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 Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.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 think we cannot move aside Standing Orders for that purpose. Where songs in Chinese are concerned, while it would certainly not be appropriate to stress songs like () ,we can recall how the national anthem of China today arose out of a stirring war-song. I remember attending a campfire at a Chinese school in my constituency and observing the great rapport aroused by the singing of () - and the repeat verse in English "The more we are together". It showed how common feeling could be generated. Mr Speaker, Sir, different people react differently when the subject of patriotism is brought up. The liberal tends to feel uncomfortable, Some intellectuals get more excited over human rights and internationalism. However, I did not notice, in my school-days, that the British were shy about our singing "There'll always be an England" and "Land of Hope and Glory". I can still remember the titles of "patriotic" songs the Japanese made us sing "Miyoto o-kaye-no", "Umi-no-tame nara". Maybe the Minister for Finance was old enough to remember these things. Today, countries like China, Japan, North Korea, Russia, even America - they are not bashful about patriotism. Cuba is a very extreme example of the stress on commitment. The Castro regime in Cuba was quite willing, after the revolution, to allow over a quarter of a million of the population to leave as refugees principally to the United States, in order to maintain high revolutionary morale among those who remained. This decision entailed the loss of two-fifths of the country's stock of graduate manpower and about a fifth of its stock of those with secondary education.”
“Somehow or other, very few of our modern compositions seem to me to have the quality of universal appeal so far as we can make our songs a kind of common reference point. How song can possess powerful evocative qualities is indicated by the way the famous Terang Bulan has been modified and turned into the Malaysian anthem. In Singapore there may be a number of traditional well-known tunes - but perhaps well-known in musical circles only - that we can revive and make popular yet another source of common reference to Singaporeans. Two Malay songs come to my mind immediately. One of them runs this way: Di Tanjong Katong airnyabiru Disitulah tempat mencuci mata and so on. There is another one which has got a march tempo and the first two lines run: Tanjong Katong tepi laut Siapa suka boleh ikut. An hon. Member: Why not sing it?”
“It has been said that the proper means of increasing the love we bear to our native country is to reside some time in a foreign one. Then you really miss the familiar things or occasions of common reference. Sir, one of the things people miss, however trite this may sound, is food. Napoleon is alleged to have said that an army marches on its stomach. In my younger days - I was young once, Sir - I used to overhear elderly matrons advising young women about to get married that the way to a man's heart was through his stomach The interest of the Singaporean in food is proven many times over by the number of hawker centres we have on our island and by the debates on hawker licences that we have in this House. It may not be such a quaint idea to focus attention on some very idiosyncratic culinary items that we find in Singapore. One type of cooking that particular attention could be drawn to for special reasons is the style of cooking of the peranakan Chinese. The special quality of characteristic flavour is fast being lost because of the commercialising in the sale of some types of nonya food. [Interruption] The question of moral influence has everything to do with development, Sir. The Straits-born Chinese, Sir, have made other contributions in our history besides the culinary one. They have provided a very good example of adjustment and assimilation into the local environment while retaining some very interesting Chinese traditional ways. They spoke a kind of Malay of their own but they got married in the full glory of traditional Chinese costume. It would be useful to recall the history of the Chinese babas. Another reference point, Sir, is song.”
“- on his own accord, broke away from the communists. [interruption] Yes, he is organising the thing right now! Our Deputy Prime Minister has announced that he would be personally involved in the structure of a course for senior commanders in the SAF on Marxism/Leninism, The Defence Minister also pointed out that the general public seemed ignorant of what really happened between 1954 and 1963 and that the fight in which the PAP was involved did not end in an easy knockout victory over the communists, I think that a record of these stirring happenings depicting the actual condition of the life and death struggle should be made much more widely known. Every device should be used to facilitate the recording through oral history interviews, assistance given for the recording of memoirs; and the means of dissemination should also employ the different arts of the mass media. In as much as the course for the SAF commanders is not a propaganda or brain-washing session, so also should these records and recollections not be regarded merely as propaganda and brain-washing but a serious and necessary endeavour to hand over from one generation to another the results of a vital, social and historical experience, When we think of the oft-referred to burden of the present leadership of finding a successor government worthy of its responsibilities, the development of public awareness and public responsibility could contribute significantly to the solution of this problem. Apart from these very vital means of providing a common testament to people, and other measures to relate their thoughts constantly to common references as I have indicated, there are still other sources of common references which are seemingly trite but important all the same.”
“Their experience should be recorded and made more widely known. How many know, to refer only to one example, what an exciting and interesting story our Minister for Culture can tell. I have been having some conversation with him a little bit more frequently recently, Sir. What an exciting and interesting story our Minister for Culture can tell about his involvement as a communist activist for a period until he -”
“Seriously or jokingly, well, maybe he will tell us later. He jokingly replied that we should not change the shape of such a national monument as it was there that the PAP held its inaugural meeting and thus saw its coming into being. Sir, it may happen that one day the people of Singapore may want to commemorate the PAP's contribution to Singapore's construction - be that as it may, there are many places and events which it would be useful to commend to the attention and memory of the people, in a more thoughtful way - in such a way as to make the people realise that there is much in our past to remember and ponder over. The Monuments Board should be given every support if it can help in this task. But I can recall off-hand one or two places like, for example, the location in Bukit Timah where our own boys, already Singaporeans, gave up their lives defending this sector against the Japanese when they invaded Singapore. Other places may relate to recollections of cultural or earlier historical significance. Both where people and places are concerned, the Member for Ulu Pandan has already recommended the kind of references we should make those in our schools familiar with. But I think programmes interestingly produced for the mass media should be considered for the general education of our people. We should also consider the record of events that have occurred more recently. As the Foreign Minister has pointed out last week in this House, the revelations we have been given regarding the latest black operations should be seen as salutary education for our own people and for ourselves. We can see more and more how the communists operate. This is what is happening today. But our leadership have been involved in the fight for the span of about a generation.”
“In the area of economic development, so many inputs are quantifiable. In the area of development of nationhood - there are many imponderables. But there are indicators which we may take as possibly lighting up the path we might follow. For example, we should try in every way possible and as repeatedly as possible to draw attention to significant common and familiar things, multiplying (so to speak) occasions of common reference. What are these common and familiar reference points? For one, there are places and people. In some cities, walking along sightseeing, one comes across a small monument or even a plaque which tells of a significant happening connected with the place commemorated in such a simple way. Recently I incidentally suggested to the Minister for Culture that the Victoria Memorial Hall could be restructured into quite a good concert hall. He jokingly replied that we should not change -”
“No, not ancestor, but predecessor. "Respectfulness without the rules of propriety becomes laborious bustle, carefulness without the rules of propriety becomes timidity; boldness without the rules of propriety becomes insubordination (or disorder); straightforwardness without the rules of propriety becomes rudeness." I shall try to read it in Chinese, Sir: () Gong er wu li, ze lao () Shen er wu li, ze xi () Yong er wu li, ze luan () Zhi er wu li, ze jiao Since some of these words have very ancient meaning, I am sure some of the Members of this House did not understand them! Having ensured good communication in Parliament. what can we do. Sir, to encourage the growth among Singaporeans of a sense of identity with people and place? I think we have to keep worrying at this question. We certainly do not know what is going to happen - exactly. But we most certainly also have to think of decisions to make about what interactions we can contrive to enlarge our understanding of ourselves as Singaporeans: We have to make decisions beyond those we have taken; such decisions that we have taken like our language policy which the Prime Minister elaborated on in his marathon speech, or like our stress on returns to effort and contribution, or like our subscription to economic growth as the basis for social development, or like we say, "We want to have friendly relations with communist countries but internally communism is an incompatible ideology where our society is concerned". These decisions we have made. But we have got to go beyond. We have got to think of decisions beyond those which we have already made. We have to face the fact that perhaps we have to take decisions about matters where areas of ambiguity are larger than what we have tolerated in the past.”
“The quality control movement, depending so much on cooperation (i.e, good communication) between workers, has taken such a root in Japanese industry that they are even able to strive after what they call ZD, namely Zero Defect. We have to improve our sense of communication, and we cannot find a better place to start setting the example of good communication than in Parliament House itself in this very debating Chamber. Sir, the debate on the President's address was very lively indeed. Much heat was generated and light thrown on several matters. Disagreements, where they occurred, were sometimes vehement. I hope such conditions will continue to prevail, during the Budget debate and after. So what, if we sometimes do not agree with one another. I remember reading a remark by a person called Wrigley (probably of chewing gum fame) to the effect that in a business, if two people always agreed, then one of them was redundant. So, in Parliament, we must agree to disagree. However, whatever the new styles we may want to adopt in our own Parliament, for it is correct that we should not merely imitate the Westminster model of behaviour of Members of Parliament; whatever Standing Orders we change, for they may in certain instances bear changing, we could certainly set an example of harmony (or the moral influence of Sun Tzu or the good communication I spoke of just now) if we tried to bear in mind a certain dictum of Confucius. My eponymous - this word means `same name'. Actually it was the Member for Kampong Chai Chee who gave the name to me. My eponymous and infinitely more illustrious predecessor said -”
“I have deliberately used the term "good communication" because just as material development depends on good communication such as roads, telephone and radio communication, ships, aeroplanes, radar, satellites and so on, the development of people as rooted, civilised, cultured and humane depends also on communication of another kind. And this communication may be described in the sense of the Christian, St. Paul's injunction that "Evil communications corrupt good manners", or in the sense of "propriety" in Chinese tradition, but it deals with consideration and human relations, and in fact is the criterion of such relations. Japan is a fine example of how the acquisition of modern material means of communication did not affect Japanese society with a shudder, because a lot of the traditional forms of communication were preserved and, in fact, used to cushion the shock of assimilating the new and impersonal means of communication, It does seem ironic that Singapore is one of the world's most important centres of communication, and yet communication between people in the sense of regard, consideration, concern, a sense of identity has yet to be profoundly instilled. In Japan, the very network of interpersonal communications traditionally developed and supported has contributed to Japan's growth as an economically powerful state, despite the fact that there has been some erosion of traditional values as a result of the impact of modernisation. In Japan, you still find the relationship between worker and employer very personal and bound by ties of loyalty and pride of identification with the company. There still prevails a kind of industrial morality which frowns on a worker (whatever the level of his education, training and expertise) moving from one employer to another.”
“I am sure that it is much more than a coincidence that our best development, and control over this development, took place when the Government party was in full possession of all the seats in this House. I think it is more than a coincidence that it has happened this way. Therefore, it might not be out of place to remark that for the time being at least, a so-called parliamentary opposition is irrelevant for our continued development. The real opposition walked out of this House some time ago, because it was not the Government party they wanted and still want to do in, but Singapore itself. They talk of a unitary state of Malaya including Singapore. And the so-called would-be parliamentary opposition plays footsies with such and other anti-national elements. We shall, therefore, have to be on a constant alert to promote and foster harmony in our society, to ensure development. When we talk of development we cannot separate the human, cultural, spiritual aspects of development from the material. The whole purpose of development - improved economic conditions, more and better jobs, enhanced quality of the environment - is the betterment of the human condition, the total human condition. In Singapore it is quite in order to point out that man does not live on bread alone. He has bread in the vast majority of cases and even circuses - witness the football enthusiasm at the National Stadium. To ensure development, to make sure our people enjoy a good life, we must also see to the importance of good communication between Singaporeans, for what is suggested by "moral influence" and "harmony" is brought about by good communication.”
“This harmony has to be cherished because recent events have shown that occasions will continually arise wherein we will find people continually plotting to injure this same harmonious association or communication, The very latest instance has related to the disclosures about "black operations" that have been aimed at spoiling the good reputation of the leadership in the people's eyes. This instance is all the more significant in view of some special circumstances I would like to refer to. Sir, I was a member of a parliamentary delegation which visited Malaysia last year. The welcome we received was most cordial indeed, and we felt that everywhere we went we were greeted by warm and sincere expressions of friendship, including those of the very top leadership. Yet within the `very setting where there was sincere recognition of basic identity of interests especially in matters concerning security and the development of ASEAN, there have been found individuals who have been accused of such plotting as would, if successful, have spoilt the harmony between our people and our leaders, subverted intellectuals and students, and finally affected adversely our economic development. While on this point of security, it is good to point out that the relationship, in good balance, between the leadership and the people has resulted in a rather special political situation. We have been one party in Parliament for nearly ten years through three successive elections. And throughout all that time we have continued to plan for Singapore's successful development in the way the present budget also shows.”
“Where courage and discipline or rigour are concerned, anybody who has been made Finance Minister by our Government would automatically have these virtues: as the Minister himself has shown in the rigour with which he imposed the well-known and well-felt car taxes announced on 1st January, 1976 Where the last factor, namely organisation and control, assignment of appropriate ranks to officers, is concerned, the Minister has touched on civil service expenditure, in respect of which he promises rigorous pruning, and on the development of quality of our managerial and executive grades. From these general guidelines we can see that there is able direction in the battle for economic development. But let me take up more particularly, and more seriously, the first of Sun Tzu's five fundamental factors - the one I merely mentioned, but did not say more about, namely - moral influence or moral cause. And this, Sun Tzu says (and I quote from the Griffith translation): "By moral influence, I mean that which causes the people to be in harmony with their leaders ...". And it is the necessity for harmony in different segments of our society that I want to stress. Recently the Deputy Prime Minister stated that [Straits Times, 28th February, 1977]: `Government had provided the masses with the best safeguard against communist revolution through continuous economic development' This development would not have been possible without the harmonious relationship between the Government and the people.”
“Let us apply these conditions to what our Finance Minister has done in his Budget statement, I will have to say a little more on the first factor, moral influence, later, but in terms of the second factor, climatic conditions, the Minister has said the weather is getting fair and our Ship of State is in good state: "steady as she goes." In terms of the second factor, the terrain or terrestrial conditions, the terrain may be rugged but we have also the Minister's own five basic programme objectives to help traverse this terrain, namely, his programme related to manpower, science and technology, infrastructure, taxation and promotion. And of course the strategy will be a very flexible one. In the case of the fourth factor, generalship, Sun Tzu, when he talks of command, says he means by this the general's qualities of wisdom, faith, compassion, courage and strictness. Our general in charge of our financial strategy has all these qualities. He is wise, he is a man of faith - he is one of the 10% who are Catholics in this House. His budget has continually good indications of compassion. For example, with effect from the 1976 year of assessment, the earned income relief was increased from $1,000 to $2,000 for those over 55 years old and $3,000 for those over 60 years old. This year the tax concession with regard to estate duty and also the other concession with regard to pensioners paying income tax also show that he is a man of compassion.”
“( ) Xie xie ni. (Thank you) Now this quality of foresight, of forward preparation, has always characterised the style and planning behaviour of our Government, and the Finance Minister's latest Budget statement merely marks a continuation of this principle of early planning for the future. However, one thing that has excited my attention is a certain subtle feature of the diction in the budget address. It is that while previously the Finance Minister has talked of policy, and the word policy has occurred frequently previously, in this year's Budget statement there is a greater resort to the use of the term strategy. The word strategy has been used at least six times and the Minister has even used the word tactics once. The Finance Minister is far from being a bellicose sort of person but the military aspect of his diction has induced me to look up Sun Tzu's Art of War. In the popular translation by Samuel Griffith, by a strange coincidence, the first chapter of the Art of War is headed `Estimates'. Another version translates ( ) (ji pian) as Essay or Chapter on `Deliberation'. Both headings, Estimates or Deliberation, are appropriate to describe the Minister's Budget statement. But let us take Sun Tzu's `Estimates' and consider what he says in this first chapter about five fundamental factors on which `Estimates' or `Deliberation' should be based. These are, firstly, the moral influence or moral cause, ( ) (dao); secondly, the weather or climatic conditions, ( ) (tian), thirdly, the terrain or terrestrial conditions ( ) (di), fourthly, command or generalship of commanders, ( ) (jiang); and fifthly, doctrine or organisation and discipline, ( )(fa).”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I believe the Chinese have a saying which goes something like this: One year's preparation is done in the spring, one day's preparation is done early in the morning. () (Yi nian zhi ji zai wu chun, yi ri zhi ji zai wu chen.) An hon. Member: ( ) Hen hao! (good)”
“However, for whatever budget system we adopt, there will still remain the necessity for good interpersonal relations between Finance officials and officials from other ministries in order to make the system work. Here is another area where good example of Singaporeans working together may be given. 3.24 p.m.”
“Perhaps the Government could explore thoroughly the feasibility of stricter measures and legislation to combat noise pollution. Those who offend in other forms of pollution should be brought to book with despatch. In all these areas, Government agencies should set a special example. We must also remember that in national service everything must be done to instil in national servicemen a proper regard for one another. With the improved deployment of police national servicemen to fight crime, the quality of behaviour of people towards one another should improve with the added sense of security gained. And we should not forget our old people. Many of our very old people. because many of them were foreign-born, have no relatives or few people to depend on. The burden will not be great for the State to give greater assistance to such cases, although we should stress that the old should be taken care of by their children or nearest relatives, as far as possible. Finally, Sir,I refer to the expressed intention of Finance to introduce a new style budget. It is not clear what the details are, and I hope you are not thinking that I have made a startling jump from the question of inculcation of human values to the question of budget. Actually, Sir,I suspect that our new style budget will contain elements of what has been described as Programme, Planning, Budgeting System (PPBS). This system was at first enthusiastically adopted in the United States during the time of Lyndon Johnson who thought of this system as a modern management tool that would enable a finer life to be brought to every American at the least possible cost. The expectations were inflated.”
“The Ministry of Health has stated its objective of organising regular national health campaigns; I have no doubt that the Environment Ministry which as a training and education department has its own programmes of public instruction which I hope will include education in the area of anti-pollution measures. And, of course, the Ministry of Culture as we have seen has its own activities geared towards the cultural development of Singaporeans. The foregoing indicates that we have a very efficient infrastructure, spread throughout the Government network, for public education. I think that there is one theme that this network should go all out to stress, and that is, the Singaporean has to be given example in as many ways as possible, of how he has to balance his own self-interest against the interest of the other person, for this other person represents the interest of the community. This can be done in many tangible ways. For example, in the civil service and statutory bodies - I know they are working hard on this - efforts should be made constantly to temper action with humane consideration. It should be made clear to motorists prone to selfishness and irresponsibility that they will not get away, as they are doing in large numbers, with what we should consider unSingaporean behaviour. Those employers, managers and supervisors whose negligence or even lack of forethought has caused industrial accidents or ill-health should be given their own lessons on consideration and responsibility. At the level of organisation of neighbourhood groups in HDB and other areas, the emphasis should be on consideration and cooperation. Here the question of noise nuisance arises.”
“In addition, of those above 40 in the economically active population, 40% have less than secondary education. This is in addition to the 45% who have never attended school. If we assume that one of our treasured Confucian values still prevails - that of the influence of the elders over younger persons - then we must reckon with the problem of the influence of the relatively unschooled over the relatively better schooled. I must make it clear that those with less formal schooling can and do certainly convey good values to our younger citizens. But the pace of change in Singapore makes it necessary for those in the older age groups to be continually exposed to such influences as will contribute to the harmonious growth of our society. And in my mind, the Education Ministry may well be the least qualified to perform this task. The Education Ministry does not even seem to be able to highlight effectively the work of its own Adult Education Board, judging by the "press" the AEB was given in the addendum on the Education Ministry. Indeed, other Ministries have seemed to understand better the importance of continuing education. The Ministry of Finance has contributed significantly to educational investment through its joint training schemes, and other programmes; and we see from its addendum that it will spend more on its training centres, and that it has a programme in view to induce owners or managers of small enterprises to learn to optimise use of personnel and equipment and improve marketing capacity. Then the Ministry of Labour has its Productivity Board which will help further in training of supervisors and junior and middle-management executives.”
“The adult citizens of our Republic have to be continually exposed to the play of influences that will result in further improvement to our society. The sooner we get rid of the idea that education is principally the responsibility of the Education Ministry, or that education takes place in a certain location, for example, schools, within a certain period in a day, viz, according to the class time-table, on certain days, that is those that are not school holidays - the sooner we get rid of this idea that education is confined to a certain place and time, the better. It is our people as a whole who need continuing education, not only those of school age. In Singapore those who are receiving education or who have recently received education are exposed to a whole weight of influence of those who have not been fortunate recipients of much schooling. A study of the Labour Ministry's report on the labour force survey, 1976, would show that of the total number of persons over 10 years of age, 23% have received secondary education and beyond. At the same time. 23% have never attended school. The higher the age group the higher the percentage of those with little schooling or none at all. I have learnt from the Social Welfare Department that they have estimated that for 1974, among the population over 50 years. 94% had less than secondary education while 83% had no qualifications attained whatsoever. Again, out of a total of over 910,000 economically active persons, of those under 30, 48% have received schooling up to secondary school and beyond, while only 3 1/2% have never attended school. This is our achievement. However, of those above 40, 1 5% have received schooling up to secondary level and beyond, while 45% have never attended school.”
“At the apex, the educational system positively adopted the modern civilisation of the West, emphasised science, developed an elite to engage in the operation of modern technology and managerial organisation. Let me emphasise. Sir, that in their basic education, the Japanese emphasised the importance of fostering Japanese values. In our case instead of stressing Singapore references, as the Member for Ulu Pandan has recommended, we are thinking of Asian values. `I have very serious doubts as to whether such a thing as "Asian values" really exist... It may exist as an image but it has no reality. If it has any meaning at all it is merely a convenient way of describing the heterogeneous, conflicting and complex network of beliefs, prejudices and values developed in the countries which for geographical purposes have been grouped as being in Asia'. Sir, these are not my words, although I agree fully with them. These words constitute a quotation from a recent publication. Asian Values and Modernisation. page 95, and belong to our own Foreign Minister who goes on later to emphasise that. `there is much in traditional values (whether Asian, Western or African) which are far more modern and more likely to give impetus to modernisation than some contemporary values.' The point I am making is that we have to ponder and select, and the basis is what I have already referred to - relevance to Singapore's development and her people's harmonious living. However, a further point has to be made. It is not only the children in our schools who need to be educated to values that will contribute to Singapore's development and the harmonious living of our people.”
“Let us start with this idea that we want a society that is reasonably secure and properly educated with reasonable prospects for economic advancement. We therefore stress economic development, dissemination of modern techniques and rational attitudes with full exploitation of the mass media to disseminate those attitudes and to change traditional outlooks that stand in the path of development and in the path of modernisation. We realise the importance of industrialisation and urbanisation, the establishment of a management elite, bureaucratisation that is necessary, the espousal of analytic intelligent modes of social appraisal, the inculcation of a sense of common destiny and belonging and the inculcation of humane and loyal regard as between one citizen and another. I do not think that this is an unreasonable statement of social aim for Singapore. But whether people agree with me totally, or disagree with what I have said partially or even totally, there must be a social aim underlying the kind of values we want to give our people. This may be illustrated by the experience of Japan. When the Japanese experienced the emergence of a modern constitutional government and the build-up of their administrative system of a modern unified state, the education system underwent changes. There emerged a two-tier structure of education in which elementary education confined to basic literacy and numeracy attached importance to ethics, moral education to foster Japanese citizens who would acquire the ethics of the family system and pledge allegiance to the family and the community.”
“Yesterday's Confucian stipulation of three cardinal guides, namely, that subject must be guided by sovereign, son must be guided by father, and wife must be guided by husband, has been described in Mao-thought as the authorities - political, clan and masculine authorities - that are the embodiment of the whole feudal system and ideology and the thick ropes binding the Chinese people, particularly the peasants. It is interesting to note how the Chinese today reject male chauvinism - a point that this all-male house might find worthy to note. In China again, today, the ideologues have attributed a highly sinister political motivation to the Confucian aim of Yu chiao wu /ui which was traditionally taken to mean giving education irrespective of class barriers. This has been described by Chinese communists as humbug, as they think that Confucian modes were designed to make the masses pliable instruments in the hands of the rulers. Even when you think of literature as containing lessons, in a spate of criticism of Water Margin in 1975, Chairman Mao was noted as having pointed out that the merit of the book Water Margin lay precisely in the portrayal of capitulation - meaning, of course, capitulation to the feudal principles; and Mao pointed out that Water Margin served as a teaching material by negative example to help all the people recognise capitulationism. Even Ge un suo neng, an lao fen p'ei will change if the communist millennium is attained. When we talk of values, therefore, let us talk of values - for what purposes, just like the Chinese in China today discuss their values in terms of the political aims and in terms of the practical condition of their society today. What is the kind of society we want to develop?”
“The Treasury official was very impressed and asked the PA official how many good Singaporeans the PA had produced. Perhaps the question was a heartless one, but it indicates the difficulty of a hard assessment of this thing called "values". Despite this difficulty, Sir, we find the addendum on the Ministry of Education declaring that great pains will be taken to ensure that pupils imbibe the tried, not simply tried and tested Asian cultural and moral values but the tried and tested Asian cultural and moral values. I shall ask the Ministry to tell me since they appear to have already identified the tried and tested virtues, what these virtues are and how they propose to teach these values. Mr Speaker, Sir, one of the pillars of development in our society has been the success in our family planning policy. With an appropriate reduction in the growth of our population we are now able to plan for measures more effectively, measures that it would have been difficult to envisage as possible even 10 years ago, because money that we will now be able to spend on these measures would otherwise have gone on the spending of less and less money on more and more people. Yet in some ways family planning would have gone against the traditional grain. Family planning is a modern idea in the sense it is administered today. Traditional agrarian cultures (whether east or west) would extol the virtues of a large family. To show that values may be difficult to determine. and undergo change, let us just observe what they are doing to Confucius in China today. They are calling him sage of the reactionary classes.”
“Such measures illustrate a practical concern for people, not a sentimental indulgence in vague expressions of care. Indeed, Sir, going through the various addenda to the President's Address, one is struck by the very tangible, material, concrete, rational, hard-headed proposals outlined. Although the addenda relate to general policy declarations, we can read about percentage growth, extension of national service to women, National Wages Council, the expansion of the domestic telephone network, and so on, including even the trite (but still particular) intention of the Ministry of Science to launch a follow-up to the Science and Industry Quiz. However, when we stray to some areas covered by the addenda on the Education and Culture Ministries, we find that we have wandered into a rather misty, if not actually foggy environment, where the landscape has become diffused, and the configuration a little blurred. The Ministry of Culture is concerned with evolving a national cultural identity and will organise activities to promote a better appreciation of our cultural heritage, and in the process protect our young against the erosion of traditional norms and values. Later on, Sir, when we come to the debate in the Committee of Supply, I hope we will hear from the Minister concerned, the specifics of such action as his Ministry intends to take. I remember, Sir, a bitter complaint from an official of the People's Association about what a budget official once asked. It seems that at a meeting with budget officials, the People's Association representative stated that his agency was involved in efforts to build a sense of national identity, and inculcate the right values in our people.”
“As secondary education was closely related to better job opportunities, does this not show how practically and realistically the Government cared? In 1959, the then Finance Minister who is now Deputy Prime Minister showed with what dismay he viewed the problem of providing education for the increasing number of children having to attend school. The Minister said [Hansard, Vol. 11, col. 785, 25.11.59]: `The large number of babies born every year may be a welcome testimony to the virility of the population but it Sets in Store problems of nightmarish proportions for the Finance Minister.' Does this not display anxiety? Does this not show that the Government cared in such a way that the Government showed itself financewise firmly committed to educational development? From 1960 to the present year, allocations for education have shown continuous growth. In 1964, despite a fall in the GNP and also a fall in Government recurrent expenditure generally. educational recurrent expenditure went up 9.2% over the previous year's expenditure. Other MPs who are interested in other fields may well record the same sense of responsible concern in other areas. But apart from concern being expressed in policy action there are indications, throughout the various addenda of more specifically humane considerations - for example: the concern for industrial safety and health expressed in the very concrete steps that are being planned, including the establishment of an occupational safety and health institute; the thinking manifested in the intention of the Ministry of Health to lay greater emphasis on primary health care, preventive medicine and health education; the sympathy for the old expressed in the establishment of the home nursing foundation.”
“Whatever the area of Government effort a Member of Parliament may find himself particularly interested in, he can assure himself of significant successes achieved in that particular area of Government activity. For example. I have been particularly interested in educational development and I have tried to make myself a little knowledgeable regarding Government's efforts in this area. There is no doubt that by any criteria. including those applied by foreign education experts. the Government's achievements in education have been impressive. The burden of the Education Ministry, in the addendum, is the qualitative improvement of our education provision, which can only be a consequence of the Government's past practical achievements, one of which most people think has been in overcoming the problem of numbers by giving a place to every child in primary school. Certainly this has been one attainment but, in my mind, one of the outstanding achievements has been in the breakthrough, number-wise as well as in terms of the diversification of provisions, in the area of secondary schooling. In 1959, the percentage of persons of the correct age enrolled in primary schools was 88%. In 1975, this percentage rose to over 98%. In 1959, the percentage of persons of correct age enrolled in secondary schools was 19% while in 1975 the number rose to about 50%. More significantly Secondary I enrolments increased from 11.5% in 1959 to nearly 55% in 1975. namely the enrolment in Secondary I rose from about 4.000 to over 30,000. While Primary I enrolment of those persons aged 6 increased by nearly 27% between 1959 and 1975, the enrolment in Secondary I of persons aged 12 increased by more than 7 1/2 times.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I rise in support of the Motion of the Member for Ulu Pandan. The results of the Elections of 1976 showed that the Government received strong support from the working classes including those who were relatively less well-off, for example, those who lived in one-room flats in HDB premises. The Ministry of Labour report of the labour force survey. 1976, indicated that 27% of employed persons received under $200 a month, while 42% received between $200-$399, and this amounts to nearly 70% of the population of employed persons. And it could not have been but that the bulk of these people and their family connections voted for us. It should therefore be the Government's right aim to continue to devote as much of its resources as possible towards improving the lot of these people. During the last elections, some opposition candidates moved hither and thither chattering about building a caring society as though this Government did not care for the people. Included among the goodies many opposition candidates were trying to sell was the offer of subsidised living. Correctly, as the Member for Ulu Pandan has pointed out, the voters refused to buy this. It is not through sentimental concepts that the quality of life of our people is best improved but that our compassion for our people should be the basis of sound, careful, determined planning and execution of policy to bring about improvements for our people. Throughout the years since 1959 through a careful husbanding of our resources, spending has been made possible on improved provisions towards building a better society all round.”
“However, as the Minister has pointed out, it is not enough merely to pass laws and implement them at the official level. For the effect of laws to be successful, it is necessary to have the full cooperation of the population. Although the ensurance of clean water supply and modern sanitation to households have eliminated many of the common infectious diseases such as cholera, some enteric diseases are still prevalent. Therefore, standards of personal hygiene have yet to be raised higher and should there be any unfortunate infection occurring, prompt reporting from the public and medical practitioners, and general public alertness are equally essential for halting the spread of infectious diseases, for notification is one of the keystones of our programme of protection of our people against infectious diseases.”
“For, not only do we have the better known infectious diseases to guard against, but there are also new exotic but nonetheless very dangerous viral afflictions, outbreaks of which have been noted in one or two countries, both developed and under developed. Powers to tackle such diseases, even if these ailments are not presently subject to international health regulations, have been incorporated in this Bill. We should remember. Mr Speaker, Sir, that Singapore is one of the healthiest countries in the world where environmental conditions are concerned and we should continue to keep it that way. Our people are provided with safe drinking water, modern sanitation and a clean environment. The inculcation of better standards of personal hygiene and public health has been part of the continuing public education programmes of the relevant Government departments, programmes that have been carried out at community centres and through mass campaigns and in other ways. Where infectious diseases have occurred sporadically, our constant vigilance and effective surveillance have paid dividends in early detection and immediate action and treatment to ensure that the diseases are brought under control quickly. It has often enough been stated that our best assets and prime resources are people. It is important that every effort be made to safeguard their health and protect them from avoidable infection: this especially so in view of the fact of the close relationship between our relatively high standard of living and our achievement in the field of public health. I am sure Hon. Members who have recently so enthusiastically played their part in the "Combat Infectious Diseases Campaign" will support fully this move to update the laws relating to the control of infectious diseases.”
“Yes. Again, oddly, an immigrant in the old Act is characterised as '(a) any person not being a first or second class passenger arriving in the waters of Singapore in a ship with the intention of landing in Singapore; (b) any person arriving at any local area n Singapore as a third class passenger in a train;' Apparently at that time they did not believe that first and second class passengers could transmit infectious diseases. Or again, '(c) any person arriving at any local area .n Singapore on foot in a bullock-cart, hire gharri ...' and so on. For the benefit of the younger members of this House whose experience may not have included acquaintance with the term "gharri", it means horse cart. This Bill, therefore, seeks to replace an old outmoded colonial piece of legislation with something more related to our present circumstances. Although some of the classic diseases which the old piece of legislation was particularly exercised over. such as small-pox and plague, have been virtually eliminated we must always keep our defences up against the risk of introduction of infectious diseases from outside Singapore. Though we do not have immigrants arriving on foot, in bullock-carts or in gharries (we have emigrants going out with forged passports!), modern modes of transport and the large influx and movement of tourists and those on business have made Singapore one of the busiest crossroads of international travel in the world. There always remains the risk of diseases being introduced without prior warning. Modern international traffic is so intensive that it is not possible to set up any kind of cordon sanitaire of the good old days. Quarantine laws have therefore to be updated in keeping with contemporary conditions.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I rise to speak in support of the Bill. To describe the introduction of this Infectious Diseases Bill as timely might well be the understatement of the year. This piece of legislation is really long overdue as the existing Quarantine and Prevention of Diseases Act which this Bill seeks largely to replace was first introduced in 1915. Many of the references in the original Act are therefore completely out of date, even to the extent of retaining quaint colonial overtones. For example, in the section in the old Act devoted to the interpretation of terms, much space is taken by reference to animals, carcass, cattle, dairy, fodder, litter, and so on.”
“Sir, why was an exception made in the case of that single school for which permission was not given for flexibility in the choice of the medium of instruction?”
“Sir, will not Tan Wah Piow's backers, as they have been described by my colleague, the Member for Kuo Chuan, whoever these shadowy individuals may be, feel encouraged to continue their disruptive tactics if he is not extradited to face charges in Singapore?”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I do not think I can express as eloquently the points made as the Member for Jalan Kayu. So that I am not accused of passing the buck, I would like to say that I support him in everything that he has said.”
“This is 1976 and we still have not got a clear idea of what we are going to do with the millions we have to-date collected, including the anticipated $57 million for this coming financial year. Could the Minister tell us what we have done specifically with the monies that we have collected, and how much has been spent for what? What is the philosophy behind the collection of this tax which actually works against the good employer who has to pay more because he pays his workers better? The idea of using the tax for incentives to develop skills is a good one because, on balance, it may be found that the inculcation of skills would make for better returns than just stashing the money away and finding as the years pass by that money value has been eroded. I think a clear explanation of policy on this subject would be advantageous. At the same time, the Minister would surely know that the Auditor-General has reported that, from a statistical sampling for the period January to June 1973, it was discovered that there was a rate of evasion of payment of this tax ranging from 5.5% to 8.8% Perhaps the Minister could care to comment on this also.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I would like to refer to the question of policy in regard to payroll tax. This subject has an interesting history. In December 1965 the then Minister for Labour, presently Minister for Culture, described the tax as one (at that time) foolishly imposed when we were in Malaysia. However, it was intended to continue collecting and to set aside the revenue to form a fund for the social security of workers. It was envisaged that a committee would be set up to put up recommendations for the implementation of the scheme. Five years later in 1970 the question of this payroll tax was again raised, by the Member for Kallang. The then Finance Minister replied that to-date (1970) a total revenue of $51 million had been collected. He added that the Government had set the question of unemployment insurance and had sought advice from ILO. An ILO expert's view, it appeared, did not favour an unemployment benefits scheme and the Government decided to abandon for the time being the introduction of unemployment insurance based on payroll tax contributions. The Finance Minister stated that Government wanted to use payroll tax contributions to offset liabilities which employers incurred when they employed discharged national servicemen who were called up for their annual training exercises. The following year in 1971 the present Finance Minister announced that he had news which employers should welcome, namely, that the proceeds of the payroll tax would be used to compensate employers for the makeup pay when national servicemen are called up for annual training exercises and to allow reimbursements to industrialists for approved training or approved apprenticeship schemes.”
“(7) That the sum to be allocated for Head V be reduced by $10 in respect of item (c) of subhead AAA 2420. (8) That the sum to be allocated for Head V be reduced by $10 in respect of item (c) of subhead AAA 2430 Mr L. P. Rodrigo: (9) That the sum to be allocated for Head V be reduced by $10 in respect of item (h) of subhead AAA 3020.”
“My second point is this. I would like to follow in the footsteps of my Hon. Friend from Whampoa in regretting that in Catholic schools, it is being insisted that sterilisation certificates will have to be accepted for priority to be given to holders of such certificates in respect of admission of their children to schools. It would seem, Sir, not unreasonable for consideration to be given to the sensibilities of authorities in Catholic schools in this matter. The Senior Minister of State has not once, but more than once, referred to ethics, sense of values, moral aspects. It is this concern that has led to the position stated by the Catholic Archbishop of Singapore. It seems anomalous when you pronounce an article of moral belief in the classroom to act against this belief in the schools' administration office. We also talk of a special personality given to schools. We want to develop certain characteristics. Some of the schools have for such characteristics certain stated beliefs and I think it is not unreasonable to take these into consideration. With that, Sir, I beg leave to withdraw my amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. The following amendment stood in the name of Mr Teong Eng Siong - (2) That the sum to be allocated for Head V be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead AAA 1008.”
“Sir, before I ask leave to withdraw my amendment, may I just make two points. I think there is a great deal of confusion about six years and seven years primary education. If there is confusion in this House, I think a clear statement from the Ministry to the public, to the parents aid to the teachers is called for. I myself have received a letter along the same lines. It seems to indicate quite clearly that we need a very, very clear statement about what is going on. An Hon. Member: Hear, hear!”
“I think we want to give our teachers all the support possible in the development of individuality in our young citizens, and we want, if possible, to encourage schools to bear the stamp and impress of each school's particular personality.”
“In the end, where community influence and school influence have combined to sharpen the competitive instinct in our young people, we get what is exemplified in the following. When a team wins a school debate on television, the members of the winning team are so completely overcome with elation that they have no care for how their opponents feel as a result of their unseemly jubilation. When results are announced at an interschool band competition at the National Stadium, the same unseemly jubilation results in near chaos on the field. Ranks are broken, nearly all semblance of order and discipline become vapourised. Where is the spirit of the game? Where is the vying in friendly competition? Where is the consideration of one young person for another in these hysterical circumstances? All this is the result of the emphasis not on individuality but on individualism. And talking of individuality, let me hark back to the odious comparison of the school to the factory. It is important that all should realise that the child at whatever stage he leaves school is never a finished product. He is a developing person. You cannot produce finished products from schools. The child is a developing person, moving to the next stage of his life, growing, changing with a personality blossoming and in some sad cases withering. I do not think our teachers are interested in producing stereotyped finished products, duly labelled and set out on the assembly line. On the whole, I think our teachers are concerned for their charges, that is why they find all the administrative and clerical work that is sometimes imposed upon them irksome.”
“The system has significant characteristics of being an impersonal one. Even in the treatment of teachers, much has been said time and again about the impersonality of directives and poor communication between the Ministry and the people in the field. This impersonality can be further illustrated by the way a very senior Ministry official, in addressing school principals, likened a school to a factory, principals to managers, and pupils to factory products. With that kind of attitude characterising the thinking of a very senior man, what sort of human component do you expect to be worked in to the attitude towards children? This sort of attitude has led to the notion that the school can provide the inputs that will result in a pupil endowed with the right knowledge and attitudes. We have not thought too often about the fact that the child's environment also determines the way he behaves. We have changed the physical environment for thousands of our children as a result of our successes in the housing field. But is it not possible for us to try, through the mass media especially, to reach to the home and community environment, to the parents and adult citizens, to show them how they might reinforce what we teach our children in schools. However, even what we teach our children in schools in respect of their cultural, historical, geographical environment becomes subordinate to other considerations as, for example, Education for Living having to be in the second language. Education for Living should be taught by Education-for-Living teachers, not by second language teachers. Frequently the two specialisms do not coincide.”
“That, however, seems to be a little dimmed when they enter into school. Once our children go to school they become enmeshed, geared into a system that is heavily influenced by a compulsion to achieve, initially in a superficial way, namely, the examination. Towards the aim of passing examinations, pupils will obediently lap up even a surfeit of information (I think our school curricula are over-loaded), and regurgitate what is appropriate for examination purposes. Generally our children give the appearance of being obedient and well disciplined. Or is it that they are subservient and subordinate to the petty needs to achieve in examination. Of course, many do not achieve. The normal distribution of talent would exclude them from the meritocratic upper strata. Emphasis on competition has resulted in the inculcation of some very good virtues -for example, a willingness to work hard and to strive after set objectives. But because of the need to achieve distinction in schools, teachers too have been tempted to Orientate their teaching simply to those factors that are tested and are revealed by examinations. In the process a fundamental educational principle is ignored. The system becomes subject-oriented, not pupil-oriented. The basic principle that you learn when you are at the Teachers' Training College or normal classes or at the Institute of Education is that you care for the little children. You orientate your effort towards the children, not towards what you want to teach them. They are not bottles into which you fill little things. It is no wonder that we have discovered in dismay lapses into illiteracy in fact possibility that literacy may never have been achieved by some who have gone through the primary stages of our school system.”
“We have established the Industrial Training Board in response to an important article in our education policy, namely, that of contributing towards a better and more productive economy. We have done our best to take care of the material aspects of our policy with emphasis on science and technology. technical training, a chance for everybody to prepare himself for a job for which he may be well fitted. We have encouraged bilingualism and multi-lingualism in response also to the needs for integration in a multi-racial community. These lines of policy direction are as relevant today as they were in 1959. Yet we seem to have missed out on some important ingredient. I am not talking about the changes which have been many indeed: for example, we have had three or four Ministers of Education within the space of less than 1 5 months - a high turnover rate indeed. Changing directives have been freely issued but these switches, modifications and variations are not basically the ailment, they seem to me to be symptoms. They indicate that we have been more concerned with the educational outcomes that we wanted or thought we could contrive. The point is we were so concerned with objects and objectives that we lost sight of the fact that we were dealing with children and people. Let us just consider the following scenario relating to the early education of our children. At a pre-school stage our children are brought up in an atmosphere of care and attention. Parents show their great affection for their children by looking after them well, and even by indulging them. Our children respond with a freshness. We can see it in the kindergarten classes in the community centres when we organize little occasions for children. They respond with a freshness.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to he allocated for Head v be reduced my $10 in respect of subhead AAA 1004*. (* The same amendment also stood in the names of Messrs L. P. Rodrigo. Hwang Soo Jin. N. Govindasamy. Sia Khoon Seong. Ng Kah Ting. Ho Kah Leong, P. Govindaswamy and Ch'ng Jit Koon.) No ministry in our Government has been as riddled with problems as the Ministry of Education. Only last year one of the previous Ministers for Education came out with a restructured system which he claimed was not an exercise on paper. A warning was sounded in the House that what seemed to have started with a bang might end with a whimper and actually this seems to have come to pass, because new directions have this year been laid down. How is ii that all these things have happened in education? The basic education policy of the Government was laid down in the chapter Spring Source of our Nation, incorporated in the Party manifesto The Tasks Ahead, in 1959. I agree with the previous Minister, who is now the Minister for Science and Technology, that basically this policy has not changed. Throughout the years of PAP rule. this policy has been assiduously adhered to because it was shown to have continuous relevance and to be grounded in a clear-sighted understanding of issues. So we have trained teachers and built schools to give everybody a place and a chance for primary education. We have given places in secondary school to all who have qualified for it. We have established the Institute of Education to provide for more varied and better quality of training of teachers; although here presently a constituent has written to me commenting upon the alarmingly small output of teachers from the Institute of Education.”
“I beg leave to withdraw my amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.”
“If left too long to themselves, it is possible that these little groups of idle young people might turn to petty or more serious crime. Most of the members of these groups are unemployed and have time on their hands. The Special Constabulary teams make, I am told, patient overtures to these groups and try to direct their attention and energies towards more meaningful activities. Some success has been achieved in that many of these boys have voluntarily turned up at Police stations to play games against Police teams; they have been found jobs and their social attitudes have gradually changed towards one less apprehensive of authority and more cooperative towards society generally. An extension of this scheme has been contrived to involve some work in my own constituency and I am looking forward to successful results which I am told may be in the offing. 6.00 p.m. This is the kind of work that many of our young Special Constabulary national servicemen would like to be involved in. Many of these national servicemen have groused against meaningless activities which they have been forced to perform. Here is one area admittedly of experiment but if successful, other kinds of similarly useful socially orientated activities could be planned, possibly with the collaboration of the Ministry of Social Affairs. I would certainly recommend greater support for this kind of work that is being done by the Ministry of Home Affairs. 6.02 p.m. [Mr Deputy Speaker in the Chair]”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head U be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead BHA 1111*. (* The same amendment also stood in the name of Mr N.Govindasamy.) I would like to express the hope that additional expenditure to be incurred in this section for the Special Constabulary will result in improvement in the organisation and achievement of the Special Constabulary. I myself have received some reports about the Special Constabulary which I might perhaps describe as disquieting. These reports relate to weaknesses in the system of allocation of duties to Special Constabulary part-time national servicemen. They relate to lack of supervision to ensure that the men actually are out there on the beat that they have been given. These reports also relate to lax discipline, even such activity known as skiving or duty evasion. Specific instances illustrating these weaknesses have been brought to my attention. I am sure the Minister is as well aware as I am of these faults. However, there is one development which I think deserves special encouragement and praise, and the re-examination of its implication as to its more universal applicability in the Special Constabulary as a whole. I am referring to a small experimental scheme that has been started in the G Division under which my own constituency comes. This scheme involves the sending out of teams composed of Special Constabulary national servicemen and regulars to neighbourhoods, especially housing estates, to identify and strike up relationships with groups of idle youth. These young people may be noticed horsing around, playing football where they are not supposed to, making a noise with guitars and other ways of noise-making, and causing a nuisance of themselves.”