Hwang Soo Jin
Singapore
“I remember that soon after the Blue Paper was published, a career woman came to see me at one of my Meet-the-people sessions. Speaking for some friends, she complained to me that after hearing the news concerning the Blue Paper, they could not sleep for several nights as they were apprehensive that they would not be able to maintain their…”
“To ask the Minister for National Development (a) whether he will direct the Housing and Development Board to look into the need to construct more public lavatories in that part of Ang Mo Kio New Town which falls within Jalan Kayu Constituency, especially in areas where senior citizens regularly meet: (b) what is the number of complaints o…”
“Sir, permit me to just make a short observation. Listening to hon. Members, it gives me the impression that maybe we should forget the whole MRT study and save all the millions of dollars and instead spend it on carrying out a study on the operational efficiency of SBS, Like the Member for Serangoon Gardens, I thought that the answer give…”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I think there is still too much of a delaying tactic here as far as I can see. Probably next year the same words will be said again. I just like to remind the Hon. Minister for the second time that the police post at Ang Mo Kio is the result of the closure of the police post in Yio Chu Kang in my constituency.”
“Sir, a rather more pertinent question to ask is whether the handcuffing procedure should not be looked into or reviewed so as to make sure that it is not applied indiscriminately and causing unnecessary embarrassment. I think this is the point of the Member for Radin Mas.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, whether you call it an impasse or foot-dragging or whatever, we have been hearing the same words for more than a year. Last year, the Minister said exactly the same thing. Last year he said that we gladdened his heart, and again this year he says we gladden his heart and we are on his side.”
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“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head 93 be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead 203. Sir, I am moving this amendment in order to obtain some information from the Minister. Can he inform the House what is this provision for? I see that there is a vote of $50,000 now as against a token vote of $10 for last year.”
“Sir, I beg leave to withdraw. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. 6.15 p.m.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head 93 be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead 104*. (* The same amendment also stood in the name of Mr Ng Kah Ting.) Sir, I stand to be corrected, but I seem to remember that during the debate on the Development Estimates in December 1968, the Minister told the House that when the pig section of the Central Abattoir in Jurong was ready, he would give consideration to building a few rural abattoirs. But I have been looking through the Development Estimates and subhead 105, which is in respect of rural abattoirs, has been taken off. Can the Minister tell the House whether it has now been decided not to go ahead with the building of rural abattoirs? And, if so, why is this so? Mr Ng Kah Ting: Mr Speaker, Sir, I share the same sentiments as expressed by my colleague, the Member for Jalan Kayu. In fact, a couple of years ago, I brought up this question of rural abattoirs. There was then a token provision of $10 in respect of several rural abattoirs in the Development Estimates. I feel that there is a need for the construction of such abattoirs in centrally located rural areas to help pork sellers get their supply of meat and arrive at the markets in the rural areas as quickly as possible. Sir, I have brought up this point because I have received complaints that the Central Abattoir is too far from areas like Jalan Kayu, Punggol or Upper Serangoon.”
“I am not moving, Sir. The sum of $49,934,180 for Head 1302 ordered to stand part of the Estimates. Head 1303 - The following amendment stood in the name of Mr Tay Boon Too - (1) That the sum to be allocated for Head 1303 be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead 1005.”
“Is it not possible to give a number to it? Mr Chua Sian Chin: I think there is a certain degrading effect if you have a number instead of a name on the tag.”
“The Minister mentioned name tags. Are they only in English? If so, how do you expect non-English speaking people to identify the officer?”
“This is not very satisfactory. I would invite the Minister concerned to take a drive from Newton Circle all the way up north between 6.30 p.m. and 6.45 p.m. It is quite an interesting sight to see that the street lights seem not to be following any fixed time schedule at all along the same stretch of road. Nevertheless. I beg leave to withdraw. Amendment leave, withdrawn.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head 1209 be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead 2013*. (* The same amendment also stood in the name of Mr P. Selvadurai) Sir, against this subhead 2013 is a sum of $4,250,000. As it is of an annually recurrent nature, I assume that this represents the total cost for keeping our streets bright at night. As this is by no means a small sum of money, I am just wondering what measures are being enforced, to see that our street liehts are maintained not only efficiently but economically. I have noticed that on most evenings on my way home at about 6.30 p.m. and sometimes even earlier, quite a lot of our street lights are already on. This seems to me to be a waste of public money, because during most days it is only after seven in the evening that our streets become really dark. I think we can regulate this street lighting more efficiently. If we could delay switching on the street lights by one hour every night, I should imagine we could save about 10 per cent of that $4,250,000. which will come to about $425,000 per annum. It is also not an uncommon sight to see street lights left on into the day. Sometimes even at 12 noon you can still see the street lights are on. We have jacked up the P.U.B. charges, and we are asking our people to pay more for P.U.B. biÍls, but what are we doing to economise?”
“I beg leave to withdraw. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. The sum of $2,865,350 for Head 1103 ordered to stand part of the Estimates. Head 1104 -”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head 1003 be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead 2053. Sir, judging from the provision of $32,000 asked for this subhead, it does not appear to me that we are going to get more ambulances. In the light of the increased incidence in industrial as well as road accidents, I am just wondering whether the Minister has any plans to expand our ambulance fleet. I would also like to find out from him whether all our ambulances are equipped with radio telephones, so that they can be more effectively deployed. Inche Othman Bin Wok: Sir, the number of ambulances for the year 1970-71 is not being reduced. We are maintaining the same number. It is not being reduced because the number of casualties that the ambulance service carries remains approximately the same, that is, in the region of 20,000, of which about 85 to 90 per cent are accident cases, the rest being medical cases. At the moment the Singapore Fire Brigade maintains 10 ambulances for this service. All ambulances as well as fire engines are equipped with a V.H.F., or Very High Frequency, radio system, and are in contact at all times with the control room at the Central Fire Station.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I have raised the question of fire fighting and rescue equipment, but it has not been answered.”
“Going through the latest available Annual Report of the department for the year 1967 to which I have just referred, I see that apart from a 65-foot Snorkel and two Turntable Ladders of 100 feet each, our Fire Brigade does not appear to be particularly well equipped either to fight a fire which may occur beyond the fifth or sixth floor of a multi-storey building or to save people who may be trapped on the higher floors of such a building in the event of a fire. Mr Speaker, Sir, perhaps the Minister will inform the House what plans he has in hand to bring our Fire Brigade up to date in keeping with present changes.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, first of all, I would like to draw the House's attention to Command Paper No. 36 of 1969. This little book of 16 pages contains the Fire Department's Annual Report for 1967. The Fire Department has apparently taken two years to prepare it. What was the reason for the delay? Could it be that the department was too busy fighting fires? Mr Speaker, Sir, the past few years have witnessed tremendous changes in the landscape of Singapore brought about by rapid industrialisation and intensive urban renewal schemes. In place of the small backyard type of workshops, we now have factories involving capital investments of millions of dollars. The traditional terrace-type of two- to three-storey shophouses are also giving way to high-rise buildings of 20, 30 and even 50 storeys. With all these changes, I feel that it is time the Fire Brigade adopted a rather more realistic and enlightened approach to the subject of fire prevention and fire fighting. As far as fire prevention in the context of legislative control is concerned, I do not know when last we reviewed our rules and regulations. But I do know that the existing regulations are based largely upon a set of rules applicable in the United Kingdom. I do not know to what extent these foreign rules are relevant to local conditions. However, I feel that there is some urgency for us to take a good look at them, not only to ensure that they are adequate for our purposes, but also to see that they do not involve the private sector in unnecessary waste of money on some fanciful and expensive equipment which may be totally unsuitable for use in tropical countries. I will now turn to fire-fighting.”
“In view of the not unsatisfactory answers, I beg leave to withdraw. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. 6.45 p.m. The following amendment stood in the name of Madam Chan Choy Siong - That the sum to be allocated for Head 0807 be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead 1012. Madam Chan Choy Siong: Sir, I am not moving.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head 0807 be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead 1001*. (* The same amendment also stood in the names of Messrs. Ch'ng Jit Koon, Seah Mui Kok, Cheong Yuen Chee, Lim Soo Peng, P. Selvadurai and Madam Chan Choy Siong.) Sir, I only wish to remind the Minister that it was during the debate in December 1968 that he first indicated that he was giving serious consideration to a proposal for making it compulsory for all vehicles which are more than ten years old to be subjected to a roadworthiness test. Fifteen months have gone by and we have not heard anything further. I am just wondering what is holding up the implementation of the proposal. In passing, I would also like to ask the Minister how effective the Transport Advisory Board is in helping us solve the all-important subject of public transport.”
“Can I just draw the Minister's attention to the fact that earlier on I have mentioned the question of setting up a rehabilitation centre for the thousands of people who have lost either an arm or a leg in accidents and so on? I do not think I have heard an answer to that question.”
“In view of the explanation, I beg leave to withdraw. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head 0601 be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead 1014. Sir, during my weekly meet-the-people sessions, I have come across many cases of persons who have registered at the Labour Exchange. But after many months, they have not been given any recommendations for jobs. On the other hand, I have heard of cases who have, within a short time of registration, been given jobs. I do not know what accounts for this situation. For those unfortunate people, registering at the Labour Exchange is like betting on Toto. If you are lucky, your number comes up and you get a job. If not, then you have to wait for months and months and nothing happens. I suspect that there might be some string-pulling or favouritism being practised in the Labour Exchange. Sir, this is one area of administration in which we can best prove that we not only preach but practise equal opportunities for all. I would like an assurance from the Minister that stricter supervision is kept on this particular section of the Ministry of Labour to ensure that the distribution of job vacancies is done strictly on the basis of first come first served.”
“Sir, my question on revising the workmen's compensation benefits has also not been answered.”
“Sir, in our endeavour to industrialise, we have called upon our workers to make sacrifices and to improve their rate of productivity. They have done this, and splendidly too. On our part, I feel that the least we can do is to put their minds at ease by assuring them that if in their endeavours they should be unfortunate enough to be maimed for life or to die, their family will be well looked after. Sir, another point I would like to make concerns the rehabilitation of workmen who sustain permanent disablement as a result of accidents at work. In view of the increasing number of such cases, I wonder whether the Minister will consider setting up special rehabilitation centres to provide training for such unfortunate people so that with some kind of retraining they can continue to lead a useful economic life.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, on at least two occasions last year the Minister for Labour was urged in the House to revise the Workmen's Compensation Ordinance with a view to providing better benefits. On both occasions, the Minister, answering through his Parliamentary Secretary, rejected the suggestion on the ground that the existing benefits were adequate. Sir, as you may be aware, under the Ordinance, when a workman meets with an accident in the course of his employment, all he gets if he is permanently disabled is $9,600 or 48 months' earnings, whichever is lesser. If he should die, all that his dependants will receive is limited to $7,200 or 36 months earnings, whichever is lesser. In terms of present-day standards and the cost of living, I cannot really see how these benefits can be described as adequate. Take a person who dies, leaving behind a family of young children. How do we expect these young children to be brought up decently and graciously on $7,200 until they are able to fend for themselves? Sir, I am sure you have read press reports of cases of road accident victims who were awarded very much more substantial benefits than those I have just mentioned. If the workmen's compensation benefits at their present level can be considered adequate, then it can only mean that the rates of compensation currently awarded by our High Court are inflated out of all proportion. Whilst we boast of having one of the highest per capita incomes in this region, the benefits under our Workmen's Compensation Ordinance compare most unfavourably with those of a number of our neighbours. Some of them have gone on to something resembling a social security scheme. In the case of Hong Kong which is still a colony, the corresponding benefits have recently been substantially revised upwards.”
“My point is this: I have come across instances where the people already have the machines. They applied for licences and have waited for five months now, and they have still not got any answer.”
“Sir, can I just clarify one point? Dr Goh Keng Swee resumed his seat.”
“Sir, this amendment is moved with the intention of seeking further clarification from the Minister on the function of the Unit. Sir, as the Unit appears in the Estimates under the Property Tax Division, will the services of the Unit also be utilised by the Income Tax Division! Sir, human nature being what it is, everyone will try his best to evade income tax. It is common knowledge that a number of businessmen in Singapore make it a point to keep one, two, or even three sets of accounts for the purpose of facilitating evasion of income tax.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I only wish to touch a comparatively minor aspect of the inland revenue, It concerns the implementation of the amendment to the Stamp Ordinance, passed by this House on the 15th October, 1969, to allow for payment of stamp duty on a number of legal documents by means of the postal franking machine. The amendment has passed into law now for some five months. I do not know how many applications have been received and approved, but I understand that a number of applicants have as yet not been granted the necessary licences. If I remember correctly, this particular amendment was introduced not only with a view to public convenience but also with a view to reducing the pressure on the Stamp Office. This was a step recommended by the Organisation and Methods Branch, following their investigations into the work of that Department. This being the case, I should have thought that the Commissioner would have been only too happy to grant the licences applied for, but the impression I have is that he does not seem to be too keen to grant licences. Mr N. Govindasamy: Mr Speaker, Sir, in the Estimates of Revenue and Expenditure for the last financial year, $500,000 was set aside under the heading of Special Expenditure for the setting up of the Anti Evasion Unit of the Income Tax Division, This year the same item has again been budgeted, but this time under "Personal Emoluments" of the Inland Revenue Department. It seems to me that it is not possible for the Unit to function within one year from the time it was set up, and my impression seems to be confirmed by the Minister in his speech in which he made reference to the recent establishment of the Unit and to the assistance of the American Inland Revenue officials.”
“I beg leave to withdraw the amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. The sum of $105,750,000 for Head 21 ordered to stand part of the Second Supplementary Development Estimates of Expenditure for the financial year 1st January, 1969, to 31st March, 1970. Question, "That the sum of $105,750,000 shall be supplied to the Government under the heads of expenditure for the public services shown in the Second Supplementary Development Estimates of Expenditure for the financial year 1st January, 1969, to 31st March, 1970, contained in Paper Cmd. 8 of 1970", put, and agreed to. Resolution to be reported. Thereupon Mr Speaker left the Chair of the Committee and took the Chair of the House.”
“However, there is, to my mind, the need for the performance and activities of these agencies to be kept under constant review by Parliament, so as to ensure that they will not veer from the objectives or purposes for which their setting up was intended, and that there is no unnecessary or unintended conflict of interests committed wittingly or unwittingly either with the public sector or with the private sector. I have no doubt that all these aspects have not escaped the attention of the Minister, but to ensure the long-term continued accountability of these agencies to Parliament, perhaps some arrangement ought to be made at this stage for Parliament to receive periodical progress reports from them. In saying so, it is not my intention to suggest that Parliament should interfere with the work of the professionals or to impose unnecessary restrictions or limitations upon the activities of these agencies, as such a course of action will only hamper the healthy growth of such agencies.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head 21 he reduced by $10 in respect of subhead 104*. (* The same amendment also stood in the names of Mr Ng Yeow Chong, Mr J. F. Conceicao, Mr Lim Cheng Lock, and Madam Chan Choy Siong.) Sir, in view of the very substantial amount of money involved under this Head, I wonder whether the Minister can inform this House of the progress made to date by the Neptune Orient Lines Ltd, and the Chartered Industries of Singapore Ltd. And also what is the rate of return, if any, on the amount invested in each case. As regards Air Chartering Enterprises Pte. Ltd., can the Minister give full details of the management and operation of the company? Presumably more funds will be required very shortly to acquire the necessary aircraft and, if so, what is the amount involved for the purpose? Sir, bearing in mind the growing number of Government agencies now in operation and in the course of being set up, I feel that the question of accountability of these agencies to Parliament in practice should be given the closest examination at this stage. As things stand at the moment, there appears to be no arrangement in force to keep Parliament informed of the progress made on new ventures embarked upon by these agencies from time to time. While an ordinary shareholder in a public company is sent an annual report by his company, Members of Parliament are denied this courtesy by most, if not all, of these agencies. The Minister has fully explained in general the rationale behind the setting up of Government agencies, which is well appreciated and wholeheartedly supported by this House.”
“That particular point, I think, has caused a bit of inconvenience. I am just wondering whether it would not be best, when sending out this letter of refusal, to indicate that if the personal circumstances of the applicant have changed, he may reapply. If there have been no changes, he may forget about reapplication. That will save a bit of inconvenience.”
“However, there will always be grumbling among some people at the slightest suggestion of an increase in the price they have to pay for any type of public service, but they may do well to make a few comparisons to ascertain for themselves what better things or services they can purchase with $10 or $12 spread over a period of one month. Take an average smoker. He spends ungrudgingly between $10 and $30 or even more per month on cigarettes. The Member for Paya Lebar has just told me that he spends something like $100 per month on cigarettes. It may be argued that cigarettes give greater satisfaction than water. But can anyone honestly say that he can live without water? I can think of many more contradictions reflecting the illogical traditional attitude of some of our consumers, but I think I have made my point. 6.40 p.m.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I rise in support of the Bill and the proposed increase in water rates, as it is clear that the proposed increase is not being resorted to as an easy way to raise more revenue, nor is it an action aimed at rectifying a departmental financial deficit brought about by maladministration. I feel that the increase should be viewed in the wider context of the vast expansion programme being undertaken by the Water Department with a view to ensuring that the high standard of service hitherto attained can be maintained in the long run. Over the last ten years, our consumption of water has gone up by some 50 per cent. This is a good indication of the increasing affluence of our society. With greater economic growth almost guaranteed, coupled with the inevitable population growth, the increase in the consumption of water will, I feel sure, be even more dramatic in the next decade. As a responsible government, it is our duty to see that we can, and will, in the next five or ten years, continue to be able to cope with the substantially increased demand for water. To ensure this for the future, we are now being called upon to pay a very small price in the form of a proposed increase in water rates. An average household, I understand, uses a maximum of between 10,000 and 12,000 gallons of water a month. In terms of dollars and cents, the monthly outlay of a family works out to between $8 and $10. The proposed increase will raise this to between $10 and $12 respectively. The difference is quite insignificant indeed when one bears in mind how precious water is.”
“Sir, can the Minister enlighten the House on why it is necessary for him to be empowered to impose a restriction on the quantity of goods to be manufactured?”
“Can the Minister say whether to date any company has failed in its operations?”
“I feel sure that with the passing into law of this particular amendment to the Income Tax Ordinance, and a host of other advantages which are already in existence, such as the strategic position of our port, the highly developed port facilities, and facilities for ship-repairing and maintenance, we shall soon see an influx of applications for the registration of sea-going vessels in Singapore, resulting in expanded employment opportunities for our young people who may be interested in seafaring as a career. Sir, the Minister for Finance has time and again demonstrated that, be it in the industrial sector or the commercial sector, he is always prepared and willing, within reason, to offer incentives in the form of tax concessions to encourage development or expansion which will be of ultimate benefit to the country. But the success or failure of such incentives to achieve the desired effect depends largely upon the initiative, ingenuity and determination that can be exercised by those concerned in the private sector. Sir, I support the Bill. 4.10 p.m.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, it, is interesting to note the number of items on today's Order Paper which are of direct relevance to the commercial sector. All of these items, particularly the important Bill currently before us, when implemented, will have the effect of helping to rationalise and liberalise certain vital aspects of our commercial activities. It illustrates to my mind very clearly that in emphasising the importance of industrialisation, the Government has not overlooked the need to assist constantly in raising the standard of our traditional commercial activities in order to keep pace with changes and to maintain our position as a leading international business centre. The Bill before us is an excellent example of what the Government can do to provide the private sector with wider scope of operation. I have in mind clauses 3 and 4. Clause 3 concerns the banking industry and I hope that with the official encouragement now provided, our banks will proceed to attract more money from abroad to be deposited in Singapore and, perhaps in time, we shall rival Switzerland in this particular area of international banking service. In this regard, we have two very salient points, namely, our strong currency system and political stability. Clause 4 concerns the shipping industry and is part and parcel of the incentives promised by the Minister for Communications to encourage a greater number of merchant ships to fly our flag. Since the official announcement of the Government's intention to introduce such facilities, I understand that considerable interest has been aroused the world over and there have been many inquiries from abroad.”
“It appears to me that there are no adequate safety regulations in respect of building sites. With the tendency now for buildings to go higher up, I think it is high time to look into this particular aspect of safety regulations. Will the Parliamentary Secretary please tell the House whether he will look into this matter? Mr Sia Kah Hui: Mr Speaker, Sir, in the construction of factories, all aspects of safety are being looked into by the various Ministries concerned.”
“According to the 1967 Report of the Ministry of Labour, there is an increasing tendency for claims to be brought under common law and not under the Ordinance. In view of this, will the Parliamentary Secretary consider making it compulsory for all out-of-court settlements under common law to be approved by the Commissioner, because some of the injured workmen are very often exploited by unscrupulous middle-men?”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, will the Minister consider limiting the speed of some of the heavy trucks to, say, 20 miles per hour?”
“Sir, I would like to thank the Minister for his most interesting lecture and I beg to withdraw. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. The sum of $4,547,780 for Head 93 ordered to stand part of the Development Estimates. Head 95 - The following amendments stood in the name of Mr L. P. Rodrigo (1) That the sum to be allocated for Head 95 be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead 101. (2) That the sum to be allocated for Head 95 be reduced by $10 in respect of item (007) of subhead 201.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head 93 be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead 207*. * The same amendment also stood in the name of Mr L. P. Rodrigo. Sir, I trust that the sum of $50,000 is to be spent on research on hydroponics. I really do not know much about this subject. I shall be much obliged if the Minister can give details.”
“I beg leave to withdraw. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head 93 be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead 206. Sir, despite our stringent financial policy for 1969, it is gratifying and encouraging to note that a substantial sum of $250,000 is being set aside for the purpose of conducting an agricultural survey and in the setting up of an Agricultural Statistics Unit. The purpose of my moving the amendment is to seek information relating to the formation of the proposed Agricultural Statistics Unit. Will the Minister advise the House whether a suitably qualified economist will be engaged to head the unit and also when and how it is proposed to carry out the survey? May I suggest, Sir, that we should perhaps also consider engaging the services of a sociologist so that not only the economic but also the sociological aspect can be fully investigated during the survey? 6.45 p.m.”
“I beg leave to withdraw. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.”
“On a point of clarification, Sir. What I was saying was that the export facilities might well be inadequate. As the Primary Production Department steps up its extension services, productivity goes up. We are going to produce more and more pigs. But the existing marketing facilities might well be insufficient and we might finish off with far too many pigs here. As a result, the price is bound to go down. It is a question of supply and demand. So what benefits can the farmers expect? This is an item on organisation for export. Mr Barker: Perhaps I heard him wrong. But at the moment there is no organisation as far as the sale or export of pigs is concerned. The export of pigs was suspended for some time because of the swine fever in Singapore. As for the export of chickens and eggs, there have been efforts by the Primary Production Department to help farmers export eggs. The trouble is that some farmers have cheated the importers. When you have a combined effort at exporting eggs, one must assure the foreign importer that the eggs are good. The experience of the Primary Production Department has been that one or two rogues or scallywags have put bad eggs into the boxes, with the result that the importer abroad was not interested further in importing from Singapore. But we have got over that phase. I can assure the Member that whenever the price of eggs goes down, I have to answer questions in Parliament why we do not organise things amongst the producers of eggs so that they can export them. And when the price of eggs goes up, I have to answer questions in Parliament why I do not help the consumers in getting the price of eggs down.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head 93 be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead 205. Sir, provision is made under this subhead for the setting up of a marketing organisation for the export of orchids and horticultural products. I would like to know why we are giving preferential treatment to orchids and horticultural products. Should we not extend the functions of the organisation, as and when it is established, to look after animal husbandry also? We produce more than sufficient of pigs and poultry for our own domestic consumption. At present the export of such items is left entirely to a limited number of private firms. I suspect some have insufficient resources and facilities to be in a position fully to seek out export markets.”
“Sir, I beg leave to withdraw. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head 93 be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead 105. Sir, I stand to be corrected, but I seem to recall that we have, on more than one occasion quite recently, widely publicised the fact that a number of rural abattoirs will soon be set up to suit the convenience of farmers. Does the token provision of $10 suggest that the farmers will have to wait for some time before getting their abattoirs?”
“Sir, I beg leave to withdraw the amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. The sum of $182,080 for Head 71 ordered to stand part of the Development Estimates. Head 73 - The following amendment stood in the name of Madam Chan Choy Siong - That the sum to be allocated for Head 73 be reduced by $10 in respect of item (001) of subhead 101. Madam Chan Choy Siong: I am not moving. The sum of $788,020 for Head 73 ordered to stand part of the Development Estimates. Head 81 -”
“When is it proposed to go ahead with effecting the improvement as stated by the Minister?”
“Sir, I think my query has not been answered.”