Lee Boon Yang
Singapore
“6 The other guidelines are that there must be a post office sited within 5 km of every private residential estate and within 1 km of any commercial or industrial estate. MAID LEVY CONCESSION (Applications by the disabled) 32.”
“Madam, can I quickly respond to the point on assistive technology? Certainly this is an area of interest. We cannot say that we have the capability at this juncture but we will certainly look into what is possible and work with our ICT sector.”
“Nevertheless, if the spouse of the homemaker is working, he will be eligible for WIS if he satisfies the criteria. Husbands of homemakers are further eligible for tax relief.”
“Sir, I do not think it is quite correct to say that we always expect our own artists to perform for free or do public service. There are, of course, occasions where we do seek Singapore artists and arts companies to contribute to the national causes. For instance, when we went international for Singapore Season in China.”
“Ms Sylvia Lim asked the Minister for National Development (a) what checks does the Ministry or the National Environment Agency have in place to prevent mistaken payments to hawkers who cease operations due to upgrading works at hawker centers; (b) how did the mistaken payment of $18,000 to Mdm Lee Ah Muey come about; and (c) what will the…”
“While it was also true that initially the reaction or the response of the licensing authority was that foreigners should not participate in such an event at the Speakers' Corner - because there is already an existing prohibition against any foreigners taking part in any activities at the Speakers' Corner - subsequent assessment resulted i…”
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“But in multi-racial societies, majority rule is likely to end up with a tyranny of the majority over the minority communities. It is unlikely that there will be alternation of power because numerically the majority community will always win elections on the basis of one-man-one-vote. Our Team MP concept is to meet a particular problem of a unique multi-racial society where cleavages along racial, linguistic and religious lines are sharper than cleavages along socio-economic lines. It is our modification of the Westminster model of democracy, based on our experience and the dismal experience of many Third World countries which are multi-racial, multi-tribal in nature, which practises the British model of democracy without modifications, our Team MP concept is unique in another way. It is benevolent. The Constitutional change is initiated by the majority to directly benefit the minority communities without any direct benefit to itself. It is our way of sharing our future together, of giving Singaporeans, whether Malays, Indians, Chinese, Eurasians or Others, that feeling of belonging to a single nation. Sir, I beg to move. Question proposed.”
“These representors who did not agree with the GRC proposal were given the opportunity to propose a better system/scheme than the GRC proposal to achieve this. The Select Committee is satisfied that there is no better proposal than the GRC. In fact, there is merit in the suggestion by several representors that the GRC concept should be extended to the whole of Singapore. There could be 20 GRCs for the whole of Singapore with each GRC returning four candidates. Each team must have at least a member of the minority community. If we have a Parliament of 80 Members, there would thus be at least 20 MPs coming from the minority communities, ie, the Malay, Indian, Eurasian and Other Minority communities. This is equal to the proportion in the population. The main argument for returning MPs on a team basis throughout Singapore is that it entrenches multi-racial politics in every constituency. It leaves no room for communal politics. It is an idea which we should consider implementing sometime in the future, after we have proven that the election of MPs on a team basis enhances racial harmony and preserves political stability. Our concept of GRC is innovative and, to the best of my knowledge, without precedent. Many countries have multiple-member constituencies, like Japan and Thailand. But none elects them on a team basis. They do not have to because these countries are homogeneous. They do not have cleavages along ethnic lines. They are homogeneous societies in the ethnic sense which, if divided,is divided along socio-economic or ideological lines. In such societies, the Westminster model of democracy by majority rule may work. If there is a change in power, it is between two groups with different socio-economic perceptions.”
“The definition of an "Indian" and the procedure for nominating members to the Indian and Other Minority Communities Committee follow that of the Malay community. The original Bill did not specify a minimum number of GRCs, nor how GRCs were to be allocated between the Malay community and the Indian and Other Minority communities. Representations were received that this should be done. The Bill has been amended to ensure that there will always be GRCs to return at least one-quarter of the total number of MPs in a general election. What this means is that there will always be a certain number of MPs coming from the minority communities. This number is seven, on the basis of 79 Members of Parliament. The Bill has also been amended to provide for the distribution of GRCs between Malays and Indian and Other Minority communities. Three-fifths of the total number of GRCs will go to the Malay community and two-fifths to the Indian and Other Minority communities. The fraction of three-fifths is decided upon because the Malay population make up 63% or about three-fifths of the total non-Chinese population in Singapore. As the ratio of Malays to Indians and Others is likely to change only gradually, the formula for distributing the GRCs amongst them is not expected to change over the next 20 years. Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, the Select Committee benefited from the submissions it received and in particular from the oral evidence given by the 12 representors and their witnesses. It has incorporated many of the points made in the revised Bill. I thank them all. Not all representors and witnesses agreed with the GRC proposal, as must be expected. But all agreed that a multi-racial Parliament is essential to political stability.”
“First, a candidate wishing to contest in a GRC as a member of the Malay community must consider himself to belong to that community. Second, that community must accept him. The test of his acceptability is left to the Malay Community Committee. This Committee will comprise a Chairman and four other members, all of whom shall belong to the Malay community. This is spelt out in clause 6 (section 27C (2)). They will be appointed by the President on the nomination of the Presidential Council for Minority Rights after consulting such organizations of the Malay community as the Council thinks fits. The requirement for consultation has been put in by the Select Committee as suggested by some Malay representors. It will doubly ensure that all members appointed to the Malay Commu- nity Committee come from the community itself. Consultation is a two-way process. It can be initiated by the Presidential Council for Minority Rights or it can be initiated by organizations of the Malay community. Several Malay representors and witnesses submitted that to qualify as a member of the Malay community, that person must be a Muslim. The Select Committee, however, concluded that as a secular State, the laws should not prescribe any religion for any individual as the Constitution recognizes the right of individuals to profess any religion of their choice. Anyway, whether a person is a member of the Malay community or not, it is for that person and the community to decide. Many representations were received from Indian representors to specifically mention the community in the definition of "other minority communities". This is now done in the amended Bill.”
“It will cause Malay candidates to outbid one another, to prove who is the champion of the Malay community. If they do that, it must cause a reaction, a stiffening of attitude in the Chinese and Indian communities. And this can only be to the detriment of the Malay community. On the other hand, the GRC proposal requires the various communities to accommodate one another and to accept each other's ethnic differences. If a Chinese wants to stand for election in a GRC, he must, under the elections law, first find a Malay or an Indian partner or a partner from another minority community. This requires some accommodation on his part. If a Malay wants to win in a GRC, political realism requires him to find non-Malay partners. The candidates, Malay, Chinese, Indians, Eurasians or others, have therefore to accommodate one another. They have to accept each other's race, language, culture and religion. In other words, they have to agree on some fundamental issues. Let me deal with the amendments to the Bill made by the Select Committee. The first concerns the definition of a "person belonging to the Malay community." The definition is amended under clause 6 (section 27A (7)) and reads as follows: '"person belonging to the Malay community" means any person, whether of the Malay race or otherwise, who considers himself to be a member of the Malay community and who is generally accepted as a member of the Malay community by that community;' This definition is an improvement over the original definition which mentioned some, but not all, of the sub-communities which make up the Malay community. I believe it satisfies my Malay colleagues in this House. It is essentially a self-definition.”
“They can, if they have qualities which are seen by the electorate to be superior to the Chinese candidates. But even if they do, the Chinese do not have to share power if they do not want to. The GRC proposal, which requires some MPs to stand as a team, effectively distributes power between leaders of the various communities. In fact, it favours the minorities. This point was made by several Chinese representors. They pointed out that Chinese candidates could not stand in a GRC on their own. The amendment does not allow it. You cannot have three Chinese candidates standing in a GRC on their own. They have to team up with either a Malay, an Indian or a member from another minority community. On the other hand, the Malays, the Indians or members of other minority communities can stand on their own in a GRC. This is like handing a veto vote to the minority candidates. This accommodation by the Chinese to the minority communities is a real one. Now, we move on to the second question. Has a better proposal than the GRC been made to the Select Committee? The Select Committee heard views on this from members of the public, including political parties. The proposals received fell into two categories - variations of the GRC proposal and proposals either to allow Malays to elect their own MPs or to compete amongst themselves in reserved constituencies. In other words, Malays will elect Malays or Malays will contest against Malays in reserved wards. These proposals are discussed in paragraphs 24 to 38 of the Select Committee's Report. The Select Committee did not find them to be superior to the GRC proposal. To let Malays elect their own MPs is to perpetuate the practice of communal politics.”
“One, whether the Select Committee has found support for the GRC Bills, in particular, from the minority communities and, second, whether the Select Committee has found a better proposal than the GRC proposal to ensure that Parliament would always be multi-racial in character and composition. From the public submissions to the Select Committee, it was obvious that the Malay, Indian and other minority communities welcomed the Government's initiative to guarantee their representation in Parliament. They left the Committee in no doubt about this. Of the 19 submissions received from Malay representors, only one was against any change to be made to the present parliamentary elections system. Of the 34 submissions from Indians, only two were against any change. I believe that the Malay and Indian representors were signalling strongly to the Select Committee and to this Parliament to proceed with the GRC proposal. The Chinese representors were more cautious. Of the 34 representations received, 6 were for GRCs, 17 for some changes to be made to the present parliamentary elections system and 11 against. In other words, 23 for changes to be made and 11 against any change. The reservations of the Chinese representors are understandable. The GRCs confer power on the minority communities, disproportionate with their political weight in parliamentary elections. The Chinese form 76% of the population in Singapore. They can easily win power in general elections without having to team up with Malays or Indians. They can do this because there is not a single constituency in Singapore where the Chinese is not in the majority. I am not saying that no Indian or Malay can win against a Chinese candidate.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, the Hougang Town Centre, when fully developed, will have a range of facilities similar to those found in other HDB New Towns. Land in the vicinity of the HDB Area Office has been set aside for the development of some 400 residential flats and commercial facilities such as department stores and cinemas. The HDB is in the process of working out guidelines for private sector participation in the commercial development of HDB Town Centres. The release of some of the commercial sites in Hougang to the private sector is being considered. PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS (AMENDMENT) BILL (As reported from Select Committee) Order for Third Reading read. 11.32 am The First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence (Mr Goh Chok Tong): Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, "That the Bill be now read a Third time." This Bill should be read together with the Constitution of the Republic of Singapore (Amendment) Bill. Both Bills seek to achieve the same objective, which is to ensure that the Singapore Parliament will always be multi-racial in composition so as to reflect the character and values of our multi-racial society. The principles of both these Bills were thoroughly debated by this House on the 11th and 12th January. The Bills had also been referred to a Select Committee. The Select Committee received 99 submissions and examined the evidence of 12 representors in public. Its Report is now before the House. As the subject has been extensively and exhaustively debated, I shall not burden this House with a repeat performance or repeat the arguments for or against the GRC proposal. I shall highlight only two salient points emerging from the Select Committee hearings.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, Jalan Toa Payoh is the most heavily used section of the Pan Island Expressway. Traffic volume along this section of the expressway towards Jurong is very high during the morning peak hours (about 6,940 vehicles per hour). Traffic congestion at this location is aggravated by the presence of a bus stop near the Toa Payoh Flyover. Resiting the bus stop or providing a proper bus-bay is being considered. This can only be done after the drainage works along Sungei Whampoa in the vicinity are completed in 1989. Jalan Toa Payoh was originally an arterial road upgraded to expressway standards. There are many constraints in its design and capacity. The feasibility of widening the stretch of the Pan Island Expressway from the Pelton Canal (just before the Aljunied Flyover) to the PIE/BKE interchange is being studied. Sir, to further minimize traffic congestion on expressways, the PWD is also considering the feasibility of a surveillance and signalling system for expressways. This system will forewarn motorists of traffic conditions along expressways so that motorists could avoid areas of congestion. [Mr Deputy Speaker in the Chair] 11.30 am HOUGANG TOWN CENTRE (Development plans) The following question stood in the name of Mr Ng Kah Ting - 13. To ask the Minister for National Development what development plans the Housing and Development Board has for Hougang Town Centre, the area near and around the Hougang Central Office, and whether he will elaborate on them; and whether the private sector will be invited to take part.”
“If the Member for Potong Pasir is aware of any of these pests breeding in his constituency, please let us know specifically where they are and we will send the appropriate officials to take a look around. But referring to the cracks in the apron slabs, let me assure him that work to repair this crack has been carried out. And if there is any further need to repair these apron slabs due to future subsidence of the soil, then HDB will do so. And if there are any spots which are likely to be breeding space for these "dangerous animals" in Potong Pasir, then we will look into it and make sure that they do not proliferate. PIE AT JALAN TOA PAYOH/JURONG (Traffic congestion) 12. Mr Teo Chong Tee asked the Minister for National Development what is the cause of the traffic congestion at Jalan Toa Payoh along the Pan Island Expressway towards Jurong during the morning peak hours and what steps are being taken to improve the situation.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, as I said in my answer, work has been carried out to patch up all these sunken slabs. I believe this has sealed up all the cracks. But if subsequently there is further settlement of the soil and more cracks develop, HDB will of course look into the matter and carry out the necessary repair work.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the soil settlement is confined to the apron slab area surrounding Blocks 113 to 120. It occurs because of differential settlement of earth in the vicinity, resulting in split-level cracks in the apron slabs. This soil settlement does not affect the building structures because the buildings are resting on piled foundations. It does not pose any danger to the buildings or the public. Work to patch up the cracked aprons was carried out at the affected blocks in February this year and was completed last month.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, new towns such as Bukit Batok, Yishun, Tampines, Choa Chu Kang and Woodlands will have land set aside for private sector residential and commercial development. The release of these land parcels will depend on the development schedule of these New Towns. POTONG PASIR ESTATE (Soil subsidence) 11. Mr Chiam See Tong asked the Minister for National Development whether he is aware that the soil beneath several blocks of flats at Potong Pasir Estate has subsided and what steps are being taken to rectify the situation.”
“The Ministry's intention is to upgrade the market by putting all the market produce stalls on one floor, thus freeing the other which could be leased out to private operators for other appropriate business.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the HDB will build according to requirements, to demand, and also on the basis of the land that is available for residential development. The long-range planning will take all these factors into consideration. CUPPAGE CENTRE (Vacant hawker stalls) 3. Dr Wong Kwei Cheong asked the Minister for the Environment (a) when did his Ministry decide to convert the vacant hawker stalls at Cuppage Centre to cooked food stalls; (b) when did the existing hawkers appeal against the conversion; and (c) what plans his Ministry currently has to fill the 148 vacant hawker stalls. The Senior Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for the Environment (Mr Eugene Yap Giau Cheng) (for the Minister for the Environment): On behalf of my Minister, Sir. In July 1981, a proposal was put up to convert vacant market produce stalls to cooked food stalls in order to accommodate licensed street hawkers. Cuppage Road Market, with 53 vacant market produce stalls, was included in this exercise. The proposal was approved at an estimated cost of $266,000. However, the project to convert the 53 vacant market produce stalls to cooked food stalls in the Cuppage Road Market was shelved because of appeals made by the hawkers in June 1984. The cooked food stallholders objected to the proposal because they were concerned that the additional stalls would pose competition and affect their business. Although the additional cooked food stalls were not built, the vacant market produce stalls remained frozen and to-date, there are 148 vacant stalls. The Cuppage Road Market has two levels of market produce stalls.”
“Sir, as I said, the Traffic Police is studying this new driving licence. We have not decided on the date of implementation. But the study will be carried out expeditiously. OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY IN INDUSTRIES (Standard of) 5. Mrs Yu-Foo Yee Shoon asked the Minister for Labour if he is satisfied with the standard of occupational health and safety in industries and whether the trend of industrial accidents in 1987 implies that attention needs to be focused on a particular industry.”
“Sir, while we must strive to be more productive in order to be more competitive internationally, at the same time, we must also preserve our Asian traditions of courtesy and respect for one another. If courtesy becomes a part of the Singaporean's personality, then courteous behaviour will come naturally from every individual without the need for reminders or campaigns. If Singaporeans are to be well mannered, socially disciplined, confident and cultured, if we are to have a good environment for our children to live in peace and harmony, if we are to have the respect of individuals for one another and for public properties, all of us must play our part in promoting courtesy.”
“Assessment of Effectiveness of Campaign 70% or nearly 3 persons out of 4 feel that Singaporeans are today more courteous than they were before. 66% or 2 people out of 3 attribute the increase in the level of courtesy solely to the campaign; whilst most of the remainder (27%) feel that it is due both to the campaign and other factors. Should campaign continue? Nearly 9 people in 10 of those surveyed, or 89%, feel that the campaign should continue to be promoted in future. This may be due to the perceived effectiveness of the campaign since a total of 93% attributed the improvement in Singaporeans' behaviour to the campaign, either solely or in combination with other factors. The need for the Courtesy Campaign to continue may also be due to the observation by a majority (78%) of the people that Singaporeans on their own do not put in a lot of effort in being courteous. Only 19%, or nearly 1 in 5, feel that Singaporeans are putting in a lot of effort. There is therefore still a need for the people to be continuously reminded to be courteous. My Ministry will endeavour this year to drive home the need for courtesy to begin with the individual. Long-term future direction Since the inception of the campaign in 1979, we have emphasized the forms of courteous behaviour. In future years, the emphasis of the campaign will be on the development of the character of the young in order to make courtesy a natural component of our people's behaviour and life style. We will endeavour to increase public awareness of the importance of character building as well as the important roles which families, schools, communities and workplaces have to play.”
“Sir, the reclaimed land at Pulau Tekong Besar is being used by the Ministry of Defence for training purposes. It will be used by MINDEF until such time as it is required for other developments. Possible uses in the long-term are industry, seaport and related development such as power station and utilities. It is not envisaged that there would be a need to put Pulau Tekong Besar to more intensive urban uses for some time. The future use of this island can therefore be further reviewed. Its future use would be the subject of further study by the Concept Plan Review Team. COURTESY CAMPAIGN (Effectiveness of) 3. Mr Yeo Choo Kok asked the Minister for Communications and Information (a) what is his Ministry's assessment of the effectiveness of the Courtesy Campaign; (b) whether Singaporeans have become more courteous after so many yea/rs of efforts in promoting the campaign; and (c) what is the future direction of the campaign. The Senior Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Communications and Information (Mr Ho Kah Leong) (for the Minister for Communications and Information): Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I am answering on behalf of my Minister. In December 1987, my Ministry engaged an independent research company to conduct a survey amongst a representative sample of 1,000 people. The folllowing questions were posed: (a) Do you personally think that Singaporeans are nowadays more courteous or less courteous? (b) If Singaporeans are more courteous, do you think they are more courteous because of the Courtesy Campaign or some other factors? (c) Do you think there is a need for Singapore to continue with the Courtesy Campaign in future years? (d) In your opinion, how much effort do you think Singaporeans put into being courteous?”
“As soon as HDB has completed its studies on the feasibility of conversion. ADDITIONAL TUITION FOR MALAY PUPILS 3. Mr Chiam See Tong asked the Minister for Education, in view of the proportionately small number of Malay students enrolled in our local University, whether he is willing to make provisions for Malay pupils to get additional tuition outside the normal school hours.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, as I have said in my answer, the plot of land which will be made available from the demolition of two blocks of 1-room flats will be used for the extension of a school nearby rather than building new blocks of flats, because the site is too narrow to accommodate a residential development. For the other three blocks of 2-room flats, HDB is at the present moment considering the possibility of converting them into larger flats, rather than demolishing them.”
“Sir, in Bo Wen Constituency, five blocks of HDB flats are affected by the current relocation programme. Of these, two blocks of 1-room flats will be demolished. The land which will be made available will be used for the extension of the adjacent school because the site is too narrow for residential development. The HDB is considering the conversion of the other three blocks of 2-room flats into 4-room or larger flats. The five blocks affected by the current relocation programme comprise 1,020 rental units. 631 flats were originally occupied when the relocation programme commenced. By 1st March 1988, HDB had relocated 474 tenants. Of the remaining 157 tenants, 108 had accepted alternative flats and will move out in the next two months. Among the remaining 49 tenants, 9 will be rehoused within the next three months whereas the rest (40 tenants) are scheduled to be rehoused in the next six to nine months.”
“Certainly, Sir. My Ministry will inform the owners that they have to clear the land, as I said in my main answer, by the end of 1988. BO WEN CONSTITUENCY (HDB relocation programme) 2. Dr S. Vasoo asked the Minister for National Development (a) when the rebuilding of Housing and Development Board flats will be carried out in Bo Wen Constituency; and (b) if the HDB will consider relocating the remaining few rental tenants affected by relocation to neighbouring rental blocks or their purchased flats as soon as possible.”
“Sir, since the squatters are on private land and they are not affected by public resettlement schemes, it would be very difficult for my Ministry to intervene in the clearance process by the owners of this land.”
“Sir, in blocks where there is already a very high vacancy rate as a result of tenants moving out, HDB will certainly like to expedite relocation and will try wherever possible to find them alternative accommodation, either in rental flats or in purchase flats. PRIMARY AND SECONDARY SCHOOLS (Reduction in class size) The following Question stood in the name of Mr Chiam See Tong - 4. To ask the Minister for Education what progress has been made in reducing the number of students in primary and secondary school classes.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, within Delta Constituency, the current relocation programme affects 1,721 HDB flats in 21 blocks. 1,108 flats were tenanted when the relocation exercise commenced. As at 1st March 1988, the HDB had relocated 826 tenants. The remaining 282 tenants are being offered flats. Of these, 98 tenants will be rehoused by December this year whereas the balance of 184 tenants will be rehoused next year. The vacated land will be redeveloped in two parcels. The HDB has plans to commence construction of 4- and 5-room flats in one of the parcels in the early 1990s. The other parcel is being set aside for further complementary development which can include private sector participation. The Alexandra Road Market/Hawker Centre is managed by the Ministry of the Environment. I understand that the Ministry is reviewing the long-term policy on markets and cooked food centres, including the future of the Alexandra Road Market.”
“Sir, just one moment. Regarding the Member for Toa Payoh's suggestion on privatization of the ambulance service, I will take up his suggestion and I encourage it, in fact.”
“The Fire Safety Bureau is always open-minded to proposals put up by professionals. In the final analysis, both the Fire Safety Bureau and the professionals should act together on the basis that safety of members of the public must always come first. Sir, I would now like to turn to the Member for Changi who asked what sort of training do firemen receive to enable them to cope with high-rise fires, and what kind of equipment is available to the Fire Service for fighting such high-rise fires. To begin with, a properly designed and built building, as we have just discussed a moment ago, should incorporate fire safety features as a first line of defence against potential fire hazards. Therefore, high-rise buildings such as commercial complexes and hotels are required under the present fire code to install automatic sprinkler systems, smoke or heat detector systems, built-in fire water mains and hydrant systems and a proper means of escape with fire protected staircase. Our high-rise buildings are also designed to prevent the spread of fires and to confine any fire outbreak to the floor of origin. In the event of a fire breaking out, the Singapore Fire Service stands ready to go into action to rescue people and to put out the fire. The Singapore Fire Service has a 150-strong special search and rescue squad whose members are specially trained to undertake rescue operations in high-rise buildings on fire. This squad has also been trained on aerial evacuation techniques using helicopters. Regular weekly exercises are carried out by this squad in high-rise buildings to practise their skills. Sir, for fighting high-rise fires, all the 27 fire engines acquired by the Singapore Fire Service since 1976 have been fitted with larger capacity pumps to reach to a greater height.”
“Sir, decisions are not made by just one official going strictly according to the rules. There are many opportunities for consultation and discussion. (d) The Fire Safety Bureau holds regular dialogue sessions with professionals to discuss problematical procedures and technical issues. (e) The Fire Safety Bureau has formalized a standing committee which has representatives from the professional bodies including the Singapore Institute of Architects, Institute of Engineers Singa- pore, Real Estate Developers' Association of Singapore, Association of Consulting Engineers Singapore and Institution of Fire Engineers. The standing committee provides a forum for professionals to bring up their suggestions and feedback for consideration by the Fire Safety Bureau. Sir, the Fire Safety Bureau is therefore very accessible to professionals and consultative in its approach. Architects and engineers must play their part by submitting good quality plans and assuming professional responsibility in the work that they undertake. The FSB is there to check the professionals' proposal to ensure that this satisfied minimum standards required under the fire code. Nevertheless, Sir, in the interest of public safety, the FSB has also been providing consultative advice by suggesting to professionals alternative ways to meet the safety standards required under the fire code. Sir, occasionally, this state of affairs is taken for granted and when the professionals fail to understand the rationale for a particular safety requirement, the Fire Safety Bureau is then accused of being inflexible. In conclusion, I would like to say that it is important that professionals take fire safety seriously. The potential danger of a disaster is always there.”
“Some of the buildings did not even have automatic fire detection or alarm systems. Escape routes, fire escapes, from these buildings were not adequately protected with fire safe partitions and doors. Fire escapes were inadequate to cope with the occupant-loads in some cases. In some cases, the building design allowed smoke to spread rapidly throughout the entire structure, hindering escape and also causing many unnecessary deaths by asphyxiation. Sir, I have taken up precious minutes to highlight these examples to show what can go wrong when buildings are put up with scant attention to basic rules of fire safety. And, secondly, to explain why our Fire Service and our Fire Safety Bureau must be vigilant in carrying out its task of ensuring that our buildings are made as safe and as technically and economically feasible. Sir, the building plan vetting system in the Fire Safety Bureau is far from being a bureaucratic machine. The Member for Clementi has asked whether the Ministry has provided opportunities for appeal. The FSB has built-in flexibility and opportunities for exercising human judgment. Let me give you some examples of this flexibility. (a) Architects and engineers may propose alternatives to the guidelines suggested in the fire code to satisfy the intended fire safety requirements. Very often, the Fire Safety Bureau officers themselves will suggest alternatives when professionals encounter difficulty in meeting the safety standards of the fire code. (b) Architects and engineers may approach the Fire Safety Bureau officers at all levels for discussion if they are in doubt of any requirements imposed on their plans. (c) There is an existing waiver committee to consider all appeals against decisions not acceptable to the profession.”
“Sir, the Member for Clementi who is also the Chairman of the GPC for Home Affairs asked for a more flexible implementation of regulations to ensure the fire safety of buildings in Singapore. The Fire Safety Bureau (FSB) of my Ministry vets building plans to ensure that appropriate standards of fire safety are maintained. Where the safety of large numbers of people as in a high-rise building is concerned, these standards cannot be compromised. This is not to say that there is no room for flexibility at all. But flexibility has its limits. If rules are set aside for purely commercial reasons, then you will see buildings being put up which may become future causes of unnecessary tragedy. The paramount overriding interest for having these standards and a strict implementation is that of public interest, namely, to avoid loss of lives, injuries and damage to properties. Sir, what are the potential causes of disregarding the minimum standards of fire safety? 1st February 1974, Sao Paulo, Brazil. 179 people died in a fire which engulfed the Joma Building which is a 25-storey reinforced concrete structure, only two years old. The fire started at about 8.40 am in the morning and within an hour, spread and gutted the entire upper part of the building except for the first six storeys which was a car park. Then again on 31st December 1986, 96 people died, 140 were injured in a fire which razed the Dupont Plaza Hotel and Casino in Puerto Rico. More recently, Sir, 1st January 1988, 13 people including 7 Singaporeans died and 25 people were injured when a pre-dawn blaze swept through the First Hotel in Bangkok. Sir, in these three examples which I have just cited, there were many shortcomings in the buildings which caught fire. They did not have automatic sprinkler systems.”
“Sir, on average, 23% of the national servicemen enlisted under the revised scheme will be trained up to this multi-skill level, which means that under the revised scheme we are producing Construction Brigade men who are as well trained as other CITC graduates and who should be able to command equal salary on their release from national service. Sir, we conducted a survey in March 1987 on a sample of 60 contractors who were employing NS men from the Construction Brigade. 85% of them noticed improvement in work attitude among the NS men, 91% also reported improvement in skills under the revised scheme. I believe the Construction Brigade has been able to overcome previous problems and it is well on its way to producing NS men with a high level of construction skills which will not only be useful for our Civil Defence effort, but will also provide these men with the means of earning a livelihood when they finished their national service.”
“As I said, Sir, we have just started on this emergency shelter programme. We need to assess the progress of this first phase, particularly how these shelters can be used in peacetime. After having gained experience, we will then be able to guide the private sector in the constructon of shelters in their own development. Sir, the Member for Pasir Panjang asked for a progress report on the Construction Brigade. He would like to know whether discipline has improved, in terms of absentism, and work attitude among the Construction Brigade members. Sir, the Construction Brigade is a part of the Singapore Civil Defence Force. It was introduced in December 1981 with the primary objective of building up a pool of NS men who are trained in various construction skills so that they can meet our civil defence needs in an emergency. The scheme was revised in December 1985 to improve the standards of discipline and trade training for the Construction Brigade members. With the revision, discipline of the NS men in the Construction Brigade has improved. The absenteeism rate in worksite has dropped significantly from 30.4% under the old scheme to 14.2% under the new revised scheme. A comprehensive skills training programme is also available under the revised scheme. It allows every NS man to attain a level of skill according to his ability and motivation. In addition, promising NS men are trained to multi-skill, in other words they will learn not just a single skill but also other skills in the construction trade. This is an opportunity which was previously available only to trainees on the open market, that is, people who enrolled at the Construction Industry Training Centre to improve their skills and career prospects.”
“This Expressway Patrol Unit (EPU) consisted of eight high-performance cars which were deployed on the Pan-Island Expressway and with their deployment improvements were noticed in the general driving behaviour of motorists along the expressway. In fact, serious accidents on the Pan-island Expressway, patrolled by the EPU, were reduced by 41%. The Traffic Police has plans to have a full complement of 20 cars by the end of this year so that our entire system of expressways can be patrolled by the Expressway Patrol Unit. For this year, Sir, the Traffic Police will launch a public education programme through extensive media publicity on the dangers of road-hogging. At the same time, patrols on the expressways will be stepped up to educate the public on the proper use of expressways and the Traffic Police will certainly be on the look-out for road-hoggers. The Member made a suggestion about reserving the use of the right lane for overtaking vehicles. I will certainly give his suggestion further consideration and see if it can be applied here. The Member also wanted the Traffic Police to look into the speed limit on expressways. Am I correct?”
“Sir, the Member for Radin Mas spoke about the lack of discipline amongst some drivers on our expressways. He quoted a number of examples of such drivers, for instance, drivers who travel at low speed in the outermost right lane or drivers who turn from the wrong lane. Our expressways are designed for relatively fast and continuous flow of traffic. It is true that some drivers have not quite adjusted to driving on our expressways. It is also true that some slow drivers continue to hog the right lane meant for overtaking vehicles. I agree with the Member for Radin Mas that road-hogging is a hazard to other road users and the person who holds up traffic by hogging the right lane forces other vehicles to overtake on the left lane. That is a dangerous thing to do on the expressway and the road-hogger can unwittingly cause an accident to happen. Since vehicles are travelling at very high speeds on expressways, such accidents can have disastrous consequences. Over the past few years, the Traffic Police has put in a great deal of effort to educate the public through the mass media on expressway driving. Publications on the correct use of expressways were distributed to the motoring public and, of course, Members will recall that we had changed the system of driver's training in order to produce a better quality driver. Today the system of driver's training involves a more intensive two-stage theory of driving and also practical training on the circuit before such drivers are allowed on the road. Another measure which has been taken to try to improve the standard of driving on our expressways is the formation of the Expressway Patrol Unit in 1985.”
“Sir, the Member for Toa Payoh also asked whether there is coordination between the Police Divisional Headquarters and the Traffic Police in methods and in the handling of accident reports, particularly in a serious accident where there is injury. The answer is yes, there is an established procedure to coordinate the handling of accident reports between Divisional HQ and the Traffic Police. I share the Member's concern that there have been examples of cases where reports apparently have not been transmitted to Traffic Police. I will certainly ask Police and the Traffic Police to investigate the two examples given by the Member for Toa Payoh. If the causes of these examples were human errors, then appropriate action will be taken. If they were the result of procedural deficiency, let me assure the Member that we will take prompt action to rectify these procedures and to improve it so that in future all reports will be handled expeditiously.”
“Sir, the enforcement measures carried out by both Traffic Police and ROV officers have kept the number of injury accidents caused by unsecured loads falling off goods vehicles to a very low level. In fact, in 1986 there were four cases of accidents caused as a result of loads falling off a vehicle. In 1987 there was only one case. At the same time the Traffic Police have also been stringently enforcing these rules and the number of offences of such a nature have come down over the years. The number of cases that they have encountered and have taken action has increased as a result of their more stringent enforcement of the rules. For example, in 1986, there were 214 cases of drivers carrying loads not properly secured which were detected and action taken by the Traffic Police. In 1987, there were 218. In the case of the offence of carrying loads in a dangerous manner, in 1986 there were 39 cases detected, and in 1987 47 cases were taken to task. Sir, this result does not mean that enforcement will be relaxed in the future. On the contrary, the Traffic Police and ROV officers will continue to be vigilant and to be on the look-out for such offenders. They will take a two-pronged approach, both education and enforcement. This will help to prevent the problem from getting out of hand and to minimize the number of such accidents or incidents in the future. The Police is also considering whether or not to introduce demerit points for drivers of such vehicles under the Road Traffic Rules, as a further deterrent. Let me assure the Member for Toa Payoh that the Traffic Police will continue to enforce the rules on proper carriage of goods to minimize the danger and congestion posed by drivers who habitually do not make an effort to secure their goods or loads.”
“Sir, may I respond to the remarks made by the Member for Toa Payoh. Sir, I agree with the Member that the Traffic Police must continue to carry out enforcement and control measures in order to make our roads and expressways safe for all users. The Member gave a number of examples of offences that one still can encounter on the roads. In particular, he spoke about the danger posed by loads on goods vehicles being improperly secured. He cited the case of a ladder having fallen onto the road. I agree wholeheartedly with the Member that all road users, particularly drivers of goods vehicles, must take every precaution to ensure that they are not a hindrance to other road users or that they pose an unnecessary danger to other road users. Drivers of goods vehicles should ensure that their loads are properly secured because loads that are not properly secured are dangerous not only to other road users but also to the drivers themselves. Besides the potential hazard posed to other road users, loads that have fallen off have to be removed from the road. In the case of certain substances that have fallen off, the road has to be cleaned up and this will cause delay and inconvenience to other road users. Sir, the Traffic Police has always taken a serious view of this type of offence. There are at least three rules in the Motor Vehicles Rules and the Road Traffic Rules which prescribe penalties for carrying improperly secured loads. Penalties of fines up to $1,000 or imprisonment up to three months can be imposed. Drivers who carry improperly secured loads are also liable to four demerit points under the Road Traffic (Demerit Points) Rules.”
“Sir, many school students are ferried to school by school buses or by private cars. Very often, these vehicles stop and wait along the kerbside to drop or pick up students. In doing so, they cause traffic congestion near the schools for a few minutes. Almost all roads near primary schools experience this problem. It would not be justifiable to widen these roads. There are two schools along Holland Grove Road and three schools along Dover Road. We have introduced many traffic management measures along these two roads to minimize traffic congestion. Roadusers will have to show greater consideration and tolerance to one another, especially during the short school peak periods. POLICY ON TEXTBOOK PRODUCTION 3. Mr Yeo Choo Kok asked the Minister for Education (a) what is the current policy concerning textbook writing and publication; and (b) whether private publishers are allowed to participate in textbook production.”
“Sir, since they are not causing any congestion along Aiport Boulevard at the moment, they are not posing any hazard to other road users. DOVER AND HOLLAND GROVE ROADS (Traffic congestion) 2. Encik Abbas Abu Amin asked the Minister for National Development whether he will look into the possibility of improving the traffic congestion along Dover Road and Holland Grove Road during school peak hours.”
“If so, why, and for what reasons? How did they fare in the PSLE and 'O' level examinations? Can the course material and the methodology that you use to train these students be applied to the other students not in the gifted course?”
“Sir, the granite resources in Pulau Ubin are expected to last for a long time to come. The plans for Pulau Ubin are therefore to continue granite quarrying. The other compatible use for the island is agriculture. [Mr Deputy Speaker in the Chair] 11.30 am MAIN AND DEVELOPMENT ESTIMATES OF SINGAPORE FOR THE FINANCIAL YEAR 1ST APRIL, 1988 TO 31ST MARCH, 1989 Order read for consideration in Committee of Supply [5th Allotted Day]. [Mr Deputy Speaker in the Chair] Head L (cont.) - Resumption of Debate on Question [21st March, 1988], "That the total sum to be allocated for Head L of the Main Estimates be reduced by $100." - [Dr Tan Cheng Bock.] Question again proposed. Dr Tan Cheng Bock (Ayer Rajah): Sir, at the adjournment yesterday, the Minister of State said that the items I brought up were actually very old issues and that he had given answers before in this House. Mere assurances will not help. We will come back to this House to ask you the same questions all over again until we get some results. These issues were brought to the attention of my GPC by teachers, and therefore I think they are quite important issues to the teachers. The Minister should not just say that they cannot fulfil this obligation because of financial constraints. Please do something. I shall now move on to the amendment that I have made. I just want to ask the Minister about this gifted programme. I believe that you have moved one full cycle already. The Ministry must be quite well-versed with the running of the gifted programme now and they must have encountered certain difficulties. What I want to find out from the Minister is whether this programme has been effective in bringing out the best in the students. Did any student, for example, drop out from the programme?”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the Parks and Recreational Department plans to develop a marsh garden and a bicycle kiosk at the West Coast Park this year. There is no plan to add more facilities to the Pasir Panjang Park and Labrador Park as the present facilities in these parks are adequate. DEVELOPMENT PLANS FOR PULAU UBIN The following question stood in the name of Mr Teo Chong Tee- 12. To ask the Minister for National Development what are the development plans for Pulau Ubin.”
“Sir, in fact, underpasses at both Orchard and Dhoby Ghaut MRT stations were already planned for right from the beginning. The one opposite the Orchard MRT station was meant to be provided by the developer of the Dynasty Hotel. There has been some correspondence going on between the developer and my Ministry, resulting in a delay in initiating the construction. As of now, my Ministry has decided that the Public Works Department will proceed with the construction and charge the cost to the developer. I am afraid at the moment I do not know exactly when the construction of the Orchard MRT station underpass will be completed. But I will be glad to inform the Member separately. PRE-U INSTITUTIONS (Particulars) 3. Mr Yeo Choo Kok asked the Minister for Education (a) how many institutions for the 3-year Pre-U course have been set up so far; (b) how many more such institutins will be set up in the near future; and (c) whether all the students who are now taking the 3-year Pre-U course in ordinary secondary schools will be admitted eventually to these new institutions.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, in December 1987, two pedestrian signal crossings were switched on to serve the Orchard and Dhoby Ghaut MRT stations. There are plans to replace both of them with pedestrian underpasses. The work on the underpass near Orchard Station is expected to commence by the end of this year. As for the underpass near Dhoby Ghaut Station, it is necessary to integrate it with future development on the vacant site near MacDonald House. We do not expect to start work on this underpass in the immediate future. Sir, additional pedestrian signal crossings will increase the already large number of traffic lights along Orchard Road. My Minister has asked the Public Works Department to work together with the Traffic Police to review the number of traffic lights along Orchard Road with a view to removing as many of them as possible. Junction lights are essential and can also function as pedestrian crossings. Where junctions are close together, there is no need to provide additional pedestrian crossing lights between junctions.”
“That is possible because it is a device, I understand, which works on detecting the presence of liquid, particularly conducting liquid. So if somebody were to spill some similar conducting liquid, it could trigger off the device. As I said earlier, HDB is refining this sensor device and if we can get it to a stage where it will only be triggered off by urine, then of course it will be much better. But at the moment I beleive it may still be triggered off by other liquids, particularly conducting liquids.”
“You do not want to leave the mess behind to inconvenience other users. How will it work? I have explained earlier that there is a sensor device which is installed in the lift. If somebody should urinate in the lift, then the sensor device is triggered off and it will in turn send a message to the central monitoring system. And the lift will automatically move to the next landing and stop there. So the person will have to wait to be rescued, which means that you can catch hold of the culprit redhanded. I hope I have made myself clear on this.”
“Sir, the Member for Radin Mas wants the HDB to have more regulations on the do's and don'ts on pet ownership. I think there are already existing regulations about the kind of pets that people can have in the HDB flats. Perhaps many pet owners are not sufficiently responsible. When they have a pet, some of them do not take into consideration, as the Member for Radin Mas has pointed out, that their neighbours may not share their interest and love for these pets. Some of them may have let their pets stray around the corridors and on the void decks. I would just like to remind Members that, in fact, under the existing Dog Licensing and Control Rules, any person who permits a dog to be at large or in a public place without a leash is guilty of an offence. And on conviction, he can be fined up to a maximum of $200. Whether HDB should have more do's and don'ts, this can be considered. One alternative approach is that when town councils take over the management or running of the housing estates, residents who want to keep dogs should also seek the approval of the town council before they proceed to get a licence from the Primary Production Department so that town councils can also exercise some discretion or some control over on the type of pets and on people who keep pets in HDB flats. And, of course, if they also want to draw up a list of do's and don'ts, by all means and I think it will help towards a more responsible pet ownership. The other point raised by the Member for Buona Vista is whether the purpose of urine detection device in the lifts is to expedite cleaning or to catch the culprit. I think it is both. Firstly, we catch the culprit. Having caught him, then you also would like to clean up the lift as soon as possible.”
“As far as the traffic light is concerned, he should address his remarks to the Minister for Home Affairs. As far as the HDB is concerned, we will identify those lifts in the estates which are seriously affected by this problem and they will be the ones which will be installed with the the devices. VACANT HAWKER STALLS IN UNPOPULAR LOCATIONS 4. Mr Chew Heng Ching asked the Minister for the Environment what plan his Ministry has with regard to hawker stalls left vacant for many months in unpopular locations. The Senior Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for the Environment (Mr Eugene Yap Giau Cheng) (for the Minister for the Environment): Sir, I am answering on behalf of my Minister. Sir, where the number of vacancies in a particular hawker centre is exceptionally high due to its declining popularity, the Ministry will look into the feasibility of decanting the remaining stallholders and phase out the centre. In multi-level centres where the number of vacancies is high, the Ministry will consider freeing one level by regrouping the hawkers into the more popular levels and convert the free level for other appropriate use.”
“Sir, I think that will not work. As far as we are concerned, if we install the devices, they must all be effective. Because should people come to realize that they can get away with it, then it undermines the effectiveness, the deterrent effect, of this whole system.”