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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“But anyone who has read and studied it will find that it is nonetheless close to that of a formal Commission of Inquiry. Therefore, I would like to congratulate him and his Study Team for having carried out their task so splendidly. The Prime Minister's letter expressing his views on the Report is also most unique and revealing. At first, I was of the view that it would have been better if the Prime Minister's letter had not been included or published, so that the public and we, hon. Members, including me, can give their views or our views freely without any inhibition whether to accept, reject or amend the Report and without the shadow of acceptance by the most important figure in the country, i.e. the Prime Minister. But, after having considered this carefully, I find that it is for this very reason that the true worth and value of the Report is felt. We human beings are not infallible. There will always be others who agree or disagree with the views of the two most important personalities in the State, i.e. the Prime Minister and the Deputy Prime Minister - that the problem of language, which was so sensitive in the 5O's, 60's and in 1970, can now be faced and discussed openly. Due to the seriousness of the problem, though somewhat extraordinary, the Group Editor of the Straits Times has seen fit to write an open letter on the front page to Hon. Members of Parliament inviting them to openly express their views. This reflects the concern of the press community who have the important role of conveying correct information to the public at large. To obtain correct information from the pages of the papers is the absolute right of readers and the absolute right of the people.”
“Sir, the Prime Minister has set a very high standard of ideals for a teacher befitting the respect given to him by the society. Teachers are expected not only to teach diligently in schools but also to set a good moral example outside schools. In the context of Singapore today, where gambling, crime, vice, bars and night clubs are so prevalent, a teacher has to resist all these temptations. A great effort! A near Superman! And for all that he has done and shown, he,should be better rewarded, both materially and morally. Sir, the success of any education system is dependent on the executors at the ground level, i.e. the teachers, who are in physical contact with the pupils for whom the system is designed. The success or failure of a system very much depends on the willingness of the teachers to give of their best. As teaching is considered a conscientious job, it is only when the teachers enjoy job satisfaction that they can act not only as mere knowledge transmitters but also moral exemplars. A generation of Singaporeans can only come of age through the dedicated teachings of their mentors - the teachers. Sir, in the light of the misgivings I have mentioned, I can only support the Motion in the name of the Hon. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education with reservation. 5.39 p.m. Encik Sidek bin Saniff (Kolam Ayer)( In Malay): Mr Speaker, Sir, after only six months of being assigned to look into the problems in the Ministry of Education, the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education, and his Study Team have submitted a comprehensive report to the Prime Minister, In his letter to the Prime Minister, the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education stated that his studies cannot be likened to that of a Commission of Inquiry.”
“The number of 140 teachers against a total teaching force of 20,000 is but less than 1%. The morale of a teacher is affected in many ways, such as the many changes in education policy without prior notice, unattractive salary structures with little promotion prospects, heavy workload and low social status. I am glad that the authorities concerned will do something about this. While enhancing the status and image of teachers, the pupil/teacher ratio should be favourably reduced in order that more effective teaching can be implemented. As far back as 9th April, 1964, Prof. Lim Tay Boh, in his final report of the Commission of Inquiry into Education, had recommended that the size of class enrolment in primary schools be brought down to 30-35 and in secondary schools to 25 - 30. To-date, most of our classes, irrespective of primary or secondary, are still filled to capacity at 44 pupils per class, Since our economic situation can now afford increasing expenditure on education, the size of class enrolment should be reduced as soon as possible. Sir, the Study Team also recommended that the assessment of teachers and the preparation of Staff Confidential Reports be left in the hands of Senior Assistants or Senior Subject Teachers. The Principals serve only as the counter-signing officers. While this system will lighten the load of Ministry officials, it has the defect that the reporting officer tends to abuse his power, or show favouritism to certain colleagues in the same school. It is difficult to ensure objective assessment. This will later give rise to incessant complaints and disputes. If this assessment system cannot be done away with, cross-assessment of teachers by assessors from other schools might be a better idea.”
“The Science and Mathematics textbooks used in the Chinese schools are the same as those used in the English schools. They are written with English as a first language in mind. To pupils of Chinese schools, these textbooks are as difficult, if not more difficult, than the readers. Pupils have to spend extra time learning the language as well as the contents. The ideal situation would be to have a different set of textbooks for different language levels of pupils. Sir, the pre-primary programme was introduced in our schools this year and the response has been encouraging. This House heard from the Senior Minister of State for Education the other day [Hansard, 15-3-791 that by 1983, all children above the age of five will be given a place in the pre-primary classes. It can be seen that the Government is placing more and more importance on pre-primary education. I would therefore think that pre-primary education should be incorporated in the formal education system. Sir, as it is now, pupils who are not academically inclined are channelled to the VITB to receive some sort of vocational training. This means that more pupils in the monolingual stream are to be channelled to the VITB. A logical consequence one can think of is to put the VITB under the purview of the Ministry of Education. In the quest for streamlining the administration of the Ministry Headquarters and ease of co-ordination and control, consideration should therefore be given to the taking over of the VITB by the Ministry of Education. Sir, the conclusion drawn by the Study Team, based on a sample survey of 140 teachers that the morale of teachers is not low, leaves much to be desired, as pointed out by the hon. Member for Bedok just now.”
“Further, as stated by the Member for Moulmein just now, the mentality of the majority of Singapore parents must be taken into consideration. They will hardly admit that their children are slow learners without having undergone any substantial tests or examinations. What is the yardstick, criterion, or measure that can convincingly prove to them that their children are classified in the less-able lot? One better alternative to streaming is the provision of double promotion for bright pupils. Sir, the Study Team has quite correctly pointed out that parents might pull their children out if they are put into the monolingual stream. But it further suggested debarring these dropouts from attending courses held by the Vocational and Industrial Training Board. These dropouts will then be at the age of 12 years or so. To debar them from taking a vocational training course will only add to the social problem of juvenile delinquency. A point to consider is whether the Government is bold enough to fix a compulsory school leaving age for all pupils. Sir, I agree with the Hon. Prime Minister in his disagreement with the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education on the finding that an increase in Language Exposure Time does not improve the proficiency in that language. According to the principles of pedagogy, the more you are in contact with that language, the greater the chances of your mastering the language. The Prime Minister attributed the paradox to those same teachers who formerly taught Science and Mathematics in Chinese and who are therefore not competent enough to teach the subjects in English. This may be one of the contributing factors. But many people do not realise that it is the textbooks that hinder progress in the learning of the language.”
“Further, the lowering of the standard of Chinese language will result in having less qualified Chinese teachers or even none in time to come. I hope the Hon. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education will seek the views of the professionals in his Ministry and give a second thought to this matter before making a decision. Sir, judging from the recommendations of the Study Team, Singapore will eventually have one type of schools where English and a second language, be it Mandarin, Malay or Tamil, are taught. Schools will no longer be branded with the language stream. This is a move in the correct direction. In this way, the congestion in certain schools can be avoided and the Government can have a better deployment of pupils in schools where the facilities can be put to optimal use. However, Sir, the proposed streaming of pupils in Primary 3 or 4, a main feature of the new education system, is something which should be carried out with flexibility and dexterity, especially when the first three years in school are mainly devoted to language learning. The streaming is aimed at reducing attrition. Has the Study Team ever thought that when streaming is effected, the attrition of the bright pupils will be far more costly than the other categories of pupils? Let me explain this. In the kingdom of the blind, the one-eyed is king. But he will soon feel inferior once he is put among ordinary men with normal sight. In the same way, the lower grade of bright pupils in the midst of other bright pupils where competition is invariably keener will soon lose self-esteem and self-reliance, resulting eventually in losing self-confidence altogether.”
“I think the Prime Minister has rightly stated in his reply that the objective is "to educate a child to bring out his greatest potential, so that he will grow up into a good man and a useful citizen". Surely, the proficiency in any one language is not the ultimate aim of our education system, for language itself is but a tool for one to acquire other knowledge as well as the fundamental principles to live in a civilised way with his fellow citizens. The increasing number of white-collar crimes surely is a cause for alarm and, therefore, underlines the paramount importance of moral education, even more so in the case of the brighter students as pointed out by the Member for Delta earlier on. However, I do not totally agree with the statement that raising the standard of English should be done at the expense of the other languages. I disagree, in particular, with the proposal that the standard of Chinese for the brighter pupils should be one grade lower than the present level. I think the brighter pupils can cope with it as it has been proven up to now that they can do so. If they do find difficulties in learning two languages at the same level, adjustment can always be made in the curriculum to lighten their lesson load. Few people seem to realise that as a result of discarding the teaching of Classical Chinese in recent years, the standard of Chinese in our schools, both English and Chinese streams, has been consequently lowered. I am not a language chauvinist, but I think it is a pity that Singapore has not been established as a research centre for Chinese language and literature in this part of the world, despite the fact that we have all the potential.”
“For example, when the Ministry took a cautious approach in working out plans to improve the standard of English in Chinese schools on the Prime Minister's directive, it was criticised for reacting too slowly. And when the Ministry managed to develop the relevant curriculum and produce a set of textbooks for the Basic Course in a matter of five months, it was chided for being too hasty. Again, the Ministry officials were highlighted for their unwillingness to accept responsibility. I think this phenomenon is not unique or peculiar to the Ministry of Education. It is, unfortunately, a common syndrome in many of our civil servants who are so afraid of making decisions, especially at a time when too many "top-down" instructions were not always consistent. The bureaucratic disease which leads into the belief that "more work, more mistakes; less work, less mistakes; and no work, no mistakes," is rampant in the public service. Sir, the Basic Course, which was initiated two years ago, provides room for the slow learners and I do not know why its termination should be hastened, as recommended, simply because of poor response. It is obvious and natural that at the initial stage of any educational innovation, there are bound to be teething problems. I am told that this year the response to the Basic Course has improved greatly. The only defect of the Basic Course, as I see it, is that it does not provide opportunities for lateral movement for late developers to return to the main stream. Sir, the Study Team asserts that the basic objective of our education system should be to produce school leavers who are literate in at least one language.”
“Of course, there are other members of the Study Team who have also gone through our education system. Sir, the point here is, whether the present system really warrants a major change. Parents have been complaining of the many and abrupt changes in education policy all these years, that their children are no more than guinea pigs in the education "innovative" experiment. With the revised primary education system introduced in 1976 and the revised secondary education system in 1978, things are just settling down and results are still awaited. One cannot help but ask: when will the changes in education policy come to a stop? The Study Team, in its findings, asserts that the attrition rates under the present system are high, but it does not mention how far the suggested education system can rectify this wastage. Taking what it is today, in the context of a tight labour market, no one, including the premature school leavers, seems to have difficulty in securing a job if he so desires. It is true that the career prospects of Chinese stream students are less promising than those of English stream students. But when they enter the labour market, they can pick up English in a couple of years and their career prospects may henceforth be improved. Are we going to raise the literacy level to the extent that even graduates have to work as dish-washers in restaurants? Sir, I do not propose to defend the Ministry of Education. I am in no position to do so. But as a third party, however, I feel that justice must be done to some of the hardworking officials in the Ministry, as some of the criticisms on the Ministry of Education are subjective and contradictory.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the presentation of the Report on the Ministry of Education to Parliament for debate comes at the conclusion of the annual Budget debate. This gives hon. Members very little time to make a thorough study of the Report, still less a second thought, on the recommendations made therein. The Report, comprehensive and elaborate in nature, and covering a wide range of educational matters, is indeed an important document in the history of education in Singapore. The Hon. Prime Minister, in his reply to the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education, has highlighted almost every main aspect, whether defective or progressive, in our present education system. He also vividly points out the direction in which our education should follow. I think very few people can disagree with him. Sir, the Report, as well as the reply from the Hon. Prime Minister, can well be a thesis for a doctorate. Therefore, within the time constraints and in the absence of data and statistics, our comments or deliberations, at least for me, can only be fragmentary and incomplete, although we do our utmost to voice our views conscientiously. By virtue of my association with the education service in the past 15 years, I would like to frankly bring out a few points for the consideration of the Hon. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education. Sir, though our educational objectives may have been vague in the past, we must admit that the education system, since the People's Action Party took office in 1959, has not been grossly wrong. The fact that the secretary of the Study Team, who I believe has drafted the Report, is a 24-year old talented young scholar proves the point because even such a talented person is the product of our education system.”
“Sir, I just want to seek some information from the Minister concerned or his Parliamentary Secretary. The sum to be allocated under this Subhead is for the acquisition of books and other materials for loan to the public. I just want to know what is the policy and criteria for the acquisition of books, periodicals and other materials. Secondly, I just want the Minister or his Parliamentary Secretary to give breakdown figures and their related percentages on the number of books acquired last year in terms of (1) language stream; (2) origin; and (3) level.”
“Sir, unfortunately I was expelled from this Committee. Sir, the Hon. Parliamentary Secretary has just informed the House that the Ministry of Finance has very generously increased the vote for cultural promotion in the coming financial year. This is indeed a good sign as it shows that the Government is beginning to recognise the importance of cultural promotion. In this respect, may I make a humble request? Will the Ministry of Culture consider rendering financial assistance to the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts which is said to be in financial difficulties? The Academy, which was set up some 40 years ago, is the only institute that provides formal training to would-be artists. A great majority of our artists today, including the artist who is doing sketches of Members in this Chamber at this moment, are graduates of this Academy. As the Academy has contributed much towards the promotion of art in our country, I think it is time the Ministry of Culture did something to help the Academy, within the limits of its resources.”
“Sir, in his reply, the hon. Parliamentary Secretary mentioned that the Cultural Foundation Fund would not be used until it had earned interest from investment. Can the Parliamentary Secretary enlighten this House whether the investment is a short-term or a long-term one? If the investment is a long-term one, does it mean that in the interim any cultural activities will not be financed by the Cultural Foundation? Dr Ow Chin Hock: Sir, the investment is a short-term one. We hope that by June this year, it will generate some $30,000 of income from interest. I must clarify one point and, that is, we do not have to wait until the $5 million target is achieved before we give financial assistance, provided the amount applied for is modest. Apart from the Cultural Foundation, I would like to mention that we do have a vote given by the Ministry of Finance to assist the cultural bodies. Thanks to the generosity of the Ministry of Finance, the vote has been increased 10 times from $10,000 to $100,000.”
“Sir, may I speak now so that I need not move my amendment later on?”
“According to him, he has to close his shop and terminate his business temporarily, as there is no one else to help him. He also said that since the authorities did not allow him further deferment, he dared not accept any orders from his customers during the past two weeks for fear that he might not fulfil the orders in time. He knows that he has already lost many customers. He expects to lose more in the coming two weeks. He is very concerned about his poor business and what would become of it in the future. 6.05 p.m. [Mr Deputy Speaker in the Chair] Sir, the few examples that I have cited here are all real cases. Whenever I hear their problems, I feel very sorry for them. Therefore, on their behalf I would like to plead to the Minister concerned to listen to their difficulties and to give sympathetic consideration to those who are self-employed and who are the sole breadwinners in the family by releasing them from NS reservist duties. If it is impossible to grant total exemption, perhaps the Minister could consider arranging some other form of training for them during the weekends and at nights or after office hours. This is a reasonable request. I hope the Minister would agree.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, going back to the camp for retraining for two or three weeks not only causes him to lose his income but also causes inconvenience to the students, the factory workers and the office workers. He has made representations to the authorities concerned and asked to be excused from reservist retraining but he was not granted deferment by the Minister concerned. However, as a gesture of sympathy, the authorities concerned specially allowed him to go back during the school holidays. However, this arrangement was of no great help to the school bus driver because on returning after his re-training, he found that most of his patrons, the students, factory workers and office workers had changed over to other transport operators and he could not simply pull them back. There was another case of a tailor. After finishing two years of national service in August 1973, he became an NS reservist. After his father passed away two years ago, he took over the small man's tailor shop and ran it alone. He has an old sick mother, a wife and three daughters, the eldest being six years old and the youngest less than a year old. He had a younger brother, but he died when he was serving his national service. His mother was unable to bear the agony of losing her beloved son and became mentally deranged. In the first few years that followed, the authorities concerned were sympathetic and allowed him deferment. However, this year, they did not allow him any more deferment. He had just gone back to camp on the 19th of this month (last Monday) for training. Last night he begged leave from his senior officer or his supervisor to go back to see his mother. He also came to my party branch and told me of his grievances.”
“Thus he can meet his old colleagues and spend one to three weeks to brush up his military training. In addition to reviewing what he has learnt in military techniques and knowledge, he can also learn some new techniques. This scheme of annual in-camp retraining is very important, as it enables our reservists to maintain their highest capability to fight during any emergency. Otherwise the previous 2 1/2 years' full-time service will be an unnecessary waste. Most reservists understand the rationale behind this and they are very happy to accept the need for retraining. Going back many times for retraining makes these reservists realise that the military service has given them a greater interest in life. However, there are a few exceptions, especially those who are self-employed, like the newspaper vendors, school bus drivers, and tailors. These people have to work in order to make a living for themselves and their families. Having to go back for retraining will cause some inconvenience and difficulty to them and their families. Their problem is not only the loss of income, because they can always apply to the authorities concerned for a make-up pay. Their real problem is that when they go back for retraining their rice bowl is broken. For example, if he is a newspaper vendor he will have to leave his stall for three weeks during his retraining period. By the time he returns he finds that all his customers have gone away, and so his livelihood is affected. 6.00 p.m. The same is true of other self-employed reservists. For example, in the case of a school bus driver whom I met, he told me that the livelihood of his family depended on him. He is the one who drives his own mini-bus carrying pupils to and from school, factory workers and office workers to and from work.”
“Sir, I paid a visit to the fish market sometime last month and I did not know that the Primary Production Department had patched the potholes so quickly. I must congratulate the Primary Production Department in this regard. With regard to the wharf facilities, I hope work can be expedited so that the fish merchants will not have to suffer any longer. On that note, I beg leave to withdraw my amendment. Amendment by leave, withdrawn. The sum of $198,926,100 for Head U ordered to stand part of the Main Estimates. The sum of $1,143,836,900 for Head U ordered to stand part of the Development Estimates. Head V - Mr Ch'ng Jit Koon (Tiong Bahru)( In Mandarin): Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head V be reduced by $10 in respect of Object Group 1100 of Subhead Code VA-01 of the Main Estimates. Sir, National Service since its implementation, has made a definite contribution not only to our defence and security but also to the cultivation of national awareness among our citizens. After all these years everybody has accepted National Service as the bounden duty of every citizen, because we have all understood the important role National Service plays in the defence, security and development of our nation. I have even heard many parents comment that National Service has improved the physique and health of their children, who are now more disciplined and who have cultivated the trait of self reliance. Under the provisions of the National Service Act every male Singapore citizen, after completing 2 1/2 years' full-time National Service has to continue to serve as a reservist until 40 years of age. As a reservist he will have to return to camp once a year for retraining.”
“Will the Minister concerned care to comment?”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head U be reduced by $10 in respect of Project 8101 of Subhead Code UH-06 of the Development Estimates. Sir, as I have mentioned in this House previously, fish merchants in Jurong are generally happy to see that the Primary Production Department has eventually agreed to build permanent offices for them in the Jurong Central Fish Market and that construction works are now in steady progress. Sir, can the Minister concerned inform the House when these offices will be completed and ready for occupation? Sir, I paid a visit to the Jurong Central Fish Market with my CCC members recently. I must admit that the general upkeep and operation of the market seems all right except for the following two areas which need further improvement. The first is the concrete floor in the compound of the market. It has badly deteriorated, and potholes can be seen everywhere. I think it is time for the Ministry concerned to consider patching up the potholes or, better still, resurface the entire floor. The second point is with regard to the wharf facilities in the Jurong Fishing Port. As I have pointed out in this House last year, the existing port is only 600 feet long which is hardly enough for anything more than four fishing vessels to moor there. The then Senior Minister of State concerned replied that the Primary Production Department was negotiating with the JTC for a new lease of the Jurong Fishing Port. Now that the Primary Production Department and the JTC come under the charge of none other than our able Minister for National Development, and since this House has been enjoying his pleasant and interesting replies, I think this House should be informed of this matter more precisely.”
“Sir, from my own observation, it appears to me that the HDB and its Area Offices are unable to keep check on and supervise effectively the work of the cleaning contractors. To me, this seems to be the weakness in the system. I would like to impress upon the Minister that closer supervision of the contractors is essential in order that our housing estates remain clean so that the people can continue to live in a clean environment. I would also like to ask the Minister whether there are penalty clauses in the contracts signed with the HDB's cleaning contractors, and whether such penalties are enforced if the contractors do not do their work properly. The second point I would like to bring to the Minister's attention refers to complaints made by residents of HDB estates to the Area Offices. Very often I hear from my own constituents that their complaints to the Area Offices are not attended to. It has been brought to my attention that in quite a number of instances people who go to the Area Offices get the brush-off from those at the counters. As a result residents get very frustrated, if minor complaints such as broken doors or the lighting in the corridors goes out of order are not even attended to. I would like to urge the Hon. Minister to impress upon the staff of the HDB and its Area Offices that they should take note of complaints from residents more seriously and that follow-up action should be instituted with minimal delay.”
“Sir, I join my colleagues here not so much to criticise the HDB for the shortcomings of its day-to-day administration as I do not have HDB flats in my constituency. I merely want to bring up a point which, I think, is not unreasonable. At present the HDB imposes a debarment period of 30 months on private house owners after they have disposed of their properties to rent or purchase HDB flats. This is indisputable. However, to apply the same debarment ruling on JTC flat dwellers, I think, is a bit unfair, as after all HDB or JTC flats are considered low-cost housing. The general policy governing the ruling and leasing of such flats is almost identical. Sir, as rules are man-made, they can be modified to suit the needs of changing circumstances. We have seen that at one time when JTC flats in Boon Lay were over-built, applicants for HDB flats were persuaded to take up the vacant flats there. So here, the relevant interchangeability between HDB and JTC is not at all impossible. Therefore, I see no reason why JTC flat dwellers have to be subjected to the debarment period when they wish to apply for HDB flats. Sir, I would like the Minister concerned to clarify this point. Mr Tan Soo Khoon (Alexandra): Sir, in the Housing Board estates the HDB engages contractors to clean common areas. However, the contractors often do not do the job satisfactorily. Common corridors, stair-cases, lifts and open spaces remain dirty. Sir, although complaints of this nature had been raised in this House before, and I was one of those who brought up this point last year, it appears that little improvement has been made to rectify the situation.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, as far as I am concerned, I am quite satisfied with the answer given by the Hon. Minister for National Development. I have nothing much to add except to urge the Ministry concerned to expedite the work he has mentioned earlier, so that the traffic congestion in Jurong Town will be eased as soon as possible. On that note, Sir, I beg leave to withdraw my amendment. Amendment by leave, withdrawn.”
“Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head U be reduced by $10 in respect of Project 8139 of Subhead Code UC-03 of the Development Estimates. Sir, in moving this amendment, I merely wish to seek information from the Minister concerned as to when will the conversion of Corporation Circus into a signalised junction be completed, and what plans does the Ministry of National Development have in hand to alleviate the heavy traffic along Jalan Ahmad Ibrahim and Upper Ayer Rajah Road during peak hours, pending the eventual construction of two bridges at the mouth of the Jurong River.”
“Sir, I will definitely do my best to take the matter up with the relevant authorities on behalf of my constituents. In fact, I have taken up this matter with the JTC but the reply is not forthcoming. Since the Minister has advised me, I will pursue this matter further. As the Minister has given us the assurance that the hawkers should be regarded the same as far as payment of fees is concerned, on that note, I beg leave to withdraw my amendment. Amendment by leave, withdrawn.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I thank the Minister for his elaborate reply. There are a few things that I wish to inform the Minister. Firstly, I think I have enough schools in my constituency. So there is no need to build any more school in my constituency. Of course, I would welcome any plan which will improve the living conditions of my constituents. As regards the rental paid by the Singapore couple, I am still not very convinced. As I pointed out just now, if this couple were less honest and did not declare the names of their children, then they would have been accorded the subsidised rental for citizens. Lastly, I am not quite convinced of the Minister's explanation of why the JTC has to have tenancy agreements instead of issuing hawker licences. With a tenancy agreement, the hawker has to pay extra charge in respect of stamp fees whenever the hawker fees are revised annually. If the tenancy agreement is unavoidable, can the Minister consider waiving the extra charge of the stamp fees?”
“I would have thought that should the couple be less honest by not including their children's names in the application form, they would not have been required to pay more. Can the Minister concerned explain to this House the rationale behind this rule? Fifthly, I am given to understand that stalls in markets or food centres run by the Ministry of the Environment are leased out to hawkers by means of licences, whereas the JTC uses tenancy agreements in leasing out stalls to hawkers. The difference is that when the annual fee adjustment is effected, those hawkers holding tenancy agreements will have to pay more for stamp fees. This means that the hawkers concerned will have to pay extra charge unnecessarily. I just wonder why the JTC could not adopt the same practice as the Ministry of the Environment.”
“Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head R be reduced by $10 in respect of Project 8201 of Subhead Code RE-05 of the Development Estimates. Sir, I have a few queries to make under this amendment. Firstly, I would like to know whether the Jurong Town Corporation will consider knocking down the present single storey residential units which were built in the early 1960's and build five-room flats thereon. Alternatively, will the Ministry concerned request the HUDC to build some HUDC flats in Jurong constituency so that my constituents will not have to leave the constituency when they want to improve their living conditions? The second query is also connected with the improvement of living conditions. Lately I received quite a number of requests from one-room flat dwellers for a transfer to larger flats on account of better income or increase in the size of the family. I wonder whether the JTC will give sympathetic consideration to these families who are desirous of better living accommodation, and to see to their request as soon as possible. Thirdly, I fail to understand why the JTC does not accept applications for one or two-room flats but will only entertain applications for a three-room flat. I think the House will agree with me that to a worker earning about $300 a month and with a family to support, a three-room flat is rather a financial burden to him. My point really is, why can the JTC not accept applications for a one or two-room flat from the lower income group, so long as the applicants are prepared to wait for an indefinite period. Fourthly, recently I came across a couple who are Singapore citizens but just because their children were born in Malaysia they are required to pay non-citizen rates for a JTC three-room flat.”
“Sir, I stand to be corrected. I do not know whether applications for citizenship are still processed by an advisory committee. If they are, I would suggest to the Minister that perhaps some of the Backbenchers could be invited to sit in the committee so that they will appreciate the difficulties of the Registrar in not granting citizenship to some of the applicants.”
“Now Secondary One students will have to learn from the start pre-history culture, human evolution, the four ancient civilizations of the world, the origin and development of Christianity and Islam, and other things. In view of their limited basic knowledge of history and the dullness of the subject which would hardly arouse their interest if imposed on them too abruptly, I feel that the release of the education report will likely result in reforms and changes in our education system. There should then be a full-scale revision of the syllabuses of both the primary and the secondary schools. 5.30 p.m.”
“Now that this scheme has been implemented for two months, the general feeling among parents, students and teachers is that they are not against the immersion programme. But parents are worried that the physical and mental health of their children might be affected. Apart from attending their "mother" schools, these students have to attend English schools four hours a day out of five days in a week. They will be quite exhausted when they get home but they still have to struggle with the homework from their "mother" schools. To make the scheme successful I feel that their syllabuses should be adjusted and the subjects learnt in English schools should be geared to provide them with an opportunity to mix with English school students and to talk with them. I refer to subjects such as current affairs, art, music, physical education and even ECA. These subjects would benefit them more than learning science and mathematics. In view of the tight lesson schedule in their "mother" schools, they have in fact no time for PE and ECA activities. Without PE they would become very weak physically. Therefore, I feel that we should pay attention to their physical health and their progress in learning. Six years ago, the three subjects, civics, geography and history, were merged together to form the subject, "Education for Living" taught in the mother tongue at the primary stage. According to Dr Goh's education report, "Education for Living" will be replaced by moral education. I do not know when moral education will be implemented in the primary schools and when will history and geography be resumed, particularly history which is a subject which will serve an important function in helping to trace the roots of our migrant society.”
“Although all these measures are inevitable, for the sake of the future of the country, the teachers have to try their best to cope with the situation. We must also recognise the fact that the promotion of education depends largely on human power. Without the conscientious efforts of the teachers, I think there is not much hope for success. Therefore, we should all sympathise with the teachers and make allowance for self-respect, initiative and dignity. We should sympathise with their difficulties. If we acknowledge teachers as professionals with special knowledge and engineers of human souls, then we should not treat them as if they are petty thieves. We should not carry out surprise checks on them while they are teaching, or instruct them in the presence of primary students or treat them like one. We should not now and then call up the principals or teachers for meetings lasting several hours at a stretch. This serves only to make them listen to instructions without giving them any opportunity to express themselves. Sometimes after meeting for half a day, there was no result whatever. All this should be avoided wherever possible. Sir, the Chinese schools have all along been trying to improve their standard of English, but to no avail. This is due mainly to the inadequate number of teaching periods, the lack of qualified teachers and inadequate facilities. From the beginning of this year, the authorities have taken drastic action to provide Chinese schools with various facilities to raise their standard of English. Chinese school students will attend immersion classes in English schools so that they will be exposed to an English speaking environment. Of course, the intention is all very good.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, may I speak now on my Amendment? The Chairman: Yes. Mr Ho Kah Leong( In Mandarin): Mr Speaker, Sir, in recent years, every year has been an eventful year for Education. This year is no exception. Even before 1979 has passed its third month we have already seen a large group of Vice-Principals being appointed. There has been a great internal reorganisation in the Ministry of Education. Pre-university subjects and languages have been changed. Following this reorganisation, a strong man has taken over the post of Minister of Education. Now that the education report of the team of 12 systems engineers led by Dr Goh Keng Swee has been announced, we can expect more changes to the many "changes" already made. Of course, we have to admit that these changes are not at all bad. Sometimes, they are even very necessary. However, the rate of change has been too rapid. Sometimes even the teachers who are involved are at a loss to understand what they are expected to do. Sir, the many changes and reforms in education policy have not given them any time to prepare or to make adjustments. The most obvious negative result is a drop in the morale of the teachers, and this affects their performance. On the other hand, a raising of the morale of the teachers is an indispensable ingredient to the success of any education system. Many teachers have been involved in the recent educational changes and reforms. Some have to be retrained. Some have been sent to other schools. Some have been sent abroad for re-education or retraining. Some have been transferred from primary schools to pre-primary schools, and some have become second language teachers.”
“Sir, everybody knows that the promotion of culture is a subsidising enterprise. Though there is no immediate effect from the amount of money invested in it now, in the foreseeable future, it will affect the lifestyles of our people implicitly and profoundly. I hope the Ministry of Culture will not attempt to generate revenue out of the rentals of the exhibition hall. With this note, Sir, I beg leave to withdraw my amendment. Amendment by leave, withdrawn.”
“Sir, can the Minister inform the House what is the difference between the commercial and non-commercial rates? Where is the line drawn between the two?”
“Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head V be reduced by $10 in respect of item 1210 of Subhead Code VC-03 of the Main Estimates. Sir, we heard just now from the Minister concerned that his Ministry is sparing no effort in promoting cultural activities in our island-state. This is commendable. In line with this policy of promoting arts, the charges levied for rental of various exhibition halls should not be too exorbitant. I am given to understand that the rental for the use of the Victoria Memorial Hall is $400 for the first eight hours and $50 per hour thereafter. If one were to hold a three-day exhibition, one would have to pay more than $1,200 on rental alone. This high charge will, I believe, deter many promising artists from holding a solo exhibition. I wonder whether the Minister concerned will consider lowering the rental charges of the exhibition hall under the jurisdiction of his Ministry.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, we heard from the Senior Minister of State that the sum of $120,000 will be set aside by the JTC for improvement of recreational facilities. I am just wondering whether he could give the House more details as to how this sum is going to be utilised.”
“Sir, just like any other Government department, the JTC is prompt in collecting payments but late in giving back something to the tenants or lessees. Some of my constituents who have paid up their dues to the JTC in respect of their purchased flat many years ago have not yet received their title deeds. I wonder why. Will the JTC expedite matters and release the title deeds to these flat owners as soon as possible? 7.15 p.m. Sir, as I have mentioned before, I learned from the newspapers that the JTC flats will be available to non-citizens for rent only. Here I must sound a word of caution to the Minister concerned. Not that I object the JTC from doing so but that the JTC should be told to exercise great care not to group the non-citizen tenants together. Being foreigners, they are not quite conversant with our local regulations on environmental health. If they are scattered, they will be outnumbered by our citizen tenants and there is the general tendency for them to follow the good examples of our citizens. But if they are grouped together, experience shows that they are prone to cause environmental hazards and nuisance to other flat dwellers. I must stress that while the JTC is letting out its flats to non-citizens to generate revenue, the present environment which our citizens hitherto enjoy should not be unduly destroyed.”
“Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head U be reduced by $10 in respect of item 8201 of Subhead Code UE-05 of the Development Estimates. Sir, if I am not mistaken, one of the objectives of the Jurong Town Corporation is to provide recreational facilities in the estate within its jurisdiction. In this connection, I wonder whether the Minister concerned could inform the House of the sum of money that the JTC will set aside for the improvement of recreational facilities in its estate in the coming financial year. I think Members will agree with me that we Members of Parliament, especially the Backbenchers, are always left in the dark as far as changes of Government policies and measures are concerned. We are no more than the man-in-the-street who is kept informed of any changes by newspapers only. At times when we are approached by our constituents inquiring into the details of such changes, we are rather embarrassed to find that we are as ignorant as they are. Sir, I do not propose to make a general request here. Let me confine myself just to the JTC. It seems to me that the JTC's housing policy keeps on changing all the time. For instance, at one time non-citizens were allowed to rent JTC flats. But a few years later these poor tenants were forced to leave. Now I read in the newspapers that so long as the tenant is able to pay the rental, he is allowed to occupy a JTC flat, irrespective of whether or not he is a citizen. Sir, I am not arguing about the abrupt change of housing policy on the part of the JTC. What I want to know is whether such changes could be made known to the MPs concerned in advance so that they will be in a better position to advise their constituents accordingly.”
“(3) That the sum to be allocated for Head T be reduced by $10 in respect of item 1210 of Subhead Code TA-01 of the Main Estimates.”
“Sir, in view of the time factor, I beg leave to withdraw my amendment. Amendment by leave, withdrawn.”
“Sir, unless the Senior Minister of State can assure the House that the introduction of the feeder service will not increase the burden of the commuters such a service is unlikely to be welcomed by the workers of Jurong Town.”
“If the SBS is unable to provide such a service, would the Minister consider allowing private bus companies to run such a service?”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head O be reduced by $10 in respect of item 1210 of Subhead Code OF-02 of the Main Estimates. Sir, everybody knows that Jurong Town is the largest industrial town in Singapore. I am proud to be associated with this town, which literally consists of an industrial sector and a residential estate. Because it is a big town, during peak hours in the morning and in the afternoon, the vehicular movement is intense. However, amidst the hustle and bustle, the SBS seems to be unable to provide an efficient service to the residents of Jurong Town. During the peak hours, buses are invariably crowded and workers can hardly board a bus to get to their place of work in time. The insufficient and unsatisfactory bus service has given rise to the proliferation of pirate taxis in this town. The re-emergence of pirate taxis not only constitutes an eye-sore in Jurong but also endangers other road users, as most of the pirate taxi operators are reckless. I understand that the Ministry of Communications is not the only authority that deals with pirate taxis. I have also taken up this matter with the Commissioner of Police, but the fact still remains that the pirate taxi operators are more than willing to risk arrest because the demand is there and it is there because the bus service is far from satisfactory. Sir, I feel that something has to be done to improve the bus service in Jurong Town. In particular, I would like to suggest to the Minister concerned to look into the feasibility of providing an internal bus service connecting the following three points, namely, the Jurong Town residential area, the Boon Lay residential area and the Jurong Industrial site.”
“To ask the Minister for Finance if he will ascertain from the Jurong Town Corporation, in the past five years, (a) how many families in Tuas Village were resettled and how many acres of land were acquired from them; (b) how many of them were classified as bona fide farmers and how many of those farmers opted for free JTC flats; and (c) how many acres of land in Lim Chu Kang were allocated to those affected farming families. 32.”
“To ask the Minister for Finance if he will request the Jurong Town Corporation to ensure that the supply of effluent water to Jurong residents for flushing purposes is regular and free from stink. 31.”
“To ask the Minister for Finance if he will ascertain from the Jurong Town Corporation what measures are being taken to minimise the discolouration of potable water supplied to Jurong residents and when those measures will be effected. 30.”
“To ask the Minister for Finance if he will ascertain from the Jurong Town Corporation, in the past five years, (a) how many families in Tuas Village were resettled and how many acres of land were acquired from them; (b) how many of them were classified as bona fide farmers and how many of those farmers opted for free JTC flats; and (c) how many acres of land in Lim Chu Kang were allocated to those affected farming families. 49.”
“To ask the Minister for Finance if he will request the Jurong Town Corporation to ensure that the supply of effluent water to Jurong residents for flushing purposes is regular and free from stink. 48.”
“To ask the Minister for Finance if he will ascertain from the Jurong Town Corporation what measures are being taken to minimise the discolouration of potable water supplied to Jurong residents and when those measures will be effected. 47.”