Lai Tha Chai
Singapore
“I appreciate that the renewal of old estates takes time, as mentioned by my colleague, the Member for Bo Wen. But, Sir, do you know that HDB has been carrying out the relocation exercise since the 1970s in Henderson? Today, more than 10 years later, HDB has not built even a unit of new flat in the constituency.”
“Publications (10) That the sum to be allocated for Head I be reduced by $10 in respect of Subhead IE-03 of the Main Estimates. Psychological Defence Unit (11) That the sum to be allocated for Head I be reduced by $10 in respect of Subhead IF-03 of the Main Estimates.”
“Confucius says, "Recompense injury with justice, and recompense kindness with kindness. (" ") We try to be righteous. To repay virtue with virtue and we treat those who oppose us in a just way. Whereas those who have showered on us benefits and showed virtue to us we must repay in kind.”
“Perhaps it is too little for SBC, so much so that the people in charge of SBC have to push out their chest and say, "If you don't give us money, then we will have to embarrass you and make you lose face", as the slang goes.”
“On the other hand, if he thinks the money is of use to him and is of benefit to his members of family and he is also sure that after 10 or 20 years this saving will be good for his family, just like the CPF which after a period of accumulation can be used for purchasing of flats, on this account I will support the scheme. 6.04 p.m.”
“Sir, I notice that the Minister of State of Education has just answered the question which I intend to raise. So I do not think I should waste your time by repeating my question and getting the Minister of Education or his Minister of State to give the House the same answer. Because of this, I do not wish to speak on the amendment.”
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Every one of 103 lines we hold for Lai Tha Chai, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 2 of 3.
“The object of the proposed amendment is not to control the press but to redefine the ownership of newspapers so that no single family or a single minor group can own a newspaper. The problem with the press is not whether or not we should control it. In fact, we do not want to control the press. We want it to be a free and responsible press. But we have to be constantly alert so that no communists or pro-communists can infiltrate into the press and make use of it to disseminate communist propaganda. No matter what we do or no matter what law we pass, it can never be perfect and, therefore, we have to be alert. We have to monitor the kind of articles that is being published in the newspapers in order to get an account of what the situation is with the press, and I think we are doing just that. We know what the press is doing and how it is being operated. But I think it is wrong to say that we seek further control of the press. On the question of TV programmes, the Member for Henderson said that we are lavishly copying the foreign productions from Hong Kong and Taiwan. This is not true because when we produce our own programmes we normally have our own local artistes and local writers to write out the scripts. However, the form may be similar to those programmes which we import from abroad. But then TV programmes are more or less the same, whether they are produced in Taiwan, Hong Kong or even in Singapore. A great number of these programmes that we acquire from Taiwan or from Hong Kong are mainly of an historical interest. For instance, the Romance of the Three Kingdoms and the Rise of the Tang Dynasty are of historical interest.”
“The foreign professional artistes can perform better than some of our amateurs. For example, programmes like "Enjoy Yourself" and "Under The Same Roof" are Cantonese films which are imported are quite popular, of course. So our TV producers tend to copy and they produce films like "Chinese Variety Show" and "The $50,000 Question". These programmes are in Chinese. When we compare locally produced programmes with the imported ones, we feel "dead", "angry", or "our domestic flowers are not as fragrant as the wild flowers". Some Members of Parliament have remarked that we should not pick the wild flowers. Some people like the "Guthrie Hour". This programme is all right. Of course, this could be better than some of the other programmes produced locally. I do not know whether the other Members of Parliament agree with me on this point. Another point is this. When considering these points, the Ministry of Culture should "look at the major points and work from the minor points", in the promotion of various cultural activities. Take, for example, our annual Chingay procession. I do not understand what it means. Why is it not called the Zhuang Yi procession" or some other transliteration instead of Chingay procession? This is a far cry from the correct tenor of our Minister for Culture when he stated last month in this House that we have to "remove the weeds to preserve the essence". Then, to keep alive these old traditional things might not be too good for us. Mr Jek Yeun Thong: Mr Speaker, Sir, I have already stated in my speech during the debate on the Presidential Address that we are not seeking further control of the press.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I take back what I have just said. But the principle of amending this Newspaper and Printing Presses Act is to forbid anyone to hold more than 3% shares in any newspaper. That is to say, unless there are 17 people in the family and all the 17 people have 3% shares each in the same newspaper, this family will not be able to control the newspaper. What I want to point out is that the Minister for Culture should consider whether this will actually achieve the aim because other than the question of newspaper bosses controlling the newspaper, some journalists with ulterior motives could also write anything in any newspaper or publication here or abroad influencing thousands of people. Our Minister for Culture has just mentioned that these journalists could write all sorts of articles. We can control them internally but if they write in the foreign newspapers what can we do? Recently, some people were detained by the Internal Security Department. Some of them belong to this category of journalists. Some of them have the same ideology as their bosses and they could be under the instructions of the bosses. But some others actually acted contrary to the instructions of their bosses and they might be infiltrators. I would like to point out that while the original 1974 Newspaper and Printing Presses Act could not make the newspapers abide Government's policies, even with the amendment I doubt whether it could achieve the desired aim. Just now some Members of Parliament, including the Member for Boon Lay have commented on the work of the RTS in diverse manner. I feel that when the workers in the RTS produce programmes, they usually copy what the Westerners are doing. What I mean is this.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head Q be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead AAA 1101. Mr Speaker, Sir, in the debate just now the Member for Boon Lay and the Member for Khe Bong spoke on newspapers. I would like to say a few words. I sympathise with the Minister for Culture. We know that Culture is not an easy responsibility. As "half a newspaper man". I understand this problem. I know that in an open society it is easy to be influenced by others but not easy to influence them. No matter what we say, no matter what we do, the Minister for Culture is always blamed for it. So we can expect further blame put on him in future. Everyday when I read the two different newspapers in two languages, I get two kinds of feeling. The Chinese paper gives me one feeling and the English paper gives me another. Recently an English newspaper carried many pages of writing about a multimillionaire, how he tackled a film star and how he came to acquire wealth. The Chinese newspaper on the other hand talked about social problems and traditional virtues such as respect for the old. So in my mind, I have two contradictory ideals. If this were allowed to go on without checking our society we will have a lot of trouble. The Minister for Culture intends to amend the Newspaper and Printing Presses Act. I do not agree with the Member for Boon Lay that it would adversely affect the newspapers.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I would like to ask the Senior Parliamentary Secretary whether consideration will be given to the removal of one of the conditions for the issue of licences, i.e, the applicant must be above 40 years old. To go a step further, is he aware that a person who is more than 60 years old and has only a daughter earning less than $100 to support the aged parents is also not eligible to apply at the moment?”
“Even when compared with the Chinese, Indian or Indonesian ways of life, there are differences in similarities and there are also similarities in differences. But these are our characteristics. This goes to show that we are ourselves, Singaporeans, masters of ourselves. We are not the play-things of the colonialists. Sir, once more I support the Motion of the Member for Ulu Pandan. 3.58 p.m.”
“If the wife finds that she cannot get a housemaid to help in the household chores, she will resign from her employment to run the house and to teach the children. In this way, the family budget is increased while income is reduced. Nowadays in view of the increasing number of Government flats more and more children would leave their parents to live separately when they are ready to raise their own families, This gap between the two generations resulting in the twin social problem has become acute. In view of this trend in family structure, I would like to ask the question whether Singaporeans should accept in toto western cultural values and concepts. To me, personally I think western science and technology is our life-line. We must endeavour to seek these for our own good. On the other hand, we should not allow the individualistic liberalism produced in the very rich West to form part of our culture, because it will only divide our people and weaken our thoughts and split our society so that we become poor, weak and cannot stand on our own. There is the example of Tan Wah Piow who illegally entered England. All along in his way of life and education he has been thinking that the moon in the West is very round, much rounder than the moon in the East. He does not know that the moon in the East is just as round. Thus he is imbued with a dubious concept of values, which makes him think that to be born a foreigner and to die a foreign ghost is very glorious to him. What I want to point out is that after all we are Singaporeans living in this strategic geographical area in Southeast Asia where western and eastern cultures meet, We have our own way of life. While there is certain similarity with the West, there is also some difference from the West.”
“Besides designing separate bedrooms for the parents and the children, they have also provided a bathroom in each bedroom, or next to the hall a balcony is added. The rooms will be well ventilated and bright, and flowers and birds have been added to turn the flat into a paradise. So now the urge to work hard in order to make more money so as to raise the standard of living has become the norm as well as a factor for progress in this pragmatic society. If we had discarded the principles of "reward according to merit" and "distribution according to labour", our construction programme would not have progressed so fast. In our present more and more westernised family structure, usually only two generations live together separate from the grandparents, just as what our textbooks have now taught our pupils. We find that the children are taught that every morning when they get up they must say "good morning" to daddy and to mummy, but these textbooks do not include "good morning" to grandfather and to grandmother. To the majority of us, we have parents and children living together at the same time. The only difference is that under the western influence parents stay at one place whereas we ourselves and our children live at another place. So this has caused a twin social problem relating to two generations. On the one hand, the aged and weak parents have been forsaken by the children and some, when they are faced with difficulty in their livelihood, had to ask the Government to put them into a home for the aged so that they could pass away their twilight years under some shelter, The other problem is the case with young couples with children.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I support the Motion of the Member for Ulu Pandan. In the President's speech, mention has been made that Singaporeans should formulate their own way of life. This is of particular interest to me. Over the last decade, we have been groping our way about for a solution. Today we can say that we have found a way out. Just like what the English proverb says: Where there is a will, there is a way. After some effort, we have found a way out to a better future. It is to learn and absorb Western science and technology in toto. By doing so, our life has bettered that some 10 years ago. For instance, 10 years ago we built many one-room units of flats to accommodate thousands of people. At that time, this sort of flats was considered good. But today these flats do not appear to be good enough. During the last general elections this type of flats had been given an airing of views, Our candidates made a promise in the general elections saying, "All. right, we will modify these one-room flats." The Government has to improve them by converting two such units into one bigger unit. Otherwise people will not want to stay in such one-room flats. On the other hand, the Government has to build four-room, five-room and even six-room flats. As the people like to live in them, the Government is even prepared to build luxurious flats and apartments as condominiums, costing hundreds of thousands of dollars in order to satisfy their needs, This is obviously in keeping with our economic progress and the success in our family planning. While the number of members in a family has become smaller, the living area of a flat has become larger. In the newspapers and in magazines, interior decorators have designed the layout of a flat for a family of four.”
“All right, Sir, I have a list of 20 schools and I have given some statistics to make my point. But if the Minister is interested. I can even give him the names of the schools, However. I do not wish to disclose the names of those poor schools and so put them to shame publicly. Sir, from the figures that I have given we can see clearly that the first category of schools is successful. There are more than 90% passes. These schools should be publicly commended. The second category of schools are failures because their school results average 40%. This is a serious matter that we should not overlook. I suggest that the Ministry of Education should draw up certain criteria for awards or reproaches to serve as guidance for the principals and teachers and to ensure that good principals be given at least some incentives of post allowance - 6.30 p.m. As regards those teachers or principals whose bodies are in the schools but whose hearts are in business, they should not be retained in the Education service so that no harm may be done to the school or to themselves. On the contrary, we should ask them to join the commercial sector to give rein to their ambition to make more money for the country rather than remain in the schools. On the other hand, we should totally reform the Institute of Education, raising both the quality and the quantity of its contents. so as to ensure a new breed of educators who will take over the task of education from us.”
“No. I am only giving the figures of five of each category of schools.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, in view of the reply by the Minister of State. I beg leave to withdraw my amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.”
“In the circumstances, therefore, I support the view, just mentioned by the Member for Bras Basah, that now is the right time to consider the feasibility of setting up Residents' Representatives Committee under the supervision of the Special Duties Unit in the various constituencies which have got HDB flats so as to assist the HDB in tackling problems of residents. The HDB was chaired by our capable Minister in the early 1 96Os and we are fortunate that today it is still under the charge of the same Minister, who by this time would be more knowledgeable and more experienced. His contribution to the task of nation-building is immeasurable. And together with the Senior Minister of State who himself is a man of reputable talent and calibre, there is no doubt at all that these socio-economic problems in these housing estates will be solved with ease and that the HDB will continue to further develop and achieve greater success. But, Sir, I would like to know whether the Minister and his Minister of State share my views on the problems in Housing Board estates.”
“Alternatively, temporary wooden structures are erected at the roadside, but these often obstruct the free flow of traffic and cause congestion. Still other alternatives are available, but they too cause great inconvenience, as mentioned by the Member for Bras Basah just now. 3.45 p.m. Thirdly. HDB shop tenants are facing a lot of hardship, and so do the many hawker stallholders in HDB market centres. All these problems which I have packed at random need to be thoroughly studied in relation to other problems, and effective solutions must be found. Here, if I may venture to offer two humble suggestions to the authorities for serious consideration, I believe they could, in the least, contribute to an improved relationship between residents who live cheek by jowl of one another. Firstly, to establish a Special Duties Unit, headed by a Public Relations Officer, to promote good neighbourliness and to handle any problems such as those I have mentioned. This Unit should also be entrusted with a certain amount of autonomous authority to dispel the hidden fear among officials of retaliation or victimisation, hence rectifying the cause of malpractice. Secondly, we know that Citizens Consultative Committees and Management Committees of Community Centres have rendered invaluable service to the Housing and Development Board to deal with the problems of residents which occur every now and then. However, members of CCC and CCMC, who are not appointed by the HDB and therefore do not have direct relations with the HDB, have nothing to do with them. They feel that they can only render service to the HDB if they are so requested.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head 0 be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead AAA 3020*. (* The same amendment also stood in the names of Dr Chiang Hai Ding and Mr Chin Harn Tong.) Sir, I would just like to add some points to what many Members have already brought up. Mr Speaker, Sir, in recent years, in its efforts to meet the increasing demand for housing for our citizens, the HDB has to a great extent eased the grave shortage of housing in our Republic. And in the course of doing so, it has helped to shape the new skyline of our island state. These glorious achievements of the HDB have won for our country international acclaim in many foreign countries. However, although my humble comments here in this House will not in any way cause any weight to fall on the performance of the HDB, I would like to draw the attention of the authorities concerned to certain problems which are the end-result of the rapid resettlement of our citizens in HDB flats. This mass resettlement has created a series of new socio-economic problems in our society which, if allowed to go on unchecked, may produce adverse repercussions on our way of life. The first problem is the oft-repeated complaint about quarrels between neighbours over trivialities such as noise nuisances or of wash-drippings from the upper floors, and insecurity of lifts. I believe all this is due to a lack of self-discipline and civic-mindedness of the residents. Secondly, there is no suitable open area for large social gatherings such as a wedding function or a religious ceremony. At the moment such functions are being organised in HDB car parks, for which high charges have to be paid.”
“The Development Planning Committee should be able initially to project the future plans for the type of community centres to be built according to the needs of the urban and rural population; i.e, whether they should be of a certain size or type necessary to meet future needs. This careful planning should not envisage a grand and luxurious building with facilities that are not actually used, because it would be a waste of money. This is important. I do not think a community centre should have air-conditioning from the kitchen to the hall, which may appear grand but not practical. To me it is a waste of money to have such a luxurious community centre. If the Minister wants to build such a community centre in my constituency, I will say "no thank you" to him. I was saying that the committee in charge shou1d plan well as to where, when and how to set up a community centre in a particular locality. It should be up to the committee concerned to decide whether its members should be professionals in this respect.”
“If the Budget Section of the Finance Ministry ignores the reasonable request of the People's Association for funds, and if the PA officials in charge of financial matters would not adjust the present policy as what the Members for River Valley and Boon Teck have just said, then undoubtedly the trend will be towards the adoption of these three methods as the social vogue. The situation will arise when many people will be canvassing for advertisements; everywhere there will be people looking for powdered faces with twisting waists; and everywhere there will be people glutting and gluttonising on rich food. In actual fact, in the light of the President's speech in this House, all this is contrary to and not in keeping with the spirit of diligence, hard work and self discipline which we are trying to promote for the cause of nation building. This social vogue is a contradiction and a chord of disharmony. It will also have unfavourable effects on our economic, cultural and social structure in the long run. I would, therefore, like to make two very important suggestions to the Minister for Culture. I hope he will give special consideration to them or convey them to the People's Association for more study. First, develop the function of the Development Planning Committee of the People's Association, the chairman of the committee being the Chief Planner who is a professional man. Our colleagues have also suggested that there should be some liaison between the People's Association and the HDB, with which the Chief Planner is closely associated. The Member for Kim Keat is also on this Committee. He is a city planer himself.”
“The funds needed vary from $1/2 million to more than $1 million, but my conservative estimate is that the total amount required to rebuild all these 10 community centres would come to more than S5 million, which is not a small sum of money. A few days ago the Minister for Finance said that $4 million in tax concession was a large sum of money. I would say that $5 million for rebuilding only 10 community centres is indeed a large sum of money, not to think of the other community centres outside these constituencies. Of course, all these need fund raising. But how many Members of Parliament have the experience of raising funds? some Ministers also have the experience of raising funds. There are three very popular methods. The first method is to publish a special publication and to canvass for advertisements so that copies of these thick publications will become commercial propaganda manuals. The second method is to organise variety concerts featuring star singers comprising chits and lassies from the four corners of the world, who would be invited to go on the platform of the National Theatre to chirp and chirr out "I love you deep down to your bones" type of songs. The third method is to set up a grand feast among the philanthropists and enthusiasts who would be asked to bring their friends to glut with rich and delicious dishes. Such a function would leave a residue of funds for the building of community centres. I am not against all these methods. But I say that if community leaders are forced to do such things, this will become a social vogue, a hot fad and a social force, then the situation needs to be reviewed. Why?”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I would like to thank you for your suggestion; otherwise I might not have a chance to speak on a matter of considerable importance. The People's Association have under its charge over 170 community centres. Some are situated in the kampung areas where the population is small. The People's Association, therefore, thinks that they do not play an important function and have closed them down. These rural community centres are very small with very simple facilities. Their structures are somewhat dilapidated and in need of repair and renovations. However, the People's Association does not want to provide the money. The community leaders in charge of community centres situated in crowded areas, therefore, decided to take the responsibility of extending or improving their community centres. 7.00 p.m. If a community centre is affected by urban renewal, it will have to be rebuilt. Sometimes in this changing age, to meet the development needs of the locality concerned, the community leaders would like to expand or rebuild the existing community centres or even to build new and better ones. According to newspaper reports, in the recent past many constituencies wanted to build new community centres or to rebuild or extend existing community centres. I can mention at least ten such constituencies: Anson, Boon Teck, Havelock, Jalan Besar, Kampung Chai Chee, Kim Keat, Kreta Ayer, Tanjong Pagar, Tiong Bahru and Toa Payoh constituencies. According to what I have learnt, they need building funds varying with the different types of structure required in the various constituencies.”
“Sympathy and guidance notwithstanding, we must be firm and deal with them severely if they continue to defy the law and attempt to create disorder in our society. Therefore, I am also in full agreement with the President's statement on the need to further lower our birth rate and to adhere to the two-child concept. We must completely eradicate the obsolete concept of the different values attached to male offsprings and female offsprings and to promote the concept that boy or girl, two is enough. What is important is to instill in parents the need to bring up quality children in a happier environment. Apart from the need to revolutionize our concept of male offsprings and their values, there is also a point worthy of consideration. Perhaps to drive home the point that females do not lose out to males in an equal and just society, job preference may be given to female applicants from families without male siblings, provided such applicants possess equal qualification and ability as compared to the male applicants. In this way parents without male offspring might think again before enlarging their family only with the purpose of ensuring that there is someone to carry on their name. In conclusion I strongly suggest that on the one hand, we should enlist the help of law to discourage the tendency to rely on luck and gamble; on the other hand, we must adopt enlightening incentives to upgrade human quality so that every citizen will lead a contributing, self-disciplined and meaningful life in a fair and stable society. 2.55 p.m.”
“Although there was the campaign last year to fight crime and delinquency organised by the department responsible for the maintenance of law and order, my personal feeling of the results is that more publicity had been given to the campaign than the actual achievement of its objective. As compared with the "Keep Singapore Clean and Green" campaign in 1969, this Crime Free campaign paid more attention to publicity and it has become a fashionable gimmick. I appreciate the fact that acute shortage of police manpower has to a large extent contributed to these unlawful activities. It is therefore necessary to consider heavier penalties for the recalcitrant anti-social elements. I fully support the President's statement in this respect, and I sincerely hope that the officers responsible for law and order well understand the rationale behind the imposition of heavier penalties, and to exercise their authority to maintain law and order in our society. It is my feeling that the existence of crime in our society has its root in the size of the family. Families with a large number of children generally have not been able to provide their children with the good things in life, despite the sweat and toil of parents throughout their unhappy lives. In such an environment where parents are away at work, children fail to learn their positive role in the society. And children are very susceptible to bad influences. In the company of anti-social elements they easily become delinquents. There is no doubt that there is a need to extend our sympathy to these unfortunate strays. They must be properly guided to a sense of responsibility that is expected of them in an orderly and healthy society.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I rise to support without any reservation the Presidential address delivered at the opening of the Second Session of the Third Parliament on 21st February, 1975. In his address, the President pointed out: `The primary duty of government is to establish a society in which everyone has an equal chance to live, learn, train, work and earn to the best of his or her ability.' In my opinion, this is one of the most urgent tasks of nation-building. The introduction of national service following our independence has success fully imbued in our youths with a sense of self-reliance and patriotism. Our participation in the five-nation defence pact and the ASEAN regional organisation has contributed towards a peaceful and stable South-East Asia. In the foreseeable future, I believe the ASEAN members would be able to continue sharing prosperity in a harmonius co existence. However, we in Singapore have seen an increase in the crime rate. These unlawful activities are causing a problem to our effort in nation-building. It is like an ugly shadow cast over our society. Unless we reduce the crime rate to the minimum, we would not be able to escape from being labelled "a paradise for criminals", especially at a time when we arc making progress in economic and other fields. As a result of a rising incidence of robbery, rape and murder, kidnapping and drug-trafficking, the middle income and upper income groups are exposed to threats, and not only that but the safety of housewives in the lower income group is also threatened while they go to work or shopping.”
“Today I read a short article which reminds me of a certain reputable person, the late Mr Lee Kong Chian. He was a man of praiseworthy ambition and exemplary conduct. He is an example of a national asset. Although I cannot hope to do what he had done, I can at least look up to the ideals of his achievements. Therefore, we must try to record his words and deeds in some kind of publication so that Singapore citizens can learn from him. This is what I mean by the adoption of a positive approach as distinct from the negative approach to control. I would suggest that we must also adopt the positive approach by giving support to the encouragement of a constructive cultural development in our nation building. In this way we will be able to strengthen and consolidate our cultural front in the task of nation building. Then it will not be so easy for our people to be influenced by foreigners. Finally, Sir, I would reiterate my support for this Bill and its committal to the Select Committee for further consideration.”
“In other words, this Bill seeks to transfer the control of the newspapers from some private hands into the hands of Singapore citizens. By these means we would be able to resist the interference by some ambitious foreign elements. Furthermore, I should also point out that when a private newspaper enterprise is controlled by a small group of people, the journalists are already known to suffer badly. Newspaper business is a profitable one. The leading Chinese newspapers make millions of dollars' profit per annum, but the journalists in such newspaper establishments, i.e, those who have to crack their heads and rack their brains, have not been properly remunerated. They have also not been allowed to have a share in the profits of the business. As the Member for Delta has pointed out, we should be able to improve the conditions of service of the journalists in Singapore through the establishment of a Press Council or any such body. Only then will journalists in Singapore be able to do a better job in the service and interest of our nation, and also to enrich our cultural heritage. Therefore, in view of this, I fully support this Bill. I would also like to take this opportunity to propose to the Government that apart from the negative approach to control by getting rid of undesirable influences, we should also adopt the positive approach for support of our cultural development. For example, the Ministry of Culture is now publishing the Mirror and also a radio and television magazine. However, I do not think this is adequate. Therefore, apart from the annual reports, which are inadequate, other Government Ministries and statutory bodies should also publish magazines containing materials of cultural value, including biographies. I would like to quote one example.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I fully support this Bill. In my view, this Bill is one way to deal with the entry of "devils" and "demons" from foreign countries, as our cultural ballast is too weak at the moment. We can still see newspapers glorifying the fads and fetishes of the West, emphasising individualism. While some girls wear mini-skirts to show off their thighs without any sense of shame, others wear the maxis which are long enough to drag along the road, without realising that their skirts will be dirtied. All these fads and fetishes and fashions have been played up and glorified through the medium of the newspapers. On the other hand, we can also see the relics of conservatism and feudalistic colours from the East. I do not know why the newspapers should always publish full-page advertisements in glorification of the dead in the oriental tradition. I do not know the actual meaning behind all this. If this state of affairs is allowed to continue, it will perpetuate the contradictions, anomalies and even anachronisms in Singapore. All these anachronisms and contradictions can be made use of and exploited by ambitious elements from foreign sources, as pointed out by the Minister when he said that there was an attempt at exploitation of newspapers through black operations. But for the timely decision taken to deal with such a situation, I am afraid the stability of Singapore, and even this House, would have changed. Sir, in a country like Singapore, which is subject to foreign influences, we must build up our own culture through a selection of good foreign cultural influences. Of course, this is easier said than done. It is, therefore, necessary to institute measures such as those provided in this Bill, introduced by the Minister.”
“The Member for Paya Lebar might say, "Well, you see some key officials in the Ministry of Education will try to play ball". He might say that; I do not know. 6.45 p.m. To come back to my point which the Minister did not answer properly. I am quite sure he would go round quietly to all the schools in all the language streams from the primary schools to the secondary schools and then to the universities, to check on what I had said earlier. The Member for Anson has also mentioned that point. The Minister should find out what is the real situation that the Ministry is facing today. He may then have to take another year to find a new solution to help nation building!”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, actually I did not speak strongly against the administrative staff of the Ministry of Education. What I emphasised was that the Minister himself and key men in the Education Ministry should think out how best to improve `the education of our younger generation. What I want to point out -it is theoretical but an important point - is that many Members of Parliament sitting behind me had said that a small group of teachers had not been doing their jobs properly. As a matter of fact, I do not know what the Minister's view was on hearing that teachers go to the stock exchange every day after school hours to speculate on shares, or telephone the stock brokers for news on stocks and shares. I do not know. A few years ago, the ex-Minister for Education mentioned that a teacher should not go to night-clubs in Singapore or in Johore Bahru. I do not know what the Minister's view is on whether or not teachers can be allowed to go to such places. My view is that if a teacher is good - the majority of them are good teachers - he will not have the time to go to such places. As a matter of fact, the majority of good teachers in Singapore are trying their best to do something for our younger generation. But as far as the small group of teachers is concerned, as the Member for Moulmein has pointed out, the Minister for Education or his officials should try to find out ways and means to correct them. The Minister should not just say that the Ministry of Education is trying to do its best to help these teachers. Surely they are doing very well. But what I am saying is that they should do better. They should not think that because they are doing well they can sit down and enjoy life.”
“About a year ago, the Minister for Education addressed an educational gathering. He said that there were certain black sheep among teachers and suggested the necessity of drafting a code of professional conduct for teachers. Subsequently he told the House that there would be another promotion exercise which would benefit many teachers. The Ministry should not give up its role of promoting ideological leadership in educational institutions. It should not ask another body to take charge of matters of ideological education, because to do so would give rise to the false impression that our Ministry is not playing an active leadership role in the sphere of education, as it would then be no more than a machinery for issuing circulars. For example, I agree with the Member for Jurong that hardworking and dedicated teachers should be rewarded. They should also be allowed to work with a sense of security. The Member for Paya Lebar also referred to the differences between Government schools and non-Government schools in respect of the administration and traditions and also differences between schools of different language streams. And if we just talk about the promotion of teachers without paying attention to the specific surroundings of the school, it will not contribute to the interest or advancement of education or of the teachers. It will lead to psychological barriers and a low morale among the teachers. I hope the Minister for Education would, in addition to paying more visits to the schools, play a more active role in the leadership of thought education so that the evil influence from the small group of black sheep will not spread to the other teachers. Thus, the integrity of the teachers may be preserved and the cause of education furthered. 5.45 p.m.”
“Therefore, I hope that from now on the Ministry of Education would, in addition to the usual administrative work, go a step further to strengthen the leadership that guides the thoughts and ideology prevailing in educational circles. Of course, this will affect the career of thousands of teachers. Our teachers today, as we know, are enjoying a more stable and better environment for teaching. They received better training in their profession, and are enjoying a better material life. On the other hand, the younger generation today, who are now taught by these teachers, are wiser than the previous generation. Of course, the difference is that their learning is more advanced, more burdensome and arduous, because we have progressed. We are now stressing the importance of nurturing talents and not the simple education of a people to be useful workers, which was a system we inherited from the previous era. Therefore, our education should now be a positive one, aiming at leadership training, and not one of passive education. So all this will have to be the new burden of our teachers in the new era. Of course, in educational circles there are many teachers who are very faithful and hardworking; during the day they are busy teaching; during the night they are busy correcting homework, and during vacation or on free days they are busy going round bookshops to look for more teaching materials, or visiting students or taking students to factories and places of interest. All this dedicated educational service will influence our youth and bring up nation-builders. This kind of behaviour, compared with that of a small group of rotten and so-called educational workers, calls for our admiration and these faithful teachers deserve better treatment.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I read in today's newspaper about streaking in a certain area in Singapore. This reminds me of what the Minister for Finance referred to in his Budget Statement about birds of passage. I also heard the Deputy Prime Minister answering the Member for Sembawang in this House that it would be very difficult to train our young men through national service to be loyal to our country. According to the Member for Kim Seng, these birds of passage will in the end leave here and settle abroad. So this has caused me to think of a reason for all this, and I have found out that it is all due to education. Now I would like to tell you a little experience. About two weeks ago, I had occasion to visit our young intellectuals in our two universities. I found that those studying accountancy or medicine in these universities are imbued with the sense that if they had the opportunity to go abroad, they would certainly do so, and leave behind their parents, brothers, sisters, relatives and friends to live like foreigners and to die as "foreign devils" in foreign lands. Why is this so? I learned from my conversations with them that they think that in a developing multi-racial country like ours, the languages are too complicated, thoughts are too diversified, and there is intense struggle and strenuous work. Life is therefore very monotonous. On the other hand, they felt that if they were abroad, they could enjoy better pay and a better life - they would have shorter hours of work, and they could have a longer vacation - so that with whatever knowledge and experience they have acquired they could roam the four corners of the earth as and when they please. If the elder folks passively criticise these youngsters who are bred here, they would be shirking their responsibility.”
“The Member can find the English translation from the newspapers tomorrow, or from the Radio, or from the Hansard. (In Mandarin): Firstly, to allow such decadent music and shows to be performed with certain latitude in the night clubs on the one hand, and at the same time to build up certain kinds of progressive and proper cultural performances with the right concept in arts and culture on the other hand through the media of radio and TV broadcasting, will have its peculiar as well as general characteristics. Secondly, the Chinese term of "Variety Show" has a very rich meaning in the Chinese language. However, the Chinese expression is far nicer than the English translation. So I hope the Minister for Culture can give a better rendering to this Chinese expression so that the English translation can be as beautiful and fitting as the Chinese title. 7.15 p.m. Other than what I have said just now, the Ministry of Culture has in recent years been promoting and encouraging performances, such as "Music for Everyone" series which are cultural and artistic activities. This will provide good material for the TV department.”
“About Government's restriction prohibiting 18 year-olds from going into certain places, I would suggest that places like night clubs where people can enjoy decadent pastimes should be open to everyone who can afford to enjoy themselves there, subject to the condition that the Government can levy very high admission charges or entertainment duties so that our money will not flow abroad. In this way the few rich people who can fly overseas to enjoy their weekends can also well afford to spend their money here in Singapore, so that we can benefit in greater revenue. If there are rich foreigners who want to go around various places to enjoy the scenery, they can also throw their gold on these night clubs or other places of resort in Singapore. After saying all these, I do not mean to say that I am interested in promoting yellowish or grayish culture. What I mean is that, since we are subjected to foreign cultural influence and our influence on others is less than theirs is on us, we might perhaps choose the more practical way to solve this problem so that our people need not have to go abroad to spend their money. If people want to spend their glorious nights here, they can have such a facility. I am not suggesting that the Broadcasting Department in Singapore should also allow such decadent programmes to be broadcast. We should give our children interesting shows than those for mere enjoyment. The music in Chinese shows like Ta Min and Seow Min, is not particularly beneficial to our young people. So I would like to propose some measures for the Minister to consider. In view of our present particular situation, to formulate a kind of two sided cultural policies - Mr Conceicao rose -”
“Sir, various Members have talked about policies in regard to culture and other matters, but I would like to touch upon items like variety shows over TV telecasts. The Minister explained to us the last time why certain shows were permitted. He said that shows like the "Variety Show" and such like programmes were meant to enable people to relax. I would propose that we should also allow those luxurious hotels and night clubs to perform their special type of decadent dances and music, even the shaking of fleshy parts. I say so not because I would like to promote such culture or activities, but to provide a certain amount of latitude to allow the rich and the tycoons to spend their money here instead of abroad,. If we do prohibit night clubs to stage such decadent performances, I would like to ask the Minister whether or not our men could be stopped from going across the Johore Causeway to enjoy the naughty shows there. They can board a plane and, after an hour or so, reach their destination to enjoy their glorious night life overseas. People can do that if they want to. What I mean to say is that in this mundane world, the world of idealism is very far away from what we are able to achieve at present. We must be practical. The rich people in Singapore can spend their money here and enjoy their lives here. If they like they can go abroad and scatter their money there. That is something that we cannot prevent. From my point of view, at the present juncture while we are subjected to various kinds of economic pressure and when our nation building in respect of culture is also subjected to foreign influence, we ought to be practical.”
“Sir, I am afraid that if we sit back and adopt a passive attitude towards this small number of birds of passage, then our vision will be blurred and the demarcation between right and wrong will no longer be clear. We may even think that they are the privileged few, upon whom our political leaders and our people have no control whatsoever. To my mind, we should, through various means and measures, promote a solidarity and patriotic campaign so that all our people will discard the selfish narrow outlook and think of the country as a whole. They will then be able to sacrifice themselves ia order to secure the safety and integrity of our country. In this way, the small number of hypocrites and birds of passage will not be able to have their way as easily as they can now. We should isolate them and those who blindly follow their ways will be able to recognise their faults and turn over a new leaf. Sir, the Minister has painted an ugly picture of these hypocrites. If we go further and promote the spirit of loyalty and patriotism, I am sure we shall be able to overcome all our economic difficulties and bring Singapore towards a new peak. Sir, I support fully the financial policy of the Government. I would like to ask those who are implementing the policy of the Government, in other words, the public servants, to discard all bureaucratic practices and avoid as far as possible authoritarian forms of instruction. Let us hope that all our people will co-operate closely together in a spirit of patriotism and loyalty, decide our future together, and shoulder the task of the development of Singapore. Sir, I would like to express again my full support for the Minister for Finance in his Budget Statement. 5.47 p.m.”
“We would have landed on the chopping block of other countries to be slaughtered at will. Sir, the Minister has pointed out rightly that this small number of idealists have over the years appeared to be full of sympathy. On the one hand, they have shown their anger and regret over the $1 increase in the school's miscellaneous fees. On the other hand, they have sent their children to expensive private schools in Australia and England. I would like to point out further that these people have all the time been afraid that their children would be called up for national service and be burnt by the hot sun when doing national service. Yet, at the same time, these are the very people who expect our police and security personnel to protect them so that they can enjoy themselves at places of entertainment at night. Furthermore, they have never intended to make Singapore their permanent place of residence. Today, Singapore may be better off than other countries. But if, on another day, more restrictions are imposed in Singapore, they will ask: why can we not allow streakers to run wild, running in and out of classrooms as they do in Europe and the United States? And when our situation deteriorates, I am sure they will pack up and say, "Distant pastures are greener. We shall be able to find a better place elsewhere." Sir, I am sure all Members in this House will remember that not very long ago we experienced this perverted tendency. But all of us know that in our society there are birds of passage, but fortunately their number is very small. They will not be able to hinder us in our development efforts.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, may I first express my support for the Minister for Finance when he presented his Budget Speech on the 4th of March. However, I feel that, as a result of the disturbances and instability in the international economic scene brought about by the fuel crisis, an economic storm has attacked the whole world and has made us in Singapore realise that this world is, in fact, a cruel and unsympathetic one. As the Minister has pointed out in his speech on the 4th of March, we had a growth rate of 22 per cent which exceeded our target of 15 per cent by 7 per cent. However, in real terms, the growth rate was only 11 per cent because of the increase in prices. Iii other words, we Singaporeans have tried our best to work hard but, because of unpredictable events, many of the results of our hard work have been reduced to zero by international inflation. Many of our middle and lower income groups have no choice but to tighten their belts to ensure a survival on this earth. Sir, to my mind, as Singapore is a place without any natural resources, we have to learn our lesson from this unpredictable storm. It is only in this way that we can continue to establish a bright image in this situation of change and ups and downs. Our economic development has in large measure been attributed to the stability of our political situation. This stable political situation has served as a buffer against the forces from outside Singapore. This stability has also helped us to overcome the economic crisis in the 1960s. We must therefore continue to preserve and strengthen this political situation and improve our political climate. If we adopt the attitude of a small number of hypocrites mentioned by the Minister for Finance, we would have collapsed long ago.”
“Secondly, the HDB authorities should do what they can to develop the limited open grounds around the housing estates into parks or sports grounds, so as to enable the old and the young to have a bit of fresh air, or to engage in a game of basket-ball after a day's hard work. This is particularly important to the tenants of the crowded one-room flats. To tell you the truth, Sir, my constituency has not got even a full basket-ball court; it has only half a basket-ball court. That is why at the end of last month, twelve young citizens approached me on the matter of basket-ball practices, and I had to get permission from the Bukit Merah Community Centre for them to use its court. Other facilities, like sports centres, cultural centres, conference or meeting rooms, etc., are what I have in mind, and for the realisation of which we ought to make a yet greater effort. If there is some truth in the proverb which says, "A fool will be wise on a thousand thoughts", then I hope that the suggestions I have put forward will be looked into by the authorities concerned, and that they will take positive steps to implement them. Finally, I shall close my speech with two famous lines from a famous Chinese poet, from Tu Fu Selected Poems, translated by Rewi Alley: `It would be possible to build an immense house with thousands of rooms, Where all who needed could take welcome shelter.' Sir, I fully support the Motion.”
“First, the creation of a caretaking system. For a housing unit of 500 to 600 families, we may appoint an elderly caretaker to deal with the general affairs of the estate. Only when this system materialises, will the elder tenants of the flats feel safe to use the lifts in their high-rise flats. Moreover, the tenants may be able to get someone to help in case of accident. Besides, the caretaker can also play the role of bringing the tenants together, promoting mutual understanding among the tenants, and encouraging them to love their way of life in the HDB flats, which will eventually help shape their social consciousness. All these point to the fact that a caretaker can play a very important role indeed. To my mind, this is not a question of money, but a question of system. In the latest issue of the HDB's organ, Our Home, there is much discussion on the problem of security guards and their salaries. It seems to imply that because there is a lack of funds, the HDB authorities could only get a limited number of men to maintain security in the housing estates. However, if we compare the job of a caretaker with that of the security guard, the duty of the former tends to be positive, while that of the latter tends to be rather negative. If, in the words of an old Chinese saying, "One cannot have both the fish and the bear-palm at the same time", I would rather choose the caretaker, because his job is more practical and more applicable to the present situation in the housing estates. I would like to know what the authorities concerned think of my opinion.”
“She explained smilingly that since only she and her grand-children were at home, she would not open the door to let anybody in, unless it was someone they recognise. She then went on further asking me to persuade the Government to remove the gas meter from the house so that the whole family could have more security and comfort. She repeatedly stressed that life had been better ever since they moved out from their atap dwelling to these HDB flats. However, she said that there were too many ears and too many people, and one single act of carelessness could cause an accident and might even lead to loss of life. Moreover, should any one be careless about leaving the door open, one would certainly invite thieves. She considered it wiser to keep the door shut and to stay in and to enjoy the TV. It is just like what the old Chinese proverb says, "A scholar has no need to go outdoors to know of the world". I firmly believe that the present Government leaders, who have always devoted themselves to the nation and the people, would certainly agree with me that these busy, crowded, and noisy housing estates have to be improved upon a good deal. I quite understand that in our new Budget, the reason for the Government to appropriate the largest amount of money to build more HDB flats is to meet the demand of the people which exceeds the supply. I can anticipate further that the new housing estates would certainly have a better environment than the present ones. I am pretty sure that the Government will continue to allot money for the improvement of living conditions of the people in housing estates. On this account may I suggest at least two steps in which the Government could improve the environmental conditions of the housing estates in future?”
“In this connection, I would like to stress the importance of improving the environment of the HDB flats. Mr Speaker, Sir, allow me to say a few words about my impressions of a recent visit to some tenants of these HDB flats. I remember that as soon as I walked up the stairs of a block of one-room flats, I immediately saw groups of innocent children playing poker on the staircase, or playing hide-and-seek along the verandah, or helping their parents to look after their younger brothers and sisters, and so forth. I hardly saw any primary school students, who live in these flats, spending their time reading books or magazines. Only occasionally did I find some secondary school students reading books. There was a young man from a family of nine. He was keen in studies, and he wanted me to make a suggestion to the Government that pavilions and arbours should be built in housing estates in order to provide students with a quiet and suitable place to work. Owing to their innocence or under the influence of traditional and religious teachings, some parents have more children than they can afford to care for. As a result, the second generation suffers, despite the fact that their parents work hard during their whole life. There was a middle-aged woman with more than a dozen children, and she approached me for help. From her facial appearance and the way she tried hard to calm herself, I realised very deeply her grievances and sorrows. However, when I crossed a crowded car park and paid a visit to the three-room and four-room flats, the situation changed entirely: both the adults and children were staying indoors; all the doors were fastened as if they lived in a separate world. On one occasion, only after knocking at the door rather loudly did an old woman answer.”
“The lesser the number of rooms, the more the Government has to subsidise the cost of the building, and vice versa. Thirdly, in encouraging the people to purchase HDB flats by using their contributions, which is a very rare practice in the other countries of the world, the Government is helping the people from the middle and lower income groups to purchase a three-room, four-room, or even a five-room flat. In comparison with the expensive private houses, the HDB flats seem to appeal more to the masses. That is why there is a long queue for the purchase of HDB flats. The Finance Minister mentioned in his Budget Statement that the greater demand for accommodation from the people is being duly attended to. The Government also expresses the need to improve it further. One way of doing this is to raise the building target from 20,000 to 30,000 units per year. In point of fact, in this island Republic where the price of land is rocketing, people from the middle-lower income group would find it more difficult to buy a semi-detached bungalow from private developers. It may be compared to winning the $400,000 lottery. Nowadays, even a senior Government officer finds it difficult to own an ideal detached bungalow. I do not know about most of the Members of Parliament here! The outcome of this trend will be that only a minority of rich people are able to live in such bungalows built by private developers, while the majority of our people will have to settle for HDB fiats under the right policy of our "Tenants' Ownership Scheme". We can foresee that in the 1980s, modern HDB satellite towns will be erected everywhere. It can be anticipated that by then about 80 per cent of our total population will be housed in the HDB kits.”
“Prior to the l960s, there were already those who repeatedly mentioned that with no natural resources Singapore would be faced with two fundamental difficulties which no one could overcome. The first is the problem of mass unemployment; the second is the question of accommodation for half a million of the poorer people. Now, under the able leadership of our present Government over the last 14 years, coupled with the efforts made by our hard-working people, unemployment is no longer a problem today and the problem of accommodation for half a million people is also nearly solved. At present, we are well on the way to a total accommodation of our people through our "Tenants' Ownership Scheme". As far as I can see, the fact that the rate of building has been increased, from 45 minutes to 30 minutes per unit, may be commended in three ways: First, the Housing and Development Board has built and planned to build more and more one-room and three-room flats to accommodate those middle-lower class people who have not been able to find a decent house to live in since the 1950s so that thousands of hawkers, workers, trishaw-riders, taxi-drivers and low paid shopkeepers may have the opportunity to quit the slums and move into HDB flats with provision for water and electricity, and to enjoy a relatively hygienic and modern way of life. Secondly, the monthly rental for a one-room flat is $20; one only need to pay $30 for an improved type one-room flat. The rentals for two-room and three-room flats are slightly higher. This relatively low rental does not necessarily reflect the actual cost of the HDB flat. Jr, other words, the Government has to subsidise $20 for a one-room flat per month and $15 for a two-room flat.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, as we all know, owing to the total rundown of the British army and the world-wide monetary instability, we disappointingly fell short by 2 per cent in our targeted 15 per cent annual economic growth rate. This prompted the Finance Minister to explain at length the cause of this shortfall, when he presented his annual Budget in Parliament at the end of last month. As a matter of fact, the Finance Minister knows much better than I that to sustain a 10 per cent economic growth rate is a tremendous goal that most countries find difficult to reach; and that a target of 15 per cent growth rate is a high ideal. During the 1960s, our average economic growth rate was 9.5 per cent. In 1971, it was 15 per cent. Our leaders hoped that we could sustain this rate for 1972, and that nothing should be less than this unusual figure. However, in spite of the fact that we had suffered a loss of earnings from the British military expenditure, which was roughly 3 per cent of the GNP, we can still manage to achieve an economic growth rate of 13 per cent. This indicates very clearly that what we Singaporeans have performed is an economic miracle. A month ago, when there was a storm of world-wide monetary crises, an English magazine pointed out that although the Singapore Government had not announced a revaluation of its currency, it was in fact revalued between 1 and 2 per cent. At this juncture, I would like to point out that, in its painless Budget which handed out several tax reliefs instead of introducing any new taxes, the Government decided to appropriate the biggest amount of money to building more housing estates for the middle and lower income groups.”
“At present, among the multitude of industrial workers, apart from a few who are satisfied with their lot, there is great mobility among the majority of the workers where a lack of discipline and responsibility exists. Such workers are opportunists. In other words, such a worker works in a factory only because he is better paid there. If another factory offers him higher wages, he will not hesitate to leave for a more lucrative employment. It is obvious that, before we can formulate an ideal set of working conditions, the people would consider monetary income as the sole criterion for employment. However, with the establishment of better working conditions, their concept will not change so easily. Therefore, Mr Speaker, Sir, I would like to stress that although economy plays a decisive role in our nation building, it is not the only factor. Coupled with the general guidelines laid down by the National Wages Council, if we can evolve a certain work ethic or certain principles of employment, such as to imbue oneself with a love for work, a love for their workplace, and a love for their country, then we Singaporeans will be able to carve our destiny.”
“Such a family business organisation and discriminatory industrial relationship have, in fact, become out-dated as well as a stumbling block to our economic development. On the other hand, the great influx of foreign investors not only brings with it a great deal of investments which are beneficial and very much needed, hut it also brings in new and even unique styles of management techniques. In this new industrial era, if we are to maintain the pace of our industrial development and the rate of economic growth and if we are to improve the living conditions of the great masses of workers, it is of vital importance that the National Wages Council should play a very decisive role. Apart from hoping that the National Wages Council will implement its policy effectively and firmly, I would also like to request the Government to embark on a comprehensive research into our industrial management techniques to find out what is suitable for local conditions, and to formulate new management techniques in order to encourage and popularise them as models for our society. For example, the management techniques used by the American entrepreneurs in Singapore are very successful. So are the management techniques used by the Japanese business concerns. Both these techniques are equally effective, although they may not be identical. There are both advantages and disadvantages in these management techniques. With the support of the Government, the people in Singapore can learn from these techniques in a very short time and adapt it to local conditions. It will then become a driving force in our economic development.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, talking about the fundamental effect that economic development has on our national construction, I would like to stress the point that as Singapore is a very small country we have no other alternative hut to rely on foreign investments in industries to promote our economy, so as to enable us to carry out the task of nation building. In the past the Government has spared no effort in promoting economic development, and we have achieved some brilliant success. An eloquent testimony to this can be found in the acute shortage of labour in Jurong. The achievement is all the more remarkable when we compare it with what we had a few years ago before independence. The present situation augurs well for nation building. The people of Singapore are well aware that as we have laid a sound foundation for industrial development in recent years we have to adjust our pace of progress in order to adapt to a new environment and to create a new model of society so as to establish harmonious and happy relationship among our people. As to when we will be able to succeed in our task, this will depend on the amount of effort put in by the people of Singapore. Sir, I would like to cite a very well-known example. With the rapid progress in our economic development, there have been great changes in the method of production and business organisation which hitherto have been based on the family-kinship system. Under such a system the employer-employee relationship was poor. The workers were poorly paid for their loyal service. In the light of present day situation, this abnormal exploitation of man by man has become ever more evident.”
“So for a small country like Singapore, which is without a very long rooted foundation in nation building, if such poisonous philosophy is allowed to take root, then there will be endless disasters for our Republic. To put it in a nutshell, nationalism has been surging very high after the War and it is this spirit of nationalism that has enabled Singapore to shake off the shackles of colonial rule and the various pressures of the big powers on our nationalists, and to become an independent sovereign multi-racial country. Hereafter, the future prosperity and stability of our country will ensure us a permanent place in this complex world from which we can cast our light around. Sir, since the 9th of August, 1965, Singaporeans have been relying on themselves. We Singaporeans should keep our eyes and ears open to gain the experiences from all quarters as to what constitutes the driving force behind further success and further development. This will ensure that we will become honourable Singaporeans. Sir, I strongly support the motion in the name of the Member for Bukit Batok. 3.59 p.m.”
“It is only then that we will be able, with determination and capability, to combat against the centrifugal force of the ignoramus who are being manipulated by foreign interests. It is only then that we can ensure further and more rapid success for Singapore. Sir, while dealing with the proposed Constitutional amendments as mentioned in the President's speech, I would avail myself of the opportunity to make an appeal that a patriotism movement be launched systematically in Singapore to ensure that the people of the various races will be able to become more united under the flag of our Republic so that each one may give of his best as a member of a united community. The President has given an example of how selfish people in some countries have tried to stop working, to stop making profits when they reach the surtax level, and some of them have gone overseas to stay for more than six months in order to avoid paying income tax on the dividends they earn on foreign investments. If this kind of deleterious thinking is allowed to take root in Singapore, I am afraid it will be cancerous to our morale. We have read from newspapers that in highly developed countries, administrators and executives have taken to the perfunctory attitude of working a day and living a day. In relation to their own duties, they have adopted the philosophy of seeking no merit and getting no blame. They become clock-watchers. In so far as they are concerned, working more or working less means the same in salary. If there is any difference, the difference is: to do more means more errors; to do less means less errors; and to do nothing means no errors.”
“e, the Constitutional amendments to provide "that no surrender of our sovereignty, or any part thereof, by way of incorporation into, or federation with, any other country is possible, unless two-thirds of the total electorate vote positively for it in a referendum", so that no traitors may sell out Singapore. This is the most important key to the assurance of the Republic's identity, and it also marks a milestone in our effort from one victory to another greater victory. It is only on this foundation that the national leaders will then be able to further unite our people to ensure that Singapore will forever weather any storm or any turbulence. The President's address makes special reference to the importance of Constitutional amendments to the survival of Singapore, and this is the reason why I find it most encouraging. It is also the reason why I have chosen in my maiden speech to analyse the international situation in relation to its possible effects on the future of Singapore. Sir, in the years to come, the rise and fall, the success or failure of Singapore will be determined more by factors outside Singapore than those inside. But, the basic factor that will enable Singapore to weather all storms will be the stable development of nationalism in Singapore. We must always bear this in mind, whether it is to be a tri-polar world of the Soviet Union, China and the United States, or whether it is going to be a multi-polar world of China, the United States, the Soviet Union, Japan and Germany, the people of Singapore must always regard national interests as most important. We must always bear in mind the maxim of not to be corrupted by wealth, changed by poverty or succumbed by force.”
“Small nations which try to survive in such context if not cautious or through wrong calculation would easily find themselves involved in such entanglement and become victims of other powers. In a nutshell, this is the real world that we are facing, in which we seek survival and development. It is a world that is far from ideal. We must contrive to seek our survival and fortunes in this world. For us and for our friends, we must try to carve out a corner in the sun in this part of the world. This is the substance of the national objective of Singapore as stressed in the Presidential address. In the course of trying to achieve this objective, the people of Singapore must always be very cautious and alert and be prepared for any eventualities. Only then are we able to maintain, preserve and ensure the survival and progress of the international metropolis that we have built up in Singapore. On the contrary, if we cannot ensure achievement of further success upon success, or if we allow the ingredients of success to become a spent force, then the achievements that we have built up over the years will be gone with the wind, and so will our efforts in building a better future for our next generation. Sir, you will agree that in the initial stages of nation building, if the national objectives are not always kept in the forefront of the mind, then the nation will not be on the way to further success. From the valuable experience of our struggles over the last seven or eight years, the President has dealt in his address the most fundamental aspect of our nation building, i.”