Koh Lam Son
Singapore
“(7) To provide more theatrettes or curtains in the classrooms with the increased use of audio-visual equipment such as overhead projectors and slide projectors. These would help prevent unnecessary strain on the eyesight of the students.”
“Sir, this debate can go on, but I would withdraw my amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. The sum of $521,224,880 for Head P ordered to stand part of the Main Estimates. The sum of $466,063,100 for Head P ordered to stand part of the Development Estimates. Head R -”
“He should not, in my view, be a civil servant or ex-civil servant, but someone who has an understanding of the civil service, in tune with the hopes and expectations of the public and a grasp of the needs of the business community and financial institutions.”
“Sir, I believe that upgrading the facilities should be the first step, and a better way for the stallholders and for the community at large. 12.45 pm I also wish to state that complaints that customers are shortchanged with poor quality food and badly prepared food is a fact, but it is a separate issue.”
“No one else would do it for us. We have to do it all ourselves. So unless litterbugs clean up the act, we must make sure that they do not dirty our environment. I would like to ask the Minister whether he would consider increasing its own manpower to keep our city clean and green.”
“Mr Speaker, I do not think the Minister has answered the question whether unleaded petrol has any adverse effect on car engines. I believe that if unleaded petrol is of a certain grade - I think they use the term "RON" - if it is below 92, there can be an adverse effect on the valves of the engines.”
The complete record
Every one of 302 lines we hold for Koh Lam Son, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 6 of 7.
“Sir, in what way does the Minister of State think that, by allowing the release of Medisave funds to defray hospital expenses for the delivery of the third child, this will actually help to correct the pattern of lopsided procreation ? Or does it make it worse?”
“Would the Minister agree that the duration of maternity leave given to a woman employee should be related to the number of pregnancies? If you give two periods of maternity leave per employee during her term of employment, then it should be related to the number of pregnancies.”
“Sir, the point I am trying to make is that the duration of maternity leave should be related to the number of pregnancies and not to the number of living children. For example, a woman can have triplets in her first pregnancy.”
“Sir, would the Minister consider granting maternity leave to a woman employee who is expecting a third child but in her second pregnancy? In other words, she had twins in her first pregnancy. Will she be entitled to maternity leave for her second pregnancy?”
“Sir, before I ask Questions 3 and 4, I would like to declare my pecuniary interest in these two questions. Question 3, Sir. MATERNITY LEAVE FOR THIRD CHILD DELIVERY 3. Dr Koh Lam Son asked the Minister for Finance whether he will consider granting maternity leave to female employees in the civil service and statutory boards who are expecting their third child.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, the Minister has made some rather critical remarks on the residents of Gillman Heights. As I have said in my speech, the unneighbourly acts were committed by only a very small number of residents. In fact, the vast majority of residents of Gillman Heights are friendly and neighbourly. I think it is a bit unfair to label all of them as unneighbourly.”
“The remainder should be re-grouped into one area of the centre so that the remaining areas of the centre can be converted into a recreational and mini-community centre. This will fulfill the request of many of the residents who want to come together to participate in community activities, and bringing them together also means bringing more business to the hawker centre. Sir, the last issue which I would like to raise relates to the premises for Senior Citizens' Clubs. The Telok Blangah CCC is in the process of setting up such a club in one of the void decks in the estate. Proper premises is necessary so that activities can be better organized, and if club members have a place to themselves, they feel more at home and this will foster better relations. I am therefore astonished to learn that HDB is going to charge the CCC $300 a month for the use of the premises which is equivalent to the size of a 3-room flat. Surely, providing facilities for the needs of the senior citizens is within the realm of HDB's responsibility. $300 a month is going to impose a big burden on the volunteers running the club. They are already hard-pressed raising funds to provide for the senior citizens' activities, the renovation, furnishing, and utility charges for the club. I, therefore, wish to appeal to the Minister to consider reducing the charge, as this is a community service activity to the senior citizens of the HDB estates.”
“So I would like to have the Minister's comment on this. Sir, I would also like to find out what HDB will do when old HDB markets and hawker centres fail to serve the needs of the residents. When bigger and better markets are built in the vicinity, residents by-pass the old markets to go to the new ones where there is a greater variety of food and at a lower price. The stallholders in the old markets are unable to compete because they are catering for a smaller number of customers which is continually getting smaller. The residents shy away from the old market because they cannot get what they want, that is, more variety and of reasonable prices. Sir, such a situation occurs in the Depot Road Estate market. I constantly receive complaints from both the residents and the stallholders of this predicament. The Depot Road Estate is a small isolated estate comprising 10 blocks of HDB flats. Considering the small size of the estate, I am surprised to see such a large market cum hawker centre. How does HDB determine market size to residents ratio? As it is, there is an acute shortage of land in Depot Road Estate. And residents are constantly asking me to ask the HDB to provide more recreational and communal facilities. So it seems such a waste to have this large centre serving only a small number of residents. I would, therefore, like to make a proposal for the Minister's consideration. First, hawkers and stallholders who have a genuine difficulty of making ends meet should be resettled elsewhere. These are the people who were given stalls in the first place on hardship grounds, and so I believe they continue to deserve help.”
“This resulted in a number of unpleasant situations where residents quarrelled and a number of cars vandalized. This issue was unfortunately publicized in the press. I appreciate the press' intention to bring this issue to the attention of the authority but at the same time, I am afraid, it may have given the public the wrong impression that Gillman Heights Estate is an unneighbourly place. This is, of course, not true. The vast majority of the residents are friendly and neighbourly. These unneighbourly acts have been attributed to a very small number of residents. These few residents are more interested in expressing their right to park where they like, rather than show neighbourliness and consideration. And, of course, those who resort to vandalizing neighbours' properties are totally irresponsible. Sir, I have had several discussions with the HDB Area Office and the pro-tem Residents' Committee chairman. While we recognize that this is a complex problem involving HDB rules, we feel that this issue is generating much ill- feeling among the residents such that a solution must be found and found as soon as possible. I would therefore like to make a proposal to the Minister for his consideration. The proposal is very simple - that these 152 car park lots should be erased and new car parks created elsewhere in the estate. By doing this, the residents in the maisonette apartments will be inconvenienced but they will not be less well off than residents in the other blocks, and they still have the space. The suggestion that we should impose a higher charge on these car park lots may not solve the problem because residents in the other blocks may be willing to pay these higher charges and claim the right to use the car park lots, and we are back to square one.”
“Sir, in my humble view, the objective of HDB to provide low-cost housing to the people is well on target. You only need to compare the price of an HDB flat with that of a private flat, even at the present time of a depressed property market, to know that there is a vast difference. Without HDB flats, without CPF, many people would not be able to afford the public flats that are available, and they would have continued to live in slums. It is erroneous for the Member for Potong Pasir to say that the CPF is a financial millstone round the contributor's neck. He should remember that, without CPF, there would be no contribution from the employers, and the workers would be the poorer for it. Another thing is that, in his calculation on the interest paid over 20 years, he deliberately missed out one important fact, and that is, at the end of 20 years that property would have been taken over by the borrower. It would have appreciated probably more than two-fold. I would like to bring up three issues for the consideration of the Minister. A change in Government policy which is aimed to do more good can sometimes do some harm. Let me illustrate this by way of the example of the 152 covered car park lots at the Gillman Heights Estate, a new HUDC estate in my constituency. When URA built the estate in 1980, it had no idea and it could not anticipate the policy change in 1982 which brought in all HUDC estates under the management of HDB. 12.45 pm The 152 covered car park lots were designed by URA architects for the exclusive use of the residents of the 15% maisonette apartments. Unfortunately for these residents, the HDB rule does not permit exclusive use of HDB car park lots. Residents in the other blocks therefore claim their right to park in these lots.”
“May I be allowed to speak, Sir? I have an amendment under Subhead TH-01.”
“Sir, my supplementary question relates to Question 5. Is there a good response to the new scheme which was implemented in December 1985 for tenants of HDB rental flats to purchase flats?”
“I hope the Government will seriously consider this and come up with such a scale. This will give the CPF contributors reliability in planning their future spending, particularly in housing, thus avoiding disruption to their life as a result of policy changes. If such a scale is agreed, it must not, of course, apply to the present CPF contributors but to the new contributors. Sir, I have taken 15 minutes to highlight some of the problems and areas of concern of the ordinary people.That is because I feel that if the Government leaders want the people to listen to them, to support and cooperate with them, then they, as their leaders, must also listen to the people and understand the problems that the people are facing during the recession. The Government must not take the cooperation of the people for granted; they must show the result of their actions. In conclusion, Sir, I believe the Government is confident and the people are confident that there is this close cooperation and support and that together we will pull the nation out of the recession. 3.47 pm”
“Now with the 15% cut, he will have to pay the balance after his retirement age when he is no longer working and has no further CPF contributions. The bridging loan scheme will help especially the group of people who have purchased a second private property. But some people may not have enough in their CPF to pay the bridging loan and they will have to dig into their own pocket. And what about the person who is retrenched? If he owns a private property, he will be in a serious predicament. If he runs out of CPF to service his loan, he may be forced to give up his house. And at the present depressed property market, he may not be able to get a price that is enough to redeem his mortgage, especially when he has to return the loan to the CPF Board. If he has no savings of his own, he may become a bankrupt. Worse still, if he is out of job and he cannot afford private rentals, he and his family may end up without a roof over their heads. So will the Government please give further consideration to this group of Singaporeans and judge them according to the merits that they deserve? Will the HDB also consider giving this group of people some priority in accommodation? Sir, the good intention of the Government to allow CPF contributors to use CPF to buy a second property has landed some of them in hot soup. On what reliability will a person now go into private housing, knowing that the policies are subject to changes? He will not be certain of his servicing ability. To resolve the uncertainty, there must be a clear indication of a minimum and a maximum CPF ceiling. Here I fully agree with the First Deputy Prime Minister's suggestion that the CPF contribution rate should be based on a reducing scale, starting at 50% and gra- dually reducing it over the years to a low level.”
“Because I can tell the PUB that the people will not accept this. If the reduction is temporary, why should the oil companies reduce their prices in the first place? Sir, other fees, such as HDB conservancy, car park, traffic summons, hawker's licence, telephone, radio and television and others, should not go up as they will affect the recurrent expenses of the ordinary workers. It is a well known fact that our road tax is one of the highest in the world, and yet the motorcar in Singapore is considered less and less a luxury item. The motorcar is necessary for people to be efficiently involved in economic activities. For this reason primarily, we all spend our hard-earned money on motorcars. In my view, our road system is quite efficient and traffic jams are not serious. With the present slow-down in the car population growth, there is no reason to increase the road tax unless as a revenue-generating measure, which I strongly discourage the Government to do so. In fact, there is a case for the fees to be reduced as I believe that the slow-down in the car population will last two to three years. Sir, in the last parliamentary sitting, the First Deputy Prime Minister gave the assurance that every Singaporean will be given assistance to solve the mortgage repayment problems resulting from the 15% reduction in CPF contribution, and he announced several schemes to help such people. In spite of this, I believe there is a small group of people who may still find themselves in trouble. For example, the group of older people who have purchased residential property with the intention of repaying their mortgage loan right up to their retirement age. The loan is taken, say, at the age of 45 years with a 10-year repayment plan and using mainly his 50% CPF contributions.”
“There should be a better balance of the different trades in each row of shops and in each neighbourhood. Sir, the Budget is without doubt a painful one for the wage earners. They had not expected the 15% reduction in CPF contributions, coupled with wage restraint. The majority have no choice but to be prepared to adjust to a lower standard of living, and some will face financial difficulties. Many are living, in fear of the threat of retrenchment. The problem of those who are retrenched is another matter. The reduction in income tax offers little comfort. For example, a married worker with one child, earning $700 a month, will save $48 a month in income tax reduction but loses $105 from the CPF cut. This group of workers forms more than half the workforce. Sir, we tell these workers that all these harsh measures are necessary as ultimately it is in their interest. But we must not forget that it is this group of people who bear the brunt of the burden. And it behoves the Government not to add any further unnecessary burden on them. Sir, since we expect the workers to show wage restraint, it is not unjustified if they expect Government departments and statutory boards to show some restraint by keeping the fees down. In fact, Sir, I would suggest that if there is a saving made in any of the Government department or statutory board, they should pass it down to the consumers. For example, the Public Utilities Board is likely to make a saving from the new fiscal policies and from the lower cost of oil. So I hope it will seriously consider lowering the utility charges so that both the workers and businesses can benefit. I would like to give a timely advice to the PUB - they must not give the excuse that the reduction in oil prices is only temporary.”
“The 15% reduction in CPF contribution will help them somewhat, and so will cheaper petrol. But they need more help. High road taxes, high HDB rentals and utility charges will only add to their costs. Can the Government consider a further reduction in these charges to help these small businesses? Sir, when we talk of small businesses, we are referring to companies with a workforce of 20 to 30 workers. We do not include the HDB shops which normally have three to four workers per shop. The HDB shops are a different category. They are there to serve the HDB residents in particular, and their market is well defined and very limited, and it will remain so. The typical HDB shop is a small family business concern, set up to provide a modest family income. By and large, these shopkeepers are not entrepreneurs and they do not see the need for automation, modern management systems and productivity. Given the fact that they are HDB shops and they will always be HDB shops serving a restricted market, how can they upgrade themselves during the recession? For example, Sir, let us take the HDB provision shops. Can the provision shops group together to form a supermarket? Even if the HDB allows them to do so, is it possible to get the families together to run one business? Sir, I think the real problems faced by the HDB shopkeepers is not a lack of modern management or high labour costs but high rentals, high utility charges, and the fact that they have to compete with other shops of the same trade for a small and limited market. In Telok Blangah, there is a row of 11 HDB shops. Out of these, there are three provision shops. From the proliferation of goods outside the shops, it is obvious that there is fierce competition. I think the HDB should not encourage this.”
“If you recall, Sir, in 1984, we had such an uproar from the public when the Committee on the Problems of the Aged proposed a delay of CPF withdrawal beyond the age of 55 years. It is impossible to think that they would accept a 15% reduction in CPF contribution in 1984 when the economy was growing at 8.5%. Sir, the recession can be likened to a young man taken ill with acute appendicitis. He is a fit young man and does not expect to get appendicitis. But when it comes, there is little warning. The treatment for acute appendicitis is simple - perform surgery, cut the appendix out. The effect is more pain for a while before final recovery. In retrospect, one could say that if that young man had his normal appendix removed earlier, he would have been spared the attack of appendicitis. But then would any normal and sane human being want to go through a painful surgery to have his appendix removed? I do not think so. Likewise, Sir, nobody wants the Government to take painful measures unless it is really necessary. Sir, big companies with a large workforce are likely to benefit more from the Budget policies. A good number of companies are making profits, even during this recession. The Budget policies will enable them to increase their profit margins. It is hoped that these companies will use this increased profit to expand, diversify and create more jobs. The smaller companies with a smaller workforce are unlikely to benefit much from the Budget. They will be going through a traumatic time. Their problem of high costs is compounded by bad debts and poor business. Owing to poor turnover, they do not have sufficient funds to cushion off their bad debts, and they are reluctant to close new deals.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I find the Budget Statement made by the Minister for Finance very encouraging. It shows that the Government is taking steps in the right direction. It is not a panacea for all our problems. But I certainly hope that it will infuse enough confidence to revitalize our sagging economy. If it does, we hope to recover from the recession within the next 2-3 years. If it does not, then we must be prepared for more hardship. Sir, it would be wise that we advise our people to square up to the facts of life and to be neither euphoric nor pessimistic with the outcome of the budget. The business people are satisfied, as I understand, with what they can get for now, but I will not say that they are laughing their way to the bank. The road ahead for them is uphill. Hopefully, most will be able to overcome the cash flow and debt problems and stay competitive, and even then their success or failure will depend on the future growth in demand for their goods and services, especially from overseas. Sir, some business people have commented to me in a rather pessimistic manner that the economic measures, although sufficient, have come too late and they predict that many more companies will go bankrupt. They said that these measures should have come about and implemented at least a year ago. If the Government had known a year ago that we were going to face a recession in 1986, I am sure it would have come up with these measures and implemented them a year ago, if not earlier. But the truth is that neither the Government nor any economic expert could know for sure what was going to happen. And supposing they did, would it have been possible for the Government to convince the people at that time that belt-tightening measures were necessary?”
“Sir, in the two years of experience, what is the percentage of this 85% who have overdrawn their Medisave account?”
“Some members of the political party went to the recent Thaipusam procession to distribute its political materials. Is the Minister aware of this? And will the Minister please inform this House whether such practice is to be condoned?”
“Sir, I have heard of complaints from some devotees that there was a certain political party who sent its members ---”
“Has he spoken to these people? Sir, I would like to submit to you that what has been said by these two Members in the Opposition is that they are here to mislead the workers and to frustrate the Government's plans to help workers, for their own political interest. I therefore very firmly reject the amendment standing in the name of the Member for Anson.”
“Surely he could have set up a small relief fund if he is genuinely interested in those genuine cases that have financial hardship problems. Sir, I remember that he has promised that he would donate 25% of his MP's allowance to charity. But to this day he has not done so. Sir, we PAP Members believe in the sincerity of the Acting Minister for Community Development when he donated half his salary to charity. Not only that, he is a man of his word. He said it and he did it. But the Member for Potong Pasir has promised 25% of his MP's allowance to charity and he has not done so. Maybe now is the time for him to use his donation to help the retrenched workers in Potong Pasir. Sir, he has scoffed at the Member for Whampoa when he mentioned that he has a small welfare fund in his constituency to help those who are in need. At least the Member for Whampoa is doing something right now to help his retrenched constituents. What does the Member for Potong Pasir do for his retrenched constituents? That he will go to Parliament and blame it on the Government and the problems will be solved? We will wait for the answer from the Acting Minister for Labour on the issue of the 113 daily-rated employees who were retrenched. But what was the Member for Anson's real interest in their plight? Did he really care for their welfare and the loss of livelihood when he made a hue and cry on the alleged inability of the Government to find them alternative employment? Or was he only interested in making the Government look guilty before the people?”
“I will give him a chance to answer. Let me finish. If there is real financial hardship, what has he done for those workers who went to see him? Did he suggest to them to ask the Government for cash benefits? Or did they suggest to him to bring this question of cash benefits to Parliament? Sir, there could not have been many retrenched workers in Potong Pasir.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, may I be allowed to spend 5 minutes to speak on the amendment to the Motion standing in the name of the Member for Anson? Sir, yesterday as I listened to what was said by both Members of the Opposition, the Member for Anson and the Member for Potong Pasir, I was left in no doubt that both these Members are not genuinely interested in the problems of the workers in general and the retrenched workers, in particular. On the contrary, I think they have come to Parliament to do their damnedest to make political capital at the expense of the workers. They have not shared with us the problems of the retrenched workers. They have treated the retrenchment issue like it is an academic issue. The Member for Potong Pasir said that he has tried his best to help retrenched workers who approached him. But did he really? How did he do it? What was his success? He did not tell us. Did he refer them to the relevant authorities where jobs can be found? If he did not, then I suggest that he is guilty of neglecting the retrenched workers who went to see him. And what are the immediate problems? He has not told us. Was the immediate problem the difficulty in finding another job? Or was it real financial hardship? Mr Chiam See Tong rose”
“But as hinted by the Member for Thomson, the rate of contribution to the CPF is based on the economic growth and profitability of companies. I think this is wrong. I think it should be related to the specific needs of the people and the Government should define what these specific needs are and the rate should then be determined and fixed according to clearly set-out objectives. Would the Government like to show some flexibility on this? Finally, Sir, our workforce must be better educated and better skilled. I believe we can muster all the necessary training, manpower and facilities but ultimately the success will depend on the workers themselves. Are they prepared to better themselves? The NTUC is playing its role in educating the workforce and the BEST programme is running smoothly. Employers should also do their part and there should be more joint efforts between companies to organize training courses, such as what we see in the retail and hotel trade. Eventually, the success to override this recession will depend and be determined by our team spirit. Over the years we have fought many battles together and during the process we have forged links and emerge as a team. Today, the recession is putting pressure on us to react as a team. To put team goals before personal goals, to make personal sacrifices now so that the team can succeed and flourish, to repay our sacrifices later. Singaporeans understand this and I am sure they will not let each other down. Sir, in conclusion, let me call upon Singaporeans to fight this recession together and the first step is to join hands to fight to save companies, to save jobs. 12.54 pm”
“The current recession has taught us this. Some people have wrongly viewed the act of changing old to new policies as an admission of mistake in the old policies. This cannot be so because the old policies have served us well and have brought us prosperity for more than two decades. All the three parties the Government, the employers and the employees must be flexible so that together we can react quickly to cope with, in the words of the President, "the unexpected and even the unwelcome, to seize opportunities and prosper in a world of change and surprises." The Government is to make substantial changes in their fiscal policy. They must also be flexible with other policies, especially those that were designed for the boom time. I am glad to note that the Government has decided to disengage itself from involvement in the running of businesses and services. It wants the private sector to come in to take the lead. This is indeed a big challenge to our private sector and the success will depend on the capability and the capacity of our private sector. The sincerity of the Government to make this move should now not be in doubt. However, I think we should not go overboard with the privatization of statutory boards. Personally, I have reservations on the privatization of essential services, such as water, electricity, postal and telecommunications. Speaking on old policies, the President said: 'We cannot maintain institutions which fail to cope with the ups and downs of the economic growth.' I believe one of these institutions is the Central Provident Fund. This is a great institution set up by the Government to look after the old-age, the housing and medical needs of the people.”
“As the Chairman of the Economic Committee and Acting Minister for Trade and Industry, BG Lee Hsien Loong, pointed out, it is a shame to have this wastage of jobs, especially when the nation can ill-afford it at this time. I am told that one major reason is that those who are retrenched are still not aware of the seriousness of the recession and they are still searching or waiting for equivalent or better jobs to come by. On the other hand, there are also employers who refuse to give jobs to willing workers because of their older age, over-qualification or both. Sir, I believe that a more cohesive effort should be made at the national level to monitor, to contact and to counsel the unemployed. I would like to envisage the setting up of job centres in industrial and HDB estates. The function of these job centres is to counsel and motivate the unemployed, not only to fill up job vacancies but also to educate and upgrade themselves by joining the various training courses. They can be encouraged to work the third shift which, as we know, is very important for our productivity drive. In a full employment situation, it may be difficult to find third-shift workers. But in a recession, when jobs are difficult to come by, the third-shift work may be the only alternative. While we will continue to persuade and provide better incentives for Singaporeans to work the third shift, the Government may want to consider, as a complementary measure, to fill up the third shift job with foreign workers. For the longer term prospects of the nation, the President has stressed the need for Singaporeans to be flexible. The world is changing so rapidly that if we do not have the flexibility to adapt quickly to new realities, we will be simply left behind.”
“So on the one hand he said that it should be related to private property market and today he is saying that it should be related to the affordability of the workers. The Economic Committee's recommendations are primarily targetted to attract new investment, keep existing companies viable and reduce the rate of job loss. The employers must be relieved, even delighted, with this attractive package of incentives. Given time, businesses in Singapore will become competitive and profitable again as the Government has predicted. I hope then the employers will not forget the sacrifices of our workers and will reward them accordingly. Employers whose companies are making profits should show a little generosity and understanding to their workers because their workers' CPF contribution is also reduced. I suggest that they should at least be paid part of the CPF cut and help those workers who have mortgage repayment problems. Sir, it is only when all the parties concerned show this team spirit and help each other out that we can create an atmosphere of trust and industrial harmony. The recession has taken its toll. More than 90,000 are laid off, thankfully only 30,000 or so are Singaporeans. I sympathize with those who are retrenched. Personally, it must be a shattering experience. I am therefore gratified to learn that those who are retrenched are not neglected. There are three agencies looking after them, namely, the Employment Service of the Ministry of Labour, NTUC and SMA. However, I am aware that despite the good work of these agencies, there still exists a good number of vacant jobs where there are no takers. But how can this be? We have an unemployment problem and we have people who are not willing to work.”
“In recent months, the workers have witnessed with great concern the widespread loss of jobs and they will understand that, painful as this policy may be, it is being done for a very good reason and they will eventually throw their lot behind the Government. So the situation is not unlike when there is a fire in your home, you act first to put out the fire to save the home and not scramble for your saving and allow the fire to burn your home to the ground. The proposed 15% CPF cut is a hefty one and it will mean a lowering of expectation for home ownership and financial hardship for those who are unable to afford their mortgage repayment, especially those who are retrenched and those who have heavy mortgage commitment. The Government should announce as soon as possible schemes to assist these people. Sir, the Member for Potong Pasir in his speech earlier on showed concern for the workers' interest, and that is good. I think we all do. But his suggestions to help the workers are not convincing. He wants the workers' CPF contribution to be reduced in order to stimulate the domestic market. But will this really happen? I do not think so. I think Singaporeans are more likely to save and be thrifty during hard times. Also, he must remember that any reduction of CPF on the employee side is taxable. I also found him contradictory when he said that the price of HDB flats should be related to the affordability of the workers. I noted that in a question which he filed to the Minister for National Development and which I have it here, he has mentioned that the lowering of HDB price is necessary because it should fall in line with the prices of the private property market.”
“Singaporeans can rely on this Government not to flinch from hard-headed decisions and unpopular policies to overcome problems in the interest of the nation. Sir, the President said that these measures to be implemented cannot work without the full support of the people. I cannot agree with him more. Our workers have to accept lesser income and at the same time they are expected to work harder and to become better educated. I am confident our workers have the grit to face this challenge. Singaporeans are pragmatic people and they possess the instinct to survive in a competitive world. They can see beyond their immediate interests. You cannot fool them. In times of economic difficulties, they will support and trust the Government as honest, frank and realistic. Sir, there are people who think that they can fool our workers. They try to win the support of the workers by demanding of the Government for immediate benefits for the workers and make tempting suggestions that the CPF should be drastically cut, to increase their take-home pay of the workers and that there should be other subsidies, such as more housing subsidies. Where is their responsibility? Sir, what is at stake is the viability of companies and the threat of retrenchment. How is their suggestion going to help this? Let us not allow these people to hide the fact that it is this Government who has the true interest of the workers at heart and it is this Government who during better times made it mandatory for companies to contribute their share of 25% to the workers' CPF.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I rise to endorse the Motion of Thanks moved by the Member for Changkat. Sir, we have fallen into an economic recession which has serious implications on our immediate and long-term well-being. Singaporeans have enjoyed for more than two decades continuous economic growth and a steady rise in the standard of living. This recession, to them, means a painful period of adjustment and adaptation. The President recognized this, and in his speech called on the people to sacrifice and, "work together, both with each other and with the Government, to overcome our difficulties." Sir, this is not the time for recrimination and lamentation. This is the time to show unity, unreserved support and full cooperation. The Government has accepted in principle the policy recommendations set out in the Report of the Economic Committee. I have read the Report and I believe it has the solutions to our problems. It represents the best chance, I think, for us to get out of the recession and to regain our path of positive growth. It has taken the Economic Committee 10 months to come up with the recommendations and it will certainly take more than 10 months to implement these recommendations to their successful outcome. The Government and the people will certainly have to work very closely and vigorously with great determination and commitment to ensure the full implementation of these recommendations. Sir, it is true that in times of economic difficulties, a weak government may be swayed by short-term political considerations and resort to soft options to the detriment of that society. In Singapore, we are fortunate to have a strong and talented Government, supported and voted in by the people.”
“We can see from his statement that the temptation is there, to dig into the surplus or the reserves. This is why the Government is now looking seriously into the need for Presidential Powers to protect our reserves. On the other hand, our Government's economic measure to boost the economy is a vision of a long-term economic health, that is, to attract high technology industries for our future growth and to ensure that we have a productive workforce to meet the future challenges. Sir, I call upon all working Singaporeans to give our Government full support. 3.05 pm”
“The Member for Anson has actually suggested a cut of 10% in CPF and a cut in HDB housing loan rate from 6 1/4% to 4%, without at the same time having an equivalent cut in the CPF interest rate. So the money must come from a grant of the Government. It must ultimately come from the national reserve.”
“This will cover ventures in micro electronics, computer system and softwares, robotics, telecommunications, biotechnology and so on. During the past years when times were good, the Government had put aside money in its reserve and the workers had accumulated CPF savings. This has, as we know, proven to be a wise move. For now we feel safer, even in the face of adversities. These are backbone supports which we can fall on, if the downturn should persist for too long. So far what we have heard from the Members for Anson and Potong Pasir has been but a very simplistic view of our present economic problems. They have no concrete suggestions to really help the economy. The Member for Anson has called not only for a cut in CPF, but, as the Member for Jalan Besar has stated, also implied that we should use our national reserves to stimulate the economy. In other words, we should spend our way out of this recession. But given no restraints, our worker's CPF savings and our national reserves will run dry in no time. This, Sir, is a very shallow, very irresponsible and dangerous approach. And it is precisely because of this easy temptation to dig into the till when times are bad, that the Government -”
“So is he really serious in wanting to champion the cause of the workers? Or is he not trying to mislead the workers into thinking that by cuffing the CPF rate, they will become better off because there is an increase in take-home pay, But you and I know they would be the poorer for it because their actual income would drop. Our economy has grown at a record rate over the last four to five years and this has resulted in what economists describe as "compressed growth syndrome". And many of our local businesses have found it difficult to keep up and are lagging behind with low technology and low value-added products. They have found themselves uncompetitive. There is really no way out but for these companies to trim their labour costs through automation, higher management skills and improvement in productivity. The Government fully realizes that the local small businesses make up more than 90% of enterprises in Singapore and they have already taken steps to help the local businesses to improve the future. It does not need an economist to realize that this Government has done a first rate job for the economy of Singapore in the last two decades. Undoubtedly, this is the best Government to take care of the present economic problem. From the packages unveiled so far, we know that the Government is determined to stimulate the economy and to protect the local businesses on to the path of good health. The local businesses have to respond to make sure that things will happen. The Government has cut charges of statutory boards, give property tax rebate, aid through the Small Industries Finance Scheme and help export through the Small Enterprise Development Bureau. And to encourage investment in new technology, the Government has set up the $100 million Venture Capital Fund.”
“I share the Government's confidence that for the moment a wage restraint is enough to stop us from drifting too far from our competitors and to narrow the gap when labour cost in other countries eventually catch up. On the other hand, any quick-fix theory that the economy will be back to normal once we cut our wages, CPF and taxes is totally unfounded and the reason is quite obvious. As quite succinctly illustrated by the Member for Leng Kee, our economic woe is not due to mismanagement of our economy but due to the global economic recession, especially in the USA. And as you know, Singapore is heavily dependent on external trade for its economic health. If the world economic gloom persists, there is really little that we can do. If we cut the workers' wages, their purchasing power will be reduced and this may affect local businesses. But it will add hardship to our workers as many of them, as we know, need CPF contributions to pay for their HDB flats. The Government realizing the complexity of the problem has resisted the apparent easy way out by cutting workers' wages because this just does not provide the solution. And the Government feels that the workers' interests have to be upheld. The Member for Anson at his recent Party National Day rally made a public call, as we have heard from previous speakers, to cut the CPF rate by 10% and the interest on HDB housing loan from 6 1/4% to 4%. And he claimed as usual that he was proposing this in the interest of the ordinary workers. Even if for one moment I do not doubt his good intention, the Members for Leng Kee and Kebun Baru have already shown that these simplistic remedies are unlikely to stimulate the economy and if implemented may actually harm the interests of the ordinary workers.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I rise to support the original motion moved by the Member for Leng Kee. The present economic downturn is a cause of great concern for all of us. Even though I am not an economist, I know that this is not a crisis which is about to cripple the nation. I am therefore reassured by the Government's cool headedness and pragmatic approach to solve our economic problems. And I share the belief that the measures introduced by the Government so far will alleviate some burden off the employers who are now the hardest hit in the present situation. I have no doubt that this Government will implement more measures in the future, first, to hold the economy on an even keel and thereafter to steer it into another phase of steady growth. Critics of the Government policy have blamed the high wage policy as the cause of our loss in cost competitiveness. They suggest an immediate wage cut. I am glad the Government disagreed. While a wage cut will have an immediate adverse effect on the livelihood of the ordinary workers, a wage cut in my view should be the last resort after all other measures have failed. However, a wage restraint is a different thing. It has a much lesser effect on the livelihood of the workers and, at the same time, an enlightening effect on the burden of the employers. The response which we have observed over the Government's call for wage restraint is unprecedented. I must commend the trade unions and the workers for taking the same stand as the Government and for rallying behind the Government. This is another show of our political and industrial stability. It is a strong signal to our investors and will give them confidence. I believe the workers have made the right decision for their own future.”
“Sir, for those stalls which have been repeatedly rejected by licensed street hawkers or resettlement cases, would the Hon. Minister consider releasing these stalls to other qualified applicants on the waiting list?”
“Would this not suggest that such measures are inadequate and that new measures should be considered? BG Lee Hsien Loong: Mr Speaker, Sir, there is a certain parallel between water and cars. The ideal growth rate in both cases is, of course, zero. In both cases it will have to be achievable. We cannot cause more rain to fall just because we need to drink and use more water. Those are not options open to us. We have a certain amount of natural water resource, which is more than the 185 million gallons per day we use now. But at the present rate of growth, it will reach the ceiling in 15 years. Sir, if we halve the rate of growth, we would reach the ceiling perhaps in 30 years. It pushes off the problem into the future. But the problem will have to be faced, and the consumption must level off. If consumption does not level off, then we are reduced to very drastic solutions to find more water. For example, desalination or distillation. I said this is more than 10 times as expensive as processing water from a river or a reservoir. If people need water so badly that they are prepared to pay more than 10 times as much as they now do for water, then it will be done. But I cannot see that being done for most households in Singapore. We will reach within 15 years if not an absolutely vertical wall, at least a very steep cliff, which it will be very hard to go past, unless we do something drastic to the rate of growth, PRIVATE PHARMACY AT SINGAPORE GENERAL HOSPITAL (Statement by the Minister for Finance, Minister for Education and Minister for Health) 11.15 am”
“Two supplementary questions, Sir. What percentage of growth rate of water demand would the Minister of State consider as satisfactory and achievable? We are told that 6-7% annual growth rate is above the desired level. The second question is that the growth rate of 7% in 1984 is considered high, and it occurred despite new water conservation measures instituted by the Water Conservation Unit of the PUB and despite the National Water Campaign.”
“Industries will also be encouraged to use more industrial water as substitution for PUB water. With the amendment of the PUB Water Supply Regulations in November 1983, it is now compulsory for all commercial establishments, including hotels, restaurants, clubs and recreational complexes, to install water-saving devices in their public wash rooms. PUB will continue to look into other means of encouraging water conservation. In the past, tariff increases had been successful in dampening demand. If necessary, they will be used again to discourage excessive use of water.”
“Hence, all Singaporeans, especially households, hoteliers and supervisors, and workers at construction sites, must learn to use water more efficiently and cut down wastage. Urgent measures are needed as we are reaching the limits of developing water resources. The PUB is currently developing the Sungei Seletar/ Bedok Water Scheme. It will be the last new surface water source available in Singapore for development. Nearly half of Singapore is already catchment area. After this, the PUB will have to develop water resources outside Singapore. It is currently developing three schemes in Johore - the extension works to the Scudai Waterworks, the extension works to the Johore Waterworks, and construction of the Johore River pipeline. A Malaysian-based international firm of consultants is conducting a feasibility study to look into the joint development of the Johore River to meet the long-term needs of both Singapore and Johore. The scope for developing further surface water resources appears limited. If the fast rate of growth in consumption continues unabated, more drastic and very costly solutions, like desalination, will be needed to meet our future needs. Desalination is more than 10 times as expensive as processing river and reservoir water. We must therefore push relentlessly for conservation, to slow down the growth of our water demand. The Government will use educational, fiscal and, if necessary, legislative measures to persuade the public to conserve water. National water conservation campaigns will be organized regularly. The next campaign will be held in June this year. Companies which make an effort to save large amounts of water will be considered for investment allowances on water conservation equipment under the Economic Expansion Incentives Act.”
“Sir, can I ask the Minister what, in his view, is the most equitable system of car population control? Dr Yeo Ning Hong: Mr Speaker, Sir, the subject is currently under debate in the Committee of Supply. WATER DEMAND (Growth rate and conservation) 3. Dr Augustine H.H. Tan asked the Minister for Trade and Industry how rapidly the demand for water has grown in the last few years; what are the projected rates of growth; what steps the Public Utilities Board is taking to encourage water conservation; and what plans PUB has to develop water resources for the 1990s. 4. Dr Koh Lam Son asked the Minister for Trade and Industry whether the increase in the rate of growth of water demand in 1984 of 7% over 1983 was due to increased water wastage or increased number of consumers; and what percentage of annual increase will be deemed undesirable thereby requiring drastic actions. The Minister of State for Defence and Trade and Industry (BG Lee Hsien Loong) (for the Minister for Trade and Industry): Mr Speaker, Sir, with your permission, I will take Questions Nos. 3 and 4 together. Demand for water in Singapore has risen at an increasing rate in the last three years. In 1982, it grew by 3.5%; in 1983 by 5.1%; and in 1984 by 7.2%. There are three main reasons why the demand for water has shot up so rapidly. First, there was a large increase in the number of new households as more public housing and private condominium units were completed. Second, there was also a substantial increase in the number of hotel rooms. Third, there was increased construction activity, where there is considerable wastage. If we continue to consume water at the current rate, in 15 years, we will be using more water than all our reservoirs in Singapore and sources in Johore can ever supply.”
“Personally I sympathize with them. The group parking system has alleviated the anxiety of overnight queueing for season car tickets. I think it is a more equitable system. However, one drawback of this system is that the late motorists find themselves either risking illegal parking or resigning to walking from one end of the estate to the other to arrive home. However, recently I heard there are some good news coming from HDB, and that is, there is a plan to build a multi-storey car park in Telok Blangah. I would like to ask the Minister to confirm this.”
“Sir, I would like to use the next five minutes to raise two issues which affect my residents in Telok Blangah. The first one involves the problem of faulty HDB lifts. This is the most recurring problem faced by the residents in Telok Blangah. The lifts in Telok Blangah are about 8-10 years old, and the breakdown includes faulty indicator lights, lift failing to stop at the right levels, tripping, and to a complete breakdown of the lifts. The frequency with which these faults occur is such that it is causing much harassment to the lives of the residents, especially to the old, the handicapped and the pregnant ladies. The Area Office in Telok Blangah is doing its best under the circumstances and I am not here to make any complaints against them. In fact, I have the most cordial and happy working relationship with the Area Office. They are doing a very commendable job in Telok Blangah, so much so in fact that I personally fail to see the need for any town council in our area. I think what is needed, Sir, is the transfer of more power to the Area Office and a more effective two-way communication between the residents, the grassroots organization, the Member of Parliament, of course, and the Area Office. As I was saying, despite the good efforts put in by the Area Office, our lifts continue to break down. So I would like to ask the hon. Minister whether this constant breakdown of lifts is due to faulty use of the lifts, or due to poor quality lifts, or to acts of vandalism. The other problem is car parking. Despite having one of the biggest single HDB car parks in Singapore, we still cannot cope with the rising demand for car space in Telok Blangah. Many a time at the Meet-the-People sessions I have to deal with irate residents who were given tickets for illegal parking.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I do not know whether it is in order for me to speak, but my name is not on the Order Paper Supplement.”
“The stress on a dialogue with the people is a call to the people for an increased expression of public opinion. It is also a call for more bridges to be built to join the Government and the people. This must, by necessity, be two-way bridges. Otherwise, the dialogue may turn into a monologue. Sir, with the same aim as the First Deputy Prime Minister, my community leaders and I are seeking out every available channel to reach my constituents in Telok Blangah. It seems to me that in increasing dialogue with the people, we should utilize the machinery of the civil service to encourage members of the civil service to work without fear of criticism because an increase in the expression of public opinion will invariably bring about criticism. That, of course, is not a call to the civil service to ignore public opinion. On the contrary, they must pay heed to public reaction and react and strive, where possible, to meet them. This, it is hoped, will avoid the stunting of creativity in the civil service. After all, creativity and innovations are among the avowed aims of the Ministry of Community Development. Sir, it may also be in order to impress upon the country the virtues of a sense of professionalism in work, whatever work it may be. If service is to be the hallmark of our country and if the country's sole resource is its citizens, then we cannot have a nation who have no pride in their work and every piece of job treated as a chore. I believe, Sir, that it is the Government's duty to push for a higher standard of professionalism in every line of work. In achieving this particular objective, once again, the members of the civil service should form the vanguard. I support the motion, Sir. 12.32 p.m.”
“I just want to say, Sir, that he might have got away with half-truths in the last General Election. But let me assure him (but he is not here today, and I hope his fellow Opposition Member will tell him) that he is not going to get away with half-truths in this House. Sir, if his performance yesterday is, as I fear it is going to be, the forerunner of things to come from him, then this House can be sure not to expect any loyal Opposition from the Member for Potong Pasir. His Excellency the President, in his opening Address, sets out six goals to be achieved in the next five years. I applaud these objectives and the programmes set out in the Addenda of the various Ministries towards the fulfilment of these objectives. I note, however, that His Excellency placed as his primary goal the aim of reaching an accord with the people on the character of our society - that the people is to have a bigger say in major decisions of the Government. As I understand the term, "accord" means "agreement". If this is to mean that, so far as major decisions touching on the character of our society are concerned, no policy will be implemented without the concurrence of the public, then I beg to differ. Sir, encouraging open-mindedness in our society is one thing, but to rule by popular request is another. The time is surely ripe for a free flow of information and opinion. The time is ripe for us to have free discussions, consultations, criticisms, and suggestions, but it must be understood that the task of governing must be performed by the Government. Recently, the First Deputy Prime Minister urged the grassroots leaders to have a greater dialogue with the people. This is not to say that there was no dialogue in the past.”