Lau Teik Soon
Singapore
“So, in fact, you can have a situation where a new solicitor who has three years' practice can have one person who has not got three years' practice to be a partner, both of whom have of course not gone through the legal practice management course. I do not know whether or not that is desirable.”
“Sir, first, I would like to thank the Minister for his positive reply. May I ask the Minister that, in view of the unique structure of the food centre, his Ministry officials consult the Management Committee of the food centre with regard to the actual requirements concerning the roof?”
“Sir, in the event the Ministry concerned is not going to pull down the homes after full compensation has been paid and therefore the homes are left vacant, will the Ministry then consider allowing them to stay on at nominal rates? Because the homes are just being left vacant. Assoc. Prof.”
“And more than that, under the revised scheme in June 1996, owners of acquired shophouses who are doing business in the shophouse will also be entitled to ex-gratia payment. So I hope the Member will appreciate this.”
“Will the Minister review the situation in view of the fact that we are here discussing moneys which are rightfully that of the home owners and it is with a statutory board, not a commercial bank, and also that the home owners will return the money to the CPF after they have received the total compensation?”
“Sir, I agree with the Minister that if it is a charge by a commercial bank, the home owners will have no choice. But in view of the fact that this charge is by the CPF Board, which is a statutory board, and it is a matter of time that they will eventually return the moneys to the CPF Board, will the Minister reconsider his decision?”
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“Alternatively, if the Ministry finds this proposal difficult to implement for financial or administrative reasons, the Ministry should consider setting up a hawkers' mutual transfer unit, where mutual exchanges to the satisfaction of both parties concerned can be arranged. I hope the Ministry will consider this matter. 4.30p.m Mr Chor Yeok Eng( In Mandarin): Sir, first of all, I would like to reply to the two points raised by the Member for Khe Bong. First, he was repeating a question which he had raised in Parliament before, that is, it is about restaurants and food establishments extending their business to the five-foot way or other public areas and how we should deal with it. The expansion of the business does not involve only an expansion of area for service but also extending the kitchen and storage areas, so that the total area will be big enough to accommodate all activities. Just as what the Member for Alexandra had mentioned, certain restaurants look quite big from outside but there might be rats, cockroaches or other pests inside. The reason is that the areas being used for various purposes have now become too small and not enough to cope with the expansion. On the other hand, the Government has spent a lot of money on building hawker centres and markets and is re-siting those roadside hawkers into centralised markets and shop-houses with proper facilities and where there are residents around. This will facilitate the hawker's business activities so that there is no reason for these people to extend their business on to the five-foot way or open areas which is not right.”
“Yes, Sir, and thank you for giving me this opportunity to speak now so that I do not have to move my amendment later on. I shall raise another issue concerning hawkers, namely, the request of hawkers in the Serangoon Gardens constituency, especially those resident in Ang Mo Kio, for transfer from other places to Ang Mo Kio New Town itself. This problem is particularly acute because of the hundreds of hawkers who have been resettled in Ang Mo Kio New Town. The requests have been numerous: from 1st January 1978 to 31st January 1979 there were 23 requests; 1st February 1979 to 31st December 1979, 109 requests were made. The number of requests so far this year up to 11th March 1980 is 29. The applicants have put forward many grounds for their request but the main one is the distance the residents have to travel to their present hawker stalls which are located far from their homes. In Ang Mo Kio New Town, many new hawker centres have been opened but the majority of the stalls have been allocated to either licensed street hawkers or resettled persons. Many of these hawkers are not residents of Ang Mo Kio New Town. Thus, they would also suffer the inconvenience of distance from their homes to the hawker stalls in Ang Mo Kio New Town. It seems logical to me, therefore, that the Ministry should consider first the requests for transfer from residents of Ang Mo Kio to the hawker centres in Ang Mo Kio, and then allocate the vacant stalls elsewhere to the licensed street hawkers and resettlement cases, who are not residents of Ang Mo Kio. I hope the Hon. Minister will consider .this proposal.”
“Sir, I would like to thank the hon. Senior Minister of State for Foreign Affairs for his very clear and satisfactory reply to the questions that I have raised. I do not think I need to pursue them further. I beg leave to withdraw my amendment. Amendment by leave, withdrawn. The sum of $30,847,420 for Head O ordered to stand part of the Main Estimates. The sum of $10,000,000 for Head O ordered to stand part of the Development Estimates. COMMITTEE OF SUPPLY REPORTING PROGRESS (Suspension of Standing Orders) 6.14 p.m. With the consent of Mr Speaker and the general assent of Members present, Question put, and agreed to. Resolved, "That, notwithstanding the Standing Orders, progress be reported now and leave be asked to sit again tomorrow." - [Mr Chua Sian Chin]. Thereupon Mr Speaker left the Chair of the Committee and took the Chair of the House.”
“However, I would like the Hon. Minister's comment on this point. Finally, Mr Speaker, Sir, one of the pillars of our foreign policy is ASEAN. Economically, as the Hon. Minister for Trade and Industry stated in his Budget statement, Singapore's future is tied up with the future development of our ASEAN neighbours. Politically, we should identify ourselves more and more as a South-east Asian country with common interests with our ASEAN partners. Singaporeans must be aware and be sensitive to our neighbours' problems in the cultural, social, economic and political fields. In this connection, I would like to ask the Hon. Minister his view on the proposal made by the Hon. Vice-President of Indonesia, Adam Malik, regarding the establishment of an ASEAN Community Foundation. According to the Hon. Vice-President, the Foundation will seek to promote understanding between the peoples of ASEAN, and if so, it is a project worthy of our support.”
“It is known that under the guise of the normal functions of diplomacy, Soviet officials in the embassies, the press agencies, information offices, trade offices, joint venture companies, etc. have indulged in subversive activities. The recent example of the subversive activity of the Soviet Ambassador in Wellington is a case in point. In Singapore, we had the trouble with the Moscow Narodny Bank. I would like, therefore, to caution the Hon. Minister to be vigilant against any subversive activity by Soviet officials in Singapore. Specifically, I would like to know the number of Soviet diplomats and other officials in the Soviet press agency, trade and information offices, and whether we should not reduce the number of Soviet officials present here. Singapore has very little trade with the Soviet Union and we have limited official exchanges. We maintain a very small but dedicated mission in Moscow, but the Soviet embassy here is very large both in terms of personnel and space. Sir, I hope the Hon. Minister will look into this question that I have raised. An aspect of our foreign policy should be to maintain our non-aligned posture vis-a-vis the Sino-Soviet rivalry. Today, we are host to the Chinese Foreign Minister, and the Government has reiterated its firm stand that it will establish diplomatic relations with China only after Indonesia has done so. This is a correct policy. But I would say that even after Indonesia has established diplomatic relations with China, we should not be too quick to do the same. Mr Speaker, Sir, our Government's views on the Afghanistan and Kampuchea issues seem to be similar to those of China, but I have no doubt that the Hon. Minister has been motivated by our national interests and that the similarities are purely coincidental.”
“It does not secure for small states like Singapore an assurance of peace from the Soviet Union and other communist powers, who see detente as an opportunity to restrain the United States and Western powers, while at the same time, seize the opportunity to push forward their expansionist designs. The one distinctive feature about Soviet imperialism from Western forms of imperialism is that the Soviet Union does not withdraw; it always advances. This is because of the totalitarian nature of the Soviet state which does not allow for any deviation from the politburo policy and for any domestic opposition to that policy. Further, the Soviet state has never been susceptible to international opinion or sanction to change their policy. All the UN and Islamic Conference resolutions calling for the withdrawal of the Soviet troops from Afghanistan have not affected their continued occupation of that country at all. Understanding the expansionist nature of Soviet imperialism, it is imperative that international opinion be galvanized to stop Soviet expansionism in Afghanistan and in Southeast Asia through Vietnamese proxy, and to support a coalition of powers to counterbalance the Soviet military power. The Government has been forthright and taken the initiative in various international fora to oppose Soviet aggression, for example, in the United Nations, Non-aligned Meetings and in ASEAN Conferences. Many countries have supported our position - this shows the correctness of our policy. 6.00 p.m. I would like, however, to see the Government go further to demonstrate our opposition to Soviet imperialism. One way is to check on the Soviet presence in Singapore.”
“Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head O be reduced by $10 in respect of Object Group 1100 of Subhead Code OA-01 of the Main Estimates. Sir, the international situation is critical and fraught with many dangers which threaten world peace. A major contributing factor is the upsurge of the new imperialism as conducted by the Soviet Union. Hence, I support the view of the Government that the international community should oppose the Soviet-supported Vietnamese aggression against Kampuchea and the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. Soviet imperialism is a phenomenon which threatens world peace and security. It is unlike the imperialism of the Western powers because it is downright expansionist. The Soviet Union is merely carrying on the tradition of the imperial Czarist regimes of pre-revolutionary Russia, which carved out a huge empire out of central and east Asia. And since the end of World War II, the Soviet Union has been occupying more territories in Eastern Europe, East Asia and Central Asia. Our policy of opposition to any aggression and territorial aggrandizement by the Soviet Union is a correct one. And we should resist some governments' and commentators' viewpoints, especially those in India and Australia, who advocate detente or peaceful co-existence as the correct posture to adopt vis-a-vis the Soviet Union. Some Australians under the safety of the American defence umbrella and separated from Asia by a few thousand miles of water can pontificate about the virtue of detente. But detente may be beneficial to the Atlantic Alliance and to American allies like Japan and Australia.”
“Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education's statement as to what exactly are the responsibilities of the expatriate teachers in the schools, and whether they are expected to take part in extra-curricular activities. Another point which I would like to raise with the Hon. Deputy Prime Minister is the influence that so many expatriate teachers will have on our school children. In the course of their teaching and contact with our children, it is inevitable that their views, opinions, their tastes, their modes of dress, their hairstyles, etc. will be passed on to our impressionable children. If this is so, and if unchecked, our children may pick up certain westernized values and even behave like westerners. They can become what the Hon. Deputy Prime Minister himself once termed, westernized oriental gentlemen (WOGS). Are we opening ourselves to more WOGS in our society by having so many expatriates in our schools? The final point I would like to raise is the question of how these expatriate teachers affect the morale of our teachers, especially those teaching English Language, Literature and the General Paper. Are the expatriate teachers to be regarded as superior to our local teachers? Will the local teachers be affected in terms of their promotion and opportunity for advancement? Mr Speaker, Sir, Singapore is an open society and we accept the best from other peoples. While many newly independent states have rejected and expelled expatriates, we have welcomed them. I hope, however, that we do not go overboard and reinstate the expatriates in positions of superiority over our local people. I do not wish to see the return of a colonial situation.”
“I understand that in addition to the normal salary, an expatriate teacher receives a number of very substantial allowances: expatriate allowance, children allowance, housing at normal rental charge and, of course, return passage for the expatriate officer and family. All in all, the expatriate teacher is substantially rewarded and made very comfortable indeed compared to his local counterpart. I said earlier that it is my hope that the considerable investment in the expatriate teachers will produce the desired result, viz. the improvement in the standard of English among our school children. I assume, therefore, that all the expatriate teachers are graduates in English Language or Literature, and that they have been trained to teach English as a second language to foreign students. Therefore, I would like to know from the Hon. Minister whether this is a correct assumption, that is, all the expatriate teachers are graduates in English Language or Literature. If not, I would like to know the various disciplines of the non-English graduates. Mr Speaker, Sir, some expatriates have a useful role to play in enhancing our educational system. They are the dedicated teachers, committed to their teaching and responsible to their role as members of the staff in the school. They are not, and cannot be, superior teachers, teaching only their subject and staying aloof from other school work like extra-curricular activities. However, I understand that there are some expatriates who have refused to take on extra-curricular activities on the ground that they have been hired to teach English and do nothing else in school. May I have the Hon.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, lest the Hon. Deputy Prime Minister gets the wrong idea, let me assure him that there is no conspiracy between the hon. Member for Moulmein and me to undermine his Ministry. What I hope to do is to offer some reservations with regard to the recruitment of expatriates into our education service. Recently, as the hon. Member for Moulmein has mentioned, a large number of expatriate teachers have been recruited to teach in our secondary schools and junior colleges. These teachers from England are mainly responsible for the teaching of the English Language, English Literature and the General Paper. I hope that the large investment in them will produce the desired result, that is, the improvement in the standard of English among our school children. 3.30 p.m. For the purpose of recruiting these expatriates, I understand the Ministry of Education sent a few teams to England to interview the applicants. Also, there were a number of expatriates who applied directly to the Ministry when they heard or read about the Ministry's interest in recruiting expatriates. I hope many, if not most of them, were fired by the missionary zeal to further the cause of education and the promotion of the English Language. However, I suspect that many of them were mainly attracted by the opportunity to get away from the bitter cold of the English winter and the unsavoury prospect of further industrial strife, inflation and unemployment in their home country. They could not resist the wonderful offer of the Ministry to spend a few years in the comfort of our beautiful country and at the same time be given generous salaries and allowances.”
“The question that I am raising is this. In view of the complaints of my constituents and in view of the congestion caused by the long queue of buses along that stretch of Avenue 3, would the Minister consider resiting the present bus terminal? And if he does consider resiting it, could he do so as soon as possible?”
“Sir, I refer to the stretch along Avenue 3 which comes within Serangoon Gardens constituency. I think the Minister is referring to the bus terminal raised by the Member for Ang Mo Kio.”
“Sir, in view of the fact that no bus interchange exists at the moment and in view of the numerous complaints of my constituents about the very unsatisfactory state of the temporary bus terminal, and also in view of the congestion caused by the buses along that stretch of road in Avenue 3, will the Minister consider resiting the temporary bus terminal and, if so, to expedite the changeover as soon as possible?”
“I am sure that the Ministry is in a position to conceive of a project which will be acceptable to the other ASEAN partners. The Hon. Minister has mentioned that there is increasing recognition of ASEAN as a regional grouping, and he referred to the dialogues with the modern industrial states, the United States, the EEC and Japan. I would like to ask the Hon. Minister how these dialogues have benefited Singapore, particularly in the fields of trade, investment and technology transfer. The last question concerning ASEAN economic cooperation is related to the Preferential Trading Arrangements. I would like to know what impact the PTA has on intra-ASEAN trade and if, as the Minister has stated, the rate of progress is still too slow, what he proposes to do about it to encourage our other ASEAN partners to go faster. Mr Speaker, Sir, with these comments I support the motion standing in the name of the Minister. 5.52 p.m.”
“Minister gave a tax concession to the resident pensioners with chargeable incomes. He exempted them from payment of income tax on their monthly pensions. At that time the Hon. Member for Anson raised the issue of the category of resident pensioners who do not have chargeable incomes, namely, the lower category of pensioners who constitute the majority of pensioners. The reply of the Hon. Minister then was that he would review the situation concerning this category of pensioners if the Treasury could afford to do so. Well, with all the give-aways this year, I must say that the Treasury can certainly afford it. But the Hon. Minister has forgotten about this category of pensioners. I would suggest, therefore, that the Hon. Minister rectify his omission. He should review, for example, the ex-gratia allowances to pensioners receiving less than $650 per month. The last review was in March 1974 and despite the increases in the cost of living over the years, the ex-gratia allowances have not been reviewed since then. He should also consider an upward revision of the rates of pension with a view to incorporating the NWC recommendations over the years. The second issue which I would like to seek the Hon. Minister's comment is related to ASEAN economic co-operation. I agree with his statement that Singapore cannot prosper independently of developments in ASEAN countries. But I fear that unless Singapore works together with the other ASEAN countries in the area of industrial cooperation, the other countries may work independently of development in Singapore. Hence, I would like to ask the Hon. Minister whether his Ministry has considered now proposals for a Singapore project since the former diesel engine project has been shelved.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I would like to join my colleagues in congratulating the Hon. Minister for his go-getter budget. In his Budget statement he has given away a considerable number of tax concessions but, at the same time, he has given a word of warning to all those who benefit from these tax concessions, I would like to reiterate his point that the tax liberalization this year is to create greater opportunities for Singaporeans to exercise their enterprise to benefit themselves and Singapore. We need to build up more fat for the loon years ahead. He said that we should be ready to most what he called the "treacherous waters ahead". In elaboration of this, the Hon. Minister pointed to a number of international developments which have direct impact on our economic growth. These developments include the super-power rivalry, the destabilization of the region by external forces, the American Presidential elections, the Middle East situation and its impact on oil prices and oil supply. But these external events are beyond the control of Singapore. Nevertheless, we would do well to note the trends which these developments are taking and to adjust our policies accordingly in order to ensure our survival and continued growth. Mr Speaker, Sir, I support the Budget statement almost entirely. However, I would like to seek the Hon. Minister's comments on two specific issues. Although the Budget statement has given considerable concessions, yet I am a little disappointed that the Hon. Minister has not seen fit to give a small slice of his cake to the retired men and women who had rendered valuable services to the Government and country in the past. I refer specifically to the pensioners. In the last Budget statement, the Hon.”
“To ask the Minister for National Development whether he will consider installing a traffic light system at the junction of Ang Mo Kio Avenue 1 and Avenue 8. 39.”
“To ask the Minister for Social Affairs when construction of the Sports Centre at Burghley Drive will commence, when it will be completed and what will be the facilities in the Sports Centre. 35.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, how does the Hon. Minister propose to keep a close watch on the activities of the Club?”
“Finally, Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, it is a coincidence that the Playboy advertisement in the Straits Times of 26th March, 1979 was published side by side with a story about a case of communist subversion in Singapore. So you see, Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, the worst of yellow culture represented by the Club and the devious work of red culture represented by the communist cells were displayed side by side. How extraordinary! To me, they symbolise the twin threats to our society; moral decadence and communism are threats to our society that we should constantly guard against and prevent them from overwhelming us, So may I ask the Minister: what is he going to do about this particular threat?”
“It is also very clear that the Playboy Club is an American institution, and is a banner of its permissive society. Its worst and pre-dominant feature is its advocacy of total permissiveness and sexual freedom. Its symbol is the Playboy Bunny, which aptly portrays one of its principal beliefs: that the woman is merely an object and plaything of the man; she is all body and no brain. Thus, the Playboy paraphernalia will include the Playboy bunnies, magazines and other articles of interest which cater to the prurient taste of the clients. This is what sets it apart from other entertainment places. Sir, lest Members have the wrong idea, I must confess I have not been inside any Playboy club, nor do I have the wish to visit one. So, Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I hope the Minister will examine the case carefully and comment on whether the existence of the Playboy Club of Singapore is in the public interest. The Minister should not only consider the types of services and facilities that the Club states it will provide but look into what it stands for. That is really the crux of the issue and on which the Minister must base his decision. Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, in the past few days we have in this House highlighted the need for moral education in schools and the Hon. Minister is also the Chairman of the Committee of Parliamentarians studying this issue. He surely cannot fail to see the relevance of this matter to moral education. Further, as the Acting Minister for Culture, he is the guardian of public morality. I am, therefore, certain that he does not want all his good efforts to go to waste: that is, our moral education programme be undermined by such a brazen organization as the Playboy Club of Singapore.”
“In today's Straits Times, page 8 of Section 2, the Playboy advertisement stated it would provide, "very special facilities which are not available in other Singapore Clubs." Unfortunately, it did not give details of what these ..very special facilities" are. But from what I can gather, what is special is that all these services and facilities will be spiced with the Playboy paraphernalia, which will properly reflect the Playboy philosophy. The Club, as we all know, is part of the empire of this person, Hugh Hefner, and its role will be to propagate the Playboy philosophy. What is the Playboy philosophy? Sir, may I be allowed to quote the Club's advertisement put out today: it states inter alia: "As a catalyst for positive social change, the Playboy Club initiates and looks for projects that are innovative, experimental and frequently controversial. Since its inception in 1965, the Foundation has provided extensive support for groups striving to advance human rights and freedom. Its 1978 priorities provided assistance to organizations concerned with the issues of First Amendment freedom, women's rights, drug-law reform, sex-law reform, capital punishment and government surveillance and police spying. Recent recipients of Playboy Foundation grants include the NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund, which is seeking to end the death penalty in the United States, Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, Women's Rights Project of the American Civil Liberties Union: and the E.R.A. Political Action Committee of Illinois." Sir, as one Minister perceptively read the statement, it would appear that the Playboy Club is more political than it is recreational. If it is so, it must state so.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I welcome the amendments to the Bill, but I would like to seek clarification with regard to clause 4. Clause 4 seeks to add to the original provision, that is, section 14(1), the phrase, "or is contrary to the public interest". The effect of clause 4 of the amendment is to empower the Licensing Authority in the Ministry of Culture to cancel or suspend a licence if he is satisfied that it is contrary to the public interest to provide the entertainment. Implicit in this amendment is that the Licensing Officer will not issue any licence to any person running an establishment which seeks to provide any public entertainment which is not in the public interest. I think this is correct. I would, therefore, like to seek clarification from the Minister as to what is meant by the term "public interest" in the field of entertainment, and to ask the Minister a specific question in relation to this, i.e. whether he thinks the public entertainment promised by the Playboy Club of Singapore is or is not in the public interest. Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I hope this is not an unfair question to ask of the Minister. In consideration of this question, I hope the Minister will be guided by the following comment. According to the advertisement of the Playboy Club in the Straits Times of 26th March, 1979, page 8, the club will provide certain services and facilities, and I am sure Members are interested to hear what these are. On the surface, they appear to be similar to those offered by other entertainment places. These include, "a main restaurant area, VIP room, cocktail lounge, discotheque, health centre, video-tape library, games [what games, I wonder] and board rooms and international shows." Now, Members may ask, what is so objectionable about all these?”
“Further, the Report can be studied by the Education Sub-Committee of the Citizens' Consultative Committee. I am pleased to note that certain Members of Parliament have discussed the Report with their CCC members. If I may, Sir, I would like to place on record that a group of CCC members in my constituency held a meeting with me last Sunday to air their views and comments on the Report and on various other aspects of our educational system. It was a useful and beneficial exercise; in fact, I have taken into consideration their views and comments during this debate. In conclusion, Mr Speaker, Sir, may I reiterate that I have no objection to the Motion standing in the name of the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education. It is full of promise of a better future for our children. I, therefore, support the Motion wholeheartedly. Thank you, Mr Speaker, Sir.”
“Likewise, the education policy will have to undergo adjustments. This, of course, is implicit in the Minister's recommendation that certain flexibility and freedom be allowed to the Ministry in the implementation of the policy. One of the major complaints of teachers and parents alike has been that they have not been consulted or informed about the many changes in our education policy. There has been no communication or there has been a communication breakdown between Ministry officials, principals, teachers and parents. The impact of any education policy is long standing. It can only be felt after a few years and if there have been errors, it would be very difficult to remedy them. Thus, it would be useful to discuss certain changes with teachers and parents, whose children have to bear the consequences of good or bad education policy. I would, therefore, suggest in this connection that, firstly, the Ministry should embark on a five-year plan for education, indicating what developments would take place, how they have to be implemented and at what cost. This plan should be reviewed at the mid-term in order to assess the success and failure of it. There should be little, if any, change during the five-year period. Secondly, the parent-teacher association (PTA) in schools should be activated and expanded. At present, the schools' advisory committees and management committees as well as the parent-teacher associations are nothing more than fund-raising agencies. It may be useful for the PTA to discuss some of these problems and give their views on the education policy. Thus, it would have been helpful if the Dr Goh Report had been studied by the PTA and other advisory committees of the school.”
“According to a Hindu saying - I shall not be speaking in Tamil, Sir, this is the English translation - the person who teaches you to read and write is next to God. I am sure that in all other traditions, the teacher is held in such high regard. So may I suggest that the Minister pay more attention to this problem. In his Report, he has suggested that this is not a major problem. But some doubts have been cast over the credibility of the study team's finding. This is the point that the Member for Kolam Ayer raised yesterday. The survey was based on a very brief minute sample, namely, of 140 teachers and they represent only 0.7% of the teaching profession of about 20,000 teachers. If I may say so, Sir, many teachers who were interviewed by officials and particularly by members of the Study Team did not know the significance of the interviews or might not be prepared to speak up. The sad thing about the teaching profession is that many teachers have adopted the static positions of the three monkeys; hear nothing, see nothing, say nothing. So many of them complain but few are prepared to come forward to register their grievances. Mr Speaker, Sir, in the Report one area of education seems to have been omitted, namely, the education of the educationally sub-normal or ESN children. For the ESN children, I wonder whether the Ministry will build a school for this category of children. There are many children who have failed many times in the normal schools and this may be due to a variety of factors. I hope the Ministry will look into this. Mr Speaker, Sir, education is a very complex issue and I would think that this is not the last report that we would see. We are an evolving society, constantly adjusting to changes.”
“As far as teaching techniques are concerned, it should be left to the individual teacher. After all, the teachers are all trained teachers. Many of them are graduates from the Institute of Education and if they do not know how to teach, they should not have been given the certificate or diploma in the first place. If their teaching technique is bad, then the fault lies with the Institute of Education. What this means is that the Ministry officials should only deal with the principals and the principals with the teachers. Such a line of authority extends not only to the implementation of the curricula but also to the career development of the teachers. Of course, such a proposal may lend itself to abuse but teachers can always refer any complaint to either the Ministry or the Singapore Teachers' Union. In this respect, I would like to propose the abolition of an obnoxious unit in the Ministry called the Complaints Unit. It is surprising for me to learn that Ministry officials should have nothing better to do than to spend valuable time in investigating complaints by parents who send in anonymous letters. In future, such complaints should be channelled to the principals. Instead, the Ministry should consider setting up a Teachers' Liaison Centre or Unit, to which teachers can refer their views, comments and complaints to the Ministry officials. This would be in line with what I had suggested sometime ago, namely, Meet-the-Teacher sessions at the Ministry. The key to the success of the education policy is, of course, the teachers. I think much has been said about the need to raise the morale of teachers. This can be done if the image and status of the teachers can be enhanced.”
“Many Members in this House and I have on previous occasions mentioned that certain officials in the Schools Division were responsible for aggravating the low morale of teachers and causing anxiety and discomfort in the schools. We wondered whether they were educationists or insensible minor tyrants. Now, the Report confirms what we had said. The Report mentions that, "it is sometimes difficult to make sense of what they (Schools Division officials) are trying to do." This is an astonishing conclusion to make, especially about people who are supposed to be the professionals. If the officials who are there now still cannot discern what they should properly do, I suggest that it will make more sense if the Schools Division is completely done away with. I hope that in the process of the reorganization, the responsibilities of the Ministry officials and the principals can be clearly delineated. This is a matter, Mr Speaker, Sir, that the Hon. Deputy Prime Minister has answered during the Budget debate. I would like, however, to reiterate that the Ministry officials must confine themselves to overall administration of the education policy, provision of the physical facilities, curriculum development and supervision of the principals. However, there should be little interference by Ministry officials in the work of the teachers. What I would like to suggest, Sir, is that the principals together with the vice-principals and senior assistants be given full responsibility for the running of the schools. The principal's major concern should be the implementation of the curricula and the teachers should be left to work out the schedule of work for the whole year under the supervision of the principal.”
“Are we prepared to see Singapore girls being turned into Playboy bunnies? We banned the Playboy magazine, yet we allow the Playboy Club to operate here. Where is the logic? Mr Speaker, Sir, what I have just said is pertinent to the issue of moral education. We cannot have double standards, one for the foreigners and the rich, and one for the rest of the citizens. In any case, Singapore is a small state, and no one can be isolated from development taking place in any part of it. Whether we like it or not, our children are exposed to such western cultural influence. They are not only exposed to the entertainment places and the cinemas, they are also exposed to western influence at home via the television and radio. To completely resist the absorption of such cultural traits from the West is impossible; we are increasingly becoming westernized. The way we dress, the songs and dances we perform and the expression in thought and action in our relations with parents, relatives and friends certainly reflect an increase in westernization. But it is the good features of western society that we want to incorporate in the Singapore society: we have to reject the undesirable ones. Mr Speaker, Sir, one major reason why the Report has come about is that there is a need to reorganize the whole administration of the Ministry of Education. Policy guidelines may be spelt out in broad terms but it is up to the administrators to interpret them and implement them in detail. There is no doubt that the major contributing factor for the failure of our education policy was the calibre of our officials in the Ministry, particularly in the Schools Division.”
“Moral education is supposed to provide the cultural ballast for our society, which is being urbanized and modernized. The Report mentions the risk of deculturisation but it has not touched on the danger of westernization. As an open society, we face the danger of becoming too westernized. The continuous presence of westerners in our society and the commercial pursuit to cater to their needs invariably increase the western cultural content in our society. The proliferation of various entertainment places, especially the nightclubs, and the import of western films for the cinemas manifest this trend. These places reflect to a considerable extent the cultural values, attitudes and modes of behaviour of the western society: some good, some bad. Hence, we have to put certain constraints on these places. Nevertheless, the danger of exposure of our school children, youths and other citizens to the selfish, permissive and hedonistic values of the West must not be overlooked by the Ministers. In this connection, Sir, I wonder whether any Ministry has bungled by allowing the symbol of the American permissive society and counter-culture to exist in our midst. I refer to the impending establishment of the Playboy Club in Singapore. Does this mean that we are prepared to tolerate the Playboy philosophy?”
“The struggles of our leaders during the periods of crises, how they overcame them, the moral fibre and character of these men, the danger they faced and the consequences that would have befallen us if they had failed, are lessons to be taught to our children. In the process, such values as dedication to the community, personal sacrifice, hard work, courage, farsightedness and wisdom of our leaders will be passed on to our children. So I hope that while the roadside libraries where Chinese story books are available is a source for our moral education programme, that the National Library and the University of Singapore Library, where materials of the exploits of our national leaders are available, will also be another source for the writers on moral education. Mr Speaker, Sir, as the Hon. Prime Minister has stated, the teachers are the anchormen in moral education and the school has a vital role to play. But I believe that moral education - education in character building, habits of thought and behaviour, healthy mind and body, sense of loyalty and patriotism - is the responsibility of not only the school teachers but also the parents and the media-men, i.e. those involved in public communications and entertainment. Therefore, moral education must be a coordinated exercise; otherwise, the good values taught in school can be quickly undermined by agencies outside the school. In this respect, I am happy to note that the Committee of Parliamentarians studying the issue of Moral Education is headed by the Minister for Communications and Acting Minister for Culture. Moral education is as much the concern of every other Minister as it is of the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education.”
“Firstly, these children should not be overloaded with work and, secondly, they should be allowed to fall back to the lower stream if parents so choose. I am sure that parents are concerned with the increasing workload that the children have to do. They are tied up with continual assessment. Children are preoccupied day in and day out, with preparations for their monthly tests. They have hardly enough time left to do extra reading on subjects that may interest them. I would suggest that the monthly tests be abolished and that only the semestral examinations be retained. This relieves the pressure from the children as well as from the parents who are concerned with their children getting good results. At this point, it may be useful to state that children should enjoy their education and that they do not go through their school life merely, memorising fact after fact. A child may be top in the class, but it may mean that he is only good at memory work. It does not mean that he has been fully educated or that he has an all-round education. The Report stated that the moral education taught through Education for Living (EFL) in primary schools and civics courses in secondary schools should be abolished. In its place, it has been suggested that moral values should be inculcated through the story-method. I note that the main content of moral education is on traditional cultural values and that these stories will mainly be ancient stories from the East. I wonder whether moral education should not be extended to education in citizenship. It is sometimes sad to note that Singaporeans are growing up without any knowledge whatsoever of their historical, social, cultural, economic and political development.”
“Thus, for example, if the various streams are in one school, then the top few in the normal stream can be moved upwards into the special stream, while the last few of the special stream can be moved downwards into the normal stream. The promotion or demotion in such a way will cause the least problem of adjustment to the children affected as the difference between them and their new classmates is minimal. Secondly, the streaming of children into different schools on the basis of language proficiency may result in racial segregation of our children. This is not desirable in our multi-racial society. Moreover, if all these children are in one school, there is intermingling of children of various races, intelligence and of various background. This, of course, is a desirable development towards a cohesive society. The sense of community will grow as each group will show concern for each other in the process of their daily contacts with one another. Thirdly, and this is the point made by the Member for Anson yesterday, the streaming of brilliant and average children into super and normal schools inherently creates the stigma on the normal school children; that somehow the school and its students belong to an inferior category of human beings. This distinction between the elite untouchables, that is, those in the super schools and the inferior beings will be removed if all children are streamed within the same school. According to the Report, the top students or the 8% of the PSLE passes are expected to complete their GCE in four years and to do the two languages at first language level. Here I would like to add my reservations.”
“According to the recommendation, the brilliant children will aftain equal proficiency in both languages while the above average children in the normal bilingual stream will attain a lower proficiency in the second language. While both categories may pass the GCE 'O' level, the question is whether those in the normal streams will be able to compete equally with those in the special stream at the Advanced level. Parents must be assured that their children who may be less proficient in the second language but do well in the other subjects should be given equal opportunity for further studies, for example, admission into the University. One point with regard to the problem of teaching the second language should be noted here. This is the teaching of Tamil as a second language. Members may be aware that the learning of Tamil in many schools is not available to the students. Moreover, many of the Tamil teachers are relief teachers. The Ministry should, therefore, try to fill the gap as quickly as possible. The point is that the teaching of the second language, be it Chinese, Malay or Tamil, should be made available to the children in accordance with the choice of the parents. With regard to the streaming of children, I agree that the children should be streamed. But I wonder how this will be done. Will children be streamed and sent to different schools or will different streams of children be stationed in one school? I suggest that all the children be accommodated in one school. Firstly, the transfer of children, which is allowed for in the Report, can be done more easily if the children are in the same school. This transfer, however, is in the nature of upward and downward mobility rather than lateral.”
“So it is a difficult task for the child to become equally proficient in two languages. In most cases, therefore, a choice has to be made, either more of one and less of the other or just to concentrate on one with a minimum acquisition of the other language. The capability of the student to absorb the languages may be equated with their capacity to absorb knowledge. That is, the intelligent child may be expected to be more efficient in two languages than the less intelligent child. This may not necessarily be true in all cases but it can be accepted as a general guideline. Thus, what it means is that in the schools, streaming of children on the basis of language proficiency is necessary. On the question of moral education, there is no doubt that we want to build a modern society based on the relevant cultural values of our Asian traditions and those relevant ones from the West. No doubt through the inculcation of certain values of Confucianism, Hinduism, Islam and Christianity, we will build up men and women of sound character and a cohesive society in Singapore. Thus, I support the major recommendations of the Dr Goh Report. The need to restructure the primary and secondary schools, in accordance with the capabilities of the children to absorb language and knowledge, is a step in the right direction. However, there are certain problems of implementation which I would like to point out. As far as the language requirement for the various streams is concerned, I wonder whether the above average children would be able to compete with the brilliant children in the special bilingual stream, for example, at the pre-University level.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the education policy of our country must take into consideration the following goals. Firstly, the need to promote the indigenous languages: secondly, the need to prepare our young citizens for employment, and thirdly, the need to promote a strong foundation for good citizenry. There are, of course, other factors to be considered but I believe any education policy must achieve these three primary goals. Singapore is a multi-lingual and multi-racial society with the Chinese comprising 76% of the population, Malays 15%, Indians and Pakistanis 7% and the Eurasians and others 2%. The Chinese and Indian communities are not homogeneous. The Chinese are divided into the various dialect groups, such as the Cantonese, Hokkien, Teochew, Hainanese, Hakka and Foochow; the Indians into Telegu, Malayalam, Punjabi, Hindi and Bengali. Thus, it is not possible to impose any indigenous language as a common language in our country. Further, in view of our historical and political circumstances, we have evolved a language policy based on bilingualism, i.e. English as the link or common language and the mother-tongue as the cultural language. The adoption of English as the link language is a pragmatic one because it is a neutral language and it is the language of official, bureaucratic, commercial and ordinary interchange. It is also an international language. The language policy is, of course, tied up with the question of moral education and the capacity of the children to absorb two languages which, in the case of the Chinese and the Indian communities, means two foreign languages. Thus, for the Chinese child, English and Mandarin are two foreign languages, and for a non-Tamil speaking child, English and Tamil or Malay or Mandarin are the foreign languages.”
“Sir, with the Minister's assurance that he would attend to this problem and expedite the implementation of this project, I beg leave to withdraw my amendment. Amendment by leave, withdrawn. 6.45 p.m.”
“Sir, I am thankful to the Hon. Minister for his reply. He has given the assurance that the Ministry would assist in whatever way it can to see that the project is implemented. May I ask the Minister, of the five cases he cited, that is, the five community homes that have been built, how many of them are located in HDB estates and how many are in non-HDB estates. This particular project of the Bible Presbyterian Welfare Services is located in a non-HDB estate. If, in fact, some of the five projects implemented are located in non-HDB estates, then I suppose the same terms would apply to this particular project. Dr Ahmad Mattar: Sir, the policy of the Social Welfare Department, which was introduced in 1977, is to help voluntary welfare bodies to set up community homes for the aged in HDB premises. And, as I have said just now, since the inception of the scheme, five such community homes have been set up. They are all in HDB estates, and eight more are in the process of being set up.”
“The Bible Presbyterian Welfare Services was unable to make a decision until the plan for a town had taken shape. In 1974, the application was brought up for consideration again. While looking at the details of the proposal, the viability of the project was held in doubt. The high cost of the project and the question of whether the Bible Presbyterian Welfare Services would be able to raise sufficient funds were the main factors. It was decided that only a home for the aged would be built. The project was supported by the Ministry. In 1976 the Bible Presbyterian Welfare Services decided to scale down the size of the home from one which would cater for 300 inmates to one for 100 inmates, in view of the high cost of land. One and a half acres of land adjacent to the Bible Presbyterian Church at Tavistock Avenue was chosen by the Bible Presbyterian Welfare Services. Sir, this, in a nutshell, accounts for why after several years the problem faced by the Bible Presbyterian Welfare Services, is still not resolved. Approval for the use of the site was obtained from the Master Plan Committee and the then Minister for National Development on 28th June last year. Delays in carrying out the project are due to problems of squatter clearance. I understand that the Bible Presbyterian Welfare Services cannot afford to pay for the cost of the clearance. So my Ministry has sought the assistance of the HDB to undertake the squatter clearance. Under this proposal of ours, the HDB will alienate the land to the Bible Presbyterian Welfare Services on vacant possession terms after site clearance. A nominal premium might have to be charged to the Bible Presbyterian Welfare Services. We are still awaiting a reply from the HDB.”
“But, of course, if the project is delayed and the cost becomes too prohibitive, it may not be possible to implement it. I hope that the Minister will expedite the settlement of the problem, that is, the clearance of the affected site as soon as possible. Then a new Home for the Aged can be built. The Bible Presbyterian Welfare Services has given an undertaking that they would accommodate inmates irrespective of race or religion and to allow for the admission of cases referred to it by the Department of Social Welfare. The Acting Minister for Social Affairs (Dr Ahmad Mattar): Mr Chairman, Sir, in 1977, the Social Welfare Department of my Ministry introduced a scheme for voluntary welfare bodies to set up community homes for the aged in Housing and Development Board premises. The Department assists interested groups or organisations to obtain suitable premises under the Housing and Development Board. As explained by my colleague, the Minister for National Development, just now, construction of such homes is undertaken by the HDB and the organisation concerned is required to pay monthly rentals. The Social Welfare Department also provides advice and guidance in the setting up of such community homes. It also assists in securing donations and provides other assistance required by voluntary organisations. Since the inception of the scheme, five community homes have been set up and another eight are in the process of being set up. The Bible Presbyterian Welfare Services first approached the Housing and Development Board in 1971 for the allocation of a site in the Ang Mo Kio district for a home for the aged and an orphanage. The Housing and Development Board was then just proceeding with the acquisition of the land around Ang Mo Kio for the development of a new town.”
“Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head W be reduced by $10 in respect of Subhead Code WAS-01 of the Main Estimates. Mr Chairman, Sir, the Hon. Minister has been placed on record to have stated that he would encourage civic organisations and voluntary groups to establish Homes for the Aged, provided these organizations follow the Ministry's guidelines for the establishment of such homes. This is, of course, a sound policy as it would cut down costs for the Ministry and also allows the responsibility of taking care of the aged to be shared by other welfare organisations. In this connection, may I bring the Minister's attention to a case involving my constituents, which has been long outstanding. The Bible Presbyterian Welfare Services of Singapore located in my constituency has over the past eight years been attempting to build a Home for the Aged. They have agreed to purchase the land and to construct the building. Moreover, they are prepared to conform to the Ministry's guidelines and to allow representatives from the Social Welfare Department and the Singapore Council of Social Services to sit in the management committee. However, the project has been stalled primarily because of a problem, namely, the clearance and resettlement of the squatters in the site affected. The Ministry has been approached on several occasions to have the matter settled but, to-date, little has been done. It must be appreciated that the longer the delay, the higher the cost of construction will be. And the earlier the Home is completed, the earlier the shortage of such places for inmates can be alleviated. The Bible Presbyterian Welfare Services is committed to this project and I am assured that their enthusiasm has not waned.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, my amendment touches on the same issue and, if I may speak now, I shall be very brief. I would like to support the hon. Member for Tiong Bahru in requesting the Hon. Minister to consider sympathetically the hardship cases, especially of the self-employed who would like to be exempted from the annual in-camp training. During the meet-the-people sessions, I have had such appeals from constituents. The hon. Member for Tiong Bahru has suggested that some kind of alternative may be offered to such reservists. May I suggest that some kind of pan-time training be offered to these reservists. As we are aware at the moment, part-time service is available only in the Special Constabulary and Vigilante Corps, and it may be possible for the Ministry to work out a schedule of part-time training for the reservists so that they could fulfil their national service as far as they are concerned.”
“Officers in the Telecommunications Authority of Singapore, nurses in the Government hospitals and those in the Singapore Fire Brigade, have complained of these faults. Another complaint of the Singapore Fire Brigade officers is that they have not been given uniforms annually: they have only been allowed to replace their old uniforms. This is against the agreement that uniforms should be issued on an annual basis, and not on a replacement basis. I hope the Minister will look into these matters, particularly the tender system for the issue of uniforms. I would like to suggest to the Minister that a way out is either for the departments to issue the cloth to certain designated tailors to which the officers can then go to have their uniforms made, or for the departments to give a uniform allowance to each officer.”
“These are additional to their main responsibility of collection of revenue and implementation of preventive action. No wonder, Sir, there has been such a large turnover of staff. After a while, officers would not tolerate the shabby treatment they receive from the Government. The salary scale was drawn up in 1959, 20 years ago. Surely this is very outdated. On this matter, Sir, the then Senior Minister of State for Finance stated, when asked this question during the last budget debate, that he would look into the situation seriously, implying that he would do something to improve the situation. I ask the Minister now, after studying the situation for a year, whether any measure has been introduced to improve the working conditions of the customs officers. The other matter relates to the issue of uniforms to the Division IV officers. There is an agreement between the AUPE and the Government under which the Government agreed to provide uniforms to all Division IV uniform grades on an annual basis. Unfortunately, Mr Speaker, Sir, some departments have not carried out their side of the bargain to the satisfaction of the officers concerned. 3.00 p.m. The main problem lies in the tender system for the supply of uniforms. As a result of the poor supervision to ensure that the requirements in the tender are carried out satisfactorily, the officers in a number of departments either have not received their uniforms or if they have, have found the uniforms most unsuitable for them. The common faults are listed as follows: excessive delays, poor fitting and poor sewing of the uniforms. In many cases, although the officers were measured individually, the completed uniforms were not found to be in conformity with the measurement.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I would like to bring to the Hon. Minister's attention two matters which I would urge him to look into, namely, the poor salary scale of the customs officers and the issue of uniforms to Division IV officers, At the last budget session, I pointed out that from 1970 to 1977, although there were 1,020 new appointments in the customs service, yet at the same time, there were 508 resignations, or about 50% of the number of recruits. In some years, for example in 1976, the percentage of resignation was as high as 90%. Such a very high turnover of staff must certainly cause anxiety and concern to the Ministry, yet little seems to have been done to improve the situation. The major contributing factor to this alarming situation is the very poor salary scale of the customs officers. The consolidated salary of a new officer is $250 and he has to work for 19 years before he reaches the maximum of $600. But even before he reaches $600, he has to cross a number of obstacles, namely, the departmental examination and the confidential report of his superior. In fact, as a result of the present system. there are 45 officers who have not been able to cross the various salary bars and have stagnated. This is very unsatisfactory indeed. Sir, the customs officers have a very responsible job. This is because they are vested with statutory powers which enable them to act on behalf of the following departments: Import and Export Department, Foreign Exchange Department, Primary Production Department, Port Health Department, Chemistry Department, Marine Department, Postal Department, Registry of Home Affairs, Social Welfare Department, Trade Marks Division, Commercial Crimes, Controller of Supplies and Immigration Department.”
“Sir, at the beginning of his reply the Minister stated that the drug traffic problem prevailing across the Causeway is a very serious one. I assume that the drug traffic operates both ways. Since this is an international problem, I wonder whether there has been any move to seek the cooperation of the Malaysian Government to curb the drug traffic. If such cooperation has been initiated, may I know what measures have been agreed upon and how effective they have been in reducing the drug traffic.”
“Sir, I am glad to hear from the Hon. Minister of the various measures to improve the salary scale of the Immigration Officers as well as to improve the working conditions. I am confident that the Minister for Finance will see the justice of the case and will approve the proposed revision. With that, Sir, I beg leave to withdraw my amendment. Amendment by leave, withdrawn.”
“Sir, at the last Budget debate, the Minister stated that he would look into the grievances of the Immigration Officers, particularly the problem of those who are responsible for checking incoming vessels, detention of illegal immigrants and manning the immigration outpost at Sultan Shoal. I would like to hear from the Minister whether anything has been done to improve the working conditions of the Immigration Officers.”
“Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head Q be reduced by $10 in respect of Subhead Code QA-01 of the Main Estimates. Sir, I would like to bring the Minister's attention to the administration of one department in his Ministry, namely, the Department of Immigration which I feel is still deficient. At the last Budget debate I mentioned the poor working conditions of the Immigration Officers and stated that such a state of affairs, if continued, would undermine the effectiveness of the Immigration Department. The major issue is the poor salary scale of the Immigration Officers in Division IV. At one time, their salary scale was superior to those of the prison warders and the police constables, but over the years, while the salary scales of the prison warders and the police constables have been revised upwards, that of the Immigration Officers has remained stagnant. This is a factor which has resulted in the low morale of the Immigration Officers and led to a number of resignations in the department. Sir, according to the Amalgamated Union of Public Employees, from 1971 to 1978 there were 560 new recruits into the service but during the same period, there were 130 resignations, that is, 23.2% of the new appointments. The breakdown of appointment and resignation for the various years is as follows: Year Appointment Resignation 1971 4 7 1972 33 4 1973 20 17 1974 56 21 1975 45 14 1976 122 15 1977 280 45 1978 - 7 ___ ___ 560 130 From the table, it is noted that the highest number of resignation occurred in 1977 when the Exit Control Scheme was introduced. This undoubtedly must have affected the effectiveness of the control over foreign visitors who have overstayed in Singapore.”
“I believe the question does not arise in any one particular HDB estate but is quite common to all the HDB estates. 3.45 p.m.”