Jek Yeun Thong
Singapore
“Would the Minister now consider it wrong to allow CPF members to use their CPF money to buy shares in the stock exchange, people whom the Howe Yoon Chong Report not so long ago would like us to believe that they could not be trusted to look after their own savings and yet they are now allowed to participate in the stock exchange casino, s…”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, could I ask a supplementary question which either Minister can reply? Is the Minister surprised that the Voice of America, an organ created by the US government to counter Communist propaganda world wide, has been used to cast critical views on a non-Communist government such as the Singapore Government which is, in fact,…”
“Mr Chairman, Sir, the Minister has not touched on my point regarding the tuition fees of University students. I do not know whether he would like to take this opportunity to answer or he would want to leave it to others to answer it.”
“Also, there is no danger that the students having taken the loans would abscond or not come back since at the moment all the male students going overseas are providing bonds because of national service. And as for female students, if we are still having too many of them, we can easily arrange bonds for those who intend to take the loan.”
“Yes, of course. I think the trouble with the press is that they missed my point on Education. The style they happened to like is what the Chinese call - wan shi bu gong (playful and not taking things seriously). So they really do not know what to do with me - I mean the press, not the Government.”
“Sir, since the Government is encouraging the people to have more babies now, the likelihood of these 3-room flats being unsold will be greater. Is it not a good point for the Ministry of National Development to try to convert these 3-room flats into, say, 6-room flats so that more babies could be accommodated?”
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“Mr Speaker, Sir, may I inform the Member that we are doing our very best to try to put a stop to films which glorify violence. I do not think we can put all blame on films. For instance, juvenile delinquency can be brought about by many factors other than films. All I can say is that the film distributors aim at making a profit. If they can make money out of producing good and healthy films, I am quite sure they will do that. But they find that they can make more money out of films which depict violence and sex. Therefore, everyone goes for this type of films. Our problem is that we are not in a position to say what sort of films should be allowed to come in. We can only censor the films, impose cuts, or ban the films altogether. As to the kind of films to be brought into this country, it is all a matter of supply and demand. If more people want good films, I am quite sure there will be a lot of good films coming in. Mr Teong Eng Siong(In Mandarin): Mr Speaker, Sir, I am glad to hear from the Minister for Culture that the Board of Film Censors would be taking positive measures to deal with various types of films depicting violence and sex. I hope the officials involved in this work will pay attention to what the Minister has said. When censoring films they should bear in mind the Minister's statement of policy. The Minister for Culture has also said just now that the film industry is only aiming at making a profit. The Ministry concerned should persuade the film industry not to regard profit-making as the only motive but also to pay some attention to the benefits which it can contribute to our people and thus help maintain stability and peace in our society.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the answer is yes, but it will have to be in the financial year 1976-77. In the consideration for the setting up of branch libraries of the National Library, priority is given to areas with at least a 100,000-population. The first full-time branch library was set up in Queens-town in 1970. The second branch library at Toa Payoh is now under construction and will be completed in the 1973-74 financial year. Provision has also been made for a third branch library to be built in Katong in the 1974-75 financial year. The fourth branch library is being planned at Telok Blangah and Bukit Merah housing estates in the financial year 1975-76. Jurong Town is expected to have a population of 70,000 by the end of 1973, reaching a population of 100,000 by the end of 1975. Therefore, a branch library is being planned for Jurong Town in the financial year 1976-77. The present population is now served by means of a regular bulk loan of 500 books per loan to the Jurong Town Residents' Association. Altogether, 1,690 books were borrowed in 1972 in this manner.”
“I remember when we first introduced black-and-white TV in 1963, everyone was saying that a TV set would cost them $400 or $500 and they were not sure whether people could afford that sum. We can now see that practically every family has one set. I am quite sure our standard of living will have gone up by the time colour TV is introduced and by then many people will be able to afford a colour set. One way to reduce the cost of a colour set is for a dealer to take back the black-and-white set and offsetting the trade-in value for the colour set. When I was in Taiwan last year, I found that Taiwan has a large rural population. This is an advantage for conversion into colour because when they introduced colour TV, what happened was that the dealers took back the black-and-white TV sets from the city and sold them to the people living in the rural areas, resulting in the city people all having colour sets and the rural people having the black-and-white sets. Moreover, the black-and-white sets will slowly be phased out as the standard of living of their rural people goes up. But here in Singapore we do not have a big rural population. So the dealers may have to think of some other way to dispose of the black-and-white sets. Perhaps they can sell them to places like Sarawak, Sabah or Indonesia, and then give good discounts for the colour sets. That may be one way to reduce the cost of the colour sets. Another way for the people to enjoy colour TV is to have one in each community centre. I can safely say that the People's Association will definitely take steps to install a colour set in each community centre, if and when colour TV is introduced. But it is still too early to say that. So I will leave it to the People's Association to decide when the time comes.”
“I beg your pardon, Sir. The Members for Punggol and Sembawang have asked about colour TV. We have done everything we can to lay down the foundation for colour TV. If everything goes on well, we will probably have colour TV, a pilot programme, in the later part of 1974. The important thing for us to do now is to persuade the dealers to send their technicians for training in the field of colour TV. RTS has already done the necessary training for its staff. It has sent three engineers abroad for training, and they have all come back. We are now seeking funds to purchase certain equipment. The dealers will also have to step up the training of their technicians, because it is imperative that they provide good service as the colour sets are much more complicated than the black-and-white sets. The colour sets can go out of order very easily. Hence, this need for better servicing. We are also in the process of calling a meeting with dealers to urge them to go ahead and train their staff. Sir, the total cost of setting up colour TV is $20.4 million. The amount shown in the Development Estimates is $2.9 million. This is the amount required for the financial year 1973-74. But if you look at the provision carefully, you will notice that there is an asterisk against the amount. This means that it is subject to the sanction of the Development Planning Committee. The Committee is now asking us what sort of equipment we are purchasing, and other matters. As soon as we have satisfied their curiosity, we hope to get the money to carry on with our plans. I agree that the cost of a colour TV set is quite expensive, and the Member for Punggol has rightly shown his concern for the high cost. He has asked whether anything could be done to reduce the cost.”
“Sir, this practice has been going on for several years and we are quite happy about it. This is the first time it has been raised. However, we have to take into consideration the proportion of the problem. Nevertheless, we do not intend to change the present practice.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, this is a very tall order - to have the Tamil films telecast on Thursdays and Fridays at 9.25 and 9.30 p.m. respectively, and not earlier or later! But we must bear in mind that we have to be flexible when arranging programmes just in case some other popular and exciting programmes like boxing, for instance, come on. Then we have to put them on first, and leave the lengthy Tamil films to the end so that people who enjoy these films can stay up to enjoy them without interruption. Conversely, people who do not enjoy these films, can then switch on to another channel. We will have to leave the Tamil programmes as they are, because of the need for flexibility in arranging TV programmes. The radio programmes in Tamil always stop at 9.00 p.m. to give way to the other Chinese dialects. This is done because we have to meet with the demand of the majority of the listeners. This has been so for several years and we do not intend to change this time-table.”
“And if they are well trained, it is also difficult to retain them. 6.15 p.m. The interviewers are young. Therefore, they have got to be trained. Some of them are just fresh from school. It will take some time for them to become more sophisticated in their interviews. But I will take note of this and will urge for a better performance the next time. The Member for Katong says that camera gimmickry can make a person giddy. This is something producers like to try out because there are so many gimmicks that they can do to make a scene more interesting. Instead of just showing the face of a singer, they can make it more interesting by superimposing something to give it a better effect. I must, of course, say that I am not fully in agreement with this. But we have to let them try out their own techniques because it is in the nature of technicians to improve through experiment. We will therefore have to tolerate this for some time. The Member for Anson is, as usual, complaining about Tamil films. I am not quite sure what he is trying to aim at. At one point he was saying that we do not provide midnight shows for the Tamil viewers, and in the same breath he said that the Tamil programmes are too early for them. Perhaps this is because some Tamil films are intolerably long. So they are scheduled at the end of the daily programme series, so that the films can carry on into the night.”
“Sir, I agree with some of the remarks made by the Member for Katong that we need what he called "cross-fertilisation" in this cultural field. But the problem is that we need to have the personnel to do this "cross-fertilisation". It is no use asking a mono-lingual person to do it because he would not understand what it is all about - the movements of the fingers, eyes and so on. It is a rare breed of species, like myself or some other people, who can enjoy a Cantonese opera as well as an Italian opera, and who can also enjoy a Western symphony orchestra music as well as a Chinese orchestra music. At the present moment very few people can do this. I think we should be given time to work this out. Of course, our aim is that whatever we produce for screening on TV should be understood and enjoyed by the majority of the people. Here again, the language barrier is also a problem. It is no use explaining to them the significance of certain movements in the Cantonese opera, if the people cannot understand Cantonese at all and it is too late to teach them Cantonese. So I think there is some obstacle to this. However, we will try our level best to bring about this kind of "cross-fertilisation". The courses to be conducted on the historical landmarks and monuments of Singapore is, I think, a very good suggestion, although the other departments should also be responsible. What the TV can do is to produce films depicting the various landmarks of Singapore, before they are gone. We are definitely going into this, and I think it is a very good suggestion. On the techniques of the producers and the personnel involved in making a film, I admit that we have some shortcomings because technicians are difficult to get nowadays.”
“Sir, in order to save the Member the trouble of bringing it up again next year, I think he should stop here because I do not think there is any necessity to put up a crest on the clock tower. The appearance is good as it is, and we should not spend any more money on it.”
“If they do not play the national anthem, I think it is to avoid the embarrassment of disrespect to the national anthem when after the show the cinemagoers scramble for the doors. That may be one reason why the cinemas do not play the national anthem at the end of the show. The Member for Anson also suggested that the clock tower of the Victoria Memorial Hall should have a crest on it. I think he is quite serious about it because this is the second time he has raised it; the first time was last year. This is a matter of opinion. I myself feel that the clock tower is already a very famous landmark of Singapore and we need not have anything on it. As it is, I like the beauty or the simplicity of the clock tower. If we put a crest on it we may spoil its beauty and we may have to spend some money maintaining it by giving it a coat of paint regularly. In any case, there is already a crest at the front entrance to the Victoria Theatre, and there is also another one at the front entrance to the Victoria Memorial Hall. Therefore, we have enough crests in the building, and I do not think it is necessary to have one big crest on the clock tower. Regarding the urban renewal project, I have no knowledge that the Victoria Memorial Hall would be pulled down or would be resited. I think it is now the subject of discussion by the National Monument Board. Once it is designated as a national monument, it will not be touched. At the present moment, I have no further information about this.”
“Sir, in the Government statement on the detention of the Managing Director of Nanyang Siang Pau, it was stated that the Government was considering legislation to require all major Singapore newspapers to go public, so that no single person or family should be in control of a newspaper. The Government is now considering an amendment to the Printing Press Act to provide for all major Singapore newspapers to go public. Therefore, the proposed amendment will apply not only to Nanyang Siang Pau but to all major Singapore newspapers. Here the operative word is "major". That means, it must be a very big newspaper. If a newspaper has a circulation of only a few thousand, then there is no point in asking that newspaper to go public, because it is not possible to get people to buy its shares. For newspapers with a small circulation, I think, this amendment may not apply to them. As regards screening films in various parts of the island, the Ministry of Culture did have a film unit in the past, which screened films in the rural areas. But with the advent of television, we found that the unit has become obsolete because people can see more up-to-date films on TV. It would also be a waste of public money to continue with these film shows, since the people in the rural areas can watch films on their TV sets. For those who do not have TV sets or radios, they can always go to the rural community centres to watch TV shows. We feel that we may be duplicating the work of television if the film unit was asked to go round to show films in the rural areas. I do not know if the national anthem is still played in the theatres. I have not been to the cinema for a long time, and I do not know what is happening there.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the Member for Anson has raised matters under the various subheads. He has mentioned the Victoria Memorial Hall, the clock tower and many other matters.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I do not dispute the fact that we should have this anti-smoking campaign. What I am saying is that this campaign should not be carried to the extent of having banners on overhead bridges and so on. As for putting labels on cigarette packets, that is another matter. I think the smokers themselves know what they are in for. And if, in spite of all these anti-smoking campaigns, they still carry on smoking, then it is their own lookout. Mr Ho Kah Leong(In Mandarin): Mr Speaker, Sir, since the Minister has given his reply, I beg leave to withdraw. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.”
“Sir, may I speak in Mandarin? Perhaps I can explain more clearly in Mandarin.”
“As for anti-smoking banners on overhead bridges and so on, I think we may be overdoing it if we do this because, as I have said, it is not possible to convert the smokers into non-smokers. They are already a "gone" case.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, there is an Anti-Smoking Advertisement Unit in my Ministry. However, the function of this Unit is to keep an eye on the mass media so that no cigarette advertisements are being publicised. Actually it has very little to do with the anti-smoking campaign. But nevertheless, the Broadcasting Department has carried out a campaign against smoking, just as it has carried out other campaigns like the anti-pollution campaign, "Save Water" campaign, and so on. We should not be blamed for the failure to convert smokers into non-smokers. The campaign is actually directed at the whole population. I personally feel that no matter what sort of campaign is conducted, and on how grand a scale the campaign is no smoker can be converted. If a person is a smoker, I think he will remain a smoker. I can say that there are a few Members in this House who are smokers and no matter how you prevail upon them not to smoke, they will never give up smoking. I think Members will agree with me that at the very least the campaign over radio and TV will achieve some effect on our younger generation because, being potential smokers, they can be drawn into the smoking habit by the advertisements put up by cigarette companies, and in this respect the anti-smoking campaign can prevent that. I can quote several instances where some fathers said that they had been told by their children not to smoke lest they die if they continued smoking. This is the effect of the campaign: we have put our message across to the younger generation. If this kind of campaign goes on, we would be able to create a kind of resistance against cigarette smoking in the subconscious mind of the younger generation.”
“I did not say I am pessimistic. I am never pessimistic. I am as optimistic as he is. But the thing is whether we can get all the ASEAN countries to bring their minds together to bear on this problem. We will try, of course. We never say die. But the main thing is that different countries have got different policies in the matter of film censorship. Not only have we got to persuade the policymakers that they have to follow our steps, but also have to persuade the film industry in their respective countries to do the same. Of course, this work is not simple. I agree with the Member for Punggol that we should try to do it, but there is no promise of any success. 5.30 p.m.”
“It is like playing cat and mouse. That is the job of the film censor. Singapore alone may not be able to stop this kind of exploitation, because the market here is too small and it is not worthwhile for any film producer to produce a film just for our market. They are producing films for the whole of Southeast Asia, or the world market. So unless the various governments in Southeast Asia make concerted efforts against such films, we will not be able to do anything. Fortunately for us, we are getting some results in this respect. For instance, when we first said that we were not going to have any more violent scenes in our films, the film producers just ignored us and kept on producing such films. But when Taiwan and Hong Kong also took the same steps, they began to realise that they have got to conform with the censorship requirements of the countries concerned. So this is really a matter for the various countries concerned. For our part, we are trying our best to keep this under control.”
“And if they are huge sculptures or monuments, they may attract unnecessary attention or obstruct the visibility of motorists, and thus cause traffic accidents. The answer perhaps is to have them displayed in front of buildings, plazas, squares, hotel lobbies, or other places. But it is not practical to have one in every traffic island. The Member for Punggol has asked that films should be classified. I have given my reply to the Member for Katong in this House, the last time we were talking about film classification. At that time, we found we could not get any advantage in film classification. This is because we would "kill off" good films, as people will then go for "X" films. Then there will not be any patronage for the other films which are not given an "X" classification. This may do more harm than good to the film industry in the long run. Sir, we have had some discussions with the film distributors, and they are quite happy with the present system of censorship. Of course, they would want to have more sex films or more gangsterism in their films. But we cannot allow them to do what they want. I share the concern of the Member for Punggol that films may induce gangsterism, terrorism, and so on. That is why we have got to strike some sort of balance. There is also the difficulty of laying down exact rules as to what to show and what not to show in a film. The censor may say that there should not be any sword-fighting scenes in a film. The producer will respond by producing films portraying fist-fighting. And when you say that there should not be any more fist-fighting films, they will come out with something else. The film distributors' main concern is to sell the film. Therefore, they will go for anything that will create sensation. This is the primary problem.”
“That is all I have to say in reply to the Member for Sembawang. The Member for Jurong has suggested that we should have an open-air place for artists to exhibit their works. This was, tried out a few years ago and it was not successful. The main reason is that the weather in Singapore is unpredictable. Sometimes it may he hot one moment, and then suddenly there is heavy rain. If this occurs, the paintings will be spoiled. The artists themselves experienced difficulty in finding such a place to exhibit their paintings because of the unpredictability of our weather. Another reason is that this sort of exhibition does not really help the artists very much. Established artists will not send their paintings for display in an open air exhibition. They do not even have enough paintings for display in galleries or hotel lobbies, let alone have some to spare for this open air exhibition. As for the young up-and-coming artists, I do not think they lack any opportunity or facilities to display their works. The Ministry of Culture has been holding Art for Everyone series of exhibitions in community centres at the frequency of once a month. Any good artist can always apply to the Ministry of Culture for his works to be included in one of these exhibitions. Apart from that, the Ministry of Culture also regularly organises art exhibitions on a national scale in the Victoria Memorial Hall. Therefore, this suggestion of an open air gallery may not be a feasible one. As regards sculptures on traffic islands, I do not know what is the opinion of the other hon. Members. I myself feel it may contribute to more traffic accidents. Our traffic islands are not big and for a sculpture to be visible, it has got to be sufficiently big.”
“Regarding the suggestion that we should give away free musical instruments to musical organisations, I think it would be the surest way to spoil them. I would be happy to see them stand on their own feet, and survive on their own. There is also some criticism regarding TV and radio programmes. As has been raised in the past, there are a lot of sword fighting and love story programmes. The Member must not mix up cultural items with entertaining items. There must be something interesting in our programmes. We cannot have cultural items all the time over TV or radio. It is not possible, because if you do that, then nobody would want to tune in to your radio or TV programmes. We have got to maintain some kind of balance. The programmes should not only be entertaining, but also educative and informative. It is the function of Radio and Television Singapore to provide such programmes. As for sending cultural troupe delegations overseas, I personally think that cultural activities should begin at home. We have got very little resources at home, and it may be too ambitious if our cultural troupes were to go overseas and perform on a grand scale. But right now we have plans to send a troupe to the USSR if we are able to find the money. I agree with the Member that sending cultural troupes overseas would promote the good image of Singapore. However, we have to do this within our resources. We have not stopped the cultural shows in the rural areas. True, the Ministry of Culture has not conducted these shows for the past few years. But it does not mean that cultural shows will not be staged in the rural areas. This function has been taken over by the People's Association, and occasionally they do send their cultural troupes to perform at various places in Singapore.”
“For a population of two million which is made up of different language streams, I think it may be difficult for local writers to go ahead if they are to make a living purely by writing. In any case we will give them all the help that a writer requires. On the symphony orchestra, it is a good suggestion but it may not be realistic to start one straightaway because, according to our estimation, if we were to have a full-fledged symphony orchestra we would have to import a lot of good musicians in order to get it started, and we would have to pay them very well in order to get the good ones to come. According to our estimation, it may cost us in the region of $2 million a year to maintain such a symphony orchestra. We are going to do something about this, but it will not be on a grand scale as yet. We are going to have a Chamber Ensemble, i.e, a small group of musicians, to get something started. We hope that this will provide some kind of good music in the course of the next few years. I think the main point here is to create an audience. It is no use having a symphony orchestra or a Chamber Ensemble if you do not have an audience. The audience will have to be trained from a very young age, and that is why the Ministry of Culture is conducting Sunday concerts, and giving concessional rates to students to encourage them to come to these concerts. We hope that by getting them accustomed to good music, we may be able to build up a good following. 5.15 p.m. The Member for Sembawang also complains that not enough of this sort of concerts arc conducted. I think that is true. If we were to have our way, we will have it once every week. At the present moment, we are having it once a month. We are trying to increase the frequency of these Sunday concerts, within our budget.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the debate on Culture is bound to get very abstract - words like spiritual, integrated progress, achievement-orientation, achievement manifestation, quality of life will crop up and people can take sides in different ways. In order not to get into difficulties, I propose to get down to something realistic. The Ministry of Culture will continue to promote good and healthy culture for all races, as suggested by Members. I myself feel that the cultural activity of a people in a country cannot alone be protected, promoted or initiated by just one single Ministry. It requires the effort of the whole nation. People from every walk of life will have to contribute towards building a cultural heritage for' the people. Because our nation is a new one, it is very necessary for us to drive this point home: that not just one Ministry, or any one particular official, should be held responsible, and if we fail to provide a good and progressive culture, then the whole society will have to be blamed for its shortsightedness. To reply now to the points raised by Members. The first point is that raised by the Member for Sembawang about setting up a publications department to help local writers, and to give them encouragement. I would say that this is a very good suggestion, and we will, of course, look into the matter. I myself feel that we need a market for these writers. It is no use producing books if you can only sell a few thousand copies. The writer would not be able to make a living just by writing books. Therefore, we really have to look for a market for these writers if they are to be protected.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, may I seek your consent, and the general assent of hon. Members, to move a motion for the rising of Parliament before 8 p.m. today? I propose to move that the adjournment be taken at the conclusion of the consideration of Head 0901 today.”
“It can contribute, for instance, by allowing the ordinary use of the community centre premises. Apart from that, very much depends on the sports organisations and the management committees of the community centres in the respective constituencies. CHARLTON PARK AREA (Building of public swimming pool) The following Question stood in the name of Mr Ng Kah Ting - 3. To ask the Minister for Social Affairs, as there is no public swimming pool in the rural and suburban areas, if he will consider the request of the Member of Parliament for Upper Serangoon that a swimming pool be built as soon as possible in the Charlton Park area because of the large number of primary and secondary schools in the vicinity of that area. Mr Hwang Soo Jin (Jalan Kayu) rose -”
“Mr Speaker. Sir, there :s large scope for co-operation between the National Sports Promotion Board and the People's Association in respect of promoting and organising sporting activities. The National Sports Promotion Board has been established to encourage, develop and promote sports on a national basis, whilst the People's Association has, among its objectives, the responsibility of organising and promoting group participation in social, cultural, educational and athletic activities for the people of Singapore. It can be seen that the People's Association cannot mobilise all its resources at the community centres just for the promotion of athletic activities, as the role of the People's Association embraces a much wider scope. However, the Association will be willing to contribute its share in bringing about a new milieu in sports in the Republic. The Director of the People's Association is currently a member of the Board of Directors of the National Sports Promotion Board and close co-ordination between the two organisations can be expected.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I think it is necessary to make a study of the activities of the community centres. We are going to initiate plans to find out whether or not they have been properly used. And if they are not used, I think it is only fair that we should close them down, because you just cannot have a centre when nobody wants to use it. It is true that people want community centres, but they want good and active ones. So the solution really is not to have more centres but to have good organisers in them so that they can rally the interest of as many people as possible. As I have said, you may only have one community centre, but if you can make it a success, it is worth more than 10. The emphasis is on quality, not quantity.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I think the Member is rather covetous, not only in other respects but also in respect of community centres. If that is what he wants, the answer is no. In fact, we are going to cut down the number of community centres in his constituency, because we feel that they are not being properly used. The problem is not how many community centres we should have, but how are we going to use them to the best advantage so that they can provide beneficial and useful amenities to the people. If you have a very good and active community centre, it is as good as having 10. For instance, there is only one community centre in my constituency. I think the Member for Tanglin has not even got a standard-size community centre in his constituency. In the case of Sembawang, there are already three standard-size community centres and six rural-type community centres. And we feel that many of them have not been properly made use of or under-used. So we may even initiate plans to cut down the number of community centres in Sembawang.”
“It is not just a matter of what to do. We can do something. For instance, after we have set up this new branch library, and if we find that the present Too Chiat Library is too close to it, we may even consider taking it away, and, if the Member for Katong can put up concrete proposals, set it up in his community centre. I think that may solve his problem. But for the time being we have to make-do with the two libraries in Joo Chiat and Siglap.”
“Yes. So I think the population there will be quite large in, say, 1974, when this project will be put into operation. Further, by siting this library away from the Katong constituency, we have the advantage of not only serving Katong but also the rural areas like Changi, Siglap, Tam-pines and many others. This will, in fact, benefit much more people, including the poorer people living in the rural areas, than just those living in Tanjong Rhu flats.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, when it comes to considering where to site a library, I think we should not be parochial in our approach. In fact, Katong constituency is now served by two libraries, one in Too Chiat and one in Siglap. Though they are both quite small libraries they serve the purpose for the time being. By siting this new library in the reclaimed land, we hope to serve a much bigger population than just Katong constituency because, unlike what the Member for Katong has described just now that the place will be full of large bungalows and so on, it is not quite true, and I understand that the Housing and Development Board has plans to build fairly big flats in the housing estate there.”
“Sir, if the Member for Katong thinks that the library will be sited in his constituency, I am afraid he will be disappointed. It will not be sited in his constituency, but in a district which we have always called vaguely "Katong District". Therefore, the name "Katong" is quite relevant to the site for the library which we are going to provide. The site will be in the Katong Estate, Phase II Development, on reclaimed land between Joo Chiat Road and Still Road. The library will serve a densely populated area. It will be about two miles away from the Tanjong Rhu Housing Estate, which the Member for Katong has so fondly referred to. Therefore, his constituents will have easy access to this new library. I was told that a new housing estate will he built in this area, and, therefore, a library there will serve much more people than if it were sited merely in the Katong constituency. I think we should look at it this way: a library should serve not just one constituency. If we are to provide each constituency with a library, we will run out of funds in no time. The problem is how to distribute the services of a library so that several constituencies can share one library. In this respect I think the proposed site should serve the purpose. 4.30 p.m.”
“Sir, the new radio station complex costing about $2 million will be going up very soon. The project will be open to tender at the end of this month. I was advised that the building works will take at least 18 months to complete. Therefore, the installation of the equipment and other facilities will take another six months. Iii all, that will take us to the middle of 1974. But the operation of this new complex will solve a lot of problems, one of which is congestion in office and studio space. As to the query about whether a new radio station will be launched when the radio complex is ready, the answer is no. We already have quite a few stations in service now. In fact, we have altogether eight different wave lengths, four in the AM, and four in the F.M, service, and with one F.M, stereo station thrown in. Since we already have a lot of broadcasting outlets, the problem is not to increase the number of stations, but to improve the quality of the programmes. That is what we are trying to do.”
“Sir, this Adult Education Television Service is not so much a joint venture. It is actually a joint effort between the Singapore Government and the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung to provide training in adult education television programmes for countries in this part of the world. The Centre is known as the Centre for Production and Training of Adult Education Television (CEPTA T.V.). CEPTA T.V, will be sited at the R.T.S, complex; iii fact, it is just a stone's throw from the present T.V, complex. The cost of the building is estimated at $1 million to be totally borne by the Singapore Government and the cost of the equipment, which is estimated at $6.5 million, will be borne by the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung of the Federal Republic of Germany. It is not possible to say now what kind of courses will be conducted or what language medium will be used for the training of these programme producers. What I can say now is that it is not so much a centre for the production of adult education programmes but a place to train producers so that they can return to their respective countries and produce their own adult education programmes. I think Singapore, as well as many other countries in this part of the world, is in great need of such training facilities, and it is to our great benefit to have the Centre here in Singapore. That is as much as I can disclose for the time being.”
“But I am not able to say when it will be because of the many problems which I have outlined just now. As regards a third T.V, channel, I do not think it is possible to provide because we do not have enough channels on our T.V, sets. If we want to have a third channel for Singapore - the other two are occupied by the Malaysian network - we have to introduce a different system, which again is a very costly matter. Therefore, I do not think it is possible to introduce a third channel at the present moment. 4.15 p.m.”
“If we were to choose the wrong system, then we may come up with many difficulties in the future, such as programme exchanges, spare parts, and others. For the moment, it appears that the P.A.L, system is gaining the upper hand. So much about the systems that we have to choose from. The other point is that if we want to run our colour T.V, as successfully as we want it to be, then it is only logical that as many viewers as possible do enjoy our colour T.V, programmes. At the present moment, I am afraid this is not possible because of the high cost of a colour T.V. set. I understand that an ordinary colour T.V, set costs between $1,000 and $2,000 each. Even though we are getting this 13th salary payment, I do not think colour T.V, is within the reach of many people in Singapore. I hope that the day will come when these colour T.V, sets can be produced in such large numbers that their price can be brought down to a level where many people can enjoy this service. It is no use spending millions of dollars to provide a service which can only satisfy the luxurious needs of a small section of our people. The other aspect of the problem is that it takes a long time to put this service into operation. Take, for example, Australia. Since 1967 it has committed itself to colour T.V, but up to now it has still not telecast any colour T.V, programmes yet. From this example, we can see that we have barely the knowledge of how to initiate such a scheme. All I can say is that at the present moment we are travelling on that course. We have sent two engineers to Germany for training, and another two will be sent in the near future to, possibly, the British Broadcasting Corporation in England. When they return, we hope to be able to build up a nucleus of engineers to start this service.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, we have two outside broadcast vans, and they are used to cover events occurring in the various parts of Singapore, such as National Day parades, sports activities and, occasionally, variety shows at the National Theatre. The vans were purchased in 1962 at a cost of $794,000. They are useful for covering events live. But because of the lack of crew, we have not been able to use the vans as much as we want to. The second query is about colour T.V. This is a very complicated matter. Of course, colour T.V, is the logical follow-up of the black and white T.V. that we now have. The problem is: do we have enough technicians to run a station for telecasting colour programmes? As it is now, we are actually short of technicians. Therefore, it is not possible at this stage to say with any certainty when we can introduce colour T.V., but we are certainly travelling on that course. The problem is much more complicated than it seems. For instance, there are at present three different systems used by countries all over the world for colour TV. Firstly, there is the N.T.S.C. -National Television System Committee - which is used by the United States, Canada, Mexico, Philippines, Japan and Taiwan. The second system is S.E.C.A.M. - do not ask me what it is, because I am as ignorant as some Members are. All I know is that it is called S.E.C.A.M, and it is used by France, the U.S.S.R, and certain Eastern European countries. The third system is P.A.L. It is used by most Western European countries, including the United Kingdom, and it is going to be used by Australia and New Zealand. The important consideration here is to choose a system that is used by the majority of the countries in the world.”
“The lives of two million people would be endangered if we were to fail in our task. History will judge us as the greatest cowards and criminals if we were to abdicate our duties now at this crucial moment of Singapore's development as an independent country. So, to those who have the ambition to succeed us, I have this advice to offer. They must stop talking about taking over the Government. This only serves to demonstrate their greed and their ambition. That is no good for them. They must first show to the people of Singapore how they can be worthy of their support. They must first tell the people of Singapore how they can do things better than the P.A.P. The people of Singapore want as their leaders persons who are serious and with a sense of responsibility towards the ultimate well-being of the country. They want persons who can withstand the toughest trials and tribulations in time. They do not want clowns and entertainers in the political arena. They do not want people who start scrambling for spoils immediately after they have formed a party and who resign as soon as a so-called crisis occurs in their midst. 3.45 p.m.”
“I think it is time that they should open their eyes to realities and not allow themselves to be overwhelmed by the myths and fictions belonging to a different society. If they do not do so, then it is going to be very difficult for us and very troublesome for them. Perhaps all this talk about taking over the Government and pulling the P.A.P, down arises out of an innocent belief perpetuated by some quarters that we are getting old and that we are about to give up. It may be beneficial for all parties if we are to state here that we are not getting old. Older maybe in age, but not in mind and spirit. The good knife is not blunted yet, as a Chinese saying goes, "Pau tau wei lau." We have our ears and eyes always on the ground listening to the voice of the people and always catering for their needs. It is also necessary for us to state here that we are not likely to give up our task so easily. There might have been a time in the very remote past when we considered giving up. Immediately after the defeat in the Hong Lim by-election, which I can still remember, for instance, there was a passing thought, and it was even discussed among some of us, that perhaps it might be a good idea if we were to give up for the time being. But then we were aware that the British were in active control. There was a safety net at the bottom of everything and we knew that things could not go too far wrong. But things are different today. We cannot afford to give up and we do not intend to do so. There is nothing at the bottom to save us now. If we go down, we will go right down and this time it will be worse than the confrontation days, the days when we were in Malaysia, the days of the Emergency and the days of the Japanese occupation.”
“They can be found in all the major political parties and in all walks of life and invariably hold very high positions. So political parties may come and go in these countries, but the establishment ensures that its views and social values prevail. These are reflected in their press. All newspapers must toe the line of the establishment and those which do not are subtly dealt with, not by the withdrawal of the printing licence, as we have done so in the case of the Singapore Herald, but by the quiet and effective withdrawal of advertisement and financial support. There may exist one or two small newspapers, Communist or otherwise, which contain drastically opposing views. But they are merely tolerated there, just as we are tolerating the Barisan newspaper here. They also serve as trappings to the make-belief that there is such a thing called freedom of the press. In Singapore, we have had too short a time for any establishment to evolve. We have only just come to the sixth anniversary of our independence. In these circumstances, the P.A.P, assumes the leadership of the country and it represents the interest of the people. There may be extreme and conflicting views existing among the people, but we always take the middle course and represent the majority of them. We therefore must have the right to lay down the lines for the people, because we are for the time being charged with the responsibility of looking after their welfare. We must have the right to say that it is our views that should prevail and not those of the Communist party or those belonging to the establishment group of a foreign country. There may be a group of people who think that they can ignore this rule.”
“We are definitely not going to sit idle and watch our achievements being cancelled out by poisonous writings in the papers. After all, how many countries in the world can afford the luxury of unlimited freedom of the press? Or is it a myth that there is such a thing called freedom of the press? In Russia, in China, and in other Communist countries, the press is part of the propaganda machinery of the state. The press serves the interest of the Communist regime. It may be argued here that since the Communist party is the owner of the press and the party has the greatest freedom to do whatever it wants, including the use of the press to achieve its political purposes, therefore, freedom of the press in its truest sense exists in Communist countries. But, I do not think this is the kind of freedom that the press wants in Singapore. In the case of the older countries with established social orders, or, as the Communists would like to call them, the capitalist countries such as Britain, France, the United States and so on, the case is slightly different, but the fact still remains that even in these countries there is no unlimited freedom of the press in terms of a blank cheque where journalists can say what they like. In these countries, the newspapers and other mass media are controlled by big financial groups. In almost every one of these countries there exists a hard core of people who form the establishment, or, to use a Communist terminology, the ruling class. The people working in the press share the views of the establishment. They have the same social values, tastes and outlook on life. The members of the establishment do not belong to just one political party. They have no party lines.”
“For instance, no one is allowed to run a Communist newspaper here. The last one was closed down 20 years ago during the emergency. A few persons who now write for newspapers here are very fond of reminding the readers of the turbulent years in the fifties. But in spite of all this, the restriction against Communist newspapers still stands. The organ of the Barisan Sosialis, the Chen Sien Pau, is a different matter. It is deliberately allowed to carry on because we want the people to see for themselves how foolish the lines of the Barisan Sosialis can be. It also serves as a constant reminder of the Communist threat in our midst. In this case, we also have to be frank. We are tolerating it because its circulation is small, reaching only a small section of the people, particularly the die-hards of the Barisan Sosialis who are dwindling in number. But the moment it becomes a mass circulation daily, it would be a different thing. We will then have to deal with it as a security problem. It is, therefore, futile to try to draw a comparison between the case of the New York Times and the case of the newspapers in Singapore. There is no similarity between the two. It is a waste of time writing endless editorials here harping on the freedom of the press with the model of the New York Times in mind. In the first place, we do not have such traditions. In the second place, in the United States riots can happen every day and everywhere, and yet the country remains stable and prosperous. But in Singapore, one bloody riot will wreck the whole country. We have been responsible for bringing about the present good order in society and the modest prosperity for the people.”
“They think that because they are controlling the mass media, the newspapers, they should have the right to influence the people, who will in turn influence the policy of the Government. We must state here very emphatically that they do not have that right. They represent only themselves and they speak only with their own voices, whereas we speak here with the voices of the people and with the authority of the electorate behind us. These men are fond of saying, "We, the people." But we must ask, who are the people? Are they the people who elected us, or do they just consist of newspaper owners and editorial writers? it is one thing to reflect the views of the people in a paper and to report truthfully what is going on in Singapore and in the world. But it is definitely another thing trying to mount a campaign by omitting certain things and exaggerating others in order to force the Government to change its course to suit the taste or the purpose of the owner of the paper. The Government is the one to decide which way the country should be heading and it is then for the press to assist in explaining why that course has to be taken. The dissenting voice should be heard, but it must he in proportion to the views of other people and it should not be exaggerated. This is the kind of relationship we would like to see between the Government and the press. There has been a lot of talk about the freedom of the press. But we must be frank and realistic. Singapore has never had freedom of the press as it is understood in the Western world. Making comparisons with the so-called freedom of the press in other countries, particularly the West, is misleading. The circumstances of the press in these countries are very much different from those in Singapore.”
“When a great power acts, it does so in its own interest. All considerations for the interest of other countries or parties are just coincidental and are part of its moves to improve its international standing. Our immediate problem is and has always been the Communist threat in our midst. From the long-term point of view, the armed struggle of the M.C.P, in the jungles of northern Malaysia will have a very serious bearing on the security of our country. It is foolish to believe that having friendly relations with China will cause the M.C.P, to abandon their fight in the jungles, or our local Communists to give up their so-called "outside Parliament" struggle. We must therefore watch very carefully the developments both inside and immediately outside Singapore. Right now, the mouth-piece of the M.C.P., the Voice of Malayan Revolution Radio, has increased its power, output and frequencies. It can only do this with the help of a great power sympathetic to its cause. So I leave it to you to draw your own conclusions as to whether or not having close relations with China, or any great power, will help us to solve our immediate problems. What is important here is that we should not allow our wish to have closer and friendlier relations with China to jeopardise our efforts to curb the local Communists in their mischievous deeds to turn our society into a lawless one. The pace must be set by the elected government of the day. If there is going to be a change of policy, that policy, whether foreign or domestic, must be decided by us here, the representatives of the people. However, there are some people who believe very foolishly that they also have that right to decide for the people.”
“We should therefore resist the temptation of moving too close to any great power, whether it is for prestigious, protect ional or sentimental reasons. A balance must be maintained in our efforts to remain a free agent in the international arena. Between now and May next year, we will be able to witness a period of great changes in this region. The President of the United States is going to Peking to meet Chou En-lai. They will be playing a game of chess on the huge chessboard which is Asia. The nations in the Asian continent, big and small, are the pieces on this chess-board. Whatever we do, we must try to avoid becoming a pawn in other people's game of chess. It is true that we have no means to influence the great powers when they make decisions, and whatever they decide concerning other countries may have far-reaching effects on us. But the fact still remains that if we are to get the greatest benefit out of this unprecedented change in the international climate, we should not commit ourselves too early to any side, and, best of all, should not commit ourselves at all. There is no doubt that the international scene is changing as a result of China's new policy, and if we must respond to these changes, we should do so in a dignified manner and in the best interest of our country, not just because it is the fashion of the day and that other people are doing the same thing. We should not allow ourselves to be rushed onto the band-wagon. It is important that we should have friendly relations with all the countries in the world, and having friendly relations with China has always been one of our aims. But it is unrealistic, and even foolish, to expect that having good relations with China will solve all our problems.”
“As to the latter, the need to be aware of the changes occurring around us, there is one thing we should always bear in mind, that is, in the midst of the turbulent changes in this region, one thing must never be allowed to change, and that is the independent identity of our country and our people. This is the objective which keeps us going in our fight for survival and for a better material life. Once it is gone, our will to survive will be rapidly eroded, and Singapore will revert back to a fishing `village and this time the fishing village will be poorer than the one Stamford Raffles found 150 years ago, because the sea water around us is much more polluted than before and there is less fish ip the water. It is therefore necessary that we should pool all our resources and stiffen our will to fight the under-current forces which are trying to pull our people apart. So far, we have been able to achieve certain successes on the economic front, because we have been acting as one people. But the moment the divisive forces take over, all our efforts will come to a standstill. Our people will be embroiled in endless tights and quarrels, with very little time for work. This is not what we want. And we should use all the powers that we have to stop certain persons from trying to push us towards that direction. Sometimes it may be good to be an ally of a great power, to have a big brother behind you. But there is always the phenomenon called the gravitational pull in the world of physics. The closer a smaller object moves towards a bigger mass, the greater the gravitational pull exerted on the smaller object by the bigger mass, until eventually the smaller object crashes into the bigger mass and the two become one, and there is no more of the smaller one.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I wish to associate myself with the motion standing in the name of the Member for Ulu Pandan. It is gratifying to note that almost every Member has in his speech, in this debate, touched on the need to adapt to changes occurring around us. This shows that we are still politically alert and that our senses are not numbed by the comparative comfort and affluence that we have achieved in the past years. History is nothing but a record of changing circumstances. It is important that we should not only try to bring about changes in our society for the greatest benefit of our people, but we must also be constantly aware of the changes around us and be prepared to take action to adapt to them. To do the former, that is, to bring about changes in our society, it is necessary for us to convince the people that whatever changes we seek to introduce are for the ultimate good of our people. It is in their interest that we have so acted. In this respect, there is nothing more convincing than the past record of the P.A.P. We have been in power for exactly twelve years now and throughout that twelve-year period, in the ups and downs of our fortunes, one thing is very clear. We have not done anything which is not for the interest of the people, To us, everything is for the people. There has been no consideration for our own self-interest. And to correct the expression used by the Member for Kallang just now, we did not come into office on the backs of the workers. We never sat on their backs. We came to power with the support of the workers.”
“recommendation of President signified;presented by Mr Barker; read the First time, to be read a Second time on the next available sitting of Parliament, and to be printed. REARRANGEMENT OF ORDER OF BUSINESS Resolved, "That items 2, 3, 4 and 5 on the Order Paper for today be taken before item I." -[Mr Barker]. ADJOURNMENT MOTION (Business Motion)”
“51 p.m. WORKMEN'S COMPENSATION (AMENDMENT) BILL "to amend the Workmen's Compensation Act (Chapter 130 of the 1970 Revised Edition)", presented by the Minister for Labour (Mr Ong Pang Boon); read the First time, to be read a Second time on the next available sitting of Parliament, and to be printed. TOKYO CONVENTION BILL "to make provision with a view to the ratification on behalf of the Republic of Singapore of the Convention on Offences and certain other Acts Committed on board Aircraft, signed at Tokyo on 14th September. 1963, and to repeal section 14 of the Air Navigation Act (Chapter 87 of the 1970 Revised Edition)', presented by the Minister for Communications (Mr Yong Nyuk Lin); read the First time, to be read a Second time on the next available sitting of Parliament, and to he printed. POST OFFICE SAVINGS BANK OF SINGAPORE BILL "to establish a corporation to be known as the Post Office Savings Bank of Singapore and to provide for the transfer to, and for the vesting in, the corporation of the functions, assets and liabilities of the Post Office Savings Bank established under the Post Office Savings Bank Act (Chapter 198 of the 1970 Revised Edition) and to repeal the said Act", presented by Mr Yong Nyuk Lin; read the First time, to be read a Second time on the next available sitting of Parliament, and to he printed. HOUSING AND DEVELOPMENT (AMENDMENT) BILL "to amend the Housing and Development Ordinance, 1959 (No. 11 of 1959)", presented by the Minister for Law and National Development (Mr E. W. Barker); read the First time, to be read a Second time on the next available sitting of Parliament, and to be printed. CONSTITUTION (AMENDMENT) BILL "to amend the Constitution of Singapore".”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, by "foreign undesirable publications", I presume the Member for Thomson has in mind the Chinese chain comic books imported mainly from Hongkong. These books, as you can see from the samples here, are poor in quality, crude in production and seem to contain nothing except violence, bloodshed, ghosts and demons, and even sex. We consider them to be very harmful to the young children and have always been trying to slop them from being imported into Singapore. Our methods include Post Office and Customs interceptions and periodic surprise raids on bookshops known to be specialising in this kind of comic books. I myself have personally made appeals to the Singapore Chinese Booksellers' Association to restrain their members from importing such books. But there are always the black sheep in the flock. We have tried several ways to stop them, but they are always one up on us. I presume the profit that they derive from selling such books must be quite substantial. Moreover, our criteria on these books are different from those in Malaysia. This difference has been exploited by the operators in recent months. They first import the books quite openly into Malaysia and then smuggle them into Singapore through our Woodlands check-point where we had no inspector to check on book parcels. However, since March this year, measures have been taken to remedy this. Since then, more than l9,000 copies of these books have been confiscated and destroyed. We will continue to keep a close watch on these operators and, if necessary, very stern action will be taken against them. But this alone is not enough. We want the help of parents, teachers and the civic-minded public. They should report to us whenever they find these books being sold in the bookshops. BILLS INTRODUCED 2.”