Ibrahim bin Othman
Singapore
“Sir, the Minister has explained in his speech just now about the setting up of sports schools. As such, I will not be speaking on the next amendment. The sum of $378,227,160 for Head J ordered to stand part of the Main Estimates. The sum of $231,562,000 for Head J ordered to stand part of the Development Estimates.”
“Sir, I wish to seek clarification from the Minister. With regard to the annual Haj festival where we sacrifice sheep and cows in the mosques, which we do it annually, and I think mosque committees get special permission from the Ministry, would this practice be continued?”
“It may not be the ideal, but it is, I believe, a workable one given the constraints facing the Muslims here. Let us work together in providing justice to thousands of Muslim men and women who are in real need of our urgent attention and, to quote the Minister, if they queue up the length could be from the MCD Building down to Toa Payoh.”
“Sir, is it true that pilgrims have to pay between $600-$1,000 for theses visas outside Singapore? And do we consider the amount paid as a form of corruption? If it is so, can we take action against the travel agents who are involved in bringing pilgrims who got their visas from outside Singapore?”
“Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head J of the Main Estimates be reduced by $10 in respect of Code JJ 3100. (In Malay): Sir, I would like to ask the Minister responsible for Muslim Affairs regarding the explanation on the announcement that he has made on the Marriage Development Unit.”
“Sir, because of time, I beg leave to withdraw my amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. The sum of $295,941,750 for Head J ordered to stand part of the Main Estimates. The sum of $184,188,000 for Head J ordered to stand part of the Development Estimates. Head E -”
The complete record
Every one of 210 lines we hold for Ibrahim bin Othman, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 2 of 5.
“Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head M of the Main Estimates be reduced by $10 in respect of Code MF 1500. Sir, the Ministry has done a wonderful job in cleaning up the Singapore River and also the Kallang and Geylang River basin. I think marine life has begun to come back. And the coastal areas, especially along the East Coast, have become a very popular place for Singaporeans. While we can be proud of the clean water areas south of the island, I think the same cannot be true in areas on the northern part of the island, ie, in the Straits of Johor. The water in the Johor Straits is polluted due to uncontrolled discharge of waste from both sides, Singapore and Johor. I wish to ask the Minister what steps are being taken by the Ministry to ensure the cleanliness of the Johor Straits. Next, I move on to noise pollution. Singapore has become fully urbanised. We are living more close to each other and noise becomes a problem amongst residents, especially those living along MRT lines and facing main roads. I wish to ask the Minister whether the noise generated by MRT trains are at an acceptable level, and whether it affects residents living in HDB blocks situated beside MRT tracks and stations. Another source of noise irritation comes from motorcycles. During my house visits, I often get complaints from residents about motorcycles emitting loud noises, especially during late nights and early hours of the morning. These motorcyclists tend to speed and thus rev up their engines, much to the annoyance of residents living along main roads, because it affects their sleep. I wish to ask the Minister whether the Ministry has any plans to overcome this irritation.”
“Sir, the Ministry of the Environment has embarked on the sale of hawker stalls a few years ago. This scheme has allowed hawkers to own their stalls and to run them efficiently. I wish to ask the Minister what is the Ministry's time-frame in its plans to sell all the stalls to incumbent hawkers. Like Mr Chin, I also wish to ask whether the Ministry is still monitoring the prices of food at the privatised hawker centres. Has there been any increase in prices? I also wish to ask the Minister whether the Ministry has any immediate plans to allow tenants, who are still renting their stalls and waiting for the sale of stalls, to sublet their stalls to others in order to maximise the usage of the stalls.”
“I think both developments in the way we apply the CWO and the way offenders attended the CWO session, are detracting from the original aim of the CWO. In the end, would the CWO degenerate into a situation where it is considered as a casually issued "invitation" to an outing, and friends are also invited?”
“Sir, despite many years of having anti-littering campaigns, the problem of littering is hard to eradicate. Some blocks of flats in our towns are always littered even though our conservancy workers have done their cleansing work regularly. Sir, the Ministry implemented the Corrective Work Order (CWO) in 1992. Although the CWO offenders are being brought to the various HDB estates, I feel the duration of the punishment is not long enough to have an impact on others, especially those living in our estates. I hope the Minister would give his Ministry's assessment of the effectiveness of the CWO and whether the Ministry has any plans to increase its duration. I also wish to ask whether the Ministry has any other plans to solve this littering problem. Dr John Chen Seow Phun (Hong Kah GRC): Sir, the Corrective Work Order was introduced in 1992. Its main objective was to serve as a deterrent against those who have the habit to litter. We thought then that because this kind of punishment in our society would bring shame to the offenders, it would be an effective deterrent against littering. And because such punishment to shame the offenders was unprecedented here and considered as severe, the intention of the Government then was to apply CWOs to only the recalcitrant offenders and those who commit serious littering offences. Sir, it is time to review how the CWO has evolved over the last 3 1/2 years. My concern is that the CWO has lost its sting as a deterrent. On the one hand, we are seeing more and more CWOs being served on relatively minor littering offences. And on the other hand, we read from the press reports that litterbugs who were served with the CWOs were turning up with friends and loved ones.”
“Sir, the Muslim Religious Council of Singapore (MUIS) recently launched its strategic plan. It has a grand mission to fulfil its role as an Islamic authority in Singapore and to guide in building an exemplary Muslim community. One of the strategic intents to be pursued by MUIS is to instill Islamic conviction founded on Islamic teachings and principles. I believe it can be achieved through the various initiatives taken by MUIS, particularly its dakwah and madrasah programmes. Sir, enrolment of full-time madrasah students has increased from 2,011 in 1991 to 3,054 in 1993. However, the vast majority of Muslim children are attending state-based secular schools. Many of them attend part-time madrasah at a mosque, especially during the weekends. I wish to ask the Minister what plans does MUIS have to improve the quality of Islamic education and the standard of religious education in our madrasah.”
“Sir, I thank the Minister for his assurance and beg leave to withdraw my amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.”
“Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head J of the Development Estimates be reduced by $10 in respect of Code JI 5200. Sir, next year, the Football Association of Singapore intends to launch the Singapore League (or S-League). This will involve the division of Singapore into eight regions, of which in each region there shall be a regional club centralised at a Stadium. A task force which studied into the revamped league has identified eight stadiums to be used by the regional clubs. They are Toa Payoh, Yishun, Serangoon, Tampines, Bedok, Queenstown, Jurong and Bukit Batok stadiums. Apart from Jurong Stadium which has a capacity of 5,500, all the other stadiums have a capacity of 2,000 or less. I wish to ask the Minister whether the Ministry could assist by upgrading the seating capacities of all the stadiums, so that at least it could cater for a crowd of 5,000 fans. I would like to appeal for the upgrading of all the other facilities in these stadiums such as floodlights, changing rooms, toilets, offices and multi-purpose rooms. These facilities are essential to ensure the success of the regional clubs participating in the S-League. I also like to thank my colleague, Mr Kenneth Chen, for speaking on the S-League and the assurance given by the Minister just now in supporting the S-League next year. And I wish to declare my interest as the President of the Football Association of Singapore.”
“Sir, is the Minister aware that of the four primary schools in Bishan, as stated by the Minister, none are in Bishan North? Would the Minister consider seriously giving us a primary school at the earliest date convenient?”
“Sir, how long will the review take and can the Parliamentary Secretary inform the House when is it likely that they will consider my request seriously? Assoc. Prof. Ho Peng Kee: The entire review will be completed towards the end of 1996. But Police is looking into the situation to see whether, in the meantime, any new NPPs should be set up or any existing NPPs taken off. Over the next few months, the Police is likely to firm up some details. PRIMARY SCHOOL IN BISHAN NORTH ESTATE 2. Encik Ibrahim bin Othman asked the Minister for Education whether a primary school will be built in Bishan North Estate.”
“Sir, I thank the Minister for his clarification and beg leave to withdraw my amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. The sum of $294,400,100 for Head M ordered to stand part of the Main Estimates. The sum of $454,773,000 for Head M ordered to stand part of the Development Estimates. Head U -”
“Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head M of the Main Estimates be reduced by $10 in respect of Code MF 1500. Sir, recently three Singapore-registered vessels were arrested by the Malaysian authorities for allegedly dumping sludge into their waters. However, two of the vessels fled detention. The Malaysian authorities then sought Singapore's cooperation in locating and apprehending the ships. Singapore was accused of dragging her feet over the matter and the Malaysian press had distorted many facts. Even the Malaysian Environment Minister was reported to be very unhappy about Singapore's lack of cooperation. Sir, I wish to seek clarification from the Minister on the above incident. Illegal tanker cleaning poses serious pollution problem. Such activities affect the waters of both Malaysia and Singapore. We must therefore take adequate control measures and stringent enforcement to control tanker cleaning in our waters. I wish to ask the Minister whether the present control measures are adequate and whether we need to improve further to help prevent improper tanker cleaning in other countries.”
“Sir, like my two colleagues, I wish to ask the Minister whether there has been any substantial price increase in food prices by stallholders who have purchased their stalls. I also wish to ask for the number of stalls that has changed owners after they have purchased from the Government. How many of these stalls are designated for selling Muslim food and halal market produce? And how many of them has been redesignated to sell non-Muslim food and non-halal market produce?”
“The Ministry's enforcement officials have apparently been taken by surprise to find the food poisoning bugs among the luxurious and plush decor and fittings of hotels and restaurants. The officials may have been beguiled into taking for granted the condition of kitchens in these hotels and restaurants does not favour the bugs. I do not think it is fair to accuse the enforcement officials of neglecting their duty. It is more a question of mental attitude. They are only human beings and, as such, cannot help being lulled by the imposing appearance and reputation of the establishments they visit into thinking their kitchens are out of bound to bugs. I trust the Ministry will now instruct all its enforcement officials to subject all places where food is stored, prepared or cooked for sale to the public, to the same degree of the most stringent scrutiny. The officials should follow the example of the food poisoning bugs, that is, not to take any establishment at its own awe-inspiring face value.”
“Sir, with economic growth and affluence, the amount of waste produced in Singapore is increasing. We need to provide places to be used as landfill for the rubbish and maybe also build an extra incineration plant. As it is now, we do not have the extra space to use as landfill. I wish to ask the Minister what kind of waste can be recycled and what programme does the Ministry have to encourage waste minimisation and recycling. Sir, in November 1993, Bishan-Serangoon Town Council, together with the Sony group of companies in Singapore, launched a waste paper recycling project. This unique recycling for a charity project aims to make recycling a way of life for Singaporeans by educating residents on the values of environmental preservation and resource conservation and, at the same time, making it an opportunity for them to contribute to charity. After the year-long project, a total of 711 tonnes of old newspapers and magazines were collected from residents in Bishan/Serangoon town. With the generous dollar to dollar match of the collection proceeds by the Sony group of companies, we raised $160,000 and contributed it to the National Kidney Foundation. Sir, I wish to ask the Minister whether the Ministry intends to continue this recycling programme to other areas in Singapore. Mr Chin Harn Tong (Aljunied GRC): Sir, food poisoning bugs strike where dirty or unhygienic conditions favour them. The Ministry's enforcement officials have done a good job in helping to reduce the incidence of food poisoning bugs in their favourite haunts in food centres and coffeeshops. But, lately, there seems to be a rising number of cases of food poisoning in top-bracket hotels and restaurants. These are the places we least expect to favour the food poisoning bug.”
“Sir, because of time constraint, I beg leave to withdraw my amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.”
“Can I ask the Minister: what happens if, after Phase 2B, there is no more vacancy for residents? They will find it ridiculous to send their children to another school when there is one right in front of their flat. They will then come and see the MP during the meet-the-people session and say, "I want a place for my child in the school." That is the problem we are facing, when you have a popular school relocated in our new estate. So that is why I am suggesting a limit to this old boys' connection.”
“I hope the Minister would consider fixing a ceiling for old boys and girls to enrol their children in their former schools.”
“Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head L of the Main Estimates be reduced by $10 in respect of Code LD 1500. [Mr Deputy Speaker in the Chair] 4.06 pm Sir, during the Primary One registration exercise last year, many parents in my Bishan North Division failed to get places for their children into a Government-aided primary school which has been relocated in Bishan North Estate. This is because they are registering their children in the primary school for the first time under Phase 2C. Their children lost out in priority to children whose parents are directly connected with the school, that is, their parents are old boys of the school and they come under Phase 2B, even though they are staying far away from the school. I believe residents staying within the vicinity of a school should be given priority over non-residents. If we need to have priority for old boy or old girl links, then there should be a limit and not deny places to children who are staying within the vicinity of a school. For the record, Sir, out of the more than 100 children registered in that Government-aided school under Phase 2C last year, only 28 children were given places after balloting, that means, more than 70 children in my estate have to go to schools outside their estate, either in Ang Mo Kio or in the next division within Thomson GRC. They have to incur extra cost in travelling to their school every day. I do not have any objection for old boys or old girls being given priority in registration. However, I feel there should be a ceiling for their children's enrolment. If we do not have a limit to the number of children of old boys or old girls, then residents would not get a chance to enrol in the school which has been relocated in their housing estate.”
“Sir, I thank the Minister for his explanation and beg leave to withdraw my amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. The sum of $191,712,640 for Head J ordered to stand part of the Main Estimates. The sum of $93,046,000 for Head J ordered to stand part of the Development Estimates. 4.40 pm”
“Sir, I commend the Government for introducing the Sports Excellence 2000 Programme. I think this programme represents a major initiative to promote sports excellence and ultimately we hope to produce champions in regional and international competitions. Sir, seven sports have been identified as core sports, namely, badminton, soccer, swimming and water-polo, table tennis, ten-pin bowling, track and field, and yachting. Others are classified under "merit" and "other sports". I wish to ask the Minister how can these sports classified under "merit" and "other sports" gain recognition and, perhaps, later on be categorised under the core sports. Secondly, how often will the Sports Council review and re-categorise the various sports under the various categories, that is, under core, merit and other sports?”
“Sir, today about 10% of our population are elderly persons, aged more than 60 years old. This percentage will gradually increase to about 26% in the year 2030. We should therefore, Sir, prepare ourselves to face this aging situation by having in place various schemes that will assist the old in our society. Sir, we have many old people living on their own in smaller flats located mostly in the older housing estates. The Ministry now has a Befriender Service scheme to assist in looking after some of these old people. However, Sir, lately we read in the newspapers of cases of elderly persons dying without the knowledge of their neighbours or loved ones. I think their deaths were discovered only after a few days. It is a very sad case indeed, and I think we should not allow this to be a frequent occurrence. I wish to ask the Minister whether the Ministry has any plans to organise other volunteer groups amongst able-bodied neighbours or social groups in the community to assist in looking after these old people. I think this group could then help to make regular visits to the old people, perhaps help them in doing their household chores, running errands or even talk to them in their homes. This way, Sir, I believe we can build a more caring society. I hope the Minister could comment on this.”
“Sir, in view of the Minister's assurance, I beg leave to withdraw my amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.”
“The percentage of these stalls can vary from location to location, for example, a higher percentage in Geylang, Tampines or Bedok, where there is a large number of Muslim residents. I believe we must ensure that there will be enough stalls for Muslims to patronise. I wish to ask the Minister how can we ensure that these stalls are not sold and thereafter operated as non-Muslim stalls. 1.45 pm”
“Sir, I support the plan by Government to sell cooked food and market stalls to existing stallholders. This move will allow stallholders to own their stalls and they would be owners of their place of business, just like the many HDB shopkeepers who have bought their shops from the HDB. They would be able to plan their business over the long term and later on, if they feel like giving it up and do something else, they can sell their stalls to others. Sir, one area of concern is regarding the valuation of the stalls. The question is: how is the Ministry of the Environment going to assess the value of the stalls located over many different locations. If stallholders do not agree with the valuation, can the Ministry allow them to get a second opinion from other sources? We have many real estate firms which are doing valuation. If not, what other options does the Ministry have? Another important concern is the financing aspect. Would the Ministry or any financial institution provide loans to stallholders and allow them to pay over a long period of time with reasonable interest rates? I am afraid if the stalls are very expensive, stallholders may have to pay very high monthly instalments as compared to their present monthly rentals. This inevitably will result in stallholders increasing their prices of goods and consumers will have to bear the burden of price increases. Finally, Sir, I wish to ask the Minister regarding the designation of stalls. Now we have cooked food centres and market stalls designated for selling Muslim food and halal market produce. What is the percentage of those stalls now? I hope the Ministry will ensure that all food centres and markets have a fixed percentage of stalls selling Muslim food and halal market produce.”
“Sir, I thank the Minister for his explanation and I beg leave to withdraw my amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.”
“But before that, could the DRC think of the possibility of administering corporal punishment for third-time cases to ensure that they do not come back again for the fourth and fifth time, just like home coming, as mentioned by Dr Arthur Beng?”
“Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head Q of the Main Estimates be reduced by $10 in respect of Code QG 1500. Sir, the Misuse of Drugs Act allows for a supervision order to enable first-time drug abusers to be put on supervision to help them turn over a new leaf. If they are caught again consuming drugs during supervision, they will then be admitted to the DRC. I wish to ask the Minister what is the number of cases involved in this supervision order over the last few years. Just now the Minister, in reply to Dr Arthur Beng, announced the figure of 4,740, an increase of 24% over the previous year. Is it a serious problem and whether the increase is serious enough for us to look into the treatment of DRC inmates? Next, I turn to the case of repeat offenders, ie, as the Minister has mentioned, those who have been admitted to the DRC for the third, fourth and subsequent times. This problem of recidivism has to be solved so as to prevent the cost of treatment and rehabilitation from increasing every year. From the budget this year, we are going to spend more than $43 million on DRCs. I wish to ask the Minister what is the number of cases admitted to the DRCs for the third, fourth and subsequent time. He has given the percentage. For hardcore cases, it is an increase from 48% to 51%. But what is the number of cases involved? During the debate on the amendment Bill in 1989, suggestions were made by Members in this House and by the public to cane these hardcore drug addicts. The law allows for the administration of corporal punishment for serious breaches of discipline in the DRC. Would the Minister consider caning them? I think he has given the answer to Dr Arthur Beng on the possibility of amending the law.”
“Sir, could I ask the Minister a few questions on the new MediShield Plus? Firstly, whether we need to go through a medical check before entering into this new MediShield Plus. Secondly, what happens to those people who are now suffering from major diseases and whether they will be allowed to join in the scheme. Thirdly, whether the Minister could say what is the maximum number of dependants allowed. Is it only for the wife and two children? What happens if there are more than two children? Can three or four children come under this co-payment insurance scheme?”
“If the husband and wife, without GCE 'O' or 'N' levels, have worked hard for many years and be promoted in their jobs, many may be drawing above the stipulated amount of $750 per month. If we disqualify them, then we do not encourage them to work hard and earn more each month. In addition to that, we may discourage many from doing overtime work or even do extra part-time work. If the intention is to assist these low-income families to upgrade themselves, perhaps the Government could also consider giving educational and training grants to the wife and husband to attend courses and improve their working skills and education level. This way, Sir, we not only assist the children but also the parents from these families. This suggestion is in line with the policy of retraining older workers so that they could learn new skills and fit into new jobs. We should help these people upgrade and adapt to new technology. Finally, Sir, I thank the President for his Address and support the motion.”
“Sir, to cater to the adult population, support must be given by the Government to the many civic, cultural and religious organisations that are conducting marriage guidance courses and counselling services. Marriage guidance courses have become increasingly popular among couples who are aware of the importance of marriage as a life-time commitment. The courses should be viewed as something that would further enrich matrimony. The book Preparing for Marriage commissioned by the Ministry of Community Development is certainly welcome. If the Government has a central coordinating body to encourage singles to marry in the form of the SDU, I am sure there could be a coordinating body to take charge of promoting family life. Keeping marriage alive and stable is just as important, if not more important than encouraging singles to marry. The setting up of Family Service Centres in all parts of Singapore should therefore be given some urgency as such centres play a vital role in assisting families solve their problems. Sir, let me now move on to the Small Families Improvement Scheme. I applaud the Government for introducing the Small Families Improvement Scheme. This scheme will encourage low-income families to upgrade themselves and at the same time keep their families small. This way, parents can concentrate their resources and attention on their children. This scheme provides educational bursaries for children from small families and also housing grants for the mother. However, I hope the criteria on income should not be too rigid. It must be flexible enough to allow for the wife or husband earning more than $750 per month each to qualify for the scheme.”
“Though the nuclear family tends to be predominant in our society, we cannot treat kin relations as secondary. Efforts must therefore be made to ensure that the variation of the extended family and the kin network persist because such a family structure helps to sustain individuals, especially in the face of hardship. The family continues to play an important role in modern life. It remains the primary group where intimacy and affection can be fully expressed and is still the best setting for the primary care of the young. The family has become a specialised institution to provide the emotional support that the larger more impersonal worlds of education, work and politics do not. Sir, the family is the key to our future. A happy family provides stability to the society and nation. The future of our people depends on the stability and strength of their families. It is therefore important for us to ensure our families' continued prosperity by striving hard and overcome the challenges that come by. Sir, in order to encourage the setting up of happy families, the Government may consider incorporating family life education in our school curriculum, especially at the upper secondary and tertiary levels. The young child could be taught good family values that are inherent in our society. They will be more aware of their responsibilities as a husband, wife and later as parents to their children. Even in Britain today, the government is advocating "back to the basics" policy of a good family life. It is a return to old values and would be the backbone of the British government's policy. The same, I believe, is also being done in America.”
“I support the proposal and urge that the sum be increased gradually over the years. There is no doubt that the cost of living will rise. As such, workers must, from now, prepare to keep aside more every month in their CPF to enable them to withdraw higher amounts each month after they retire at 60. As the retirement age has been increased from 55 to 60, it is only fair that adjustment is made to the CPF contributions of workers within the 55 to 60 age group. The present rate of contribution from employers and employees is less as compared to workers below 55 years. I suggest that the rate be the same for all workers until they reach 60 years old. The lower CPF contribution rate could then be moved to the 60 to 65 years old category. This will encourage more older people to stay on working and, at the same time, have more money in their CPF account for their retirement. Sir, in its Addendum to the President's Address, the Acting Minister for Community Development spells out his Ministry's objectives in strengthening the family. This, I believe, coincides with the International Year of the Family 1994 as declared by the United Nations. I strongly support the move to have more activities to emphasise the importance of strong family relationship. Sir, the family is the oldest and most fundamental of human institutions. In traditional societies, kinship ties constitute the primary form of social organisation. However, in a modern industrial state like ours, kinship matters less in shaping human lives. Individuals rely heavily on a complex array of institutions, including the state, industries, religious and commercial institutions to organise their activities into orderly and socially meaningful endeavours.”
“Sir, President Ong Teng Cheong in his Presidential Address focused on the long-term objectives of the Government and its plans, particularly on economic development and care for the aged. It is more a reiteration of past policies, proven and tested, and some fine-tuning of schemes to meet the challenges of the future. Basically, Sir, the economic emphasis is on the free market system. It has been accepted by most Singaporeans though we face the prospects of cost increases when demand is more than supply. The principle of having to pay for what we consume is equitable to all. It has led to people having to decide carefully on their needs and being able to afford it. People have a choice of the goods and services provided and decide on those that are within their means. However, Sir, it is most assuring to note that the Government will subsidise in areas where they benefit the public most, especially in education, health, housing and infrastructure. This has resulted in all Singaporeans having access to quality education, good medical care, better housing and infrastructure as compared to the past. Sir, the Government is concerned about the people. They think very far ahead and put in place policies to ensure that Singaporeans live a comfortable life. One area of concern is the aging population. Soon there will be a lesser number of economically active people supporting an aged person. Elderly persons more than 60 years old comprise 10% of the population now and will increase to 26% in the year 2030. This will definitely put much strain on the younger working people and all the infrastructure in the country. The move to adjust and set aside a larger Minimum Sum in the CPF is a step in the right direction.”
“Sir, apart from the children following their parents overseas, what are the other reasons for these children not going to school? What plans does the Ministry have to encourage parents to send their children to school?”
“I thank the Minister for his answer and beg leave to withdraw the amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. The sum of $153,316,840 for Head J ordered to stand part of the Main Estimates. The sum of $79,988,600 for Head J ordered to stand part of the Development Estimates. Head S -”
“I thank the Minister for the answers and beg leave to withdraw my amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. The Chairman: Amendment No. (3). You have only 12 minutes for this amendment.”
“Therefore, when we are encouraging our Singaporeans to venture overseas, we should simultaneously enhance our education programme on family living and healthy living, particularly on moral education. For the nation to be strong, its people must be mentally and physiologically strong and healthy. This is an important part of our total defence strategy.”
“Another family problem is the change in meaning of the husband and wife relationship. There are many factors contributing to the changes in relationship between the husband and the wife. We cannot put the blame solely on any one party. As the saying goes, "it takes two hands to clap." In most cases, both parties are equally liable. The change in husband and wife relationship can affect the family in the following three ways: (1) In our society today, many people are going overseas to invest or to work and we are also encouraging our young entrepreneurs to venture overseas. Very often, when a person is alone in another country, he may come into contact with a third party and get into an extra-marital affair with her. A magazine recently reported that in Taiwan families are now facing the invasion by third parties and are in danger of breaking up. Therefore, to teach everyone of our people, through education, to cherish one's spouse is a real challenge to the department concerned. When we study Chinese literature, we read stories about Chen Simei divorcing his wife and Zhao Wuniang travelling thousands of miles to look for her husband. The relevant department should consider using some of these widely loved traditional operas or stories to strengthen their educational and promotional efforts. (2) Being an open society and a centre for the exchanges of economy and culture, various trends and diseases can have significant impact on a small nation like ours, for example the spread of AIDS, etc. It has been reported in the newspapers that some husbands went overseas to fool around with other women and bring home with them venereal disease which was passed on to their wives. Even their children were affected.”
“But nowadays many people are sceptical about the concept of marriage. In fact, in society today we have these so-called "Single Aristocrats" and "Single Family". Of course, our Government has, since a long time ago, been very actively promoting this proper concept of marriage. The question is just how effective has such promotional programme been. Statistics have revealed that divorces in Singapore under the Women's Charter have increased from 2,261 cases in 1986 to 3,813 cases in 1991. That is indeed a tremendous increase! So with more divorces, many children suffer psychologically, resulting in an imbalance in their mental development. No doubt some people are of the view that it is a problem for the psychologists to worry about, but we as political leaders must not be slow to show our care and concern for the matter. So if we develop ourselves into a society like the USA where many children who are deserted and suffering from malnutrition, and lots of single-parent children who do not even know who their fathers are, and then try to save the situation, I think that would be too late! According to recent newspaper reports, in the USA today, as much as one-third of the new born babies are born into single-parent families. This phenomenon has to do with the welfarism practised by the Western countries, the special reliefs given to the single-parent families, and their people's view on the concept of marriage. I think we have to work along both lines. On the one hand, we have to enhance marriage education, both pre-marital and post-marital education. On the other hand, when we are formulating our policies, particularly taxation policy, we must be very prudent and careful to consider the effects of these policies.”
“30 pm Mrs Yu-Foo Yee Shoon (Yuhua)( In Mandarin): Sir, in debating the budget for the Ministry of Community Development, I would like to raise some views on the family life of our people with the hope that it would attract more attention from our people on this very important subject. As this Ministry is responsible for public education, I would also like to ask the Minister whether he has any plans to enhance family ties of our people through public education and also what are his plans for social assistance for our people. While we are moving towards an international city and developing Singapore into a centre for the exchange of culture and economy, we are having serious problems with the basic unit that makes up our society - the family unit. Although some of our colleagues here may think that I am exaggerating things to scare our people, I think we just cannot afford to neglect this very important fact, as this can be very serious, because we can see that there are some basic changes in the husband and wife relationship and parents and children relationship in our society today. Nowadays, with our women getting better educated and having better job opportunities and social status, on top of the protection given to them by the Women's Charter, the traditional role of man being head of the household has changed. Women today are enjoying equal status as the men. They are less willing to be dominated by the men. We have to face these changes objectively and analyse these changes. Otherwise, we will come to a stage where we have economic prosperity but moral decline. Therefore, inculcation of the proper concept of marriage is very important. Marriage is the beginning of a husband and wife relationship.”
“Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head J of the Main Estimates be reduced by $10 in respect of Code JC 1500. Sir, the number of divorces under the Administration of Muslim Law Act has increased since 1984, ie, from 637 in 1984 to 1,021 cases in 1991. Even as a percentage against the total number of marriages, it increased from 14% to 21%. This increasing trend is very worrying, as divorce leads to many other related social problems involving the children of divorced couples. I wish to ask the Minister what is the latest divorce figure for 1992. Sir, during the Parliament sitting on 16th November 1992, the Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs informed the House that the Registry of Muslim Marriages (ROMM) conducts a number of programmes to help Muslim couples, together with the Syariah Court, MUIS and the Mosque Management Committees. Among the programmes are counselling services for couples intending to marry, religious knowledge for those found lacking in it and Marriage Guidance Courses at the various mosques. I wish to ask the Minister how successful are the various programmes as mentioned by the Minister. I also wish to ask the Minister whether the Syariah Court has made any study on the background of divorced Muslim couples and the reasons for their break-up. From the study, Sir, they could identify the type of people likely to face problems during marriage. ROMM could then ensure that couples intending to marry attend compulsory marriage guidance and Islamic education courses. Would the Minister consider this suggestion? 3.”
“Sir, can I ask the Minister whether the Ministry sends its officers to check on abattoirs, especially on the slaughtering of halal chicken, and how often does the Ministry check on these abattoirs?”
“So perhaps the short term solution is to introduce alternative fuels to further reduce the pollution generated by the vehicles. Many options are available. These include liquified petroleum gas (LPG), compressed natural gas (CNG) and partial blend of alcohol or methanol with petrol or diesel. Out of all these options, I feel that compressed natural gas could be economically viable to the unique condition in Singapore. This is because at the moment we do have natural gas directly piped in from Malaysia and Indonesia at quite affordable and competitive price. Sir, CNG is a premium fuel and it will help the gasoline cars or spark ignition cars to reduce its emission of hydro-carbon and carbon monoxide. Due to the problems of handling CNG, at the moment it can only be applied to cars instead of trucks or heavy vehicles like buses. At the moment, many countries, like Japan, New Zealand and Australia, have replaced the polluted diesel taxis by using CNG-propelled spark ignition taxis. Sir, we can learn from the experience of all these countries. Perhaps, not too far in the future, the Ministry could consider allowing CNG-propelled taxis to be on our roads to further reduce air pollution in Singapore. At present, the rule guiding the use of such environment-friendly vehicles is either not in place or not friendly enough. I would just cite an example, like the using of LPG cars. The recent rule states that the owner of an LPG car is required to pay diesel tax which deters all the potential users. I suggest that the Ministry should put certain regulations in place to encourage people to use the environment-friendly vehicles. We should provide some incentives, if possible. But we must not provide disincentives to discourage ownership of such vehicles.”
“Sir, our vehicle population is rising. With more cars on the road, the total amount of pollution emitted from our vehicles will rise. If this trend is not checked, this pollution will be to the detriment of our air quality. Although our air quality is currently safe, we have to ensure that it continues to be so. The Ministry of the Environment has introduced a variety of measures to control pollution from vehicles. Would the Minister inform the House if the measures taken so far have been adequate and the effect these measures have had on our air quality? Assoc. Prof. Low Seow Chay (Chua Chu Kang): Sir, the emission from road transport vehicles is a major source of air pollution in urban areas. At present, diesel and gasoline are the two major fuels used for road transport. It is well know that gasoline emits relatively high levels of carbon monoxide, nitrogen-oxide and unburnt hydro-carbon. It is also well known that the diesel vehicle emits an unpleasant odour and also particulates. The latter is known to be carcinogenic. After the introduction of compulsory three-way catalytic converter for gasoline cars, we may manage to reduce the pollutants from the gasoline cars to the minimum possible level. However, the control of the diesel vehicle pollution is still considered relatively loose. I feel that when the technology and cost are feasible, the Ministry should consider the compulsory installation of particulate trap for diesel vehicles. Sir, electric cars should be ideal for our urban transport environment. However, it is still difficult to break through because of the problem of charging time, minimum distance for each charging, life of the battery and cost.”
“Sir, I would like to ask the Minister to brief the House on the current status with regard to dengue fever and with the stepped-up enforcement against householders, has the action helped to bring down the number of dengue cases. Will the Minister also tell us how many households have been fined or charged in court and what more can the Ministry do to help bring down the number of cases?”
“Sir, I join my colleagues in speaking about the CWO. The introduction of the Corrective Work Order was intended to deter habitual and irresponsible people from continuing to litter. Although it was designed to have an element of shame which the Government hopes to act as a deterrence, I cannot help but feel that the media coverage had been excessive and overly pervasive. I would like to ask the Minister whether he has considered allowing the CWO to be served in less public places. Sir, it is also possible that a person may have forgotten to take his litter with him when he leaves and, as a result, was apprehended and served with a CWO for littering. Would the Ministry consider this possibility and excuse a person from prosecution? I would like to suggest that, perhaps, the Ministry should be more mindful of possible embarrassment to littering offenders when they perform the CWO. Will the Minister consider a modification of the existing arrangement?”
“From our experience in the shop ownership scheme, the shop owners who bought over their own shops have not raised their prices. I feel that the "Hawker Stall Ownership" scheme is workable and can be implemented successfully.”
“In my view, the "Hawker Stall Ownership" scheme has the following advantages: 1. As the present stalls are rented, once the licence holder retires or passes away, the stall will have to be returned to the authority. Thus, the family which relies on the earnings from the stall will lose its means of livelihood, and the whole family is gravely affected! If we have a "Hawker Stall Ownership" scheme, then, if necessary, the hawker or his family can decide whether to transfer the stall to the children or relatives, or to resell it to others to tide over the hardship of the family. 2. Under the "Hawker Stall Ownership" scheme, the hawkers of cooked food will further improve their culinary skills to attract more customers and hence enhance their market value. This will indirectly help to attract more tourists to Singapore to taste the delicacies of Singapore. 3. With the "Hawker Stall Ownership" scheme, a hawker centre or market can form its own management corporation to jointly manage and maintain the hawker centre or market, with the assistance of the Town Council and the Housing and Development Board. Thus, the hawker centre and market will be kept cleaner and more hygienic. I understand that many hawkers are hoping to own a stall which they can call their own. This can be deemed to be the Government's reward to them for their past contributions to our nation building. However, when the stalls are offered for sale, they should be sold at reasonable prices, as in the case of the "Shop Ownership" scheme, so that they will remain affordable to all the hawkers who intend to purchase them. I do not think the hawkers will jack up their prices once they own their own stalls.”
“Sir, the Minister has announced in this House that the Government would privatise hawker centres. Since then, we have not had any news on the progress made on the Government's proposal. In the light of the recent tender exercise for market stalls in several markets, many stallholders in hawker centres are anxious to know how the Government's plan may affect them. I would like to ask the Minister to give an update on the privatisation programme for hawker centres. The Ministry has also tendered out vacant stalls in hawker centres. Is this part of the privatisation programme announced by the Minister? Some incumbent stallholders in hawker centres are concerned that they may be required to tender for stalls presently operated by them. Sir, I would like to ask the Minister whether existing stallholders would have to tender for their present stalls. I agree with my colleague, Mr Chin, that with this privatisation programme, will it lead to an increase in price, which ultimately the consumers have to pay? Mr Peh Chin Hua (Jalan Besar GRC)( In Mandarin): Sir, we have successfully implemented the "Home Ownership" scheme, and are now actively implementing the "Shop Ownership" scheme. However, we have yet to settle the problem of hawkers stalls for a large group of hawkers who are depending on their stalls for their livelihood. Hawkers too have contributed towards the economic and social development of Singapore during the last few decades. Perhaps, the Ministry of the Environment should consider implementing a "Hawker Stall Ownership" Scheme so that this large group of citizens who have contributed to our nation and society can also enjoy a share in the fruits of our economic success. Under the present rental system, the hawkers do not own their stalls.”
“Sir, one of the six strategic thrusts proposed in the Green Plan is to educate the people to be environmentally conscious. The Ministry intends to reach out to the people to promote environmentalism and green consumerism. However, the process of educating the population to be environmentally conscious is a long and arduous one. It will require a change in attitudes and habits. It is a long and difficult task which I am glad that the Ministry has persevered. I hope that the people of Singapore will realise the good work which the Ministry is trying its best to do and give it our every support and cooperation. Sir, it seems to me that in the long term, the best course to take would be to concentrate our efforts on our children in schools. I would like to ask the Minister what his Ministry is going to do to educate the population, particularly school children to be pro-green. And would the Ministry also consider making school environmental clubs or associations as one of the recognised extracurricular activity option?”