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.”
The complete record
Every one of 2,152 lines we hold for E.W. Barker, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 20 of 44.
“I take the view, which is shared by the Attorney-General, that the additional work which the new legislation will involve for his Chambers would be well worthwhile since it would be in the interests of the more efficient administration of justice and of the hundreds of witnesses who have to give evidence in our subordinate courts each year. I must hasten to assure Members that the new procedure, as embodied in the Bill, accomplishes the same purpose as the existing procedure which is sought to be replaced. The principal difference is that in the existing procedure an oral statement of a witness is taken down by the court in the form of a deposition, that is, a statement on oath or affirmation, arid witnesses are liable to be cross-examined on that statement, while under the new procedure a copy of the written statement made by a witness and signed by him and certified by him that it is true to the best of his knowledge and belief will be given to the defence or the prosecution, as the case may be, before it is tendered in evidence. After all the written statements and all other evidence in support of the prosecution have been received in evidence, the examining Magistrate will then generally follow the existing procedure of either committing the accused for trial, discharging him or dealing with the case summarily. The Bill also contains two provisions modelled on the English Act. The first relates to restrictions on the publication of reports of preliminary inquiries in newspapers, radio and television with a view to safeguarding the interests of the accused. Certain particulars such as the name, address and occupation of the accused, the offence and decision of the court are permitted to be contained in reports.”
“This is because much of the purpose behind the Bill would be lost if the English procedure were adhered to rigidly since it is more than likely that in almost all cases here counsel for the defence will elect to proceed under the old system of examining witnesses for the prosecution one by one, orally upon oath before the committing Magistrate, which would defeat the very object of the new legislation. Another significant difference is that under the English procedure, the Magistrate has the power to commit an accused for trial without considering the written statements of witnesses, while under our proposed procedure the Magistrate is bound to consider the contents of the written statements of witnesses to decide whether there is sufficient evidence to commit an accused for trial. This may be regarded as an important safeguard particularly where an accused is not represented by counsel at the preliminary inquiry. Furthermore, the new system proposed in the Bill has the merit of saving the time of the court and of the parties as well as of avoiding inconvenience and expense to witnesses. On the other hand, as in England, a considerably enhanced workload will have to be borne by the Attorney-General's Chambers, since as a result of the amending Act statements will need to be examined carefully to ascertain whether they sufficiently disclose evidence admissible in court to prove the guilt of the accused. The clarification of doubtful points which must be effected before the hearing will also take up time.”
“The primary purpose of these proceedings, namely, to allow lawyers to examine the adequacy of the case alleged against an accused by cross-examining witnesses for the prosecution, does not appear to have been utilised to the full. In many cases there is not even a submission made to the examining Magistrate at the close of the proceedings, the case for the defence being reserved until such time as the trial begins in the High Court. Indeed, this practice has resulted in committal proceedings or preliminary inquiries sometimes working against the interests of an accused person. Newspapers that report these proceedings often dwell only on the case for the prosecution, while nothing is recorded of the case for the defence. This could result in an accused being prejudiced at his trial. The Bill provides for the existing procedure with regard to preliminary inquiries to be abandoned in favour of committals to the High Court without the necessity of examining witnesses for the prosecution on oath at a court hearing before an examining Magistrate. This will no longer be required of the examining Magistrate for, under the proposed procedure, he may commit an accused person to the High Court for trial if he is satisfied that all the evidence for the prosecution or the defence consists of written statements which disclose sufficient evidence to put the accused upon his trial. While, however, the Bill is an adaptation of the United Kingdom Criminal Justice Act, 1967, much of the English procedure being incorporated in the Bill, it is not exactly on all fours with the current English practice in that whereas in England "paper committals", as they are known, are optional, here they are to be compulsory.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, "That the Bill be now read a Second time". The purpose of this Bill is to reform the existing procedure of committing criminal cases for trial in line with the United Kingdom Criminal Justice Act, 1967. The Bill in its draft stage was referred to the Council of the Law Society of Singapore which submitted its recommendations thereon. The Council accepted the principle of admitting written statements at preliminary inquiries, observing that this would (and I quote) "undoubtedly lighten the burden of Magistrates' Courts in committal proceedings without in any way prejudicing the interests either of the prosecution or of the defence". The Council also suggested a number of modifications to the Bill which were carefully considered and which have, in the main, been accepted. While Members would have read a detailed account of the contents of the Bill in the Explanatory Statement, it would be helpful, I think, if I were to touch on the principal aspects of the new procedure that this legislation will introduce into our subordinate courts. 1 should first explain that preliminary inquiries in Singapore, as in England, were originally considered to be an extra safeguard for the accused. This procedure is interposed between the arrest of a suspect and his eventual trial before the High Court and has, as its main object, the examination of the evidence of the prosecution and its sufficiency in making out a prima facie case against the accused for trial before the High Court. Of necessity, therefore, it was confined solely to such cases as were cognisable only in the High Court. The current practice in Singapore has, however, made it extremely doubtful as to the usefulness of this aspect or stage of criminal proceedings.”
“I understand, however, that in so far as the present members of the Council are concerned, they are all Singapore citizens so that in effect the Bill will only affect the future membership of the Council. The last amendment in clause 4 has been asked for by the Council itself in reducing the number of members necessary to form a quorum from seven to five. The Council of the Law Society feels that it would be quite impracticable to insist on seven out of ten members in the Council to be present in order to form a quorum. Recent amendments have had the effect of reducing the overall size of the Council, and it is for this reason that a reduction in the number necessary for a quorum has been requested. Sir, I beg to move. Question put, and agreed to. Bill accordingly read a Second time and committed to a Committee of the whole House. The House immediately resolved itself into a Committee on the Bill.-[Mr E. W. Barker]. Bill considered in Committee; reported without amendment; read a Third time and passed. CRIMINAL PROCEDURE CODE (AMENDMENT) BILL Order for Second Reading read. 5.42 p.m.”
“Unfortunately, this exemption clause has been found to be defective in the sense that it would not apply to a member of the Legal Service, who may not even defend any member of the Legal Service, or Civil Service, who is or may be sued in his private capacity for acts done in the course of his official duties. It is in order to remove this restriction that the present amendment has been devised. Legal officers who, in the course of their duties, meet with difficulties by way of having suits brought against them, will be able to, where they so desire, have the services of a State Counsel. I must add, however, that this amendment will not preclude private practitioners from acting on behalf of those officers, nor will it restrict the choice of solicitors by those who may be faced with legal action in such circumstances. The second amendment, that is, in clause 3 of the Amendment Bill, will have the result of confining the eligibility of membership in the Council of the Bar, which is the body responsible for the maintenance of standards of etiquette and of conduct of members of the legal profession, solely to those who are of Singapore nationality. It has been felt that so important a body, as the legal profession, should be managed, in such important matters as disciplinary control, by those of that profession who are our own citizens so that they may reflect, it is hoped, the needs, aspirations and standards of behaviour of not only the profession but also of the society in which they live and practise. It is felt that nationals with their roots in the country would be more in a position to set standards which would be acceptable to all in the country.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, "That the Bill be now read a Second time". Sir, the Bill that is now before the House seeks to amend the Legal Profession Act in respect of two matters: firstly, in regard to the necessity of legal officers obtaining practising certificates to practise as solicitors, and secondly, in regard to the nationality of those in charge of the conduct and discipline of practising members of the Bar. In respect of the first amendment contained in clause 2 of the Bill, the general provisions of the Act on this matter require, in the first instance, the obtaining of a practising certificate, before a qualified advocate and solicitor, who has been admitted to practise by the Court, is in fact able to carry on practice as an advocate and solicitor. There are, at the present moment, certain exemptions to the general requirement. These are contained in subsection (2) of section 30; for example, solicitors employed by certain Statutory Boards, like the Housing and Development Board, the Public Utilities Board, the Economic Development Board, the Jurong Town Corporation and the Port of Singapore Authority, may now practise in certain matters as may be specified in a certificate issued by the Attorney-General. Upon the certification of the Attorney-General, the Registrar of the Supreme Court will issue to such a solicitor a certificate in lieu of a practising certificate. The solicitor concerned would then be able to practise in such branches of the law and only in his capacity as an employee of the various Statutory Boards in which he is employed.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, if I may just say this: most of the criticisms against my Ministry appear to be about someone who works in my Ministry. The sale of plants and orchids by the Botanic Gardens is now centralised at the Plant Sales Centre along the Floral Mile, Dunearn Road, so that a better service may be rendered and a wider choice of plants may be made available to local customers and tourists. The Plant Sales Section of the Botanic Gardens was transferred to the Centre recently to release land at the Botanic Gardens for the development of other amenities. From past records, it appears that very few tourists wish to buy plants, including orchids, because apart from the difficulty of carrying them, most foreign countries have very strict plant importation rules, which make it difficult to introduce plants from other countries. I think therein lies the explanation for tourists not buying plants.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, there seems to be some confusion in this matter. The Planning Act does not provide for the refund of a development charge even if the approved development plan, for which a charge was levied, is subsequently cancelled. There is no record that the Planning Department has refunded development charges in the manner cited by the Member for Anson. However, refunds are made by the Planning Department in respect of development charge deposits payable by applicants at the time of application. This is provided for under the Planning (Development Charge) Rules, 1965. Such refunds are only made when the planning permission applied for is not granted or if the application is withdrawn before a decision is made on the application. Perhaps therein lies the explanation.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I do not think it is a question of a building constructed by rich people or a question of a building made of iron. However, if what the Member alleges is true, then that factory should be demolished. All I can say at this stage is that I will look into this matter to find out why this unauthorised factory is still standing, irrespective of what it is made of. Whether it is made of iron is immaterial. And if he wishes to take it up further by way of an Oral Question I would probably be able to provide him with a better answer.”
“Sir, the suggestion has already been looked into. But certain trees shed their leaves at certain times, and some trees shed more leaves than others. Instructions have been given not to plant certain trees, especially the Wattle tree which not only sheds leaves but drops quite a few brown seeds, which litter the road. But as we plant and plant, we will learn and try to better our performance.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I welcome the criticisms and suggestions of the two Members. They can barely be considered criticisms - planting of trees on side-walks or footpaths and at junctions which block the view of motorists, and the drooping branches of trees which block street lights. In fact, directives have been given to this effect, taking into account the suggestions that have just been made. As for tree planting day, Members will be interested to know that in last year's tree planting day on the 17th of November, a total of 30,077 plants were planted, out of which 7,061 were roadside trees, 1,339 fruit trees, 14,330 shrubs, and 7,347 creepers or climbers. From the statistics, it is clear that quite a few trees were planted. In this year's tree planting campaign, which will again be held on the first Sunday of November, about 15,000 trees and 3,000 fruit trees will be made available for planting in the various constituencies. The Member for Anson will be interested to know that the Trees and Parks Unit has four gangs of 38 men to carry out pruning of trees, transplanting of trees and felling of dangerous trees. If he knows of any tree causing obstruction, he can easily inform them and they will do the job.”
“Roads Branch, headed by an engineer to co-ordinate the opening and reinstatement of trenches and roads. The duty of the unit will be to ensure that trench reinstatement is effected by the departments concerned, or the service departments, to their required standards. Like the Member for Mountbatten, the P.W.D, has been concerned about the condition of road surfaces at certain corners and bends, especially when the roads are wet. The Branch has been experimenting with some measure of success with a special kind of asphalt pre-mix, which has a more endurable wearing quality and a better resistance to skid. This type of pre-mix has been laid in a number of road corners, roundabouts, and bends and its use will be progressively extended as suggested by the Member.”
“Now - yes, but not as bad as before. There was a time when roads were built, but dug up by one department and then filled up. In the following week, another department would come and dig it up, and it goes on throughout the month. This was quite a common practice. But a few years ago we formed a Roads Co-ordination Committee, with members coming from the various departments which dig up roads, like the Public Utilities Board, the Water, Gas and Electricity departments, the Singapore Telephone Board and the Public Works Department. 6.00 p.m. This Committee meets from time to time and has laid down certain rules -one to the effect that when an old road is dug up and a new road built, all the services should be laid in before the road is finally asphalted. Another rule is that any road that has been newly surfaced cannot be dug up unless there is an emergency, like a leaking water or gas pipe, or a broken electricity cable. Co-ordination has worked out better now in practice, but is not as smooth as I would like it to be, or as the Member for Sembawang would like it. As for stalls near overhead bridges, they will be allowed under certain conditions: (1) if there is enough open space; (2) if the stalls do not cause hazards to pedestrians, motorists, and other road users; (3) they do not in any way damage or dirty the overhead bridge, and provided the food sold by the stalls, if they are food stalls, is not contaminated by dust and exhaust fumes. The Member for Mountbatten has also complained about defective reinstatement of trenches. This is due to the fact that someone digs up a road and does not do much about filling it up and putting it back into its original condition. But the Member will be pleased to know that a unit was recently set up by the P.W.D.”
“Sir, what the Member for Sembawang complained about was true some years ago. He has been and is still complaining, and I think there is cause for complaint even now.”
“Sir, the Car Parks Division employs young people as parking attendants because the job, though routine in nature, is a tiring one especially on a hot day, and requires physical fitness for better efficiency. A young person with the necessary physical requirements is preferred for the job, as he will be better able to withstand the heat and other outdoor working conditions. The job of parking attendant is not intended as a permanent career for youngsters but to provide them with temporary employment and useful experience before moving on to other fields. The question of age and qualifications has been taken up by the Ministry of National Development with the Ministry of Finance, and it has been agreed to reduce the academic qualifications to the Primary School Leaving Examination, though preference will be given to candidates who have passed a higher standard. We would still prefer young parking attendants for the job, and if those who are retrenched are young, which I doubt, they will be taken on as car park attendants.”
“Sir, season and reserved parking lots are differentiated by the installation of appropriate signs, word markings and coloured delineation lines on the ground in the following manner. Season parking places are indicated by the installation of an adequate number of "Season Parking" signs, which also show the prescribed monthly charges. The season parking lots are demarcated in white lines on the ground. Reserved parking places are indicated by the installation of an adequate number of "Reserved Parking" signs. The reserved parking lots are demarcated in red with the word "Reserved" marked out on the ground. The Car Parks Division carries out regular checks and maintenance of the parking lots to ensure the legibility of the signs and the markings. Motorists should not have much difficulty in differentiating between season and reserved parking lots. Of course, some motorists are in a hurry. But for those who are not, and are in doubt, they can always consult the parking attendants on duty. I do not think I need reply to the Member's comments on his own particular experience with one car parking attendant.”
“Sir, firstly, I am not responsible for what the Minister for Communications says in this House and whether or not he has followed up on his statement. I do not know. If the Member wishes, he can ask him. But he is not in charge of car parks; I am. And I do not agree with the Member that taxis should be allowed to park in public car parks. There are parking places meant for taxis, and they can use them. There are parking places for other vehicles. If you allow taxis to park and ply for hire from public car parks, then you may find taxis in all public car parks, while their own taxi-stands are not used. I am afraid I cannot agree with the Member on his suggestion to allow taxis to park freely in public car parks.”
“Sir, under the Motor Vehicles (Parking Places) Rules, 1959, taxis are not allowed to use the hourly parking lots. However, this prohibition has been relaxed in certain circumstances where taxis find it necessary to park in a paid-parking lot for reasons other than for plying for hire during such periods. Some of the reasons are letting down tourists in shopping areas and having to wait for them; and having official business with Government departments in localities where taxi-stands are not available. But when the rule is relaxed, the taxi driver takes advantage, and there are abuses as the Member should appreciate parking attendants have been instructed to use their discretion to ensure that taxi drivers do not abuse this privilege of using the hourly parking lots on some pretext to ply their taxis for hire. Sir, I am afraid I was not following the Member in the last few seconds of his speech. Could he repeat his point?”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, all I can say in answer to a general question is that, unless the Member gives me specific particulars, we will not be able to help. However, I must know where are the areas which they require. There are fishing facilities in Jurong and also at Punggol. Some of the few kelongs opposite the East Coast reclamation have had to be demolished and compensation paid to the fishermen affected. Therefore, to say that we evict fishermen without compensating them is not true and is misleading.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, one of the Member's questions is whether we intend to help our fishermen. And I have given an answer to his question as to what we are doing to help fishermen. It is not a bouquet, but a whole rigmarole! The Member has asked mc what are we doing to encourage fishermen to go in for deep-sea fishing. I have given him particulars of what is happening at Changi. That is what we are doing. The Member has also asked me what we are going to do about fishing in foreign waters. He should have directed his question to the Minister `for Foreign Affairs, because he deals with affairs outside Singapore. As for our fishermen being captured by pirates, I am afraid there is nothing the Primary Production Department can do about affairs in international waters or in foreign waters. If our fishermen are caught in Singapore waters, then it is up to our Marine Police to catch the pirates, if any. However, some of our fishermen have been caught thousands of miles away from Singapore. There is nothing we can do to stop this. All we can do is to make representations for their release from foreign countries. Mr Ho Kah Leong(In Mandarin): Mr Speaker, Sir, some of my questions may be on matters which are not the responsibility of his Ministry, but anyway he is not prepared to reply to them. There is one matter, however, which is under his jurisdiction. Is the Minister prepared to allocate a stretch of coastal area to fishermen who are evicted? When the fishermen are resettled from their place, they will not be allocated land just because they are not farmers. Now that many coastal areas have been reclaimed for development purposes, they do not have enough moorings for their fishing boats.”
“The preliminary results of the experiments are encouraging, but further investigations are necessary. Experiments were also conducted on the rearing of carp in floating cage-nets in the Seletar Reservoir. Mass production of the giant freshwater prawn was successfully carried out. About 50,000 juvenile prawns were distributed to fishpond operators on an experimental basis so that they can rear the prawns together with the carp. If the Member is interested in ornamental fish, I can elaborate further. However, this is merely to assure him that the Primary Production Department is doing something for fishermen in Singapore.”
“The Marine Fisheries Research Department of the South-east Asian Fisheries Development Centre concluded its second year of activities with the completion of its first training course for seven trainee-scientists from the Philippines, Vietnam, Thailand and Singapore. The research vessel Changi completed seven research and fishing survey cruises totalling 93 days in the South China Sea and the Indian Ocean. The emphasis on these cruises was on trawling and oceanography. A preliminary survey on tuna long-line was also conducted. The reports on these cruises and quarterly reports on research and training activities of the department were circulated to member countries. The staff of the department presented four research papers at the Second Congress of the Singapore National Academy of Science in November 1971. Now, with regard to the training and education of fishermen, a batch of 21 trainees graduated from the Changi Fisheries Training Centre. This is a joint project of the Singapore Government and the United Nations Development Programme. The trainees graduated in September 1971 after undergoing a one-year course in marine engineering, navigation, and fishing gear technology. March 1971 saw the arrival of the 230 gross ton stern trawler tuna long-line training vessel Jurong to join the 60 gross ton training vessel Kangkar. Another training course commenced recently. A wider field of training is being provided to enable a greater diversity in employment opportunities. If the Member is interested in aqua culture, an investigation was made on the culture of grouper fish in floating cage-nets in selected coastal areas. They were stocked intensively and fed with trash fish. Experiments to condition them to pelleted feed will be carried out.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I am afraid I am going to be rather long in my answer. I have got five questions which the Member has taken ten minutes to ask. Anyway, I will do my best to give as much information to the Member as possible. The total number of licensed fishermen has increased from 1,919 in 1970 to 2,209 in 1971. Of this number, 1,549 fishermen or 73 per cent of them were employed on inboard-powered fishing vessels; 439 fishermen were employed on outboard-powered fishing vessels, and the remaining 230 fishermen were employed on non-powered vessels. It is anticipated that the number of fishermen on inboard-powered vessels will continue to increase with the trend towards off-shore and deep-sea fishing. The number of in-shore fishermen will continue to decrease in view of increasing industrialisation and coastal development. With regard to fishing vessels, the number of licences in 1971 was 794. There is a slight increase in the number of motorised vessels and a decline in the number of non-powered vessels, in 1971 a total of 15,210 tons of fish were produced or caught by local fishermen. A total of 38,000 tons were imported from West Malaysia, comprising about 80 per cent of the total fish imports. In the same year 1971, a total of 737 local and foreign vessels made use of the fishing port facilities at Jurong, landing a total of 13,716 tons of fish. Together with the fish brought in by lorries from Malaysia, a total of nearly 53,000 tons of fish were auctioned at the Jurong Central Fish Market. With the addition of one fish processing factory during the year, the total number of factories at the port has been increased to `four.”
“Sir, there are many ways of exporting and selling pigs. The Primary Production Department has always been behind the farmers. Pigs have been exported to Malaysia, and also to Sabah. From time to time a ban is imposed. In fact, at the moment, there is a ban against the import of pigs into these countries. But there are other avenues. Moreover, when the price is up, the consumers shout. Therefore, I think it is unfair for the Member to come to this House and ask what we are doing when the price is down, or to say that he does not get any satisfactory answers from me. They must learn to control their supply with the demand. When the price of eggs goes up, the farmers are happy, but the consumers are angry. So I have to answer questions in this House about what I am doing to get the price of eggs down. And when the price goes down, someone asks: what are you doing to bring the price of eggs up?”
“The answer is nothing has been done. It is up to the farmers to produce less. When the prices of pigs were high, we have never heard one squeak from the Member. When the prices are low, he asks what is the Department doing about it. It is a question of supply and demand - produce less and the prices will go up, produce more and the prices will go down. They should not run to the Primary Production Department every time something goes wrong, but try `to learn to look after themselves.”
“The answer to the last question is a definite no. As for the areas zoned for agriculture, without a map of Singapore, I cannot point them out. There are areas in Punggol, Jurong, and in Chua Chu Kang. I would be happy to point out the agricultural zones if the Member will visit my office on a convenient date. I doubt whether my answers have satisfied him, or whether I have left out anything on which he desires further information.”
“Sir, the proposals for this scheme of pig and poultry rearing in flatted farms on a commercial scale have been under consideration for some time now. A pilot scheme will be introduced in order to study the management and operational problems, disease control, and the design of the buildings. Whilst such a system of farming for pigs and poultry will optimise the use of land, the capital investment is much higher than for the conventional method. The economics have, therefore, to be worked out properly before such a method can be introduced to farmers in general. As for fish, whilst deep-sea trawling is a laudable idea, it is again not a simple matter. It requires high capital as deep-sea fishing vessels and fishing gear are very expensive. What is also required is a high level of skill. It is also true that, though deep-sea trawlers are independent of weather conditions, they are very dependent on fishing grounds. Not every part of the ocean contains fish, or fish that can be caught without the fishermen themselves getting caught. The Government itself is doing all it can to promote deep-sea fishing. It provides the necessary infrastructure such as ship landing and marketing facilities, training in fishing and research into fishing grounds to encourage the private sector to go into deep-sea fishing.”
“What is good for them may not be good for us. As for plans for production, the next Annual Report of the Primary Production Department will be out very soon. Various facts and figures will be given. A copy of this Report will be sent to the Member with my compliments. 4.30 p.m.”
“The Member accuses me of repeating an old theme. What am I expected to do when he himself never raises any new theme? His grouses on farming have been heard in this House for many a year. My answers have never satisfied him, but he realises that the Primary Production Department has done a lot for farmers in Singapore, though, of course, not to the Member's satisfaction. I can assure him that this Government is also for the poor people. If the Member is not satisfied with my answers, it is unfair of him to say that I am not for the poor people. In fact, I begin to be very suspicious of Members who get up in this House and shout that they are for the poor. I think that is the general feeling in this House. To accuse the People's Action Party of not being a socialist party and of not being for the poor is indeed very foolish. If we were not for the poor, we would not be in this job. As to his first question whether I am allocating certain agricultural areas for farmers, there are already agricultural areas or areas zoned "agriculture" under the Master Plan. The agricultural areas are already there. To his second question about turning the Primary Production Department into a statutory corporation, the answer is no. The Primary Production Department is not on all fours with the Telecommunications Department. Some hon. Members: Hear! hear!”
“If the Member has any concrete suggestion, perhaps he could make his representations direct to the Director of Primary Production, who will certainly co-operate with the Adult Education Department to further publicise the results of research and findings made in the Primary Production Department.”
“Sir, the knowledge and information acquired from research experiments and investigations conducted by the Primary Production Department in various farming topics are being effectively disseminated to the farming community and also to the public at large. The department has over the years developed a network of ten extension centres in the more important farming areas. These centres are staffed by qualified officers who visit the farms regularly and give on-the-spot advice to farmers. They also organise training programmes, talks and demonstrations. Information is also spread widely through the department's monthly news bulletin, pamphlets, and by way of film shows and rural news broadcasts. The Pig and Poultry Research and Training Institute and the Fresh Water Fisheries Laboratory at Sembawang organise within the station talks and demonstrations on various aspects of pig and poultry rearing and fish cultivation. The research findings on mushroom cultivation have been disseminated to some 700 people from all walks of life through a series of short courses conducted between March 1970 and October 1971. On hydroponics, the findings so far indicate that this system of cultivation can be a commercial proposition for certain crops, but results have not been so satisfactory for other crops. Further research is, in fact, very necessary to improve and perfect the system. The Farm School at Sembawang offers one-year residential training courses for farm youths, who are given general training on farming techniques and specialised training in animal husbandry, horticulture and fresh water fisheries.”
“The Primary Production Department, of course, will be glad to provide any advice and assistance to farmers who wish to set up a co-operative society. But for any co-operative society to survive, it must rely mainly on self-help and be strongly supported by the farmers themselves. The farmers must also be made fully aware of the aims, objectives and benefits of such a society. A word of warning: the society must have a strong management. Many such other societies have not succeeded because of mismanagement and subsequent lack of support from their members.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the economy of Singapore operates in a free enterprise system and the prices of commodities are regulated by the forces of supply and demand. Prices of farm produce are also dictated by such forces. We have had previous occasions in this House when Members complained that the price of eggs was going up or down, and I have explained the reasons in this House several times. Because of their perishable nature, an over-supply of farm produce will result in a fall in prices greater than in other commodities; the opposite is also true. The fall in prices of primary produce has frequently been due to the farmers themselves over-producing when prices are good. This results in a price drop when the market is over-supplied. As for pigs, the prices for the last three or four years were relatively high, not less than $90 per picul, but sometimes the price reached a level of about $130 per picul. This was the time when the producers of pigs really had it good. At the beginning of this year, prices of pigs, however, went down and the price now is about $70 per picul, mainly due to over-production. Singapore produces over 1,100,000 pigs per year. The Primary Production Department has been supplying the farmers with up to-date market information. It is, unwise for Government to intervene in market prices or the market system, as this may have serious and far-reaching repercussions. If the price is high and we impose controls, pigs will be sold in the black market. If the prices are low and we fix the prices higher, no one will buy. Of course, the position is not as simple as that, but I am only putting it simply. As for the suggestion of a co-operative society, this is, in fact, under the portfolio of the Minister for Social Affairs.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I am afraid we cannot legislate as suggested by the Member, as it will be against the principles of property law. All I can advise him is to file his complaints with the Land Office. As for notices in the English language, I am sure the occupants of the land are not so illiterate or foolish as not to find out what the notice is all about. The Member can translate it for them. I am sure he can, if his other constituents cannot. However, assuming that they do not get compensation to which they are entitled as of right, or at least be paid an ex-gratia payment, then my advice to them is that they should not move out until the Land Office pays them. It is as simple as that. There is no need for legislation.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I regret that there is no such law at the moment. We cannot force developers to provide accommodation for their ex-tenants. However, the tenants themselves can insist on this provision by refusing to shift, and agreeing to do so only on condition that they will be provided with accommodation in the new building. There have been a few cases like this. The tenants refused to shift until they were sure that the plans could be approved by the Planning Department and until they knew where their new alternative premises would be -the exact dimensions and location of the building offered by the landlord. This can be done by private agreement. To provide for this arrangement in the law would mean an amendment to the Control of Rent Act or the Controlled Premises (Special Provisions) Act. At the time when the Controlled Premises (Special Provisions) Bill was being studied by a Select Committee, the Member should have suggested these amendments before it was passed in this House.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I think the Member has made the point that money is the root of all evil. But surely it is up to Members of this House to advise their constituents. Not everyone here is a lawyer, but as far as housing and the Control of Rent Act are concerned, this is what I advise my constituents - and Members here should also advise their constituents - do not quit unless they are satisfied with the amount of compensation. Of course, I am referring to controlled premises. However, if an occupant has accepted compensation, he should not insist on priority for Housing Board accommodation.”
“As regards the other point, I do not know whether it is a question of acquisition or of Government, having acquired land and evicting the occupants, doing nothing to re-develop it. Perhaps it is because plans for urban renewal or development in that area have been delayed.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, may I reply to the last point raised by the Member on the question of alternative accommodation for tenants occupying houses affected by private development? I think the Member is aware that the whole island of Singapore is governed by the Control of Rent Act which has been in operation since the last war. In short, Sir, this Act protects tenants of controlled premises, meaning houses, `buildings or offices built or completed on or before the 7th September, 1947. If you live in a controlled premises, your landlord cannot evict you. He can only succeed in evicting you if he pays money. And if you, as a tenant or an occupant, accept such compensation from your landlord and move out, then you cannot claim priority for a Housing Board flat. In the same way in the Golden Shoe area where the Controlled Premises (Special Provisions) Act apply, the landlord can evict the tenants provided he pays compensation as fixed by the Tenants' Compensation Board. If they are paid compensation, they should find alternative accommodation for themselves; they have no choice. However, for the rest of the tenants in Singapore, they have a choice. There is no need for them to move out. But if they accept compensation and move out, then they should not ask the Housing Board for priority to flats. They can apply for flats but they will be put on the points system. They do not deserve priority since they have been paid compensation. As for houses affected by fire, it is not Government's policy to acquire every piece of land on which the buildings are affected by fire, especially when only the fringe has been affected. I am not conversant with the particular case pointed out by the Member, but if he could give me more particulars I shall look into it.”
“The Member will be glad to know that consideration as to whether this restrictive covenant in the lease should be removed to enable the lessees to use the land for purposes other than agriculture can only be given after the survey is completed and the report, incorporating the views of the Primary Production Department, is made available. But consideration will be given, and I hope the Member is satisfied.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, those; persons affected by the acquisition of land in 1955 for the development of Paya Lebar Airport were resettled in the Bedok resettlement area, as pointed out, by the Member for Changi. The allocation of land on this area was done on a, very special basis in that resettlers were not given Temporary Occupation, Licences but 60-year leases, with effect from 1st January, 1955. These leases; carry no premiums but special covenants restricting the uses of the land. One of' these covenants require the lessees to. farm, cultivate, manure and manage the whole of the land they leased in good and husband-like manner, and to use the buildings erected thereon for dwelling purposes only. Recently, it has come to light that, in a number of cases, the law has been flouted and the lessees have breached this covenant by using the land not for agricultural or dwelling purposes, but for purposes foreign to the lease, such as rattan-splitting, metal works, furniture manufacture, sundry shop, etc. Hence they run to their' Member of Parliament for help. Notices were, therefore, served by the Land' Office on these lessees for breach of the covenant. However, in view of the number of appeals received and the appeal from the Member for Changi, a survey of the whole of the Bedok resettlement area is now being carried out by the Land Office to ascertain the extent of and reasons for the breaches, and other related information. The Primary Production Department is also being asked to advise on the agricultural potentials of the area.”
“Of course, there are cases where the moment a notice under section 3 or under section 5 of the Land Acquisition Act is gazetted, people quickly move into the area in order to claim compensation from the Government. But these are only a few cases. But if many of the Member's constituents have made these complaints to him at his "Meet the People" sessions, he should send them with their complaints to the Land Office.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, when private land is compulsorily acquired under the provisions of the Land Acquisition Act, a search is first made in the Registry of Land Titles and Deeds to ascertain the names and addresses of the registered owners. It is the owners of the land who are paid compensation under the Land Acquisition Act, because they own the land. But perhaps there is some confusion here between compensation for the land and compensation for buildings, perhaps temporary buildings, or improvements to the land, and fruit trees. In addition to the notices which are not only gazetted but also served on the owners of land, there are acquisition notices posted on the land itself, inviting persons who claim compensation to make their claims to the Collector of Land Revenue. Under the Land Acquisition Act, a claimant for compensation must satisfy the Collector of Land Revenue that he is the person interested within the meaning of the Act. If he is merely a tenant, farmer, or squatter, then he is not entitled to compensation as of right, but he is paid ex-gratia compensation for improvements made by him to the land, subject to his proving that the improvements were effected by him. But the situation is different where the landowner undertakes to clear and compensate the tenant, farmer, or squatter. In such a case, it is he who pays compensation to his tenants for all their improvements on the land. It is then a matter for the tenant, farmer or squatter to settle his claim with the landowner. I can assure the Member that we are as interested as he is in effecting smooth eviction and resettlement. It is no use our paying compensation to the landowner only to find the land still occupied by squatters and we do not get vacant possession. For then, nothing can be done.”
“The matter referred to by the Member will certainly be given consideration. But this is one of the many problems that crop up when people begin to live in high-rise flats. Perhaps the lifts can be made larger or, if not larger, at least longer, provided the costs are not prohibitive.”
“I hope the Housing and Development Board can provide bigger lifts so that such unhappy incidents will not recur.”
“Sir, my immediate answer to the Member for River Valley is: it is best for him and his constituents who are affected to seek legal advice. If there are agreements entered into between landlord and tenant or between landlord and purchaser, and there are breaches of these agreements under which perhaps the developer or the vendor agreed to maintain not only the building hut also the land on which the building stands, then legal action can be taken. The Government is aware of these problems and is, in fact, even thinking of introducing legislation to help out. But until then, the tenants or occupants should enforce their legal remedies, or alternatively clean up the premises themselves. If everyone in a block of fiats only sleeps there and does not help to keep the place clean, it finally ends up in a state as shown in those pictures. Inche Rahmat Bin Kenap Al-Haj (Geylang Serai)(In Malay): Sir, although the facilities in Housing Board flats are good, they can still be improved further. For example, to bring down a coffin. I believe that those who stay in the lower storeys face no such problem, but there will be difficulties for those staying in the upper storeys, even though there are staircases and lifts. This is because the dimensions of the lift are not big enough to accommodate a coffin. I would like to state in this House that I have received complaints from certain members of the public that there was an instance when a bereaved family had great difficulty in bringing down a coffin from an upper storey flat. The' undertakers had to use a rope to slowly lower the coffin over the verandah, but before it reached the ground the rope snapped and it fell down. This is a very unfortunate case.”
“But do not blame me for that. The question of whether there is at present an over-building of shopping and office complexes is a controversial one, as there are many factors affecting supply and demand. The Ministry of National Development is keeping a close watch on the capacity of the building industry. Because of the shortage of labour, and the increased cost of building materials - there are shortages of cement or steel at various periods - the Government has suspended the fourth and fifth sales of urban renewal sites which were, in fact, scheduled for 1970 and 1971 respectively. For the same reason, the Government has also withdrawn the concessions for property tax and development charges, which were previously granted to certain prestige projects in the Central and other designated areas. But the building of residential flats and houses is being actively encouraged. In this respect, `the Government still grants exemption to developers of residential flats from paying development charges if the density of such residential development exceeds the maximum density allowed under the Master Plan. What else can we do? The Government is also accelerating the construction of Housing and Development Board flats under the Five-year Building Programme for 1971-75. If owners of land, who no longer get concessions for property tax and development charges, still desire to erect offices and shopping complexes, who are we to tell them that what they are doing is wrong. The risk is theirs. It is not for us to stop them in this island of free enterprise! We can either encourage or discourage, but we cannot stop them.”
“Sir, I am afraid I cannot give the Member either the assurance he desires or the exact date when the Urban Renewal Department will commence work in the areas about which he is complaining. The delay in the implementation of the scheme has been due to clearance problems. Once the place is cleared, construction begins. But I do not know when they will shift. We are not blaming them entirely because they will not shift until the Housing Board provides them with alternative accommodation, which at the moment is not sufficient. I believe the areas referred to by the Member for Bras Basah fall under the Theng Hai and Holloway redevelopment schemes. To-date, only about 15 per cent of the resettlement cases have been cleared, and it is true that in some cases only subtenants are left in the premises after the chief tenants have moved out. Sir, I am afraid it is not the practice of the Land Office to allow such State properties leased on temporary occupation licences to be repaired, as these repairs are usually done by the Public Works Department. Further, it would be undesirable to allow tenants to do the repairs themselves and at their own expense, as this could lead to extensive renovations, alterations and additions which would tend to prolong the occupation once the tenants have spent large sums of money on repairs. It is also not the practice to allow such houses to be sublet by the chief tenants as this would increase clearance commitments when the area is eventually ready for development. In fact, it is a condition of the temporary occupation licence that there should be no subletting. As for reductions in rent, the Member can make his representations. I believe we have acceded to some of his representations in the past.”
“The number of electoral divisions has been increased. That is a good reason for increasing the number of Members in this House, but surely not Housing Board estate offices. But perhaps the Member meant that, with more and more Housing Board estates coming up, then more and more Housing Board offices are needed. I can assure the Member that the number will be increased. But it must correspond with the increasing number of people living in Housing Board flats.”
“At present, about a little more than one-third of our population live in Housing Board estates, and the number of residents in each block ranges from several hundreds to several thousands. Perhaps the residents themselves can get together and keep a look-out so that criminal activities can be stopped and anti-social elements caught. If the residents co-operate by reporting the activities of these criminals, I am sure the crime rate in our housing estates will be substantially reduced. As for noise, we can pass laws but I am not in favour of passing more and more laws to force people to do or not to do this and that. I would rather persuade, and surely residents of Housing Board flats can get together and collectively reduce the noise made by children, radios, television, motor-cars and motor-cycles. The Board is doing its best to request residents to be considerate to one another, and complaints of noise nuisance have been dealt with. But the final answer to the problem really lies in the hands of the residents of the flats themselves.”