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 Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.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 -”
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“Under such circumstances, these stall holders unavoidably have to extend their stalls slightly. In the past, when they did so, they would be dealt with quite leniently by the inspectors from the Ministry. Not much difficulty was caused. At the most, they were only given a lecture or some admonition. I think if they do not obstruct any traffic or free flow of pedestrians they should be allowed to extend their stalls slightly. For example, during the few days before Chinese New Year, many people came to buy things at the market. To meet this greater demand, stallholders increased their stock. Once the New Year was over, all problems would be solved by themselves and reverted to normal. However, since last year, the stallholders in Lim Tua Tow market have received special treatment from the Hawker Department. On the eve of Chinese New Year, the inspector s from the Hawker Department came out in swarms. Even though in the middle of the night of New Year's Eve, they issued summons to the stallholders. Some stallholders received summons for three consecutive days. Just now two of my colleagues mentioned that one illegal supplier was charged in court and fined $500. Another unlicensed food supplier was fined $700. However, I know of one stallholder in the market, because he extended his stall, was charged in court and fined $800. This has resulted in the dissatisfaction of the stallholders and the anger among the public. They sympathized with this stallholder. This is not a very grave crime committed. Why should they be treated in such a harsh manner? The stallholders have a question and my constituency leaders also have the same question. Why can't the Hawker Department be more lenient during the festive season?”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I share the views and points of the previous three speakers. However, I wish to ask the Minister a few additional questions. Firstly, with regard to the cleanliness and tidiness of hawker centres, I wish to ask the Minister what plans he has to upgrade and improve the various hawker centres that are patronized by our people. I think this needs to be done so that our hawker centres are clean, neat and tidy. And when we go out and eat, it becomes a very pleasant experience. The second point is the cleanliness of the food handlers and hawker assistants. My question is: what steps is the Ministry taking to ensure that they dress neatly, either when they prepare or serve the food? Will the Minister introduce rules to prevent these hawker assistants from wearing shorts or slippers while they serve the food? The third point is with regard to the slaughter of poultry in wet markets. Will the Minister explain the rationale for the so-called control that the Ministry has on the practice of slaughtering poultry in our wet markets? Will the stallholders be given time to conform to the new rules and regulations on this matter? Mr Goh Choon Kang (Braddell Heights)( In Mandarin): Mr Speaker, Sir, we all know that wet markets are very crowded during festive seasons because a lot of people go to the market to do marketing during this time. This is especially so during the Chinese New Year festival. As there is an increased demand for food, the hawkers increase their stock in order to cope with the rising demands. However, because of the limited space of the stalls, especially in old markets like Lim Tua Tow market, the stall space is very much smaller than that of the stalls in the new markets.”
“Sir, I wish to seek clarification from the Minister for National Development with regard to the policy on wet markets. I am made to understand that the Government is not building any new wet market in new towns and in its place we have many new premises for dry markets. However, Sir, I wish to urge the Minister to reconsider this policy, especially in cases of redevelopment of old HDB estates. One example I wish to put forward is the wet market at Bedok GRC, ie, the wet market in Kampong Chai Chee. This wet market is very popular amongst residents in Chai Chee and the surrounding areas. Many of the residents are upset when they hear that it is to be demolished because of redevelopment of the neighbourhood. Sir, a wet market is still needed by our people. As such, I wish to urge the Minister to consider building a new wet market within the vicinity to replace the one that is to be demolished soon. The second matter I wish to bring up concerns lifts. I wish to ask the Minister if the HDB will replace the old lifts with new ones, say, after six to eight years. Replacing or repairing lifts is very expensive. I hope the HDB will do the repair and replacement before they hand the estate over to the town councils. This will help the town councils in that they will not have to spend a lot of money to replace old lifts in the HDB estates under their control. I hope the Minister will consider my suggestions.”
“Much has been achieved so far and there are plans to expand the terms of reference of the present Council so that it can look into other areas of importance, such as economic, social and cultural matters. The cost of running a large organization is very high and help from the Government in the form of a yearly grant will be much appreciated. In this respect I wish to urge the Government to continue giving Mendaki or Mendaki II, the proposed extended Council, support materially or otherwise. The Malay problem is a national problem. So the Government, Singaporeans, community leaders and, in particular, the Malays themselves, must cooperate and work together to overcome any obstacle that may hinder their progress. On that note, Sir, I support the motion.”
“I believe presently there is quite a backlog of such cases. At the rate the privatization of our public hospitals is going on, some people are already perceiving, although they may be wrong, that the Government is trying to totally abdicate its responsibility in the provision of medical services. I would therefore like to recommend that the Ministry of Health together with the Ministry of Community Development set up proper mechanism to monitor such cases to ensure that no poor Singaporean is made to suffer and feel left out as the country progresses and prospers. Sir, I am very gratified to note that the Government has also expressed its commitment to help the Malays to achieve progress. The Malays have collectively embarked on many "self-help" community improvement projects and have obtained support of the Government. Though progress has been made, much can still be done to raise their educational and socio-economic status to the level of the other races. Whatever help that has been given so far, I must stress here, is not at the expense of others. As an example, the free education that Malays get in schools and tertiary institutions is just an additional expenditure which the Government can afford and does not deprive other students of the opportunity to attend school. Another example is funds collected through the CPF from Muslim workers for mosque building, which is not at the expense of others building their own houses of worship. Sir, this, I believe, should be the basis for us to work upon for the continued support of the Government. One important area where the Government can give its assistance is through Mendaki, or the Council for the Educational Improvement or Upliftment of Muslim Children. Mendaki has been in existence for more than six years.”
“This lower income group normally live in 1- or 2-room flats. They are mostly lowly educated and work in poorly-paid jobs. Many find difficulty in making ends meet. Many also have large families. Often when both parents go out to work, their children are left on their own. These children sometimes walk around aimlessly and create a lot of mischief. If they are not properly guided, they will end up just like their parents, if not, worse. I wish to suggest that the Government set up counselling centres in HDB void decks, especially around these 1- and 2-room rental blocks. The centres could be opened throughout the day and manned by full-time counsellors paid by the Government and other social organizations. Counsellors can then reach out to these lower income families and help them sort out their problems. Their children could be given free tuition after school at these centres. Counsellors may also refer hardship cases, especially those defaulting in HDB rentals or PUB utility charges, to the appropriate department or organization for financial help. This counselling, if implemented, will be supplementary to that being provided by the RCs and other grassroots organizations. Another area of concern is the privatization of our medical services. Needless to say, it has brought about a higher standard of medical care and service to Singaporeans but it has also meant higher costs for the people. Although the Government has publicly assured us that no Singaporean will be deprived of essential medical care on account of his financial incapacity to pay for such care, I am told that quite a number of Singaporeans, especially those from the lower income bracket who have no Medisave account, are finding it difficult to settle their hospital bills.”
“To me, Sir, parliamentary democracy should be included in the national ideology so that there should be no doubt whatsoever in anybody's mind as to the Government's commitment to the democratic way of life as currently practised by us. Moreover, since this political system has been time-tested and has served our national interests well all these years, it should be formalized and institutionalized. Sir, I believe some Singaporeans may find it difficult to accept the value of placing the community above self. Perhaps for the initial few years, it will be more realistic to inculcate in Singaporeans the importance of always relating their individual needs to those of the community - be it in the school, working place, or the neighbourhood they live in or the nation as a whole, because whatever happens to the community will also inevitably and eventually affect their own positions. Sir, it is also very heartening to note that the President has, on behalf of the Government, given a public commitment to help the less privileged in our community. In this respect, I would like to highlight three areas for the Government to look into. They are education, social and medical services. I would like to see every encouragement and possible help being extended to students from the lower income group to acquire as high an education as possible because this, I believe, Sir, is the most effective way of helping their families to break out of the poverty trap. Towards this end, I hope that educational grants in the form of bursaries, remission of school and examination fees and free textbooks be made easily available to those deserving cases. Though we have this kind of scheme I suggest that we should not be too stringent about it.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I rise in support of the motion moved by the Member for Siglap. I also wish to thank the President for giving us a clear direction to make Singapore a developed nation. As an independent and sovereign nation for more than 23 years, it is now important that we concentrate on moulding our various races into one people, ie, Singaporean. In this respect, Sir, I strongly support the move by the Government to have a national ideology to help build a national identity and further promote nation building. Sir, in identifying and drawing up the list of values to be incorporated into the proposed national ideology, it is imperative for us to take cognizance of the cosmopolitan fabric of our society, which is made up of different cultures, races and religions. Accordingly, the values that are finally adopted must be universally acceptable to all Singaporeans and must never be perceived as values belonging to one particular race, religion or culture. Hence, reference to any sectarian source should be minimized to avoid sending the wrong signal to the other races. It is equally important that the values should be as simple, relevant and practical as possible - simple enough for even the illiterate and the ordinary man to understand; relevant for the people to relate to in their daily lives and practical enough for the values to be achievable. On this basis, Sir, therefore, may I suggest that consideration be given to the following principles: (1) Racial, religious and cultural tolerance and harmony; (2) Upholding the family as a basic unit of society; (3) Uphold parliamentary democracy; and (4) Community welfare and awareness. Enough has been said about the first two. I would, however, like to elaborate on the others.”
“Sir, candidates wishing to stand for election as President and Vice-President must do so on their credentials and their past services to the nation. However, political parties may support them for the posts. Sir, there have been calls from the people for the Government to hold a referendum on this issue. I hope the Government can make a stand on this and explain the reasons behind its decisions. In conclusion, Sir, I believe that there is still a need for the Government and community leaders to explain to the people and convince them that this concept is in the long-term interests of the nation. We must allow people to give their views on this matter and it must be done thoroughly so that we can build consensus on something that is very important in the political development of Singapore. Sir, I support the motion.”
“They agree with the category of people eligible for the candidacy as stated in paragraph 18(e) of the White Paper. But they wish that it could include others who have been successful in life, for example, a successful businessman or an outstanding civil servant. In this way, we can cast the net wider. Another area of doubt is with regard to the fundamental considerations in deciding the form of constitutional safeguards in which the Government has considered many alternatives. What are the alternatives available to the Government, and why is this elected Presidency the best alternative of all? Perhaps the Government could explain very simply to the people the reasons for choosing this elected Presidency move. I believe this enlightenment process could help more people in understanding the basic philosophy of the impending elected Presidency Bill. Sir, many people feel that there is a political motive behind this elected Presidency. Some go as far as accusing the Hon. Prime Minister of wanting to remain in power and not trusting the next Prime Minister and his Cabinet. Some people suggest that the post of the President and Vice-President should be above politics. An aspiring candidate must first resign from his political party to prevent any conflict of interest that may subsequently arise. This move allows the President to be neutral in politics as it is now, and at the same time has the authority on the two powers vested in him. If the President is a member of a political party, he can collude with the Government if they happen to come from the same party. Likewise, the President can go on a collision course with the Government if they are from a different party.”
“Sir, I wish to join my colleagues in support of the motion moved by the Member for Kebun Baru. The White Paper clearly spells out the main reasons for an elected President. I strongly agree with the principles set out in the White Paper. To me, it is a far-sighted move on the part of the Government to ensure that there is someone to check a government that is becoming irresponsible in wanting to dip into our reserves. In other words, it provides for an additional lock on our Republic's reserves. Sir, this new move for an elected President opens a new chapter in our political development. It is heartening to note that the basic principle of a democratic system is not sacrificed. The people, ie, all Singaporeans, will be electing a person whom they consider capable and fit to sit on the highest office of the State. I am very sure that Singaporeans are intelligent enough to choose the right person for the job. The Government must be congratulated for vesting this safeguard into a Bill that is coming, and it has been very cautious in making the decision to move in this direction. Whatever it is, Sir, it must be stressed that the Prime Minister and the Cabinet will still be running the country. Sir, although this issue has been explained to the people, to the mass media and Government leaders, there are still many people who have doubts about its effectiveness and the workings behind the system. I have had the privilege as a member of the Feedback Unit to listen to them and I shall put forward a few questions for the Hon. First Deputy Prime Minister. Sir, on the whole, most of them accept the reasons behind the move to have an elected President. But many feel that the criteria for a candidate for the post are too stringent.”
“Sir, may I ask the Minister a question. This is with regard to the buildings which are now waiting for the Certificate of Fitness or now called the Certificate of Statutory Completion. I understand that some owners of condominiums are facing problems with the developers with regard to the defects in their facts. Could the Building Authority ensure that the developers get their engineers to check the flats and make sure that they rectify the defects before issuing the Certificate of Statutory Completion? I am raising this problem which involves a condominium in my constituency. When we brought this matter up with the BCD, they seemed to be powerless under the existing Act. I hope the Minister could explain whether, with this new Act, the Building Authority will have more power to get the developers to repair the defects.”
“It is just to make my point. On that note, Sir, I beg leave to withdraw my amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.”
“Sir, may I make a point? Since the Minister for National Development is here, perhaps the Minister for Community Development can work closely with the Minister for National Development and when MPs or sports organizations ask for places in our constituencies for, say, open field for football, perhaps they would allow us to do so.”
“There is another beautiful sports centre which is nearly completed. It costs a lot of money. I hope this centre can also be open soon, so that our people can make use of the facilities to improve their health. Sporstmen and other people interested in sports and games can then improve their physical and mental health and be useful citizens.”
“In a modern highly materialistic civilization, sports and health of course are also desired by people living in it, and this is nothing wrong. But, don't forget, one who has strong and healthy body may not necessarily have a healthy mind. Mental health is even more important. In a crowded city like Singapore, should a member of a family go wrong mentally, not really mentally deranged, then quite often the whole circle around the family, the community, will also be affected with unhappiness and trouble. There is quite a good number of such cases. In view of the problems brought about by health hazards to the community and the importance of personal mental health in relation to the community, I hope the Ministry concerned will pay more attention to this aspect and do something about it. Recently I have read articles in the newspaper about SBC planning programmes regarding this aspect of family life. This is very good. I support this programme which may arouse the consciousness of the people on this question. According to our Eastern tradition, good human relationship first starts from the family and relatives and then spread to the whole society. If we should follow the western norm, big family concept will not be popular. You see instead small families everywhere and this will result in individualism, and disaster will surely befall our people. Now, I would ask the Minister a question. In Bukit Batok new town we have a swimming pool which has been completed for nearly one year but has not been open for use. I wonder what is happening behind those closed doors. I hope the swimming pool will open its doors soon so that interested people can make use of it. I hope the Minister will help to make the pool open its doors speedily for the good of users.”
“We are proud to produce champions like Wong Peng Soon who excelled in badminton so much so that many of our Members in this House are playing badminton now. Then we have Tan Howe Liang who excelled in weightlifting. Again, our young boys are taking up this sport. We have Junie Sng and Patricia Chan in swimming and we get parents sending their children very early in the morning before school to the swimming pool for training. In athletics, we have C. Kunalan, and in football everyone here will agree with me that we have Rahim Omar and now Fandi Ahmad to bring back the crowd. In the final analysis, Sir, perhaps the Government could push ahead with this sports programme and consider setting up a Sports Academy to push through our goal of excellence in sports. Finally, Sir, one point I wish to raise is with regard to the National Stadium loan. This matter has been brought up by many Members in this House before for many years but they were not successful. I am trying again this year. I wish to urge the Government to convert that loan into a grant so that the amount of money they pay for the interest every year could be used for the promotion of sports. I hope the Minister will give an answer. Mr Chai Chong Yii (Bukit Batok)( In Mandarin): Sir, just now the Member for Tanah Merah expressed his support for sports. I support his views in principle. The various satellite towns of our country have sport centres and swimming pool complexes. These facilities for sports have cost the Government a lot of money. They have definitely played an important role in maintaining the health of our people. Singapore now is going apace towards material development in the course of which sports has also become a commercial enterprise.”
“Sir, apart from the generous scholarships and financial assistance to deserving sportsmen and women, I wish to suggest the following: Firstly, try to find them suitable employment to earn a living either with our statutory boards or even make arrangements with commercial organizations to give them a job here so that they would not go to other countries for work. Secondly, to grant them generous leave and time-off to train and compete in all competitions. This is very important because if they work here the employers must be willing to allow them time-off to train either in the mornings or in the evenings and also grant leave for them to go overseas for their competitions. Thirdly, give them cash awards if they win major competitions. This has been done in a few countries and it will encourage more of our sporstmen to excel. Finally, Sir, to encourage the promotion of professionalism in sports. In this matter, the Government can look to the business houses and commercial organizations to sponsor teams in our local league. On professionalism, Sir, I wish to mention, as an example, the success of the Football Association of Singapore in organizing the Premier League. They have managed to bring the crowd back to our local matches and I am sure that with the many football stars that we have in the various teams, interest in soccer will be revived. I think credit must go to the Chairman and members of the FAS. By the way, Sir, the Chairman is also the hon. Member for Changi while the Vice-Chairman is the hon. Member for Pasir Panjang. Sir, our sportsmen and women are the rallying factor to get many more Singaporeans to be involved in sports activities.”
“Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head J be reduced by $10 in respect of Code JL 3000 of the Main Estimates. Sir, the Singapore Sports Council plays a very important role in the promotion of sports. I think their role is multi-faceted, such as promoting sports, competitions, physical recreation, coordinating sports competitions at all levels, planning and organizing coaching courses to achieve higher standards, planning, building and managing sports facilities and, finally, con- ducting research into sports, sports medicine and selected fields. Sir, one really important element in our sports programme is the sportsmen and women who represent our country in regional and international competitions. Though our population base is very small, we are very fortunate enough to be able to produce sportsmen and women who are of world standards. They bring glory and honour to the country in the various competitions which they participated. We are very proud of them and we could say that they are part of our national asset. I wish to ask the Minister a question: are we doing enough for our sportsmen and women to excel? In my view, we can do very much more. We have very good sports and recreational facilities for them and for the people. But I believe in order to encourage and motivate our sportsmen and women, we must give them material and non-material benefits so that they would perform outstandingly in all their competitions. Most important of all, Sir, we must give them recognition for their efforts.”
“I thank the Minister and I beg leave to withdraw my amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.”
“Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head J be reduced by $10 in respect of Code JI 1000 of the Main Estimates. Sir, the National Museum has undergone extensive renovation in 1984 and 1985. Initially it started as Raffles Museum in 1887 and it developed as a museum of natural history, anthropology and history. However, from April 1972, it became a museum of ethnology, history and art of Singapore and South-East Asia. The National Museum, I am told, has plans to expand its physical premises and activities to make it a cultural institution of repute. Sir, I wish to ask the Minister the types of activities being conducted by the Museum and whether he would comment on these activities, whether these would really make Singaporeans more aware of our culture and history. Sir, I am aware that the Museum conducts many activities for school children through the Young People's Gallery. I wish to ask whether the same could also be done for adult Singaporeans. I would also like to suggest that some of the Museum's activities be brought to the community centres where residents can easily participate in them. During a visit to the National Museum last year, the GPC was informed of the problems of the Museum in getting sufficient funds and adequate manpower to conduct the various activities. They also face a chronic shortage of space to store and display the exhibits and collections. On this note, Sir, may I ask the Minister to elaborate on the various plans the MCD has to overcome those problems mentioned.”
“Sir, I thank the Minister for his reply and beg leave to withdraw my amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.”
“I also wish to ask the Minister whether we have special schemes, like the the pre-release employment (that the Minister explained this morning) for these inmates at the DRC. If we have this kind of a scheme, perhaps we could allow them to go to work, say, six months before their release. And once they are financially stable, we can release them and they can go back to their families again.”
“Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head Q be reduced by $10 in respect of Code QG 1000 of the Main Estimates. Sir, in moving this amendment, I wish to ask the Minister for Home Affairs for the number of relapse cases of addicts who have been released from the DRCs. Out of the total number in the DRCs now, how many are there for the second time or more? What is the percentage when compared to the total number of the addicts in the DRCs? Sir, there are many reasons why these addicts return to drugs after their release. May I know whether the Ministry of Home Affairs has done any studies to find out the reasons why these addicts continue their drug taking habits again. At this juncture, perhaps the Minister could elaborate on the kind of activities or programmes being implemented in the DRCs? Are the programmes or the kinds of activities in the DRC suitable and relevant to the needs of the inmates? I am told that some of these addicts who have been released from the DRC would not mind returning to that place because for them life is better in the DRC than outside. I think some of them have difficulty in adjusting their lives back in society. Many of them face problems, among them the inability to get employment resulting in financial difficulties and their inability to support their families. In many instances, their relationship with other members of their families becomes strained. So instead of being happy after being released from the DRC, they feel very frustrated and therefore resort to drug taking again. Perhaps we could consider taking tougher measures by having tougher programmes for these inmates in the DRC so that they would not want to go back or find themselves back in the DRC again.”
“Sir, during a recent speech in launching the drug control programme, the Minister for the Environment and the Minister in charge of Muslim Affairs spoke on the reasons for the upward trend of Malay drug addicts. One of the reasons is the apparent weakening of the cohesiveness of Malay families. Supervision by parents of their children, especially their teenage children, is lax. But a prominent feature among the Malay heroin addicts, as revealed by a survey conducted by the CNB in October and November last year, is their lack of strong moral values. This is because their early childhood Islamic teaching which mainly concentrated on the basic tenets of Islam and Koran recitation were not followed by any further developments in their moral and religious upbringing in later years. In view of the above reasons, I wish to ask the Minister for Education whether he would consider introducing the teaching of Islamic Religious Knowledge to Malay Muslim children from Secondary 1 instead of Secondary 3 and Secondary 4 as at present. Sir, our secondary school children now receive a common moral education programme in Secondary 1 and Secondary 2. We can continue this common moral education programme for all. However, as an addition, I hope the Ministry will agree to give Islamic Religious Knowlege instruction to Malay Muslim students over and above this common moral education programme. The school may use either one period from the Second Language lessons or, perhaps, have it outside the common time-table. I view Islamic Religious Knowledge in secondary schools as part of preventive education to check the problem of heroin abuse among Malays.”
“Sir, I wish to bring up two matters with regard to HDB. Firstly, the problem of instant flooding whenever there is a heavy downpour. I am referring to the area beside the pathways at the void decks. This is due to the renovation work done by HDB where all drains in the HDB estates are covered with porous slabs. I think the problem arises because the porous slabs are covered with dirt and sand and, whenever there is a downpour, the water flows very slowly into the drains. This, as I have said just now, causes the instant flooding and it inconveniences many residents. I think the situation gets worse in areas where there are shops and markets. The second problem is that the HDB is not kind enough towards requests for additional sports facilities, for example, in the open spaces in our neighbourhood. Normally the open space is planted with trees with, of course, a few benches here and there. Whenever there is a request from grassroots organizations for an additional facility over and above the basketball courts or multi-purpose courts, say, a netball court or even a place for senior citizens to play gateball, I am very disappointed to get replies from HDB saying that the open space cannot be used for such additional facilities because it is not a standard facility for HDB estates. I wish to seek the understanding of the HDB that whenever there is a request for such facilities, or even afootball field for our boys to play soccer, certain sites which are available in HDB estates should be looked into.”
“However, during this Budget, the Minister did not announce the increase in the contribution to the SDF even though we are aware that very soon the disbursement of the SDF will greatly exceed its annual collection. In no time, the SDF will be depleted. Based on our economic growth for 1986 and 1987, I think the Government should compel the employers to contribute more to SDF for the benefit of our workers. I urge the Government to announce the increase of the SDF levy together with the increase of the CPF rate after the first quarter of this year. And I think it is for the benefit of our workers, for their re-training and upgrading. With that, Sir, I support the motion.”
“, but the question is whether these courses are enough to upgrade all our workers. Are our workers given time to attend these courses? We should do more by having more grants for training of workers. If the Americans can spend between $750-800 and the Japanese between $2,000-3,200 on training every year for each employee, I see no reason why we should only spend about $100 per employee. This $100 is based on SDF statistics on formal off-the-job training. So I believe we can do more by having more grants from the SDF for the training of workers. Sir, I am pleased to note that the NPB has made recommendations on initiatives for re-skilling the workforce in May 1987. I believe the Government has accepted the report. May I ask, how far have we gone to implement the recommendations made by the NPB Council? Let me quote two of the eight initiatives mentioned by the NPB report: Initiative No. 1: setting up of a coordinating agency to study, monitor and plan skills requirements and the training required by the Singapore workforce to meet changing economic and work condition; and Initiative No. 8: setting up of a network of skills centres or training information centres to provide on-the-spot information on training programmes and to counsel workers on the alternatives and options open to them. I wish to ask the Minister whether the NPB is being given the task to be the coordinating agency and information centre. Sir, the greater emphasis on training of workers will definitely upgrade the skills and productivity of workers and, thus, the competitiveness of Singapore-made goods in the world market.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I rise to join my colleagues in supporting the motion moved by the Minister for Finance. This Budget for fiscal year 1988 is aimed at not only putting Singapore's economy on a full recovery but also to ensure steady growth for the future. Singaporeans are very pleased to note that last year our economy grew by 8.8% and we hope that, as forecasted, we can achieve about 5-6% growth this year. The Minister and his officials at the Finance Ministry must be congratulated for doing a fine job. Sir, for this Budget the ordinary man-in-the-street are hardly affected at all. The tax increase on cigarettes will be felt only by smokers. I believe this is a good way to get more revenue from people who insist on smoking despite the numerous anti-smoking campaigns. They can do without smoking but if they insist on doing it, then I think they should be willing to pay a bit more. Sir, yesterday my colleagues spoke at great length on foreign workers' levy, property tax and other revenue and tax changes. I do not intend to cover the same ground but shall concentrate on one very important matter, that is, upgrading the workforce. Our labour statistics showed that the educational profile of our workforce was such that 52.5% in 1986 has less than a secondary education. This is better than the 58.6% in 1980. However, when compared to the US, Japan and Taiwan, our workforce is less educated. More than half of our workforce, that is 53% in 1984, have primary level education only. This is less favourable compared with 15% in the US, 35% in Japan and 45% in Taiwan. I think the government, employers and unions must look into this matter seriously and take steps to upgrade our workers. No doubt we have many courses for workers like BEST, MOST, WISE, COSEC, etc.”
“Training and Health Education (20) That the sum to be allocated for Head P be reduced by $10 in respect of Subhead PE-05 of the Main Estimates. The sum of $462,860,760 for Head P ordered to stand part of the Main Estimates. The sum of $64,487,300 for Head P ordered to stand part of the Development Estimates.”
“This pre-primary programme which was started in 1978 has shown that an early start in proper language instruction is useful in providing pupils with a stronger foundation in school languages. This phase of education is necessary to prepare a child for a normal primary education, especially English. As such, the Ministry must continue to increase the intake of pupils into pre-primary classes. I wish to know the progress of the plans of the Ministry of Education to increase the intake of pre-primary children, including those who take Malay or Tamil as a second language. I hope the Minister could elaborate.”
“I thought this is part of the process whereby if we want to achieve excellence in schools we must give the opportunity to teachers to improve themselves academically and professionally. I wish to know the Ministry's policy on encouraging teachers to pursue higher studies. I am of the opinion that teachers have to be given time off after a few years of teaching to further their studies. Sir, I wish to say that I am presently in the Education Service. However, I do not have any direct interest in the matter that I am raising about. I can tell you, Sir, that it is frustrating teaching year after year and when we want a break of about a few months we are not given the chance even if we want to go on our own. So after five or six years of service, this sabbatical leave would do a lot of good to the teachers concerned. I think there is a scheme in the University to encourage lecturers to go on sabbatical leave. I am sure teachers will be more motivated, eager and enthusiastic to impart their newly acquired knowledge to their pupils. The students on the other hand will look upon them as models to excel in their studies. I hope the Minister would comment on this matter. Another point I wish to make is connected with pre-primary education. Last year when the Minister for Education replied to Members in this House during the Committee of Supply, he touched on how the quality of education in our schools can be improved at various levels. At the primary schools, there are plans to make pre-primary programme available to more children, including those children who take Malay or Tamil as their second language.”
“Sir, I wish to join my colleague, the Member for Moulmein, in talking about teachers. I think we cannot deny the fact that teachers make a very big contribution to the making of a very good school. We have within our system qualified and dedicated teachers who could be relied upon to carry out their duties in implementing educational policies laid down by the Ministry of Education. The Ministry of Education has constantly looked into the qualification of teachers and has encouraged many teachers to pursue higher studies. This is in line with the recommendations made in the 1978 Goh Keng Swee Report, which states: 'The Ministry should offer opportunities for deserving teachers to further improve themselves academically and professionally. For example, selected teachers with GCE 'O' and 'A' level qualifications should be given the opportunities respectively to study for their 'A' level and degrees with full pay.' Sir, I wish to know, up till today, how many teachers have been given this opportunity to further their studies? And what other plans are there to upgrade our teachers' qualifications? To pursue this matter further, I am pleased to note that the Ministry has been sponsoring teachers to do their second degree, especially their Masters degree. However, sometimes the Ministry has not been kind in giving study leave to deserving teachers who want to do their second degree on their own. I know of a number of applications for study leave to go overseas made by teachers rejected by the Ministry due to reasons known only to the Ministry's officials. Besides, some teachers admitted to the Masters-in-Education course at the Institute of Education this year were not given study leave by the Ministry of Education.”
“Sir, may I ask the Minister whether he would also consider concessional fares for school children?”
“All along we have been encouraging the spirit of ethical virtues as an indisputable norm of moral conduct, of which filial piety is the natural and prime duty of our children to their parents. In consonance with this, we shall allow and encourage the children to transfer a certain sum of money from their CPF contributions towards their parents' minimum retirement accounts. I support the appeal by the other two MPs that Government also give them tax relief concessions, in other words, free from income tax for such sums. The second point is that it is only when the parents have passed 55 years and reached 60 before any sum can be obtained from that minimum saving. As the long years pass by, anything can happen. I hope that as long as the children have the opportunity, ie, financially able to contribute that sum of money to top-up the minimum amount of the parents, such transfer should be encouraged and the sum exempted from tax. The reason is that any of the parents may die sooner than expected or some mishap may befall on the children in which event they may not have the opportunity to support their parents. Furthermore, with such flexibility in the Scheme, the parents will, with the financial help from their children, be enabled to buy HDB flats. The third point is this. I hope the Minister will see to it that not only the parents can make use of their own private property as a mortgage or charge for the required minimum, but the children also should be allowed and encouraged tomake use of their property, in addition to cash contribution, as a mortgage or charge to contribute to the parents' minimum CPF retirement accounts.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I join my colleagues in supporting this Bill. But I would like the Minister to answer a few questions. Firstly, this Bill exempts certain people from the Scheme. Among them are persons suffering from terminal illness or disease. In this instance, may I ask who is to certify the illness or disease? Is it restricted only to doctors in the Government hospitals and clinics? Or are certificates from private medical practitioners also accepted? If the control system is lax, I am afraid CPF members might take advantage. My second point is the charge on any property owned by a CPF member, his spouse or in their joint names. The question is, how long will the charge be on that property? Is it until he reaches, say, 70 years old or 75 years? My third point is the joint account in the names of the member and his spouse. They will receive a certain amount of money every month after age 60. What happens to the account if one of the member dies? Will his account be split and the money divided among the next-of-kin of the deceased? Or will the living party be allowed to continue receiving the same amount every month until the depletion of the fund? Finally, Sir, I wish to suggest that for those account holders who are reaching 55 years old, the CPF could have an advisory or counselling scheme to advise these members on the best way to a very good return, whether to put their money in an insurance scheme, or to leave it with the CPF, or in a bank. Sir, I support the Bill. Mrs Yu-Foo Yee Shoon (Yuhua)( In Mandarin): Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I support the Bill introduced by the Minister for Labour. There is flexibility provided in the Bill. I will air my views on the new sections 12C and 12D in clause 5.”
“Sir, would the Ministry of National Development consider turning that vacant plot into a park or a playing field for the use of residents?”
“This will ensure that everyone fully understands the meaning of this Bill. Finally, Sir, I support the move to refer this Bill to a Select Committee.”
“I wish to inform my non-Muslim colleagues and friends that Muslims can donate their kidneys if it is for the purpose of saving lives. As such, Muslims may opt in and sign up as donors under the existing Medical (Therapy, Education and Research) Act of 1972. The Ministry of Health, with the help of MUIS, must encourage as many Muslims as possible to opt in and sign up as kidney donors. The Ministry must ensure that when a Muslim opts in, the following stand by MUIS is taken into consideration: 1) The donation is confined only to the kidneys; 2) The kidneys must be transplanted immediately to a patient and not kept in an organ bank; and 3) The next-of-kin of the donor, according to hierarchy under Muslim law, must give his permission when the donor signs in. I hope the Minister of State for Health will give his assurance that all the above conditions are met before removing the kidneys of Muslims. At the same time, when Muslims opt in, they must be given the same priority in receiving kidneys as others who come under this Human Organ Transplant Bill. They must also be given six months to opt in from the commencement of the Act. Those who reach 21 years of age should be informed or reminded about signing up as a donor. This is to ensure that more Muslims become kidney donors and will receive the same priority as others in receiving kidneys as and when they need it. Again, I urge the Minister to give his assurance to Muslims in this matter. Sir, when this Bill becomes law, kidney patients will certainly be relieved as their hope of kidney transplants will be more easily realized. This Bill can be regarded as fair because adequate safeguards have been provided to prevent abuse. The Government should give wide publicity and explain to the people the benefits of this Bill.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I rise in support of the Bill moved by the Minister of State for Health. In supporting this Bill, I share the plight of many kidney patients who can only survive by undergoing dialysis or having a kidney transplant. During dialysis, they have to be attached to an artificial kidney machine for about six hours each time, three times a week. It is only a temporary treatment. It is time-consuming and the cost to the patient is very high. Every year we have many new cases of end-stage kidney disease in Singapore. However, there are only a limited number of artificial kidney machines in our hospitals. Therefore, only a limited number of patients can use it at any one time. Owing to the present situation where demand far exceeds the facilities available, many kidney patients will die from lack of treatment or even without receiving treatment. As such, we have to resort to kidney transplant to enable kidney patients to lead normal lives. This proposed Bill will allow for the kidneys of persons who die from accident to be removed for transplantation unless these persons have specifically objected to it in their life-time. Anyone else dying from all other causes, such as illnesses or old age, will not be affected. This Bill, apart from excluding persons under 21 years of age, or who are mentally ill or retarded, old people above 60 years of age, also excludes Muslims. I am very pleased to note that the Ministry of Health has discussed this issue with the Majlis Ugama Islam Singapura (MUIS) and have excluded Muslims from this Bill. The exclusion of Muslims from this Bill is proper and good as it is in accordance with Muslim law. However, this does not mean that Muslims cannot donate their kidneys.”
“Many constituents complain to me that although they are very willing to move into HDB flats because of better environment, hygienic conditions and good facilities, the present economic recession brings about some difficulties for them. So I appeal on their behalf to the Government to allow them to stay put at their present place for some more years. A greater part of my constituency is rural. These people are not unwilling to move into HDB flats, but they are worried about how to maintain their livelihood in HDB estates. Sometimes there is a split in the family. The younger ones want to move out as soon as possible but the older ones want to remain there, worried about the quantum of their compensation fearing for their future livelihood in the HDB new estate. Therefore, I would avail myself of this opportunity to appeal to the Minister to give them some consideration. I hope the Government can consider their plight in the present situation and slow-down their resettlement.”
“The question is why must we wait until these people face legal proceedings and lose their private property before we help them to apply for an HDB flat? Why can we not allow people, who need to sell their private house because of business problems, apply immediately for HDB flats? I feel the HDB should be flexible in helping people who are having problems with their business and who have to sell off their private property in order to keep their business going. Mr Chai Chong Yii (Bukit Batok)( In Mandarin): Mr Speaker, Sir, the Development Estimates for the PWD this year has been raised to $409 million. Last year, the revised estimate was $168 million. There is an increase of more than double the amount. This gives me the impression that the PWD is going all out to build more public roads. It is a good sign. I fully support this. The only point I want to stress here about the projects is to ask whether the Minister would give special consideration to local contractors for these projects. Under this project, there are two items, namely, 8132 and 8133, one relates to Bukit Timah Road/Whitley Road Flyover and the other Bukit Batok extention, I am interested on these two projects and wish the PWD would speed up the construction of these roads. My other amendment relates to resettlement. In this year's estimate the vote is $255 million. Last year it was $49 million. There is a substantial increase. I suppose there are two reasons for this. One is the need to speed up resettling the remaining villagers. The other reason is perhaps the increase in the amount of compensation.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I have two points for the Minister to clarify. The first concerns the cleaning of our HDB estates. From what I know, the HDB, apart from having its own daily-rated cleaners, is also contracting it out to private contractors. Some of these contractors are good while some are not. Could I ask the Minister what are the criteria of the HDB in the selection of the successful contractor for the cleaning job? Is it the lowest tender price only? Does the HDB look into the contractor's experience and also expertise in doing the cleaning? The reason I am bringing this matter up is that some contractors are not doing a good job and this has resulted in a lot of complaints from residents. I think this is sometimes due to the problems that the contractors themselves have with their workers.They are normally not paid well enough and they leave whenever they feel like it. The residents of our estates are therefore made to suffer. Could I ask the Minister what steps does the HDB take to ensure that contractors do their job properly? The second point, Sir, I wish to ask is whether the HDB has any intention of waiving the 30-month waiting period for people who wish to apply for HDB flats after they have sold their private property. Many of our people now are facing hard times and I think a lot of their money is tied up with their private property. Some of them who are in business are not doing well and have to sell off their property. But they cannot apply for an HDB flat immediately because of this 30-month waiting period. I understand that the HDB has been very sympathetic. In some cases MPs have written to the HDB and they have waived this 30-month debarment period.”
“Sir, can the Minister inform the House what plans does the Ministry of Health have for the reserved hospital site in Tanah Merah constituency in Bedok?”
“Sir, can the Minister explain whether the indiscriminate parking is due to the lack of space or due to too many vehicles?”
“If we all work hard together, I am sure we will all succeed. With that, Sir, I support the motion.”
“Our education service must also give special opportunity to all Singaporeans, and one specific area I wish to mention is the need for education of the handicapped children, for example, the educationally subnormal, the blind, the deaf and the dumb. We are all aware that the education of these children is in the hands of voluntary organizations, but I strongly believe that the Government must play a more important role in this aspect of education. As an example, let me take the School for the ESN. I came to know that there are only three schools, of which one is going to be demolished while there is a long waiting list of 180 children. I think the Government must look into this aspect of education. Next is the retraining or upliftment of the educational level for the 600,000 Singaporeans without the PSLE certificate. I think this group needs the help of the Government most. They should be educated and retrained to upgrade their skills to put them on par with the Secondary Four (Normal) level students. The Government can make use of school facilities and perhaps open night classes for them and this must not be left only to the VITB. Perhaps the Government can, jointly with VITB and other organizations like the NTUC, conduct classes similar to that of our BEST classes. In conclusion, Sir, we have to use this time of recession to educate our people. We must retrain them to be able to use better equipment and be prepared when the economy recovers. If we work hard enough and if our luck turns for the better, when the world economy moves up again, all Singaporeans will be ready to meet the new challenges that will come our way. It is then that we will all reap the fruits of our labour. Sir, we still look towards achieving a standard of living of the Swiss by 1999.”
“The first is the education of children of school-going age and the second is education for about 600,000 Singaporean workers who are without the PSLE certificate. As far as the education of children of school-going age is concerned, the Government has assured that there are enough places for all children in school. One way to ensure that our young are being educated is to introduce compulsory education at least for the six or eight years at the primary level. With this, the Government has to ensure that there are enough schools to cater for the population and the building of new schools in the new towns must meet the needs of the population that has moved over to the new towns. I am sure we have heard cases of new towns that lack secondary schools or even junior colleges. I am also sure we have had examples of children having to travel from one end of the island, the eastern part of the island, to Ang Mo Kio for their junior college education. I think the Education Ministry must look ahead when planning the building of schools and junior colleges in these new towns. The Education Ministry is also experimenting with one-session schools. I think this is a very good move to upgrade the quality of our education in Singapore. This will allow our students to be able to spend more time with their teachers in school for extra-curricular or remedial work and, of course, this will lighten the burden of parents with school-going children. Another aspect of education that has been neglected by the Government is the education of our handicapped children.”
“Apart from that, the management of profit-making firms can also use the savings to upgrade their equipment, to buy newer and better machines and, of course, train their workers to use the new machines. We hope that by using these better and newer machines, the workers can increase their productivity. Another aspect of this CPF cut is that it will affect many people who are paying for the mortgage of their homes. The recommendation of the Committee is that the Special Account be suspended for the time being. But I would like to further suggest the suspension of the Medisave Account if, for example, they have about $10,000 in their account. This will certainly help some of them to pay for the mortgage of their homes for the next two years or so. In the Presidential Address, it is said that the way to prosperity is through better education for the people, hard work and striving for excellence. Sir, allow me now to comment today on some aspects of education. Mr Speaker, Sir, the Government believes that the only way for us to prosper and face the uncertain future is through education and I wholeheartedly agree with them. We have to strive for excellence. I would urge, Sir, the Government to take the initial steps to ensure that our education and training system is efficient and good enough for all Singaporeansto achieve their maximum potential so that there will be a place and a role for every Singaporean, whatever his contribution. Education and retraining are necessary for all Singaporeans to meet the changing times. It should be stressed that it is through education that social mobility will arise. This is the concept of meritocracy. Mr Speaker, Sir, I would like to highlight two areas of education which, in my opinion, need special attention from the Government.”
“The cost-cutting measures that will be taken will certainly mean that more jobs will be created for all Singaporeans in the future. Sir, many of my PAP colleagues have spoken about economic issues during this debate. I share most of their views and I do not intend to go through most of them again. But let me give my view on an important aspect of the recommendations of the Economic Committee, ie, the proposed 15% cut in the employer's CPF contribution. I agree with the Committee's view that it is necessary to cut costs. However, we must be aware that not all businesses in Singapore are suffering from a slack-down in business. There are many firms which are efficiently run and are still making profits despite the tough time that we are facing now. If the proposed CPF cut is accepted, it means that these firms will accumulate more profits. It is only fair that employers of these firms should use the savings from the CPF cut for the good use of their workers, whether it is for their welfare, for their training or for the education of their workers. Employers can provide perhaps scholarships for their workers to upgrade their academic and technical skills and they can even go further by giving that scholarship to the workers' children. Or employers may themselves provide skills training or retraining of their workers on an in-house basis. This means they have the training within their own premises and maybe working time be given for them to go for this training. Employers must provide the support morally and financially to uplift their workers' education so that most of them can at least achieve the level of Secondary Four (Normal). In this respect, unions of profit-making enterprises must together work with management to look into the training needs of workers.”