Ho Kah Leong
Singapore
“Sir, the Member is right that the sewerage fees comprise two components, a fixed fee and a variable one. The sanitary appliance fee, which is the fixed fee component, is based on the number of sanitary appliances. It is a charge towards the cost of providing the sewerage infrastructure which I think the Member should have no quarrel.”
“Sir, we do not require canned food to be date marked because they are sterilised during canning and will not spoil over a long period of storage. These foods have a long shelf life. Sir, My Ministry does not intend to date mark all foods since there is no need to, from public health considerations.”
“After months of hard work and with the full cooperation of the Joo Chiat residents to spruce up the neighbourhood, the situation showed immediate and impressive improvements. The number of premises found breeding Aedes mosquitoes dropped. Correspondingly, the number of dengue cases also dropped from 28 in 1993 to 11 in 1994.”
“Yes. The Member also touched on malaria disease. Although Singapore has been declared free from indigenous malaria by the World Health Organisation since 1982, Singapore will always be under the threat of malaria because we have many visitors and foreign workers from malaria-endemic countries in the region.”
“My Ministry will continue to educate the public on how to prevent the Aedes mosquitoes from breeding in their homes and properties. My Ministry will also continue to seek out breeding grounds in public places and tighten our control, surveillance and enforcement measures.”
“Let me now turn to the Member for Jalan Besar GRC. Let me first tell the Member that in the business called "promotion of the arts", even if you have done a lot, there is still a lot to be done.”
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“I beg leave to withdraw my amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.”
“The Minister seems to have forgotten another question which I have raised. May I know whether there are any farmers taking part in this scheme?”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head 93 be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead 202. Sir, I would like to have some information on the intensive farm improvement scheme. May I know how far the scheme has progressed and whether the farmers are taking part in it?”
“I am not moving, Sir. The following amendment stood on the Order Paper Supplement:”
“Sir, I thank the Minister for his explanation, and I beg leave to withdraw. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. The sum of $204,000 for Head 81 ordered to stand part of the Development Estimates. Head 83 - The following amendment stood in the name of Mr Teong Eng Siong That the sum to be allocated for Head 83 be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead 102.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head 81 be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead 103. Sir, it is noted that a sum of $80,000 is provided for the building of a creche at Taman Jurong, i.e., Jurong Town. In moving this amendment, Sir, I merely want to seek information from the Minister as to how and when this creche will be constructed. Inche Othman Bin Wok: Sir, this sum of $80,000 as stated in the Development Estimates is a provision to be released by Government on a dollar-for-dollar basis towards the cost of the proposed Taman Jurong Creche. A tentative site measuring about 210 feet by 146 feet at Taman Jurong has been earmarked for this project. The site is ideal, as working mothers may walk to the creche, leave their children there to be taken care of, catch a bus and go to work. And on their way back, they can stop there, fetch their children and go home. As to when the creche can be completed, I have not seen the money yet and, therefore, I am not able to say. But as soon as we get the money, we will start building.”
“There is a great shortage of such talents. Many of our graduates who have gone abroad for higher studies have not come back. We should adopt the policy of using local talents to teach in Nanyang University. What plans does the University have to encourage its own graduates who have gone abroad for higher studies to come back and take over the key positions in Nanyang University? A year ago the Minister, in answering my question, stated that Nanyang University asked for $20,000 to improve its ventilation facilities. I do not know whether such a provision has been made to improve the ventilation facilities at Nanyang University.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I would like to ask the Minister several questions regarding Nanyang University. From press reports, we know that a College for Post-Graduate Studies was set up on the 20th of this month. It is a milestone in the development of Nanyang University. We welcome the setting up of the college because it will help to train more professional people to serve our country. This college requires a big sum of money to carry out its activities. For example, it must at least have a good building. However, in the Development Estimates of 1970-71, I have not been able to find a provision for this College for Post-Graduate Studies. I would like to know what steps the Government intends to take towards the expansion of this College for Post-Graduate Studies. In his financial statement, the Minister for Finance says the Government intends to recruit overseas scholars and professional people to work here. Of course, the material incentives here are not comparable to those abroad. However, if these scholars want to come and serve here, they do so with a sense of dedication. We should therefore provide them with suitable living accommodation. Ever since the setting up of Nanyang University, many of the quarters for the teaching staff have not been renovated. For example, the dormitories have not been renovated. I think it is time they should be renovated. With the setting up of the College for Post-Graduate Studies, this renovation should be undertaken now. I hope the Minister will ask for more money from his colleague, the Minister for Finance. From the financial policy of the Minister for Finance, we know that, because of the rapid industrialisation programme, we need not only technicians but also managerial and high executive personnel to man our industries.”
“I withdraw my amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. The following amendment stood in the name of Mr Ng Kah Ting - (3) That the sum to be allocated for Head 41 be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead 205.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, since the Government has been giving a lot of assistance to Nanyang University, I would like to know whether it intends to help in its development. I hope the Minister will let the House know what other schemes the Government has in mind to develop Nanyang University.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, apart from the sports complex, may I range over other topics regarding the development of Nanyang University?”
“I crave your indulgence and I hope you will allow me to ask certain questions on the development of Nanyang University. I think it is quite proper for me to talk on the development of Nanyang University since we are discussing the Development Estimates.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head 41 he reduced by $10 in respect of subhead 203*. (* The same amendment also stood in the name of Mr Ch'ng Jit Koon.) Sir, as a graduate of Nanyang University, I am glad to see that more and more financial assistance is being given to the University. Under this item. the Government intends to spend about $700,000 on the sports complex, and this is heartening news. 3.45 p.m. With regard to the building of this complex, I recall that it began when I was still in the University. At that time, only the land was levelled. The complex is about to be completed. I hope the students will make use of its training facilities and build up their bodies. I would now like to ask a few questions on the development of Nanyang University. We read from the press that a College for Post-Graduate Studies was set up on the 20th of this month.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I have two suggestions for the Minister concerned. Firstly, can flower troughs be made for the tenants of Housing and Development Board flats to put flowers along the public corridors in order to beautify the surroundings? At present they do not have a place to put their potted plants except along the public corridors. However, this will be interfered with by the officers of the Housing and Development Board. In order to solve this problem, I hope that the Minister concerned will take positive measures to enable tenants of H.D.B. flats to grow potted plants along the public corridors. The second suggestion is this: Will a swill chute be provided by the H.D.B, for the tenants to throw away their swill? At present, they pour their swill into empty tins or cans and leave them in the common corridor, thereby raising a stinking smell. As a result, inspectors from the Housing and Development Board will interfere with them, saying that this method of disposing of their swill is not clean and healthy. In order to solve this problem, I would ask the Minister concerned whether he can consider erecting a chute or special container so that the tenants will be able to pour their swill down it. It will be more hygienic and will not raise a stinking smell this way. At the moment, the Housing and Development Board is charging the collectors of swill 10 cents per unit for the collection of swill. Some farmers who rear pigs will come and collect it. If there are no containers for the swill, the farmers will not be able to collect it.”
“Sir, I have a point to clarify. The Minister for Finance just now mentioned the building of a community centre and also that provision is ear-marked for the building of a mosque at Kampong Java Teban. I would like to point out that the place is not in Jurong Town. I would like to know whether he intends to build a community centre in the centre of Jurong Town. As regards the Minister's reply that there is no need for a fire station in Jurong Town, I wish to say that I had an argument with the Minister for Social Affairs on this question. The Finance Minister says that it takes a fire engine only five minutes to reach the site of the fire. The Minister for Social Affairs did say that the firemen would take about one minute to be ready to leave the fire station. If that be the case, I think it is incredible that the journey from Bukit Timah to Jurong could be made within four minutes. In view of this, I feel that perhaps the Minister for Finance will reconsider the need for a fire station in Jurong.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I would like to thank the Member for Sembawang for being very concerned about the affairs in Jurong. The reason why I move this amendment is that I would like to seek information on two points. First, can the Minister tell us whether the provision of this $50 million also includes provision for the setting up of a community centre? We all know that in the last few years the development in Jurong has been very rapid and there are now more than 20,000 residents there. 3.00 p.m. At present there is a community centre housed in flat premises. It does not meet the needs of the residents there because it is quite far away from the main residential area. I would like to ask the Minister whether a community centre located in a central point in Jurong Town will be built. The other question is whether this $50 million provision includes the building of a secondary school in Jurong Town. I ask this question because at present there is only one primary school there and it is overcrowded. Therefore, many secondary school students living in Jurong Town have to go to schools at distant places. Can the Minister tell us whether the Jurong Town Corporation intends to build a secondary school in Jurong Town?”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, since the Parliamentary Secretary has agreed that major repairs to roads cannot be undertaken but that minor repairs to them can be considered, I beg leave to withdraw my amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. The following amendment stood in the name of Madam Chan Choy Siong - (5) That the total sum to be allocated for Head 1207 be reduced by $100.”
“This is what I was complaining about the other day - the roundabout way an application has to go through. It may well be that after two or three years there will be no definite reply whether a project can be undertaken. The Urban and Rural Services Committee may not be in favour of a certain project for various reasons. Take the case where it is necessary to metal a road. Of course. I myself will not agree to a rural track being metalled if the place is to be developed very soon. However, even applications for minor repairs have been turned down. I would appeal to the Minister to consider the applications favourably, as the rural people also pay taxes. Therefore, as taxpayers, they have a right to better roads. Even if they are required to remove, they will have to tread along good roads. It will then be easy for them to remove. Since they are obliged to pay taxes, they should be given good roads. What I mean to say is that if major repairs cannot be made to certain roads, then minor repairs should at least be undertaken. This will alleviate the suffering of the evicted people, because if they use the bad roads when removing, they may incur additional expenses. Of course, I realise that the Government has difficulties in matters like this. However, I would urge the Parliamentary Secretary to consider these points. If there are certain holes in the roads, they should be filled up so that the people who are evicted can travel along them more easily.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head 1207 be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead 1551. Mr Speaker. Sir, it is undeniable that since 1959, when the P.A.P. came to power, the Government has been looking into the problem of rural development. The Government has been allocating large sums of money every year to improve the lot of the people in the rural area. This deserves our praise. However, the same position does not apply to my constituency. It has now been designated a developed area. I do not know whether this is fortunate or unfortunate for us. As Jurong has been designated a developed area, the earning of a livelihood here is more difficult than in other constituencies. Applications for any project must go through many departments, and must pass through the hands of many kuans, that is, the Chief Building Surveyor's Department, the Planning Department and also the Jurong Town Corporation. After an application has gone through these departments, it will be sent to the Urban and Rural Services Committee for approval. After this, it will be sent to the Projects Committee. Only after it has been approved by this committee will work on the project commence. Just imagine! An application has to go through many departments. Naturally this is a great waste of time. Usually it will take about one or two years before work on a project will commence. Roads which should have been repaired are neglected. In the course of time, their condition begins to deteriorate. In the end, the Government has to incur more money to repair the roads. Another point is this. If an application is sent to a certain department for approval, it will usually shirk its responsibility and will not deal with it.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, perhaps due to the difficulty in communication between the Minister and me, he has not given any reply to my questions. When the Hansard is published, I hope he will read my suggestions.”
“All this will give the farmers some sort of guidance, instead of letting them go about their business blindly. (2) This board can set up a factory to process any excess agricultural produce and preserve it in cold storage or for export. It can also be canned. (3) The board can give loans to farmers who need them, so as to save them borrowing at high interest rates from moneylenders and from being exploited. (4) More important, the Government can help the farmers by engaging in wholesale buying and selling of agricultural produce. The exploitation by middlemen will therefore be done away with. Since the Government will do all these things for the farmers without making much profit, what little there is can be spent on overhead charges and maintenance, so that both farmers and consumers will benefit. In other words, all the people will benefit from the setting up of this board. Let me reiterate: if the Government is sincere in taking care of agricultural development, now is the time for it to consider seriously how to improve the lot of the farmers.”
“In the end, all their toil and sweat come to nothing. Instead they lose money when they sell. Generally speaking, farmers are poor, so they have to depend on loans not only in the initial stages of farming but also in the process of production. They have to borrow at high interest rates from chit fund companies, grocery shop proprietors, landowners and others. The farmers may have to repay their loans in kind. In the end, the farmers have no control over or say in the prices of their produce. If they transport their produce to distant markets, they cannot make much money, because their produce is limited and the distance is far. Moreover, farm work takes up a lot of time and they cannot assign a person to a particular job. So, as usual, the farmers have to sell their produce through a middleman who can sell it at prices much higher than what they pay to the farmers. Some people may say that our market is a free one and if the farmers are not satisfied with the price paid by one middleman, they can go to another middleman for a better price. But we must know that since the farmers are tied down by their loans and by the other factors that I have mentioned, they are not able to do this. It behoves the Government to lend them a helping hand. The Government cannot shirk its responsibility to the farmers. It has the bounden duty to improve their lot. For these reasons, I urge the Government to set up an organisation - a National Agricultural Planning and Sales Board - to help the farmers, with the following functions: (1) to get specialists to collect information and data and analyse what agricultural produce is best for cultivation, and in what quantity, and when and where to sell it.”
“All along they have been suffering in silence. Because of our economic policy, they have to make some sacrifices for the good of the whole nation. This merits our praise. But the cause of the farmers' suffering is an artificial one, i.e., the prices of agricultural produce are subject to fluctuation, and so at times they have to sell at a loss. How pitiful this is! The difficulties of the farmers and the fluctuation of prices in agricultural produce have been pointed out by me on many occasions, and the reply has invariably been the same - that prices are governed by the law of supply and demand. So the Minister is not in a position to do anything. However, the Government can at least do something to alleviate the farmers' plight. It is to be admitted that since the inception of the Primary Production Department, it has rendered assistance to the farmers in many fields, especially in making an effective check on swine and chicken epidemics, introducing new scientific methods of production and new agricultural medicines to farmers. In general, farmers appreciate such services. However, Sir, when we compare the livelihood of these farmers 10 years ago with their livelihood today, we can see that there is almost no improvement at all. Since the Government is allocating a large sum of money to the National Development Division, we should expect something better from this Department, and the Government should try to improve the standard of living of the farmers. As far as I can see, the main cause of the fluctuation in prices of agricultural produce is random production. For instance, whenever there is a festival, the farmers will try to produce more in order to sell at a higher price. But since all farmers have the same idea, more will be produced and so prices will fall.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, if the farmers' land is affected by clearance, then their lives will be more miserable. Normally, when a certain piece of land is earmarked for development, it is acquired by Government and then put under the control of a statutory organisation. Usually, on a change of landlord, their rent is increased and their burden naturally becomes heavier. Prior to the actual development of the site, the farmers are notified not to engage in agricultural activities any more in view of immediate resettlement. It is true that in order to avoid unnecessary losses, the farmers dare not engage in agricultural activities any more. However, Sir, sometimes the farmers have been waiting for three or four years, and there is still no sign of resettlement. So during this waiting period, they have no income from agricultural activities. They have to maintain their livelihood on their previous savings. It is envisaged that they lead quite a hard life. When the time comes for their resettlement, their houses, fruit trees and vegetable crops which are the result of their years of toil, have to be abandoned overnight. They have to make use of the small sum of compensation and start everything all over again when they have been resettled in the resettlement area. Moreover, when they are resettled in new sites, the land allocated to each of them is not more than 14 acres. Since the land area is smaller than what they had previously, their agricultural produce will be less. Their income is accordingly less. Also, when they are resettled at the new site, they have to spend some money on building a house. This will have a higher assessment and they have to pay increased property tax. They also have to pay other overhead charges. All this will impose an additional burden on them.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, on the 9th of this month the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Law and National Development (National Development Division), in answer to a question raised by me, said that by the end of last year there were 20,357 registered farms and the registered farmers numbered 53,291 people. In addition to the members of their families, there were altogether about 175,400 people engaged in agricultural activities or depending on agricultural activities for their livelihood. They raised about $245 million worth of agricultural produce - an achievement that went unnoticed by other people. If they had not brought forth such a huge amount of agricultural produce, we would have lost an equivalent sum in foreign exchange. They also produced supplementary foodstuffs such as pigs, chickens, eggs and others. Some of them were exported, thus earning for Singapore quite a large sum of money in foreign exchange. 3.45 p.m. We can thus see that these farmers play a very important role in our national economy. But, Sir, most of them are very poor. They have to work very hard, going out to the farms in the early morning and working there until late in the evening. Almost every member of the family has to do his share of work. Even if he is a student, he has to help when he comes back from school. But the prices these farmers get for their agricultural produce are normally very cheap, and therefore they find it difficult to make ends meet. At times they may be able to sell their produce at higher prices and so make more money, but they have to set aside part of their money to tide them over difficult times, such as when prices are low or when a misfortune befalls them, as happened in last December's flood, and in the recent drought when they incurred heavy losses.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I am satisfied with some but not all of the replies of the Parliamentary Secretary. As regards the farmers' applications for permission to build chicken pens or pigsties, I did not say that the Primary Production Department did not assist the farmers. I said that the Department has since given them a great deal of assistance. What I complained about was that the various departments did not seem to co-ordinate well. For example, when an application to build a chicken pen with a maximum height of 8 feet went to the Building Surveyor's Department for approval, it was rejected because the height was more than the allowed maximum of 6 feet. So there is a lack of co-ordination among the various departments. The Parliamentary Secretary has also asked me to name the officers who did not know that I am no longer a member of the Urban and Rural Services Committee. I can tell him that these officers are in the Electricity Department of the Public Utilities Board. In regard to the procedures in connection with the removal of stand-pipes, as far as I know, the Members of Parliament concerned were not informed. It is only just now that I have heard the Parliamentary Secretary inform the House of these procedures. The Parliamentary Secretary dare not admit that the Ad Hoc Committee was in the wrong to disconnect those stand-pipes which should not have been removed, but since he has promised to lay water mains in the areas concerned, I beg leave to withdraw my amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, since the Minister is not here, can I wait till tomorrow to move my amendment?”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I am still not quite satisfied with the Minister's reply, and I am not prepared to withdraw. Question on the amendment put, and negatived. The following amendment stood in the name of Madam Chan Choy Siong: (7) That the total sum to be allocated for Head 1101 be reduced by $100.”
“Sir, I am not quite satisfied with the Minister's reply. He says that he will do his best. Can he tell the House what efforts have been made by the Registrar of Co-operatives in this direction?”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I am not quite satisfied with the Minister's reply. He has admitted that the farmers and fishermen are rather poor in organisational and administrative ability. That is exactly why I have suggested that the initial stages of operating these co-operatives should be looked after by the Registrar of Co-operatives. He can gradually train the farmers and fishermen so that later on they themselves can take over the functions. We should not take the attitude of just sitting down here and waiting for the farmers to come forward before extending our help.”
“They would like to set up co-operatives, but they lack the experience. Therefore, Government should help them by organising and administering these co-operatives. Perhaps the Registrar of Co-operatives could take the initiative to set up these farming co-operatives, and in the initial stages have complete charge of their administration. Then the farmers could gradually take over these co-operatives in stages. This arrangement will, of course, impose an additional burden on the Registrar of Co-operatives, but as it will directly benefit the farming community, I am sure this socialist Government will not neglect its responsibility in this field.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head 1101 be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead 1261. Sir, I would like to raise a question on fishing and farming co-operatives. According to statistics produced by the Primary Production Department, the number of farmers and their families now in Singapore is 170,000. Their annual produce is worth $250 million. This shows that they play a very important part in the economy of our country. Therefore, they should receive proper treatment and protection from the Government. But if we take a close look at their life, we will find that it is, unfortunately, a hard one. They get up very early in the morning to work in the fields and return very late at sunset. Their income is just sufficient to cover their basic necessities. Mr Speaker, Sir, the main reason for their hard life is that they are exploited by the middlemen. They put in a lot of effort to produce a crop, but the profits are taken by the middlemen. The prices we pay in the market for their produce are two or three times higher than the prices paid by the middlemen. We should pay attention to this fact. The characteristic of our farming industry is the smallness of the farm. If a farmer transports his produce to a market which is a great distance away, it will not be worth his while as there are other factors involved. The best solution, I think, is for the Government to help the farmers set up farming co-operatives. I do not know what the Government has done for them in the past, but if I understand it correctly, the Registrar of Co-operatives is adopting a passive attitude towards the farmers in regard to the setting up of co-operatives for them. I think Members will agree with me that our farmers generally have a low education.”
“Sir, I have heard this explanation more than once. I hope the Minister will consider this matter seriously and ask the Minister for Finance for the necessary funds to set up a fire station in Jurong Town. Sir, I beg leave to withdraw. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.”
“Thank you, Sir. As I was saying, there are fire stations at Alexandra and Bukit Timah but they are quite a distance from Jurong Town. It takes at least 15 minutes to reach Jurong Town from Alexandra and Bukit Timah if there is no traffic along the way. Sir, the road to Jurong is very busy nowadays. It is not like before. During peak hours, the traffic is heavy along this road. If a fire were to break out at a factory during peak hours, the factory would be completely burnt down before the arrival of a fire engine. Sir, I urge the Minister to consider seriously the setting up of a fire station in Jurong Town so that the factories and the residents there will feel secure.”
“Yes, Sir. But as I have given the reason for moving this amendment under this head at the beginning of my speech, may I be allowed to proceed?”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head 1101 be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead 1001*. (* The same amendment also stood in the name of Madam Chan Choy Siong.) Sir, under this amendment, I would like to raise this point and I hope the Minister will pay careful attention to it. I have previously raised this matter twice in this House, but it has not been resolved. Therefore, I hope the Minister will seriously consider it. This concerns the setting up of a fire station in Jurong. I am sure the Minister must be aware that the development of Jurong Town has been very rapid. At present, there are more than 200 factories in Jurong and more than 20,000 residents. Many factories are engaged in chemical work, and inflammable materials are used. Jurong is a big town and yet there is no fire station at all. This is ridiculous. I understand that in 1968, there were 25 fire calls in Jurong, four of which were false alarms. In 1969, there were 21 fire calls, four of which were false alarms. There were at least two fires which razed part of the factories to the ground. Sir, in the past, in answering my question, the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Social Affairs said that there are already fire stations in Alexandra and Bukit Timah and there is no necessity of having another fire station in Jurong Town. The Chairman: Mr Ho, the Fire Brigade comes under Head 1103.”
“Madam Chan Choy Siong: (5) That the sum to be allocated for Head 1001 be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead 1301. Madam Chan Choy Siong: (6) That the sum to be allocated for Head 1001 be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead 1355. Mr Tay Boon Too: (7) That the sum to be allocated for Head 1001 be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead 1371.”
“Sir, can the Parliamentary Secretary inform the House which department is responsible for ascertaining the number of households?”
“(7) That the sum to be allocated for Head 0901 be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead 1556.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I am not quite satisfied with the reply given by the Minister. I am not prepared to withdraw my amendment. Question on the amendment put, and negatived.”
“Sir, the Minister has not replied to my question.”
“I hope the staff in the Ministry of Education will pay more respect to the teachers' unions of all the language media.”
“If this can be done, the parents will not have to produce the same documents for checking year after year. Teachers will also not have to waste too much time in filling up the attendance register which, except for recording the students' attendance, is not being fully made use of. I wonder what the Minister thinks of this proposal. Mr Speaker, Sir, teachers from the different language media have their own unions. However, these unions do not count for much in the eyes of the officials of the Ministry of Education. Whenever there is any proposed change in the curriculum or some innovation in the educational system itself, the teachers' unions have no opportunity to express their views. If there is any reform in the educational system, they are not notified. Needless to say, whenever there is any educational function organised by the Ministry of Education, they are not invited. It should be noted that teachers have direct contact with the students. Their study problems and practical needs are better known to the teachers. If the teachers' unions are consulted whenever there is a change in the educational system, I believe they can make a valuable contribution. Unfortunately, it is only when something is amiss that the Ministry of Education will consult the teachers' unions, and perhaps make them share part of the blame. For instance, last year, the Ministry of Education devised a teacher's record book which proved to be impracticable. As a result, the Ministry convened a conference of teachers' unions at the beginning of the year to consider the matter. In the end, a new teacher's record book suitable for use by the teachers was devised. Sir, usually it is only when things are in a mess that the Ministry will consult the teachers' unions and ask them to help clear it up.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I hope the Minister for Education will consider two points which I am going to raise. First, in answer to a question in this House on the 9th of this month, the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Education said that he was aware of the inconvenience experienced by the parents of students when they were asked to produce certain documents at the commencement of each school year. These documents are necessary because class teachers are required to fill in the attendance register many details concerning the students and their parents or guardians. There is also a standing instruction that there must be no eraser marks in the register, and no unnecessary cancellation of words wrongly written. Filling in the entries in the attendance register is one of the factors whereby school inspectors assess the teachers' efficiency. Consequently, the teachers cannot help but check all the relevant documents meticulously before they enter the particulars in the attendance register. Teachers, therefore, have to spend a lot of time and energy in order to get the register accurate and up to date. However, if it really serves some practical purpose, there is nothing to be said about it. But, as the name implies, the attendance register is mainly used for recording the students' attendance. The detailed particulars of the students and their parents which have been entered in the register at so much sacrifice of time and energy are seldom, if ever, used. Should the occasion arise when such information is really necessary, it can easily be found in the students' school record cards. May I ask the Minister for Education whether the attendance register now being used by all schools in Singapore can be simplified and made more practical?”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I shall make good use of it. (In Mandarin): Mr Speaker, Sir, just before the adjournment last Friday, I was talking about students being too busy to study because they have to take part in extra-curricular activities in order to get more marks. Sir, students almost have to attend a full-day session every day, so much so that when they reach home they are practically exhausted. Consequently, the standard of their lessons in school has dropped. Another point I wish to mention is that the grading of marks for participating in extra-curricular activities is rather odd, and gives the impression of being unfair to the students. For instance, in certain extra-curricular activities there is no representative from --”
“This could be found in Hansard, Vol. 29, No. 1 (cols. 6-7). Fifteen months have already passed since the discussions were started. I would ask the Minister not to delay further consideration of this issue. 5.13 p.m.”
“In order to support the expansion of our industries, the authorities have decided to relax the immigration laws so that those with specialised technical skills could come and live in our country and look for jobs, whereas in the past they had to get a job first before they could be allowed to settle down here. On the one hand, the Minister for Finance has provided for a larger amount of money to impose stricter immigration laws, whereas, on the other hand, he is relaxing immigration laws. Is this not a paradoxical situation? There are some young people in our country who, because they are afraid of national service or for other reasons, go overseas to study, and, after the completion of their studies, they do not come back. This is a form of brain drain. The Government should do something to make these people come back and play their part. Mr Speaker, Sir, I have noticed that the vote for the Ministry of Health has shown a significant increase. The increased provision will, of course, mean that the people will get better medical services. This is most commendable. I would like to make use of this opportunity to ask the Minister for Finance what has happened to his promise that he would consider the extension of medical benefits to the staff of Government-aided schools? When is this extension going to be implemented? I would like to remind him that on the 11th June of last year in this House, the Parliamentary Secretary, in reply to a question put by me, said that the question of the extension of medical benefits to the staff in Government-aided schools was under discussion by the Ministries of Finance, Health and Education at the beginning of 1969. The Parliamentary Secretary had promised that the question would be given speedy consideration.”
“It does not depend on new taxes or higher taxes for its revenue. This is a very wise and praiseworthy move. I notice that the Minister, in order to improve the efficiency of tax collection, has set up a new Anti-Evasion Unit with 52 posts. This makes me think that the number of tax evaders must be quite considerable, otherwise it would not be necessary to expand this Unit. I would like to tell the people who evade taxes that paying taxes is their duty. To evade paying taxes is despicable and immoral conduct. There is a Chinese saying which goes something like this: "What we obtain from society should be used for the good of society." The monetary wealth that people acquire from society should not be exclusively for their own use. Part of it should be used to improve the living conditions of the poorer sections of the community. It would be very selfish of them to keep it for their private use. I would like to ask these people to think again and to abandon this form of selfish conduct. I would like to ask the Minister to punish severely those who evade taxes constantly, because, if nobody attempts to evade taxes, it would not be necessary for the Minister to set up this Anti-Evasion Unit, and the expenditure for it could be utilised for other projects which would be beneficial to our people and our country. Mr Speaker. Sir, from the Budget speech of the Minister for Finance, we all know that, as a result of the rapid expansion of our industries, there is a severe shortage of engineers, technicians and skilled labour.”
“At the beginning of the l970s and in the midst of the withdrawal of the British Armed Forces, the wise and resourceful Minister for Finance has presented a painless Budget, without introducing any new taxes or any increase in the rate of old taxes. Needless to say, this budget will be welcomed with great joy by people from all walks of life. He has given us encouragement, as we step into the l970s. He has also given us a greater degree of confidence in the future of our country. What we are glad and proud of is that about four years ago, after we were forced to leave Malaysia, all the people managed to pull themselves together and, in a concerted effort, put in a great deal of hard work, thereby producing the fruits of the labour we see today. We have laid a firm foundation for our permanent survival. Our economy has progressed by leaps and bounds each year. Our Gross Domestic Product has increased every year. Our industries have thrived. In fact, what we are facing now is not the problem of creating more employment opportunities, but the problem of the shortage of labour. In short, the task of our nation building has had a very favourable beginning. As long as we all learn from the experience of our predecessors and work hard, the prosperity we enjoy now will be maintained and further enhanced. However, we should not forget that there are some people around us who would like to see us fail. For this reason, we cannot afford to be careless in the least. We cannot afford to relax. We must stand firm in our position and progress from strength to strength. The Minister for Finance has told the House that the financial policy of the Government is based on the rapid economic growth and relies on the im proved administration to increase the revenue of the country.”
“Will the Parliamentary Secretary inform us which type of farmers will be allocated land when they are affected by clearance?”