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, the Minister has just mentioned that it is physically impossible to check on the preparation of food in the squatter and rural areas. May I suggest that spot checks be made in the interest of hygiene? And while on this point, may I just assist the Member for Changi? The hawker centres that are being constructed in his constituency may come under the management of the Housing Board, and there are certain provisions under the rules of the Housing Board that bona fide cases of hardship will be given places. I do not think his case will come under the Ministry of the Environment. Mr Sim Boon Woo: Sir, my colleagues, the Backbenchers, and the public outside are puzzled. There are markets managed by the Housing Board, markets managed by the Ministry of the Environment, and I hear that there are markets managed by the Jurong Town Corporation and the Port of Singapore Authority. As for me, hawkers or stall-holders are one and the same. Whether they are managed by the Housing Board, JTC or PSA or whatever authority, something must be done. 7.45 p.m.”
“As for cleanliness, I notice that quite a number of itinerant hawkers who sell roast pork (it is sio bak, as spoken in Hokkien, and not char siu, as spoken in Cantonese) convey their food openly on vehicles through the streets which often are very dusty, especially when a road excavation work is going on. I would suggest that the Hawkers Department impose regulations requiring these hawkers to cover their food when they hawk.”
“Sir, the recent outbreak of typhoid fever has prompted me to raise several questions as to whether present measures are adequate to control the spread of such diseases through the handling of food by hawkers. Although we have a large number of hawker centres which provide clean and healthy environment for the hawkers, the licensing of these hawkers is confined only to those hawkers under the management of the Hawkers Department. The hawkers under the management of the Housing and Development Board need not obtain licences from the Hawkers Department. However, the tenancy agreement between the Housing Board and the hawkers contains pro, visions similar to the regulations of the Hawkers Department. The point I wish to make, Sir, is: why cannot all hawkers be licensed under one single authority so that there will be better and more effective control? Apparently, there are some loopholes ii, the regulations on the control of hygiene in food preparation. For hawkers who are already sited in the Housing Board hawker centres, the problem is not so great as most of them are living in Housing Board flats where the surroundings are clean. Moreover, they have modem sanitation. But what about those hawkers sited in the hawker centres managed by the Hawkers Department? These hawkers prepare the food in their own homes, which are usually in the rural or squatter areas. I wonder whether there is any control over the preparation of food by these hawkers, and whether inspections are made of the place where the cooked food is prepared so as to protect the public from the hazards of such diseases.”
“Stiff penalties together with the points demerit system will be a sufficient deterrent. The anti-litter campaign succeeded not because there was an army of health inspectors swarming all over the place hut because of strict enforcement and stiff penalties. The present plan tends to favour those who can afford or who have the means to recover the cost of the licence fees and increased car park charges.' I do not think it will relieve traffic congestion within the CBD. Assuming that the proposed plan will succeed, it will inevitably transfer traffic congestion to other parts of the city during peak hours.”
“With the CBD scheme, there is nothing to prevent an enterprising person to purchase a car, which is now at rock-bottom prices, round up four or five persons at great personal risk to the passengers and enter the CBD, thus making a profit; all with the blessings of the Ministry of Communications. What is to prevent employers from reimbursing their executive and managerial staff for the area licence fees imposed? Professionals similarly will have no problem in paying the fees as they can pass this burden on to their clients. Salesmen and bill collectors will make the claims to their respective units for reimbursement. With increased costs, the employers will certainly add this on to the cost of goods and services. In the end, the poor consumers suffer through such further inflation; also -with the blessings of the Ministry of communications. Sir, if there is no restriction on the number of vehicles that is allowed to enter the CBD, and coupled with the aforementioned loopholes, how can we hope to relieve traffic congestion? The question is: is it worthwhile to spend so much money on the CBD scheme only to derive so little benefit from it? Surely there are other alternative measures, like prohibiting cars with certain licence numbers from entering the CBD area at specified times of the day. For example, cars with licence numbers ending with 1 and 2 may be prohibited from entering the CBD on Mondays between certain hours, and so on. In this way, every- motorist has to refrain entry into the CBD for a few hours a week, and there will be a' definite reduction in vehicular traffic within the CBD. I do not think that, the alternative measures proposed will in any way involve extensive enforcement or the engagement of an army of inspectors to check on erring motorists.”
“Sir, it has always been recognised that there is a shortage of land for development in Singapore. I believe that there is even a special committee to ensure that any available vacant land is properly utilised, that is, with maximum economic benefit. The Central Business District scheme has taken up valuable land which can be utilised for other essential projects like recreational parks and public housing. Notwithstanding the costs involved in the construction of the numerous fringe area-car parks, the valuable land so acquired is in use only for part of the day. During the night these car parks will be left vacant. Millions of dollars will be spent in the construction of these fringe area car parks, the overhead signboards and the necessary checkpoints. The only consolation in this scheme is that job opportunities will be created. Perhaps the Ministry of Communications hopes to recover all or part of the cost from the fees collected arising out of this scheme for motorists. It is regretted that the CBD scheme is to be introduced at a time when the public transport system has not yet shown any significant improvement. Commuters have still to wait for long hours for the buses. I concede that there is some improvement in the conduct of bus crews. My congratulations to the men who are responsible for raising the morale of the bus workers and putting some semblance of efficient management in the SBS. Mr Speaker, Sir, in my opinion the CBD scheme when implemented will have more disadvantages than advantages. For example, the Ministry of communications was mainly instrumental in the successful elimination of pirate taxis from our roads.”
“Sir, I am not at all very happy with the reply, but anyway I wish to withdraw my amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. The following amendment stood in the name of Mr J. F. Conceicao: (11) That the sum to be allocated for Head N be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead ABA 2620.”
“Sir, surely the Minister of State realises that, as we all know, there will be more retrenchment exercises. I would say that by enforcing this provision of the Employment Act, it will at least caution employers to be more careful in retrenching workers. In other words, if they retrench the workers they may end up later by having to recruit the same workers back from the Employment Service. This provision will act as a sort of deterrent to employers who have any intention of retrenching staff.”
“Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head N be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead AKA 1111. Sir, as a result of the current recession many industries have to retrench their employees in large numbers. It is fortunate for us that many of these workers who lost their jobs are not the main breadwinners. Most of them arc girls or women. In fact, few took the trouble to register themselves at the Employment Exchange for new jobs. Even in my Meet-the-People sessions, barely a handful come to look for jobs. We should commend the Employment Service for having performed a magnificent job in registering and finding alternative employment for the jobless. However, during this period of recession more employers will take the opportunity to get rid of the middle-aged and white collar workers. With the increase in road tax and other disincentives to potential car ownership, two large motor dealer firms have already taken steps to retrench as much as 25% of their staff, mainly sales and white collar workers. These categories of workers will have more difficulty in finding alternative employment. At present the Employment Service has no mandatory power to direct employers to recruit workers from this Service. Although unemployment has not reached a serious level, we should now take remedial steps. I suggest that the Ministry should put into operation the provision of section 111 of the Employment Act requiring all employers to recruit workers from the Employment Service.”
“Sir, the Minister has just said that if the contractors or the industries fail to comply with certain safety measures, the' will be required to cease operations. During the period of cessation, I think an added penalty should be imposed on these employers, and the employees should be paid for the duration that they are asked to stop work, until such time as the Ministry is satisfied that adequate safety measures are provided for. 7.45 p.m.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, the Minister has just mentioned that there is a dearth of experienced officers. What I would like to clarify is this. It is rather odd that in the past the Ministry of Labour sent several officers overseas for training iii industrial relations, and on their return these officers were posted elsewhere. I believe the hon. Member for Aljunied is one of them.”
“As a trade unionist it would seem to be inappropriate for me to speak in support of the unorganised. As we all are aware, there is still a large group of workers who, for some reason or other, through intimidation or cohesion are unable to organise themselves as a trade union and are thus deprived of the benefits of labour conciliation. 7.00 p.m. The point I would like to touch on is on medical benefits and treatment. Many employers who have employees who are unorganised have taken advantage of the subsidised medical treatment provided by the Ministry of Health in the various Government outpatient clinics or dispensaries. I would like to ask why must the taxpayer subsidise the health service to the benefit of employers who do not maintain a clinic or dispensary within their organisation. If the employees of such employers have to seek medical treatment in a Government outpatient dispensary, they have to wait for long hours before they get any treatment. And upon their return to their place of work, they are reprimanded by their employers for having taken too much time for medical treatment. This category of workers who, as I mentioned earlier that for some reason or other are unable to organise themselves in the trade unions, are at a disadvantage. I would suggest that the Ministry should use section 118 of the Employment Act to compel such employers to maintain a clinic or dispensary within their premises or, if this is not possible, they should employ a panel of doctors or medical practitioners to look after the health of their employees.”
“Sir, I wish to express my support for the sentiments expressed by my colleagues, the Members for Telok Blangah and Aljunied, on the necessity of having experienced officials in the Industrial Relations Division that would be set up by the Ministry of Labour. Talking about retrenchment exercises, it is common practice among many employers to take the opportunity to dispense with the so-called trouble makers, the active trade unionists, and so on. This tends to sour up the relationship between the employers and the employees. I would suggest, in support of what the Member for Telok Blangah has said, that certain guidelines be set up for employers to follow, that is, whether they should retrench workers in accordance with priorities and not at the whims and fancies of employers. The recruitment of staff for the Industrial Relations Division is of paramount importance to the trade union movement. From experience we find that whenever a trade union and an employer fail to reach agreement over the negotiation table, they have recourse to the Ministry of Labour, at present the Industrial Relations Section, for conciliation. If they do not have an officer with sufficient experience and who has the confidence of employers or the trade unions, then nothing much can be done. As a result, unions are forced to withdraw the case and take industrial action. At the same time there are several instances where because of the ineffectiveness of the conciliation officer, both parties, the employer and the union, are so disillusioned with the role played by the conciliation officer that they are reluctant to refer any more such cases to the Labour Ministry for conciliation. Another matter I would like to touch on is this.”
“I support all the provisions in the Bill except the provision covering pedestrians, and I hope the Minister will consider introducing more severe penalties for jaywalking.”
“I wonder whether my colleague has given some thought to the problems of the victims of such reckless driving - those who die on the roads through the negligence and recklessness of bus drivers, taxi drivers and lorry drivers. Who will be responsible to look after their families? I would like to quote a few instances where accidents were caused by negligent bus drivers, as this will probably help to change his mind. In Toa Payoh alone there were so many accidents involving bus drivers. A bus overturned while rounding a circus in Lorong 7, Toa Payoh. Luckily, nobody was injured, other than causing a fright to the driver. Two buses on going out of the bus terminus ran into a drain. We had one instance in which a bus attempted to go over the flyover but crashed into the railings instead. Here again, it was fortunate that it caused only a few injuries. In another case in Toa Payoh Central, two buses collided head-on, causing injuries to 22 people. In another accident in Dunearn Road only two months ago, a bus ran into the path of another bus and 15 persons were injured. In Queenstown there were about 20 to 30 bus commuters waiting at a bus stand, and there came along a bus which ran into them and knocked down the bus stand. In another case in Punggol, a bus attempted to run beyond Punggol Point! We have yet another case where a bus ran into the car of the Honourable the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Education. All these instances are examples of negligent driving of bus drivers, and I feel that if no adequate punishment is meted out to such bus drivers, we can never hope to reduce the number of accidents and fatalities on our roads.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I wish to make a few comments on this Bill, but it may appear to be a bit too late at this stage; but it is better late than never. I would like to touch on the point made by the Minister of State for Communications relating to pedestrians. He said that the intention is to educate rather than to punish jaywalkers. We all know that quite a number of serious accidents were caused by jaywalking. On the introduction of this Bill, jay-walkers are let off very lightly. This will not help to reduce the number of accidents on our roads. The Minister of State also mentioned that for enforcement to be effective, there must be enough teeth given to the Traffic regulations. It appears that in so far as jaywalking is concerned, we are merely giving the regulations false teeth. Especially at the junctions of North Bridge Road / Stamford Road! Bras Basah Road, you can see hoards of jaywalkers crossing the roads when the traffic lights favour the motorists. As a result many motorists have to play hide and seek with such careless pedestrians and run the risk of running down innocent bystanders. All these careless pedestrians should not be let off so lightly for their negligence, which however is the case with this Bill. I feel that the provisions against jaywalking are inadequate, and this will not help to reduce the number of accidents that occur every day. My colleague, the Member for Sembawang, has pointed out that certain provisions of the Bill are too drastic against professional drivers, and he mentioned the case of bus and taxi drivers. He says that if a bus driver or a taxi driver is suspended from driving for six months, it will more or less affect his rice bowl.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, may I ask the Minister why has it been necessary for the Housing Board to show discrimination in the issue of these notices to tenants and owner-occupiers of HDB flats? Owner.occupiers received their notices by registered mail whereas the tenants had their notices pasted on their doors without any prior notice at all.”
“Sir, on the Batam island project, in view of the likelihood of a continuing ban on the importation of cattle from neighbouring countries, which consequently leads to a shortage of beef, does the Minister consider that it would be of mutual advantage to both Indonesia and Singapore if we were to enter into a similar project in the form of regional aid in veterinary science and animal husbandry, possibly under the auspices of ASEAN?”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, since the banning of the importation of livestock from neighbouring countries on account of the outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease, there is little or no fresh beef for sale in many of our markets. We have to import most of our frozen meat from countries like New Zealand, Australia and the USA. The prices of frozen meat have increased considerably over the past year, thus contributing to the high cost of living. We are aware that there is a joint project between Singapore and Indonesia on Batam island where cattle is raised for eventual importation into Singapore. May I know from the Minister what is the total investment contributed by Singapore, and whether the cattle raised in this joint project will be sufficient to meet the needs of beef consumption in Singapore?”
“Sir, may I just clarify the question I raised in connection with unauthorised occupiers? I am aware of the Housing Board's recent policy to allow subletting to certain categories of applicants. In fact, I have assisted quite a number of these people to regularise the position. What I was referring to is the group of unauthorised occupiers who cannot meet the required stipulations, in other words a flat owner has more than three children to a room and the unauthorised occupiers number more than four persons to a room. These are the people who are in a desperate position because while they are waiting for a flat to be allocated, maybe in a year or two years from now, they are unable to find any other form of alternative accommodation. So my request to the Minister is whether he would ask the Housing Board to consider relaxing this rule?”
“May I, therefore, suggest that unauthorised occupiers of Housing Board flats, who have registered for the purchase or rental of Housing Board flats, be permitted on compassionate grounds to stay in such flats until they have been allocated flats.”
“Probably the Minister feared that the private property developers will take advantage of this and use this as an excuse for raising the prices of their properties. Sir, prices of properties in the private sector have been increasing by leaps and bounds over the last eight years, which is several hundred per cent more. I would also like to touch on another problem faced by applicants for Housing Board flats. Many applicants have been waiting for their flats for as long as three years. Since the Board is unable to meet the needs of these applicants many have resorted to unauthorised occupation of Housing Board flats rented from the flat owners or tenants. Unfortunately, the Housing Board took a dim view of these happenings, and eviction notices were served on the owners or tenants. Notices read like this: `You are hereby requested to evict so-and-so and resume proper occupation of your flat, failing which legal action will be served to recover the said property.' Sir, where can these people go to for alternative accommodation, if the Housing Board itself is unable to provide them with alternative accommodation because of the length of time in the construction of flats. They are all ordinary wage earners and they are in no position to find cheap alternative accommodation in the private sector unless they want to live in shacks in squatter areas. I am not encouraging or condoning breaches of Housing Board regulations, but in situations of this nature sympathetic consideration should be given in order to alleviate the plight of these applicants for Housing Board flats.”
“Sir, the announcement in increases in prices for Housing Board fiats made by the Minister on 30th November last year came as a stunning blow to many prospective flat owners. With the current inflation, the increase in prices is an additional burden to the ordinary wage earners. Sir, you will appreciate that before one decides to apply for the purchase of a Housing Board flat, he will have to ascertain whether the price of the flat and the instalment payments allowed fit in with his financial resources. He will then decide on either a three-, four- or five-room flat and the period of repayment, whether it is in 10, 15, or 20 years. Many applicants who have applied for flats two or three years ago have based their decision on these assumptions. But the increase of more than 50 per cent in prices will entail a corresponding increase in the monthly instalment payment. Such a move by the Housing Board has indeed caused a major upset in the financial circumstances of these prospective flat owners. Sir, I am not in disagreement with the reasons given by the Minister but I am questioning the manner in which this considerable increase in prices is being imposed. In his statement the Minister stated that the cost of providing public housing has risen considerably. These are facts that cannot be disputed. But why cannot the increase in prices be spread over a period of, say, eight years, thereby gradually increasing the burden rather than a sudden blow. By doing so, the price of a three-room flat will only be increased at the rate of $500 each year. Moreover, such a scheme will apply to a lesser number of applicants at any one time. It will be gradual.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I refer to the statement made by the Minister yesterday that he would give an assurance that every possible measure would be taken to ensure the SBS would provide an efficient bus service for the commuters in Singapore. In this connection I would like to ask the Minister a few questions. The Minister has stated that a sum of approximately $1.2 million was awarded by the SBS to a local workshop to repair the 400 buses that were rendered unserviceable. May I know from the Minister who are the owners of this workshop? Is the workshop competent enough to handle this gigantic task? In other words, does this workshop have the necessary equipment and skilled personnel to perform the necessary repairs to ensure that the buses are put on the road with the minimum of delay? The other question is: will possible abuses lead to kick-backs for directors of the SBS, in so far as they have a financial stake in this repair workshop or in any company that builds bus chassis, or in any spare-parts supply shops, or fuel oil supply distributors?”
“Sir, may I seek a point of clarification from the Minister for Labour? He has just mentioned that applications for work permits for white-collar jobs would not be given favourable consideration. Do I take it that he meant to include those holding blue Singapore identity cards as well?”
“In view of the improved and cordial relationship between Singapore and Malaysia, would the Minister consider this an opportune time to make representations to the Malaysian Government with a view to seeking relaxation o travel formalities for Singaporeans, including youths or student groups who wish to travel to West Malaysia for such a purpose?”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, in many countries, whether Scandinavian or certain Western countries, travel formalities are being progressively relaxed or even withdrawn for the benefit of bona fide travellers from these countries. This has come about because of the cordial relationships existing between such count ties. There was some discussion sometime ago among ASEAN countries on the need for regional co-operation on such matters. I wonder what progress has been made so far. Sir, we have very often encouraged our citizens, particularly our youths, to travel to neighbouring countries in order to broaden their knowledge and outlook. Because of its close proximity, most of our citizens prefer to travel to West Malaysia. However, with the present restrictions imposed by the Malaysian Government, many of us have been deterred from making such a trip to West Malaysia. We are aware of the long queues of traffic along the Johore Causeway, the bottleneck at the Malaysian Customs check-point, and also at the Malaysian High Commission Office. Our citizens have to fill up forms and obtain special car permits which are now considered unnecessary in countries having friendly relationships in order to travel to West Malaysia. Because of its close proximity, many of our citizens would like to travel to Johore Bahru, not because of the special film shows, but to see something different, for example, the rubber estates, pineapple plantations, tin mines and rural Malaysia. Travel to such places is an education to many of us, particularly our young people, and this can be done over the week-end.”
“As such, the timber graders represent a vital group of persons in the timber industry who can make positive contributions towards the further improvement and rationalisation of the timber industry. But at the same time they also constitute a body of persons who are extremely vulnerable to any conflict that may arise between the interest of their employers and the objective of the proposed Board. Many timber graders are members of a trade union affiliated to the National Trades Union Congress for their own protection. Under the Bill it appears that whatever scant trade union recognition or protection the timber graders may presently have would not be given expression to in the proposed Board. Mr Speaker, Sir, I hope the hon. Minister for Finance would be able to give an assurance that a member would be appointed under clause 4 (1) (a) of the Bill to represent the timber graders indirectly through the NTUC or, alternatively, since there are provisions for five members to be appointed under clause 4 (1) (b), to list the NTUC as the fifth recognised association in the Second Schedule to the Bill. 3.43 p.m.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the Timber Industry Board (Incorporation) Bill is a timely measure, being much more comprehensive in scope than the Timber Export Industry Board (Incorporation) Act which is now to be repealed. A fundamental defect of the existing legislation is that it confines itself, as the Minister has just said, to the regulation of timber export. The proposed legislation, I am happy to note, has done away with the impractical distinction of regulating timber for export and ignoring timber for local consumption. All timber sold, processed or manufactured in Singapore, whether for export or local use, are henceforth to come within the purview of the proposed Bill. Similarly, the registration of timber exporters, graders, suppliers, packers or manufacturers - that is, everyone who has anything to do with the timber trade or industry in Singapore - provides a firm basis for the proper control of the timber trade or industry. My only regret is that, under clause 4 of the Bill, the proposed Board seems to be constituted of the representatives of the Government and the timber exporters, suppliers, packers or manufacturers. The Second Schedule to the Bill lists out the four recognised associations for the purpose of clause 5 of the Bill. Nowhere in the Bill has any reference been made to the representation of the interest of the timber graders in the proposed Board. As it would not be practical for the proposed Board itself to employ all the timber graders required in the timber industry in Singapore, most of the graders would be and are, in fact, in the service of the timber exporters, suppliers, packers or manufacturers themselves.”
“Sir, I would like to ask the Minister a few questions. To what extent are we dependent on the Middle East for our oil supplies, and what efforts have been made by the Government to look for alternative sources of supply? The next question is: Has the Government sought the co-operation of the Malaysian Government for such alternative sources of supply?”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, in view of the apparent inadequate parking facilities in certain areas in Toa Payoh, will the Minister be prepared to ask the Housing Board to consider allowing season parking ticket holders as well as short term period ticket holders to park within Toa Payoh Town itself, rather than restricting them to certain parking lots only? The Housing Board should also prohibit lorries, trailers and buses from parking in the various car parks in Toa Payoh. I am sure this restriction will, to some extent, relieve the parking problems in Toa Payoh New Town as a whole.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, is the Minister aware that the privilege mentioned by him only applies to workers in the industrial sector? Is he also aware that many of the work permit holders in the white-collar group, in other words, the commercial sector, will not enjoy this privilege at all because there is no way of assessing their skill as mentioned?”
“There should also be special lighting at the junction, and increased vigilance by the traffic police to apprehend the speedsters and also to confine vehicles with restricted speeds to specific lanes.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, Members of this House have repeatedly brought up the subject of road accidents which have been increasing at an alarming rate. Apparently measures taken by the relevant authorities have not been very successful. In 1972, 3,982 vehicles were involved in serious and fatal accidents. Along the Jalan Toa Payoh expressway, for instance, in 1970 there were 55 accidents, one fatal. Between 1971 and 1972, for over a period of 12 months, the number of accidents increased to 97, with seven fatalities. One more case died a few months ago. I was given to understand that the traffic police had conducted a survey on this stretch of the road and had made recommendations to minimise the accidents, including the provision of pedestrian crossings. I wonder whether a thorough survey has been made in this regard. I would like to know whether the relevant authorities are aware of the following facts. First, trishaws, cyclists and pedestrians are prohibited from using the flyover at Toa Payoh. Therefore, such road users, from the neighbourhood of St. Michael's Estate and Balestier Road, are compelled to make a crossing over this stretch of road, approximately 100 yards from each side of the junction of Kim Keat Road and Jalan Toa Payoh, in order to avoid travelling a distance of two miles from the Thomson Road approach. Secondly, such crossings are usually made during peak hours and at dusk between 6.30 p.m. and 7.30 p.m. when visibility is very poor. I would suggest that to improve the situation the traffic police should look into the question of providing a safer passage for this group of road users by putting up Slow signs near this stretch of the road.”
“The patients are readmitted but discharged again after a period of observation and treatment. The solution does not end there. What we need is a place, preferably outside the Hospital, where discharged patients can be taken care of or trained to do something useful, maybe on the lines of the Trafalgar Home.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for head 1201 be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead 1001*. (*The same amendment also stood in the name of Mr P. Govindaswamy.) Sir, I would like to ask the Minister whether he would consider setting up a recuperation centre for people who are recuperating from mental illness and who had been treated at Woodbridge Hospital. It is true that Woodbridge Hospital has excellent facilities for the treatment of mental patients. However, many mental patients who are considered fit are sent home to stay with their families. From the medical point of view, this may be desirable. But from the social point of view, this creates problems for the families of the mentally sick, especially those who stay in Housing Board flats. On account of the close proximity of the flats, a mental patient who has been discharged from the hospital is easily identified by the residents and is shunned and ridiculed. Such attitudes not only affect the mental well-being of the patient but also affect the relationship between his family and his neighbours. As a result, tremendous strain is imposed on the patient's family. They are treated as social outcasts by their misfortune of having mentally ill persons staying with them. Families of such patients, and neighbours alike, request for transfers to other flats, in one instance, a patient pounded on the doors of neighbouring flats in the middle of the night. In another instance, a patient consistently abused and threatened her neighbours, although she turned out to be harmless. There are other instances, but it would take too long a time for me to elaborate. I must say, Mr Speaker, Sir, that the Woodbridge Hospital authorities have been very helpful when such cases are referred to them.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, first I would like to offer a suggestion, as invited by the Minister just now, with regard to the tendering of shop houses in Housing Board estates. In my question, I was referring to eating houses only. As far as shops or other trades are concerned, the present system is working quite satisfactorily. But for eating houses, will the Minister consider restricting the number of sub-lettings? In other words, if the minimum rental for an eating house is $770 per month depending on the floor space available, the tenant should not be allowed to sublet, say, more than four or five hawker stalls. This will then discourage them from tendering high prices, because it will be at the expense of the consumer. The second point is a matter of clarification with regard to the void area at the foot of each block of flats in Housing Board estates, which is now the common practice to leave it open. I am not suggesting that we block up the whole area. In fact, most of the blocks are very large, and there is ample space. What I was suggesting is to allow a small portion of space, sufficient for these organisations to use it as a base of operations. This will help to encourage them to organise activities which can be conducted in the remaining void areas.”
“There are many youth organisations and voluntary organisations in Singapore which are prepared to participate in community activities in housing estates. But due to the lack of proper premises they are not able to perform their community work effectively. The Government has rightly identified the various problems faced by our youths, e.g, drug addiction and juvenile delinquency, hence, the setting up of a special committee to look into these problems. I think the Housing and Development Board can play a useful role in this direction. The Board should allow the various youth organisations and other recognised voluntary organisations to set up branches in housing estates. This could be done by converting a portion of the void areas in the various blocks of flats in housing estates into premises and leasing them to these organisations at nominal rentals.”
“However, I am not against successful hawkers as such, In fact, this is a good sign of progress. They can send their children for higher studies and enjoy the good things in life. However, they should not be on a subsidy. Subsidies should only be given to cases of hardship, for example, those receiving welfare assistance, those affected by resettlement, widows and physically handicapped persons. To illustrate my point, I would inform the House that near Block 18 in Toa Payoh, which was formerly in my constituency but it is now in the Kim Keat constituency, there are two stalls selling Hokkien mee. They are barely ten feet apart. One pays a monthly rental of $150 to the eating-house tenant, and the other pays only $35 to the Housing and Development Board. Both stall-holders are doing very well. Therefore, I would suggest that the Housing and Development Board should in future consider building hawker centres of various sizes and fix the rentals according to the type of food sold. This will minimise the anomalies that are so evident now. Sir, in the development of new satellite towns, the Housing and Development Board has endeavoured to provide adequate facilities for the recreational needs of the residents, such as playgrounds, sports complexes and other communal facilities. As an illustration, I would quote some projected population figures as stated in the HDB annual report: Queenstown 150,000; Toa Payoh 190,000; Telok Blangah 120,000; Bedok New Town 150,000; Kallang Basin New Town 100,000. With more and more people moving into these housing estates, there is also a need to provide facilities for our youths. Other than community centres, the youths have no other place to go to for guidance on recreational and social matters.”
“These defects may be caused by the weather or negligence on the part of the contractors. I hope the Housing and Development Board will conduct a survey of these flats and put right the defects mentioned and, if necessary, take appropriate action against the contractors responsible. Mr Speaker, Sir, the system of tendering rentals for shop houses and hawker stalls in the Housing and Development Board estates has some disadvantages. This is especially evident in the tendered rentals for eating houses. The minimum rental for an eating house set by the Housing and Development Board is usually $770 per month, but it has been tendered for as much as $3,000 per month. In order to recover the costs and also make a profit, the tenants sub-let as many stalls as the shop houses can accommodate, at rentals of $100 or $300 each per month, depending on the type of food sold. As a result, the tenants and sub-tenants often encroach on public areas, like five-foot ways and even car parks. The Housing and Development Board is therefore compelled to take action against such offenders much to the chagrin of the stall-holders and the residents. Sir, in the case of hawker centres, the rentals are fair and there is no distinction. It is $35 each per month for all categories of food-stalls, irrespective of whether the tenant sells ice-water, kachang puteh, or runs a mini-restaurant. Previously the rental was $55 for a stall, but this was reduced on account of a subsidy given by the Government. Sir, I would say that the subsidy is not utilised to best advantage. I would have thought that the money so allocated should be used to build more hawker centres to accommodate the many hawkers who are still plying in the streets. Some hawkers are very affluent.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, in the Housing and Development Board Annual Report it was stated that (a) the Board has been directed mainly towards planning and building more and better houses in an improved environment; (b) that with effect from 1st January, 1972 the defects liability period assumed by the Board has been extended from six months to 12 months. Furthermore, the Board has also taken steps to ensure that contractors can carry out their contracts efficiently and satisfactorily. All these are indeed commendable moves on the part of the Housing and Development Board. We all agree, Sir, that over the years the Housing and Development Board has made tremendous progress in the field of public housing and urban renewal. Prices and rentals of flats built by the Board have remained static for many years. This has in no small measure contributed to a successful check on inflation. However, Sir, as stated in the report there is still room for improvement. I would like to take this opportunity to touch on some problems which, I hope, will receive the consideration of the Minister. On the question of the quality of flats constructed by the Housing and Development Board, I would like to bring to the notice of the Minister the poor quality in the construction and finishing of the recently constructed six-storey blocks of flats in Toa Payoh Central. The windows in these flats are of the old-fashioned wooden louvred types that are very common in Chinatown. Many of these windows cannot be properly closed as the latches are not properly aligned. The floors are uneven and the doors cannot be properly closed. In one of the flats, two doors have had to be replaced. These defects show up only after some time has elapsed, usually 12 months after the occupiers have moved in.”
“Imposition of fines, as has been the practice, is not a sufficient deterrent so far, and we find that more and more drivers are reckless in their driving. It is not uncommon to see a bus following closely behind you, possibly about a foot away from your car, and stepping on the accelerator as though it is breathing down your necks. I think this behaviour on the part of bus drivers should be stopped. I fully support the point raised by the Member for Sembawang for more effective control of our bus drivers as well as bus operators.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, what I intend to raise has already been partly covered by the Member for Sembawang. Nevertheless, I would like to share his views that our bus services have indeed deteriorated since the reorganisation of the bus services in April last year. There are more frequent breakdowns of buses, and more buses are involved in accidents. As mentioned by the Member for Sembawang, this may be due to the recklessness on the part of bus drivers. To emphasise the seriousness of these accidents I would like to enumerate a few accidents which I myself have seen. Two buses ran off the road in Toa Payoh as they were coming out from the depot. One bus overturned when taking the bend at the circus in Toa Payoh. These accidents occurred three days in succession. Recently one bus rammed into the Toa Payoh flyover. I also witnessed an accident in which two buses were sandwiching a small Fiat Marvellette in Upper Bukit Timah Road. I would suggest, firstly, that the Minister for Communications should take more adequate measures to prevent loss of life or serious injury to bus commuters. Secondly, I would also suggest that heavier penalties be imposed on bus owners for failure to maintain the buses in proper condition, which could lead to frequent breakdowns. Checks should also be made, on the bus companies' workshops to ascertain that they are sufficiently equipped to handle repairs and maintenance of their vehicles. Thirdly, there should be adequate technical staff to maintain and man the workshops. And, in connection with accidents, severe penalties should be imposed on drivers involved in accidents, such as a longer suspension of their licences. This may to a certain extent deter them from rash driving.”
“Such a state of affairs will run counter to the Government's encouragement to people to travel by public transport rather than by cars. When a bus breaks down, the driver and conductor usually disappear from the scene, leaving the passengers stranded and the bus obstructing traffic. I would suggest that bus operators be required to maintain their buses in good running order and That heavy penalties should be imposed if they do not do so. 4.18 p.m.”
“If trade unions are required to exercise restraint over wage increases in the national interest, there should be reciprocal restraint by employers in the exercise of their prerogative to accord wage increases on a voluntary basis, particularly the unorganised employees, including executives. The proposed regulations requiring applicants for work permits to undergo a medical examination will undoubtedly impose a severe strain on our medical service. As a matter of fact, such requirements are already being practised by many well established firms. I wonder whether the Ministry of Labour will consider accepting medical certificates issued by company doctors in this respect. The provision of creches and kindergartens in densely populated areas is indeed most welcome by housewives who wish to work to supplement their family income. But there are housewives who may not want to put their children in creches for some reason or other. The Ministry of Labour could assist such housewives by being more liberal in the granting of work permits for domestic servants. Mr Speaker, Sir, the addendum relating to the Ministry of Communications stated that the Republic's communications system will be expanded and improved upon. Here, I would like to draw the Ministry's attention to the state of the bus services. It is true that the reorganisation of the bus services some time ago had greatly improved `on the chaotic conditions that existed in the past. However, it is not an uncommon sight to see stalled buses in every part of the town. Some of the buses are fairly new. Breakdown of buses not only causes traffic congestion but also inconvenience to the travelling public.”
“As I see it, the only two main groups of wage-earners over whose wages the Government may exercise effective control are (1) employees in the public sector, whether organised or otherwise, and (2) employees who are organised in the private sector. Unorganised workers, who include almost all managers and executives, however, constitute by far the greater majority of the workforce in the Republic. For the unorganised workers who do not come within the jurisdiction of the Industrial Arbitration Court or the consideration of the National Wages Council, there is nothing to prevent their respective employers from according them unlimited wage or salary increases. Strange as it may seem to be, an employer may find it more profitable, for instance, to pay wage increases to retain or attract skilled workers who are in short supply, by reason of the heavy outlay in time and cost for training such workers. Then again there are employers who are prepared to pay their workers more as an incentive for their remaining unorganised. The desire to convince workers of the disadvantages of being organised also explains why some employers, after concluding a collective agreement on the lowest terms possible by sobbing their hearts out at the Ministry of Labour and before the Industrial Arbitration Court, unilaterally and voluntarily proceed to grant their employees more favourable benefits. The point I wish to make is that so long as employers are permitted to discriminate between employees on an arbitrary basis, as opposed to differentials of pay on an objective basis, there is bound to be frustration and unrest among workers in the matter of pay.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I wish to support the motion of thanks moved by the Member for Bukit Batok. The development programmes outlined in the addendum to the President's speech deserve commendation. Such programmes have also been proposed in some other developing countries. But the vital difference is that our programmes will not simply be blueprints but will be translated into reality and without fail. We in Singapore have witnessed achievements after achievements by reason of the determined efforts of an honest government and the active co-operation and support of a hardworking population. Mr Speaker, Sir, I would like to take this opportunity to touch on some aspects of the policies outlined by the President, and I hope that the Government will give serious consideration to the comments made here. In the addendum to the President's speech concerning the Ministry of Labour, the Government has proposed to regulate the rate of wage increases so as to keep pace with any rise in the cost of living and level of expectation of workers, no more and no less. Such a proposal is much to be welcomed as the desirability of orderly wage increases is beyond question. In any inflation of prices resulting from disorderly wage increases, it is always the wage-earners themselves who suffer since whatever wage increases they may receive are bound to be more than swallowed up by price increases. But I am wondering as to the means the Government intends to use in controlling wage increases, in the absence of any proposed legislation to regulate prices and incomes.”
“Sir, I would like to take this opportunity to ask the Minister two questions. Firstly, last year I made some requests for bus shelters to be erected in Toa Payoh. This has been done, but apparently most of the bus shelters are second-hand and they appear to have been taken from other areas and dumped in Toa Payoh. Surely a new town like Toa Payoh deserves something more attractive than second-hand bus shelters! Secondly, the question of bus bays. I believe that when bus bays are constructed, arrangements should be made with the relevant authorities to site the bus stands near the bus bays. There is one bus bay in Toa Payoh which has not been used. The bus bay is constructed but the bus stop is far away from this bus bay, and one long trailer has monopolised it as its parking lot for several months. I would like to seek clarification from the Minister on this.”
“Sir, in view of the Minister's reply, I beg leave to withdraw. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head 72 be reduced by $10 in respect of item 004 of subhead 201. Sir, the provision of lorry parks by the Ministry of National Development is indeed a welcome move. Many lorries and trailers are parked along roadsides, causing unnecessary traffic hazards. I would suggest that legislation be introduced to compel these drivers to park their lorries and trailers and heavy-duty lorries in parking bays designated for them. I would also like to ask the Minister what is the capacity of the lorry park that is proposed to be built at Lorong Kebun Limau?”