E.W. Barker
Singapore
“Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, "That the Bill be now read a Second time." This is a simple Bill which seeks to amend section 33 of the Land Acquisition Act on the amount of compensation payable to owners of land compulsorily acquired under the Act.”
“For the five-year period from 1st July, 1981 to 30th June, 1986, the HDB demolished a total of 8,098 units. As the HDB's new accounting system was only implemented from 1st April, 1985, the Board does not have ready information on the value of flats demolished prior to 1st April, 1985. RELOCATION OF CREMATORIUMS 4.”
“The HDB did not allocate any MP's office to the previous PAP MPs for Anson and Potong Pasir constituencies. NUMBER OF H.D.B. UNITS DEMOLISHED 3.”
“I would not know. Why don't you ask them? I don't know. Sir, to put things in a nutshell, it is the legal profession amongst all the professions that help in the administration of Singapore. Doctors help to cure you of diseases.”
“I am not saying it's wrong. I am not telling you stories. I am relating. So they decided to take us on. When we went into Select Committee, the first day and the later part of the second day, there was confrontation between the Committee and the lawyers.”
“As the Member for Anson would know, the Minister for Law is not in charge of prosecutions or the conduct of any criminal proceedings in court, nor does he give any directives on these matters.”
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“But when complaints are lodged, it takes a long time for them to act. Mr Speaker, Sir, the present system of rentals for eating houses and hawker stalls in Housing Board estates could lead to many problems and abuses. The usual minimum rental for a eating house is around $700, but it is often tendered for as high as $3,000. To recover this amount, the shophouse tenant sublets as many cooked food stalls as the shop-house can accommodate at rentals between $100 and $600 each a month. In a coffee shop premises as much as 50% of the floor space is rented out to these cooked food stalls. The result is that patrons have to eat on five-foot ways and in adjacent empty spaces. Then here comes along a Housing Board official to take action against the offending coffee shop tenant. This goes on all the time. Rentals for cooked food stalls arc the same, irrespective of the type of food sold in Housing Board hawker centres. For instance, an ice-water seller is charged the same rental as one who runs a restaurant type of business. The daily turnover of these two types' of business is poles apart. Such a situation gives rise to abuse and malpractice. It encourages stallholders to illegally sublet or assign their stalls to others for a profit. For example, if a person pays $500 to $600 for a stall in a coffee shop to sell Hokkien mee, a stallholder in the hawker centre near to the coffee shop can demand a similar rate for subletting or illegal assigning of his stall. In Hokkien, this term is known as pak hor Ian, or, in English it is known as Ali Baba type of business. The Hon. Minister would probably ask me why I did not report this state of affairs. The reason is that it is very difficult to prove such wrong-doing as there is some collusion somewhere.”
“I would suggest that the Housing Board contractors should be asked to place as a deposit a prescribed sum of money or a bank guarantee with the Board on the understanding that if defects are found such deposit would be confiscated and the contractor barred from Housing Board projects for a given period. 4.15 p.m. I am not suggesting that the Housing Board has done nothing to rectify the defects found in the flats. It is the time taken and the haphazard manner in which the contractors put right the defects. One solution would be to allow flat owners to rectify the defects themselves and charge the cost to the Housing Board who will, in turn, recover this cost from the contractors responsible. Mr Speaker, Sir, shopkeepers and hawkers are always at the receiving end of the stick. When they want to rectify any of the defects mentioned earlier, they are asked to pay a reinstatement deposit amounting to hundreds of dollars. It is a common practice for shopkeepers to display their wares or advertise their services in order to promote sales. Officials of the Housing Board are unduly strict in the application of regulations governing obstruction in common passage-ways. In one instance, shopkeepers in my constituency had their goods confiscated for allegedly causing obstruction. When I took this matter up with the Area Office, I was asked to refer it to the head office. The official in the head office told me that the problem could be easily settled if I were to ask the shopkeepers concerned to see him. When the shopkeepers called at his office, they were politely told that the goods had already been disposed of. All this happened in one day. Surely the HDB is not that efficient! When it comes to exercising their right, Housing Board officials are unusually quick on the draw.”
“Tenants and hawkers, particularly those from the lower income group, are constantly harassed or treated with indifference by hawker inspectors and other officials. Problems and complaints brought up by them are not properly attended to. Very often they are told to refer their problems to the MPs, if they are not satisfied. I must admit that the Estate Officers in charge of an Area Office have an unenviable task to perform. In most cases, they handle the problems pretty well. But those officers below them do not appear to understand the problems of residents, shop-keepers and hawkers. It is recognised that the Estate Officer cannot handle all the problems himself, but then the officers serving under him should be properly trained, especially in maintaining good public relations with the residents in the various housing estates. I would like to touch on some of these complaints and inadequacies, in the balloting of flats we often notice prospective flat owners jumping up with joy or rubbing their hands with glee the moment it was announced that they have got their ideal flats, that is, on the lower floor or facing the desired direction. This gleeful expression is short-lived, and it soon turns to gloom when they receive the keys to the flat, because on inspection of the flats they will find so many defects which Members of this House have been complaining about. The most common defects are uneven floors, paint- or tar-soiled floors. My party office, for instance, I had to saw off the bottom of three doors in order to accommodate the unevenness of the floors. For those who can afford to relay the floors with mosaic, etc., it is all right. But what about those who cannot afford, especially the people resettled from other areas?”
“At the moment, of course, it is not even easy to recruit such a number of lift attendants, even if residents are prepared to pay an additional $10 per flat per month for lift attendant services. I agree with the Member on the benefits lift attendants must bring -reduced crime and reduced vandalism, and general cleanliness. Some lifts are in a disgraceful condition because of the use made of them by some people. But I can assure the Member that we have not completely brushed aside the suggestion and have been reviewing this proposal over the years. Mr Cheong Yuen Chee (Toa Payoh): Sir, with more than 180,000 units of flats under the management of the Housing and Development Board and nearly half the population residing in housing Board flats, the problems mentioned by various Members of the House will increase in the future. It is recognised that the Housing and Development Board has a formidable task to construct and manage the numerous housing estates. Too often have we heard of defects in the construction of flats, resettlement of residents, hawkers, parking charges and the attitude of Housing and Development Board officials towards members of the public. It appears that the main function of the Housing and Development Board is to construct as many flats as possible at the shortest possible time, and then follow up with strict enforcement of tenancy and lease agreements to prevent abuses. Very little is being done to foster good public relations between residents and officials of the Housing Board. Letters to the press are promptly answered. These are mostly in defence of the inadequacies of the service provided by the Housing Board.”
“Sir, by and large, the standard of maintenance services in Housing and Development Board estates has not deteriorated. In some estates the maintenance contractors have found it uneconomical to operate unless they accumulate their repair orders over a period so as to make less trips, thereby inconveniencing many residents. The Housing and Development Board has taken steps to rectify this by dividing these estates into zones so that more contractors are engaged to deal effectively in respect of each zone. The Housing and Development Board has also recently formed a high level inspection team which is charged with the task of looking into and rectifying any shortcomings in the maintenance service. The Board relies directly on its daily-rated task force for the maintenance of 75% of its open public spaces. The remaining 25% of the work is let out to maintenance contractors. In a way it is good administration to have some competition between the two groups as a guide to measurement of efficiency and cost. As to flooding referred to by the Member, sub-soil drainage has been introduced to the open space between Blocks Nos. 1 and 2, Lorong 6, Toa Payoh. Part of the area was also raised by additional fill and this measure appears to be satisfactory so far. As for lifts, I can assure the Member that we do not brush aside reasonable suggestions. It would appear impractical to introduce the lift attendant system. We had discussed this before in this House. Today there are about 1,700 lifts in HDB estates. Based on 24 shifts per day per lift, about 4,250 lift attendants would be required to man the lifts. This number would continue to increase in future as more lifts are put into operation in new blocks of flats.”
“Sir, Cheng San Road will eventually have to be closed and re- placed by a new road system proposed for Ang Moh Kio New Town. Different portions of Cheng San Road will be closed off in about a year. However, the residents in this section will he able to obtain access through the new road system. As for community centres, the decision whether or not to demolish depends upon the structural condition of the building, its accessibility and its location within the new estate. Of course, the People's Association has a big say and they will be consulted to find an appropriate site if a new centre i5 needed. However, any existing Ones will continue until an alternative site is provided. As for schools, compensation is provided. Whether or not an alternative site is provided will depend on the circumstances and, of course, advice of the Ministry of Education.”
“Sir, the Government's first duty is towards its citizens. Our policies must favour our citizens. Let us look after ourselves first and if we can, we will look after others. As for HDB policy, only Singapore citizens can apply for Housing Board accommodation. Non-citizen families are not provided with alternative accommodation by the HDB even though they may be affected by development projects. However, we have become a little flexible. A family, some of whom are non-citizens, can qualify if the majority are citizens or permanent residents and the applicant is a Singapore citizen above the age of 21. In the case that the Member quoted the mother and father were not born here. They have three children. That is all right. If they have only one child, then it is no good. It means they must have more children to qualify, and the Minister for Health would not like that. But here we are being sympathetic and human. In respect of families which are affected by resettlement, the second condition, i.e, the age limit of 21, is relaxed and the family is allowed to rent HDB flats on a temporary occupation licence basis. There has to be this condition if the eldest child is under 21 hut above 12 years. When the eldest child reaches 21, a proper tenancy agreement is executed.”
“Sir, I am afraid I am not prepared to make the ruling asked for without an investigation into the facts and particulars. Single persons affected by resettlement are entitled to alternative accommodation and priority therefore if they can get others to join - two or three bachelors or two or three spinsters getting together provided, of course, they qualify in other respects. Here, the Member says that their identity cards show that they are living at Bras Basah constituency and at the time of the census, they were not around. That raises a doubt as to whether they missed the boat as the Member said, either in Bras Basah or they missed the boat elsewhere. Perhaps they were not seamen. We can look into their particulars and if they can prove by their passports, for instance, that they were working as seamen at the date when the census was taken, every consideration will be given to their cases.”
“Sir, the facts are that the Housing and Development Board is dredging the coast off Changi to provide fill for the reclamation in the Telok Ayer Basin. As a result the licences of 15 kelongs affected by the dredging have, therefore, not been renewed. The licensees have been given one year's advance notice. But as the dredging works have yet to reach these kelongs, the operators have been allowed to continue their operation in the meantime. Fishing boats serving the affected kelongs have not been issued with licences, as licences for the kelongs have not been renewed. However, arrangements will be made to issue temporary licences to these boats. Any reclamation work must interfere with fishing, kelongs and their operations. Two loading and unloading areas for the fishermen have been designated on the coast between Bedok and Tanah Merah Besar. Roads have been provided across the reclaimed land to these loading areas for the use and benefit of the fishermen. A crossing over the conveyor belt system has been built servicing the reclamation works and a pedestrian bridge across the drainage canal at Sungei Mata Ikan have also been provided for the convenience of the fishermen. If, as the Member complains, he has not been able to get much out of the Departments concerned, I would suggest that he puts this down in a letter to me.”
“Sir, as for the boat licences requested for by the Member, I will certainly look into his request. As for our fishermen, we do not abandon them on the high seas. When they are caught, whether rightly or wrongly, our Foreign Office does make representations to the government concerned. Sir, you may remember the research vessel "Changi" detained in Rangoon. We made many representations through the Foreign Office, and the Head of the Fisheries Department of the Primary Production Department made several trips to Rangoon not only to help the seamen who were detained but in an effort to get them out. Finally we succeeded. I am not aware whether the question of fisheries has been taken up in ASEAN. Perhaps the Member can ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs when he returns.”
“He is also a good Minister as he takes an interest in the welfare of fishermen who are exposed to risks and dangers. I feel that the Government has some responsibility to help the fishermen solve some of their problems. We should get in touch with ASEAN countries and work out some arrangement to ensure the safety of our fishing vessels on the high seas and to ensure that should our fishermen go into the territorial waters of other ASEAN countries by mistake, they should be permitted to continue fishing there. I wonder whether the Minister will agree to this suggestion.”
“Mr Ho Kah Leong(In Mandarin): Mr Speaker, Sir, 1 am very glad to note that we have a very broad-minded Minister. I think the Parliamentary Secretary could learn a lot from him in this respect. Just now the Minister referred to his Ministry coordinating the work of the various departments. What I am trying to say is that I do not mean that there should not be any coordination between government departments. Coordination is good but every department must know its own basic functions and role in dealing with the people. For example, in dealing with the people, officials should take a sympathetic view of the matter. In the case I cited just now, I feel that the Primary Production Department was too cruel. Even the electric sockets and plugs had to be removed. In my opinion, this is going too far. 3.30 p.m. The Minister also informed the House just now that in my constituency five licences for kelongs had been revoked. I am aware of this. But my question i5 this: in the revocation of licences for the kelongs, the fishermen need fishing boats to go to the kelongs. And the problem is that the Primary Production Department has refused to issue licences for these fishing boats. As a result, kelong workers and owners are not able to go to their kelongs in their boats. Hence the fish caught would be utterly lost. So I would like to ask the Minister whether licences for fishing boats can be issued to them so that they can go to the kelongs. If he can promise me this, I will be very grateful. Sir, as regards deep-sea fishing, I am quite aware of the hard life of these fishermen: They are exposed to all sorts of dangers, risks and even piracy on the high seas. I am sure that the Minister also understands their problems.”
“Let us not lose our tempers. Sir, I accept the explanation of my Friend, the Member for Jurong. I have been called worse names in this House, but I am sure any name he calls me is with the best of intention. Sir, the resettlement programme has been in operation for many years. The pig production has, in fact, increased between 1967 and 1972. This shows that the resettlement programme has little effect on the production of pigs. Members will remember that prices of pigs went very low in early 1972 causing much concern to the MPs concerned. Production fell subsequently in 1973 and 1974 but this was because of other economic factors. Prices of feed for pigs increased in 1973 and 1974 as a result of general inflation. Following this, the cost of pig production went up and the marginal farmers were eased out. Pork prices also rose. Like any other commodity, Members should be aware that the price of pork depends on supply and demand. During festive seasons prices rise and fall back to the general level soon after. It is not always possible to stabilise the price of pork by merely increasing or decreasing pig production. I have not very good news for the Member for Sembawang. The intensive commercial pig farming scheme, which was previously proposed to be set up in his constituency, is now being shifted to Punggol. Sembawang has been designated as a catchment area. Water comes first before pigs. The land in Punggol is now under preparation and the first lots for these pig farms will be available next month. I am not aware whether the Member's allegation about the withdrawal of poultry vaccination is true or not. If it is, then it is an undesirable step and I will certainly look into it.”
“Unfortunately, the sea coast of Tuas is affected by reclamation work of the Jurong Town Corporation.”
“As for fishing, Singapore has limited territorial waters in which to fish. Our fishermen must go out far to fish in international waters. This means a hard vigorous life. Sometimes they are kidnapped and held to ransom for long periods. So fishing is a prospect which most of our young men are reluctant to take up, especially when there are more attractive and comfortable jobs available on terra firma. The Member for Anson likes to eat mutton, the price of which he said has increased during the last two years. This is true. The price of mutton went up with other food items. In April to June last year the retail price was about $3.10 per lb. This was at its peak. But the price has now dropped by about 40 cents and this should keep the Member happy. We are dependent on imported supplies of mutton. However, frozen or fresh, it is expensive to import live animals as freight costs account for about one-third of the price of a live animal. The Member for Jurong wanted to know the criteria for the assessment of a bona fide farmer. The status of a farmer is assessed on a number of factors. Firstly, the actual number of livestock that the farmer owns, and secondly, the degree of his other farming activities as determined by the detailed census records of his activities over the last two or three years. Thirdly, dependency on farming for a livelihood, and other sources of income are also taken into consideration. This information is collected and reviewed by a panel in the Primary Production Department who then make recommendations as to the status of a particular farmer. For the Member's information, five licences for kelong operations off the coast of Tuas were revoked by the Primary Production Department.”
“The Member for Jurong, of course, always supports the farmers and fishermen who live in his area, but we now have a new supporter in the Member for Anson who has also become a farmer, fisherman and gardener. Sir, when the left hand of one department does not know what the right hand is doing, MPs ask me questions, like the Member for Kim Keat. And when one branch of the Ministry of National Development, that is the Primary Produc-. tion Department, works hand in hand with another department, the Land Office of the Ministry of Law, they ask me questions too! So when there is communication they question it, and when there is lack of communication they also question it. The Member for Jurong should be aware of the efforts of the Primary Production Department, even to improve market gardening! Besides providing services on the sale of pesticides, control of diseases and the improvement of agricultural practices, even hydroponic cultivation of vegetables has been encouraged so as to obtain higher yields than ordinary vegetable cultivation methods. However, that is for hydroponics. But because of the high capital cost, not many farmers have attempted this yet. 3.15 p.m. The Department also assists the pig and poultry farmers by the sale of high grade piglings and chicks to upgrade stock and by controlling livestock diseases. Technical know-how gained through research is disseminated to the farmers. To encourage more efficient production, pig farming on a large commercial scale will be encouraged, not in Jurong, but this time in Punggol. The cultivation of crops on roof-tops of HDB fiats is not considered a practical nor an economical proposition. The flats are not designed to withstand any additional load or to accommodate this kind of activity.”
“However, every encouragement is being given for the revival of the proposal. It is difficult to reply to the Member's last question without details of the site being given. He refers to new buildings being allowed in Wallich Street. Perhaps he is referring to the one at the junction of Wallich Street and Peck Seah Street where planning approval was granted for the erection of a 17-storey office building in February, 1972. In contrast to the site at Tras Street, which is only about 2,900 sq, ft, in area, the site at the Wallich Street/Peck Seah Street junction is about 10,000 sq, ft, and therefore a building could be allowed without prejudicing the comprehensive redevelopment of the area. The other one was not approved on the grounds that it was made on a piece-meal basis and too small and likely to prejudice the comprehensive redevelopment of the area.”
“It is not understood why the Member for Anson should think that the morale of the planners is very low. Additional senior posts have been created since the promotion, and the promotional prospects of planners in both the Planning Department and the Development Control Division have improved. Vacancies of senior posts are now open to officers of both sections. With regard to the former Raffles Institution site and the Gemini Chit Fund site at Bras Basah Road, I do not understand why the Member for Anson should blame the Planning Department for the absence of development. It is not only planning approval that leads to a building. A lot depends upon the owners. In the case of Raffles Institution, it belongs to the Development Bank of Singapore. For their own reasons they have postponed the construction of the building. The proposal has been temporarily shelved. At one time it was because of the shortage of skilled labour and building materials. The project has since been revived and the architects, I understood, are now proceeding with the detailed planning. The site would not be left as a car park-cum-school field as it is now, but a 70-storey building is coming up and it should satisfy the Member in due course. The Gemini Chit Fund site was granted planning approval in 1968 for a hotel/commercial building. This permission was cancelled in 1970 because of non-compliance with planning conditions. A new proposal for the erection of a 24-storey hotel/commercial building was approved in April, 1973. The developers have requested that the project be deferred because of the current economic situation. Since this site belongs to a private developer, the Division cannot compel the developer to proceed if he is unable to do so.”
“Sir, the decision to split the long-term planning and development control functions was made in the interest of improving efficiency. Prior to April, 1974, the Development Control Division which deals with private development applications was part of the Planning Department, whilst the Building Control Division which deals with building plan approvals was part of the Public Works Department. Logically, the Development Control Division and the Building Control Division should be integrated into one unit because building plan approvals are tied up with planning approvals and vice versa. Master Plan and long-range planning, on the other hand, embody a wider area of planning control and are best left as a separate department. This will save the long-range planners from being bogged down with the routine development applications which entail time-consuming interviews with architects and developers; follow-up action on planning approvals, attendance at hearing appeals and taking enforcement action for contraventions of planning permission. With the separation of functions, the Development Control planners are able to spend full-time on the day-to-day applications received from the private sector and are thus able to offer better service to developers and architects. The Planning Department planners in turn are able to do a more thorough and uninterrupted job at long-range and block-planning and to concentrate on public development projects. 3.00 p.m. Since the transfer, there have been three resignations of planners, two from the Planning Department and one from the Development Control Division. All three have resigned for personal reasons. Their resignations had nothing to do with the transfer of the departmental functions.”
“Sir, slanting trees are not necessarily dangerous. The condition of the tree depends not only on the soundness of its roots but also on whether its trunk has suffered decay. But the Parks and Recreation Division does carry out periodic inspections of old trees. Those trees that are found dangerous or likely to fall down are cut down. The Member wants to know more about parks. The East Coast Park of 350 acres, or 140 hectares, of reclaimed land with a five-mile shoreline stretching from Tanjong Rhu to Bedok is being developed into a park and recreational area. The area between the Singapore Swimming Club and the Housing and Development Board Marine Parade Estate has already been turfed and planted. A six-hectare, or 15-acre, swimming lagoon, which in terms of surface area is equivalent to about 40 Olympic-sized swimming pools and capable of accommodating about 6,000 people at a time, is being constructed by the Ministry of the Environment and scheduled for completion in early 1976. Other facilities will include footpaths, car parks, cycle tracks, changing rooms, hawker and food centres, and even a golf driving range. Camping sites will be provided and chalets built by the Housing and Urban Development Co. (Pte.) Ltd, for rental to the public. An orchard is being developed in an area of about four hectares, or 10 acres, behind the Chinese Swimming Club. There are also plans to build a tennis complex, an indoor recreational centre and even a bicycle station. I wonder whether that satisfies the Member or whether he desires more information on other parks.”
“Besides, the fact that the Government is exempted from the Building Control Act, all Government buildings are scrutinised by the Planning Authorities and there is nothing to gain from erecting unauthorised structures. Statutory bodies are required to obtain planning permission and building approval for their buildings.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, some teething problems are inevitable in the early stages of the integration of the Development Control Division with the Building Control Division. Most of these problems have now been resolved, but if members of the public encounter inconveniences because the departments do not function efficiently, they are requested to write in to my Ministry. 2.45 p.m. The Division's demolition enforcement officer by the very nature of his work attracts an impression of harshness and rigidity, while in effect he is merely discharging the unpleasant duties of his job which is really not an easy one. Actual physical demolition represents the culmination of very careful consideration and decision by the Division's officers in every case. Demolition is resorted to when all avenues for the possible regularisation or toleration of the unauthorised structures are exhausted. Members of the public should not erect unauthorised structures in the hope of escaping official detection. Building procedures have been streamlined, but relaxed wherever possible. It is not so difficult to obtain permission before carrying out building activities. If there are incidents where officers in the department have been rude or intolerant, Members are invited to bring such incidents to my notice and appropriate action will be taken. The policy on unauthorised erections is quite clear. Under the Building Control Act, all structures which are erected without the approval of the Building Authority or in contravention of the Building regulations are unauthorised, and the Authority has power to demolish. As for statutory boards, there has been no occasion when the Division has taken action against unauthorised erections.”
“We will look into it. As for major roads leading to or out of Jurong Town, there are no plans at present. There have been complaints of traffic jams within Jurong Town and of traffic congestion along the approach road, Upper Ayer Rajah Road, leading to Jurong Town during peak hours, especially when ice-skaters are on their way to the rink. The PWD is now widening Upper Ayer Rajah Road to a six-lane carriageway to ease traffic congestion. The work is expected to be completed in October this year. The other bottlenecks on the approach road to Jurong Town are at the Ayer Rajah/Clementi Road Circus and Jurong Town Circus. The conversion of the former into a traffic light controlled intersection is in progress and is expected to be completed by the end of June. The PWD is also looking into a similar conversion of the Jurong Town Circus.”
“Sir, the last question first. At the moment, the junction at Corporation Drive and Yung Kuang Road is controlled by stop lines and stop signs. At Yung Kuang Road, which is a minor road, traffic lights will be installed at this junction during this year. As for the bridge in question, it was built by a JTC contractor in 1970 for its earthwork contract. On completion of the contract, the central pontoon stand of the temporary bridge was removed last December. In fact, JTC is in the process of dismantling the rest of this temporary bridge. I am not in charge of JTC, but I understand the Member has suggested that we build another bridge. Is that correct?”
“As for the suggestion to make the lorongs a one-way street or to put up "No entry" signs so that lorries and jumbo buses cannot use some of the roads that are close to the heart of the Member for Kampung Kembangan, I can only tell him that we will look into this possibility and let him have the answer later.”
“Yes, Sir. The Member complained about several roads in his constituency which were built sometime ago. I do not know the exact reasons why they have deteriorated, but the matter will be looked into and the roads put' into proper order again. Generally there has been so much digging in Singapore. There were complaints last year about roads and road surfaces and we had a whole island programme to resurface and recondition most of our major roads. I was shocked to learn that in the course of the financial year some departments were going to dig up about 80% of our roads, leaving only 20% untouched, scattered all over. It is no use reconditioning and resurfacing our roads, which cost so much money, and then having either the PUB or the STB moving in to dig. On the other hand, if no roads are dug up it means that development in Singapore has come to a full stop! It is because of more houses and more factories that more water pipes and more electric cables have to be laid. As the Minister in charge of roads, I feel disgusted when half the whole stretch of a road is dug up just to lay a 50-foot diameter pipe, which takes nearly one-third of' the road. That done, a couple of months later they do it on the' other side of the road. I have given directions that an intensified programme to improve our roads be instituted,, and because taxes on motor cars using the roads have gone up I do not expect any difficulty in getting the necessary finance from - the Minister for Finance.”
“If not during this Sitting, it will be soon after.”
“Sir, under the Land Titles (Strata) Act, owners of flats registered under the Act are automatically formed into a management corporation. The corporation is required to elect a management council to perform duties and conduct business on behalf of the corporation. The corporation is required among other things to control, manage and administer the common property and to establish a fund for such purpose. It is empowered to levy contributions from all the owners. If any contributor is at default, this can be recovered as a civil debt by the management corporation. Some management corporations have been unwilling to take court action against recalcitrant owners because of the reasons set out by the hon. Member for Potong Pasir. There is now a proposal in the Land Titles (Strata) (Amendment) Bill to make it an offence if the subsidiary owner fails to pay or make his contribution. I hope this measure will succeed. But I can assure the Member that if it is the Government that passes legislation to form management corporations, then, of course, it is our business to make them work.”
“Sir, the Member may be right if he wants us to acquire all the land in Singapore. We have acquired large portions of land in Singapore and the landowners are getting a bit tired of our acquisition.”
“It will probably be more convenient, Sir, if I deal with one Member at a time. The Member for Paya Lebar wants priority to be given for all dwellers of attap houses which are about to fall down. This will lead to complications because more people will move into houses that are dilapidated or attap houses that are about to fall down. He wonders why we allow people to move from one-room to two-room or three-room flats - the answer is that the families have grown bigger. When they move into a bigger flat, the smaller flat is available for the accommodation of some other family. That follows the law. When the poor attap house dweller extends his house without permission, then he is breaking the law and either the Land Office or the Building Control Division serves him with a notice. Sir, it does not mean that dwellers of attap houses are not granted priority. Where the Government has acquired the land for some purpose and wishes to demolish these attap houses, they arc given alternative accommodation provided they are eligible. But for the Government to grant priority o, accommodation to attap house dwellers on land which belongs to a private developer, Government will be only helping the private developers. Surely the Member does not consider that desirable - I take it that his suggestion is that every attap house dweller must be given priority.”
“The Member for Changi cannot expect to be told of every little thing that goes on in his constituency. Of course, we give him advice, otherwise he will have 20 or 30 persons running to the PAP branch to disturb his Saturday nights. But I cannot inform him of every little thing that goes on in his constituency. Wherever possible, we give MPs advance notice so that they know what to tell the people.”
“As far as my memory goes, the MP was informed before we took one step. And when the Government made the decision, I told him personally.”
“Yes, they can. If they are structural alterations to the house, then the occupier must get the landowner's permission. But if it is just a case of repairs, he can get the Department's approval, not necessarily the owner's approval.”
“The Member for Jurong has spoken generally about resettlement, and he has complained about the Land Office. According to him, we must be more human towards cases of families growing bigger and extensions made to accommodate them. As is usual, if only repairs are done to the premises, nothing happens. But when a structure is enlarged, then the land bailiffs will be on them either asking for more premiums or demanding that the unauthorised alterations are pulled down. These are matters on which, as far as possible, we try to be as humane as ever. But when extensions are made and other families move in, then we have no alternative but to take action. Usually TOLs are granted to the persons in actual occupation so as to prevent the chief licensee making money out of subleasing TOL land to the persons in actual occupation.”
“They have been told that they could retain the balance of the land on fresh licences, the terms and conditions of which would be made known later. Where the entire holding has been repossessed, licensees have been told that they would be advised in due course whether alternative accommodation would be given. They have been informed that no compensation would be paid for ancillary structures, crops, etc, which they should remove from the land immediately. Ex-licensees who have, in violation of TOL conditions, allowed other occupiers to operate factories, workshops and holdings have been informed that the Land Office had resumed possession of the land, and the actual occupants have been told not to pay any further rent to the ex-licensees. The Land Office would then issue separate TOLs to occupiers who would, be allowed to continue operating their factories and workshops. The Resettlement Department is presently investigating to find out whether occupiers or dwellers on land recovered, which, were held previously under lease or TOLs should be, given alternative accommodation. Resettlement questions are still under study by the Resettlement Department. No workshops or industries have yet been moved into the area. I can assure the Member that consideration will be given to regularise existing non-agricultural uses which can be tolerated on the basis of revised TOLs. But no compensation will be paid for ancillary structures or crops found on the land to be recovered, as the owners have been given ample time to remove such structures or crops. I believe that the Land Office had informed the Member for Changi on most of the matters which I have set out in a letter dated 20th February, 1975.”
“Sir, the Member for Changi has not only been beating about the bush but he has also been rather unfair to me when he said that he was not informed of what was happening in the Bedok resettlement area. Unless he has got a poor memory, I informed him on 25th October, 1974, of Government's decision to recover vacant and under-utilised land in this area amounting to a total of about 47 acres. As the Member is aware, a survey of land utilisation in that area had shown that there had been widespread breaches of the terms and conditions of their leases and the Temporary Occupation Licences issued to the settlers. It is Government's intention to recover such under-utilised vacant land from the lessees who had breached these terms and to use this land for the relocation of cottage industries and other appropriate uses. 6.00 p.m. Out of a total of 58 cases affected in this exercise, 39 were previously on 16-year agriculture leases and 19 were on TOLs. Notices to revert the whole of the land to agricultural use, in accordance with the terms and conditions of the leases, were served on the 39 lessees in November, 1974, and on failure to do so within an agreed period the Land Office would formally repossess the land on 31st January this year. The Land Office has, however, not yet taken physical occupation of the repossessed land nor served notices on the ex-lessees to vacate the land. In the case of TOL holders, notices of termination of licences were served in December, 1974, and the land repossessed from 1st January, 1975. In the case of those whose TOLs had terminated, the following action has been taken. Licensees who are required to give up part of the land have been so informed, and site plans have been sent to them showing the portion of the land to be recovered.”
“Sir, I think it is better that this matter is settled outside the House. To debate the matter further in this House will not get us anywhere. Raising a particular case, I think, is better done by correspondence, unless this is on general policy. Mr Ho See Beng: In view of the reply, I beg leave to withdraw my amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. 5.45 p.m.”
“Sir, the three properties referred to by the Member for Bras Basah were Nos. 7, 9 and 11 Holloway Lane, which were acquired for urban redevelopment purposes. They all belonged to one land owner. Premises Nos. 7 and 11 were tenanted by a bookshop and an association respectively, whilst No. 9 was occupied by the ex-owner himself. The total award was $28,750 paid to the land owner for his three properties, and was based on encumbered values for No. 7 ($5,750) and No. 11 ($ 7,280) and a much higher vacant possession value for No. 9 ($15,720), which are the two distinct issues raised in the Member's query. Under the Act compensation is paid to persons having a legal interest in the acquired properties, that is to say, the landowner or lessee. Computation of compensation will be governed by the prevailing market value, which must be higher in the case of premises where vacant possession can be given by the landowner than in the case of premises which are tenanted, especially premises which are rent-controlled. An unencumbered award under the Act takes into account encumbrances and tenancies, which are liabilities to the acquiring authorities and for which exgratia resettlement benefits or compensation (such as HDB shops at concessional rents or cash grants ranging from $5,000 to $15,000) have to be given to the displaced occupiers in accordance with the current resettlement policy. In the particular case raised by the Member, an offer has been made by the Resettlement Department of a shop with a flat above provided the landowner refunded the sum of $10,000 from the award made to him, which was based on vacant possession value. It is understood that the Member's constituent is still considering the offer.”
“I hope the Member for Jalan Kayu is not complaining of non-cooperation from my Ministry. Of course, there are resettlement officers going on their rounds, and if his constituents are asked to sign blank pieces of paper, his advice to them should be, "Do not sign". It is dangerous to sign a blank piece of paper. But surely they are not given 24 hours to remove from these houses. I remember the Member for Jalan Kayu himself inquiring from my Ministry what was happening in Jalan Kayu when a survey was being taken. We gave him full details of what was going to take place. So there was cooperation. But, as E said before, resettlement is unpleasant. Naturally he will have angry constituents in his PAP branch premises looking for his help when resettlement officers go round to his constituency. But surely if they are asked to register within 24 hours for alternative accommodation, that does not mean that they arc debarred from alternative accommodation if they do not turn up in 24 hours. There might be cases where those who are about to be evicted are not entitled to resettlement benefits for various reasons. First, they might not be citizens. Secondly, they might have just moved in, after the cut-off date. And there may be other reasons. But wherever possible, we provide alternative accommodation.”
“Sir, with your permission, I should like to be given the opportunity to reply to those two Members first, before some other Member starts on something else.”
“After the Parliament sitting, when I returned to my constituency for my Meet-the-People session, I found to my surprise that there were about 30 constituents waiting to see me to seek my help. They said that in the morning the officers from the Ministry of National Development went there and asked them to sign their names on a document and thumbprints were taken from the old folks who could not sign, and they were told to quit. If they did not want to move, the officers said that they did not care. Perhaps the Minister does not understand the problem. It is difficult for old people to get alternative accommodation. Even if their thumbprints are taken, they cannot move out if they do not have alternative accommodation. I wish to make a request that the officers should be more considerate. My constituents are not dissatisfied with the Ministry of National Development. They are only asking for Satisfactory alternative accommodation for resettlement and they will be satisfied. For instance, at Bartley area in Paya Lebar, some families have been told to quit. There should have been prior planning and alternative accommodation should have been found for the affected families. A survey should have been conducted to find out the number of families who will be required to move and suitable alternative accommodation should be found for them. If they do not have alternative accommodation, surely the Minister does not expect them to sleep on the roadside! If the Minister is a kindhearted person, he would not do such a thing on these unfortunate people. But I know that the officers in his Ministry have such an attitude which is most oppressive to others. I hope the Minister can try to understand the matter deeper.”
“Perhaps the Member may be referring to this problem. But even in those cases an adequate grace period is given on appeal. Sir, before I go on to the complaint of the Member for Thomson, may I just assure the Member for Paya Lebar that if there has been no cooperation between my Ministry and his constituency or with him, it will be done in the future. The Member for Thomson wants priority for Housing Board accommodation for civil servants. All sorts of people want priority. The question is, who deserves priority? We are giving priority to a small percentage of national servicemen and a small percentage of policemen. The reason is that if you have a few policemen in one block and some national servicemen in another block, then the gangsters will keep away. For civil servants, those who are occupying Government accommodation because of the nature of their work and are asked to move out when they retire are given priority. The others are not. But we have been giving consideration to this matter from time to time. If we give priority to more and more sections of the community, it means that the waiting list becomes longer and longer. The Member for Potong Pasir referred to the deletion of two important clauses in the Sand and Granite Quarries Regulations of 1974. There seems to be substance in what he says. I was not aware of the deletion of these two clauses. Perhaps there is good reason, but there does not appear to be. But I will look into these regulations and reinsert these two clauses if that should be done. Mr Tay Boon Too(In Mandarin): Sir, just now the Minister mentioned that I have some prejudice against the officers of his Ministry. Actually it happened yesterday.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, may I deal first with the Member for Paya Lebar who has made general accusations against my Ministry. He said that my officers were cooperative and courteous in the past and they have "suddenly become bureaucratic and even worse than they were before". I hope this is only confined to Paya Lebar. Something appears to have gone wrong somewhere. We do consult Members of Parliament when there are large schemes affecting certain constituencies. In Paya Lebar itself, the Perseverance Estate was acquired in two parts in 1971, which means something was on. It is only recently that a survey was taken of part of the estate and resettlement started. Surely the Member should have known what was happening. He wants priority for alternative accommodation perhaps for everyone. He says we issue decrees. We do not. We issue notices to quit. Decrees telling people to move out immediately is a waste of time, and issuing a notice to quit asking a family to move out immediately is also a waste of time. Because they never move. The notice to quit is usually a one month's notice to quit, and it is several months before they are moved out. Resettlement is a most difficult and unpleasant business where people are moved out of their homes. Wherever possible, if the occupiers are eligible, alternative accommodation is provided. No one is kicked out of his house immediately. Perhaps the Member is referring to some squatters in the estate who have erected unauthorised structures and extensions and have sublet or assigned their houses to operators of various small scale industries. In order to reduce the magnitude of the resettlement problem when the estate is redeveloped, the Board has taken enforcement action on these illegal operators.”
“Therefore, it can be generally said that the majority of our overseas missions are not understaffed although they may be working extra hard. As for the opening of new embassies, I mentioned earlier that we intend to open two or three in West Asia and there might be one or two more elsewhere.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the answer is that as Singapore is a small country with relatively small financial resources, care has to be taken to ensure that there is full utilisation not only of manpower but also of public funds. It has been the policy necessarily for our missions to have a small staff, unlike larger nations with different budget priorities who are willing to have a large set-up. Every one of our overseas officers is expected to pull his weight and work hard as with his counterparts in the civil service in Singapore. Thus, while it is generally true that the staff in our missions work hard, it would only be during periods of intense activity when they may be considered to be overworked, and this is also the case in Singapore. Generally, the staffing position is good, as established posts are filled even if this is at the expense of Headquarters. There is a constant review of work of individual missions and the staffing is increased where demand and priorities make this necessary. Since the introduction of the Foreign Service Scheme proper with effect from 1st June, 1972, the Ministry has been actively recruiting its own staff and returning seconded officers who had not opted to join the Foreign Service back to their parent services. In Division I, because of high standards and requirements, recruitment levels have not caught up with annual expansion and the number of officers returning to their parent services. In Division II, the percentage of vacancies is less and recruitment is done mainly to meet annual expansion. Divisions III and IV continue to be drawn from the home civil service as these are not career grades in the Foreign Service.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, may I seek your consent, and the general assent of the House to move the motion+ standing in the name of the Minister for Finance as it appears on the Order Paper. + The motion reads as follows: That, notwithstanding the Standing Orders, the second and third readings of both the Supply Bill for the financial year 1st April, 1975 to 31st March, 1976, and the Supplementary Supply Bill for the financial year 1st April, 1974 to 31st March, 1975, may, in that order, be proceeded with immediately on the conclusion of the proceedings on the Main and Development Estimates for the financial year 1st April, 1975 to 31st March, 1976,”
“As for the Straits of Malacca, I have partly answered the queries earlier this afternoon. But perhaps I should repeat that the Foreign Ministers of Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore met in Singapore in February to consider and agree upon measures to enhance the safety of navigation in the Straits of Malacca and Singapore with particular reference to the safe passage of Very Large Crude Carriers. The meeting did not discuss matters pertaining to the status of the Straits, the three countries agreeing that the proper forum for this question is the Law of the Sea Conference, now in progress at Geneva. 4.45 p.m. As a result of the meeting, a Traffic Separation Scheme for the Straits is expected to be implemented. Experts of the three countries are studying the details involved. Essentially, the Scheme demarcates certain areas in the Straits for vessels in passage, with the objective of avoiding collisions. It will be implemented in such a manner as to minimise disruption to traffic through the Straits; the whole objective being the avoidance or minimization of collisions and accidents. It has been recognised that owing to the depth of the Straits and other topographical factors, there is a limit to the physical capacity of the Straits to carry very large vessels exceeding a certain draught. A group of technical experts from the three countries has been formed to study the limitations that should be imposed on these vessels and to submit recommendations to the Ministers. With your permission, Sir, could I ask the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Foreign Affairs to answer the question on ASEAN awards?”
“Sir, if the Member for Anson wants to know what purpose is served by the trip to the People's Republic of China by the Minister for Foreign Affairs, perhaps he should wait for his return. In the meanwhile, I will do my best to answer. Sir, in fact, this is the first visit by a Singapore Minister to China. It has provided a useful opportunity for an exchange of views on international, regional and bilateral matters. This visit has enabled the Minister to engage in face-to-face discussions with members of the Chinese Government and they must have obtained a clearer understanding of Singapore. Another beneficial aspect of the visit is that it has enabled the two sides to discuss ways and means of expanding trade with each other. Our Government has stated on several occasions that we recognise the People's Republic of China. However, we shall wait for our closest neighbours to establish diplomatic relations before doing so. In the meanwhile, exchanges of visits and every other form of cooperation will be explored. We have, in fact, had several exchanges of sports teams since Singapore responded to participate in the Afro-Asian Table Tennis Tournament in 1971. The Chinese badminton team has been here, and so has their soccer team. Sixteen delegations from professional and business organisations have visited China since 1971 and there will be more such visits this year. Extensive trade ties exist with China. In fact, China is our 12th largest trading partner. As for improving relations with West Asian countries, I have nothing further to add to what 1 have said in reply to the Member for Sembawang. As for ASEAN awards, my Parliamentary Secretary will give the Member for Anson more information in a little while.”
“The sum of $100,000 allocated to meet accidents for the financial year 1974-75 was a conservative figure. The sum expended in the financial year 1973-74 amounted to nearly $150,000. For the first 11 months of the financial year 1974-75, a sum of $139,489.92 has been spent, and we expect this figure to increase to about $150,000 by the close of the financial year. For these reasons a budget of $150,000 for the new financial year would not be an unreasonable estimate. The main reason for the discrepancies between the amount asked for in previous financial years and the actual amount spent was the unforeseen sharp increase in the cost of repairs and the increase in the number of accidents. In 1971, for example, the average cost of each accident was about $370 but by 1974 the average cost per accident had increased to $550. Drivers of Government vehicles are subject to a far greater degree of control than the ordinary driver. Not only are they liable to criminal proceedings which may be initiated but they are also subject to departmental proceedings which may result in their dismissal, where appropriate. In the case of the Ministry of Defence, Singapore Armed Forces' drivers are not only liable to disciplinary proceedings but may also be ordered to pay or contribute towards the cost of repairs to their vehicles.”
“Sir, as for accidents involving Government vehicles, the expenditure under this head for the financial year 1974-75 up to 28th February this year is $139,489.92. This sum was required to settle claims arising out of accidents involving Government vehicles which were settled out of court. The vast majority of these cases were dealt with under the provisions of the Treasury Collision Agreement between the Government and 48 insurance companies. The Agreement provides for contribution towards the cost of repairs to Government vehicles insured by one of the signatory companies in the event of accidents between these vehicles. The remainder of the vote was used to settle claims in accidents caused or contributed to by the negligence of Government drivers. The sums incurred in the number of accident cases dealt with in the last three financial years are as follows: No. of Year Amount Cases 1972- 1973 $124,831.94 233 1973-1974 $149,925.55 271 1974- 1975 $139,489.92 254 (up to 28th Feb.) These figures show that the number of accidents increased slightly in the last two years compared with the financial year 1972-73. This can be said to be due to the increasing number of vehicles used by the various Government Ministries and departments. Whilst the number of vehicles used by the Ministry of Defence is not known to me, the fleets of the Ministry of the Environment and the Police Department have increased considerably. In 1972, the Ministry of the Environment had 350 vehicles but by 1974 this number had increased to 419. The Police fleet has increased from 664 vehicles in 1972 to 842 in 1974. 2.45 p.m. Another consideration which perhaps has a greater bearing on this expenditure is the sharp increase in the cost of repairs.”