Goh Choon Kang
Singapore
“Sir, can I ask the Minister of State, in view of the prolonged recession in the construction industry, whether the Ministry will consider regularising the operation of these workers' quarters, so that they will continue to provide low-cost accommodation for foreign workers?”
“Then, when they come here, instead of being brought to see cultural sites, they are brought to shop and they are made to pay high prices because these are the only shops they are brought to. We have been collecting statistics. They are high spenders, especially in jewellery items.”
“Sir, I hope the Minister can respond to the point on relaxing the requirement to study Higher Chinese. RAdm Teo Chee Hean: Sir, in fact, we have really relaxed the requirements for Higher Chinese quite considerably over the last few years. Originally, Higher Chinese could only be studied by those in the top 10%.”
“Faced with the withering number of Chinese talents, including Chinese teachers, and coupled with the picking up of the economy of our Asian neighbour, China, we should promptly change this practice, and actively nurture a batch of new Chinese talents as successors to satisfy the needs of the international situation in the future.”
“The low plot ratio allowed for this area is such that the two existing blocks of 10-storey private apartments have to actually go down to four storeys, if they were to be redeveloped. 5.30 pm This sounds contradictory and inconsistent.”
“Sir, I would like to ask the Minister whether the Home Team could look into how police presence can be improved in new estates, where residents have a natural tendency to feel insecure in their new environment.”
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“It said that "the GST has been labelled regressive because low income groups spend a higher proportion of their income than the rich and will therefore pay a higher proportion of their income in GST." At the end of the day, however, the Bulletin concludes: '...there is a bogus element about the regression argument. The brute fact about the poor is that in all societies, at all times, they have got the dirty end of the economic stick. And in all societies, at all times, their best solution has not been to moan about their plight but to divert their energy to working their way into the higher income group. The problem of the poor is not the presence of taxation but the absence of income.' My own conclusion is that the Australian economic woes arise not because of their lack of economic gurus, but rather a lack of political will and foresight. I think the 15% GST proposed is badly needed as a source of revenue. Singaporeans, I think, are fortunate to have a Government with political will and foresight, and in the introduction of the GST at this stage at 3% and it is also revenue neutral. Still I think the fear of the man-in-the-street has to be addressed carefully. The Chinese say, min yi shi wei tian ( ) It is only natural that the men-in-the-street are concerned about the possible adverse impact of the proposed GST on consumer prices. It is reassuring to know that the Government is fully aware of the people's worry and will take various measures to check profiteering and assist the lower-income groups. One such possible measure is to flood the market with essential products through organisations which have an interest in keeping our consumer prices down, such as the NTUC Fairprice retail cooperative. However, Fairprice is not everywhere.”
“Sir, the Budget Statement this year is both very encouraging and generous. It is also very clear in purpose and that is, to promote an external economy and to provide cushion for the proposed GST. Sir, I want to address only one point and that is the nagging fear of the man-in-the-street that prices will increase when the GST is implemented next year and by more than 3% as anticipated by the Government. I think the Government should do two things. First, do more to allay the fear, real or perceived, of the people, and second, ensure adequate checks and balances are in place against profiteering. Sir, perhaps, it is useful to look at some empirical evidence on GST, or VAT. The February issue of the Bulletin, an Australian magazine, quoted a study by Alan Tait, Deputy Director of the Fiscal Affairs Department of International Monetary Fund. Mr Tait explored the inflationary consequences of value added tax in his 1988 book, "Value Added Tax: International Practice and Problems". Tait examined changes in consumer price indices, wages and credit over two years surrounding the introduction of VAT in 35 countries, as well as a further six examples where rates of VAT were changed. He found that in 22 of the 35 countries that had introduced the tax, there was "little or no effect of the introduction of VAT on the consumer price index". And in eight of the countries, there was a pronounced "one-off" shift in the CPI and an acceleration in inflation. So the impact of the introduction of VAT in most countries is either marginal, or one-off. And he concluded: "While some commentators have associated VAT rate changes with inflation, the weight of evidence seems to be against it." What did the Bulletin itself say about GST.”
“Sir, I thank the Minister for his very encouraging answer and I beg leave to withdraw the amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.”
“Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head R be reduced by $10 in respect of Code RE 1500 of the Main Estimates. Sir, a feature article by Miss Goh Beng Choo in the Straits Times of 28th February, under the headline "A Museum That Cares", highlighted several challenges for the Singapore Museum. It reported on how the few hundred pieces of Chinese paintings and calligraphy donated by Mr Low Chuck Tiew, a local art collector, were taken care of by the Hong Kong Museum of Art. The deciding factor in Mr Low's choice of museum was that Hong Kong is more committed than Singapore to the promotion and appreciation of oriental arts. An amount of $4.3 million was invested to build a gallery that will exhibit, preserve and store his collection for public viewing. This incident shed light on a few things. First, a lot still needs to be done to cultivate the appreciation of oriental arts in Singapore. Second, it has also highlighted what is lacking in our museum. Do we have the expertise and facilities to acquire, maintain and preserve art works donated to the museum? What is there to ensure that collections donated by local collectors will be well taken care of? A few donations of Chinese paintings and calligraphy reported recently showed that there is no lack of local collectors who are willing to donate such art works to the museum, if only they can be convinced that their precious collections will be appreciated and well taken care of. Sir, I foresee the need for MITA or the Museum to employ more curators who are well-versed in Asian art and Chinese art. We need experts to know and appreciate the value of the artefacts, paintings and calligraphy. Only then can the Singapore Museum build up its collection of art works from loans and donations.”
“Sir, I thank the hon. Parliamentary Secretary for his very positive answer and I beg leave to withdraw the amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.”
“A neighbourhood library can serve as an access point to the National Library resources through inter-library lending and referral services. It can also devote itself to extending its role by including community information and the promotion of library as a centre of art, crafts and visual activity. I think this should rightly be the characteristics of future libraries. I hope the Minister can consider seriously my idea of building neighbourhood libraries in new town centres, including my constituency.”
“Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head R be reduced by $10 in respect of Code RC 1500 of the Main Estimates. Sir, in moving this amendment, I am proposing the idea of building smaller neighbourhood libraries in HDB new towns in lieu of the present bigger branch libraries. Sir, in the Addendum to the Presidential Address, the Minister has promised to review the number, size and location of new branch libraries that will be needed for the next 10 years. This is a step in the right direction. I welcome the setting up of the Library 2000 Review Committee to re-evaluate the current criteria. What is the current criterion? The current criterion for public library planning is that the new town should have a population of at least 200,000. As such, smaller new towns such as Serangoon New Town with a population base of less than 200,000 does not qualify for a branch library under the current criterion. My constituents, for example, have to travel a relatively long distance to the nearest branch library, which is in Toa Payoh. This can be quite inconvenient. I am sure there are many more other smaller new town residents who feel the same way. Sir, life in the new town today is very much centred around the neighbourhood town centres. People go to the town centre to shop, to eat, to get access to various services provided. However, the activities are very much commercial in nature. If a neighbourhood public library can be included, then I think a new cultural dimension can be added. It will certainly enrich the community life. It is, therefore, timely to consider building libraries which are easily accessible. It can form part of a town centre and provide auxiliary facilities such as a lecture hall, a small theatre and study room within the library building.”
“From this year onwards, we are going to move our area of attention to specific sectors. And for this year, MITA will be working with the Ministry of Communications to give emphasis to courtesy in the transportation sector. I would like to move on now to the Speak Mandarin Campaign.”
“Is there room for improvement? I think there is plenty of room for improvement. I dare say that the day when we are smug and satisfied, that is the day when we are going downward. It is because we are never satisfied, we are always checking ourselves and criticising ourselves that we maintain standards and we maintain good progress. Of course, attitudes take years and sometimes generations to change and we can change the form very quickly but the inner self, the cultural character of a people, takes much longer to transform. I can do no more than quote Senior Minister Mr Lee Kuan Yew when he launched the first campaign in 1979. At that time, I was still in the army. I was very intrigued by the campaign when it was launched. When I was cleaning my cupboard the other day, I saw the article, and I said, "Ah, it may be something to re-read." And indeed an made exactly the same point which Mr Ho Peng Kee makes today. Mr Lee said: "To be courteous to free-spending tourists and to be rude to fellow Singaporeans is to demean ourselves. Then we would become a despicable people, moved only by the thought of profit." He moved on to say that there are two aspects of courtesy, first, the form; second, the sincerity. Forms can be changed quickly, and sincerity will take much longer. But Mr Lee said, "even if it is difficult to be sincerely polite, nevertheless, it is better and necessary to keep up polite forms rather than be rude." In other words, we have both short-term goals and long-term goals. 12.45 pm The challenge really is how do we keep up the mood of the campaign, to keep it fresh and interesting. And here we need creative ideas and I will ask my Ministry to consult Mr Ho for ideas on how we can keep it vigorous.”
“Sir, it is disconcerting to read recent articles in the English press renouncing Mandarin as one's mother tongue. One such article is "No dialect, no culture" in the Business Times (weekend edition, 15th February, 1992). A more recent article is "Why Mandarin is not my mother tongue" in the Sunday Times of 23rd February, 1992. Sir, the Speak Mandarin Campaign was first launched more than a decade ago. I do not think I need to go over the reasons for doing so. Suffice it for me to say that these articles remind us that the mission of the campaign is far from completed. In fact, these articles show that many Singaporeans are still confused. Perhaps the recent policy by the Ministry of Education to allow the use of dialect names in registration has caused some misunderstanding. It may have given the wrong impression that the Government is reversing its policy. I therefore hope that the Minister can clarify this misconception and outline future plans to further promote the Speak Mandarin Campaign. The Minister for Information and the Arts (BG George Yong-Boon Yeo): Sir, let me first clarify to Dr Vasoo that MITA is responsible for only two campaigns -- the Courtesy Campaign and the Speak Mandarin Campaign -- for which the budget allocated this year is $700,000 and $450,000, which is the same as last year. We do monitor results by surveys although the survey results are not always conclusive. Let me start first with the Courtesy Campaign. Have we become more courteous as a people? I say yes. Three months ago, there was a survey which yielded the result that three in four Singaporeans felt that Singaporeans were making the effort and that they themselves have become more courteous. These are very subjective impressions, but it shows that we have been making some progress.”
“Perhaps we could take a cue from American television, where there is always a role, no matter how small, for blacks and other immigrants. Programmes featuring the culture and arts of various communities should also continue to be shown, even if they do not have commercial value. We can also enhance racial harmony through our Community Clubs. The language barriers that often prevent the communities from participating in each other's activities should be overcome. Mr Speaker, the Asian values which we seek to nurture through our educational system should be kept alive not just in the school curriculum but also in our way of life and our environment outside the school. The negative effects or influence of cultures outside Asia that have found their way into our life should be reduced or at least not allowed to turn into common activity. Mr Speaker, I support the motion to thank the President.”
“All the hang-ups that used to lead to racial conflicts in the period between the fifties and the seventies are diminishing. The pain and anxieties that developed from the conflicts of the sixties are fading away. We have also succeeded in reducing mutual suspicions among the various races. As an example, the Malay and the Indian communities are more and more appreciative of the needs of the Chinese to promote Mandarin through annual campaigns; likewise, Government's support for the Malay community's efforts to uplift themselves economically, socially and educationally is now better understood by the other races. In fact, we can say that the emotional ties that used to keep the different communities apart with every incident and every outburst concerning the country in China, India, Malaysia and Indonesia, etc. are now being ignored, because the people are now more aware that they enjoy equal political, economic, and social protection here. By "protection" I am referring to security and safety, not charity. However, Mr Speaker, we should not rest on our laurels. Racial harmony requires an updated approach, appropriate to the level of progress which we are and which we will be enjoying. Mr Speaker, the Government's plan to privatise Singapore Broadcasting Corporation (SBC) should take into account the question of how we can include elements that promote racial harmony in our future television and radio programmes. If we place too much emphasis on commercial considerations without regard for the reality of the plural society of Singapore, we would be neglecting the role of a very important medium for fostering understanding between the different communities in Singapore.”
“I therefore support the motion of thanks to the President, moved by the Member for Hong Kah GRC. Sir, the civil service can be likened to the pillars of a house. Strong pillars make a strong house, and weak pillars can mean the ruin of the house. The civil service is without doubt the nerve that drives the country's administrative machinery, whose role is not only to consolidate the progress we are enjoying, but also to plan the co-untry's future development and our future way of life. I welcome the Government's proposal to grant more powers to the Ministries, including powers of promotion. However, we should also ensure that our executives are equipped with a fair yardstick with which to make the assessments they have been empowered to do. Misuse of the power, in the form of an unfair promotion, for instance, can demoralise other staff. Attention should also be paid to the welfare of civil servants. Besides the incentives and privileges already granted, we should not forget to give to hospitalisation as well. Officers should enjoy benefits commensurate with their length of service and salary, not just their qualifications. I believe if civil servants find their welfare being well looked after, they will be encouraged to enhance their efficiency and productivity. Inter-racial harmony is not a new issue. It is something that has been with us for a long time. We are conscious that the country will be ruined should we ever neglect this aspect of our life, because one of the pillars of our success today is the solidarity and harmony we enjoy. So far, we have succeeded in promoting mutual understanding and respect among the people. Life is more peaceful.”
“While we are talking about increasing efficiency and cost-effectiveness, we must not forget inter-human relationships. Many people with minor ailments attend the A&E units in the hospitals at night and they have been accused of abusing the service. In fact, many of these patients, I believe, are daily rated workers. They earn a very low income. They cannot afford to stop working in the day to attend the Government clinics when they are sick because that would mean losing one day's income. At the same time, the private clinic charges are much more expensive than the A&E units in the hospitals. I hope that the Ministry of Health would consider opening some of the Government polyclinics at night so that the lower income group could also receive such medical services after work. Sir, in his Speech the President mentioned that some Singaporeans find it very difficult to adapt to the rapid changes in Singapore. They feel that they have been deserted and neglected by society. Among them, there are many daily rated workers or casual workers, some old people and those in the dialect-speaking community. I am glad to note that the Government is actively helping them in various aspects. I believe that so long as the Government and the people can put in a concerted effort, we will be able to help them adapt to our society so that they can enjoy prosperity and a comfortable living. Mr Speaker, may I once again thank the President for his Address. Encik Harun bin A. Ghani (Hong Kah GRC)( In Malay): Mr Speaker, I welcome the President's Address at the Opening of the Eighth Parliament. The President's apparent concern and sense of involvement in the lives of the people is a sign of true leadership.”
“The requirement that doctors should reveal the nature of illness to the patients, the type of treatment that he has to undergo and also the estimated cost of the treatment, is another step towards more efficient health care and medical treatment for our people. In order that our people will receive better medical treatment, the Government has spent millions of dollars to improve the existing Government hospitals. At the moment, the Singapore General Hospital is like a hotel. Whether in design, structure, equipment or facilities, it is as good as any hospital in the developed countries. However, there is still room for improvement in so far as service is concerned, particularly in the subsidised C wards. Sir, I often hear complaints by some patients and members of their families about the treatment they have received in some of the Government hospitals. I feel that while we are improving the standard in our hospitals, we should also, at the same time, be more humane, sympathetic, and caring to our patients. Some patients and members of their families have often criticised that some of the medical officers are insensitive to the pains and sufferings of the patients. Understanding the feelings of patients and concern for their welfare is very important. This is something which the doctors, nurses and other medical personnel should bear in mind at all times. We should be more loving, caring and showing respect to patients. Doctors should not treat a patient like a machine which has broken down and completely neglect his feelings. With the ever improving science and technology, machines and computers can do many things which the human beings are doing. But one must not behave like a machine, which is totally void of feelings.”
“At present, they could make use of their Medisave account when they go to a Government or restructured hospital. I suggest that we should allow Medisave to be used in all hospitals which conform to the Government's specifications. By so doing, the Government will go one step further in alleviating the burden of our people. At the same time, we should also encourage all Singaporeans to contribute to Medisave, particularly those daily-rated workers, casual labourers who do not have a fixed job, and also the self-employed people. They should also contribute to Medisave. I think the Government should introduce some incentives to encourage them to contribute to the Medisave account on a voluntary basis. No doubt, Medifund is a very good scheme; but most people do not know how they could benefit from this scheme. Many people are still not clear as to what Medifund is for. Naturally, they have a lot of doubts. For example, how poor must a person be before he is eligible to apply for assistance or subsidy from the Medifund? How are we going to ensure that the Medifund would not be abused? By setting up Medifund, will it encourage the younger people to push away their responsibilities and commit their chronically-ill parents to the care of the State? I think the Government should lay down detailed guidelines on this for better understanding by people. The Government announced that the Ministry of Health will regulate all private hospitals and clinics. I think this is something which would be welcomed by the people. It is a wise decision. This will ensure that the people will receive the best medical care and proper treatment.”
“In fact, in the pharmacies, a lot of medicines are now sugar-coated so that the patients could swallow them easily. In conclusion, Sir, it is the onus of the Government to think of the worst but hope for the best. While we want Singapore to strive for excellence, we do not want to alienate our people. The people on their part should be mindful of our limitations as a small island state. The smallness of our state limits our options. It limits our actions. It limits our opportunities. It limits our freedom. So we must accept this limitation. We have no choice. We must also learn to give and take in order to forge that consensus and mutual understanding. It is only when we have a common goal and vision that we will be spurred on to even greater heights. Sir, I support the motion. Mr Teo Chong Tee (Changi)( In Mandarin): Mr Speaker, Sir, I support the motion standing in the name of the Member for Hong Kah GRC thanking the President for his Address in Parliament. In his Speech at the opening of the Eighth Parliament, the President listed out education, housing, health care, the pace of changes in Singapore and the personnel management in the civil service as the challenges to be faced by the Government. Sir, I would like to present particularly some views on health care. With an ageing population in Singapore, health care and related expenses are matters which a responsible Government should be very concerned with. As such, a gradual increase in Medisave contribution rate for the working people, particularly those middle-age workers who are already house owners, is a wise move, and it should be popularly supported by the people. However, I feel that we should allow Medisave to be used in a more flexible manner. We should give our people more liberal options.”
“If both parties cannot secure this kind of bondage, the final loser will be Singapore. And I submit that we still need this very strong binding force to pull our society together, because we still lack the natural cohesiveness of a nation. We are but a newly independent state. Therefore, we must consciously work towards mutual understanding and national consensus for the progress of Singapore as a whole. We must ensure that the right kind of political climate continues to prevail. If we cannot, then we may be heading for trouble or even disintegration. How should this be done? Sir, at this point, I would like to draw an analogy. A traditional Chinese family believes in a balanced approach when it comes to parenting. This is manifested in its vocabulary. The term (yanfu) is accompanied with (cimu), that means a strict father and an understanding mother. The firm approach of the father coupled with the soft approach of the mother maintain harmony and happiness in the family. In governing, we also need to have such a balanced approach, ie, the firmness of a father and the tenderness of a mother. Sir, I think yesterday the Member for Tanjong Pagar GRC alluded to a Chinese saying (liangyao ku kou), which means good medicines invariably are bitter. But I think there is nothing to prevent us from making good medicines more palatable. The Chinese physician has long been practising this. They use this item called (gancao). I believe it is called liquorice root which tastes sweet in its prescription. It does no harm. It is like a clown 2in a circus. It provides relief. I think it lessens the bitterness and maybe, in some cases, it can also produce a sweet after taste. So I say: why not, if we can do it? Except maybe for some more sticky problems!”
“But try as we might, we are also constrained by the limitation of our country. Despite our achievements so far, the basics have not changed. And I have no doubt at all that the Government remains committed to improving the standard of living in Singapore. Now, are Singaporeans really worse off? Sir, nothing can be further from the truth. Singaporeans are indeed much better than before. The Government has come out with figures again and again to show how the lives of Singaporeans have improved. Statistics may not tell the full story, but you need only to look around to see how much Singapore and her people have progressed. For example, many are now staying in bigger flats than in the 70s. We also have nearly 300,000 foreign workers working in Singapore. When the Chinese President Yang Shangkun visited a Bishan flat owned by an HDB draftsman, he lamented that it was even better than his own abode. Indeed, the standard of living in Singapore has improved tremendously. But the achievements of Singapore today are the result of a strong binding force that pulls the whole country together to combat widespread unemployment, communism, communalism, corruption and gangsterism. This binding force comes from the PAP. The society rallies around a popularly elected, strong and good Government provided by the PAP. Now, this force is increasingly being undermined and loosened. The bond between the Government and the people is not as strong as before. Yet, Sir, without this binding force, it is going to be difficult for Singapore to compete internationally and achieve our goals of The Next Lap. Because a divided society will surely sap its energy. Thus, it is important that both the Government and the people work out new ways to foster this link.”
“To quote Mr Asad Latiff: 'Whereas earlier it was customary for unpopular policies to be judged against the Government's stated intentions, now, such policies are being judged on their own with the larger purpose, either becoming secondary or, worse, being disbelieved outright.' This signifies decreasing support and trust for the Government and its policies. The effect of privatisation on the public must be of paramount concern. The crucial question to address is: can the people take it at such a pace? Sir, the trend towards privatisation may be inevitable. However, the pace and its implementation need to be fine-tuned. Unpopular policies, if they have to be implemented, can be packaged in such a way so that they are more acceptable and less painful to the people. This will mean going an extra mile to anticipate and manage public sentiments regarding this policy and thus avoid paying unnecessary political cost. The challenge of the Government is then to ensure optimal pace of privatisation without compromising on the competitiveness of Singapore vis-a-vis other newly industrialised countries. In the process, the Government must be seen to be eager in gathering views from the ground concerning Government policies. On the other hand, our people have, firstly, to understand Singapore's need to change and adapt to external push and pull factors and, secondly, our limitations as a small country. Singapore has only this much of land and this much of space for roads. There is always demand for more houses and more cars. Prices of houses and cars will continue to increase because of the demand. Whenever possible, we try very hard to meet the aspirations of the people for bigger houses, better pay cheques and cars.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the President in his Address said that we are now entering a new phase of development. He said: 'Now we face new challenges - how to strengthen national consensus despite the absence of visible danger; how to remind Singaporeans that the basics have not changed, however secure our prosperity may appear;' He also said: 'The new generation of Singaporeans must find fresh answers to these challenges amidst tumultuous international changes. We have to work together productively as one nation ... Then we will fulfil the promise of The Next Lap.' Sir, to fulfil the promise of The Next Lap, we need a right political climate. But what is the political situation now? Firstly, I notice that there are some signs of public disenchantment with the Government. Some people are clearly unhappy. Secondly, there are also emerging signs indicating the loss of political innocence as termed by Straits Times columnist, Mr Asad Latiff, in an article on 5th January this year. It appeared in the Sunday Times. Sir, please allow me to elaborate. On point number one, why are people not happy? I think it has got to do with, first, the painful transition from subsidised education, health care, housing and utilities to a more or less user-pay consumption. Secondly, there is this perception that they are worse off. They feel resentful. Sir, there are very imperative reasons to privatise. Nobody is arguing about that. We need to be cost effective and competitive. It is the side-effect of privatisation and the overwhelming changes it brings that people find it hard to accept or adapt. Notice the trend where people start to criticize the motivation of the Government.”
“Sir, I beg leave to withdraw my amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.”
“But there are also undesirable side-effects, one of which is that many who are concerned, such as the organisers of the various cultural months last year, are now left in a state of uncertainty, if not confusion. The question is where should we go from here. Clearly, a consensus need to be forged, and many Singaporeans are looking towards the Ministry for some directions.”
“Sir, I would like to touch on the issue of cultural development. Sir, in the Addendum to the President's Address, the Acting Minister states that the Government "will preserve and develop our rich multi-cultural heritage". I think this is a very reassuring statement. But this general statement falls short of addressing the question - what approach should we take? Personally, I strongly believe that evolving a Singaporean identity and preserving our multi-cultural heritage should go hand in hand. These two are not mutually exclusive. This is the so-called unity in diversity approach. In case there are still people who do not understand what it means, I think Swizterland is a living example. In fact, the Swiss do not even have a common language, because for each major community, there is their mother tongue as first language in schools. But there is no doubt that the Swiss have over the years evolved their own common identity. In Chinese, I use the term " " (Cun yi qiu tong), that means, "seeking common ground while reserving our differences". Sir, I think we have to face reality. It is just not possible to do away with our ethnic differences overnight, not even decades or generations. We have to take cognizance of these differences - accept them and be tolerant to each other and, at the same time, make efforts to seek common ground. The White Paper on Shared Values did just that. Sir, the debate on what approach we should take in our future cultural development has been going on for quite sometime now. On an issue which is of great importance to us, I think it is only right that all viewpoints should have full airing both inside and outside this House.”
“However, I do not agree with the hon. Member for Serangoon Gardens. It does not mean that we have to get rid of our traditional cultures in order to establish a common culture for Singapore. Although we want to seek common ground we must not eliminate our own traditions. I believe what we need to do is to seek common ground while reserving our differences. So when we promote cultural activities, when we have individual cultural months for the Chinese, Malay or Indian, I think this would not have any adverse effect in developing our common culture. Because to have a Singaporean culture is not something that we can do overnight. If we analyse our so-called Singapore culture, it is an integration of Chinese, Malay and Indian cultures. Maybe in 100 or 200 years later, we may evolve a Singaporean culture. But I think this could not be achieved in the next 25 years or so. Our Singaporean culture is actually a combination of Chinese, Malay and Indian cultures. So we must, at this stage, maintain our individual cultures and traditions and eliminating individual cultures, I think, is not something that we should do.”
“Yesterday, the Ministry of Communications announced that they will be extending the MRT network to Woodlands New Town. It is indeed good news to our people. This enlarged service will benefit the 130,000 people in the northern part of our island. However, I am disappointed that the Ministry of Communications did not announce that they would also extend the service to the north-eastern part of Singapore. Last year, during our debate in Parliament, I requested the Minister for Communications to study the possibility of extending the MRT to the north-eastern part of our country. I presented some statistics. There are about 300,000 people in the north-eastern part of Singapore and these 300,000 people are eagerly waiting for the MRT service to be extended to them. 300,000 is certainly much more as compared to 130,000. By extending the service to the northern part, I believe the Government is trying to attract more people to move to Woodlands New Town. But I would urge the Government to consider extending the MRT system also to the north-eastern part of Singapore because the development in the north-eastern part of Singapore is now in a matured stage. I sincerely hope that the people living in the north-eastern part of Singapore will not be disappointed. Finally, let me talk about our cultural problems. Last year, in June, during a debate in Parliament, I called upon the Government to re-establish the Ministry of Culture. The Government has not re-established the Ministry of Culture but it has set up a new Ministry of Information and the Arts. This Ministry will be responsible for the development of culture in Singapore. I believe, under the able leadership of the Acting Minister, BG Yeo, I am sure this Ministry will contribute greatly to our cultural development.”
“It has successfully eradicated the dialect roots of our younger generation. In the past, those who were English-educated would maintain their dialect roots in their family - Teochew, Cantonese, Hokkien, Hainanese, Hakka, etc. In their family, the prevailing language was their dialect. They had a dialect or language which they could communicate with their parents and their grandparents. The grandparents or other elder people in the family could also use dialect to inculcate the traditional values to their grandchildren. But as a result of this Speak Mandarin Campaign, there is a new environment in our society. We notice that in many Chinese families, either English or Mandarin is used as a means of communication. This gives rise to a situation whereby grandparents who can only speak dialects and grandchildren who can only speak English and Mandarin have lost the means of communication between them. This, I believe, is a very serious matter. But looking from another perspective, the learning of the mother tongue is even more important now because the grandparents could not play the role that they used to play in the past, ie, to inculcate the traditional values to their grandchildren. They are now unable to inculcate these values or their traditional cultures through the use of dialects as they did in the past. So if we do not enhance the teaching of the mother tongue, then they would not be able to do this job. This is something which we must attach great importance to. Now, let me talk about infrastructure. Mr Speaker, Sir, the MRT system has become part of life among our people now. The provision of this service is also an example of the long-term planning of our Government.”
“However, I believe there are still some "black sheep" among us. By "black sheep", I mean some corrupt civil servants who assert their authority to bully the people or to abuse their power, thus causing our people to be frustrated and disappointed with the Government. For these "black sheep", I think the Government should take immediate steps to identify them and expel them from the service. This Service Quality Improvement Unit, I feel, should also serve as an effective channel for the public to complain against some inadequate service in our public service so that quick action can be taken to deal with the complaints from the public, and to study their recommendations for remedy. This Unit will come under the control of the Prime Minister's Office. It is of great significance because this will avoid the defect of bureaucrats shielding one another. Investment on our people, I believe, is very important and it is particularly so in education. Recently, the Ministry of Education has announced plans to improve our secondary and primary schools. This is something of great interest to our people, ie, to allow some pupils to take only one language in their PSLE and to continue taking the second language in their secondary schools. This is a very bold attempt. Some people feel that this will be a deviation from our bilingual policy but this deviation is based on a presumption that learning the mother tongue would hinder the learning of other subjects. As I said, this is only a presumption. Whether or not it is true, only time can tell. Mr Speaker, Sir, learning the mother tongue is very important now, much more than it was before. Over the past 10 years, we have been promoting the Speak Mandarin Campaign. It has been a successful campaign.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, in order to remind my hon. friend, the Member for Serangoon Gardens, that we are still a multi-lingual and multi-cultural society, let me speak in Mandarin. (In Mandarin) Mr Speaker, Sir, the older generation of political leaders and the people of all races in Singapore have already completed their duty in nation-building. They have completed the first lap of the race. Now, the younger generation, the younger leaders have taken over the baton. The new Prime Minister has urged our people to join in the next lap. I earnestly hope that all the people of Singapore will respond positively to this call by the Prime Minister. It is often said, "It is difficult to start a business and even more so to maintain it." We can see that the younger generation of leaders are attaching much importance to maintaining the prosperity that our older generations have achieved for us. This book entitled "The Next Lap" serves as a blueprint for our future development. It is indeed a very important document. It is something which everyone of us should examine and study carefully. In this blueprint, we can see the plans for our future. It is also a goal which we should support and strive to attain. In order to attain this new target, the Government is determined to enlarge the participation of our people in decision making, to make bigger investment in our people and to increase the common and private assets of our people. These are positive approaches towards our nation building. In enlarging participation, I am glad to see that the Government will be setting up a Service Quality Improvement Unit. Mr Speaker, Sir, our civil servants generally are honest and effective. The efficiency of our public sector is well known throughout the world.”
“I would like to ask whether the Minister agrees that the increase in the business sector will inevitably in the end be passed on to the consumers and, therefore, the public as a whole will be worse off rather than they will benefit from the new system.”
“I am asking whether the Minister agrees with these observations.”
“Sir, does the Minister agree with the following observations: (1) That telephone users in general have no complaints about the present system. Cross-subsidisation, yes, but overall, everybody enjoys lower charges and nobody, except maybe Telecom, complains about the so-called unfairness. (2) By changing to the time-based system and going by Telecom's statistics, about 40% of all the users will face increases in their telephone bills. These increases in the business sector ---”
“Sir, is the Ministry aware that many parents were disappointed and very unhappy because their children could not get into these classes as all the places were taken up at the early stages of regis- tration? What steps is the Ministry taking or will be taking to meet the demands of parents?”
“If you multiply by an average of four or five persons per household, it will give you a population of around 300,000. Apart from the HDB estates, along this route we also have very busy business centres such as Little India, Serangoon Town Centre, Hougang Town Centre and so on. Also, I think the HDB estates in Hougang New Town and Punggol are still under construction. They are expanding. Apart from the HDB estates, we also have numerous private housing estates along this route. So there is no lack of critical mass to support the MRT line. My guess is that it would not be less viable than the north west line, but certainly more viable than the Marina Extension. Sir, I would therefore like to urge the Government to take a decision as soon as possible. Ten years is too long.”
“Mr Chairman, Sir, I would also like to see the MRT extend its line, but in a different direction, to the north-east. Sir, on 7th August 1988, a news report said that the Minister had announced a $2.2 billion extension of the MRT from Chinatown to Punggol and Jalan Kayu at his constituency's National Day dinner. According to the newspapers, the Minister even went to the extent of saying, and I quote: "I hope a lot of our local contractors would be able to get a very large share of the contract available." So that report gave hope to an early implementation of Phase 3 of the MRT project. But that hope was dashed in view of the more recent statements made by 1DPM and also the Minister himself. Now the impression given is that it can be as long as 10 to 15 years from now. Sir, the first two phases of the MRT have been completed and the last station, the Boon Lay Station, will be opened by the President sometime in July this year. I would like to urge the Government to immediately launch the third phase. I believe there will be sufficient demand for the north-east line to be viable. Sir, as it is, the north-east route is already densely populated. Upper Serangoon Road, for example, I think the Minister knows, is one of the busiest corridors in this country. In case the Minister is still not convinced, let me give him some figures. I have done a rough count of the number of existing flats along the proposed north-east line. Starting with Selegie and Waterloo area, there are 1,700 units of flats. And then further down, Towner Road/McNair Road/Kempas/St. George's/Bendemeer, there are 7,300 flats. Kolam Ayer, we have 19,000 units. Potong Pasir, 4,000 units. Serangoon New Town, 16,400 units. Hougang New Town, more, 36,000 units. So the total number of units is 67,000 units.”
“Sir, in view of the assurance given by the Minister, I withdraw the amendment for the time being. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.”
“Sir, I think small businesses are particularly worried as this would mean extra cost which would also further undermine their competitiveness. Members of the public are also worried that such an increased cost will eventually be passed on to the consumers. Can the Minister comment?”
“Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head I be reduced by $10 in respect of Code IA 1500 of the Main Estimates. Sir, members of the public are quite concerned about Telecom's intention to charge for local telephone calls. The general feeling is one of apprehension. I think there are two reasons for that. One is that the full details have not been released. Secondly, over the last 1(r) years or so, several changes introduced by the Government and its statutory boards, especially privatisation, have meant for the man-in-the-street higher costs. Although wages have increased, to many wage-earners, it may not be sufficient to offset the increase in the cost of living. Apart from the cost of owning a car, medical fees, school fees in independent schools, tertiary institutions, postal charges, etc, have all gone up. As such, people are generally apprehensive of Telecom's intended move. The rationale given was that under the present system, the majority of telephone subscribers are subsidising the minority. The question is: if the majority are happy and have accepted the present system, why should changes be made? And was there any study or survey done that shows that the majority are unhappy with the present system? Furthermore, what guarantee is Telecom giving to the people that the majority of them will pay less if the proposed change were implemented? Would this proposed change be against the Government's aim of making Singapore into an international communications centre? Has Telecom measured the effect of this proposed change will have on the cost of doing business in Singapore or on the cost of living for all Singaporeans?”
“Sir, in view of the explanation given by the Minister of State, I beg leave to withdraw my amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.”
“Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head L be reduced by $10 in respect of Code LF 3200 of the Main Estimates. Sir, under the proposed changes in the education system, the Institute of Education will be merged with the College of Physical Education to become the National Institute of Education. This combined institution will also be linked to the future Nanyang Technological University, either as a full faculty or as an institute within the university. Sir, IE has a long history of its own and also its own identity. Over the years it has also proven that it is able to stand on its own. So some Singaporeans are of the opinion that such a link-up with NTU will reduce rather than enhance the specialised image of the teaching profession. The question is, why IE could not be left to develop independently and keep its own identity? There are also questions raised as to why should it be affiliated to NTU and not NUS. I hope the Minister can comment.”
“The students should not take the opportunity to show off as in a beauty contest, for example. I therefore urge the Ministry of Education to pay attention to this development. Otherwise, the 'O' level and PSLE students would also follow suit and similarly hold functions in high-class hotels. Then the consequences will be hard to imagine!”
“I am not speaking, Sir. Mr Peh Chin Hua (Jalan Besar GRC)( In Mandarin): Sir, I wish to question the graduation ceremony held by the junior college students. I observe that their ceremonies were different from that of my time when I was a student. During my time, graduation ceremonies were held with mixed feelings - sadness for parting and happiness for graduating - in the school hall which was simple but yet solemn. But, nowadays, some graduation ceremonies of junior colleges are held in high-class hotels and in a luxurious way where the style and expenditure are outrageous. According to a report in the Lianhe Zaobao, students have even spent about $150 to $500 on clothing. This function lasted till midnight, till the wee hours. Some even stayed in the hotel so that they could have the party throughout the night. I am of the view that since students of the junior college have excellent results in the 'A' level examination, with their talents and intelligence they would be an asset to the nation. If today students have cultivated this lavish habit, unlike their ancestors who were thrifty and hardworking, they do not augur well for the image of future masters of our country. I fail to understand why the management of these junior colleges could allow the students to have such luxurious graduation parties. They even joined them in the celebrations. I believe that the Ministry of Education does not intend to encourage students to spend money extravagantly before they start to earn and to forget the virtues of thrift and hard work of their ancestors. I suggest that graduation ceremonies be held in the school hall without lavish expenditure, but as a solemn occasion before they depart from the college.”
“Any move in this direction should not be wrongly perceived as reducing the importance of the mother tongue. Sir, in a nutshell, the success of learning and teaching of the second language depends on a combination of right factors - right motivation, conducive home environment, school environment, good teaching materials and so on. Sir, whilst I am against any move that will erode our bilingual policy, I would like, on behalf of some of my constituents, to take this opportunity to urge the Minister to be more flexible in its implementation, in particular, in respect of a minority group of Singaporeans. I have in mind children from mixed marriage homes. Perhaps parents of such families can be allowed to choose a second language other than Chinese for their children. I have a case of a mixed blood child whose father is a converted Chinese Muslim and the mother is a Chinese Malay mixed blood. The family language is Malay, but the child was asked to take Chinese as a second language. I have appealed on their behalf but the appeal was turned down. I hope the Minister can reconsider this case.”
“Then it will dawn on them that they have much to feel grateful for our bilingual policy and appreciate the effort and time they have spent had not gone to waste. In due course, I am sure also some will definitely realise that they have benefitted from the bilingual policy. They have the best of both worlds. They possess two keys, one to the east and one to the west. So doing away with the second language requirement is also not the right answer to their specific problems. I believe those Singaporeans who have difficulty with Chinese come mainly from the English-speaking homes. Like most of us in this House, they are part of the colonial past. They are monolingual. As parents, the main problem is their inability to provide a conducive home environment for their children to learn Chinese. So to solve the problem, they must hit the nail on the head. In this respect, I think the personal experience of Dr Seet Ai Mee, as reported in the press recently, should be very useful to them. In other words, parents must play their part in helping their children to overcome the difficulty in studying the second language. Schools can also help by identifying students from such family background and offer them special assistance. Perhaps MOE can also work out some programme whereby successful experience of some schools which have been consistently successful in their second language teaching, such as Raffles Girls' School, can be shared by other schools as well. Besides, there is nothing to prevent us from making the learning of second language as interesting as possible through more interesting teaching materials, better teaching methods and so on. As regards the updating of the words list mentioned by the Minister just now, I would urge the Ministry to proceed with care.”
“Sir, the bilingual policy has been the hallmark and cornerstone of our education system. Apart from those who are studying in the SAP schools, most students are taking English as first language and learning mother language at second language level. Nobody, I think, doubts the importance of English. But some still have doubts for the compulsory study of mother tongue, especially Chinese. In particular, they feel strongly against the requirement of compulsory passing of the second language for promotions and entering university. Lately, the second sanguage requirement has also been cited as one of the push factors, pushing some Singaporeans to emigrate. As such, these Singaporeans are advocating that the bilingual policy should be reviewed with the aim to dropping the second language requirement for promotions and entering university. They also urge the Government to consider alternative languages to the Chinese language, such as French, German, Japanese, Italian, and so on, to be an examination subject without the requirement of compulsory passing for promotion. Sir, much as I empathise with these Singaporeans, I cannot agree to their proposal. To do so is like throwing the baby along with the bath water. So removing the second language requirement for promotion in schools and entering university could also mean taking away the most important motivating factor of wanting to learn the language. Kids do not understand the importance of preserving one's own culture and the importance of mother tongue to one's self-esteem, not until they are old enough and maybe after leaving school and perhaps having the opportunity of going through an unpleasant experience like that of Dr Hong Hai.”
“Sir, can I seek one clarification from the Minister? I want to know whether an individual bidder is allowed to bid for only one or more than one licence and whether he or she is allowed to bid for only one category or more than one category at a time.”
“Is the Minister advocating a laissez-faire situation where the schools can fix whatever fees they want? If that is the case, I would say that we stop subsidizing the independent schools. Dr Tony Tan Keng Yam: Sir, I do not follow the reasoning of the Member at all. The parents of the children who go to these independent schools pay taxes, just like you and me. When they pay taxes, their children are entitled to the same per capita grant which will cost the Government to educate the child in a Government or a Government-aided school. Why should we deny these children the per capita grant which they should have because their parents have contributed to the same tax pool?”
“Sir, since the independent schools are still receiving per capita grants from the Government, is it not reasonable to expect that the Government should exercise some checks so that fees in these schools will not be increased and become so exorbitant?”
“Sir, will the criteria for applying a hawker licence be affected?”
“Sir, can the Senior Parliamentary Secretary be more specific as to what aspects of the policy are being reviewed and how long does his Ministry expect to take to complete the review?”