Ho See Beng
Singapore
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I would like to ask the Minister of State whether he is aware that each time re- settlement takes place, the business houses or firms suffer a terrible loss. Although the HDB could provide them with alternative shop premises, they have to rent them from the HDB.”
“Sir, I want to ask a supplementary question with vested interest. This concerns a teacher who upgraded himself or herself and got admitted into the University, but the teacher has got to forgo his or her salary. In the case of an SAF officer, if he is sent to the University, he does not have to sacrifice his salary.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, may I ask whether the Minister will consider giving incentives to consumers who read their own meters?. I ask this question because it will save PUB a substantial amount of money by way of salaries for meter readers, if the PUB succeeds in teaching consumers how to read their own meters.”
“But before I could explain the relevancy, I was interrupted by the Member for Anson, who stood up and denied that he had ever said anything about supplying me with such a list.”
“Sir, as I have said, I intend to appeal to the Minister for National Development whether he will consider giving priority allocation of flats to the Blair Plain residents who will be resettled by PSA soon.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, when the House adjourned at 8.00 pm last night, I was reminding the Member for Anson that I have yet to receive his list of Blair Plain residents whom he claimed to have attended his meeting and approached him for assistance on the matter pertaining to resettlement.”
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“They have been asked to respond at functions as members of a team so as to enable management to achieve productivity goals. It has been stressed that team-work and the resultant higher productivity are essential for our survival. I regret that the Minister has allowed the impression to be created that he is more concerned with nurturing only the top civil servants and that he is prepared to reward them with higher salaries and other benefits while the majority of the Government employees are treated as aliens who have to wait indefinitely while the top civil servants condescend to look into their plight. It is illogical for the Government to exhort and preach to the workers the spirit of teamwork while it treats the same members of the team in a different way. These employees are more badly affected by inflation and the high cost of living. They deserve improved salaries and conditions of service even before the already well-paid Government servants get better terms. Mr Speaker, Sir, I was extremely gratified at the Minister's response to the Member for Moulmein's suggestion that civil servants should be given a 14th month interim bonus payment while the Government studies whether it should remove the one month ceiling of such payments. The Minister's reply that he would pass the suggestion to the Finance Minister, of whom he is confident would consider it seriously, is most encouraging. Sir, there does not appear to be any reason why the Government cannot pay a 14th month bonus. Some Government trading organizations have made massive profits over the years.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I would like to share the sentiments as expressed by the Member for Ang Mo Kio in regard to salary revision for the Administrative and Professional Services in the Singapore Government service. The Minister has proposed that the salaries of the Administrative and Professional officers in the Singapore Government service be revised since their emoluments are much less than their counter-parts in the private sector. It is said that if Labour is worthy of hire, his wages must be commensurate with his duties and responsibilities. In reply to my query the Minister stated that a similar study will be made for the rest of the civil service. I am astonished, however, that the Minister has singled out a small category of public employees for priority for this remedial measure, He has chosen to treat as second class employees the other thousands in Government 'Service who are also performing equally important duties and shouldering responsibilities at different levels. Sir, unlike the private sector which is made up of thousands of individual businesses and organizations, the Government is like a massive machine. Its employees at different levels are all parts of this machine. If any part of this massive machine is defective, then the whole machine or organization is affected, and I need only to make reference to the famous poem about how a war was lost for want of a horseshoe nail. For the past few years, political leaders, management experts and academicians have been pounding away on the concept of teamwork for efficiency and higher productivity. Teamwork has been declared as the essence of operational cooperation and increased productivity. This requirement has been rammed down the workers' throats week after week and month after month.”
“Can the Acting Minister for Social Affairs inform me whether destitutes who consider that their public assistance is not enough are also eligible to apply for further public assistance?”
“Sir, would the Minister for Communications and Minister for Labour agree that the reason why there has been no further escalation in bus fares is partly because of cheaper oil prices and it also depended on the NWC recommendations? But this certainly is not because there is an opposition in Parliament! Mr Ong Teng Cheong: Mr Speaker, Sir, the answer is yes, I agree. VOCATIONAL TRAINING DURING PERIOD OF NATIONAL SERVICE 5. Encik Abbas Abu Amin asked the Minister of Defence how many persons have been trained in a skill or craft whilst undergoing National Service and whether his Ministry has any plan to inject more vocational training during the period of National Service and if it will consider the use of facilities provided by the Vocational and Industrial Training Board, the Economic Development Board and other government training centres.”
“Therefore, where possible, parking meters should be installed in car parks. I hope the Minister will consider what I have suggested.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the traffic system and the parking system in Singapore are almost second to none in South-east Asia. This could be attributed to the officers in charge of these matters. Road communication and the parking systems are praised not only by the people of Singapore but also by tourists who are equally impressed by our transport and parking systems. Therefore, if there is anyone who has nothing better to do than to find fault with the systems, it can only be expected of a caviller. However, I have something to say about the coupon system. There is room for improvement. Sometimes motorists, in using the coupons, unwittingly make mistakes. They may tear the wrong tab from the parking coupon; invariably this is not done on purpose. But when the car park attendant finds anything amiss with the parking coupon, he would invariably not allow the motorist to explain but issues a notice of an offence to the motorist. There should be some flexibility in enforcing any regulations. When Singaporeans are enjoying moderate economic affluence, there should be no need for them to cheat the Government of a small amount. I hope the Minister will take note of this. Another problem is that motorists are obliged to use the coupons when they park their cars. However, these coupons are not available at every car park. Since the URA gets so much revenue from parking and is so affluent, why does it not use this revenue to install parking meters at its car parks? If parking meters are used, firstly, it will obviate the occurrence of making mistakes in parking coupons, and secondly, it will reduce the demand on labour. It is of benefit to Singapore when she is faced with labour shortage. It will economise on the use of labour.”
“The answer to the Annual Wage Supplement has not been given.”
“But the Minister has not answered my question.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I welcome the Government's move to make NWC wage increases pensionable. This is a move in the right direction. This move also shows that Government has the concern for its employees when they retire, and this is in line with the Government's policy of promoting Confucian ethics - to care and respect our senior citizens who have contributed to our country and community when they worked as civil servants. In this connection, Sir, may I ask the Minister this question: since Government is going to make NWC wage increases pensionable, whit about the Annual Wage Supplement? Why has this Annual Wage Supplement been left out?”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I would like to ask the Minister whether the PSC Chairman, in reviewing the salaries of the officers in the Professional and Administrative services, has taken into consideration the fact that, as the top echelons in the Professional and Administrative services, apart from their salaries they also have position, power and prestige. This, no money can buy. So a person cannot expect to have gain and fame. I would like to know whether the PSC Chairman has taken this into consideration.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I just want to seek clarification from the Minister for Trade and Industry. It is not my intention to object to Government's move to raise the level of salaries of the Administrative and Professional officers in the Government service. But I would like to ask the Minister whether there is going to be a survey done for the lower ranking officers in Divisions 11,111 and IV and the daily-rated and monthly-rated workers.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, in place of a similar question* I have filed, I just want to ask a supplementary question. Since the Minister says that he will not give PARF concessions at the moment, how does he expect the car population to be reduced on the road?”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, if the scheme for compulsory inspection of three-year old cars is implemented, may I ask the Minister what will be the increase in manpower required to carry out the inspection satisfactorily, and how many cars does the Minister think can be inspected a day? Assuming the scheme is implemented in 1982, how many cars of three years old will be due for compulsory inspection?”
“DEVAN NAIR, MEMBER FOR ANSON (Announcement by Mr Deputy Speaker)”
“First, the most important criterion in the selection of our presidency should be the person, and not solely his past background. If Devan Nair is judged to be able to benefit Singapore in the office of the presidency, the fact that he was formerly a politician should not rob Singaporeans of the man as a potential president. Mark you, Devan has resigned all union, party and political posts. Second, I am absolutely sure that, in the course of his duties as our next President, he will be able to conduct himself impartially and be above the hurly-burly of partisan politics. This may not come easy to him, having been a keen combatant in the political arena all these years, but I am confident he has the discipline and the statesmanship required of him. Devan's role will not be simple. Many Presidents of modern republics have to bear the dubious distinction of having responsibility without power, while not avoiding the onerous tasks, both ceremonial and constitutional, that accompany the office. As Head of State, the President is the focal point of loyalty in our young and diverse Republic, as well as our symbol of unity. The President is the living depository of all things Singaporean, and there is in truth no better person qualified to fill this post than Devan Nair. Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, we all have heard what the Prime Minister and other Members of this House have said about Devan Nair, and therefore in supporting this Motion I am sure the House will join me in wishing him well, good health and good grace. Question put, and agreed to. Resolved, That this Parliament, in accordance with Article 17 of the Constitution, elects Mr Chengara Veetil Devan Nair as President of the Republic of Singapore. RESIGNATION OF MR C.V.”
“I am firmly convinced that without Devan Nair at the helm of the trade union movement in the 60's and 70's, and without his unbending will to succeed against daunting odds as the non-Communists struggled for survival against the Communists in the 5O's and 60's, Singapore might have been a very different place today. Without Devan Nair's leadership, I think the NTUC would not have withstood the united front onslaught of the Barisan Sosialis nor would the Labour movement have transformed itself into a forward-looking, and positive force it now is in the present context of our economy. But we should not look upon Mr Devan Nair's elevation to the presidency as a loss to the trade union movement, although it is that too. Rather, we should regard it as a gain for the whole of Singapore. With Devan out of the NTUC altogether, the able young men now in charge will have no 'safety net' so to speak. His departure from the trade union scene is thus significant in that the process of self-renewal in Singapore trade unionism may be taken to be complete. The new union leaders must henceforth make it on their own steam, and be visibly seen to be doing so. In a real sense, with Devan Nair leaving the Labour movement, an era in Singapore is ending; his signal contribution in one sphere of Singapore's development, and his unique role therein, is over. Another phase is about to begin in Devan Nair's life. We must ask ourselves honestly: can he do the job? Is he fit for it? I have searched my mind and my soul, and I have found the answers to both questions as "Yes." One issue needs to be addressed, and that is the notion that as a politician, as a Party man, Devan Nair should perhaps not be chosen for a non-partisan, non-political post. My response to this proposition is two-fold.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir. I fully support the Motion moved by the Hon. Prime Minister to elect Mr C. V. Devan Nair as President of our Republic. It has been my good fortune to have enjoyed a long association with Mr Nair, spanning two decades. I can therefore lay claim to speaking about him with some intimacy and knowledge. To me, Devan is a friend, and I am also proud to say that he was my mentor. I first met him in 1960 when I was Secretary of the Singapore Printing Employees' Union, seeking advice from him on how best to improve pay and working conditions for the union's members. Mr Nair was confident that with the pro-Labour PAP Government that recently swept into power, my task would not be too difficult. He was right. Devan taught me much of what I now know of the Labour movement and of politics. To list the lessons I learnt from him would be tiresome and meaningless, because these were acquired through years of experience and practice. But one acknowledgement of my debt to Devan I wish to make is that he enabled me to differentiate between the national interest and narrow sectoral interests. Further, he could read situations and distinguish clearly between friend and foe - an ability I believe all sound politicians possess. Mr Devan Nair's background and history are matters of public record. I shall not go into them, except to state that with his humble origin, with his dynamism, with his sharp intellect and international stature, with his proven contribution to the Singapore of today, I have no doubt he will add strength of character to the presidency. Sir, if I were asked to point out the greatest single thing Devan Nair has done for our country, I would say this.”
“Yes, Sir, I am raising a supplementary question following this point. I would like to ask the Minister to consider increasing the water rates only as a last resort.”
“Sir, I think that is not fair. The Minister should wait for at least one year to see whether -”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, the Minister for Trade and Industry seems to believe that water consumption can only be reduced if the rate of water charges is increased. I wish to refer him to a speech he made recently. In his speech, he did say that the rate of water consumption dropped from 9% to 1.7% in 1976 after the last revision in 1975 but the rate of increase in water consumption had since been steadily rising to 7.7% last year. If this is so, it proves beyond a doubt that increasing the water rates is not an effective measure to stop an increase in water consumption. Thus, I would like to ask the Minister whether he will consider launching a social campaign to try and persuade the people to save water voluntarily.”
“Yes, I am. Does the Ministry of Education only accept his service but does not recognize his degree?”
“Sir, can the Minister of State tell this House how does a Taiwan university graduate, who is a primary school teacher, go about applying for a teaching post in a secondary school and get a secondary school teacher's pay?”
“The private sector will follow the pattern set by the Government and soon we will have a galloping inflation. We could then become the most expensive country in Asia and price ourselves out of the international market. 5.11 p.m.”
“If it is contended that the 38% increase must be made this year, then I can only say that the Ministry of National Development has been guilty of neglect in the past few years for not having foreseen the need for an increase, in view of inflation. Sir, there will be less hardship if the increase in price is spread over a few years and will be in keeping with our policy since the flats are subsidized in any case. It would seem that there is no coordination between the Government Ministries, as a result of which the workers suffer. May I refer to the example where the employee's contribution to the Central Provident Fund is accompanied by an increase in the price of Housing Board flats? How then does the worker cope with inflation which is beyond his control? It then becomes exceedingly clear that this sudden 38% increase in the price of HDB flats is a retrograde step, an action that must undermine our Government's declared Home Ownership Scheme, because fewer people will be able to afford these flats. In fact, this massive increase of 38% makes a mockery of our claims to have improved the workers lot through our economic development and the acknowledged professionalism of the PAP. I would submit that the rationale for any decisions of this nature ought to be as declared in our manifesto: that is to say, as Singapore becomes more and more affluent through the success of our economic policies, the burden of its citizens should become lighter and lighter; and not heavier and heavier by such sudden massive increase of 38% in the prices of public housing. Sir, if this type of massive price hikes, on the part of the Ministry of National Development is not curbed forthwith, hospital and education fees may similarly be increased.”
“" The rising cost in the construction industry is appreciated, but instead of allowing market forces to do their worst and contribute to an increase in the prices of houses and then pass on the price increase to our citizens, surely the Government should look for alternative solutions. One alternative solution is to dampen and stabilize construction costs. Alternatives are often available if one is really concerned and all possibilities explored. Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, when the HDB found that due to a shortage and other reasons that the price of granite was rising, they developed their own quarries and stabilized the price of granite. Similarly, the prices of bricks and cement were kept at a reasonable level for a long time. It is the responsibility of the Government to ensure that the price of housing, which is essential and important to every citizen, is kept within the reach of the people for whom they are intended. There must be some correlation between the prices of Government housing and income of our citizens. This is a responsibility of every socialist government. Otherwise, open market forces will prevail and will be defeating our well-considered plan for home-ownership, which is one of the fundamental considerations of our Government policy. Sir, if the prices of Housing Board flats have to rise, I would then suggest that price increases be introduced gradually and in stages over a period of time. The 38%, for example, could be reached in five years, without upsetting the hopes and plans of thou- sands of citizens who are waiting for their flats.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I would like to join in the protest against the massive 38% increase in the prices of HDB flats, as announced recently by the Minister for National Development. Housing is a basic need of the people and a sudden and arbitrary 38% increase in the cost of public housing will have serious repercussions on the lives of the thousands who are still on the waiting list for flats. A 38% increase in the price of any commodity is high by any standard and bearing in mind the fact that the purchasers of Housing and Development Board flats are citizens in the middle and lower income groups, the 38% increase is obviously excessive and could put these flats out of the reach of thousands who have waited many years for a flat. The excuse that the result of a Housing and Development Board survey shows that those on the waiting list will have enough CPF savings to pay for their flats over a period of 20 years is a puerile and ridiculous argument. If the entire CPF savings have to be utilized for a flat, then what savings will the people have to live on when they retire? It must also be pointed out that one inevitable by-product of this massive increase of 38% by the Government will be to encourage manufacturers and traders and others to similarly raise their prices. We have seen how commodity and other prices follow the annual NWC wage recommendation each year. Government will not be in a position to direct merchants to refrain from increasing their prices because Government itself has set a bad example. It will be futile to say, "do as I tell you to do, but do not do as I do.”
“Sir, if I can bring an employee who has not received an increase in wages, can the Minister of State guarantee that he be exempted from paying the increased CPF contribution?”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, apart from eroding the benefit accruing from the recent increase in wages recommended by the National Wages Council, how does the Minister of State justify the increase in the rate of CPF contribution of an employee who has not received a wage increase from his or her employer?”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I would like to know whether there will be any increase in airport tax when this airport is in operation.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, does the Minister attribute these fatal accidents to mechanical fault or to the fault of the driver?”
“Sir, I am glad to note the Acting Minister for Social Affairs has responded to my request. Therefore, I beg leave to withdraw my amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. Mr Rohan bin Kamis: Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head V be reduced by $10 in respect of Subhead VB-02 of the Main Estimates Sir, the Majlis Ugama Islam Singapura (MUIS) has done a good job for the Muslim community. Most apparent is its success in the mosque building programme, under which six mosques have been built under Phase I and eight more will be built under Phase II. The recent successful organization of the mass celebration of Prophet Mohammad's Birthday is another feather in the MUIS cap. Last year I suggested that MUIS should strengthen its administrative and public relations capability to meet the new challenges ahead. The Hon. Acting Minister then elaborated the steps he would be taking. I trust the implementation of these steps is well in progress and that the good results are benefiting the Muslim community in particular and the Singapore society as a whole. In this respect, would the Acting Minister inform the House of the progress to-date in this direction? It has been brought to my attention that the time taken to deal with the cases submitted to the Syariah Court is far too long and this is causing anxiety among the parties involved. Furthermore, it was also pointed out to me that there are only two social case workers attached to the Syariah Court. What then is the cause of the delay? Is the delay due to the shortage of manpower? In this respect, would the Acting Minister inform the House of the steps that he would take to alleviate this problem?”
“Therefore, Sir, if a public assistance recipient with a wife and two school-going children receives $100, the family will definitely not be able to subsist without additional subsidy. And with the head of the household incapacitated, the wife will have to undertake a part-time or a full-time job to help supplement the household expenditure. But most wives cannot undertake a full-time job as they have young children to look after. The Social Welfare Department should not withdraw the public assistance on the ground that the wife is working and so they do not deserve public assistance. Therefore, I would like to request the Acting Minister for Social Affairs to look into the matter and review the policy in the light of the circumstances. The Acting Minister for Social Affairs (Dr Ahmad Mattar): Sir, this question of Public Assistance Scheme has been debated over and over again in this Chamber. As the Member for Khe Bong has rightly pointed out, the objective of the Public Assistance Scheme is to help families tide over their financial difficulties. It is not meant to be a Scheme to help them indefinitely. But for those who are genuinely incapable of earning a livelihood, the Public Assistance allowances will be supplemented by other schemes administered by the Social Welfare Department of the Ministry of Social Affairs. As regards his suggestion that my Ministry should review the policy on the Public Assistance Scheme, I will take note of it. In fact, the Public Assistance Review Committee, the formation of which I announced last week, just met yesterday, and among the things looked into were those suggested by the hon. Member.”
“Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head V be reduced by $10 in respect of Subhead VA-01 of the Main Estimates. Sir, what I would like to touch on is a matter relating to the inadequate public assistance given to recipients under certain special circumstances. According to the public assistance scheme, the maximum amount that a household can receive is $100, no matter how many dependants there are in the family. According to a social survey in 1973, it was established that $240.11 was the monthly subsistence amount for a family of four, excluding educational expenses. So if one is to consider the inflation from 1973 to 1980, then the subsistence level for a family of four would definitely be more than $240.11. Sir, but the amount given to families on public assistance is even less than 50% of the monthly subsistence amount, which makes one wonder how these families manage with the amount of financial assistance given and how the families can become self-supporting with this amount. Of course, the Ministry will argue that public assistance is given to help recipients to tide over their temporary financial difficulties while in the meantime they have to look for employment for their subsistence. I say this argument does not hold water because most of these recipients were formerly employed as labourers and seasonal workers. These jobs require strength and stamina and hence it is unlikely that the recipients who are sick and handicapped can hope to go back to their former jobs. Neither can they take up any skilled or semi-skilled jobs as they do not have the necessary skills required.”
“(In Mandarin): Sir, the Hon. Senior Minister of State agrees with me on one point but disagrees with me on another point. So I cannot help but to withdraw my amendment. Amendment by leave, withdrawn. The following amendment, standing in the names of Messrs Goh Chee Wee and Rohan bin Kamis, was not moved - (8) That the sum to be allocated for Head J be reduced by $10 in respect of Subhead JD-01 of the Development Estimates.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the Senior Minister of State for Culture asked me to refer to him the particular case complained of with regard to entertainment permit. But this incident happened last year and the applicant for the entertainment permit had already been fined. So I am not able to refer this case to him. What I said just now is true. The applicant was not only asked to apply for an entertainment permit to stage a street show but, at the same time, he had to apply for a permit for the public address system. I find this ridiculous because, after all, the loudspeakers and the sound system have SISIR's approval. What is the need for a permit for the public address system? So instead of asking me to refer this matter to him, I would ask him to check with his officials to see whether or not this is true - that when an applicant applies for an entertainment permit to stage a show, he must also apply for a permit to operate the public address system. Mr M.K.A. Jabbar( In Tamil): Mr Speaker, Sir, I wish to make some clarification in respect of the answers given by the Senior Minister of State with regard to Tamil films. It is true that they run for three hours. But one film is shown in two parts over two days. And the scheduled time on these two days should be 9.30 p.m. instead of 10.30 p.m. so that workers will be able to find it easier to go to work the next day. Secondly, Members of Parliament are elected by the people. Yesterday I listened to the English news at 9.45 p.m. It gave a lot of importance to Ministers' speeches and we were referred to as Backbenchers. We do not like to be called Backbenchers. We have a name and a constituency. The people should know what happens in Parliament. The SBC should show a special programme on parliamentary affairs.”
“My question is: why can the Land Office not be merged with the Ministry of National Development? I think it is a good idea to bring the Land Office into the Ministry of National Development so that with common administration the Government can achieve more effective control and better utilization of land in Singapore. There will be a lot of improvements with the minimum of complaint. I hope this suggestion will receive favourable consideration.”
“Before the land is developed, the HDB normally allows the farmers to fully carry out approved agricultural activities. But in the case of the land under the charge of the Land Office, no such facilities are extended. In other words, the Land Office does not allow the farmer tenants to carry out activities other than those approved in the first instance, in nature and in scope. It would rather let the land be unutilized. 5.45 p.m. Mr Speaker, Sir, there is another problem that Members of Parliament in the rural areas often come across. This is related to what we call unauthorized structures. The people in the rural areas sometimes put up additional structures without the prior approval of the Ministry concerned. They put up such structures under extenuating circumstances, and most of these so-called unauthorized structures have been there for many, many years. In handling this matter of unauthorized structures, I think the authorities concerned should be both sympathetic and reasonable. They should be flexible in their approach instead of just bulldozing or demolishing such structures to dispose of the matter. Sir, according to past experience, the Building Control Division under the Ministry of National Development seems to be more flexible in dealing with such matters. They are more sympathetic and reasonable. For example, when a member steps forward to speak for the farmer concerned, a period of three months or six months, according to the circumstances, will be granted. But I cannot say the same for the Land Office because the Land Office would at the most give only one month's grace. Sir, I do not understand why these two departments handling a matter of similar nature should come under two different Ministries.”
“(5) That the sum to be allocated for Head I be reduced by $10 in respect of Subhead I F-03 of the Main Estimates. The sum of $123,903,150 for Head I ordered to stand part of the Main Estimates. The sum of $163,659,000 for Head I ordered to stand part of the Development Estimates. Head S - Mr Ho Kah Leong (Jurong)( In Mandarin): Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head S be reduced by $10 in respect of Subhead SB-01 of the Main Estimates. Sir, Singapore has a very large Ministry, the Ministry of National Development, in charge of land administration in Singapore housing, primary production, etc. But many people in Singapore find it strange that the Land Office which is concerned with land administration is not within the Ministry of National Development but under the Ministry of Law. Mr Speaker, Sir, the administration of rentals, control of land, housing and matters of a similar nature are handled by two Ministries. As a result we find that to a given problem there are different standards of treatment and different effects in the administration. Sometimes what is endorsed by the Ministry of National Development is disapproved by the Land Office. The administration is incomprehensible to the ordinary man in the street. They do not know that these matters are handled by two different Ministries. All they can see is that different methods are being applied on the same issue. Hence, they make complaints and blame the Government for giving different treatment to the same problem. It is the Members of Parliament who will in the end be saddled with such complaints. For example, under the Ministry of National Development, the Housing and Development Board is in charge of land.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, there were no pre-conditions for applying taxi driver's licences during the colonial administration and also during the Lim Yew Hock regime. But now, Sir, under the PAP Government, those who wish to apply for a taxi driver's licence must comply with the preconditions laid down by the Registry of Vehicles. For example, an applicant must be above 30 years old. He must be married and must understand some English. I think these pre-conditions are unnecessary and unfair. Those who wish to apply for a taxi driver's licence should be allowed to do so without the pre-conditions so long as they have a professional driving licence and can pass the driving test as set out by the authorities. This is important. However, if the authorities insist that the pre-conditions must be complied with, I would like to ask the Minister why and what is the justification? Another point which I would like to bring to the attention of the Minister is the complaints of delay in the testing of applicants for a taxi driver's licence. The applicants say that they often have to wait for a long time before they can hope to take a test. If this is so, I would like the Minister to look into this matter and expedite the process of testing as quickly as possible so that they will be able to earn their livelihood as taxi drivers if they can pass the test.”
“Sir, the Minister said that SBS raised loans from banks to buy new buses. Would it not be cheaper for the SBS to have a share issue to finance the purchase of buses?”
“I have no doubts that the Minister will be very happy because he has saved up to about 70% expenditure on manpower. In the nature of things, Sir, if somebody gains, somebody else must lose. Otherwise how can the Minister save the money? He is saving money at the expense of the motoring public, which I think is not fair. Why cannot we go back to the old system? In this coupon system, we are still using a car park attendant to inspect whether the motorist has displayed the coupon or not. We can still carry on with the coupon system. Should the car park attendant see that the motorist has parked beyond the time limit, he just puts a notice to remind him to pay another 40 cents. Why cannot that be done?”
“Why is the Minister worried about whether the motorists are worried or not so long as the URA get their parking fee of 40 cents or 80 cents or whatever the charge is. Payment of the fees due is the important thing, as far as the URA is concerned. If the motorist parks his car beyond the grace period of 15 minutes, the car park attendant is there to place a pink notice to remind the motorist to pay the fees. Whatever it is, the URA is not losing any revenue. So why does the Minister want to create worries for the motorist?”
“Sir, before the introduction of parking coupons to replace the ticket system in the collection of parking fees, there was no surcharge collected if parking exceeds the time limit. The parking attendant would simply put a pink notice on the windscreen of the car to remind the motorist to pay another 40 cents as parking fees. But now things are different. If a motorist parks his car in excess of the time limit, he has to pay a surcharge of $2. Sir, why cannot the Car Parks Division, which is under the Urban and Redevelopment Authority, continue its former practice of charging another 40 cents if parking exceeds the time limit? The coupon system benefits the Department but creates a lot of inconvenience for the motoring public. In view of the impracticality of the coupon parking system, coupled with the unfair surcharge, I would like to urge the Minister to consider waiving the surcharge if he insists on carrying on with the coupon system.”
“Sir, the Minister has not replied to my question about the NWC and merit increment.”
“Sir, the question I would like to ask is this. The NWC has made a recommendation that merit increments could be offset from the NWC recommendations. There are a lot of complaints from the workers that if we allow the management to deduct merit increments from the NWC recommendations there will be no merit because, on the one hand, you give a merit increment but, on the other hand, you deduct it. So the merit increment is negatived. I would like to urge the Minister whether he will kindly bring this issue before the NWC in its coming deliberations. Mr S. Chandra Das (Chong Boon): Sir, we have been told in this House that the waiting time for HDB and HUDC units is about 2 1/2 to three years. This building programme is severely hampered because of lack of workers and building materials. Further, this shortage has raised the unit cost. I am told that attempts are being made to increase the supply of building materials. However, the shortage of labour in the construction industry is still very acute. Simple economics suggest, Sir, that the cure lies in increasing the supply of imported construction workers. I would be very grateful if the Hon. Minister for Communications and Minister for Labour could enlighten this House on the necessity to impose a surcharge of $230 per worker per month for imported construction workers from non-traditional sources. Further, if justifiable, what specific plans the Minister has to utilize these funds?”
“Sir, in view of the obscenely large profits made by the insurance companies either as a group or individually, will the Senior Parliamentary Secretary make another attempt to persuade the General Insurance Association to contribute at least half a million dollars annually?”
“Sir, the Minister said that the girl was born in Malaysia and therefore she would not lose her status of citizenship. If I find out that this girl has already lost her citizenship, may I ask whether the Minister will consider granting her permanent stay status on compassionate grounds?”
“Since the Immigration Authority is aware of her entry into Singapore after the implementation of immigration control at the Causeway on 1st June, 1967, why was she not asked to leave Singapore after the expiry of her visa? I believe she was not given a visa at that time. Sir, if this hapless child could not even become a permanent resident of Singapore, she will be a stateless person, and will be greatly disadvantaged in her later life. Therefore, I would like to request the Minister to look into it and to render her the necessary assistance, if possible.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I would like to ask the Minister for Home Affairs that if the Registrar of Births and Deaths in Singapore issued a birth certificate to a person who was born in Malaysia, will such a person be recognized by the Singapore Government as a citizen? Conversely, if the subject cannot be recognized as a citizen, why should the Registrar grant him or her a birth certificate? Sir, this concerns a child who was born in Malacca and was brought to Singapore when she was three months old by a Malay couple who adopted her as their foster daughter. When she reached the age of 12 and, like other children, her foster parents applied to the National Registration Office for an identity card for their foster daughter, but the application was rejected on the ground that she is neither a citizen nor a permanent resident of Singapore. Then they approached me for assistance and I brought the case to the knowledge of the Deputy Commissioner of National Registration with both her birth certificate and adoption paper. Having examined and satisfied himself that both the documents are legal and in order, the Deputy Commissioner recommended the case to the Immigration Department with a view to reinstating the subject's permanent residential status on the ground that she has been legally adopted by a Singapore citizen. However, the Immigration Department turned down his recommendation and said that she came to Singapore after the implementation of immigration control at the Causeway on 1st June, 1967. In view of the advice given by the Immigration Department, the Deputy Commissioner informed me that he is unable to render further assistance on this matter. Sir, I think the Immigration Department is being unduly rigid on a technical matter.”
“Sir, may I be permitted to take this amendment with my next amendment No. (11), since the matter under which I wish to raise is inter-related?”