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 Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.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.”
The complete record
Every one of 567 lines we hold for J.F. Conceicao, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 5 of 12.
“No. But it is in the circumstances that we find ourselves faced with, that I am just seeking a way out that is possible. At the same time, those who come for abortion should be given adequate counselling. The Minister referred to the Lane Report. But the Lane Report also referred to the necessity for adequate counselling for those who come for abortion, counselling that will perhaps avoid abortions later on, by which I mean a return for further abortions. The rate of recidivism in abortions, according to the Minister's own figures, seems to be quite high. I would urge that these people be given adequate counsel. Another point which the Minister has not mentioned in respect of the Lane Report is that it has also referred to the necessity that should a pregnancy be terminated after 24 weeks the abortion would be for induction of birth. We should also provide that particular measure when people come for abortion. I think we should try our best, Mr Speaker, Sir, not to touch the tradition in our society as far as we can-the tradition that holds on moral, ethical or religious grounds, that abortion is a regrettable act and one that should be avoided as far as possible. Abortion, therefore, should not be a mere substitute for family planning. We should encourage as much as possible those who do come for abortion to weigh all the considerations. There has been apparently a weighing of considerations, in view of the figures given of those who were permitted abortions but who did not eventually accept. We should encourage this consideration so that respect for life is something that we hold valuable in our society.”
“For those who are against abortion, they should try as far as they can to bring home to their own people such knowledge of family planning practices as they themselves find approvable, and those people - religionists, adherents of faiths who have international affiliations - should give all the support they can to research to provide, if possible (and I do not think it is impossible), the means of family planning which they find approvable. Mr Speaker, Sir, another point is that we should as far as possible encourage those who, in my own way of thinking, regretfully want abortion. We should encourage them to have their abortions as early as possible. I mean when they understand that a child is coming, the realisation comes early. If a person indeed has to have an abortion, then it should be done as early as possible, and this is tied up with the question of additional knowledge or complete knowledge in respect of family planning. I hope this is not taken to imply that I support abortion.”
“I do not intend any pejorative implication. There has been effective planned propaganda to sell the idea to the people, and the people have responded. But it is necessary for people like myself and others to assert their own particular viewpoint and, having asserted that, to see what can be done that is practical and what are the realities of the situation. This is the art of the possible. We expect that there may be some ill-effects of this Bill. What can be done to mitigate such ill effects? One of the things we should try to encourage as much as possible is greater and more intensive family education, not merely family education for the sake of family planning but family education to bring home to the people in a family their responsibility to each other - how they have to provide supports one for the other in a family. This is a very traditional local ethic and it has to be encouraged as much as possible, with emphasis on the integrity of the individual in the family. Of course, with this family education, one has to intensify understanding of family planning in all sorts of ways so that, as far as possible, people can avoid resorting to abortion. In this context, Mr Speaker, Sir, I crave your indulgence to let me make an appeal to people, like leaders of religious faiths, to intensify their own efforts to bring home to their own adherents the notion of the value of life and respect for the integrity of the individual.”
“Sir, despite the considerable self-satisfaction, even aplomb, confidence and, very likely in his mind, the positive assertions with which the Minister has presented this Abortion Bill to further liberalise the law relating to abortion, the facts still remain that abortion is a very vexed question. In this House in 1969 and even now, you hear all sorts of views, some very emotionally expressed, some with a lacing of purported wit. Even the Minister has not been free from certain emotion-charged phraseology. This problem of abortion is certainly a very vexed question. There are many people in Singapore who look upon this Act with grave misgivings; people who feel that abortion is even an outright abomination. These people are not rebels, Mr Speaker, Sir. They are not bad people. They are not anti-Government. They are decent law-abiding people. I would expect that more than 70 per cent of such people voted for the Government in the last election. They support the Government. The Minister would consider them very sane, intelligent, rational, and even good looking people. I myself would like to express considerable sympathy with the views of these people, and I would express it in as sombre a way as I can. Having said that, Mr Speaker, Sir, there is no doubt in my mind whatsoever that this Bill will be passed today. Let us look at the reality of it all. Arranged opposite are people who will definitely cause this Bill to be passed. Arranged on this side are people who are speaking with opposing voices. There is no doubt that this Bill will be passed. At the same time, a climate of apparent social approbation has been aroused by very effective Government propaganda, and I am using the word "propaganda" in the same way as it is used in propaganda fide, propagation of faith.”
“But this one is not a careful driver. Question put, and agreed to. Bill accordingly read a Second time and committed to a Committee of the whole House. The House immediately resolved itself into a Committee on the Bill.-[Mr Chai Chong Yii]. Bill considered in Committee. [Mr Speaker in the Chair] 4.10 p.m. Clauses 1 to 9 inclusive ordered to stand part of the Bill. Clause 10 -”
“Sir, would the Minister like to touch on the point regarding the suspension of licence and the necessity for a test? I have asked the question, "Are we expecting so many suspensions that the testers would not be able to attend to them; or i5 it more beneficial to keep a few people waiting than to get these people who had their licences suspended to come for a retest?"”
“On a point of clarification, Sir. In his reply to my suggestion that those who are suspended need another test, the Minister of State stated that there are so many people waiting for tests that this is not feasible. Is he implying that it is more beneficial to let a suspended driver off without a re-test than to keep a few other people waiting? Or is he expecting so many people to have their licences taken away that his officials have no time to give another test?”
“I have been informed that they evade tests by renewing their provisional licences again and again, so that we have on the roads quite a number of people who do not feel competent to take their motor-cycle test. Perhaps some limit should be placed on the length of time during which they can be allowed to renew their provisional licences, so we can be assured that in view of the fairly high motorcycle accident rates efforts are being taken by motor-cyclists to use their vehicles safely. Finally, it is a pity that the Minister for Education is not here. I would like to congratulate the Minister for Education for coming out in such solid support for the principle and for the spirit of this educational campaign by instructing schools - oh, yes, the Parliamentary Secretary is here - to support this "accident-free" campaign. I think this support has to be on the basis of the entire Government, not merely of one or two Ministries. All Government Ministries should support this campaign in various ways, principally by seeing that their own vehicles obey the laws. I may mention to the Minister for Communications that I saw one of his own Ministry's vehicles committing a minor infringement. Perhaps that driver deserves one or two points! Again, I have also seen the Ministry of the Environment's vehicles on the wrong side of the road - one sampah lorry was going up a one-way street in the wrong direction. These infringements are setting bad examples to others. So I think Government departments should particularly see that their own vehicles proceed correctly on the road. And I am very glad that the Minister for National Development is here now because I think the condition of our roads requires his serious consideration!”
“In fact, he might have been the cause of dangerous injuries to other people. And yet after a period of six months, at least, without any driving, he is allowed to go back on the road without any assurance that he indeed can drive well and with responsibility. Therefore, I think that when a person has had his licence suspended, he should not be allowed to resume driving unless he has undergone another driving test. This brings me to another point which I would like to bring up, Sir, and that is the very high rate of failures of those people who take the driving test. The Minister's own officers will confirm that three-quarters of those who take the test fail. The average rate of passing is only 25 per cent. What does this signify, Mr Speaker? Does it signify that people go for the test on a tikam tikam basis: just try your luck without really preparing yourself for the test? Or does it signify that any Chang San and Lee Ssu can teach his brother, sister or friend to drive, and expect this person to rush off into a test? On the basis of this high rate of failure, perhaps we should seriously consider that those who wish to teach people to drive ought to be specially licensed to do so. This matter has cropped up before, I think, with the Ministry of Communications. Perhaps we could be enlightened as to why this has not been implemented. There must have been good reasons, but I would suggest that this matter be given further consideration. Another point, Mr Speaker, Sir, is that - perhaps I may be imagining -there seems to be more "L" licence holders among the motor-cycle fraternity in Singapore than those who have actually passed the test. Anyway, there seems to be too many of these motorcyclists with "L" plates.”
“Sir, may I just recapitulate a few points that have been raised during this campaign, because while there has been debate and suggestions outside Parliament, I think the final arbitrating forum is Parliament itself. So let me just make one or two points, Mr Speaker, Sir. First, the Points Demerit System. Instead of considering this system as drastic or Draconian, maybe we should extend it to include even the less grave offences. It may not be quite inappropriate, today particularly, for me to resort to some religious imagery. There are, Sir, mortal sins and venial sins. Perhaps what has been incorporated administratively in the Points System may be for mortal sins, but I think we ought also to give one, two or three points for venial sins. If I may just enlighten this House further on this religious matter, may I say that no amount of venial sin can equal one mortal sin. But venial sins lead to mortal sins. So I think we should also attempt to penalise those who infringe even in minor matters, just to bring to their minds the possibility that through their carelessness they may infringe seriously. So I would appeal both to the Minister for Communications as well as to the Minister for Home Affairs to consider implementing the Points System on the basis of one, two or three points for other minor offences. Another point I would like to bring up, Mr Speaker, Sir, is that when a licence is taken away from a person for six months or for a longer period by a court order, it is not correct to allow a person to resume driving just like that. You must remember, Sir, that this person has had his licence suspended because he has infringed the law gravely. He has been a danger to life and limb of other people.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, in view of the very sad state of discipline on the roads today, a matter on which much has been said in the last few weeks, and in view of the frequent display of disregard for lawful behaviour on the roads, no sensible person, I think, has any other alternative than to support this Bill completely. And I rise to voice my unqualified support for this Bill. Mr Speaker, Sir, it is interesting to note that this debate on the Second Reading of this Bill is being conducted actually during a period in which a campaign has been launched and is very much in the process of implementation. To my mind and to my personal and great satisfaction, I interpret this as highlighting the role of legislation in continuing public education.”
“Sir, under this subhead, I would just like to ask for some information or clarification. I am rather curious about the description of this Unit for co-operative development. I would like to ask what sort of encouragement this Unit gives to the development of co-operatives and parenthetically, maybe we could know what are the co-operatives that come within the purview or supervision of this Co-operative Development Unit. What sort of co-operatives are involved, and whether we have adequately trained staff to conduct the encouragement of the development of co-operatives? I would also like to know what sort of supervision or monitoring of the existing co-operatives is exercised by this Co-operative Development Unit to see that the co-operatives are run and managed properly for the benefit of the members of the co-operatives. In this connection, it would also be useful to know whether we have the staff who understand the management of co-operatives and who also understand the accounting problems associated with these co-operatives so that they may be able to see any shortcomings in the management of these co-operatives. They may thus also be able to assure themselves that the accounts are properly rendered and that members of the co-operatives do not suffer because there have been cases of certain shortcomings in the running of co-operatives.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the Minister for Social Affairs had given me a very adequate answer to an Oral Question on this topic, and since he had expressed his satisfaction with the work of the Probation and Aftercare Officers, I will not move this amendment.”
“Sir, I am very happy with the Minister's answer, and I beg leave to withdraw my amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. The time allotted for Head IA having expired, the following amendment standing in the name of Dr Ong Leong Boon was not proceeded with - (12) That the total sum to be allocated for Head JA in respect of the Main Estimates be reduced by $100. The sum of $32,393,370 for Head JA ordered to stand part of the Main Estimates. The sum of $15,489,510 for Head JA ordered to stand part of the Development Estimates. Head KA --”
“They are just as important to stimulate, as I have said, in our people a response to their cultural environment, an appreciation, an awareness of their heritage,. I think this will just as much contribute to a sense of unity among our people, even more so perhaps, than the Science Centre with which I certainly have no quarrel. I remember the senior Parliamentary Secretary in the debate on the Budget Statement last year in March, 1973, saying that more attention should be paid to the building and strengthening of the infrastructure for the development of culture and the Minister himself has said in March last year that he wanted to get down to something realistic where culture is concerned. Apparently he wanted to shy away from the abstract. How much more realistic can you get than by contriving to get monetary support for the development of the Museum. I hope, Mr Speaker, Sir, in the very little time he has left to answer the questions that I have raised, the Minister will give us some creative and new answers, otherwise we may have to ask the same questions again and he will say that we are "putting new wine into old bottles". If he were not to uncock the old wine bottle and give out answers that are old, perhaps we can ask questions which will represent a wine of a very fine timbre and quality.”
“' The people who are running the Museum have got ideas, they have energy, but they have no support in practical terms, namely, money. There are many categories of collections in the Museum which are in storage. There are objects illustrating everyday life of our people through various stages of the development of our society. These exhibits have to be presented in an interesting way with an appeal to visual and audial responses and with an appeal, if possible, to a sense of touch and of movement. We need to use dioramas, where these can fruitfully be used, and not the dull bulky cases with which the present Museum is being equipped and which it has inherited, like worthless heir-looms. And the artifacts, which the Museum has, which relate to our heritage have to be interestingly presented because they would be helpful in stimulating a sense of history and cultural tradition in our people and a pride in them in our cultural environment. Sadly, many of these artifacts have deteriorated. Woodwork has been affected by worms and termites; inappropriate lighting has caused fabric to fade, bleach and even crumble. It is very necessary that conservation measures should be undertaken, otherwise evidence -valuable evidence - of our cultural past will be irretrievably lost. As I have said, we can generate the expertise, the energy, the initiative to be directed towards this sort of cultural development but we need financial support. Large sums of money have been appropriated for the development of the Science Centre, and certainly an understanding of our scientific environment is also part of our culture. But what about the aspects of our culture that may be enshrined and presented in our Museum of art and history?”
“Besides alterations to house the University collection, there are alterations projected to turn a portion of the National Museum into an art gallery to display the paintings of our own artists as well as others and to represent an attempt to further encourage the development of art and artistic appreciation among our people. However, we are not sure whether this new art gallery will actually materialise. The proposal to construct this art gallery is based on a subvention, at least it is based on an optimistic expectation of a subvention, from the Arts Council of about three-quarter million dollars. As a result of the increase in costs, the total sum required is over $1 million. The tender for the construction of this art gallery in the National Museum has to be accepted within a matter of days. I would like the Minister's assurance that steps would be taken to ensure that instructions are given for the work to be proceeded with, otherwise I am afraid circumstances will arise that may well abort the proposal to provide Singapore with an art gallery in the very near future. Furthermore, even after the art gallery materialises, and I most solemnly and heartily hope that this art gallery will materialise, it is necessary for assurance to be given to keep this art gallery alive by building up its collection and encouraging activities around the art gallery. There are yet other aspects of renovations to the National Museum which I would like to comment on. In the addendum to the Presidential Address recorded in Hansard of 12th October, 1972, col. 48, a paragraph reads: `The Museum .., is being reorganised as a display centre devoted to the art, history and anthropology of the peoples of this region.”
“Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head JA be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead GA 3001. Sir, this sum of $215,000 is earmarked for such renovations as are required to prepare appropriate accommodation to house the art collection of the University of Singapore. I support this development, of course. The University art collection, valuable and interesting as it is, will now be made available to a much wider audience of our citizens who will find its new location at the National Museum more convenient than its old location at the University. The art collection is notable especially for the ceramics which cover a development from 2000 BC to the 19th century AD. The ceramic collection shows the development of Chinese and South-east Asian ceramics over a period of more than 3,000 years. Other items like cloth and textiles together with the ceramic collection reflect the spread of Chinese and Indian influence through trade in South-east Asia. There is also sculpture in bronze and stone, as well as other items of historical value like, for example, topographical water-colours artistically executed by a well-known artist. Therefore, both the University and the Ministry of Culture deserve the thanks of the public for taking steps to make items of our common heritage more easily available for the enjoyment of our people. However, I would like to use this amendment also as a peg to hang a reference to what has not been done as well as to what has been done.”
“Sir, time is getting short, and since I would like to give opportunity for other matters under the Ministry of Culture to be discussed, I am not moving all three amendments*. * The amendments, standing in the name of Mr J. F. Conceicao, read as follows: (6) That the sum to be allocated for Head JA be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead AA 2030. (7) That the sum to be allocated for Head JA be reduced by $10 in respect of item (a) of subhead AA 2730. (8) That the sum to be allocated for Head JA be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead AA 2901.”
“I think the Ministry of Culture should in no doubtful terms place their requirements firmly before the Ministry of Finance so that we can get money to implement our cultural programmes.”
“I think this could be done through competitions sponsored by the Ministry of Culture, and we should have more of these things. Surely we could get sponsors for these programmes and, if it is necessary, the Ministry of Culture could try and try again, because we should not be discouraged if our initial efforts do not meet with adequate response. We should try to encourage people to participate in these competitions. At some juncture I think we will produce the occasional person who may strike a happy harmony in what he has to offer to the other people in our society. If I may quote an English poet: `Full many a gem of purest ray serene, The dark unfathomed caves of ocean bare.' If I may also resort to an image with which Members have become a little more familiar recently: `Full many a flower is born to blush unseen, And waste its sweetness on the desert air.' Now we want, of course, those things to emerge - the flower and the gem. All in all, I think, Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, that we have a very good infrastructure where cultural development is concerned. The physical infrastructure is there. What we lack is maybe finance, but we have a Ministry of Culture and a hardworking Minister. In many countries, they do not even have a Ministry of Culture. They have a Ministry which is allied to the Ministry of Education or some other Ministry, like Information. But we have a Ministry of Culture, and we have other aspects of infrastructure, like the National Theatre and the People's Association. I think we should use all these devices and tools to further pursue our cultural policy more vigorously. What we need more, particularly, is money.”
“This is just a small point. But I think that since we are really in need of cultural encouragement and development, every little thing adds to the sum total of our achievement. I also brought up the question of cross-fertilisation of cultures and getting people from one culture to understand the background of another culture. The Minister also agreed that it was a good idea. Of course, he had some reservations and these were our lack of personnel and their ability to carry forward programmes of this nature. I would like to ask him whether he has made any effort to develop such personnel. My experience last year, after I had made some comments about the lack of such opportunities, was that I was interviewed by somebody from the Broadcasting Department who was actually trying to discredit what I had said. In fact, he concocted a programme which attempted to discredit what I said about cross-fertilisation. But in that very programme, he showed Ravi Shankar playing his instrument with lots of explanations, which was, in fact, a proof of the correctness of what I had said. The Minister himself agreed. Fortunately for the Ministry of Culture, this person is now no more in the Ministry of Culture but peddling stocks and shares in the stock market. He has removed himself. There is another point which I think could be raised in regard to the encouragement of greater cultural participation. I have mentioned that we want to get something that is indigenous, something that we can feel we belong to. I think more encouragement should be given to our people to compose music that is related to our environment, to choreograph a dance that is more related to our environment, or to write short literary plays on topics that are related to our cultural environment.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, it is a pity that the previous speaker took a little bit seriously the injunction of the Member for Sembawang to be punctual. First of all, Sir, may I just comment on some of the remarks made regarding the unhealthy pursuits to which our young people and others are exposed to because of the dearth of better cultural opportunities. I think the Ministry of Culture has done a great deal to fill in the gap but perhaps, especially because of a lack of financial support, it has not been able to do as much as it should have done or could have done. But when we think in terms of trying to offer people better opportunities to understand or to indulge in some cultural pursuits, perhaps a better understanding of the cultural environment would contribute to taking them away from interest in something which has less cultural value. I have brought up this point previously, Sir, regarding encouraging our people to know their own environment a little better, and even the question of their, knowing a little bit of the history of our country, interesting historical places, and the interesting stories behind these places, and in this way cultivating a sense of belonging to this place. I think if we can encourage this a little bit more, there can gradually be built a feeling of greater belonging, a feeling of greater interest in history and cultural development and the roots which we have in our own environment. I remember the Minister for Culture said, in last year's debate on the Budget, that he thought it was a good idea to encourage talks and lectures on our historical places. But I have not seen any great multiplication of opportunities of this sort of thing either over the air or through the People's Association or some other organisation.”
“Sir, I would just like to ask whether the Member could speak a little slower, because I find his speech extremely interesting. He is going so fast that I cannot follow him.”
“' Constructive criticism, as the Minister has asked, yes, but it is no use wasting time over laments and heated argument. And I hope the boys up there will note this too. `The Minister for Communications is himself most acutely and painfully aware of our bus situation. [Aren't you, Sir?] I have no doubt that, if it is necessary and feasible for the Government to take over the bus service, then this will be done [and I am not seeking any headlines when I make that particular remark.] The Minister has shown his determination to maintain a course of action he deems best under the circumstances. [Is that not correct, Sir?] Surely this conclusion has not been reached without a total assessment of choices. [That is correct also, Sir.] I do not see any alternative to giving the Minister and his aides a chance to vindicate their judgements [that is correct, too. And, of course, we shall all be judges, and the public will be judges as to whether the Minister and his aides vindicate their judgement, Sir.] At the same time I would like to be assured that, while every attempt is being made to whip up the necessary hardware - buses, repair facilities, and so on - to meet the situation, the matter of training of relevant management both inside and outside the SBS is also being pursued vigorously.' I think I have put my words in their correct perspective, Sir.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, we are very grateful to the Minister for having put the words that he had uttered in May, 1968, in the right perspective, and we are certainly impressed by the assertion that he has made in his apologia just now. Sir, I would like to take this opportunity to put my own words in their correct perspective. I did say that the Minister had referred to the problem of transport at that time, in the words I quoted. And I would like to use my own particular words if I may, Sir, and I am sure they are in Hansard (Hansard, 15th March, 1974 (cols. 192-3) by this time. These were the words I said: `We have to look to the improvement of the SBS. We hope the Minister for Communications will eventually be able to contrive for us "a regular, efficient, clean and courteous service". [I have no doubt about that. But let me go on.] These words were the words the Minister for Communications used in May 1968, when he spoke of what he would set out to do in respect of the dependability of the transport service. [Now I do not think I have in any way distorted what has actually been said.] Even at that time [I continued during the debate on the Budget Statement] the Minister was already answering queries regarding the inefficient and poor service of our bus companies. It is unfortunate [and this is what I added; these are my own words] that things should have come to an even sorrier pass today, six years later.' I think that is a referential description of the state of things. But let me continue to quote what I actually said, Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir. `Having said this, one must also admit that it is no use wasting time over laments and heated argument.”
“The allegation is that she fell from the bus as the bus was moving, prematurely. One swallow does not make a summer, but there have been many swallows! This just dramatises the point that there is still a lot to correct where the present service is concerned.”
“Well, we have already gone back to those days as I pointed out when we had mosquito buses, each being owned by an individual entrepreneur picking up passengers along the way. There is not very much difference, going back to the days of the pirate taxis. Sir, may I just point out to the Minister that I am not suggesting that we go back to the days of the pirate taxis, knowing how sensitive he is about this particular subject. In any case, why worry about the competition that' this poses to the present SBS? In any case, again, I wonder whether the 8 per cent which we have been hearing so much about is an adequate incentive to hard-headed businessmen who might be able to get the same amount of return by just putting the money in fixed deposits. Since this is so and since we cannot expect too much of a service from the SBS, as has already been indicated by several comments in the House, what we want to do is already being done by the Minister monitor very carefully the operations with our own staff and with our own managers, and train their managers in as thorough a way as possible so that, should we be faced with the eventuality, we can run the bus services ourselves. I think the problem of training our own managers, as well as managers in the SBS, if we trust them that far, is one that we have to look into very, very seriously. We have talked about improvement on the general situation and people feeling a little bit more relieved, but that is not because as I said of the SBS. Only today we have had, in the very short time that I was in the Members' Room, one of the Members complaining about the behaviour of a driver along a certain road resulting in the niece of a Minister being now in hospital.”
“One way would be to try and allow them to pick up passengers all along the route. This is one of the suggestions. It is up to the Minister to consider it and see whether it is feasible. He has asked me for suggestions and I have given one as an example. An hon. Member: Then we would be going back to the days of the pirate taxis!”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, just a few points. I hope this would not be the straw that would break the camel's back. I want to refer to a point that was raised previously regarding the operations of the supplementary bus service and the competition that this supplementary bus service is affording in a very small way to the Singapore Bus Service Ltd. There has been a very appreciative reaction to the service provided by the supplementary bus service. People talk about the comfort in which they travel, the smooth ride, the politeness that they are met with when they board the buses, the consideration they are shown. This stands in rather violent contrast to the experience that people have had and are still having when they travel on the SBS. The improvement has really come from this competition, and commuters now have a chance of choosing and the choice is an indication of a vote against the SBS, so to speak. Now they have the ability of saying: "We do not want to travel by the SBS if we have a chance. We prefer another service." So the point that I raised yesterday was: why do we not try and encourage some more competition? Perhaps the response has not been adequate so far because the incentives for people to come in and compete are not adequate. So why do we not provide some more incentives? I am sure the Minister for Communications will not be hard put to, to think of such incentives, if he is thinking along this direction.”
“Does the Member want the Government to support the SBS?”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, we are awaiting your ruling.”
“On a point of order, Sir,I think it would be more appropriate to discuss the public transport system under the head, Registry of Vehicles. Some of us have already tabled amendments under that head and hope to raise this matter under it.”
“That would prevent me from asking any supplementary questions, Sir,I would prefer it to be deferred.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, Question No. 1. The absence of the Minister for Finance being noted -”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I would like to raise just a very brief point. This year we are reserving a large sum of money for the purchase of properties for foreign missions. The sum has been raised from $8 million last year to $25 million this year. I remember when I paid a brief visit to Tokyo a few years ago, I discovered that there was a piece of property which we could have bought quite cheaply. But prices have gone up considerably by now. And the same may be said of other places too. I think we should try and see whether there are economic advantages in our purchase of properties for foreign missions, and to take quick advantage of these opportunities. May I say that if the Minister wants my support, certainly he has got it where this sort of thing is concerned.”
“I am very happy with the Minister's reply, and I beg leave to withdraw my amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. The sum of $487,489,450 for Head DA ordered to stand part of the Main Estimates. The sum of $43,300,000 for Head DA ordered to stand part of the Development Estimates. Head EA --”
“I could not understand what those actresses were singing, but the part which I saw and understood I appreciated profoundly. I might mention particularly the humorous sketches. I think they are of a quality that may be appropriate for presentation over our television. Some of the jokes are somewhat earthy, but I am sure our civilian population will be able to take them. I was rather struck by the originality of the satire and the wit. I would imagine that the presentation of such humorous sketches over TV would also serve to introduce parents to some of the situations which our young servicemen encounter and deal with, perhaps in very characteristic fashion when inducted into national service. At the road show I was also struck by the vibrant way in which the English language was used, and by the rich new coinages the SAF are contributing to the English language. Let me give a few examples, Mr Speaker, Sir. The word khoon means sleep, as in the sentence, "Hey, soldier, you are good at khooning even with your eyes open, huh!" The word gabra means a fumbler; a skiver is a person who specialises in getting off the hook, one who is not willing to do the job, or one who sticks to the same universal army principle of never-volunteering. Maybe that might affect the Minister's reply when he talks about the PDF! Then we have the frequent use of the word sabo, which means, to undermine another person's status. I would suggest that we encourage some of our young research lecturers at the University's Department of English to look a little bit more closely into this very healthy contribution of the SAF to the development of the English language in Singapore.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head DA be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead AA 2902. I have one or two points to raise, Sir,I hope you will be a little indulgent as you were in the case of the Prime Minister's Head of Expenditure. The first relates to the People's Defence Force. I believe that the PDF is now only a small force, consisting of almost as many officers and senior NCOs as there are men. I have been told that the PDF is a sort of a descendant of the SVC, the Singapore Volunteer Corps of which I believe our respected Minister of Defence was himself a member. Many well-known Singaporeans, including a few of our senior military officers, are proud of their connections with the volunteers. We have a full-fledged military establishment based principally on national service but there are those who are asking what is happening to the PDF. The SVC has given us some interesting traditions of volunteer military service, and I wonder whether the Minister could say something that might resolve the ambiguous situation that prevails at the moment. The next point relates to the accident that recently happened at SAFTI, when people were killed and injured. I wonder whether the Minister would like to say a little bit more about this accident, if he has the time, of course -- whether there is any fault that may be attributed to people or agency so that further additional precautionary measures can be taken to ensure greater insurance against such accidents. Finally, Sir, I would like to refer to the road show, not necessarily the one which the Member for Sembawang had a look at. Personally I was extremely impressed by what I saw.”
“Sir, can the Minister inform the House whether he has enough staff to man the Weights and Measures Unit?”
“Only to have a look at the traffic, Sir! WEIGHTS AND MEASURES OFFICE (Functions of) 10. Mr J. F. Conceicao asked the Minister for Finance if he will explain the principal functions and highlight the main activities and achievements, in the year 1973, of the Weights and Measures Unit of his Ministry.”
“Sir, will the Minister be willing to come out with me and have a look at the condition on the roads? I shall then find out whether he is satisfied.”
“Sir, may I ask the Minister whether he is satisfied that the action taken against those vehicles, which violate traffic regulations and which have non-Singapore licence plates, has succeeded in reducing infringements to a tolerable extent?”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, in respect of the Minister's comment that action is always taken against those who commit infringements against traffic regulations, does he mean he is satisfied that the intensity of such infringements has been reduced to a tolerable point? Mr Chua Sian Chin: Sir, I do not know whether the supplementary question o the Member for Katong has arisen from the main question. The main question is on taking action against vehicles displaying non-Singapore licence plates and, in that respect, I said that he is assured that action is always taken.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, in that case, does the Minister not think that such competition will spur the SBS into making a better provision for its service? And the result should be that the Minister might consider giving more encouragement to this supplementary transport service.”
“Sir, will the Minister be able to say whether there has been any effect on the takings of the SBS because of the operation of the supplementary transport service?”
“When the improvement of the bus system comes about adequately, we must be prepared to park our car in the periphery of the city centre and go into town by public transport. At the same time as our citizens learn to co-operate more closely with one another, I think, Government itself should pay a little more attention to cultural development in Singapore. I hope to say a little more on this during the debate on the Estimates, but our financial officials should remember that the returns to culture are not calculable only in terms of dollars and cents; that sound cultural values and development are real contributions to the welfare of our people, the welfare of our State. Although, if our Budget officials ask, "What is the profitability in encouraging cultural development?", it would be difficult to explain to them. To illustrate that we cannot make a proper cost-benefit analysis of culture unless we bring all sorts of imponderables into consideration, let me refer to a rather well-worn joke in music circles about the efficiency expert hired to make a time and motion study of a symphony orchestra in performance. This efficiency expert reported with horror that the overall efficiency of the orchestra was barely over 50 per cent because many of the musicians were actually playing only part of the time. I hope that it is not this kind of misguided attitude that will characterise the attitude also of Government in respect of the future development of cultural policy in Singapore, in respect of which incidentally I have looked in vain in the Budget Statement for some reference. Despite this, Sir, I beg to support the financial policy of Government as outlined in the Budget. 3.55 p.m.”
“Certainly, whatever the terms that are currently used, one language must gain only at the expense of another where exposure time is concerned. We have already had comments publicly about the lowering of the standards of English as reflected in the quality of English that we meet even at the University, for example. I would not be at all surprised that the quality of Chinese also has gone down. It is necessary to look at language teaching not only from the viewpoint of exposure time but also from the viewpoint of improved methods and of utilisation of all educational resources available. I do not think I need elaborate on this. It is very likely that the matter is exercising the attention of the Ministry of Education, but we would like more and more practical evidence of our pre-occupation with quality where education is concerned. Finally, Mr Speaker, Sir, I would like to round off by commenting on a certain spirit that pervades the Budget Statement: no feather-bedding; nothing is for free; we should not encourage passengers (in this regard, I am a little more hopeful now that the Singapore Bus Service Ltd. will not take this injunction too literally). With economic patterns being radically altered by the oil crisis, I think our people would do well to take even more alert notice of this sort of philosophy, and prepare also to make alterations to their style of living. Our citizens must, for example, learn to co-operate more to fight against profiteering and indigenously-inspired inflation. We must co-operate to bring our crime rate down. We must co-operate to stem the traffic chaos that will inevitably result if everybody wants to drive to town as the lone passenger in his car.”
“I have no doubt that, if it is necessary and feasible for the Government to take over the bus service, then this will be done. The Minister has shown his determination to maintain a course of action he deems best under the circumstances. Surely this conclusion has not been reached without a total assessment of choices. I do not see any alternative to giving the Minister and his aides a chance to vindicate their judgments. At the same time I would like to be assured that, while every attempt is being made to whip up the necessary hardware -buses, repair facilities, and so on -to meet the situation, the matter of training of relevant management both inside and outside the SBS is also being pursued vigorously. And now I would like to comment further on a few other matters in the Finance Minister's Budget Statement. The Minister has referred to the Ministry of Education pressing ahead with its programmes to increase the second language exposure time in primary schools. He has followed the paragraph in which he has made this point with a paragraph in which he began with a reference to greater emphasis on quality (in education). I might just point out that quality does not automatically flow from greater exposure to second language. What our pupils are exposed to is important. Are they exposed to the best teaching? Are they exposed to the circumstances in which adequate aids like textbooks, teaching materials and other important adjuncts are easily available? Quality will result from an improvement in the quality of the materials our pupils are exposed to. Again ironically greater exposure to second language must necessarily result in less exposure to the original language of instruction.”
“To help Ministry of Finance officials, helpers from CASE could be empowered to make appropriate investigations, subject perhaps to such auxiliaries receiving proper training. Next, Mr Speaker, Sir, I welcome the statement the Minister for Finance has made about the high priority which Government gives to the solving of problems in road transport. This House has witnessed salvo after salvo of questions fired at the Minister for Communications over the condition of the bus system. However, over the last few days some improvement has been brought to the situation, with supplementary Scheme B showing signs of successful operation. But, at best, Mr Speaker, Sir, supplementary Scheme B would be an ad hoc measure to patch up conditions temporarily. In fact, operating Scheme B is like returning to the situation that prevailed decades ago, you will remember, Mr Speaker, Sir, in Singapore when we had the small mosquito bus services with each bus operated by an owner-driver. We have to look to the improvement of the SBS. We hope that the Minister for Communications will eventually be able to contrive for us "a regular, efficient, clean and courteous service". These words were the words the Minister for Communications used in May 1968, when he spoke of what he would set out to do in respect of the dependability of the transport service. Even at that time the Minister was already answering queries regarding the inefficient and poor service of our bus companies. It is unfortunate that things should have come to an even sorrier pass today, six years later. Having said this, one must also admit that it is no use wasting time over laments and heated argument. The Minister for Communications is himself most acutely and painfully aware of our bus situation.”