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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“Corrective measures should be taken to ensure that Lorong 8 is kept clean. The bin centre close to the market and hawker stalls at Lorong 8 (an illustration again) is always polluted. The bin centre is not cleaned after rubbish is cleared daily by the Ministry of the Environment. The doors to the bin centre are on their last legs. Poor maintenance and filth are safety and health hazards to people. Can the Minister assure the House that measures to improve conditions will be carried out speedily? The HDB seems to lack the knack of looking into details. I would like to illustrate a particular detail, just to point out that HDB lacks this knack. During the days when Lorong 8 was a farm land (an illustration, Sir) wooden lamp posts provided carriage for electrical wires, telephone wires and light bulbs. Most of these lamp posts were removed, and rightly so because they do not serve any purpose now. However, one solitary wooden lamp post still stands, smack in the middle of 14 blocks of flats. Is it meant to be a memento of the past, a reminder to residents that standards in the area had risen now that the lamp posts in the area are made of metals? Or is it an indication of lack of aesthetic value of the HDB? Most certainly the lone wooden lamp post is incongruous in that locality? Is the HDB considering leaving wooden lamp posts in all areas as mementoes of the past? Sometime ago the HDB had three bridges, at intervals, spanning 600 metres of canal dividing the blocks of flats in the Lorong 8 area.”
“Sir, I will avoid specific questions on specific areas. Will that please the Minister, Sir?”
“Sir, I believe I am quoting this just as a matter of illustration. It is on general policy really: the pollution-free environment that should be maintained in HDB areas. This Lorong 8 was just an illustration to strengthen my point that this is not being done. I believe this problem concerns policy, Sir.”
“Sir, in the meantime I am wondering if I could touch on the HUDC. This is a matter of policy I believe, because there have been many complaints against the HUDC.”
“Sir, I crave your indulgence. We were given to understand that we could raise these problems under this particular item 1100 because the Minister is in charge of the HDB, and I suppose he is well aware of the problems that we have raised. 6.30 p.m.”
“Sir, I would like to raise a few matters that require the attention of the Minister. The maintenance of the market and hawker centre at Lorong 8 Toa Payoh leaves much to be desired. I believe that maintenance and upkeep is a difficult matter because of poor construction in the first instance. Drains within the hawker centre are narrow and shallow, subjecting the whole area to flooding during business hours and also when the area is cleaned, as the capacity of these drains is small. In addition to this, poor foundation before building has resulted in the floor not only cracking badly but also caving in to such an extent that it appears to have suffered the aftermath of an earth- quake. The floor areas of Blocks 213, 214, 215 and the PUB substation in Lorong 8 have also suffered in like manner. It is not only unsightly but also a cause of worry for the residents, market stallholders and customers. The condition could worsen. Is the Hon. Minister aware of the situation? When will corrective measures be taken? The market and hawker centre and the drains in Lorong 8 area are extremely dirty and emit offensive odours. The drain at market stall No. 209 for instance -”
“Sir, I beg leave to withdraw my amendment. Amendment by leave, withdrawn. The sum of $10,337,650 for Head M ordered to stand part of the Main Estimates. 5.45 p.m. Head N -”
“Both the work permit holders and the employers have to pay a maximum CPF contribution of 15 1/2% which is quite high. Now, according to what I know, in many HDB car parks the collection time for parking has been extended from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. instead of from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. This is very clever. This will increase income collection and also increase productivity, and I believe, will receive the commendation of the Finance Minister.”
“The smaller shops would have enough helping hands and so they would be able to do their business better; thus in turn giving more income tax to our country. This, of course, is something our Minister for Finance would welcome. Therefore, by giving these work permits, it not only helps to solve the difficulties of these shops but also at the same time increases the Government's tax revenue. I would therefore request the Minister concerned to be more liberal in the issue of work permits to these shop assistants. Actually there are many reasons for such a move. For example, our Minister for Finance has all along encouraged the diversification of our economy. That is to say, other than developing our industries we must at the same time encourage our trading activities. There should be no differentiation of commercial activities whether big or small, or whether they are multi-national corporations or medium-sized shopping centres or even retail shops. The Government also has all along been treating them equally. Why should the Work Permits Department not follow Government policy? Another point is that in recent years the Government has been emphasising the need to raise productivity. This, of course, refers to all kinds of industrial and commercial activities. But if a certain activity is short-handed, how can it increase productivity? Furthermore, our country has been able to maintain a considerable economic growth rate in the midst of world-wide recession. The credit should go to our Minister for Finance for his very healthy taxation policy. He has effectively collected taxes and thus increased our revenue each year. But the people working in the Work Permits Department do not seem to consider the revenue as important.”
“Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head M be reduced by $10 in respect of item 1210 of Subhead Code MD-02 of the Main Estimates. There are many jobs available in Singapore. Unfortunately, many of these jobs are considered too menial and tough by Singaporeans. As such, we have many guest workers in Singapore. There are, however, certain categories of jobs that do not merit a work permit according to the Work Permits Office. What are these jobs? Why must we curtail the issue of work permits in these job categories when we are fully aware that Singaporeans will not accept these jobs? The economy and our citizens are adversely affected as coffee-shop assistants, sundry shop assistants, domestic servants and so on are almost impossible to come by unless they are guest workers. When will the Work Permits Office liberalise its work permit policy? The Chairman: Mr Teong, amendment (11). Mr Teong Eng Siong (Sembawang)( In Mandarin): Sir, at present, owners of shops and small factories are still having a problem when applying for work permits for their employees. It is particularly difficult to get workers for coffee-shops, grocery stores and Chinese medicine shops. Many people do not understand why the Government should limit applications for work permits. Actually, it is difficult to get workers for these small establishments and that is why the employers have to employ foreign workers. 5.30 p.m. I have received representations that they had to apply for these work permits, otherwise it would be very difficult for them to carry on their business. They also said that they will be contributing to the revenue of the country. For example, they will have to pay CPF for their workers, thus increasing our nation's tax revenue.”
“Sir, due to the shortage of time, I will discuss a number of other points with the Senior Parliamentary Secretary in the Members' Room at a later stage. I beg leave to withdraw my amendment. Amendment by leave, withdrawn.”
“Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head M be reduced by $10 in respect of item 1210 of Subhead Code MD-01 of the Main Estimates. Sir, job placement and resettlement of disabled and handicapped persons are some of the functions of the Employment Service. What are the main problems encountered by the Employment Service with regard to job placement? Have the reasons for registrants being choosy about jobs been determined? What measures have been implemented to solve this problem? How adequately have the disabled been placed in employment? In the Addendum to the Presidential Address [Hansard, Vol. 36, col. 23], I quote: "The present Disablement Resettlement Scheme for the training and subsequent employment of disabled persons will be extended to industrially disabled workers." Has this been implemented? How many industrially disabled persons have been trained? How many have been subsequently employed? Is there close coordination with the Ministries of Health, Social Affairs and Education and the Singapore Council of Social Service and voluntary bodies with regard to identifying, registering and training of congenitally and industrially disabled persons? If so, what sort of coordination exists?”
“Sir, I think I should congratulate the Industrial Health Department. They have done a good job. I suppose the only thing they need is more money and that is a very important vitamin. I beg leave to withdraw. Amendment by leave, withdrawn.”
“Yes, Sir. The Senior Parliamentary Secretary has not answered an important point - that the workers should be informed of the exact substance they are working with, especially if it is going to cause cancer. Is his Ministry thinking of coming up with some mandatory regulations in this regard? Another point is this. The Senior Parliamentary Secretary is well aware that yesterday the Minister for Health mentioned that cancer is the main cause of deaths in Singapore. So armed with this information, he most certainly can get the Budget Division to formulate and implement the measures that he has in mind, the long programme that he refuses to read out but will pass to me when I am in the Members' Room at a later stage. Mr Fong Sip Chee: Sir, to save time I will pass the information to the Member.”
“Noise is regarded as being one of the most important factors contributing towards the pollution of the work environment and having a detrimental effect on workers' health and comfort. Many workers are temporarily or even permanently eliminated from the workforce by noise-induced deafness or accidents caused by noise. What alleviation programmes had the Industrial Health Department in this field? How successful has audiometric screening been? Were there any abnormal and pathological findings requiring more detailed medical examination? How successful has the Department been in reducing worker-exposure to high noise and in implementing the use of personal protective equipment?”
“On known or suspected toxic substances that workers come in contact with, including those that are cancer-causing, are there any educational material or codes of practice to ensure that workers can handle these substances safely? Are there any codes of practice for occupational diseases with high incidence rates like silicosis, for instance? Do we have a definite policy for identifying and classifying cancer-causing substances? What are the programmes in connection with these substances? In the Addendum to the Presidential Address, 8th February, 1977, I quote from Hansard, Part 1, Volume 36, , "The Industrial Health Department will take measures to protect workers from cancer-causing substances used in industry." I am sure, by now, these measures must have been implemented. What are these measures? Workers have a fundamental right to know when they are working with toxic or cancer-causing substances. Are Singapore workers told by their employers when they are working with dangerous substances? It is only fair that there be mandatory regulations requiring employers to inform workers about hazardous substances they work with. Specific names of these substances should also be given and medical monitoring of workers who come in contact with these substances must be provided. I would be interested to know how the Department comes into contact with unorganised workers to educate them because industrial health needs a lot of education. What programmes does the Department have for organised workers? Does the Department find that workers can be effective in policing their own workplaces and alerting the Department with regard to occupational health problems or violations of legislation? Does the Department have in mind more effective policing by workers of their own workplaces?”
“Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head M be reduced by $1Oin respect of item 1210 of Subhead code MC-04 of the Main Estimates. Sir, the Industrial Health Department is concerned with the investigation, control and prevention of occupational diseases. The estimated expenditure for FY 1978 is 5.72% more than FY 1977. The increase in expenditure is to cater mainly for incremental salary increases, CPF contributions and allowances for staff. Has the department enough in numbers of well trained personnel in the health field? Do the majority of staff dealing with field work possess Master's degrees in industrial hygiene or their equivalent so they can understand toxicology and the analytical method? It must be realised that the field officers will not be arbitrary if they are more scientifically secure. When making inspections they will be able to exercise some judgement instead of just going by the exact letter of the law. I would also like to find out if the Department is actively involved in gathering information about diseases and health in workplaces? How do they go about this? Does the Department have statistics to show the percentage of workplaces that comply with an occupational health standard? Does the Department have an occupational health standard? If so, what would this be? Industrial dermatitis, a skin disease, which is quite debilitating and causes a great deal of discomfort to workers contracting it, is a serious problem in Singapore from the figures from the Ministry of Labour. I would like to know which industry in Singapore contributes towards the greatest percentage of dermatitis sufferers? How many man-hours are lost through this industrial disease? What proposals are at hand to protect workers against industrial dermatitis?”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir. I beg leave to withdraw my amendment. Amendment by leave, withdrawn.”
“Sir, the Senior Parliamentary Secretary does not realise the whack of Secretaries. I leave that to his own imagination whether he consults the Chairman or the Secretary. Anyway, there is one point that worries me a little. I notice that the last time the Ministry organised a safety officers course they had more applications than places and yet this year it appears as if they are not going to organise a safety officers course. The first course has ended and I believe a good percentage of them have passed. I am just wondering whether the Ministry is interested in lowering the accident frequency and severity rates. Would it not be better for them to upgrade the present quality of safety officers by organising an additional course for the many who have been queueing up?”
“The Factories Act requires that a safe and healthy work environment be provided by employers. Does the Inspectorate make a choice between a safe working environment and the cost of providing it?”
“Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head M be reduced by $10 in respect of item 1210 of Subhead Code MC-03 of the Main Estimates. Sir, the number of registered factories increased by about 0.85% in 1977 when compared with 1976. The number of industrial accidents, however, increased by approximately 7.6% in 1977 over 1976. Why is this rising trend of accidents at workplaces still not being contained? Why has there been an increase of 15.8% in contraventions and related regulations of the Factories Act in 1977 over 1976? What further measures are being planned to lower accident frequency rates? Workers can be effective in policing their own workplaces. Through statutory safety committees, much can be done. How effective has worker-policing been? What has been done to ensure that this policing is effective, especially through safety committees? Are the reports, minutes, recommendations, etc. of statutory safety committees being submitted regularly to the Factory Inspectorate? I hear that many of them do not submit these reports. Just giving us a copy of one report, as the Senior Parliamentary Secretary attempted to do last year, would not suffice this time. How effective are these committees, judging from their reports, minutes, recommendations, etc? Does the lnspectorate advise safety committees on how to improve their work to lower accident frequency rates? How does the Inspectorate reach unorganised workers and safety committees in unorganised workplaces to educate them and get their assistance in the many attempts to reduce the number of accidents at workplaces? Are there any peculiar problems with regard to unorganised workers and their workplaces? What is being done to iron this out? The cost of providing job safety can sometimes be very high.”
“Sir, I believe the Senior Parliamentary Secretary has given some balanced answers, despite the fact that the factory accident rates are going up. He is doing his job, and he has passed many pleasant comments about me. That is great. So I beg leave to withdraw my amendment. Amendment by leave, withdrawn.”
“I am sorry, Sir. I was referring to the Senior Parliamentary Secretary.”
“Taking into consideration the 1976 and 1977 NWC salary raises, this is mathematically sound. We could work it out. I could lend you my calculator. I have it here.”
“Sir, I am indeed surprised that the Senior Parliamentary Secretary, being in a Ministry that is tied up very closely with the National Productivity Board, is unproductive. If I had raised the same questions previously, why did he not just flip over Hansard and quote and unquote and maybe distribute it to all Members in the House? I have got a copy of Hansard here and I find that I raised entirely different questions. Unproductive as he is, he is still doing his job. Unfortunately, the Hon. Minister for Labour is not around to see him do it. However, there are still complaints of delays although the Senior Parliamentary Secretary says that he is trying to do something for the people who are being compensated. The delays are mainly due to the medical assessments. I do not know whether he can do something to hasten the assessments. I suppose the Senior Parliamentary Secretary has not read the Economic Survey. I have a copy. Would he like to borrow it? The Minister for Finance did say that the consumer price index has increased by 3% and the Workmen's Compensation Act was amended in 1975. On the increases in quantum of compensation, I also did mention that we have to take into consideration the compensation that is paid over the number of years, 10 years, 20 years. By then, will the dollar be worth the same? Can it buy the same quantity of rice, sugar or any other commodity that is essential for the consumer? I feel that his Ministry should look into this matter rather closely and come up with the possibility of introducing a monthly payment of an annuity. There was another point that I wanted to raise. Can the Senior Parliamentary Secretary also consider amending the Workmen's Compensation Act to raise the ceiling for non manual workers from $750 to $800?”
“How many are retrained? If not, why are they not retrained? If so, is it in a new skill comparable with his old one in terms of salary payments? Rehabilitation of sick and injured workers is a social responsibility of the society. If a man cannot work, he cannot live. Has the Government any plans to rehabilitate sick and injured workers on a large scale? This could take the form of a rehabilitation insurance programme which could be tied in with more amendments to the Workmen's Compensation Act.”
“Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head M be reduced by $10 in respect of item 1210 of Subhead Code MC-02 of the Main Estimates. Sir, the amendment to the Workmen's Compensation Act in 1975 promised quick settlement of compensation to disabled workers or their families. Have the settlement of claims actually been expedited? The amendment Act also included increases in quantum of compensation. With the increases in compensation, are there less resorts to common law action which is long, tedious and sometimes very difficult to finally resolve? With the quantum of compensation increased, is it not possible for the Ministry to consider payment by an annuity or a monthly payment instead of a lump sum payment? This will serve the injured worker or his family more meaningfully, especially if the sum of compensation is large. In addition to that, it will also enable the Ministry at a later stage to amend the Workmen's Compensation Act to tie in with the constant rise in the consumer price index so that in real terms the compensation paid over the years will most certainly be something that the workman himself or his family can rely upon, because in real terms the value of money drops over the years and if compensation is paid over, say, a period of 10 or 20 years to the injured worker or his family it would be more realistic to do it in the form of an annuity or a monthly payment. It would not be human to cease being responsible for an injured worker once compensation is paid. The disabled worker should be given a job once he is capable of working again, either the same job, if he is capable of performing it, or another job which he can be retrained to perform. How many, if any, of the disabled workers are taken back by their former employers?”
“Sir, ILO is an international organisation. It is tripartite. I believe we make contributions towards the ILO. I am wondering if we are getting any advantages from these contributions that we make. In addition to that, I notice that time and time again when we have conferences in Geneva, either Government representatives or employer representatives are not around. It is the solo trade union representative or just coupled with Government. At one stage when I went there, it was just myself and the Government representative. The employer's representative was not to be seen. I am just wondering that if we do not attend these meetings how can we consider it an advantage to be in ILO? Do we really have an advantage from it? Why are we contributing to it if we do not have an advantage? If we are contributing, why do we not attend these meetings? It befuddles me. I cannot fathom why so much money is paid into the organisation. I hope the Minister can clarify the situation.”
“Sir, I believe that at this point of time, I can raise the question that I wanted to on the ILO because it comes under the Minister's Head.”
“Sir, does the Ministry of Foreign Affairs not make contributions towards the ILO? Mr Fong Sip Chee rose -”
“Sir, the Hon. Senior Minister of State did mention something about international organisations and he mentioned specifically the ILO. I am just wondering what sort of advantages we have derived from the ILO. Could he elucidate?”
“Then I will move to item 3310, Sir. Contribution to the welfare of students overseas has been reduced by $10,000. I am just wondering whether or not we are looking into the welfare of our students overseas. I think it is very important that we maintain a very high standard and that the contribution to them should, in fact, be increased. The students overseas would be able to project an image of the Singaporean, and I hope, that with a greater contribution they will be able to project an image of the rugged, able and resilient Singaporeans. This will most certainly improve our image overseas and will also be able to attract more investment and be of common good to Singapore and its citizens. 7.30 p.m.”
“Sir, I am referring to item 2150 of Subhead Code LA-02, Headquarters Operations.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I seem to be flogging a dead horse. Anyway, it is the year of the Horse, but then somehow or other it has galloped away! I beg leave to withdraw my amendment. Amendment by leave, withdrawn. The sum of $180,400,830 for Head K ordered to stand part of the Main Estimates. The sum of $73,692,900 for Head K ordered to stand part of the Development Estimates. Head L -”
“Sir, there should be some checks on the private practitioners and SATA because tuberculosis is quite a serious disease. It is a communicable disease, as the Minister is well aware of. The other matter is the question of the industrial worker population also coming under the Government hospital surveillance. At the present moment I believe most of them go to SATA for their checks. The number of notifications for this disease is quite low indeed when compared to the notifications received from the Government hospitals. I believe the industrial workers among our population are the ones at present contracting this disease. Could the Hon. Minister give greater attention to this matter?”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, just a couple of points for clarification. I am just wondering whether or not there is a check to ensure that SATA notifies tuberculosis cases as required by law. When talking about targets what I actually mean is the method of control to ensure that there is a prevention of the possibility of tuberculosis arising from the population. From the figures which the Minister had given to me and which I gave back to the House, we have traced it over six years and unless some effective programmes are instituted by the Ministry of Health, we will see the same number of TB cases with a very slight reduction over the next six years. I am quite worried about it because I have been tracing it for the last 10 to 15 years and I find that the drop has been minimal.”
“Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head K be reduced by $10 in respect of item 1210 of Subhead Code KE-01 of the Main Estimates. Sir, when reviewing tuberculosis control in Singapore over the years, it seems strange that despite Government's efforts, particularly in the setting up of the Tuberculosis Control Unit and back-up treatment facilities at Tan Tock Seng Hospital, there is no significant fall in the number of cases notified for the last six years. In 1972 there were 3,109 cases, 1973, 3,037, a fall of 72 cases (2.32%), 1974, 3,451, an increase of 414 (13.63%), 1975, 3,097, a fall of 354 (10.26%), 1976, 2,813, a fall of 284 (9.17%), and 1977, 2,747, a fall of 66 (2.35%). On examining the total cost for the Tuberculosis Control Unit and the cost of tuberculosis treatment in Tan Tock Seng Hospital as well as other Government hospitals and outpatient dispensaries, the cost benefit of the control programme leaves much to be desired. It appears that the present method of control adopted is extremely passive. Why can the Hon. Minister not set targets for the next six years to reduce the number of notifications to below 2, 00 0 or even 1,000 or less? Can the House be kept informed of the targets? Can the industrial worker population also come under Government hospital surveillance? Is there a check to ensure that all TB cases detected by SATA are notified to TB control unit as required by law? 7.00 p.m.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, there are some medicines that are self-prescribed. Consumers wanting to use these medicines need certain information in order to use them to best effect and with the minimum of risk. In order that this may be done, minimum information for sensible use of self-prescribed medicines must be available. From an article in The Lancet, six medicines that are widely self-prescribed, namely aspirin, paracetamol, ferrous sulphate, aluminium hydroxide, senna and a multi-vitamin preparation, should have minimum information for the consumer. The information presented should be: (1) the nature and purpose of the drug; (2) the dosage and administration; (3) the unwanted effects; and (4) the keeping qualities. Would the Minister consider implementing mandatory labelling requirements on leaflets to be packaged with these medicines? If so, how soon can this be implemented?”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I am a little worried. If it is competitive sports, then there will be the possibility of spectators being involved and spectators have a tendency to pollute the environment when watching any competitive sports. This could cause a problem. The banks of the reservoirs could be polluted. I do not know how the Hon. Minister plans to control the pollution of the environment, not only from the people who are competing but also the spectators involved. I do not think it is a very good idea.”
“Sir, I think a stand-by generator will solve the problem. But anyway the Minister has not answered my question.”
“Sir, water is life and it is therefore important that our potable water is not contaminated. A certain standard of quality and taste in our water is also essential. Therefore, a close watch must be kept on the water in our reservoirs, treatment centres, right up to the consumer's home. Could the House be informed as to how often samples of both raw and treated water are collected by the PUB? Does the frequency of the sample collection vary in areas where it is known that there are high levels of toxic substances or where potential pollution exists, like the Pandan Reservoir, for instance? How often are samples collected in such areas and what are these samples examined for?”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, would the Senior Minister of State tell us whether it will be possible for us to get an alternative supply from, say, Taiwan for instance?”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, is it not true that the export of glutinous rice is now being banned by the Thai Government?”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, could the Senior Minister of State tell us why glutinous rice is difficult to come by, and whether it will be readily available, especially for the forthcoming Chinese festival? What is the Ministry planning to do about this?”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, in other words, the Minister does not have any definite programmes.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, a supplementary question. Could the Hon. Minister tell us some definite programmes to prevent the three leading causes of deaths in Singapore? So far, he has been rather hazy.”
“If exceeding certain thresholds, noise and vibration impair health and working capacity and produce from mere mental and physical inconvenience to severe organic disorders. 6.35 p.m.”
“This would necessitate Singapore being able to offer an attractive environment with all the necessary paraphernalia like easy commuting on roads which are not congested, private schools with adequate facilities, leisure and recreational facilities, and so on. In short, those who come to Singapore to work for overseas investors from developed countries must find in Singapore a life for themselves and their families equal to, if not better than, what they enjoyed at home. Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, the world is becoming quite concerned about the problem of exposure to noise both in the industrial and urban environment, Singapore is a city state. In a few years' time 80% of our population will be living in HDB flats. The proximity of one household to another has been reduced tremendously; coupled with this is the noise generated by modern household equipment like the television, radio, washing machine, vacuum cleaner and so on. Modern entertainment too produces noise, music to many, unfortunately, of very high levels. A survey conducted by the Industrial Health Department, Ministry of Labour, confirmed noise levels in discotheques to be well above 9OdBA. The Senior Minister of State for Communications did mention a figure of about 105dBA. In the United Kingdom, an article I read indicated that there is a real hazard of noise-induced deafness among people exposed to musical noise of a high level. We need in Singapore to enhance our quality of life. Hence we should begin thinking of acceptable noise levels not only in our industry but also in our environment. Noise and vibration are regarded as the two factors that contribute to the pollution of the environment and have a detrimental effect on the health and comfort of the population.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I rise to congratulate the Hon. Minister for Finance on a Budget that will add wings to the "Horse" and change its gallop to flight like the mythical Pegasus. Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, although 1977 was a difficult year and the world economic recovery slowed down and although the GNP of the seven major countries of the OECD grew by only 4%, Singapore has done well with an economic growth of 7.8% which is an 0.8% increase over 1976. This growth was achieved with relative price stability and the creation of 33,500 new jobs resulting in the fall of unemployment to 3.9%. All this has been the result of a sound Government with its sound financial policies and pragmatism, complemented by a resilient and hard working population. A further sound financial policy for 1978 backed by a people willing to meet challenges will see Singapore able to withstand the rigours of 1978 and next year we will be able to see the fruits of our labour and of our confidence in the Government. Protectionism, Singapore being reclassified as a developed country, President Carter's proposal to end tax deferral, are some of the problems we are facing which could be detrimental to our achieving better growth rates in 1978. We therefore need to hasten the economical maturity of our skilled and managerial work force. To do this, we would also need expertise in these fields from developed countries. When attracting investment, it is necessary for us to ensure that Singapore is attractive for the expertise that must inevitably arrive to start off the industry. The better the calibre of the experts, the more advantageous will it be for Singapore and Singaporeans.”
“Sir, does the Senior Minister of State not realise that with the noise pollution from the airport these cultural shows will not be a success?”