Koh Lip Lin
Singapore
“Or is the Government wanting to realise the policy of "pay as you use" first before building more libraries? In the Library 2000 Review Committee, it was stated that some libraries will be built in some estates. I would like to know whether any library will be built in Hougang. What is the priority?”
“" Their authority is not compromised by saying so! On the other hand, if the journalists and commentators are really concerned about Government policies and national affairs, so long as they do not give rise to racial and religious conflicts, they should not be too concerned about going out of bounds when they make their criticisms and co…”
“Due to the keen competition from the established fast-food chains, if there is insufficient provision of eating houses in the neighbourhood centre, it may be likely that the traditional fish ball noodle and the roti prata will be replaced by hamburger and fried chicken.”
“For this reason, I would like to ask what is the plot ratio the HDB is using for the construction of its flats nowadays, and since when has the HDB been adopting this present plot ratio. What is the plot ratio approved by the URA in respect of private apartments in the rural area?”
“Coming back to the topic of expensive shops, I do not know what can be done at this stage. Selling and renting out shops by tender has been accepted as a fair practice. Speculators are supposed to blame themselves if their business fails. Meanwhile, my town residents have no choice but to live with higher prices.”
“Sir, is the Minister or the PWD aware that the proposed shelter will benefit about one-quarter of the Yishun New Town population and that is equal to 2% of the Singapore population? The second question is: Does the Minister agree that the $100,000 is a very small sum of money to spend for the benefit of 2% of the Singapore population?”
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“We have our fair share of theatres, such as Singapore Conference Hall, Victoria Theatre, Kallang Theatre, etc. We have the National Museum, Singapore Art Museum, Singapore History Museum, etc, and we have regular concerts, theatre performances, cultural programmes and various exhibitions. But are these facilities and activities well utilised or patronised? Obviously not. The Empress Place Exhibition has to be terminated due to lack of visitors. The number of our SSO concert audience is dwindling and the number of regular visitors to our museum and art exhibitions is not encouraging. With all the existing facilities and the completion of our Performing Art Centre, unless we make a concerted effort to promote the arts in a big way in schools, community centres and especially through the media, our efforts in improving and building new facilities will be in vain, and the new Performing Art Centre may end up to be a white elephant. Therefore, I would like to ask the Minister what plan, both short term and long term, the Ministry has to promote the interest in the arts for the masses, and whether it has set up any national body to coordinate the effort and activities of various art and cultural bodies, both private and public, so that we can all work towards the same objective to make Singapore a gracious society where art and culture become part and parcel of our life. I would also like to ask the Minister for an update of the construction progress of the Performing Art Centre.”
“I would like to find out whether the Ministry has new plans for further promotion of the heritage and the arts. I am happy to note that each year more funds are allocated to the promotion of heritage and the arts. But in funding these projects and programmes, the Government should not adopt the principle of recovering the cost as in the case of MRT, Singapore Power or in many other Government establishments. Investment in heritage and the arts is long term. The return is not immediate. It may take decades or generations before the result can be noticed. But if we do not invest now, we may lose the opportunity forever. Finally, Sir, I would like to take this opportunity to commend the many people who are involved in the various institutions and projects, for example, Singapore Heritage Board, Singapore Arts Council, Singapore Arts Centre and many other civic organisations, for their contributions. These people include Government officers, volunteers, donors, well-wishers and many supporters. The Ministry should be generous in giving due recognition to their services. One of the best ways to give recognition and encouragement is to be more generous in giving funds to the on-going projects and be more supportive in approving new projects. Mr Kenneth Chen Koon Lap (Hong Kah GRC): Sir, in the Budget debate, many Members have asked for more funds to be allocated to the Ministry of Information and the Arts for the promotion of the arts. While I agree that fund is needed in the promotion of the arts, nevertheless, I feel strongly that money alone cannot buy culture and the love of the arts. Sensitivity and the habit of a deep appreciation in the arts have to be carefully cultivated. Let us examine some existing arts and cultural facilities and activities in Singapore.”
“Sir, I will speak on the Promotion of Heritage and the Arts. Singapore is a multi-racial and multi-cultural nation. We have been moving very fast on the road towards becoming a developed country. As we move along, there is danger that we may be losing our heritage and gradually becoming a nation of no culture. It has been noted that many of our younger people, although very well educated in terms of certificates and degrees, have very little knowledge of our own heritage and know very little about the serious, traditional or contemporary art. A few months ago, the Prime Minister commented that our social behaviour needs to be upgraded in order for Singapore to become a gracious society. Earlier Mr Chew Heng Ching and Mr Davinder Singh have also commented about building a gracious society. 5.30 pm Sir, I believe that if the majority of Singaporeans do not care about heritage and have no appreciation of the minor forms of art, Singapore can never become a gracious society, no matter how well we perform in technology or in the economy. The Ministry of Information and the Arts is in charge of the promotion of the heritage and the arts. I am happy to note that a variety of programmes have been initiated through institutions such as the National Heritage Board, the National Arts Council and other organisations. Activities related to the heritage and arts have been on the increase over the past years, with better participation each year. Some of the major projects, for example, the Singapore Art Museum, converted from the former St Joseph's Institution, had been successfully implemented. Others, like the Theatre at the Bay, The Esplanade, would take a few more years to complete. Overall, indeed the whole picture looks exciting and promising.”
“Or is the Government wanting to realise the policy of "pay as you use" first before building more libraries? In the Library 2000 Review Committee, it was stated that some libraries will be built in some estates. I would like to know whether any library will be built in Hougang. What is the priority? Are you going to build the Arts Centre at Marina Bay first, or the libraries for the people?”
“Sir, I just want to ask two simple questions. First, I have noted from the Annual Report of the National Library that, despite the increasing membership of the National Library over the years, the number of books borrowed per member per year has been declining steadily over the past few years. The Report cited "library under renovation" as the reason, but my concern is that the real reason may be that Singaporeans are reading less. May I ask what steps will be taken to promote the reading habits of Singaporeans? The second question is to ask the Minister whether our library can provide work station or computer terminals for library members to gain access to Internet. This will be a great service to those who cannot afford to have the facilities to subscribe to Internet. Mr Low Thia Khiang (Hougang)( In Mandarin): Sir, I regret to find in this year's Budget that the Government has not provided any fund for the construction of new libraries. In the Library 2000 Review Committee Report, it was stated that with the advent of Information Technology, the method of transmitting knowledge has changed drastically. Of course we can now have access to more knowledge through the computer and other media. But to make every Singapore family own a computer at home is not an easy thing to do. The function of the library is not only to store books and to lend out books. The most important thing is that it will provide a good environment for reading, where readers could sit down, be relaxed and read. It is especially important to have such facilities in the HDB estates. Library is a public service. The Government should bear the cost of the library services as there is no income from such services. Is that the reason why the Government is not building new libraries?”
“Sir, I beg leave to withdraw my amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.”
“" Their authority is not compromised by saying so! On the other hand, if the journalists and commentators are really concerned about Government policies and national affairs, so long as they do not give rise to racial and religious conflicts, they should not be too concerned about going out of bounds when they make their criticisms and comments. The Government's rebuttal is not retribution. Their skin should not be so thin as to be unable to bear a single rebuttal, and they should not be too sensitive about hierarchy. In a more open and consultative political style, the media can play a more positive role. The Government and the media must work and cooperate on the basis of mutual trust to establish a more relaxed and affable relation. I raise these points to invite the Minister to give his comments and views on this matter, so that the relationship between the Government and the media can be advanced to a new level which is conducive to the long-term interest of Singapore.”
“Some people feel that with Singaporeans becoming better educated, the Government must give more space for people to air their views on national affairs. Some journalists and professionals also feel that one of the responsibilities of the media is to reflect the views of the people and these views need not necessarily be consistent with those of the Government. Sometimes it can be antagonistic. If the media cannot reflect such views, then they will lose their credibility. But if they reflect such views, they will also be regarded as going out of bounds and thereby offend the Government. They do not know how to follow the OB markers raised by the Government recently such as respect for the political leaders and maintaining hierarchy when criticising the Government. I personally feel that in an Asian society like Singapore, we should give the political leaders due respect. We should also maintain hierarchy. Very few parents in Singapore would want their children to call them by their names. Another example here is that all Members of Parliament and Ministers, whenever they come into this Chamber, must bow to you, Mr Speaker, Sir. This is respect for the position of the Speaker. On the other hand, journalists and any citizens of Singapore who are concerned with the affairs of Singapore can criticise Government policies, and they have the right to do so. But their motives must be constructive and not destructive; their attitude must be positive and not confrontational; and their tone must be persuasive and not derisive. Sir, the Government must also have the magnanimity of listening to views and must also have the sincerity of listening to words which are not pleasant. The Government loses nothing by saying, "Maybe you're right.”
“I have already submitted the notes of the dialogue to the Minister. Here I would like to give my own personal views on the matter. We can deal with the role of the media in two dimensions - the external dimension and internal dimension. Externally, I think our media must uphold the interest of Singapore: (1) They should not allow western journalists to report and interpret Singapore's news events in the light of their own values, their own perspectives, their pride and prejudice. Our local media must rise up to refute and challenge such reports and comments, in order to put things in the right perspective. (2) At international gatherings of journalists and the media, our media must join hands with the media of the Asia-Pacific region in disallowing the western media to monopolise the agenda. We must also try to put our own matters of interest of this region on the agenda. With the prosperity of the economies in this region, the people here have already formed their own cultural awakening and consciousness. The media in this region must reflect this kind of consciousness. Although the western news agencies are still playing a dominant role, and they cannot be replaced within a short time, the local media must try and establish their due position and status. Internally, in the process of nation building, our media can play a positive role. For example, politically, media must help the Government to explain and publicise policies, to reflect the views and opinions of the people, and to offer constructive criticism. So the media here must also help to inculcate national consciousness, family values, moral values and to promote racial harmony and social cohesiveness.”
“Sir, I share my concern about the proliferation of information flow through the Internet, as expressed by Dr Vasoo. Internet has opened up a new dimension in worldwide information and exchange. There are already millions of subscribers to the Internet in the world. Many Singaporeans are also linked up to Internet. My questions for the Minister are: what is the estimated growth rate on the number of Internet users in Singapore? Does the Government support the widespread use of Internet? And what will be the impact of Internet on Singapore's society? By linking up to Internet, one can get access to all kinds of information, from serious academic information to useful technical information, to useless junk information. For example, this morning it took me less than one minute to link up with the global network of Boston University in USA where I can have access to all kinds of news information about the University. I was able to find out, for example, the details about lectures and workshops which are being conducted at Boston University now. Similarly, one can easily gain access to various other information from different parts of the world. For example, I was told one can easily obtain through the Internet pornographic materials, text, as well as pictures provided by well-known magazines such as Penthouse or Playboy. This information cannot be censored. So my question is: how does the Government plan to control the inflow of such undesirable information - information such as obscenity, pornography, ill-intended rumours, or propaganda? Dr Ow Chin Hock( In Mandarin): Sir, on the 22nd of last month, the Feedback Unit met a group of journalists, professionals and editors to discuss the role of the mass media.”
“Sir, the Report of the Library 2000 Review Committee has been released. I wish to congratulate the Committee for a job well done and for producing an excellent Report. The Report not only recommends the upgrading of our library system but also the setting up of the infrastructure - the tapping of the various resources through the latest information technology. Sir, Singaporeans, on the average, read very little compared to people of other developed nations. Even when we do read, the scope is usually very limited. Students seldom read outside their examination syllabuses. Some adults read only TV magazines and publications of the same sort. Others do not read at all. I am not sure this is the result of inadequate library services. It is more likely due to the lack of desire to learn and to further educate oneself through reading. Sir, I am happy to note that the Government has accepted the recommendations of the Report. And I hope there will not be much delay in the implementation of these recommendations. However, having good library facilities with high-tech infrastructure may not be able to change our habit or behaviour on reading. I therefore wish to ask the Minister to pay more attention to the recommendations regarding marketing and education. The main question will be how to educate the public to enable them to make use of the libraries and the high-tech facilities, how to generate the interest of the public to obtain information to acquire knowledge and to enrich oneself through the use of the library facilities. Finally, will we have sufficient number of professional staff needed for implementing the various recommendations?”
“Sir, I share the views and concerns of Mr Peter Sung on satellite broadcasting and cable TV. In last year's Budget debate, the Minister for Information and the Arts told the House that he was not in favour of giving Singaporeans free access to satellite broadcasting. Instead, he prefers to wire up Singapore for cable TV. I have a few questions to supplement Mr Sung's various questions. When will cable TV be introduced in Singapore and in what form? What will be the immediate plans for the Government in the introduction of cable TV broadcasting? And how will the Government be able to control the broadcasting of programmes of undesirable content? And what will be the role of SBC then? We have been told that SBC will be privatised in June. But why in such a hurry? How will the Government ensure that SBC will continue to broadcast programmes of public service, programmes of cultural and educational content, programmes of minority languages and not replacing these by other programmes because of commercial interest? I would like to ask the Minister whether, after the privatisation of SBC, the Government would allow a second or even a third private TV station to compete with SBC. Sir, I have another cut on a different topic under the same Head. Can I proceed to speak on Libraries?”
“Is the Minister aware that the plot of land between Block 791 and Block 792 is all walled up by residential blocks and it is actually not a suitable site for a school? I would like to know whether his Ministry will reconsider the plan for that plot of land.”
“Sir, may I know the expected date of completion of the project?”
“Due to the keen competition from the established fast-food chains, if there is insufficient provision of eating houses in the neighbourhood centre, it may be likely that the traditional fish ball noodle and the roti prata will be replaced by hamburger and fried chicken. I hope that HDB will look into the provision of eating houses in the neighbourhood centre carefully to ensure that there will always be a coffeeshop after the tender process has taken place.”
“I am not moving, Sir. Assoc. Prof. Low Seow Chay: Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head U of the Development Estimates be reduced by $10 in respect of Code UI 5200. Sir, HDB is building about 5,000 units of HDB flats per year in the Chua Chu Kang New Town. As the MP for this rapidly growing constituency, I regularly receive complaints from the residents about HDB. One of the typical complaints is the lack of shops in the new estate. For some residents, they have to walk or travel for about 1.5 kilometres before they could access the nearest coffeeshop. General shopping facilities could be as far as one kilometre away. For this category of people, the problems that they face could drag on for as long as three years. At the moment, the HDB is building Neighbourhoods 5, 6 and 7 in Chua Chu Kang. From the information I have received, the first flats in Neighbourhood 5 will be ready by next month. However, the shops in the neighbourhood will only be ready in about two years' time, ie, March 1995. In other words, the inconvenience suffered by the residents in the past will again be repeated in future, despite the many complaints from residents and the MP. I suggest that HDB should revise its policy in the timing of building neighbourhood centres so that the centre's completion date would not be too long after the majority of the residents have moved in. For the time being, the HDB should build small mini-markets or shoplets at strategic locations. In the short term, it helps to reduce the inconvenience of the residents. In the long-term, the mini-markets or shoplets will serve the needs of the residents in their purchase of daily goods and shopping. Sir, Singaporeans will find themselves very uneasy if they live in a HDB environment without a coffeeshop.”
“In view of the Minister's reply, I beg leave to withdraw my amendment. Amendment, by leave withdrawn.”
“Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head U of the Development Estimates be reduced by $10 in respect of Code UC 5100. Sir, last year, I requested the provision of a cover for the overhead pedestrian bridge at Khatib MRT Station across Yishun Avenue 2. The Minister's reply was that the peak hour pedestrian traffic volume was below the minimum set by PWD and that the two ends of the bridge were not yet connected to covered areas. I just want to take this opportunity to ask the Ministry to review the situation again. I believe the pedestrian traffic volume has gone up. Furthermore, it may be more reasonable to assess the demand by looking at the pedestrian traffic pattern for the whole day rather than for the peak hours. Consideration should also be given to other factors, for example, whether there are other routes for the pedestrians if it rains. As for the connecting covered walkways, my Town Council will be able to build them as part of our upgrading project once the bridge is covered. The next point I want to raise is the provision of covered linkways between blocks and between bus stops and blocks in HDB estates. These covered linkways should have been part of the infrastructure of the estates but they were omitted when HDB designed the town. It is now very costly to add on these items and yet covered linkways are the most commonly requested item when we talk about upgrading of the estate. From Nee Soon South RCs, I have received a request for building a total of 60 covered linkways. The Town Council is not likely to have sufficient funds to build the linkways to meet this demand. I would like to ask the Minister to come up with some scheme to assist the Town Council in financing the building of these linkways.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I support the Town Councils (Amendment) Bill. However, there are a few points I wish to seek clarification from the Minister. The first point is on the increase in the maximum number of members of the Town Council. It is desirable to increase the number for large towns so that all wards can be adequately represented. However, under the Town Councils Act, a town can be as big as three GRCs, with a total of 12 Members of Parliament, which means the Town Council can have as many as 120 members, and including the 12 MPs, it will be 132 members which is about more than 1 1/2 times the number of Members of Parliament. Although the Minister has commented that it is up to the MP to decide how big the Town Council should be, there is no guarantee that the MP will agree on a small Town Council. So my question is: is it better to impose a maximum number on the membership of the Town Council? My second point is on the amendment to enable the Town Council to use the sinking funds for upgrading of estates. Sir, many Town Councils are already faced with the problem of not having sufficient money in the sinking funds for routine cyclical works, such as the R&R, re-roofing, lift overhaul, etc. If upgrading projects are to be paid from the sinking funds, some Town Councils may end up in financial difficulties. Would the Government consider giving more grants to Town Councils for upgrading purposes so that the Town Councils need not deplete their sinking funds? Otherwise, some Town Councils may have no choice but to increase the rate of contribution to sinking funds which now stand at 25% of the income of the Town Council. In doing so, the Town Council may have to increase the SC&CC charges. Sir, I would like the Minister to comment on these points.”
“For this reason, I would like to ask what is the plot ratio the HDB is using for the construction of its flats nowadays, and since when has the HDB been adopting this present plot ratio. What is the plot ratio approved by the URA in respect of private apartments in the rural area? The third question concerns HDB's plan to sell its shophouses in the HDB estates. Will the sale of these HDB shophouses imperceptibly increase the burden of the shop operators, especially at a time when the economic outlook is uncertain? To these shop operators, this is adding one more straw that may break the camel's back, so to speak! Furthermore, the property market now is facing a downturn. The HDB has no more excuse to increase the rent for the shops. If the shop operators have no alternative but to buy the shophouses, and if the property prices continue to decline, then would they not be suffering losses? Has the Government any better measures to help the shop operators purchase these shophouses without having to increase their financial burden?”
“Sir, I am not speaking. Mr Low Thia Khiang (Hougang)( In Mandarin): Sir, I just wish to raise three questions with the Minister for National Development. The first question concerns the upgrading of HDB flats. We all know that the HDB estates are facing the problem of aging, after all these years. Some older HDB estates were completed at a time when there was acute shortage of public housing. It was inevitable that there were shortcomings in terms of design and facilities. Priority was given to Toa Payoh, Marine Parade and Ang Mo Kio in the HDB's upgrading programme. I understand that some older HDB estates such as Bukit Ho Swee, Queenstown, Beach Road, Circuit Road and the old Punggol housing estate are aging very rapidly, and are therefore more urgently in need of upgrading. However, the residents in these estates are still waiting eagerly and anxiously for their turn to come, and wondering whether the day will actually come. What are the criteria that the Government uses in deciding to give priority to these selected estates in the upgrading programme? The second question concerns the high density of HDB flats in the latest building programme. For new HDB flats which are being built near the Tampines MRT station, Lorong 3 Geylang, and Toa Payoh Lorong 2, the distance between one block and another is very close. In recent years, the selling prices of HDB flats have been getting higher and higher. At the same time, the density of HDB flats being built on each piece of land is also getting higher and higher. Those who live in HDB flats are losing their privacy in their daily living. Ventilation is also not so ideal and sometimes one can feel that it is getting very hot and stuffy. The sky that HDB dwellers can enjoy from their flats is getting smaller and smaller.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, last year, I requested the Minister to consider the erection of a shelter or a cover on the pedestrian overhead bridge at Yishun Avenue 2 at the Khatib MRT station. His answer was no. The reason was that the pedestrian traffic volume was below the standard set by the Ministry. I feel that I have to make the same request again and hopefully I will get a different answer. I think the traffic volume has now gone up. I hope the Ministry can conduct another survey. Even if the traffic volume is still short of the Ministry's target, I believe the Ministry can review the standard. I do not know when the old standard was set. But as our standard of living improves, the standard of our public facilities must also be reviewed from time to time. A lower minimum traffic volume for erection of a shelter should not be considered as inefficient use of public funds but rather an improvement of the standard of our public facilities. In fact, it may now be timely for the Ministry to consider providing shelter to all the overhead bridges in Singapore, starting with the one in Yishun South. Sir, I hope the Minister can consider my request again. And perhaps the MRTC can be asked to sponsor the project, because the shelter will benefit directly those who use the MRT and therefore indirectly benefit MRT itself.”
“Sir, I thank the Minister for his reply and I beg leave to withdraw my amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.”
“Coming back to the topic of expensive shops, I do not know what can be done at this stage. Selling and renting out shops by tender has been accepted as a fair practice. Speculators are supposed to blame themselves if their business fails. Meanwhile, my town residents have no choice but to live with higher prices. Perhaps the Minister may be able to give his comments on this topic, in particular, whether the high tender prices for shops really reflect the market price, or whether they were the result of speculation. Since the cost of operating shops in HDB readily affects the cost of living of the residents, the Ministry has a role to play in moderating the cost.”
“Otherwise it would suggest poor planning on the part of HDB. The second explanation is that the bidders of the shops are speculators who had tendered too high. Whether this is true or not, I do not know. Perhaps time will tell. The third explanation is that the higher prices of shops were due to HDB's clever marketing policy, ie, holding on to the shops when the market was weak, and releasing them slowly so that the supply was limited. There seems to be some supporting evidence in this third explanation. The shops in Yishun Neighbourhood 8 were completed in near-1989, or even earlier. I raised a question in Parliament in 1989 asking for the reasons for the delay in releasing the shops. The answer given was that they were undergoing conversion. I was a little bit puzzled at that time because I was wondering why should new shops need conversion? Was it another case of bad planning by HDB again? Being a nice fellow, I did not press on them. Or was it a tactic employed to delay the completion of the shops? The conversion which was carried out was really not essential, for example, change of partition, knocking down walls here and there, erection of the roof facade, which was supposed to give the place a bit of character, digging holes on walls for decorative purposes and so on. In fact, I would like to take this opportunity to point out that HDB had overlooked some real need for improvement, for example, the provision of adequate electrical power supply. I have already received complaints from a market, a coffeeshop, and a finance company about the inadequate power supply and the delay they have to suffer in applying for upgrading. This is perhaps one area where HDB's planning department should take note of.”
“Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head U be reduced by $10 in respect of Code UI 5200 of the Development Estimates. Sir, I just want to raise one point which I believe is a matter of concern for many people. This is the escalating cost of operating shops in HDB new town estates. Here are some examples to show how expensive shop prices and rents these days. At the new neighbourhood centre, ie, Neighbourhood 8 in Yishun New Town, the tender price for an ordinary shop was about $600,000. The tender price for a coffeeshop, or what they call eating house now, was about $3 million. And one small supermarket is paying a monthly rent of over $30,000. Shops are being let out at $6,000 per month, while hawker stalls in a coffeeshop at $3,000-$7,000 per month, and you can imagine how much one plate of char kway teow costs in those coffeeshops. 4.15 pm Because of the high cost, shopowners and stallholders have no choice but to charge more for their goods and services. This in turn leads to higher living cost. We therefore have complaints from residents about expensive prices, complaints from shopkeepers about the difficulty in running their business, and even shopkeepers of nearby neighbourhood centres have complained because the higher prices of the new neighbourhood centre have jacked up the so-called market price of shops. So when the shop tenancy is up for renewal, HDB now asks for an increase in rents, about as high as 30% increase. The only one who is happy is HDB. HDB must have reaped a huge profit because these shops were constructed when the construction cost was quite low. Why do shops become so expensive? A number of explanations can be given. The first explanation is that there is a short supply of shops. HDB does not think so.”
“Sir, is the Minister or the PWD aware that the proposed shelter will benefit about one-quarter of the Yishun New Town population and that is equal to 2% of the Singapore population? The second question is: Does the Minister agree that the $100,000 is a very small sum of money to spend for the benefit of 2% of the Singapore population? Furthermore, is the Minister aware that once the shelter is provided the traffic volume will increase?”
“I believe the proposed $51 million to be spent on upgrading and development will change the situation. However, I hope the upgrading and development will not lead to over-commercialisation of the Botanic Gardens. Every effort should be made to retain the original and natural beauty of the gardens. We certainly do not want to replace it with another Haw Par Villa or Disneyland. I would like to ask the Minister to give an assurance that the development will be carried out with sensitivity and care and that after the upgrading the Botanic Gardens will still be open to the public free of charge. On Fort Canning Park, I would like to ask the Minister for the reasons why it is presently under-utilized. With the proposed $25 million development, I am sure that the park will become more popular. Are there plans to promote Fort Canning Park? Finally, a question on nature reserves. Singapore is an island country. Our national parks scheme will be incomplete without a nature reserve with sea frontage. I would like to ask the Minister whether there will be at least one nature reserves site with proper sea frontage, including mangrove swamps and marsh lands, one which can also be designated as bird sanctuary. Such a nature reserve will be most welcome by nature lovers and bird lovers.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I support the introduction of the Bill. The proposal to set up a National Parks Board and the announcement of plans to upgrade the Singapore Botanic Gardens, Fort Canning Park and our Nature Reserves are most welcome. Singapore is a small island city. The Ministry of National Development and the Parks and Recreation Department have done a good job in maintaining our parks and nature reserves and in keeping Singapore green and beautiful. It is good to know that the Government has plans to preserve certain areas in Singapore for use as parks and nature reserves. However, being a small country with very little land, we cannot have national parks which occupy large areas such as those found in other big countries where a single park may be many times the size of Singapore island. Whatever we can preserve for use as parks and reserves, we have to be sure that we make optimal use and take utmost care of these areas. I am glad that the Government is introducing a Bill to set up the National Parks Board and that Government will provide full financial support to the Board so that the Board will not have to worry about not being financially self-sufficient. Yes, Mr Speaker, Sir, I have to congratulate the Minister for being not so money-minded as some of his colleagues. The development programmes for the improvement of facilities at the Botanic Gardens are indeed most timely. Although the Botanic Gardens is still one of the most favourite places of recreation for Singaporeans and tourists, some of the facilities have been observed to have deteriorated over the years. For example, there used to be a coffee shop in the gardens but there is none now. I was told that the public toilets in the gardens are in poor condition.”
“Dr Lee just said that we should not take people's words at face value. But does that apply to him?”
“I would like to know whether there are any new measures or plans of the Government to resolve this problem or whether the Government is prepared to increase the grants to town councils or give more financial aid. Otherwise, HDB residents will suffer more if town councils fall into financial difficulty. On the other hand, the Town Council Act specifies that the sinking funds should be 25% of the total income for the cyclical work, for example, liftworks, redecoration and repainting and replacement of TV antennas. But the mandatory requirement of 25% has made the town councils not able to use their funds flexibly and hence resulted in a very tight financial situation for the town councils. I, therefore, urge the Government to consider reducing the percentage of sinking funds so that the town councils can manage their expenditure more flexibly in order to benefit the residents.”
“And, of course, I also request that these projects be funded by the Government. The town councils will be most happy to assist in the planning of these facilities. Mr Peh Chin Hua (Jalan Besar GRC)( In Mandarin): Mr Chairman, Sir, I support what my colleague said on the grant given to the town councils. It appears to everyone of us that there is always a surplus of $20,000 to $80,000 from the Annual Reports and Statements of Account of almost every town council. This is misleading, which gives people the impression that the Service Charge/Conservancy Charge (SC/CC) collections are able to meet the heavy expenditure and maintenance costs. This is incorrect and also an error. In fact, the SC/CC collections are hardly sufficient to meet the expenditure. The deficit is more than a million dollars a year. If there is no grant from the Government of a few million dollars a year to each town council, where does the town council's surplus come from? They will have a deficit instead. Take the Jalan Besar Town Council as an example. We have spent a lot of time and due consideration in preparing the budget and have adopted many cost-saving measures. Yet there is still a deficit of $1.8 million. Fortunately for us, with a grant of $1.9 million from the Government, we have been able to have a surplus of $60,000. However, with economic recovery and a tight labour market, the labour costs have increased tremendously. The unit price increase is more than 30% for conservancy work. This has worsened the financial position of the town council. The situation will deteriorate further if there is no prompt payment of conservancy charges or vandalism of property.”
“Sir, I fully support Mr Ibrahim's request for increase of grants to town councils. As pointed out by him, the grants given to town councils are based on the cost of 1986. Today, contract prices have gone up by about 30-50%. Most town councils therefore find it difficult to make ends meet. I wish to request the Minister to review the situation and to increase the grants to town councils perhaps at a rate proportional to the increase in contract prices. Sir, I would also like to take this opportunity to bring up a matter concerning the use of reserve sites in HDB estates managed by the town councils. In most of the estates managed by the town councils, there are usually a number of pockets of land called reserve sites located within or adjacent to the town council boundaries. These sites are usually not managed by the town councils. I have a few requests for the Minister to consider. First, I would like to request that the town council be consulted on development or use of these reserve sites - whether the sites are to be used for commercial, recreational or service purposes, whether they will be developed by the Government or by the private sector. I hope the town council can be informed and consulted before final decisions are made. The second request is for those reserve sites which are not to be developed immediately, the Ministry should ensure that they are properly maintained. I have received complaints that some of these sites have been neglected and have become mosquito breeding grounds. The last request is I would like the Minister to consider the possibility of converting some of these reserve sites into recreational areas, such as neighbourhood parks, jogging tracks, playgrounds or even golf driving ranges for the benefit of the town residents.”
“I thank the Minister for his reply and I beg leave to withdraw my amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.”
“Question No. 2, Sir. The Senior Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Communications and Information (Mr Ho Kah Leong) (for the Minister for Communications and Information): Mr Speaker, Sir, I am replying on behalf of my Minister. Sir, bus routes are determined by bus companies subject to the approval of the Public Transport Council (PTC). I shall ask PTC and SBS to liaise with the Member on their plans to improve feeder services in Tampines and Pasir Ris New Towns. Sir, may I take this opportunity to encourage Members of this House to hold discussions with their grassroots leaders and the bus operators to see how the bus services in their constituencies could be further improved. Such dialogues will assist PTC and the bus operators in the planning of bus services. MAIN AND DEVELOPMENT ESTIMATES OF SINGAPORE FOR THE FINANCIAL YEAR 1ST APRIL, 1990 TO 31ST MARCH, 1991 Order read for consideration in Committee of Supply [2nd Allotted Day]. [Mr Speaker in the Chair] Head T (cont.) - Resumption of Debate on Question [14th March, 1990], "That the sum to be allocated for Head T be reduced by $10 in respect of Code TC 1500 of the Main Estimates." - [Dr Koh Lip Lin]. Question again proposed.”
“Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head T be reduced by $10 in respect of Code TC 1500 of the Main Estimates. Sir, recently, the First Deputy Prime Minister announced that the Government will be taking certain measures to improve our road system. These include widening of critical bottlenecks, a network of tunnels in the city area and viaducts over existing roads. These are news which most people would welcome but I suppose some of these, particularly the network of tunnels and viaducts would take a few more years, if not, decades to build. Meanwhile, the road traffic congestion is likely to get worse each year. I would like to urge the Ministry to expedite the development in two important areas. First, the extension of computerised traffic light control system to as many areas as possible. Second, to build more pedestrian crossing tunnels or bridges along busy roads and junctions, such as those along Orchard Road. I believe these two areas will help to solve some of the traffic congestion problems, especially in city and town areas. Another point which I want to raise is the need to improve the accessibility of MRT stations. The Minister may wish to look into the feasibility of building carparks near suburban MRT stations so that people can park their cars or motorcycles or bicycles there and take the MRT to go downtown. For MRT stations where there is no land available for building such car parks, perhaps some sort of picking-up or dropping-off area can be provided so that passengers can take a ride from friends or family members to the station.”
“Sir, I have got a cut under Code TG 5100 which is also on resettlement compensation. May I speak now?”
“Sir, during the debate in the Committee of Supply last year, the Minister disclosed that his Ministry was reviewing the Concept Plan which would guide the physical development of Singapore into the 21st Century. He mentioned that the three main factors his Ministry would be considering were: the slowing down of the rate of urbanisation, the increase in private sector participation and the demand by Singaporeans for better quality of the environment. He also mentioned a target population of 3.4 million by the year 2030. The House was also informed that the new approach would be to use capital and technology to minimize land use, to adopt integral planning of facilities and to plan for contingencies. Sir, I would like to take this opportunity to ask the Minister whether he can report to this House the progress of the review, whether the parameters have changed and when the new Concept Plan will be finalized and made known to the public.”
“Sir, I would like to know when will the mini-market and the rest of the shops be ready because as far as I know no shop has been opened at Neighbourhood 8.”
“Sir, can I ask the Minister whether he can tell the House briefly about the scale and timeframe of this upgrading programme. In other words, how many flats approximately will be upgraded per year from 1991 onwards and how many years will it take for one whole cycle of upgrading? Also, how will HDB draw up the schedule? In other words, which estate is to be upgraded first, second and so on. My last question, Sir, is whether flats of newer estates which have suffered from poor workmanship could also be included in the upgrading programme?”
“Sir, can the Ministry consider developing, at least temporarily, that piece of land into a park with playground facilities for the benefit of the residents nearby?”
“Sir, I thank the Minister for his reply and I beg to withdraw my amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.”
“I would like to know whether the Government would allow the land to be used for fish and prawn farming, without the quality of reservoir water supply being affected.”
“Luckily, the completion of the MRT last December came as a rescue. At least, for the time being, residents can take the MRT to Ang Mo Kio or downtown to the library, cinema or to go shopping. As for the land reserved for development of marine industries, nothing has happened. I do not know why the development of the town centre is so much out of place with the other development of the New Town. But I suppose it was not planned to be that way. Perhaps the Minister can look into this type of problems so that there will be better coordination among the various parties in future development projects. Dr Low Seow Chay (Chua Chu Kang)( In Mandarin): Sir, the farmland in Singapore would be decreased from 3,300 hectares in 1987 to 2,000 hectares in 1995. Will the trend continue after 1995? According to projections, 30% of these farmlands in 1995 will be devoted to cash crops such as the growing of orchids and aquarium fish and others. When we are constrained by limited land and dependent of import of foodstuff, should we not make use of these farmlands for the growing of food crops? With the decrease of arable land we become more dependent on foreign sources for our food. Moreover, by the end of the year, our pig farming is to be phased out. This will bring about certain problems to Singapore. How can we ensure the hygienic condition of imported meat meeting our specified standard? During an emergency when our supply is cut, how are we going to distribute and allocate the limited locally supplied foodstuffs such as eggs and meat so that there may not be panic or rush for the scarce supplies? The reservoir catchment areas take up quite a chunk of land.”
“Some of these areas have already been put to good use. The question is: have we reached the limit of reclamation? How much more land can we expect to get from reclamation? My next question is on road transportation. Our road and expressway network has been greatly expanded during the past two decades. Apparently, one of these days there will be no more land available to build roads and expressways. My question is: when will we reach this limit? And what can be done after that? My next question is on the implementation of concept plan. Successful implementation of a plan depends on good coordination of all parties who are concerned. There are many examples in which the various parties concerned have not been able to work at the same pace or keep to the same schedule. Take, for instance, the development of Yishun New Town. The physical concept plan of the New Town is very nice. There is this town centre surrounded by eight neigh- bourhoods which are linked by the Ring Road. The town centre is supposed to be the hub of the New Town where most of the public, social and community services are to be found. Adjacent to the New Town is an industrial belt meant for marine related industries which are supposed to provide the jobs for the residents. It would be wonderful if all are completed on schedule. The actual situation today after 10 years of development is that there are 45,000 flats completed with 150,000 residents living in Yishun. And that is 5.6% of the total population of Singapore. To put it in other words, 1 in every 18 Singaporeans lives at Yishun. And there is still no town centre. The central services such as cinema, department stores, supermarkets, library, polyclinic are not there. There is only the bus interchange and the town garden.”
“Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head T be reduced by $10 in respect of Code TE 1500 of the Main Estimates. Sir, Singapore is a small country with a high density population and very little land. One of the main factors that contributed to our successful development in the past two decades was the proper planning and use of our limited land. The Ministry of National Development and the Planning Department have indeed done a very good job. My purpose in moving this amendment is therefore not to find fault with the Ministry, but to take this opportunity to seek some information and clarifications on some of the important issues regarding land use and planning policy, in particular the future direction and trends. According to the Planning Act, the Master Plan has to be reviewed every five years. The last review was done in 1985. The next one is due in 1990. 1989, therefore, is the year the Ministry has to make preparations for a new Master Plan. I would like to know whether there will be any major changes in the planning policy, long-term plan or the concept plan related to our land use. Last year the Ministry made public part of the draft Master Plan as well as a number of development guide plans. These include the plans for the urban waterfront, the civic and cultural district and the historic district. I suppose these will form part of the new Master Plan. Perhaps the Minister would be able to brief the House on the policy and general direction of the overall planning and land use for the next five years. Sir, there are a number of specific questions I would like to ask the Minister. First, on land reclamation. Land reclamation has been successful in providing us with additional land areas in some parts of Singapore.”
“I therefore would like to know if the Minister is considering the introduction of any penalty scheme for late payment of HDB charges, ie, loan instalments, rents and conservancy charges. If not, what measures can be taken to discourage late payment of these charges? If yes, maybe the Minister can inform the House some of the details of the scheme. And perhaps also tell the House what assistance can be given to those who cannot pay on time due to genuine hardship. With the Town Councils taking over the management of HDB Housing estates, will the Town Councils be given the discretion or the authority to decide, at least as far as conservancy charges are concerned, whether a penalty scheme should be introduced and how it should be implemented.”
“Sir, I just want to take this opportunity to ask the Minister whether Government is planning to introduce a penalty scheme to deal with cases of arrears in HDB charges. The problems of arrears in HDB charges have been discussed in this House before. Statistics of arrears have also been given. Sir, there are more than half a million flat owners and tenants. Among such a large number, it is expected that from time to time there will be a small number who for one reason or another cannot pay their bills on time. However, when the economy of Singapore is good, when unemployment rate is low, this number should be very small. One factor that encourages people not to pay on time is that there is no penalty for late payment. As a result, many do not feel the urgency to pay their bills on time, and they acquire the habit of paying late and let the arrears accumulate. During last year, HDB began to get tough by taking legal action, issuing notices for compulsory acquisition and charging administration or legal fees for those who want to keep their flats. Those who are in good financial situation paid up. Those who are in genuine financial difficulty have no choice but to give up their flats. Many could not settle their bills because they have accumulated so much arrears that they cannot pay their bills in a short time. I am sure all the MPs have come across many such cases in their meet-the-people sessions. One way to discourage late payment is the introduction of a penalty or charging interest or both. This will no doubt reduce the number of cases of arrears, but it will also make it more difficult for those who are in genuine difficulty.”
“Sir, I would like to ask the Minister what does the HDB propose to do with the 3-room flats which are not taken up in Yishun New Town. We have been told of the reasons for the surplus of these 3-room flats. HDB had built the flats according to projected demand based on the waiting list. However, whoever did the projection failed to realize the changing expectations of the applicants. As Singaporeans become more affluent, they want bigger flats. Ten years ago, most people would be happy with their 3-room flats but today they would not settle for less than a 4-room A-type flat. The Member for Geylang Serai has suggested a change in the method of application ensure that flats built will meet the demand. But the fact is that we are now left with too many 3-room flats. To encourage applicants to buy these flats, perhaps some of the HDB regulations can be relaxed. For example, waive the downpayment or relax the rules governing eligibility, eg, allow brothers and sisters from a large family to buy a flat, or perhaps the price of the flats can be reduced. I was also told that a great number of the vacant 3-room flats at Yishun New Town are reserved for renting out to employment pass holders. But many of these flats have been vacant for years. I would like to know if HDB will consider renting them to the general public.”
“Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head T be reduced by $10 in respect of Code TA 5100 of the Development Estimates. Sir, I just want to ask the Minister what are the criteria used for the planning and construction of pedestrian crossings, overhead bridges and pedestrian subways, particularly those in HDB housing estates. Are these planned when the housing estate is being planned? Or are they planned after studying the traffic volume and conditions? Or are they constructed only after requests have been received from the public? I would also like to know whether there is any study being made to find out whether the existing pedestrian crossings, overhead bridges and subways are fully utilized.”