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.”
The complete record
Every one of 843 lines we hold for Ho Kah Leong, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 6 of 17.
“Sir; although the reply given by the Parliamentary Secretary is not quite satisfactory, I beg leave to withdraw my amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. The following amendment stood in the name of Mr Hwang Soo Jin - (7) That the sum to be allocated for Head R be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead BED 1111.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the Parliamentary Secretary has mentioned that before a creche can be established, his Ministry will have to find out whether or not there is a demand for it. May I ask how is his Ministry going to ascertain the demand? Can he enlighten this House in this regard? I have also pointed out just now that Boon Lay Garden is quite far from the present creche in Jurong Neighbourhood I. In fact, it is about four miles away. We cannot, therefore, expect a working mother to travel a distance of four miles to the creche before going to work. There is indeed an urgent need to build a creche in Boon Lay Garden.”
“I met some of my constituents in Boon Lay Garden and they share my view that there should be a creche in Neighbourhood II to encourage mothers to go to work. Can the Minister enlighten this House whether he has any plans to build a creche in Jurong Neighbourhood II?”
“Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head R be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead BEC 1111. Sir, we all know that creches are established to serve the needs of working mothers. They find it convenient to leave their children in the creches while they go to work. In an industrialised society the need for creches correspondingly increases with the need for more women to join the workforce. In the present labour-tight situation in Singapore, more women are being encouraged to leave their kitchens and join the workforce. More creches are, therefore, needed, otherwise they cannot be released from their household chores and their children. 2.45 p.m. But I was extremely surprised to learn that the creches in Singapore are not well patronised. In other words, they are not as popular as they ought to be. I wonder whether the Ministry of Social Affairs has looked into the reasons why these creches are so poorly patronised. Is it due to poor management, inappropriate location, or is it because the opening hours are unsuitable to them? I would suggest to the Minister to conduct a thorough survey to investigate into this problem further. I would also like to suggest to the Minister that a creche need not be an elaborate establishment. The ground floor of an HDB flat or a JTC flat will serve its purpose. In this connection, may I ask the Minister whether his Ministry has any plans to build a creche in Jurong Neighbourhood II, or better known as Boon Lay Garden? There is a creche in Jurong Neighbourhood I, but it is miles away from Boon Lay Garden. Thus its distance away from Boon Lay Garden is inconvenient to the working mothers living in Boon Lay Garden.”
“Sir, I think the Minister has not yet given the full list of the organisations which receive the cultural grants. I have added the total figure of the grants which he quoted just now but they do not equal the total figure as shown in the Estimates. I would also like to ask the Minister what is the basis of giving a grant to a cultural organisation, and whether consideration will be given to other cultural organisations should they apply for these grants.”
“Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head Q be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead AAA 3020*. (* The same amendment also stood in the names of Messrs P. Govindaswamy and Ch'ng Jit Koon.) Sir, in moving this amendment I merely want to seek information as to what are the cultural organisations that are on the Contribution roll under this vote. 6.00 p.m.”
“(16) That the sum to be allocated for Head O be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead DAA 8101. (17) That the sum to he allocated for Head O be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead DEA 8101. Mr N. Govindasamy: (18) That the total sum to be allocated for Head O in respect of the Development Estimates be reduced by $100. The sum of $139,400,160 for Head O ordered to stand part of the Main Estimates. The sum of $1,100,446,000 for Head O ordered to stand part of the Development Estimates. Head P --”
“Sir, the Minister of State has not answered the question why the farmers who are affected by clearance should be summoned to court. Just now the Member for Jalan Kayu also queried this point. This seems to be a kind of threat or a psychological intimidation. Can we abolish such procedures?”
“Sir, I have given the Minister certain useful tips. Such incidents would happen to those farmers who are affected by urgent resettlement. They have to collect and move a substantial part of their farm produce and implements hurriedly. So the following day when the houses and agricultural implements are demolished there is no more evidence to support any claim. Sir, I have mentioned that certain farmers due to circumstances have reduced their production. In view of the situation, could the Minister be flexible and give special consideration to such cases and not just beat about the bush about the definition of 3,000 or 2.000 head of poultry?”
“So please do not get me wrong when I say that we do not have the intention to investigate. We have, but they must feed us with a clue as to which direction we can move.”
“Let me give some simple statistics. For example, a farmer has 3,000 head of poultry and assuming they produce 3,000 eggs. Let us also say that this farmer derives the whole of his income from these 3,000 head of poultry. At 10 cents per egg per day, he will find that his margin of profit cannot be more than 10%. At most, assuming that he is so efficient that the 3,000 head of poultry lay 3.000 eggs, at any one time he can sell them for $360 and. cleverly makes a profit of 10%, which is $36. I am not suggesting that some of the CCC members are not farmers. They are, but they must appreciate that we must draw a line somewhere. To cut short the argument, I have indicated that if the Member feels strongly that he has got a case where at the time of census instead of 3.000 poultry the farmer had only 2,800 then I think flexibility could be exercised. If, on the other hand, at the time of census he had only 2,000, then I think it is very difficult for him to argue the case out. So I would appeal to him that if he still feels strongly about those cases. please write to us and we will have another investigation made. As regards my point about asking CCC members to help us, assuming that the Primary Production Department should now investigate those allegations that these members have made, there is no way of investigating because the officer does not know where to begin. He must have some clue or information to start with. All that we are asking from these members is that if they can give us that information under confidential cover, or even make it anonymous if they feel like it, it could enable us to start somewhere. Our officer cannot lust go to a particular area, say, Jurong or, for that matter, any rural constituency, without knowing how or where to begin.”
“Sir, I do not quite agree to his answer. I should think that it is his responsibility to find out why there were such anomalies. This is his duty, not mine. Perhaps due to some discrepancy in language interpretation, he has not given me a satisfactory reply. I was saying that there were some people who had been farmers, and this fact could be confirmed by the Citizens Consultative Committee members. When such people wanted to co-operate with the Government authority in resettlement enforcement, they reduced their agricultural activities. So when the assessor came, the produce of course would be assessed less, and such people were adjudged as non-farmers. These people have complained to me about this. When I mentioned this to the Authority concerned, no favourable consideration was given. What I am trying to say is that you can ask the CCC members to confirm whether or not such people are genuine farmers. Dr Tan Eng Liang: As a layman I am very sympathetic towards the farmers regarding their status. While it is appreciated that the CCC or the Management Committee can support a claim, the definition of a bona fide and efficient farmer, as I have indicated, is a technical one. In the case that he has mentioned, if a farmer initially keeps 3,000 head of poultry but due to some reason or other he has reduced it to 2,000 at the time the Primary Production officer arrives to make an assessment, then he is automatically disqualified for the definition of a bona fide farmer. In farming language, it is unlikely that a bona fide farmer would reduce his stock of 3.000 head of poultry because 3.000 is considered the minimum number to really break even. As my Minister indicated sometime earlier, that could only be a supplementary type of work. 7.15 p.m.”
“Is there no higher authority to decide thereon, or is the Department's decision subject `to any higher authority on appeal? Thirdly, what is the grade of the officer sent out by the Department to make on-the-spot inspections? What division of officers are being sent out for such purposes? Sir, on another point, what is the procedure for appealing against any such decision? I would like the Minister to answer these questions.”
“If a so-called farmer does not want the land, then he can be given a flat by the HDB. There were also cases where people were given many times more compensation or a larger piece of land than others. There were other cases where genuine farmers were not allotted any land at all. These are the incidents that I have to mention. Genuine farmers could not get land whereas pseudo-farmers were allotted land. This happens usually in a resettlement exercise of the farmers. There were quite a number of complaints that after a farmer has moved out, on the following day the farmhouse is demolished and there is nothing left as evidence to support the farmer's claim. There are no records to trace. Some farmers have complained that they have suffered great losses. If more notice could be given, they would not have lost as much. In certain cases, the Department would delay sending its officers to assess the value of the farm and agricultural produce. And when they do turn up, there would be very little agricultural produce left to be assessed. So very often this farmer would be adjudged not a farmer. But other farmers are smarter. They know that the Department would send somebody over, as they got wind of it or speculated on certain information received in advance. So they organise their poultry and pigs in advance and stock them in their farms so that when the assessor or officer turns up, they will get a higher assessment and be given better compensation, Here, I would like to ask the Minister what is the criterion for judging whether a person is a farmer on not a farmer? How is this judgment exercised? Secondly, is the decision of the Primary Production Department final?”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, the Member for Sembawang, in speaking on the Primary Production Department, has taken good care of our agricultural sector, But judging from the situation of the farmers and fishermen, I feel you will agree with me - you are also an MP for a rural area - that these people are like second class citizens, being faced with certain difficult and pitiful situation. You will agree with me when I say that they are subjected to hardships when they are forced to resettle, not just once but, even a few times thereafter. We should pay much more attention in giving them better cane than we have ever done. We have heard from the Members here that we could have done much better, It seems that even the request for the extension of the roof-eaves is not very well taken. I feel that this sort of treatment is not fain to our farmers and fishermen. In order to be a farmer or if one wants to engage in agricultural activities, one must have a piece of land in which to carry out such activities. After we have talked for so long, we are still at a loss as to whether anything can be done for these farmers. It seems that the final decision rests with the Primary Production Department. If the Department decides that one is a bona fide farmer, then perhaps one can be allotted a piece of land. If the Department decides that one is not a farmer, then one is unable to get any piece of land. The Department is also vested with the power to decide how big is the piece of land that can be given. Sir, I used to receive complaints about abnormal or undesirable acts in regard to the allocation of land by the Primary Production Department, such as allotting land to so-called farmers who are actually not farmers and vice versa.”
“Sir, first of all, I thank the Minister of State for his reply. He is very sympathetic to my view that there is the necessity to build the bridge across the road, but in view of the problem of a lack of funds, he has suggested that I should persuade the JTC to approve the project. I would say that the Minister of State would be more effective in persuading the JTC to implement my suggestion. He would be in a better position to take up this proposal than I. I still feel that the problem is there although, as I have pointed out, the road has been widened and improved upon. This goes to a certain extent to relieve the congestion there. However, in view of the fact that Jurong Town is being developed and more people are working there to work as more factories are being set up, we have reached the point where the situation needs further improvement in the most basic way. If the JTC and the PWD are not able to provide the funds for the work, then I suggest that both of them share the costs. I believe that since the Minister of State has some links or communication in Jurong with either the Singapore Manufacturers Association or other bodies concerned, he should be in a position to help.”
“I do not think we have placed enough emphasis. We have travelled ten years towards the construction of a republic. We have laid the foundation for nation building. We have done a great deal in physical and visible construction but in the invisible aspect we have done little. The next stage in our nation building should lay stress on invisible construction. Otherwise, as I have pointed out earlier, our nationals will all become "ugly Singaporeans". If we have to live among the "ugly Singaporeans", then I am afraid, life will be meaningless and survival will be pointless, because we may all become "ugly Singaporeans" I Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, as a first step I would like to propose that the Government should set up a National Academy of Arts to enable considerable numbers of our children with special artistic talents to receive proper training. What opportunity of advancement will they have without such an academy? We have some private academies, but these academies have not at the present moment received adequate support from the Government. So, they have to charge exorbitant fees and as a result of such high fees only the rich can afford to send their children to these academies for artistic training and pursuit. Children of poor families will have no chance. So how can we promote cultural and artistic activities? Sir, with a National Academy of Arts, we shall on the one hand be able to promote interest in culture and art and on the other hand, provide training opportunities for our talented youths, irrespective of whether they are rich or poor. The National Academy of Arts will become the centre for our cultural development. I think this is a pressing need which we must look into. It is my hope that the Minister for Finance will consider this proposal seriously, 7.”
“We inculcate patriotism and correct human behaviour through the process of education in our schools. Students stay longer at home and outside schools. Parents are busy doing their business or making money and so they have little time at home for their children's studies and thought-formation, In a society there is bad influence all around, The little things that they have learnt about life in school is inadequate to counter the evil and greater influence that they have been confronted with in society. In other words, the students are influenced more by society than by the teachings of their teachers, So perhaps extending the school hours may help, but at the present moment our education system does not permit this. The reversal of the social ethos depends on the cultural strength of our country, and this cannot be done overnight. So far we have done very little in the cultural field. The Ministry of Finance has allotted a very small sum of money for the Ministry of Culture for cultural activities. It seems to be rather stingy. This year there seems to be an increase in the allocation of funds, and this amounts to only $105,000. With such a meagre sum of money, what can the Ministry of Culture do? Perhaps the Ministry of Finance thinks that culture is a money-losing proposition and so there is no point in spending too much money on it. Of course, we admit that cultural work requires money but this is money well spent on invisible construction for our national good which we may not see immediately but over the long time we can see the benefits, Sir, I feel that economically we have the capacity to survive. In defence, we have various land, sea and air forces to look after our security. In education, every child has an equal opportunity. But in terms of culture.”
“Graduates from the universities will ask these questions when they apply for a job: How much salary will I be paid? How many days' leave in the year, and what are the fringe benefits? Workers are not contented with what they get. They are all the time on the lookout for better paid jobs and greener pastures. They will hop over for such new jobs, if available. Our young people are so fond of aping Western styles that they must wear cowboy jeans, go to the cabarets, bars and coffee houses and even to the gay quarters, and worse still, take to drugs. After wasting their money on these luxuries, when they do not have enough money, they turn to crime, robbery and theft. In spite of the stringent laws that we have, the crime rate is still mounting. What has gone wrong with our society? I think this is a matter that deserves serious consideration. Sir, I believe the country that we want to build is not one that puts on a false facade, veiling hypocrisy, where everyone goes under a mask, instead of showing his true face, with empty form but without a soul. The quality of the citizen that we want to mould is not one who is selfish and self-centred. If our country consists of only a group of passengers who are money-worshippers, then the future of our country will be bleak and that is something for us to worry about. All this points to one important aspect, that is we have so far only emphasised on the visible construction of our country and we have done very little, if at all, about the invisible construction of nation-building. The moulding of a national character. the soul, the quality and character of our people - all these constitute the invisible construction that I have referred to. Invisible construction is achieved mainly through education and culture.”
“This is something that we should be proud of, Sir, for a country to stress certain aspects of development neglecting the others will lead to social imbalance and aberration. The obvious result of stressing only on economic development is evident in some Government departments being mercenary - minded, where junior officers try to please their superiors by making more money for their departments and where senior officers try to please their Minister by the same means in the hope of getting promotion or even double or treble promotion. To the public, Government departments become a Yar Men into which they cannot enter without money. As the Member for Jalan Kayu had said here last year, nowadays public servants seem to have forgotten that their primary function is to serve the people. Instead, they think of making more money for their department. Sir, I regret to say that from my own observation, there is an increasing tendency on the part of civil servants to glorify themselves by making more and more money, and there is no abatement in this tendency. For example, the Housing and Development Board has abolished the half-hour parking rate. Instead, the motorist has to pay a minimum of 40 cents for an entry into the car park. This has resulted in the social vogue of money-worship in the society. Everybody wants to get rich, and quick for that matter, Deceits and mutual fooling abound. So friends can be turned into stepping stones for one's uplift. There is a lack of humanity in our society. When you have money you have fame and status, and you will be respected. Those good-for-nothing idle flatterers will attach themselves to you. Whatever means by which you obtain your money does not really matter, be it theft, robbery, smuggling or illegal lottery, nobody cares.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker. Sir, the Budget Statement this year, as expected, is a mild one. There is only one item of tax increase, and that is on cigarettes and tobacco. This is also interpreted as a further step to frustrate smokers, in the hope that they will be reminded that smoking is bad and to give up smoking. The intention, of course, is good. To the general citizenry, the budget is no longer the only document for the pronouncement of tax increases or the introduction of new taxes. As everybody knows, the month of March is not the only time for the announcement of tax increases or the introduction of new measures. Notwithstanding all these remarks, at this juncture when we are not very certain of our economic future, this Budget which on the whole does not propose any tax increases is welcome by all. Sir, looking back over the past decade, since our independence we have done a great deal in the field of building construction for everyone to see. We have skyscrapers and factories mushrooming all over the place. We have a busy port. There has been general economic prosperity. Singapore has become a servicing and financial centre, an Asian Dollar Market Centre and an oil-prospecting centre for South-east Asia. Of course, as a country lacking in natural resources, our survival depends on our economic viability and stability. There have been indisputable economic achievements over the past decade and we were able to create thousands of jobs not only for our own citizens but also for foreigners to fill the gap in our labour force. In battling the oil crisis, Singapore has proved that she has the economic capacity to survive and recover, and not allow herself to be put in the position as in other countries where they are saddled with large scale unemployment.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I am coming to it. My supplementary question is this. On the assumption that the Government has no intention to allow members of the Fund to use their contributions for the purchase of executive flats built by the JTC, does the Government then intend to allot a piece of land for HUDC to build flats for the middle-income group in Jurong Town?”
“Sir, if you will recall, when I raised this question some time ago the situation was quite different. At that time the HUDC had not yet been established. But today the HUDC is in existence and its object is to provide housing for the middle income group. Those in the middle income group are allowed to use their share of the CPF contributions to purchase flats built by the HUDC. What is the difference between the flats built by the JTC and the HUDC? The flats are almost the same. And since CPF contributions can be used for the purchase of HUDC flats, why is it that CPF contributions cannot be similarly used to purchase flats built by the JTC? Es this not some sort of discrimination against flats built by JTC for people living in JTC estates? I think that we should not deny people living in Jurong Town the opportunity to -”
“Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head W be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead CDA 8105. Sir, we are here to vote for an appropriation of $1.5 million for the relocation of schools. While on the one hand we are in need of schools in the housing estates, on the other hand we have a surplus of schools in the old housing estates. I do not blame the officials concerned for their shortsightedness as the movement of population is sometimes unpredictable. The point I want to make is that why can we not design and build schools in such a way that it is feasible for them to be used as primary schools at one stage and as secondary schools at a later stage?”
“Sir, in view of the Minister's reply, I beg leave to withdraw. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. The following amendment stood in the name of Mr L. P. Rodrigo - That the sum to be allocated for Head W be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead CDA 8101..”
“Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head W be reduced by $10 in respect of item (c) of subhead AAA 8306. Sir, Jurong is proud to have a vocational institute, namely the Jurong Vocational Institute, and its precincts. By virtue of its proximity to the Jurong industrial town, the JVI has been able to train skilled personnel to meet the exact demands of industries. Thus, the Institute helps the advancement of industries in Jurong in no small measure. However, I was told and I have seen for myself the defects in the building of the Institute, as a result of the piling work carried out in its vicinity in recent years. The major defects are deep cracks on the walls, and ceilings and sunken floors. Due to the sinking ground the drainage system has been totally destroyed. Water flows in directions where it should not flow. Water remains stagnant here and there. I understand that the Institute has requested the Ministry to make good all the defects. But so far the major defects have still not been repaired. I do not know what is holding back the repair work. Can the Minister enlighten this House as to when all these defects will be repaired?”
“Sir, in view of the explanation given by the Parliamentary Secretary, I beg leave to withdraw my amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I am very glad to hear the good news. This is the first piece of good news that he has given to the staff of Nanyang University. In view of that, I beg leave to withdraw my amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn Mr Ho Kah Leong: Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head W be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead CCA 2020. Sir, in the year before last I asked the Minister concerned whether a day would be set aside to mark Youth Day. The Parliamentary Secretary replied on behalf of the Minister that he would take my suggestion into consideration. Sir, after a lapse of two years I think a decision would have been reached on this matter. Can the Parliamentary Secretary concerned therefore enlighten this House as to whether a day will be set aside during the school term to mark Youth Day?”
“The development potential of this campus has not been fully exploited to meet the national requirements. Sir, we know that the new Vice-Chancellor is a learned engineer with a Ph.D degree. When he takes over in his new appointment he will be able to assess the situation and develop the potentials of the massive campus of Nanyang University according to its topography, bordering the sea and the Jurong Industrial Town, the largest in Singapore. He will also be able to introduce practical subjects and courses in order to meet our national requirements. Sir, the next step towards equalising the status of Nanyang University with University of Singapore is that the service conditions of the staff of both the Nanyang University and University of Singapore should be the same, particularly those in regard to fringe benefits. According to my understanding, staff of the University of Singapore can apply for low-interest housing loans whereas those in Nanyang University do not enjoy this good privilege. I hope the new Vice-Chancellor will look into this matter when he assumes duty, so that the staff of Nanyang University may similarly enjoy the benefit of a housing loan. 6.00 p.m.”
“Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head W be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead AAA 3020. Sir, in the first place, I would like to congratulate my colleague, the Minister for Education, on his appointment as Vice-Chancellor of the Nanyang University. As the Government statement said, the Nanyang University must catch up with its development into a university of equal standing with the University of Singapore, and the appointment of the Education Minister as the Vice-Chancellor is the first step in this direction. Sir, the establishment of the Nanyang University was to solve the problem of further studies for students of the various language streams. Since its establishment the Nanyang University has weathered many a storm. All along Nanyang University has suffered from antenatal deficiency and post-natal maladjustment. With the appointment of the Education Minister as the Vice-Chancellor, there will be no doubt that Nanyang University will develop rapidly into a university of equal standing with the University of Singapore. Sir, I must stress that there is also no doubt about the academic achievements of Nanyang University graduates. The only disadvantage is that they are not as proficient in English as those purely English educated graduates of the University of Singapore. Nanyang University should emphasise upon their students a greater use of English, which is their second language, so as to better equip them for their jobs. However, irrespective of the language stream, we must emphasise on the fostering of bilingualism in order to fulfil our national policy of nation building. A Government statement said that Nanyang University campus extends to 500 acres.”
“If the Ministry of Education cannot come to any decision, perhaps we can hold a referendum among the teachers to decide. I believe that if a referendum is held, we will get a definite answer from the teachers. Sir, in order to endorse respect for the teachers, the Ministry has been very generous in holding a Teachers' Day every year. The teachers are very grateful for this gesture. Unfortunately, Teachers' Day falls on the 1st September of every year, which happens to be during the school vacation. Perhaps the Ministry of Education had deliberately chosen this day to fall within the school vacation. I do not really know. But as a result of this coincidence or deliberate arrangement, teachers do not really enjoy a holiday. So much of the significance of Teachers' Day is lost. In order to attach true significance to the Day, I would ask the Ministry of Education to consult the teachers' bodies to fix a different date for Teachers' Day.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I fully support the Member for Paya Lebar when he made the request to the Minister for Education to restore to teachers the discretion to impose corporal punishment, that is to say, "to return the cane to the teachers." I feel that the students are getting more and more difficult to control, and discipline in the schools is on the decline from day to day. As a result, we have more and more delinquents in Singapore. Juvenile delinquency is mounting from year to year and the committee which looked into this matter has also recommended that teachers should be given the discretion to impose corporal punishment. Sir, the Minister for Education will certainly turn round and say that if we give the cane back to the teachers, some of them will abuse their power and discretion to use the cane. In that case if we give only limited authority to the teachers to impose corporal punishment as the Member for Paya Lebar suggested, for example to use the cane on the palms or buttocks, then a lot of problems of discipline can be solved. Of course, we realise that at the present moment principals and senior assistants are authorised to impose corporal punishment. But from what I understand, most principals and senior teachers avoid exercising such authority because they know that in imposing any corporal punishment they are required to put up a lengthy report to the Ministry of Education. So to save all that trouble of putting up a long-winded report, they avoid taking this action and the matter is put in abeyance. 5.30 p.m. I feel that the question of whether or not teachers should be given the discretion to impose corporal punishment is a matter to be seriously considered.”
“However, I am glad to note that the Ministry of Finance is granting higher earned income tax relief to those who continue employment above 55 years of age. This is good and it is a practical move that expresses the Government's care for the aged, it is a virtue to pay due respect to the old. But people who are old have a greater need for medical attention. I hope that the Minister and the department concerned will seriously consider granting continued medical benefits to teachers who retire because they have sacrificed their whole life for the education of our children and now is the time that they deserve some warmth from the society. The fifth problem that I would like to touch upon is the question of allowance for principals. Sir, all of us realise school principals have a very great responsibility. Their workload is very heavy and they have to tackle many problems, both great and small. In the past, they had the consolation of a post allowance which was used to offset the entertainment expenses which they could not avoid in the course of their duties. However, as a result of the revision of salary scales, the post allowance of principals was abolished. I understand that the Ministry of Education is finding it more difficult nowadays to get principals. Even in the Ministry of Education a survey was carried out inviting applications for the post of principal, but the response has been very poor. Therefore I hope the Minister will consider restoring the post allowance to principals.”
“These teachers participate in uniformed group activities only because of extra-curricular activities. They should not be regarded first and foremost as teachers in charge of uniformed groups or part-time teachers. Extra-curricular activities are not their full-time job. One must realise that teachers in charge of these groups have to do more work and spend more time, and there is no extra benefit. Unnecessary restrictions and warnings are uncalled for. Now I come to the third question. Recently some schools have received certain instruments and equipment as presents from Intraco through the Ministry of Education. According to them some of the gifts are somewhat outdated and do not serve much purpose. I do not know whether or not the allocation or distribution of these items has been based on the requisitions applied for by the schools. If so, it would be better to allot funds to the schools to acquire their own instruments. 3.45 p.m. The fourth problem I would like to touch upon is in regard to the welfare o, retired teachers. By the keen efforts of the teachers' unions, the authorities concerned have allowed members of the family of a teacher to similarly enjoy medical benefits. But when he retires, he must surrender all medical benefits cards. Thus he and his family will not be able to enjoy any more medical benefits. According to medical science, the older a person gets, the more likely he will get sick. The body is just like a machine, which breaks down more often as it gets older. Therefore, when the teacher retires, he needs more medical care. But instead we are depriving him of medical benefits at the time when he is also going to lose his job. This "double-barrelled" attack will affect him drastically.”
“Certain changes will be made to the Youth Festival programme this year; its main objective is to reduce the burden on the schools. Many teachers and students welcome this move. They can heave a sigh of relief now because their lessons will not be unduly affected as there have been far too many extra curricular activities. However, recently certain officers responsible for the uniformed groups have asked teachers in charge of these groups at the second or third week after the opening of the school term to go for in-camp training for two or three weeks. Some of those teachers who go for in-camp training are substituted by relief teachers but others are not. By the time the relief teachers report for duty, the teachers are due to return from their training. In fact, the commandants of the uniformed groups should realise that calling the teachers away from their normal duties for training will affect both the teachers and students. These officers should be familiar with the school terms, the administrative problems of the schools, and should not regard school hours as holidays, or pay attention only to their own work. I have also received complaints that some teachers who are in charge of uniformed groups as well as school administration have been asked to go to another school at short notice to take charge of uniformed groups there. I think due attention should be paid to the fact that these teachers are more urgently required to carry out the administrative duties in their own schools. But I understand that some of the commandants have given warnings to these teachers regarding transfers that if they do not follow instructions then they will be removed. I do not know whether these officers realise that teachers are first and foremost teachers.”
“But according to the circular on Primary School restructuring, those who are not well versed in two languages are allowed to have reduced periods for the second language. However, when they take the PSLE they are still required to sit for the second language in the same examination. Thus, some problems will arise. First, how do we measure the term "well versed"? Second, can those who are less well versed be made more well versed? If these students have to sit for the same second language paper in the PSLE, then do we expect them to do well in the examination if they are given less time? Moreover, if they do well in the other papers too and carry on their studies in secondary schools, vocational or technical institutes, will they not have to use the second language as well? There is an obvious inconsistency here. If a student is not proficient in the second language, remedial measures should be taken as early as possible. According to linguistic experts, children learn languages faster than adults. Since we want to promote bilingualism, our policy should be thorough and not biased. And very soon, at the end of the year, the assessment will be made for the first batch of Primary III students. Have all the schools been notified of the criteria for assessment? If I am not mistaken, the first batch of July intake will complete their Primary III in June this year. Will they also be affected by this new education policy? The second problem I would like to discuss is the transfer of teachers in charge of the uniformed groups. The policy of extra-curricular activities initiated by the Ministry of Education has been well supported by all schools, as can be witnessed by the good support and turn-out at the Youth Festivals.”
“Deputy Speaker, Sir, may I first explain that as one of the office-bearers in a teachers' union I am naturally more concerned with educational problems. Although I am placed last on the list of speakers in regard lo this item, I would now like to discuss in general some of our educational problems. As far as I can, I will try not to repeat what has been raised by my colleagues. The first problem is the restructuring of primary school education. First of all, may I express my support of the concept that in any education system the content of education in one set of conditions may not suit a different set of conditions. For this reason not only do I support the restructuring of primary education but I also fully praise the bold move taken by the Minister. However, to be successful any restructuring of a system must be preceded by detailed and thorough planning. What is most important is to understand thoroughly the old problems and shortcomings, the likely problems that will be encountered in the new system and the likely solutions. Sir, the new system will undoubtedly stimulate greater interest among students at different levels so that schooling will not be regarded as a burden. This is good because our society being practical attaches great importance to examination results. Sir, while the theory of education is impressive, parents do not view it this way. In the past the results of the PSLE affected the reputation of parents, schools and also the students. But now we are going to conduct an exercise among Primary III students to determine whether they should do another three or four years. Will this not cause the burden of the students to be advanced earlier? We are now actively promoting bilingualism.”
“Sir, in view of the assurance given by the Minister, I beg leave to withdraw my amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. The sum of $647,050,890 for Head V ordered to stand part of the Main Estimates. The sum of $707,110,500 for Head V ordered to stand part of the Development Estimates. Therefore Mr Deputy Speaker left time Chair of time Committee and took time Chair of time House.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, concerning the use of CPF contributions for the put-chase of executive flats in Jurong Town, I hope the Minister will reconsider this matter seriously. If the HUDC has a scheme governing such privileges, I hope the JTC will also apply the same regulations in the case of their executive fiats. I do not know whether the Minister' will agree to this.”
“Without an eating house it is rather inconvenient to the residents, especially single workers. It would be most difficult for them to go anywhere to get food. So they will have to travel to the 13 1/2m.s. Jurong to get their food. I would like to ask the Minister whether he can remedy this situation.”
“We all know that the rentals or fees charged for such facilities are rather high, and since these organisations cannot afford to pay such high fees the sports facilities will be hardly used and will be just like a white elephant. Originally I have no intention to raise my third question here, but now I feel I am duty-bound to raise it. At this time last year I had also raised the same question hoping that tile Minister could supervise the JTC in its work. This concerns tile collection and disposal of rubbish in Jurong Town. I do not know whether it is because of the inability of the JTC to employ the required number of labour to clear up the rubbish or whether it is because of the increase in the number of structures or residents there that the rubbish is not being collected daily. On many occasions rubbish is piled up for several days at a stretch. It has not been collected and sent to the rubbish disposal dump. This is detrimental to the health of the residents and I have received a number of complaints from them. I would like to ask the Minister whether he has been supervising the JTC in regard to this matter. I hope I need not have to raise the same matter again next year. I also hope that the Minister can take suitable measures to deal with this matter. The fourth question relates to Neighbourhood II of Jurong Town. It is called the Boon Lay Garden Estate. The design of this estate is rather odd. It was only designed for residential purposes. There was no provision for shopping facilities and so the authorities have to modify the residential premises for use as shops. Even if groceries, clinics and other types of shops are now available, there is still a shortage of a particular type of shop, namely, the eating house.”
“Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for head V be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead CAA 8201. Sir, under this amendment I would like to ask the Minister several questions relating to Jurong Town Corporation and other relevant matters. I have to raise them under this subhead because I cannot find any other item in the whole Estimates pertaining to the subject of my enquiry. Sir, in Jurong Town there are two types of fiats, the standard, low-cost flats and the executive flats. The low-cost flats are like the HDB flats, and the purchasers of these flats can make use of their CPF contributions. Purchasers of the executive fiats, however, cannot make use of their CPF' contributions to buy them. The Housing and Urban Development Company is now building middle-class type of fiats for the middle income group and, to my knowledge, applicants can make use of their CPF contributions to purchase these fiats. Therefore, I would like to ask the Minister whether the authority concerned will allow the applicants to make use of their CPF contributions to buy the executive flats in Jurong Town. The second question is in regard to sports and recreational facilities in Jurong Town. I know that one of the aims of JTC is to provide social arid recreational facilities for the people in Jurong Town, particularly the workers and residents. In Jurong Town some sports facilities are available and these include a stadium, a football field and a basketball court, etc. I would like to know whether certain community organisations in Jurong Town which have been registered with the Registrar of Societies can make use of these facilities and whether their applications for the use of these sports facilities will be favourably considered or given certain concessions.”
“In view of the Minister's reply, I beg leave to withdraw my amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. The following amendments stood on the order Paper Supplement -”
“Sir, it was not my intention to say that all exemptions can be dealt with in any manner. The approval of these applications is normally delayed. What I am trying to say is that all projects supported by the Ministry of Education should be exempted by the Tax Department so that the projects can be proceeded with as soon as possible and the fund-raising campaigns can be expedited.”
“Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to he allocated for Head V be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead DAA 1105. Sir, I have received quite a number of complaints from principals of Government-aided schools that when their schools are due for expansion or reconstruction they have to apply for exemption of tax on the funds to be raised. Processing of applications is very often delayed, and approval not forthcoming. As a result prices of building materials would have gone up several times. So they have to take back their application forms and to submit new forms again. Very often contributions have been received but as they have not yet been granted a permit they cannot issue receipts for the donations. I suggest that all school building projects approved by the Ministry of Education should be granted exemption of tax on all the donations received.”
“Sir, I thank the Minister for his answers. I beg leave to withdraw my amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.”
“Most of the complaints are again heard here today. I am sure most of my colleagues agree with me that we are beginning to feel a little tired coming here and playing the same old record. It is not that we like to hear our own voice or that we are over-imaginative. It cannot be due to over-imagination that we are taking up all these complaints. There must be some foundation in the complaints to cause its num ber to increase. Why? Certainly there must be a good reason.”
“Sir, I think the Permanent Secretary is the head of the department responsible for the administration of the whole Ministry. Mr Hwang Soo Jin (Jalan Kayu): Mr Speaker, Sir, every time a complaint is made against the Police department, we can expect a stock answer, "Of course, in any organisation we have the black sheep." These are the exact words which the Minister gave me last year. We heard this answer last year and we hear it again this year. Judging by the increasing number of complaints from this side of the Chamber, I am beginning to feel that the number of black sheep has increased. If that is the case, something positive should be done about it rather than saying that it is a question of black sheep in any organisation. I do not think that is a very satisfactory answer. I strongly support the suggestion of the Member for Jurong that a more independent system of investigation should be set up. The mere fact that investigation is left to the colleagues within the Police Force, one could expect, as pointed out, a situation of kuan kuan sian hu, which means they will take care of their own interest for obvious reasons. Another answer which has been given so very often is that the Police Force is shorthanded. If the Police Force is shorthanded, something should be done very quickly. Otherwise by publicly making such statement and admitting the shortcomings of the Police Force, we are only extending an invitation to the criminals to step up their activities. The effectiveness of the Lee Soo Ann Report and what should be done to remedy the position should be looked into very quickly. This has dragged on long enough, and I would like to refer the Honourable Minister to his reply to me last year when we were debating on the same department.”
“If we ask a police officer to look into a complaint against another police officer, we would not get any favourable results as the officer would tend to cover up the other officer. To ensure that such complaints are impartially investigated into, they should be conducted by independent people who are not police officers themselves. I think if this course of action is taken, we will find that many such complaints are well-founded. Lastly, Sir, I would like to remind the Minister of the shortage of police personnel in Jurong Town which is the largest industrial town in Singapore. In this industrial town there is only a very small police post. I was informed at any one time that the number of police officers on duty does not exceed three. I do not know whether it is true or not. Also there are only two police patrol cars in this police post, one of which is out of order every other day. For a big industrial town like Jurong, it is inadequate to have only such a small police post. As a result, there are so many cases of robbery and housebreaking and other crimes in Jurong. I would like to ask the Minister whether he has any plan in mind to improve the security in Jurong Town.”
“We have received many complaints from members of the public, as what other MPs have also said here, that there are many complaints about the rudeness and discourtesy on the part of the police, for instance, inconveniencing the witnesses by asking them to turn up at the police station to give statements. Why cannot the police inspector go to a place convenient to the witness to take down his statement? Sir, the Gambling Suppression Branch sometimes receives information from the public that such and such a person is running a gambling den. When information of this nature is received, the Gambling Suppression Branch should take a very cautious attitude in its investigations before taking any action. In my constituency there had been some unpleasant incidents arising out of action taken by the Police on such information received. Police officers from the Gambling Suppression Branch, without checking the reliability or unreliability of the information, came all the way to my constituency to conduct raids and searches in the homes of people who had participated in community work. These residents have a very high public standing and are unlikely to be bookies or gambling den operators. Therefore, I would ask the Minister to direct the Gambling Suppression Branch to be more cautious before acting on informa tion received, because the information they receive can turn out to be unreliable or malicious. 3.15 p.m. Sir, the Minister has also told this House that on receipt of complaints against the Police for brutality, discourtesy, etc, investigation is always made and very often such complaints were found to be unsubstantiated. I wonder who are the people responsible for the investigation of such complaints.”