which can cause more serious accident. I hope the Hon. Minister will consider this suggestion.”
“As the trend is definitely towards more and more employers in Singapore being impersonal companies rather than human persons, the Companies Act should make adequate provisions to safeguard the interests of the employees of companies.”
“My ground for so suggesting is that, more often than not, workers are owed by their employer who is a company, their gratuity or retrenchment benefit or provident fund contributions rather than arrears of salary. My suggested amendment would allow workers in such circumstances to recover at least a portion of their gratuity or retrenchment benefit or provident fund. If my suggestion appears to be tantamount to enabling workers to jump the queue, so to speak, at the expense of possibly the Income Tax Department, please remember that the recovery of such payment or benefit may be a matter of life or death to the workers and their families. Lastly, Sir, I have to admit I am at a loss as to how to suggest a reasonable way of redressing the situation where a company has no assets and its directors are not liable for the company's debts, including debts owing to its workers. It is not practical to expect workers to know the financial position of a company before accepting employment by it. Nor do the workers have any reason to suspect that the company may not be able to honour its obligation to pay gratuity or retrenchment benefit under a collective agreement when the company regularly pays wages and allowances without fail. It is only upon termination of service by the company that the workers find their employer to be a two-dimensional legal fiction without any substance. In the absence of any better redress, I would suggest that the Companies Act be amended to require, as a condition for the registration of a company without a minimum amount of capital that is reasonably substantial, the company be required to show proof of its ability to meet its obligations to its employees in the normal course of its operations, such as a banker's guarantee to cover any eventuality.”
“Subsequently, the director sought and obtained from the High Court an order of certiorari to quash the order of the Industrial Arbitration Court on the ground that it was wrongly made in that a director of a company is not liable for the debt of the company under the company law except if there is fraud, breach of warranty of authority or any other exceptional circumstances. Sir, on the basis of what I have said, I hope the Minister would seriously consider my suggestion to further amend clause 53 of the Bill. In paragraph (b) of sub-section (1) of section 292 of the Act, the words "within a period of four months" appearing in the ninth and tenth lines thereof should be amended to read "within a period of one year". My ground for so suggesting, Sir, is that workers may agree to their company deferring the payment of a portion of their salary over a considerable period of time in the hope of helping the company and saving their own jobs. It would be most unfortunate if the arrears of salary have accrued outside the period of four months before the winding-up, as presently stated in the Act. My suggested period of one year would be more equitable and less restrictive. Besides, the overriding limitation of the quantum of five months' salary still applies. Secondly, Sir, I suggest that the term "salary" should also be deemed to include any payment by way of gratuity or retrenchment benefit or provident fund contributions, subject to the overriding limitation of a maximum quantum of five months' salary. The balance of gratuity or retrenchment benefit or provident fund contributions that cannot be paid under the priority ranking of arrears of salary will have to make-do with the respective lower priority ranking as set out in section 292 of the Act.”
“I now ask Members of this House to try to imagine a situation where, despite the eventual adoption of the Bill, including clause 53, the workers of a company which is being wound up may not receive a single cent for whatever arrears of wages owing by the company, as in the recent case of the enforced winding-up of Overseas Union Finance. This situation is highly probable when the company owes its secured creditors more than what it has in assets or it has no assets worth speaking of. Even if such a company is not being wound up but continues to operate in Singapore, the workers of the company may still not be able to recover whatever money is owing to them by the company. My Union, the Singapore Manual and Mercantile Workers' Union, had a most unforgettable and unpleasant experience with such a company. Because the company persistently refused to discuss with my Union the payment of a retrenchment benefit to our three retrenched members under a valid collective agreement, we took the matter up in the Industrial Arbitration Court. Our claim was upheld by the Court but the company refused to comply with the award of the IAC. Then we went back to the Industrial Arbitration Court again to obtain an order requiring the company to comply with the award of the Court. Still the company refused to pay and we applied for and obtained a further order of the Court directing the secretary/ director of the company, the only director who was resident in Singapore, to comply with the award of the Court under pain of contempt.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I refer particularly to clause 53 of the Bill which seeks to amend section 292 of the Companies Act to the effect that (1) the amount of wages of workers which are recoverable upon the winding up of a company is to be increased from $1,500 to an amount that is equivalent to five months' salary and (2) an "employee" is deemed to include a sub-contractor of labourers and "salary" is deemed to include notice pay or payment in lieu of notice. These amendments are undoubtedly based on the experience of the Ministry of Labour in the course of administering the Employment Act. Section 46 of the Employment Act makes a cross reference to section 292 of the Companies Act regarding the recoverability of any gratuity or retrenchment benefit payable to workers under a collective agreement upon the liquidation of a company. The effect of clause 53 is clear to the Members of the House and I do not think anyone in the House would object in principle to this clause. Workers in Singapore would substantially benefit from the implementation of clause 53 of the Bill. For one thing, the sum of $1,500 has been rendered grossly inadequate by wage-levels in Singapore rising very far above that when the Companies Act was enacted in 1967. The sum is rendered more grossly inadequate when it refers to the total amount of salary owing to a sub-contractor who may have any number of workers under him and looking to him for the payment of their wages. If there is any objection to the proposed amendment, it is that it may not be practical to restrict the recoverable arrears of salary to within four months before the commencement of winding-up. I do not think it is necessary for me to dwell on this point any longer.”