J.F. Conceicao
Singapore
“Sir, first of all, I would like to express my agreement with the expression of sympathy, almost sorrow, expressed in this House for those people living in the older estates, especially in the one-room flats. I merely rise to seek some information.”
“Sir, I am very gratified that the Senior Minister of State will convey my sentiments to the Board. I think the matter is of great importance that more and more people are brought to the realisation, as I have said, of their past. And it is not just a question of a small number of people working on the Board.”
“I take the point, Sir. And I also take the point of his reference to the Singapore Tourist Promotion Board. This is the whole point. It is not to the tourists that we want to give an impression of what Singapore is. It is our people that we want to give the impression to, of what Singapore is and how they are related to Singapore.”
“(v) What is the actual extent of the Centre's contribution towards the solution of the drug problem in the Republic? (vi) Are there plans to shift the present Centre somewhere else in a better and more conducive environment for such rehabilitation work to be carried out?”
“Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head U be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead CBA 1101. I would just like to reflect a problem which has repeatedly been brought to my attention by my constituents. The drainage in the Tanjong Katong/Mountbatten Road as well as Poole Road, Parkstone Road, Goodman Road area is poor.”
“Sir, I suppose I shall have to do with the Minister's sympathy. With that I beg leave to withdraw. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. The following amendment stood in the name of Mr Ng Kah Ting - (7) That the sum to be allocated for Head U be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead BGA 8401.”
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“I abide by your decision, Sir, and will not take up too much of the time of the House. Thank you very much for allowing me to add my little sound to the thunder that has arisen over broadcasting. With regard to the points that have been raised by Members about relating our broadcasting policy to national purposes, I would like to suggest that greater attention be given to the process of what I might describe as cross-cultural education. By this I imply that I do not think sufficient is being done to familiarise people of one cultural background with the forms and expressions of another cultural background. For example, it would be interesting to know how much Indian music and dance, Chinese opera or traditional Malay art is being put across to those who view programmes in the English medium. I think this kind of activity would be a big step forward in raising the cultural level of programmes about which we have had several suggestions from the House. I have another point to make. It is not enough just to give a presentation of a bare performance. There should be an explanation as well. In this way people will find it easier to understand, and, with this understanding, there may come a deeper appreciation of the programme, so that on this basis we hope that the climate may be appropriate for patronage and encouragement of all the performing arts. A point has also been raised regarding commercial advertisements. I would like to add my voice in support of what the Member for Telok Blangah has said, that consideration should be given to removing all commercial advertisements for cigarettes from the air.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, may I ask the Minister whether he means that it will not be possible for Parliament to extend its premises to the old P.W.D. building, or at least part of it? Or does he not think that Parliament needs to extend its premises for purposes of parliamentary business or for business ancillary to Parliament.”
“(11) That the sum to be allocated for Head 0701 be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead 1401. Madam Chan Choy Siong: (12) That the sum to be allocated for Head 0701 be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead 1481.”
“I beg leave to withdraw my amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.”
“Since we do give such emphasis to our human resources, perhaps some instrument could be devised by this Research Unit, or the matter could be gone into, whereby the detection of specially intelligent people among us will be made much easier. And having detected those who are specially intelligent, we could give them special attention in school so that their talents could be nurtured for the benefit of our society.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head 0701 be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead 1111*. (* The same amendment also stood in the name of Mr Ng Kah Ting.) Sir, I would like to congratulate the Ministry of Education on establishing the Research and Statistics Unit, thus creating the post of Director of Research. I remember having spoken in this House on a previous occasion on this subject of educational research. I then mentioned that this research unit should be independent of administrative control by civil servants who do not belong to it. I would now like to ask, therefore, what is the degree of independence that this unit enjoys; to what extent can it decide on priorities; and on what basis are its priorities decided with regard to research? I would also like to ask, Sir, what is the scope of research that has indeed been decided upon? I hope that adequate funds will be available for this Research Unit for the proper implementation of its functions, and that it will enjoy a happy relationship with other bodies interested in research, like the Teachers' Training College and the University of Singapore. There is, however, one matter to which I feel this Research Unit should give some attention. We in Singapore have constantly emphasised the importance of our human resources. In fact, some reference has been made to the mild derision with which our intention to start industries in Jurong was greeted. But we have succeeded in establishing these industries at Jurong, and we have also succeeded in other enterprises because of the quality of our human resources.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I would like to refer to one of the topics which the Member for Paya Lebar has brought up in his comments on this subhead. It is the policy of the Ministry of Education that Mathematics and Science should be taught in English in non-English medium schools, and that Civics and History should be taught, for example, in English-medium schools, in the second language. I support this policy of bilingualism. For that reason, Sir, I would like to know if there are enough teachers able to teach Science and Mathematics in English in non-English medium schools. Further, I hope that every effort is being made to improve the quality of English used in non-English medium schools so that pupils may not be at a disadvantage in their study of Mathematics and Science. In addition, I hope there will be enough teachers trained in History and Civics who will be able to teach these subjects in the second language in English-medium schools. There is a fear that teachers teaching the subjects would be language teachers instead of teachers who are adequately equipped with a knowledge of History and Civics, and that the emphasis would be on language teaching although this is a laudable aim, rather than on the teaching of Civics and History. 3.30 p.m. There is another point, Sir, which I would like to raise. I have some matters to bring up under subhead 1111, for which I have an amendment standing in my name. This topic of research has already been touched upon by the Member for Paya Lebar, and with your permission, may I also touch on it?”
“The father was a citizen by registration, and the High Commission in England refused to register the son as a Singapore citizen. So we find that while the father is a Singapore citizen, the son is a citizen of the United Kingdom, travelling on a United Kingdom passport. I think that, on humane consideration, perhaps cases like this could be given special consideration. I would like to support what the Member for Toa Payoh has suggested regarding notice given to minor citizens so that they can observe the necessary procedures to have their citizenship position rectified. 4.15 p.m.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, may I thank you for allowing me to speak on this head? I wanted to raise this matter under a different head, but since the question of citizenship has cropped up, I would like to say a few words on it also. This is a thorny and hoary problem which has come up before the House several times, but I think we should patiently urge a reconsideration of Government's policy on the granting of citizenship. The House may recall the repeated assertions by the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Labour who, in this House very recently, said that the policy on citizenship is always under constant review, if that is so, does it mean that the policy on citizenship is always changing? Somehow, I feel there seems very little feedback to M.P.s, or to the people in general, regarding the current position of the citizenship policy. This policy of constant review may result in some bewilderment and even despondency, especially when you have cases during meet-the-people sessions. May I suggest that we settle down to a policy that, while it is not rigid, may be sufficiently stable to give people a reliable basis for their expectations? I do not want to make any suggestion that may result in Parkinson's law operating, but if we could have a committee perhaps to look into the matter and come to some definite decisions, then I think it may prove fruitful. In implementing the citizenship policy, whatever it may be, perhaps preponderant weight is placed on the legalistic aspect of the application. For example, a colleague of mine, who was on leave in England, found that he was saddled with a son born in England. He found that he could not get citizenship for the son because of some legalistic aspect of the situation.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the point that I wanted to raise has already been clarified by the Minister for Finance in his answer to a question raised by the Member for Telok Blangah under a different subhead. I am withdrawing the amendment, Sir.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the point I wanted to raise has already been made in an answer to the question raised by the Member for Thomson and so I am not raising it now.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head 0403 be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead 2307. Sir, all that I want to know is whether the Government is satisfied that there is adequate provision for the education of our deaf children, as such education is peculiarly and specially necessitated by their condition. In my experience at the meet-the-people sessions, I have discovered that there may be some inadequacies in this provision. For that reason, I am bringing up this question because it seems to me that by making provision for the education of our deaf children, they will be less of a burden on society if they can look after themselves, if they can be self-reliant, or if they can even be productive. It would be interesting to find out what Government's opinion is and whether it might be a good idea for Government to take over entirely the business of education for young children retarded in this way.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, like the Member for Telok Blangah, I rise to seek further information about the Staff Training Centre. I would like to ask - What are the functions of the Centre? What sort of training schemes has it organised? Who are the staff training instructors? - information of that sort. I know there are various examinations that civil servants have to take. The Permanent Examinations Board of the Public Service Commission conducts a number of examinations. For example, there are examinations in law - the various aspects of it - general conditions of service, office procedure, financial procedure and so on. What I would like to ask is what facilities are available for civil servants who are preparing for these examinations? It seems to me that it is fair that, if we wish our civil servants to prepare for these examinations, courses should be run to help them to take these examinations. 4.00 p.m. Further, I would imagine that availability of books and reading material would be important. I notice that there is provision for periodicals and books under "Other Charges, Annually Recurrent", but perhaps that is inadequate. Finally, after having listened to the Member for Delta and to the Member for Telok Blangah, perhaps one of the courses that could be provided would be that relating to the public relations aspect of the work of civil servants.”
“Sir, I thank the Minister for his answer and I beg leave to withdraw. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. The sum of $720,620 for Head 0107 ordered to stand part of the Estimates. Head 0301 - The following amendment stood in the name of Madam Chan Choy Siong - (I) That the sum to be allocated for Head 0301 be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead 1001. The Chairman: Amendment (1), Madam Chan is not present. Mr Ang Nam Piau, amendment (2).”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head 0107 be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead 2001. Sir, I would like to take this opportunity to underline the importance of ensuring that drivers of Government vehicles take every care to exercise their responsibility on the road. I crave your indulgence by referring to a point which I think is relevant and which was made by the Minister for Finance in his Budget statement. He said that qualitative improvements have taken place in our society, that there is more social discipline and that parvenu values are giving way to more positive group values. I agree generally with this statement. But I would like to state it as my opinion that our highways and by-ways may be the last bastion of these parvenu values, where everybody thinks of himself and apparently the devil takes the hindmost. I suggest that we make every effort to ensure that Government vehicles set an example of social discipline on the road - an example which I find more honoured in the breach than in the observance. There can be many ways and I leave it to the officers concerned to ensure this, but I think that every attempt should be made to get Government drivers to set an example of discipline on the public roads.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I think it is good that enterprise in Singapore is so free that Government is also participating in it. The reasons for Government's participation cannot be sufficiently repeated. There have been expressions of some misgivings in certain quarters, but I hope I shall not be taken as being condescending in this case when I say that the Minister for Finance is to be congratulated on being absolutely sure that the people are under no misapprehensions regarding Government's attitude of fair treatment where Government's participation in private enterprise is concerned. It is good that we should be engaged in this sort of enterprise -~ I am speaking merely as a layman so that we can encourage our people to turn their attention towards modern methods of management where business is concerned, and to turn from trading towards industries. Certainly the experience that we get in running these enterprises will stand us in good stead where managerial development of expertise in respect of such enterprises is concerned. There are a whole host of reasons to justify our participation in commercial enterprises. But I would like to make this point, Mr Speaker, Sir,I hope I do not sound too priggish, or too much like the Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee, when I say that perhaps this matter could have been brought up here a little bit earlier.”
“Perhaps one could comment on the polar attitudes that are taken by the community and by the estate officer in charge of a particular area. This is an unfortunate situation. Sometimes an M.P, is caught between the estate officer trying to implement the Board's rules and the community who seems to regard the estate officer as a natural antagonist. Perhaps something could be done to encourage better relationship between the Board's officers and the community. In this connection, one could ask what sort of training is given to officers of the Board in the understanding of human relationship.”
“We can already detect a growing interest among officers of the Board in this respect. For example, fountains are provided in order to beautify the precincts of a Housing and Development Board project. The important point is to educate the people to respect these social amenities. For example, shrubbery must not be destroyed, and fountains should not be defiled, and so on. How do we set about inculcating a sense of pride and affection in the community and a commitment to the neighbourhood? Perhaps we should take a greater interest in the sociological aspects of community development. In this connection, perhaps, we could ask the Minister for Law and National Development how interested is the Housing and Development Board in getting the services of sociologists to help them find out the problems that affect people who live in Housing and Development Board flats. There are many measures that one can just give as examples. Could we not provide premises for people who live in Housing and Development Board flats to meet and discuss the improvement of their neighbourhood? Could not these same premises also serve as centres where people could come together, view an educational T.V, programme and learn to improve their environment? They can also learn something about domestic economy, about beautifying their premises, and about subjects that will make life that much more worth living. This would give the people a greater sense of commitment to their environment. These same premises could also be used by the children who live in these crowded quarters to study and prepare for their school work. These are just a few examples of what could be done to augment the human qualities of life in Housing and Development Board flats.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the tenor of my remarks will follow very much the same lines as those of my colleague from Bukit Panjang. I agree with him that it will be very difficult for us to gainsay the achievements of the Housing and Development Board. The Minister for Finance himself has referred to the tremendous increase in the number of houses built in the last ten years. It has increased by about five times the original number in 1959. My own very slight reading on the subject of housing projects has given me an impression which, I hope, is not simply due to the fact that I have not read sufficiently, that our housing achievements are, perhaps, the best and most effective in the world. I have read that in America, for example, federal aid has been given to middle-income housing projects, whereas a relatively small programme is devoted to aid low income housing projects. In Singapore the emphasis has been on the building of homes for low income groups. In addition to that, we are also providing schemes for home ownership so that not only do we provide our people, especially those in the lower income group, with shelter at comparatively low rentals, but we offer them security by giving them the opportunity to buy their own homes on easy terms. This, therefore, demonstrates a relationship of responsibility between the blousing and Development Board and our people who live in flats and houses provided by the Housing and Development Board. However, I feel that this relationship is essentially a bureaucratic one. I would like to ask whether we should not take a greater interest in the people who live in these Housing Board flats, and whether we should not attempt to encourage them to consider the places in which they live as homes and not simply as housing units?”
“Bearing in mind that the public use of the precincts of reservoirs has to be accompanied by safeguards against pollution, it is obvious that the more intensive use is put to such places, the more economic it will be and the more readily will our people accept the burden of extra charge for water utilities. I would imagine that the first reaction to this increase in charge would be for one to deprecate it, but after fuller consideration, I am sure it will have the support of our people. 6.15 p.m.”
“At the same time, water must contain substances that should prevent it from being corrosive to metals, and indeed that it should contribute to the dental health of our children. This demand for water, with all the desirable qualities I referred to, has to take into account the capital, labour and skill that go into converting water in an undrinkable state to water in its eminently potable form that emerges from our taps. Indeed, Sir, as the Member for Punggol has also pointed out, when we open the tap for water we may immediately receive it in a glass to drink at once. Let us remember that there are places where to do this would be very hazardous indeed. When I note how efficiently we are served with water, hot or cold, I remember that such efficiency may not necessarily characterise supply in other countries. I remember an instance when I was visiting a certain country and I had occasion either to turn on the tap or the electric switch. What I turned on was not quite important, but some of my colleagues here will bear me out that, as a result of my action, water began to fountain out in fair quantity from the electrical fixing on the ceiling! Other odd experiences I have had too, all of which have strengthened my healthy regard for the people in our community who are responsible for the provision of water to our people. May I say, finally, that while we have to reserve large sums of money for installations like Seletar Reservoir and that we have to charge our people for this, the sooner we can make places like Seletar Reservoir a recreational resort for our people, the better.”
“I obtained the figures from the brochure which the Ministry of National Development issued in commemoration of the opening. But the Seletar project cost $27 million, and we had to find a source of foreign exchange for nearly half of this sum. But it is not the mere cost in terms of dollars and cents that we have to consider. Let us note that the water surface of Seletar Reservoir is 800 acres. Sir, let me ask the Minister for National Development how many acres of land have we reclaimed from the sea. It is an odd but nonetheless real fact of our existence that, on the one hand, we try our best to increase our land acreage by converting sea into land, and, on the other hand, in the centre of our island we have to convert valuable real estate into masses of water. Both operations cost a great deal of money. Even if we were to think of the operation of attempting to change sea water into fresh water, we have to spend even more, if at all this were commercially feasible. All this should indicate that water is an expensive (besides being a precious) commodity. To look at the question from another angle: water in its original form would not be safe for drinking. There are all sorts of pollutional elements in water. The effect of contamination is to add all sorts of micro-organisms, add algae bacteria and so on, as well as colour, taste, smell, alkalinity, turbidity and poison to water. But the community, on the other hand, and rightly so, insist and should insist that water be not only safe to drink, but also agreeable in appearance, taste and smell, so that it may be properly used for domestic and other purposes.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, may I first take advantage of this opportunity to congratulate you on your election to the Speakership and to assure you of my continuing regard for your office. The Bill which is under discussion now seeks to authorise the Government to levy fees for the removal of sewage and trade effluent and for the amount of water used on premises. But the main burden seems to be the increase in the charges for the consumption of water. Water, Sir, is the main burden of my comment. As the Member for Punggol has commented, water is an extremely precious commodity in Singapore. I can recollect that it was not so long ago when we experienced the discomfort of rationing, as a result of a rather dry spell. More recently, of course, we suffered from a surfeit of water. But, however much rain may fall, water has to be collected, stored, processed, treated and purified, and the supply must be transmitted and distributed. There must be maintenance of these activities and there must be, in addition, an administrative charge for the collection of rates. Obviously, the scale of expenditure involved must be enormous. Just for the sake of comparison, although it is not relevant, before coming into this House earlier today, I read in a recent issue of the Tunes of London that for a study of how to purify the Thames, which is becoming apparently a sort of massive sewage disposal channel, the cost is half a million pounds. But coming closer home, Sir, it was only last year that Seletar Reservoir was officially opened. This effective engineering achievement has resulted in multiplying our total reservoir capacity by four times, increasing it from 1,750 million gallons to 6,900 million gallons.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, can the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Education say why it is at all necessary to offer bonus incentives to teachers to come forward for courses when large numbers of them have come forward for such courses without having such incentives?”
“The expression "mental health" is not legal terminology.”
“" This emotional response was also described to me independently by a local surgeon, who is not a Catholic and who supports generally the Government's stand on abortion. Presumably this is the same sort of emotional response that one would get should one visit Woodbridge to see for oneself the pitiful plight of mongols and mental defectives. Mr Speaker, Sir, I would venture to say that there is profound sorrow to be felt in both cases over the harsh objective facts of life. Our Government wishes to reflect what our people want, and to do what is good for them. My view is that our people in general want a moderate measure of abortion law reform, and not abortion too freely available. I think this latter caution results from a belief that grave con sideration must also be given to the life of the unborn child. Any piece of legislation has an educational impact. This Bill must adequately reinforce in the minds of our people that human life in all circumstances must be treated with compassion. It is this consideration that has led me to seek the various clarifications I have sought. I find it encouraging that in its exercise of the art of the possible, our Government, in respect of this Bill, is referring it to Select Committee, and that a period of four or five years' grace will be given to study the effects of this Bill, inasmuch also as this Bill itself has had, according to the previous Minister for Health, a gestation period of two years.”
“Does he conjecture that the crime rate in America would have shot up without these abortions? Has he any indication of the crime rate among those who have procured abortions? He has said that promiscuity and indeed I might add other forms of delinquency are matters that must depend on the moral fibre and character of the individual and the type of society that the individual comes from. I agree whole heartedly with him. Now, Sir, may I refer to this question of the life of the foetus? I would normally be reluctant to engage myself in philosophical discussions of this sort. But the Minister himself has mentioned this aspect. May I refer to the opinion of Norman St. John-Stevas, an English M.P, who was prominent in the debate on Abortion in the English Parliament? St. John-Stevas writes in a journal called America, 9th December, 1967. He says: 'It is worth noting that the final form of the (English Abortion) Bill left abortion as a crime but selected certain conditions under which it was considered justifiable. This form is important, since it recognises, even in attenuated form, respect for the sanctity of life.' It may be of interest to note also that one gynacologist wrote in the Times, 5th December, 1966, "that the embryo becomes genetically complete at the time of conception though only microscopic in size. It is uncommon," he continued, "for a woman to present herself for abortion before about 12 weeks, by which time these tiny foetuses are not amorphous masses of protoplasm, but are beautifully formed, move around freely in their sac of fluid, respond to noxious stimuli and evoke the same emotional response from theatre staff, as does the delivery of a full-term baby, followed by quietness and a sense of tragedy because a life has been destroyed.”
“That there is justification for liberalising the law related to abortion in the view of those who are not affected by conscientious religious scruples (which we must also respect) I have no doubt. All I say is that we must proceed cautiously. It would have been far better if a systematic investigation had been carried out by the Ministry of Health to disclose objectively what would be for the good of the com munity. But certain difficulties are obvious, and time is a major consideration. Thus for the next four or five years we are experimenting with a social situation. And in such circumstances adequate control must be exercised. The Minister for Health has made a most important statement on the abortion issue. But to underline the caution which I feel about the Bill, I would like to enter certain reservations about certain things that he has said. I agree with him that we want to provide a healthy social environment in which to bring up our children. Certainly our society cannot afford to breed delinquents, criminals and antisocial elements. But I must certainly question the generalisation, as he states it, that such types are mainly derived from the ranks of unwanted children, the illegitimate and broken homes. I am sure there must be broken homes in which no abortion has ever taken place. Is the Minister trying to say that abortion will reduce delinquency? Can he substantiate with data that the crime rate in countries which permit abortion is necessarily less than in those countries which do not permit it? He has referred to the annual figure of one million illegal abortions in the United States. There are people who dispute this figure as grossly exaggerated. But we will accept the authority which he quoted.”
“Again, Sir, in sub-clause (5) we discover that only one medical practitioner (registered - but he need not possess psychiatric qualifications) is sufficient to decide, on mental health grounds, that an abortion is immediately necessary. Is this an adequate safeguard? Furthermore, in clause 10, sub-clause (3) , a general practitioner, who may have conscientious scruples against abortion (and whose religious convic tions the Minister says should be respected), may be forced into a position where he must determine that an abortion is immediately necessary to prevent grave permanent injury to the mental health of a pregnant woman. Now may I touch on the clause related to incest and rape? May I point out that this clause was originally included in the English Abortion Bill, but was removed by the sponsors themselves for legal reasons that rape is notoriously easy to allege and difficult to prove. We have an apparent resort to a legal safeguard here in our Bill. No authorisation for treatment to terminate pregnancy on grounds of rape or incest will be given unless the Attorney-General has certified that proceedings in respect of rape or incest have completed, or have begun. The last three words are significant. Without final proof abortion can be granted on grounds of rape and incest. I beg to seek the Minister's clarification. I feel that it is this sort of looseness in this piece of legislation to reform the abortion law that leads me to fear exploitation of this Bill for the avail ability of abortion on demand. What I am trying to do is to distinguish the heat from the light in the controversy over abortion.”
“However, if I may refer to this sub-clause (2) (c) , I hope that abortion recommended on genetic or eugenic grounds will not deteriorate into abortion permitted in a sort of generic manner. For what is meant by substantial risk of physical or mental abnormalities? Would 30 per cent chance of abnormality be adequate to warrant abortion? Or 50 per cent? Under such circumstances, would there not also be the risk of a healthy foetus being destroyed? What is the extent of wastage that would result from the destruction of foetuses with suspected abnormalities? I recollect having read of an estimate that the effect of a similar provision in the English law will mean the destruction of three foetuses by abortion for every deformed child that would have actualIy been born. If this is so, then it would be more logical to wait for the foetuses to attain their full growth and then commit infanticide where the actually deformed birth is concerned. I do not think this is what our society will permit. The point remains that prognoses resulting in abortions based on foetal indications have never been validated. Abortions are fatal - the evidence is destroyed. I shall refrain from commenting on sub-clause (2) (d) at this stage, Sir. I would like to deal with sub-clause (3) of clause 5. Here it is stated that two general practitioners (registered, of course) may decide on termination of pregnancy without the authorisation of the Board. Do I take it that these two general practitioners would also be qualified to determine the psychiatric condition of the pregnant woman and to perform an abortion on the ground that this will have less deleterious consequences on the mental health of the pregnant woman than ultimate delivery of the child?”
“What I am pointing out is that the weight of responsibility will fall upon medical people, where the grounds to determine whether an abortion may be performed will be essentially non-medical grounds. I am already sufficiently appalled by the vagueness that hangs about like a woolly cloud over this so-called environmental clause. But I must express my misgivings where environmental considerations may be determined by a caucus of persons who are not social workers. Is the Minister aware that when a similar so-called "social clause" was brought up before the British Parliament, the British Medical Association and the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (the Minister for Health has on one occasion resorted to the views of the latter august body) had opposed this provision on the grounds that physicians might be un qualified or unwilling to pass judgment on non-medical aspects of a case? There are indeed those who believe that initial distress and reasons may not be sufficient to warrant an abortion, and that case work investigations should be carried out to determine the circumstances. It should be hoped that, when the occasion for the imple mentation of this Bill does come, great care will be taken to ascertain the seriousness of the circumstances that may be said to justify an abortion. I do not see in this Bill in its current form that there is any guarantee that a laissez-faire attitude will not be adopted: in fact, that there will not be abortion on demand that will be the effect of this Bill, as it stands. May I pass on to sub-clause (2) (c) of clause 5? Here, at least, there is the qualification "substantial" to the word "risk", and "seriously" to the word "handicapped". Would that such qualifications had been entered in sub-clause (2) (a) .”
“Continuing, Sir, if I may labour on a particular aspect of this clause, may I ask what is meant by "risk to the mental health of the pregnant woman"? Indications of this sort are notoriously un predictable. They are just as unpredictable as what would happen if a mentally unstable person does procure an abortion. Referring to a conference on abortion held in Washington, the United States of America, in September 1967, under the auspices of the Kennedy Foundation and the Harvard Divinity School, one of the conferees remarked on the vagueness of the psychiatrists present about the indications that justify abortion on grounds of damage to mental health. Mr Speaker, Sir, I am merely mentioning this reference to underline my own view about the vagueness of the term "mental health" in the clause I am discussing. Sub-clause (2) (b) of clause 5 also stipulates that an abortion may be permitted, if it is the opinion formed in good faith that the environment of the pregnant woman, both at the time when the child would be born and thereafter, so far as is foreseeable, justifies such an operation. What I would like to know is what "so far as is foreseeable" means. Presumably we shall have to depend on the foresight of the Authorisation Board. Where social work experience is concerned, in the technical sense of the term, the majority of the Board members will be lay people: there will be one member (who shall be female) who has had experience in social welfare work, besides the Director of Social Welfare. And the opinion of these members, with social work experience, could be over-ruled in one direction or another by the medical members of the Board, if supported by another lay member.”
“There has been, to my mind, adequate and authoritative assertion that this is so. This being so, is it not logical to expect that an abortion should be per mitted only if there is grave danger to life or if there is grave risk of injury, and of injury that will have lasting consequences to physical or mental health? Nowhere in sub-clause (2) (a) under clause 5 do I note any qualification related to gravity or seriousness of risks involved. I must beg to differ from the Minister's statement that "In clause 5 (2) (a) the conditions under which therapeutic abortion can be done are unambiguously stated." In some sections of his speech introducing the Second Reading of this Bill, the Minister demonstrated an uncommon flair for a vivid word-picture. Surely it would not be beyond his capacity to refer to the extent of risk to life, and to the extent of injury anticipated that would warrant abortion? It must also be borne in mind that "the frequency of therapeutic terminations of pregnancy is decreasing rapidly with the advances of medical knowledge". The Encyclopa?dia Britannica is the authority for this statement, which was made in as early as the 1963 edition, in the section on "Abortion". At one time cardiac disease, tuberculosis, various diseases associated with pregnancy were all regarded by medical opinion as indications for abortion. I believe that scientific evidence indicates that this may not be so today in all respects of cardiac disease, tuberculosis, etc. Certainly these conditions do require special care before and after the birth and in some cases the social environment must be improved, but the conditions referred to may not necessarily and generically be medical indications for abortion.”
“- and to seek clarification on some aspects of the Bill before the House. Referring to the comment by the Minister just now, Mr Speaker, Sir, on previous occasions you took me to task for making speeches when I was supposed to ask questions, but I hope the Minister will allow me to ask questions now that I am supposed to make a speech. I want to urge every possible safeguard and caution in the implementation of any reforms in the law relating to abortion. I would venture to say that the Abortion Bill, in its present form, justifies that caveat which I am entering. I would like first to refer to clause 5 (2) which specifies the grounds on which abortion may be permitted. Clause 5, sub-clause (2) (a) specifies that the Termination of Pregnancy Authorisation Board may authorise an abortion if continuance of pregnancy in volves risk to the life of the pregnant woman, or injury to the physical or mental health of the woman. Does it not seem, Sir, that the wording itself here appears to be a little risky? What sort of odds in favour of deleterious effects, physical and mental, should be calculated before a person can be permitted an abortion? My misgivings over this type of ambiguity are not lessened by the knowledge that such risk and possibility of injury referred to may be based on the opinion, formed in good faith, that abortion is necessary! What is this good faith, Sir? Surely, the emphasis should be on ascertainable medical skill, rather than on flimsy grounds of faith. A theological virtue, Sir, to which perhaps the Minister does not subscribe. An abortion, even when performed by a qualified and experienced doctor, poses itself as a risk to life and a danger to health physical and mental.”
“May I hasten to add, Sir, that I do not wish to discuss the metaphysics of abortion, but I rise to ask several questions -”
“Sir, after listening to the Member for Joo Chiat, I am glad that the Minister for Health - if indeed the Member for Joo Chiat is correct -has had qualms about complete and unrestricted availability of abortion. [Mr Speaker in the Chair] 3.21 p.m. Mr Speaker, Sir, may I take this opportunity sincerely to congratulate the Minister for Health on his able marshalling of arguments in justification of this Bill. In particular, I must express my admiration, perhaps not so sincerely, for the way he anticipated opposing arguments, especially those based on religious and ethical grounds. However, I do not agree that he has, as he inferred, disposed of those arguments. They are, as he mentioned, a matter of view-point, and I am sure he will agree that no view-point can be rendered sick simply because the Minister for Health says so.”
“There have been occasions when the Gazette was ready only very late on Friday afternoons owing to last-minute notifications and changes. It has, therefore, happened that sometimes the Gazette was received on Mondays instead of Saturdays. Steps have been taken to ensure that material for the Gazette is received, as normally required, two days before the date of publication so that printing can be completed on Friday mornings to enable postal deliveries by Saturday. The publication of the Gazette on Fridays has been traditional and is also convenient to the Government Printer as well as to various Ministries using the Gazette. A second shift has now been introduced with the purpose of enhancing the output of the Government Printer as well as to expedite printing efforts. When the second shift is properly run in, a third shift will be introduced. It is expected that a much improved service may be expected from the Government Printer when he operates on three shifts. BILL INTRODUCED PARLIAMENTARY PENSIONS BILL "to establish a pension scheme for persons who have served as Members of Parliament and to provide for a gratuity upon their death under certain circumstances, and for matters connected therewith", recommendation of President signified (Mr E. W. Barker); presented for the Minister for Finance by his Parliamentary Secretary (Mr Tang See Chim); read the First time, to be read a Second time on the next available sitting of Parliament, and to be printed. ABORTION BILL Order read for resumption of debate on Question [8th April, 1969], "That the Bill be now read a Second time." Question again proposed. 3.10 p.m.”
“Question No. 16. The Acting Minister for Culture (Mr Wee Toon Boon): Mr Speaker, Sir, it has been thought for quite some time that the public of Singapore will be better served by a Radio and Television Service that is run by a statutory board or even by a commercial corporation. The pros and cons of this view have received considerable study and the advice of an overseas expert has also been obtained, but a final decision has yet to be made. The main advantage of a statutory hoard or of a commercial corporation, as opposed to a Government department of Radio and TV, is that such a structure leads to better operational efficiency and convenience. Radio and Television has just become financially independent in so far as recurrent ex penditure is concerned and it is now possible, therefore, to give serious consideration to a structural change. Whatever the outcome of that consideration, there is no reason to suggest that the cultural and overall policy must be changed as a result of a change in structural organisation. GOVERNMENT GAZETTE (Earlier Publication) 17. Mr Lim Soo Peng asked the Minister for Culture (a) whether he is aware that the Government Gazette, which is published on every Friday, reaches the public only on the following Monday, and what steps he proposes to take to make the Gazette available to the public earlier; and (b) whether he will consider publishing the Gazette on Mondays instead of on Fridays. Mr Wee Toon Boon: Mr Speaker, Sir, the Government Gazette is published on Friday and is posted on the same day. Recipients should, therefore, receive the Gazette by Saturday or, at the latest, by Monday since there is no delivery on Sunday.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, can the Minister for Education exemplify what he means by participation in community work? I am bringing up this point merely to help dispel certain misconceptions that are being held by people about the purpose of the Junior College.”
“Sir, I had in mind the regulations administered by the Tourist Promotion Board. If I may just quote from the Tourist Promotion (Certification and Control of Guides) Regulations, 1964: 'No person, other than a person whose name is on the Register and who has been issued a letter of authority under the provisions of sub-paragraph (b) of paragraph (1) of regulation 7 of these Regulations, shall be entitled to act as a tourist guide for remuneration:'. If I may just add, Sir, many of these escort services purport to offer tourist services and, as such, they may be infringing the Regulations. Will the Minister consider taking action if there is infringement of these Regulations?”
“Point of clarification, Sir,I did mention when I spoke just now that the projection was based on the fact that the difference between the 1964 and 1965 totals for resident individuals paying tax was 8,000. It is not a question of anybody making any projection at all. I did say that the basis of my arithmetic may have certain shortcomings. But the impression - and this is what I am trying to establish - is that there are people who would be eligible to pay income tax but who do not pay it, unless the Parliamentary Secretary is prepared to come out and say categorically that there is no such class of people.”
“Sir, what I meant was that perhaps the onus of finding out who are evading the payment of income tax in the way I described should be on the Commissioner of Inland Revenue.”
“But even if further deductions have to be made, an impression is created in my mind that there may be large numbers of people who escape paying income tax although they would belong to a category of people who would be eligible to pay if their income could be assessed. May I say that this impression is substantiated by the thought in the minds of the people in Singapore, including the Member for Changi. People in Singapore, foreign personnel as well as our own people, think that that is, in fact, the case, namely, that people who may be eligible for income tax do not square up. Sir, the Minister for Finance has commented, if my recollection is correct, that the figure of $500,000, which will accrue from the 5 per cent levy on P.U.B. consumers whose bills are between $10 and $20, is not to be sneezed at. Presumably, a similar or larger figure, if it could be collected from people who currently do not pay income tax but who would be eligible to pay if their income could be assessed, is not to be sneezed at either. The Minister for Finance has also advised Government departments which are operating on a so to speak stand still budget to develop self-help procedures, if I may describe them as such, to earn more money for the departments. May I suggest, Sir, that the Inland Revenue Department follow this excellent advice. Sir, a good income tax collector may be worth his weight in gold to the Republic.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I for my part would like to underline the observations of the Member for Changi in respect of the collection of income tax. The latest available Annual Report of Inland Revenue Department is that for 1965 which was presented to Parliament in May 1968. From this report, we may glean that the number of resident individual taxpayers in Singapore for the year of assessment 1965 was approximately 73,000. [Mr Deputy Speaker in the Chair] 6.29 p.m. Page 49 of the Annual Report refers. This may be compared with the 65,000 taxpayers mentioned in page 43. This 65,000 is the number of resident individual taxpayers for the year 1964. If I may make a rough projection from these figures to 1967, counting an annual increase of 8,000 or so, we get a figure of about 90,000 individual resident income taxpayers. 6.30 p.m. From the Year Book of Statistics for 1967, at page 12, the estimated population figure in Singapore for people between the ages of 20 and 49 for 1967 is 670,000. Let us deduct from this figure the figure for 1967 for workmen, clerks, industrial clerks, shop assistants, namely, 213,700. I got this figure from the Year Book of Statistics for 1967. Deducting this 213,700 from 670,000, we get the figure of 456,300. From this figure, let us further deduct 72,350, being the number of persons registered as at the end of 1967 on the Employment Exchange. We get a balance of about 384,000 people. Making a further allowance for half of this number to be females, we get a balance of 192.000. There seems to me to be a discrepancy between this figure of 192,000 and 90,000 people as my projected number of people who had to pay income tax for 1967. Possibly I stand to be advised on this matter. The basis of my arithmetic may have certain shortcomings.”
“I have been told that there will be a thorough reorganisation of the Cleansing Department. I feel that the present reorganisation has not been effective. There must be a thorough reorganisation so that the Public Cleansing Department will be efficient. The second factor is the behaviour of the public. These two factors, in my view, must be considered together. The officers of the Public Cleansing Department must necessarily make an overall review of their own position. In respect of the public, the Ministry of Health has recently taken some action to inculcate in them the importance of health. In this respect, I have a suggestion to make. In launching educational campaigns, such as the campaign to be launched in October this year, action should be taken to rally all civic organisations and form an anti harmful insects organisation. For example, last month there was a seminar conducted by the People's Association on the role of community centres and environmental health. The main theme of the seminar was how to promote a healthy environment. The participants were from various civic organisations and they were ready to co-operate with the Government to improve environmental health and to turn Singapore into the most beautiful and cleanest city in Southeast Asia. Therefore, I suggest that the Ministry of Health call a meeting of leaders of civic organisations to discuss the question of improving the environmental health of Singapore. At the same time, there should be a competition to name the cleanest streets in Singapore. These should be given recognition and rewarded. In this way, we can encourage our people to improve environmental health more positively and expeditiously. This is my humble suggestion. 7.09 p.m.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I would like to comment briefly in strong support of this Bill. There seems to be too many beelzebubs, lords of flies and insects, who, with impunity, encourage the breeding of insects by their irresponsible actions. I am personally acquainted with a situation in which river dredgings have been decanted on to a vacant piece of land with all the consequent effects on the health of the people who live in the vicinity - dredgings which contain receptacles, rotten logs, broken pails and so on. I hope, Sir, once this Bill becomes law, it will be implemented most promptly and with great vigour. In this, I beg to differ from the hon. Member for Serangoon Gardens. I agree with the Member for Sembawang who says that the composition of this Bill is most thorough. There is even a clause which states that if there is any quaint person who wishes to breed, keep, collect, distribute, sell, import or export any disease-bearing insects, all he needs is the permission in writing of the Commissioner or a Medical Officer of Health. Sir, I support this Bill. 7.05 p.m. Madam Chan Choy Siong(In Mandarin): Mr Speaker, Sir, I rise in support of this Bill and all the effective measures to destroy disease-bearing insects in order to improve the environmental health of Singapore. We should not deal with this matter only on paper. We should also take effective action at the same time. Last year, we were told of an anti-mosquito campaign. But until today, we have not heard anything further. There has been no vigorous action in this direction. The result is that mosquitoes breed everywhere in Singapore. Flies can be seen all over the city. We can even see flies in Parliament House. All this is because of two factors. The first is the inefficiency of the public cleansing workers.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, as I see it, it is the taxpayers and the public that are paying for the cost of education. As such, I think there should be some representation from the general public regarding educational policies. With the Educational Advisory Council becoming defunct, it seems to me that only professional people are involved in the direction of policies. Perhaps it might be a good idea to retain the Educational Advisory Council but with certain modifications to see that its functions ---”
“We may consider it necessary to leave no stone unturned to bring home to our people the meaning of this Bill, coupled with the Industrial Relations (Amendment) Bill and the new Central Provident Fund (Amendment) Bill. From the long-term view, we should also do our best to encourage the emergence of our workers' education movement based within the trade union movement itself. 3.51 p.m. [Mr Deputy Speaker in the Chair] It is acknowledged that workers do not need to adopt an outmoded militant stance towards employers. A clear sight of the true objectives of the labour movement can be obtained if the workers organise their own further education to keep up with the tremendous changes in our environment and in the world around us. At the same time, our managers, especially those who are controllers of enterprises in the sense of being the proprietors or part proprietors, should be encouraged to keep up even more readily with the latest developments in management technique and philosophy. We acknowledge that the manager and the entrepreneur make profit for the country while they make profit for themselves. But the businessman should not be merely a profit-maker. He is not simply an economic man. He is also, we hope, a wise man. And a truly wise businessman will also try to operate within the human context of moral, national and social objectives. The long view, Sir, is the only view for the wise businessman educated in the dynamics of our survival. The Employment Bill has my support in principle. 3.53 p.m.”
“The Bill seeks to lay down the minimum conditions for a worker to operate in and, at the same time, to set the right conditions for productivity. The continued enjoyment of better than minimum conditions in the case of those sectors which enjoy these better conditions is not precluded by this Bill. The ventilation of views during this debate and the forthright statement from the Minister for Labour have clearly indicated the consensus of the House that it is in the enlightened self-interest of employers that they interpret this Bill both wisely and well. The support of labour has been promised provided that their views, incorporated in the various proposed amendments, are given full consideration. The Government has shown its goodwill by undertaking to give deliberate consideration to the amendments proposed by the N.T.U.C. Indeed, the Government may well ask our people to judge its intentions by its example in the past. The Government's integrity and skill in socio-economic diagnosis may be amply demonstrated by the record of its widely acknowledged achievements. If the Government's current prescription is plenty of hard work and a spartan fare, then it is good that this prescription comes when our body politic is in a healthy condition. While I agree with the Member for Moulmein that our remedy should not be unnecessarily bitter, the cure will have to be even more drastic if we allow our body to become sick. Indeed, prevention is better than cure, if I may quote the Member for Telok Blangah. Mr Speaker, Sir, may I make a final point which I do not think is too peripheral to this debate. It is this.”
“Our workers and citizen soldiers must be well trained and in good physical condition. Our society must be geared, in the fields of education and health, to the challenges ahead. Our education system is already receiving a firmer and more definitive orientation to the manpower needs of industrialisation and technical development. The echelons of the Health Ministry, under an almost military direction, are intent on making our morale even more tidy. The Minister for Health, while not allowing the grass to grow under his feet, will certainly be able to confirm that health measures cost money. So, too, with regard to education, will the Minister for Education be able to testify. His concerns are multifarious, as I am sure the Member for Serangoon Gardens will agree. Thus, in addition to the demands of our urgent industrialisation programme and defence on our financial resources, there are also demands from other sectors which we can elude only at the cost of defence and industrialisation themselves. I would like to draw the most serious and sober attention of the House to the fact that these conditions add up to the inevitable picture of a forbiddingly taut survival situation as our prospect for the immediate future. In the face of this prospect, it may well be a sterile academic exercise to expatiate on rights, incentives and the like. The main thing about the philosophy of survival is the right to survive. The principal point about the psychology of survival is the incentive to survive. This message must be put across with all possible vigour and appeal. The misunderstandings that have prevailed about the purpose of this Bill must be cleared with all possible despatch not only within but without the House.”