Fong Sip Chee
Singapore
“These include the flyovers at Paya Lebar Way, Aljunied Road, and various pedestrian overhead bridges. Their design and erection procedures were all found to be safe. The PWD will in future require all contractors to adopt erection procedures with two or more independent safety systems.”
“Sir, the Museum has been out of the fishy business for quite some time already. Since the establishment of the Science Centre, I believe that all the natural history exhibits have been transferred to the Science Centre in Jurong where they are properly displayed in a better environment. The role of the Museum has changed.”
“Mr Ho See Beng asked the Minister for Trade and Industry, with reference to his recent speech regarding increase in water consumption and the possible increase in water rates, whether there is no way of reducing water consumption without raising water charges, and whether he is aware that, as the Public Utilities Board has not ruled out t…”
“The Member for Thomson is absolutely right in his call for the insurance companies to be more active in the area of workers' protection rather than be the most passive party by writing out insurance policies. The Government does the legislation and enforcement. The insurance companies just write out policies.”
“We have also conducted a three-month health education programme, between November 1980 and January 1981, for deep-sea fishermen to educate them on the hazards of using compressed air and the precautions to take. A total of 352 fishermen have undergone this programme. The Ministry will continue to monitor the situation.”
“Sir, the proposed functions of the Institute of Occupational Safety and Health are training, consultancy and research in industrial safety and health. A study of how such functions are discharged in some developed and developing countries started in April 1980.”
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“Of course, we do not simply demolish the old buildings, resettle residents in new housing estates and just stop there with self-satisfaction. We are aware of some inconvenience caused but we have good reasons in doing so. We have done all this in order to re-vitalise the older part of the city. Whilst we have solved the problem of housing, this solution has nevertheless brought along with it other social problems, some of which have not apparently been considered. For example, social amenities appear to he lacking in some housing estates. Although there are community centres, shops, clinics and other establishments, we have overlooked some other needs. The younger people's needs are catered for by community centres, and those who are in the age group for national service join the Armed Forces. But we have unconsciously overlooked the interests of some of the middle-aged people, who are already parents and who are the mainstay of our country. Some of them having no other places to spend their leisure hours, find their way to the bars. I had lived in a Housing Board flat and I have discovered that for many years, I searched in vain for a neighbour for a game of chess. We have neglected, so to speak, the social needs of people in the age group of 30-50 years. Whilst we concentrate on moulding our younger population, we should not at the same time ignore the interests of the head of the household. Remember, he has a vote. He can influence the thinking of his whole family. He is already socially established. Whether he be a teacher, taxi driver, ordinary factory worker, or hawker, he has an established status. His thinking is more stable. Unfortunately, and unconsciously, we have not been able to provide recreational facilities for this middle-aged group.”
“From now on, the Ministry of Labour will enforce stricter compliance with Labour laws and measures, especially against those who do not take seriously the Labour legislations. We shall not allow our workers to work under an adverse working environment. If need be, the Ministry will adopt more stringent measures in dealing with those who violate our Labour laws. Some foreign industrialists have come to invest in Singapore in the posture of saviours of Singapore, and they treat our local workers in the same manner as they would treat workers in their own countries. This attitude must be rectified as early as possible, for otherwise, we would find ourselves difficult to maintain the industrial harmony so vital to our economy. Since 1959, we have achieved outstanding progress in many fields, such as education, social health, and housing construction. Our neighbouring countries, of course, have their own views about our achievements. Our success has somewhat conspicuously reflected the relative ineffectiveness of others. This is not our fault. We cannot sit back and do nothing just to please other people. Our efforts are aimed at the interest of our people. Campaigns such as health and family planning have been held. Some hon. Members may not be in total agreement with these campaigns: but all these measures are necessary to ensure that Singapore will have a better future. Unfortunately, however, while on the one hand, we have provided solutions to our problems, we have not realised that some of the solutions themselves have brought about new difficulties and new problems. For example, in the field of public housing many countries around us, even those of the more advanced countries in the world, have expressed their admiration for our success in this respect.”
“I believe that after December this year when he has assumed the office of the Minister of State for Education, all these will be changed, and there will be no administrative sluggishness in the Ministry of Education. According to my working experience in the Ministry of Labour, I have discovered an anomaly. There are many graduates of vocational and technical schools who have been trained in subjects like metal work, woodwork, welding, etc., but have not been taken in by the factories and not even absorbed as apprentices. Instead, they have become car park attendants or office boys. These jobs are completely irrelevant to their training. This is a waste of their training and a loss of our trained personnel. The Ministry of Labour will study methods in which we can strengthen the training in this respect, so that young workers, who intend to join the industrial production forces, will get the sort of training of a better standard and so achieve a greater level of efficiency. Industrial development in our country has been very rapid. The number of industrial accidents also increases in direct proportion to the number of workers. Although the Government has tried its best to promote industrial safety and hygiene, the success of this depends largely on the full co-operation between management and labour. In some of the factories I visited, I found that safety precautions are not up to the standard. The facilities for personal hygiene are far from being acceptable; in fact, some are even makeshift. Some factories do not even have modern sanitation. Surprisingly, they have been allowed to carry on production.”
“And hence, both Malaya and Singapore were abandoned. I have read some history of the war in Singapore. There was one author who, after examining in detail the war documents of both Britain and Japan, discovered that before the war, military colleges in both countries had carried out intensive studies of the various attack and defence strategies in regard to the Malay Peninsula. What is surprising is that both sides had come to almost identical conclusions. The only difference was that Britain merely shelved their battle plans for record purposes, while Japan implemented theirs. The result was another British military disaster. I discovered that some of our own military officers have not even read the war history of Singapore, let alone the war history of other countries. In the Addendum to the President's speech on the Ministry of Defence, mention is made of raising the efficiency of our armed forces in all elements. Recently, when another batch of our Armed Forces scholars were sent abroad on military scholarships, it was announced that a new subject had been introduced in their course of study, i.e. the study of the history of wars. This is a move in the right direction. Education is the foundation of nation-building. If the educational standard of our people is low, all these are mere empty talks. In the last few years, the Ministry of Education has continuously reviewed and revised its education policies, putting more emphasis on science and technological education, in order to lay a sound foundation for nation-building. But, perhaps owing to the changes taking place too quickly, there has been, quite understandably, some unavoidable dislocation in the administration. The Member for Bukit Batok has said before that he is an administrator and not a politician.”
“A reality which even China has decided to accept but the Barisan Sosialis are still reluctant to acknowledge. Their policy will not then be accepted by the people of Singapore. It is merely a matter of time, therefore, before the Barisan Sosialis will have to revise their policy - between now and the time China formally recognises Singapore and Malaysia. Or perhaps they may even form a new political party, transfer their ground support, adopt a new strategy of first recognising our independence and then to exploit chauvinistic sentiments, hoping to capture political power. We must guard ourselves against this move. Our people are of course not that naive, because we know that if we have a government which sets out to work mainly for the Chinese, then our neighbouring countries will not tolerate us that easily. Remember, what we want is to set our own destiny, and, most important, that we will be able to continue to survive as an independent nation. National service has been accepted by everyone. This is the most important aspect which will ensure that our country will continue to maintain its stability and economic growth. It should not be overlooked that the military is the most important criterion in a country's survival. The opposition parties advocate disarming ourselves. This is a fatal thing to do. Instead of being dependent on others, we should rather be self-reliant. The second World War has taught us a very good lesson. At that time, if Britain wanted to defend the Malay Peninsula, it was within their means to do so. But if that was to be so, it would mean that they had to reduce the defence capability of their Motherland. What was the use of winning the battles in the Malay Peninsula and had London been occupied by the Germans?”
“There is a Chinese saying which goes: "If one is on the payroll, it is his duty to obviate disasters befalling his master." If this is not manipulation by others, what is'? Mr Speaker, Sir, our country is situated at the centre of Southeast Asia-a militarily, economically, politically and geographically strategic location. Whatever we do will have widespread effect on the rest of the region. That foreigners are interested in our country is therefore quite simple and natural. "Befriend distant countries, subjugate nearer ones" is a most important strategy in the relationship between countries. This historical saying should provide a lesson for us. We must be vigilant. Whilst we have no intention to harm others, we must nevertheless possess the capability to protect ourselves. Sir, we are more than adequate in dealing with these opposition fragments. But the greatest challenge that faces us comes from the Communist party and its agents. From my long years of experience, I respect their organisational ability. The relationship between China and the United States, similarly between China and Japan, have developed very rapidly. Especially in the case with Japan, China would rather establish diplomatic relations with Japan first, setting aside other minor problems temporarily. This is an indicator that it is a matter of time before China will establish direct relations with countries in Southeast Asia. The table tennis teams from Singapore and Malaysia, representing two independent countries, visited Peking recently. Undoubtedly this is an unofficial recognition on the part of China. The Barisan Sosialis, however, are still shouting that they are striving to establish a Malaya (including Singapore).”
“They should therefore fully support these amendments; why are they in such a scurry instead in opposing them? This is not the first time, however, that, foreign elements have tried to set foot on the political activities in Singapore, and it certainly will not be the last. These foreign manipulators of our opposition parties will not rest at this. They have in the past attempted to sway the thinking of our people through the mass media. When we had to take certain pre-emptive measures against some newspapers in the interest of our people and our sovereignty, a handful of individuals in the International Press Institute expressed their extreme dislike and dissatisfaction. This is particularly the case with one gentleman who came from a country which claimed to be "a full-fledged Western democratic prototype". He expressed his profound shock and disgust, and promptly burst forth with nonsensical utterances. But, in point of fact, his own country had already a precedent in taking even stricter and more severe measures against the press. Recently, this government even proclaimed martial law. The first volley was, ironically, aimed at the press. Newspapers were closed down, and many journalists were arrested. According to information, this particular gentleman himself has been imprisoned. The so-called freedom of the press which he so proudly cherished has proved to be unworkable. He himself has dismantled the facade of democracy, when freedom of speech has fallen through. But the curious thing is that the International Press Institute has not uttered the slightest complaint or disgust, yet only not so long ago they launched an all-out attack against Singapore.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, this First Session of the Third Parliament, as the President has pointed out in his speech, is convened under a situation quite different from that of the previous Parliament, especially when compared to the political situation in 1963. It goes to show all the more the distinctive quality of our people, the perseverance and the unrelenting spirit of the Government leadership. The recent PAP victory in all the 65 constituencies proved that the political consciousness of our people has generally increased and they have given, most appropriately, their verdict on the false pretences of the opposition parties. The myth of the opposition parties -that the people must have opposition parties so that their interests can be safeguarded, and that it is only with the presence of opposition parties in Parliament can there be democracy -has been exposed. The fact is that it is not the people who wanted opposition parties, but ambitious foreign elements who wanted to plant their agents in our Parliament by infiltrating into our political infra-structure. The Constitutional amendments-to prevent Singapore from being swallowed up by others, and the investigation into the financial sources of the various political parties to ensure that Singapore will not be bought over by others, are the basic rights of our people. The opposition parties are fearful of these two Constitutional amendments. This is quite natural. As a Chinese saying goes, "If one does not commit anything against his conscience during the day, one need not be alarmed by the knocks at one's door in the night." If the opposition parties have nothing to hide, then these two Constitutional amendments will provide them with an excellent opportunity to exonerate themselves.”
“Sir, I only wish to make an observation on the comments by the Member for Whampoa which were most unfortunate. I wonder if he will consider withdrawing the remarks which he made earlier in this House when he said that he thought that the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Social Affairs knew how to speak English. I am sure that Members who have been in this House for several years have no doubt about my colleague's proficiency in the English language. I hope the Member for Whampoa realises that we are allowed to use four languages in this House. If he should make a speech the next time, I look forward to listening to it in Mandarin.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, but the Member insists on using the term "land cow". I should like to see how this will go down in Hansard!”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I would have expected the Member, after several years in this House to understand the proceedings of the House. It is not my intention to take over the responsibilities of the Speaker. I think it is the duty of every Member to draw the attention of the Speaker to any irregularities in the House, whether in respect of speeches or the conduct of hon. Members.”
“Sir, point of clarification. The Member referred to the housing inspector in the Chinese colloquial term Di-Niu, which means land cow. This term is generally accepted outside the House, Sir, but as a gesture of respect to the civil servant, I think the Member should use the actual term of inspector, housing inspector or survey inspector, but not land cow!”
“If these persons were born in the Congo - I refer to the Congo only as a geographical entity and not as a republic or as a sovereign state - with a land area 50 times the size of Singapore and Malaysia put together, and with a population very much more than that of Singapore and Malaysia put together, and where there are only 23 secondary schools, a fact I gathered from a report - there is no chance for them to be graduates, or even have the advantage of a kindergarten or primary school education. They would be tilling the soil, cutting up banana plantains, or may be in even worse occupations. So if a university graduate in Singapore should look at his responsibility to the community in the perspective that he is what he is today because the community has provided him with these ,opportunities, then there is no better way for him to discharge his obligation to the community than by doing national service. True, Sir, a graduate can get a better salary or establish a better economic standing in the commercial world, but if we were to run our Armed Forces with leadership material coming only from the primary schools, then these graduates having established themselves as millionaires or multi-millionaires, after some years of hard work, of course, might wake up one fine morning to find that their million dollars might be worth half a cent or might not be worth anything at all. Sir, I really do not see why these people should adopt such an attitude towards national service. As I have said, I did not intend to speak today, but having been provoked by the hon. Member, I have to give my views which I would like the House to share. 4.54 p.m.”
“If this is their attitude - just opt themselves out as far as Army leadership is concerned; but if they are put in as bank managers, they are all for it - then we must correct that attitude. They may not be conscious of it, but subconsciously they feel that way, Sir,If we do not regard the university as the incubator from which to tap our leadership, where else can we get them? Something must be wrong with our educational system. If we have to get our leadership from primary and secondary schools, because in the universities the graduates just opt out, where will that lead us, Sir? I really regard them as the reluctant leadership. Surely they should feel that they have an obligation to discharge to the community, as I have said both inside and outside the House. The fact that they have undergone a course in the university and have graduated with a B.A, or B.Sc, degree, or better still a Master's degree or a Doctorate, shows that they have sufficient grey matter in them. But if they lack this grey matter, nobody is to be blamed. They should realise that the fact that they can go through all stages of education up to university level is only because as a community in Singapore we provide them' with the opportunity to do so. In my time, Sir, kindergarten education was `either not heard of or it was considered a luxury. But today you have to go through kindergarten, six years of primary school, then secondary school and the Higher School Certificate, and finally the university.”
“However, we have to recognise the additional years they spent in the university and their thinking capacity. Because of that, we feel that it is fair to pay them a little bit more than a private, a corporal or even an officer who is not a graduate. But what disturbs me is that the word "leadership" to a graduate or an undergraduate has two meanings. I regard them as leadership potential, but they regard themselves as potential leadership. They are two different things, Sir. On the one hand, they claim to be potential leaders of the country. But when we call upon them to serve the nation, they say, "No." We all agree that national service is good. We all agree that it is necessary. But the question they ask is: who is to serve, when to serve, and where to serve? Who is to serve - preferably not they, the graduates. When to serve - preferably not until they get themselves firmly established in the commercial world, by which time it might be too late for them to be called up at all. And where to serve - preferably in the less vigorous of the three branches of national service. Sir, I do not want to be misunderstood on what I speak here today, because I am not a university graduate. There is no question of what we call "sour grapes". But I would like to enlighten the House, firstly, on my own views on the matter and, secondly, on my experience in the Armed Forces. If the university graduates are not regarded as leadership potential or if they are not to be looked upon for leadership, where else can we look for leadership, be it for the country, in the business community, in the Government, or in the Armed Forces?”
“Mr Govindasamy, Sir, I did not intend to speak at this sitting of Parliament as I have not fully recovered from my recent illness. However, the Member for Whampoa has prompted me to add a few points in support of the Minister, but I would imagine this support will go directly to the Member for Punggol. When the Member for Punggol spoke on the subject, he spoke with authority. He is still actively serving in the People's Defence Force. He has tasted the so-called "S.A.F.T.I, chicken" and not the "S.A.F.T.I. chicken" in the other connotation of the word. He has tasted army food, slept, trained, laughed with and enjoyed the company of ordinary soldiers. It is not for me here to claim too much credit for myself, but I am afraid I have to mention one fact, that is, I myself am also involved in the training in the army. I have the advantage or disadvantage, the honour or dishonour, of leading some university graduates and undergraduates in training, some of whom might be students in the university at which the Member for Whampoa is lecturing. I have spent sufficient time with these privates. All the grouses they raised to me were nothing new, nothing that we do not know of. We are just experiencing the teething troubles of building up our defence capability. There are a lot of problems that we have to solve, but certainly there are bigger problems for us to think about than to grumble about educational allowances and so on. Sir, I believe that if we pay a man $25 more for his educational allowance, that $25 does not make him shoot any better, run any faster or fight more courageously than an ordinary private. Some of them are reluctant leaders themselves. I do not agree that by merely giving them more money, they will make better soldiers.”
“The Member must indicate whether he is quoting from the newspaper or from the translation in the Hansard. I am quite prepared to accept it if he says he is quoting from a newspaper.”
“I was trying to help him, Sir. He was quoting from a newspaper, although he said it was a translation from the Hansard. I would like to have some clarification whether what he was saying is actually the official translation of the Hansard, the newspaper translation, his own translation, or a translation by somebody else. I think it is the business of the House to know this.”
“On a point of order, Sir. Is the Member quoting from Hansard or a newspaper? Mr Speaker, Sir, the Member said he is quoting from Hansard, but he is reading from a newspaper.”
“That is quite simple, Sir. When we hire the films, we pay for the hiring of the films and we are not liable. It is the film distributors who will be liable. I am sure they have already made arrangements with the international body concerned.”
“Sir, I am not quite clear about what the Member for Joo Chiat has said. Perhaps he might care to repeat it.”
“Sir, it is not possible for us to give the number of members of the National Library as requested in the question, because many readers borrow hooks in more than one language. An indication of the interest in Malay, Chinese, Tamil or English material can be obtained from the figures for the number of books borrowed in these languages. However, as the National Library has lent over one million books a year since 1966, statistics of the breakdown of the number of books borrowed in the four languages are kept only for the Library Extension Section, that is to say, the two part-time branches and the mobile library points. In 1967, out of a total of 268.626 books borrowed by some 24,660 members of the Library Extension Section, 63,249 were Malay, 56,006 were Chinese, 8,091 were Tamil and 141,280 were English. From January to October 1968, the total number of books borrowed by some 28,000 members of the Library Extension Section was 213,455, of which 39,923 were Malay, 50,746 were Chinese, 8,166 were Tamil and 114,620 were English. With regard to the number of books purchased in the four languages between 1st January. 1967, and 15th November, 1968, the breakdown figures are as follows: Malay books - 17,909 Chinese books - 36,756 Tamil books - 9,119 English books - 38,699 ------- Total 102,483 ======= NATIONAL LIBRARY AND BRANCH LIBRARY IN QUEENSTOWN (Air-conditioning) 12. Mr L. P. Rodrigo asked the Minister for Culture whether the National Library will be entirely air-conditioned and whether the branch Library in Queenstown will also eventually be air-conditioned.”
“NATIONAL LIBRARY (Statistics of members and books purchased) 11. Mr Ho Kah Leong asked the Minister for Culture (a) if he will give the numbers of members of the National Library grouped according to their interest in Malay, Chinese. Tamil or English material as at 15th November.1968; and (b) how many books, giving separate figures for Malay, Chinese, Tamil and English books, have been purchased by the Library between 1st January, 1967, and 15th November, 1968.”
“Sir, the number of officers sent overseas for professional training since 1959 is as follows: from 1959 to 1961 - nil 1962 - 3 1963 - 3 1964 - 3 1965 - 2 1966 - 2 1967 - nil 1968 - 3 --- Total 16 === The officers who have acquired professional training are required to perform a wide variety of professional duties, including book selection, reader guidance, answering of reference inquiries, compilation of book lists and bibliographies, promotion of reading through book exhibitions, displays, book talks, radio and television talks, story telling, visits to schools and cataloguing, classifying and indexing of library materials which include books, periodicals, music, pamphlets, newspapers, microfilms, maps and others. Officers who have acquired professional qualifications receive two additional increments and are eligible for promotion posts. The total number of posts in the library service is now 56, including 11. Of this number , one was an American who returned to the United States of America. One left for Britain on marriage, one was a Malaysian citizen who took up a post in Malaysia, six took up posts in other libraries in the Republic, one took up a teaching post and one was a married woman who resigned in order that she can take care of her family affairs. In addition, the National Library had two more officers whose qualifications were not recognised and who resigned to take up appointments in other Singapore libraries. No officer left the National Library on transfer. The National Library service is part of a unified library service and officers may be required to serve in the National Library or in other Government departments. The total number of posts in the library service is now 56, including 11 now serving in other Government departments.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, in developed countries, the proportion of professional staff to non-professional staff is usually one to three, excluding manual staff. The National Library at present has a total establishment of 142 staff, excluding daily-rated staff. Out of this total, 45 are professional staff, including 25 who are qualified librarians. Although the present proportion of professional staff to non-professional staff in the National Library closely approximates that of more developed countries, libraries in these countries have a very high degree of mechanisation of library routines. The National Library is, therefore, working towards achieving a higher proportion of non-professional staff, i.e., to have one-fourth instead of one-third professional staff in order that the non-professional duties may be carried out entirely by non-professional staff. NATIONAL LIBRARY (Particulars of officers sent overseas for professional training) 10. Mr Ho Kah Leong asked the Minister for Culture (a) how many officers of the National Library have been sent overseas for professional training since 1959; (b) in what way is the professional training so acquired made use of, and what recognition is accorded to the officers for the professional quali fications they have acquired; and (c) how many trained officers have left the National Library, either by resignation or by transfer, and the reasons therefor.”
“Sir, I am sorry to take the role of the Minister for Labour, but I do have some statistics here. Perhaps they might satisfy the hon. Member. As to the major newspapers which have already shifted their operations earlier, I do not have the statistics at the moment. I presume that the hon. Member is interested in the staff involved in the three Tamil newspapers. The Tamil Murasu has a total of 30 employees. Eighteen of them are citizens of Malaysia and they are given employment in Kuala Lumpur. The 12 who are Singapore citizens are now left unemployed. The Tamil Malar shifted its operations to Kuala Lumpur in February this year. I do not know how many of the staff have been transferred there and how many are left unemployed in Singapore. But there are still 15 employees who are still with the Tamil Malar in Singapore. As to the Malaysia Malayalee, it would seem that this particular newspaper will continue to operate in Singapore as its circulation is mainly in Singapore. As such, there is no effect on the employment of their employees in Singapore. SINGAPORE SPORTS COUNCIL (Receipt of public donations) 13. Mr L. P. Rodrigo asked the Minister for Social Affairs (a) whether the Singapore Sports Council is still existent; (b) how much money it has received as general donations from the public for the promotion of sports; and (c) if it has received donations for particular sports, what these sports are and the sum donated in respect of each of them.”
“Sir, I presume the hon. Member is referring to newspapers circulating in Singapore but not printed in Singapore. There are 14 of them with their headquarters based in the Federation of Malaysia.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, most of the major newspapers, whose history could be traced back several decades, originally based their headquarters in Singapore and operated from Singapore. This happy business arrangement continued well after the formation of Malaysia. Then the Malaysian Government imposed a law requiring newspapers in the Federation to be printed in the country of origin. That was the origin of "split" newspapers whereby, for reasons of survival, the major newspapers printed two versions - one for Malaysian readers and one for Singapore readers. Part of the plants had to be shifted to Malaysia and separate staff set up. Although it may be that no Singapore printed newspapers are permitted to circulate in Malaysia, it would be senseless to adopt tit-for-tat measures. This is essentially because we believe in and encourage the free flow of ideas not only from our neighbours but also from other countries. This is the meaning of an open society. Suppression of ideas and viewpoints not in accord with our own is not in our interest. An hon. Member: Hear, hear!”
“Therefore, the main solution to the unemployment problem is to raise the living standard of the people and set up a more balanced national economy. The diversification of our economy carried out at present is the most effective way of increasing employment opportunities and the national income. As the Member for Nee Soon, I welcome the introduction of comprehensive labour legislation proposed in the President's Speech. Mr Speaker, Sir, our country is small, but our citizens realise their duties especially when they are faced with decisive years ahead. Two-thirds of our population are youths. If we can provide them with effective and well-planned training, they will be able to make a useful contribution to our country. Therefore, I stress the importance of reforming our secondary education system. At the same time, I express my full support for the suggested reform of the secondary education system, as contained in the President's Speech, which will enable our school-beavers to become producers instead of mere consumers. This point is very important, as it will have a decisive effect on the future of our country. Mr Speaker, Sir, let me sum up what I have said in this House. For the sake of the long-term interests of the Republic of Singapore and the future of our younger generations to come, I welcome and support the policy speech delivered by the President. At the same time, I will do my best during my term of office to help in the smooth implementation of the Government's policies. 3.24 p.m.”
“In the selection of cities for their investment, economic conditions, geographic position, communications, transportation, currency stability, banking services, education, health, standard of living and political stability, etc, come into consideration. And Singapore has fully met their demands. The scoring for every condition ranges from zero to five points and Singapore has been able to score 94 points, which is second only to Hong Kong which scores 97 points. Thus, we are positive that international traders have every confidence in selecting Singapore for their commercial and industrial enterprises. If we can modernise and provide better facilities and services, it will be a question of time before we become the first place. Mr Speaker, Sir, in order to increase productivity, promote industrial growth and speed up our economic growth, it is necessary to review and amend the existing Labour Ordinance, 1955, the Shop Assistants Employment Ordinance, 1957 and the Clerks Employment Ordinance, 1957. The purpose is to keep abreast with new changing situations. This review will create more employment opportunities and will solve, to some extent, our present unemployment problem. From the economic point of view, developing countries are generally faced with the problem of unemployment and the raising of the standard of living of their people. If we want to raise the standard of living of our people, we must, first of all, resolve the problem of unemployment. Therefore, I think a comprehensive labour law introduced at this juncture is in keeping with the need of the present development of our country. All economists know that if many people are unemployed, the purchasing power of the average national of that society will be lowered correspondingly.”
“The Minister for Finance in his recent broadcast mentioned the promotion of the tourist trade and our co-operation with Indonesia to develop Bali Island as a tourist spot so as to derive mutual benefit for Singapore and Indonesia. We have even sent a mission to Indonesia to go into the details of this scheme, namely, to investigate potential in Bali Island in order to promote the tourist trade in this region. In addition to this, we can also carry out regional co-operation in industry, agriculture and other fields through A.S.E.A.N. With regard to modernisation, the Government has achieved significant progress. In the President's Speech, it is revealed that the Ministries will make an overall greater effort to modernise our Republic. This shows that we are adopting a very positive approach to modernise our society. This is highly commendable and deserves our applause. Mr Speaker, Sir, as a result of our unrelenting efforts in the past five years to promote economic growth, Singapore has been able, among other things, to achieve a good reputation as an ideal place for foreign investment. Let me quote from an official study entitled "Comparative Grading on the Selection of Eight Asian Cities for Setting Up Regional Centres." This document shows that Singapore has been selected by international enterprises and entrepreneurs as a good place to set up their trading and industrial centres. The eight Asian cities are Bangkok, Hong Kong, Manila, Sydney, Naha, Taipei, Tokyo and Singapore. Compared with these cities, Singapore is second only to Hong Kong in the advantages provided for foreign investors.”
“As we all know, Singapore is situated in a turbulent area of Southeast Asia. Southeast Asia has all along been the centre of attention of the world. This is not because this area is rich and strong, but because it has been recognised and considered as one of the weakest areas in the world. It has been looked upon as a region which is not able to mobilise its political and economic resources to bargain with the super powers on an equal footing. As a country with a reputation of having a high standard of living and with a harmonious multi-racial society and a non-aligned foreign policy, we, in Singapore, have the duty to help other countries in Southeast Asia to transform their present pitiful state into modern societies. At the same time, we can also exercise a very decisive influence in stabilising the present turbulent situation in Southeast Asia. What is the future of Southeast Asia in the next few years? Will it be able to gain a greater say in international affairs and take a strong position in their relationship vis-a-vis the super powers? So, if we are to restore the stability and security of this region, it is vitally necessary for countries in Southeast Asia to put their houses in order and to be self-reliant. As the Minister for Foreign Affairs has said, there are two approaches to the solution of this problem. Firstly, we must secure greater regional co-operation. Secondly, every nation in Southeast Asia must make greater efforts in modernising its society and its infrastructure. As to the first approach, we have set an example by achieving co-operation in the economic field.”
“We want to ensure that every secondary school-leaver will be able to make use of what he has learnt to contribute to nation-building and that all young graduates of secondary schools will have had some form of vocational training when they leave school. In the past, people said that graduation meant unemployment. Now with the completion of the re-organisation of our secondary education system, we can say that graduation can mean employment. This will be the ultimate objective of the reorganisation of our secondary education system. Mr Speaker, Sir, the other aspect of the reorganisation of our secondary education system is that we can increase the employment opportunities of our young school-beavers because they will have had some vocational and technical training when they leave school. When they take up their jobs, they will be able to make use of what they have learnt and carry out their duties effectively. At least, after the reorganisation, school-leavers will be able to leave school as junior technicians and directly take part in productive activities. This would be more practical as compared to the present system whereby they receive technical training only after they have taken up a job. Therefore, reorganisation in our secondary education system, economically speaking, will produce these results: firstly, to increase the employment opportunities of school-beavers; secondly, to ensure that all our nationals will have some form of skill to enable them to take part in productive activities; thirdly, to cut out the gap between productivity and the commencement of employment; fourthly, to ensure that there is no wastage in our human resources; fifthly, to turn our school-leavers from consumers into producers.”
“In addition to the quantitative progress that we have already made, we must also have qualitative advancement in order to speed up our economic growth and build up our national strength, because we all know that economic growth consists of quantitative progress as well as qualitative advancement. Both these two changes will cause a chain reaction in the whole structure. Sir, economic growth is not so simple to achieve as one would imagine, because it does not only involve capital or technical know-how. The fact is that other factors also have a bearing on speeding up our economic growth. These factors include religion, culture, education, customs and traditions, etc.. In this respect, I am glad to note that a. Cabinet Committee has already been set up with the Minister for Education as Chairman, the Minister for Science and Technology, the Minister for Finance and the Minister for Labour as members in order to carry out the reorganisation in our educational system so that we will be able to train the technical personnel that we require. Sir, human resources are very important in promoting economic growth and industrialisation. Therefore, the re-organisation in the secondary education system will, in the history of education, become a turning point in Singapore. Mr Speaker, I believe you will agree with me that our country lacks natural resources to assist us in our economic development. But we have inexhaustible human resources. These resources, with hard work and diligence, can earn extra income for our country. So the question is, how are we to make full use of these valuable human resources and to ensure that there is no wastage? The answer lies in the reorganisation of our secondary education system.”
“Mr Speaker, let us take the advanced countries such as Germany, Japan and Russia. They are advanced countries because of their high degree of development and the economic growth that they have had as a result of their educational reforms, scientific progress and industrial development. It would be better, of course, to build up a national defence force, after having achieved social and economic stability. But judging from the time that we have in hand and the situation that we are facing, we are not so lucky as to be able to enjoy economic growth first before building up our defence capability. So we must tackle both problems at the same time. We must divert the greater part of our financial resources into economic development in order to maintain our economic growth at eight per cent or even to raise our economic growth to more than eight per cent. I am happy to note that the three objectives outlined by our President are all geared towards the strengthening of our economic growth. We all know that the economic growth of a country can be divided into two stages. The first one is the stage of germination and the second is the process of growth. Mr Speaker, in our country we are happy that we have reached the second stage. We have already completed the first stage of germination. The general technical preliminaries have been completed and we already have a substantial economic and financial capability and the technical know-how. So in this respect we are ahead of the backward countries and some other developing countries.”
“I thank the hon. Member for Changi. Mr Ong Soo Chuan (Nee Soon)(In Mandarin): It is refreshing to note that our President has given a timely speech in this House expressing confidence that we will be able to ensure our future in a new environment when we are in the decisive l970s. This important historical document will serve as a guide to us in sailing along the troubled waters at this time. The President outlined three objectives in his speech: namely the optimum use of the time available to build up an effective defence capability; greater economic growth; and enhancement of national consciousness of our problems. These three objectives have relation to the world situation, particularly to the situation in Southeast Asia consequent on the earlier withdrawal of the British troops. Of these three objectives, the establishment of our defence capability is of the first and foremost importance. Of course, this will increase the burden on our people. Being a very small country, Singapore would have to meet and overcome difficulties in order to set up an effective defence capability. Fortunately, ever since we left Malaysia, we have already started to encourage our people to undergo military training, and also in his policy speech, the President has clearly pointed out that we must set up our defence capability at the minimum cost so that our financial resources will mostly be diverted to our economic development and industrial growth. From the economic point of view, the expenditure involved in setting up a defence capability should never be allowed to interfere with our economic growth in the process of nation-building. Both economic growth and economic development have a decisive bearing on our national defence.”
“The Member for Changi said that 20 years ago, when the question was asked, "Which country would go Communist first?", the answer was Singapore. I would imagine the second question would be, "Which country would go Communist last?", the answer would be Singapore. Is that correct?”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I would just like to seek clarification from the Member for Changi. In his speech he posed two questions. I believe that the two questions should be thus. The first one was correct. That was 20 years ago, when the question was asked as to which country in this region would go Communist first -”
“It is available, Sir, but I am afraid the Member for Sembawang might not have read it.”
“I can only give. him a round figure, Sir, but not the exact figure. There are two broad' categories of specimens - zoologica1 and ethnological objects. The Chairman: Mr Fong, is this information not available in the Annual Report?”
“I must apologise to the Member for Sembawang for not being able to give him the actual number of exhibits ---”
“Sir, it is acknowledged that there is a need to reorganise and modernise the National Museum. In fact, this was pointed out as early as 1957 by Dr Van der Hoogh who was then a temporary museum adviser to U.N.E.S.C.O. when he led a mission to Singapore. In his report, he pointed out that while the Museum was rich in its collections and centrally located, it was none the less outmoded and gave an old-fashioned impression. He suggested ways in which the Museum could be modernised to fulfil the functions required and expected of a modern museum. We have studied the matter in conjunction with the recom mendations made in the same direction by the Science and Industry Museum Committee in its report to the Minister for Education in 1961. Plans are in hand to reorganise and modernise the National Museum, and I assure Members of the House that their opinions have already been considered in our planning. I shall not go into details on how the money is to be spent in view of the shortage of time. May I finally touch on the suggestion by the Member for Delta that the, exhibits should be written in four languages? This is the ideal thing to do, in view of the fact that there are four official languages in Singapore, but there are one or two snags which the Member will appreciate. Difficulty is experienced in expressing some technical terms, particularly in Malay - perhaps this can be achieved in time - and even in Chinese. As Members know, the exhibits in the National Museum are of scientific, archaelogical and historical value and' sometimes it is very difficult to assign a proper translation to them into the, other languages except in English. Even some of the objects are in Latin.”
“Briefly, Sir, I am glad to note that the Member for Choa Chu Kang has expressed his opinion which is in line with the thinking of the Ministry of Culture. I will not go into the details of the Queenstown Branch Library -”
“But I do not rule out al together negligence on the part of the contractor in maintaining these sets, and I shall instruct my field section to be more vigilant and to keep a closer watch on the contractor to see that he dis charges his obligations as stated in the contract awarded to him.”
“Thank you for your guidance, Sir,I was racing against time. The normal practice is to have community listening sets gradually withdrawn wherever community centres are built in the areas concerned. These sets are meant to serve residents in areas where social amenities are limited. It should also be stressed that community listening sets can serve as an important medium of mass communication for residents in the rural areas during periods of tension and national emergency, though we do not anticipate any, ln June this year, on instructions from the Ministry, a survey was carried out as to the desirability of retaining these sets at the various points. The result of the survey was that there appears to be a need to withdraw the community listening sets. But in areas where the people are poor and there is no electricity and they do not possess the economic means to purchase transistor radios, we decided that these sets should be allowed to continue to be used and to be withdrawn as and when necessary. Sir, the field section of the Ministry of Culture is in charge of these community listening sets and the maintenance is by a contractor on a tender basis, including even the tendering for the batteries to be supplied to those sets which are battery-operated. I agree and, in fact, I am grateful to the Member for Changi for bringing to my attention the delay in the maintenance. But I would like to state that sometimes the delay was due to the non-availability of some spare parts for those sets, because, as Members know, these sets are fairly old. But in most cases I think it is due to the difficulty of transport in getting across the islands.”
“Sir, it is precisely for the reason that the hon. Member has just raised that the vote community listening sets is being provided for. The Ministry of Culture maintains about 193 community listening sets in the Southern Islands and in the rural areas of Singapore. These sets are installed for the benefit of the people in areas with limited communication facilities and recreational opportunities. Apart from being a source of entertainment, these sets are there also to enable residents in this area to receive news and information broadcast over Radio Singapura. Of the 193 sets, 26 of them are installed on the various islands off Singapore and 167 in the rural areas on the main island. That these sets are essentially located in the rural areas is evident from the fact that 149 of these sets are battery-operated, because the areas in which they are sited are without ---”
“Sir, the duties of the Property Master include the following: (a) He is in charge of stage property, that is to say, articles required for the stage; (b) To obtain properties, whether by hiring, buying or making; (c) To arrange these articles in the studio in accordance with the setting deadlines. (d) To arrange a special visual effect for the programmes to be produced; and (e) Generally to assign work within his unit in accordance with the instructions given. Mr Lingam: I beg leave to withdraw. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. The following amendments stood in the name of Madam Chan Choy Siong --- (7) That the sum to be allocated for Head 1002 be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead 1481. (8) That the sum to be allocated for Head 1002 be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead 1486. (9) That the sum to be allocated for Head 1002 be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead 1487. (10) That the sum to be allocated for Head 1002 be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead 1601. (11) That the sum to be allocated for Head 1002 be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead 1701.”
“No, Sir, I shall be very brief. There are two considerations. First, if Members are not active, there is no coverage for them. Second, I must congratulate some Members, particularly the Member for Sembawang who makes it a point to be present every time there is a function in which a Minister is there. And if Members can take the same initiative, they will get coverage. Of course. I will not be popular among the Ministers in suggesting that. Question put, "That the sum to be allocated for Head 1002 be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead 1351." Madam Chan Choy Siong: Division, Sir. The House divided: Ayes, 5; Noes, 29; Abstentions, 5; Absent, 12. Ayes Noes A Rahim Ishak Ang Nam Piau. Barker, E. W. Chan Choy Siong, Buang bin Omar Madam. Junid. Ho Kah Leong. Chan Chee Seng. Tay Boon Too. Chor Yeok Eng. Teo Hup Teck. Fong Sip Chee. Govindaswamy, P. Abstention Ho Cheng Choon. Jek Yeun Thong. Ho See Beng. Lee Khoon Choy. Lee Teck Him. Lim Guan Hoo. Lingam, S. V. Lim Kim San. Devan Nair, Mrs. Lim Soo Peng. Rodrigues, Bernard. Absent Noes - contd. Chan Sun Wing. Mahmud Awang. Chew Chin Han. Mohd. Ariff bin Chow Chiok Hock. Suradi. Goh Keng Swee. Ng Kah Ting. Gonzales, R. A. Ng Yeow Chong. Lee Kuan Yew. Ong Pang Boon. Lim Cheng Lock. Othman bin Wok. Rajaratnam, S. Rahamat bin Kenap. Toh Chin Chye. Rajoo, S. Wee Toon Boon. Ramaswamy, S. Wong Soon Fong. Selvadurai, P. Yaacob bin Sia Kah Hui. Mohamed Sim Boon Woo. Tang See Chim. Teong Eng Siong. Yeoh Ghim Seng. Yong Nyuk Lin. Question on the amendment accordingly negatived. The following amendment stood in the name of Madam Chan Choy Siong --- That the sum to be allocated for Head 1002 be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead 1371. Madam Chan Choy Siong: I am not moving, Sir.”
“I appreciate the dilemma you are in, Sir, with regard to the time allotted for the speakers, but maybe I could add just one point?”
“For example, out of 11 very important posts of Epglish editors, only 5 posts have been filled, while the rest have remained vacant due to the Public Service Com mission not being able to recruit suitable candidates. And again for the posts of reporters, only four are filled by experienced officers and six by new recruits. There are still vacant posts. 3.30 p.m. If there are 12 reporters, they can work in pairs to cover six local regions. At present, due to the shortage of experienced staff, it is extremely difficult to cover all events that take place in Singapore. However, if advance notice is given, it can be arranged. But I would like to bring up one point, Mr Speaker, Sir, and that is we must give consideration to the question of cost in the coverage of news. I quote an example. For one minute of usable film material - raw film - the cost, including processing and printing, is $10. And the cost of employing stringers (if Members do understand this term) together with transport is $55. For the total expenditure of $65, 40 to 50 seconds of news will appear for the event. In other words, we spend $65 or more for perhaps 40 seconds' running on the T.V. screen. It is because of the high cost of employing stringer cameramen that we have to weigh the importance of the news before such stringers are sent to cover the event. Sir, I would like to supplement my answer further, since both Members appear to be very keen on T.V. coverage. I will not quote any statistics, Sir. The coverage for the Member for Delta in the last 12 months is only one appearance short of that for the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Health. Next, for coverage of Members of Parliament, the Member for Sembawang came in second.”