Ivan Baptist
Singapore
“Mr Speaker, Sir, what prevented the Ministry of the Environment from hastening the flood alleviation work in Potong Pasir? Owing to the delay, Sir, much hardship has been caused to my constituents, especially in the Jalan Potong Pasir and Meyappa Chettiar Road areas.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, a supplementary question. What is the Hon. Minister's reaction to a report in the Straits Times on Friday, 9th June, concerning the Singapore Tobacco Company's parent company in Britain, the British American Tobacco, and I quote: "STC's parent company in Britain, the British American Tobacco (BAT), the world's largest tob…”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the amendment to section 75, by clause 16 (c), still poses problems for consumers, both local and overseas. If a licensee has for sale in addition to duty-free goods those that are duty-paid, consumers could still be hoodwinked.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, does the Hon. Senior Minister of State realise that at the present moment there are many occupational health and safety hazards at the Nelson Road Mails and Parcels Centre? I had occasion to visit it sometime ago and I have since made recommendations to alleviate these hazards, but nothing seems to have been done.”
“But on this particular measure, I strongly oppose this increase of the fees at the A & E Departments. Nobody would like to be referred to a hospital, and it is not a pleasant place to visit either. The Minister for Health (Dr Toh Chin Chye): I see the Member there so often!”
“Sir, I do agree that a new Postal Complex is being built. But he has said that this new Postal Complex is being built in place of the old one, and at the present moment the old one is posing a lot of hazards. So I want to know what he is doing about the old one.”
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“(6) That the sum to be allocated for Head V be reduced by $10 in respect of item 1210 of Subhead Code VD-01 of the Main Estimates.”
“Sir, I do not want to belabour the point. But I must mention that it is not the national price control body that we want but a National Prices Council which is quite different. Sir, I beg leave to withdraw my amendment. Amendment by leave, withdrawn.”
“In addition to that, Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I believe that the Director of Consumer Protection who also happens to be the Director of Trade should not wait for the fillip to be given by representatives of the Consumer Co-ordinating Committee before calling meetings of the Committee to deal with matters of product safety. I would also like to know whether a representative from the Industrial Health Department, Ministry of Labour, could sit in the Consumer Protection Co-ordinating Committee, as the IHD can assist with the expertise in the health hazard areas. Could the Committee also be empowered to draft regulations for consumer health and safety among other regulations for inclusion in the Consumer Protection Act? Could the Committee be given some finances to enable it to proceed with essential product tests?”
“Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head U be reduced by $10 in respect of item 1210 of Subhead Code UF-04 of the Main Estimates. Sir, the consumer price index for this financial year has increased by 3% over the last financial year. The main reason is the increase in the prices of food and drinks, essentials for living. Retailers, hawkers, shopkeepers and the like have a tendency to arbitrarily increase prices with interest in profiteering and not profit. With the free enterprise system in Singapore which is laudable and one we should not alter as it is the only way we can ensure our economic survival, we must look at ways and means to ensure rational price increases that will not untowardly hurt our economy and at the same time fray the purse strings of our consumers. This methodology must also cater to price reductions when prices of raw materials that go into making the finished product drop. Price control is therefore not the answer for Singapore. Instead we could evolve a National Prices Council somewhat similar to our National Wages Council. The object of the NPC would be to study representations made by consumers, workers and entrepreneurs, each represented by their organisations or nominated or elected representatives with a neutral chairman and formulate recommendations to Government for price increases or decreases. The formation of such a council would be part of Government's wider policy for the control of inflation and would also protect those on low incomes or pensions and those with large families, who are least able to fight inflation. Would the Hon. Minister consider establishing such a Council? How soon can this Council be established?”
“Straight into it then, Sir. Could the Hon. Senior Minister of State revive the co-ordinating committee in the form of a consultative committee? Members of the committee could be consulted in their specialised fields. They could deal especially with product safety among other consumer matters that are contained in the various consumer protection legislation. Each of the representatives of the committee is from a competent authority with the Director of Consumer Protection still as Chairman as he would be the most appropriate. That is one point of clarification. The other point is: could the representative from the Industrial Health Department, Ministry of Labour, sit on the Committee as the IHD can assist with their expertise in the health hazard areas? Could the Committee be empowered to draft regulations for consumer health and safety among other regulations for inclusion in the Consumer Protection Act? Could the Committee be given some financial -”
“I am clarifying, Sir, I have to go into a few minor points before I can clarify.”
“Sir, as I was saying just now, I believe I did speak on consumer protection a few minutes earlier. I would like to clarify the points in regard to consumer protection. As there are many potentially dangerous products that need attention -”
“Consumer protection in product safety is a major in the Committee's terms of reference. However, the committee met but thrice, in June and October of 1975 and in February of 1976. As the committee is defunct, matters affecting the health and safety of consumers is being directed by CASE to what it considers the relevant Ministries that can assist. This, in addition to being time consuming, also posed problems of cost and areas of responsibility. There are at present many potentially dangerous products that need attention. Some of these were listed for the attention of the Consumer Protection Co-ordinating Committee but were kept in abeyance.”
“The Minister has still got to lay down safety requirements by means of statutory regulations. In addition to the Consumer Protection Act, the Medicines Act provides for the control of medicines throughout all stages of manufacture, import, storage and distribution. The Act introduced a comprehensive control of medicines based on safety, efficacy and quality. The Sale of Food Act, the Environmental Public Health Act, the Public Utilities Board Act, the Radiation Protection Act, and existing regulations to some of these Acts provide for consumer health and safety protection in their respective areas. As every consumer wants a safe product, safely designed, safely made and safe for use or consumption, a product minus all reasonable hazards to health and safety, and as Government wants to ensure that its people are guarded against unsafe and hazardous products, it is of vital importance to all concerned that consumer products presenting potential hazards be made as safe as is reasonably possible. As a matter of principle, consumers naturally desire and demand product safety. Manufacturers, in the wake of much consumer activism, cannot but overtly think about it and most times work towards achieving it, whilst Government supports it and where necessary, enforces it. There are, however, some grey areas in legislation for product safety in Singapore. This resulted in the formation of the Consumer Protection Co-ordinating Committee in May 1975, comprising the Director, Consumer Protection, in the chair and representatives from SISIR, the Department of Scientific Services (then the Chemistry Department), the Ministries of Health and the Environment, PUB, the Registry of Trade Marks and Patents and CASE.”
“The earlier circular disallowed substantive Superscale Officers from obtaining the allowance. The latter circular also disallowed Division I officers on probation from qualifying for responsibility allowance payments. I do not wish to comment on the sudden changes in two short days to warrant the issue of a second circular, Sir. I leave that to your better judgment. I also believe Appendix A of the first circular lists out the approved responsibility appointments. Strangely enough, contrary to paragraph 7 of the circular dated 20th April, 1976, which I quoted earlier, there were no Division III officers and very few Division II officers on Appendix A. Could the Hon. Minister tell the House how many Divisions I, II and III officers are on Appendix A? Why are Divisions II and III officers being discriminated against? Sir, I would like now to speak on consumer protection. Safeguarding consumers from products that are dangerous or likely to injure health is a major area of consumer protection. A consumer safety policy boasts of the principal objects of ensuring that goods available to people present no undue risk; that people are warned about hazards they may find in products and advised on how to avoid them; and that unsafe goods can be withdrawn from sale or modified immediately. The main legislation dealing with consumer safety is the Consumer Protection (Trade Descriptions and Safety Requirements) Act. Section 11 of the Act empowers the Minister to make regulations prescribing safety for any class of consumer goods where such action is considered to be expedient to prevent or reduce the risk of death or personal injury. Actual and potential risk pointed to the need for a general statutory power enabling the sale of hazardous goods to be prohibited.”
“These appointments demanding higher responsibilities will be considered and graded by a committee consisting of PS (PMO), PS (Finance) (Budget) and Secretary, PSC representing the Commission, and the list of such appointments will be submitted to the PSC for approval and published in the Government gazette.' After some years to study, the Responsibility Allowance Circular was issued by Permanent Secretary (Finance) (Budget) dated 1st March, 1978, stating that with effect from 1st March, 1978, the very day that the circular was issued, the Responsibility Allowance System would be introduced and acting allowances would cease. Sir, the introduction of the Responsibility Allowance System meant a substantial loss in quantum of allowance as against the Acting Allowance system, although the job performed is exactly the same. From more than $200 per month, acting allowances dropped to $150 per month for Division I officers, $75 per month for Division II officers and $50 per month for Division III officers. Are these drastic reductions in allowances justifiable? Sir, in addition, officers will need to perform the duties of the approved responsibility appointment for 60 days or more. Acting allowances were paid when officers performed acting duties for two weeks or more. It must be stressed that duties performed remain unchanged. The only change is in terminology - "Acting" to "Responsibility". Where, Sir, is the justice? Then again, unsure of the circular issued on the 1st March, 1978, a further circular was issued on the 3rd March, 1978, by the Permanent Secretary (Prime Minister's Office) extending to Superscale Officers eligibility for a responsibility allowance of $150 per month if they are called upon to perform the duties of Permanent Secretaries.”
“Most of the Division I officers had their salaries rounded up by a number and in multiples of $5 on consolidation whilst many Divisions II, III and IV officers had their salaries rounded down on consolidation. Injustice speaks loud but falls on deaf ears. My hope is, Sir, that the Hon. Minister will give the House the assurance that these anomalies are rectified with haste. Let the workers, the ones that have been unfairly treated, appreciate that a wrong can be righted. I have many documents in my possession that would further strengthen my case. But I am sure the Hon. Minister, being a just man, has been convinced by what I have already said and would take steps to correct the position in favour of those disadvantaged, after going much deeper into the matter. Sir, could I move to another area. On the 20th April, 1976, two almost similar circulars were issued to All Permanent Secretaries on the "Abolition of Acting Allowances in the Civil Service". One was signed by the Permanent Secretary (Prime Minister's Office) and the other by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Finance (Budget). The circular tediously outlined the cessation of the then going system of acting allowances with effect from 1st July 1976, and its gradual replacement by responsibility allowances, and the modification of grading appointments into departmental designations. Paragraph 7 of the circular states: 'it is recognised, however, that a number of appointments in the Civil Service in Divisions I, II and possibly III demand higher responsibilities from officers holding such appointments.”
“Sir, the exercise on consolidation of 1973-77 NWC allowances into the salary scales has caused great concern especially among Division II, III and IV officers. The Public Employee headlines in January 1978, screamed, and I quote: 'Salary scales extended, disparity in incremental rates ...... AUPE calls for meeting with Finance Ministry to resolve problems.' There should not have been problems in the first place if the Union was consulted and the salaries consolidation worked out sensibly. In February 1978, the Public Employee again headlined on the same subject: "AUPE makes proposals to Ministry of Finance to rectify anomalies." Does the Ministry of Finance not realise that good industrial relations means discussions and sorting out matters with the unions before implementation? If this had been done, there would have been no anomalies. What are the anomalies? When will they be corrected? The nature and principles of consolidation as outlined by the Ministry of Finance and I quote a letter dated 31st October, 1977 from the Ministry: 'The new consolidated scales compromise such gross salary points rounded up to give rational salary points and rates of increments.' This was further explained in the annexure to the letter: 'The new consolidated salary points comprise existing salary points plus the 1973-77 NWC allowances payable rounded up to the nearest multiple of $5 so as to give meaningful new salary points and incremental rates.' Unfortunately, Sir, here "meaningful" must have meant "with less meaning" because to the Division II, III and IV officers in that order, the meaning became more and more garbled.”
“(5) That the sum to be allocated for Head T be reduced by $10 in respect of item 1210 of Subhead Code TA-02 of the Main Estimates.”
“The boards of management of these schools are faced with a headache. They are faced with great problems because the parents expect their children to be able to handle the second language as well as the Chinese language. 7.30 p.m. For the past few years, the boards of management of these schools could not overcome this problem because they were short of English teachers. They tried their best to recruit English teachers but they were always faced with the same difficulties. Many teachers do not like to go to these schools to teach because the schools are located far into the distant rural areas, and moreover the schools being small, communication is very difficult. In the past few years much has been said about the policy of second language education, and the Ministry has always spoken about the success of second language education. However, the situation in the rural schools is rather different. For the past few years, they have not been able to achieve the expected standard of second language education. Parents are also disappointed and do not know what to do. They are riot sure whether their children can or cannot meet the future requirements of the society. The boards of management are also rather worried because they have been entrusted by the villagers and the public to manage the schools. In view of these responsibilities, they have no other alternative but to do their best to carry out their responsibilities. Sir, I would like to ask the Minister whether the Ministry of Education has any good plans to help these schools to engage enough qualified teachers. If these problems are solved we will then be able to say that we have achieved this objective of raising the standard of bilingual education.”
“But I feel that in the process of implementing bilingualism the Ministry of Education seems to be hesitating in its moves, so that many parents are confused. I hope the Minister will take the opportunity here to clarify in greater detail how bilingualism is being implemented. Mr Lee Yiok Seng (Bukit Panjang)( In Mandarin): Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, a lot has been said about the problems of education. But I would also like to speak on this subject. I agree very much with the Member for Jalan Kayu. Like him, I am an outsider to education. Many Members have spoken about the importance of bilingualism in our education. This is a fact. We also find that many parents are now very concerned with their children's ability to handle the second language. They have great expectations that the school will provide education for their children, especially the subjects which they want their children to learn. Every time there is an enrolment exercise for admission to primary schools, the parents show great concern and interest in the choice of the schools for their children. Generally speaking, parents are concerned about the ability of their children to cope with the second language. If the school cannot make provision to meet with their requirements, then the parents will be disappointed. In view of the great expectation of the parents, I feel that there are still many problems to solve. For instance, in the rural areas many Chinese primary schools and aided schools were set up a long time ago. These schools are not well equipped and communication is also not very easy.The student population in the schools is not very big, perhaps about 200 or 300 students. Only a very few of them have a student population of over 500.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I would like to raise two questions on education. I would like to know whether the Ministry of Education has any intention of altering the existing arrangement with the Cambridge Examinations Syndicate so as to have the combined Universities of Singapore and Nanyang developed into examining authorities for the combined GCE 'O' and 'A' examinations. If so, what are the stages of implementation envisaged? I would also like to know whether the Ministry intends to introduce, in a more systematic fashion, in Singapore ASEAN literature both in English and the other three major languages for secondary and pre-university classes. Mr Hwang Soo Jin (Jalan Kayu)( In Mandarin): Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, the Member for Tiong Bahru has quoted the Prime Minister in the course of his speech. The Prime Minister has said that the essence of bilingualism is that, on the one hand, it will provide one with the tool for making a living and, on the other hand, it will preserve for him the five traditional culture and value system. Singapore's development and progress have been due to our hard working, thrifty and disciplined Asian and oriental society, a people which have the Asian value system and also strong family links with big family responsibility. The Member for Tiong Bahru has said that our political leadership has not been vague in their policy on bilingualism. I agree very much with the Member for Tiong Bahru on this point. But, have the people in charge of implementing this policy made a careful study of the directives and formulate good comprehensive plan for their implementation? I am an outsider where education is concerned.”
“Sir, there is another question that I posed to the Hon. Minister. I want to know whether the inmates in cold turkey rooms and dormitories are given an opportunity to exercise outdoors and the period of these exercises.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I would like to refer to the Minister's reply to a Question for Oral Answer raised by the Member for Kallang on the Drug Rehabilitation Centres in Hansard, Vol. 37, No. 6, cols. 323-4. I quote: "The area of the cold turkey room is 42 square metres for 20 inmates. As for the area of an average dormitory, it is 322.8 square metres for 140 inmates." This in reality means 2.1 square metres per rehabilitee in the cold turkey room and 2.3 square metres per rehabilitee in the average dormitory. I believe that the process of rehabilitation involves making the rehabilitee kick drug dependence. Making living quarters most uncomfortable for those being rehabilitated could psychologically demolish the rehabilitee and create a barrier against rehabilitation. Are the rehabilitees, both those confined in the cold turkey rooms and those in dormitories, given opportunities to exercise outdoors daily? If so, what is the duration of the exercise? Could the Minister also consider increasing the size of both the cold turkey rooms and the dormitories?”
“Sir, as the Minister has promised to bring to bear closer scrutiny on the statistics on vehicle maintenance and periodic inspection, I beg leave to withdraw my amendment. Amendment by leave, withdrawn.”
“Sir, as I mentioned just now, there has been no sufficient close scrutiny where this problem area is concerned. I do not believe that the Minister can just slide over it that way. In addition to that, the Ministry of Communications is also introducing periodic inspection. I do not know why, if this is not a problem area.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head S be reduced by $10 in respect of item 1210 of Subhead Code SE-02 of the Main Estimates. From the statistics quoted by the Senior Minister of State for Communications in the House last week, 0.09% of accidents were caused by faulty mechanical parts of motor vehicles. This is difficult to believe. I am sure it would involve much expertise, time and equipment to adjudge the state of the vehicle's mechanical parts after an accident, especially a major accident. I tend to think the figure would be much higher. As such, would the Minister consider introducing programmes for preventive maintenance of vehicles as a sizable part of a Road Safety Campaign? The maintenance of vehicles and their inspection with owners and drivers exercising constant vigilance to maintain vehicles in the best of conditions is a fundamental ingredient in the prevention of road accidents. This is all the more important as cars are being built to travel at greater speeds. Would the Minister also consider gathering more statistics of mechanical failure of vehicles to obtain a better grasp of this problem area?”
“Sir, would that not be too long because the retailer concerned could by then have removed the faulty weighing or measuring instrument or those bags of rice or sugar? So it will be impossible for the Weights and Measures office to check.”
“Sir, on average how long would it take for the Weights and Measures office to respond to a consumer's complaint?”
“Sir, is the Weights and Measures office frequently triggered off by complaints from consumers? If so, how many inspections and prosecutions resulted from consumers' complaints?”
“Sir, a supplementary question. Would the Hon. Senior Minister of State liberalise its allocation of hawker and market stalls to resettlement cases who were farmers prior to resettlement?”
“Sir, despite the fact that the Minister gets giddy when he speaks in metric units, he has most certainly answered my questions explicitly. I beg leave to withdraw my amendment. Amendment by leave, withdrawn.”
“Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head R be reduced by $10 in respect of item 1210 of Subhead Code RB-01 of the Main Estimates. Sir, the metrication programme has been going on for a number of years. I believe this has been quite successful in the building and construction industry. Plans submitted to the Planning Department use metric units. A great percentage of the electrical and electronic industry have metricated. In addition, the consumer public have also been flooded with publicity material disseminating the metric message. I would like to find out from the Minister how successfully has the metric message been carried down to the general public. Have surveys been carried out to assess the housewives' knowledge of our metrication programme, and do housewives now shop in metric? Do they know the difference between a kilogram, a kati or a pound? Do they also realise the distinction between the metre and the yard, or a foot? Because of the lack of clarity between the metric and the weights and measures they were so used to and brought up with, are they being blatantly deceived by retailers? What further metric programmes are being considered to educate the public on metrication to enable them to safeguard their own interests?”
“But kampong roads, like Jalan Ulu Sembawang, are not covered by the daily cleansing service, though inspections are made from time to time and, when necessary, cleansing of such private roads or drains is carried out. It may be necessary to review the extension of public cleansing services to private metalled roads such as Jalan Ulu Sembawang. That means more money and you know where I have to go. Mr Teong Eng Siong( In Mandarin): Sir, the Minister has said that he will consider extending public cleansing service to areas like Jalan Ulu Sembawang to maintain the public health there. If he can do so, it would be of benefit to the residents living in those areas. Sir, I beg leave to withdraw my amendment. Amendment by leave withdrawn,”
“Sir, I believe that the Hon. Minister is going to take action against both the people who litter and the HDB if it does not maintain cleanliness. I beg leave to withdraw my amendment, Amendment by leave, withdrawn. 5.52 p.m. [Mr Hwang Soo Jin in the Chair] Mr Teong Eng Siong( In Mandarin): Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head Q be reduced by $10 in respect of Subhead Code QB-03 of the Main Estimates, Sir, I would like the Minister to pay attention to this matter. In Jalan Ulu Sembawang and the housing estates in Naval Base area, the public health environment has been deteriorating in recent months. For instance, wild weeds and lallang have been allowed to grow at random on the roadsides and the drains are choked. Rain water cannot flow freely, so that mosquitoes and flies are breeding there, thus affecting adversely the health of the residents. I remember about a year ago in view of the complaints by the residents, together with public health officers and CCC members of Sembawang Constituency I inspected the various places concerned. I found that in certain housing estates in the Naval Base area around certain roads like Canberra Road, Admiralty Road and Jalan Ulu Sembawang, lallang and wild weeds were growing in abundance. After the inspection, the situation improved. But soon after, the same situation arose. So I would like to urge the Minister to take immediate steps to send inspectors and officers to those areas to take effective measures to improve upon the health situation there for the benefit of the residents. Mr Barker: Sir, my Ministry provides daily cleansing services for public roads and ancillary drains, including those in the Naval Base area.”
“Does the Hon. Minister mean the litter bugs are the HDB? Then because the HDB is responsible for the cleanliness, most certainly it has to ensure that this cleanliness is maintained?”
“Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head Q be reduced by $10 in respect of item 1210 of Subhead Code QB-02 of the Main Estimates. Sir, the bin centres in HDB estates are atrocious. Putrefied food and rubbish exposed to the elements night and day risk the health of all those living in these areas. I am sure the Hon. Minister is concerned with the health of Singaporeans. In quite a few more years, the greater portion of our citizens will be living in HDB flats and health conditions must be carefully monitored. I know the fault does not lie with the Ministry of the Environment but with the HDB as it is responsible for the cleanliness of the bin centres and the areas surrounding HDB flats, the hawker and market stalls and grounds and drains around them. Has the HDB been given stern warnings by the Ministry of the Environment? If these warnings fell on deaf ears, prosecution might be the only answer. What action will the Hon. Minister consider to ensure clean and healthy HDB estates, free from putrefaction and choked drains resulting in acrid stench?”
“Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head O be reduced by $10 in respect of item 1210 of Subhead Code OF-04 of the Main Estimates. With the many complaints against the public transport system and with the policy of Singapore limiting the number of cars on our roads, there will be a tendency for some people to import tandems. I was wondering whether the Minister would consider the registration of tandems. Used on our roads, they can be very dangerous because, powered by two pairs of legs, high speeds can be achieved. Apart from the problem of balance and control, the mechanical braking device is also suspect, especially when the wheels and tyres are not sufficiently thick to provide effective braking at surfaces where the brake shoes come into contact with the rims and where the tyres come into contact with the road surface. The weight of two persons on the tandem also limits efficient braking. Would the Minister inform the House whether there are any tandems registered or whether there are any rules and regulations governing the registration of tandems?”
“I think that is a satisfactory answer, Sir. I beg leave to withdraw my amendment. Amendment by leave, withdrawn. 7.30 p.m.”
“Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head O be reduced by $10 in respect of item 1210 of Subhead Code OB-03 of the Main Estimates. Sir, a matter of utmost importance is the safety of our seamen whilst they are at sea. Insufficient attention is being paid to this. I will not elaborate on the health and safety hazards our seamen are facing for I am most certain the very learned Hon. Senior Minister of State is very conversant with that. I would like to plead on behalf of our seamen that health and safety matters be given more consideration. The surveillance and enforcement of safety measures on ships must be improved.”
“Sir, just to elucidate what the Member for Bedok has said, I would like to add to his contribution. The National Maritime Board was incorporated on the 1st January, 1973. Through the amalgamation of the Seamen's Registry Board and Seafarers' Welfare Board, the Singapore Mariners' Club, the Singapore Sailors' Institute and the Seamen's Lodging-Houses Licensing Authority, the main functions of the Board, as laid down under the National Maritime Board Act, 1972, are, among other things, "to promote and regulate employment of seamen and to inaugurate and administer welfare and training schemes for them." The National Maritime Board Act provides that seamen may be signed on in Singapore only through the Board. The Board therefore registers and supplies seamen to ships. Ship's officers, however, are not eligible for registration by the Board. I believe there is a distinction between officers and able-bodied seamen. But I do not believe that ship's officers should be penalised for not being given the service extended to seamen in the form of registration and supply to ships. Could the Minister therefore consider either amending the legislation to give ship's officers these services or administratively correcting the anomaly?”
“Voluntary programmes for a start. Mr Ong Teng Cheong: I believe the Adult Education Board is doing it now. If the Member for Potong Pasir is really keen, he could come and sit in the Working Committee. The Member for Telok Blangah disagreed with my explanation. I would be pleased if he could refer specific cases to me. What I had explained to him just now is what is in practice in PSA. It could not have been cooked up just to answer his question. As I have said, it is very difficult to investigate unless he could provide specific cases and with evidence.”
“Sir, just one minor point. I really enjoyed that very eloquent address by the Member for Kim Seng. He has got a way about him that turns me on. I think I should recommend him to this very good book. The Practice of Economic Growth by Dr Goh Keng Swee. I would also like him to read Part IV, Miscellaneous, Chapter 30, Zero Growth Rate for Private Motor Vehicles. It is a very interesting article and maybe it could make him -”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I believe my question has not been answered by the Senior Minister of State. I wish to know whether he would consider introducing voluntary programmes for preventive maintenance of vehicles, including education, publicity in the form of pamphlets, television and radio programmes, etc. 7.00 p.m.”
“Point of clarification, Sir. At this point of time I am wondering whether I could be given clarification on how many licensed taxis there are on the road, how many taxi drivers there are to-date, and how many taxi drivers were licensed monthly during the last six months and how many taxi drivers will be licensed monthly for the next six months?”
“Sir, the major part of road safety campaigns is directed at the driver rather than at the vehicle. This is as it should be, for the driver is the root of the problem. Apart from drivers and pedestrian training, road safety can also be achieved by improving the standard of our roads and traffic markings. There is also another area that has not been given sufficient attention. Vehicle maintenance and inspection, with owners and drivers exercising constant vigilance to maintain vehicles in optimum condition, is an essential ingredient in the prevention of accidents on the roads. The need for a high standard of maintenance is all the more acute as cars are being built to travel at greater speeds. It is important to include preventive maintenance programmes with periodic inspections as part of a road safety campaign. Not a very large percentage of the total vehicle population is covered by voluntary programmes of preventive maintenance. I would like to believe that the average car owner, driver or operator would follow a preventive maintenance programme without the compulsion of legislation. Would the Hon. Minister consider introducing voluntary programmes for preventive maintenance of vehicles? This would include education and publicity in the form of pamphlets, radio and TV talks and so on. 6.15 p.m.”
“Sir, I am not speaking of the condition of the cement slabs. I am talking about the cement slabs that are being divided by portions of earth where grass is supposed to grow. These portions provide a hazard, a safety hazard which I believe very few of us want to face. Maybe before the Singapore Sports Council was set up, that was the time when Singaporeans needed a little more exercise, there were no jogging tracks then, so the thought was that these walkways could be utilised as jogging tracks or for hopping from one slab to another. Now that the SSC has got sufficient jogging tracks, I am just wondering whether he could fill in those portions that are covered with earth, which are safety hazards, with cement.”
“Sir, the maintenance of the pedestrian walkways in Singapore seems to be very slack indeed. I know that the PWD is constructing very beautiful new walkways along Orchard Road, but the old walkways in East Coast Road need to be repaired badly. There are trees growing in the centre of the walkway and pedestrians have to dodge these trees while trudging down the walkway. In addition, the grass in between cement slabs has gone dry or overgrown. I have watched women with high heels walking gingerly over them and some even playing hop-scotch because they find it so difficult to trudge along the walkway. I am just wondering whether the Senior Minister of State would consider removing these hazards on pedestrian walkways and improving them in his maintenance programme i.e. those pedestrian walkways along East Coast Road and even along the NTUC building, for instance, and of course not to mention Lorong 8!”
“Thank you, Sir. What action will the Minister take if he saw in a HDB Estate a lone wooden lamp post, a remnant of resettlement days, serving absolutely no purpose whatsoever?”
“Sir, may I seek your indulgence on one small point?”
“Sir, I would like to know whether the Minister would react to badly cracked and caving-in floorings in HDB markets and hawker stall centres and ground floor void areas of blocks of flats, which are not only dangerous but also unsightly and the condition could worsen? Would the HDB take action to carry out repairs, which could be major repairs?”
“Could the Minister also improve HUDC public relations, and correct the present adverse image the HUDC has gained?”
“Sir, I did not ask the Minister to give me an answer to that. I was just illustrating, Sir, the lack of human understanding on the part of the HDB authorities, which leaves much to be imagined. The convenience enjoyed has been turned into an inconvenience. Generally in HDB estates, motorcycles are allowed to park in special lots provided. They are mostly owned by workers who have taken pains to save enough money to buy these machines for transport to and from work, especially if they have great distances to travel from home. Moreover many of the workers perform shift duties and public transport is not too readily available early in the morning and late at night or in the wee hours of the morning. Motorcycles, therefore, are of immense assistance to these people who want to ensure that they need to spend less on transport and also save time. However, due to exposure to the elements, maintenance costs rise and deterioration sets in more quickly. Metal fatigue in the form of rusty metal parts and deterioration of mechanical and electrical parts are frustrating and costly. Could the Minister consider building shelters over motorcycle parks in HDB estates? I would like now to turn my attention to; the HUDC. There have been many complaints against the HUDC, ranging from high-handedness in management to gross inaccuracies in brochures which tend to be misleading and confusing to purchasers. Claims have been made that grievances brought to the attention of the management were either ignored or there was delay in replying. Complaints prevalent also include delay in rectifying building defects. Would the Hon. Minister look closely into the dissatisfaction of HUDC flat owners or would-be flat owners?”
“These bridges were conveniently located and of great assistance to the residents and their children. I will move to other lorongs in the estate at a later stage, Sir. Incidentally, there are two primary schools in the area with a total school population close to 3,000. Strangely enough, after providing this service for many months, the HDB decided to move the centre bridge, the one in front of Block 219 -”
“Sir, could I seek your indulgence to continue illustrating?”