Lee Khoon Choy
Singapore
“For the Philippines, youth is only from 15 to 20 years. Thailand considers all those 25 years and below as youth. The People's Association has defined youth as those from 15 to 30 years for the purpose of determining the eligibility of the People's Association Youth Movement membership.”
“However, the People's Association employs nearly 500 staff to man the network of community centres and changes or transfers of centre staff are inevitable.”
“Sir, as I have explained, if there is demand for indoor games, the centres are always open to anyone who requests for it. I would like the Member for Whampoa to give me some details. If he has any information on the requirements in other centres, I will be quite willing to consider them.”
“One reason why Chinese pupils do not do as well in ML2 as Malay pupils is that they do not speak Malay as the home language. Even for those who do, the level of the home language is likely to be much more elementary than the standard of ML2 taught up to 'O' level. EUNOS INDUSTRIAL ESTATE/EUNOS CRESCENT (Bus services) 3.”
“This is a very important question because unless we have a revision of salary, we are not only finding it difficult to retain the staff, but we will also find it most difficult to recruit staff. The Prime Minister mentioned yesterday about attracting good people to the political leadership.”
“That does not prevent other organizations from taking the Member's case as a precedent and make the same request. Once we allow one, the other organizations which have donated or contributed to the building fund will also say, "What about me? Since I have done something, I also want my logo to be put up." It can be confusing.”
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“Sir, if we continue to give perks to civil servants, the private sector will top them all. What will happen then? I think the main problem, as I have said, is that we expect from the civil servants some kind of dedication and interest in their work rather than working just for the money.”
“Sir, I do not consider the opportunity to attend seminars or assignments and training overseas as perks.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I would not consider this turnover rate as high. Those who resign, especially officers in Division I, do not give reasons. They do not have to give reasons. Another factor is that there is too much attraction of better pay in the private sector. Of course, the Ministry provides encouragement to existing officers by giving them opportunities to attend seminars or overseas training, and we hope that they will cultivate the spirit of dedication. We also hope that the Chinese saying Yiu nai pien shih liang will not apply to the most dedicated officers.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the main question is about the turnover rate of Division I officers in the Broadcasting Division. If the Member wants to ask such a supplementary question, he should take another opportunity. Mr Conceicao: Mr Speaker, Sir, I wonder if the Acting Minister for Culture considers this rate of turnover to be high. If so, what are the reasons for such a rate.”
“At the present stage, when the Arts Council is raising funds for the setting up of the National Academy of the Arts, perhaps the artistes themselves will have to appreciate the difficulties of the Arts Council and redouble their efforts to ensure that our plans will succeed. Then and only then will we have the time and energy to improve the livelihood of the artistes. This we hope to do in future and we will encourage the artistes in their creative endeavours. Mr Speaker, it is our hope that not only the Member for Sembawang but also other Members of Parliament and the people at large will take more interest in the promotion of culture and art. If we have erred in any way, we hope to have constructive criticisms, and if we have done well in some other fields, perhaps we require words of encouragement. By encouragement, I do not mean singing empty praises. I have already said that the Ministry of Culture is not a creative Ministry and that it is the people who deserve the praise. The praise should go to the artistes themselves, their organisations and the people in general. Question put, and agreed to. Resolved, That Parliament do now adjourn. Adjourned accordingly at Sixteen minutes past Seven o'clock p.m. to Monday, 11th December,1967. Appendix "A" to Annual Budget Statement(Col.448) (Cols 0503-0504) Appendix "B" to Annual Budget Statement(Col.448) (Cols 0505-0506)”
“We propose to build a National Academy of the Arts and a National Art Gallery costing about $3 million. So we must have funds for the buildings first. We have set up sub-committees to carry out other programmes. These sub-committees will marshal all the musicians in Singapore into one sub-committee on music. Likewise for dancing, publications, drama and other artistic forms of art. It is the hope of the Arts Council that all cultural workers and those engaged in art will come together and launch a campaign to raise our cultural standards. The emphasis is on creative work. So the second proposal is to set up a national training centre for artistic personnel. This is already part of our plan. The Member for Sembawang may have heard that in 1968 we intend to hold an Exposition. This Exposition is to be organised by the Arts Council and the National Theatre Trust. The proceeds will be divided on a 50/50 basis. This will give us about $250,000. This will be of great help. Our aim is to reach $500,000 and we can raise $250,000 by the Exposition next year for the National Theatre Company. It is the duty of the National Theatre Company, which we propose to set up, to put up various performances and plays. The Arts Council will encourage our local people to write their own plays, choreography and music for performance by the National Theatre Company. So we require a lot of directors and other skilled personnel. With money available, we can do all this work. The life of artistes is very difficult and I think the Member for Sembawang cannot claim to know more than I do, because, in my view, it is very difficult to make a living by art. So to look after the artistes, we require plenty of money.”
“The funds allotted for this year have already been exhausted. When you organise art festivals, you must spend money. I do not believe one can make money out of art. It is very difficult. To come back, next year, in conjunction with our National Day celebration, the Arts Council will organise a massive cultural festival. It will display 100 per cent local works. This is to encourage our own people to create more works of art and take part in the National Day festival. Next is the setting up of a National Film Studio. This again requires money. Our Government has many priorities in other fields over the setting up of a studio. Because of these priorities, we have to place culture second. But within limits we can ask our people to help solve our financial problems with their kind donations. On the question of the National Theatre Trust, the proposal from the Member concerned was a low pricing policy. In order to help others, we must help ourselves first. Before you can help others, you must see that you are in a position to help them. The position of the National Theatre Trust is that it is autonomous and independent, and it has to depend on rents and hire charges for its survival. Even then it is very difficult for it to find enough money to make ends meet. The National Theatre Trust has to get more foreign troupes to perform here to raise more funds. And if we adopt a low pricing policy, then we will be losing a lot of business and money. This is the difficulty of the National Theatre Trust. The problems are many. On the Member's suggestion of an Arts Council, we have overall planning for this project, and the first part of the planning is to raise funds. Without money we cannot do anything.”
“In fact, the officials of the Ministry of Culture are always in close touch with the police and they have conducted surprise raids on book-shops and confiscated yellow books and even prosecuted the distributors in court. We have had several cases recently. Mr Speaker, Sir, what is the nature of the publications banned? I can give you a few examples. Recently we have banned the following types of publications: for example, the "Sex Club", the "Paradise of Cupid", "Night Life in Hong Kong". All these books have been banned. So you cannot say that we are very liberal. In the field of films we have also been criticised for being too strict in our censorship. We have banned about 21 films this year, including "The Game is over"; "The Young World"; "The Seducer"; "Blow Up", etc. All these are erotic films. So again, we have shown that we have not adopted a laissez-faire policy. We have been accused of being too strict. The challenge to which I have referred in my speeches refers to the challenge of things which appear to be yellow but are not actually yellow. We have to direct the attention of our young people from such culture to a more serious type of culture. I do not believe that we will fail in our efforts, because we must have confidence in our own people. We are not escapists. We are not fatalists. So long as the cultural workers are united and work together, I believe we can make Singapore one of the most cultured countries in the world. Mr Speaker, on the proposals put up by the Member for Sembawang, one is on a cultural festival. The Ministry of Culture have organised cultural festivals in the past. In fact, we propose to organise one this year. But cultural festivals require funds. We require a lot of money. All the programmes have to be paid for.”
“Even in a totalitarian country like Russia, these hippies exist. They appear in public, but it does not mean that Russia has adopted a laissez-faire cultural policy and that their control is not strict and therefore we should be more strict. So this is a question worthy of our discussion. I have been given to understand that the young people in Russia call themselves the fourth generation. The first generation was of the revolutionaries, the second generation of the World War, the third generation of science, and the fourth generation is a rich generation. They feel that those in the fourth generation should have some freedom in choosing their own private life. Does it mean that a Communist country like Russia is very liberal and that we should outdo it in this respect? Mr Speaker, I am in full agreement with the contention of the Member for Sembawang that we must not be too liberal and we must not adopt a laissez-faire policy on culture. In fact, the measures that we have taken have already been criticised by others as being too restrictive. I can give you a few examples. In the first instance, from October 1966 to September 1967 we banned various periodicals. We have banned 341 Chinese publications. Altogether there were some 30,000 copies. We have banned records amounting to 42 categories. Altogether such categories of records amount to some 3,400 copies. In the case of English periodicals, we have banned some 738 types. We have banned two types of Malay publications and eight types of Indian publications. From all these restrictive measures we can say that we have not adopted a laissez-faire policy on culture. Recently some importers of yellow publications have been prosecuted and fined.”
“The impression I get is that he seems to have misunderstood what I said. For example, he has alleged that I do not propose to ban harmful narcotic culture. This is a misunderstanding. What I said was that I do not wish to ban this or that. I have not said that I do not want to ban harmful narcotic culture. So I have to explain that by "this and that", I meant those forms which appear to be yellow but are not actually yellow. Some people may say that a certain artistic form is yellow, others may not. So this is a question of opinion. It is difficult for one to impose one's views on another person. It is also a matter of degree. For example, in the field of art, if you go to Paris to learn art, the first lesson you may have could be to draw a model in the nude. So what yardstick are you going to adopt? If you want to measure yellowness by the weight of clothing, then I would say that ballet dancers have the lightest weight and the A-Go-Go dancers have the heaviest weight. So how can you say this is yellow and that is not yellow? By what standard do you judge? I do not mean, by saying all these things, that I appreciate A-Go-Go more than ballet. In fact, it is the other way round. What I am trying to say is that different people have different tastes and standards. Further, if I were to ban A-Go-Go, then some youngsters might accuse me of being unfair, because A-Go-Go dancers are fully clad. So how can we say that A-Go-Go is yellow. Russia is a Communist and a totalitarian country. It is the motherland of Communism. I wish to draw the attention of the Member for Sembawang to the present issue of "Life" magazine which has devoted some space to the celebrations of the 50th anniversary of the October Revolution in Russia. There are some pictures which depict "hippies".”
“In other words, we require programme materials to teach the people the skills in these games. These programmes will be telecast, and we hope that we can get adequate assistance and co-operation. In this way, viewers will not just view for the sake of viewing but they will have some form of active participation in the programme. In the meantime, the National Pugilistic Arts Council has just been established, and we are preparing to get in touch with this Council for help by way of coaches and materials. We want them to help us by getting someone to demonstrate on television how to take up the pugilistic art. This is a part of our future programme. At the same time T.V. Singapura is also making headway not only in the field of sports but also in art. They are planning together with the various organisations a full programme for the whole of next year. This programme will emphasise local creations of the arts, such as dances and music, and other forms of artistic expression. In this way, we will have more local works of art for the consumption of our people, and such artistic work will reflect the aspirations and lives of our people, so that they will see some glimpses of themselves on television. In doing all this and in implementing this programme, we cannot satisfy the interests and needs of each and every one at the same time because there is a time limit in televising programmes. For example, in one month we allocate a certain number of hours for the pugilistic art. Other programmes will then have to wait; programmes such as table tennis, because of limitation of funds and time. This, I hope, the people will appreciate. Next, I wish to deal with another aspect raised by the Member for Sembawang. He has quoted extensively from the two speeches I gave recently.”
“It was set up by the joint efforts of civic organisations active in the field of art. In fact, both the National Academy of Arts and the National Gallery will be set up through the joint efforts of civic organisations. So since the response has come from the people, the Government must, of course, do its own share by co-operating with the people in order to bring about an earlier realisation of our objective. Mr Speaker, the Member for Sembawang also mentioned the song competition. This competition is organised by the Singapore Arts Council and not by the Ministry of Culture. So we must draw a distinction between the two bodies. The Member for Sembawang made a reference to the sudden disappearance of physical exercise programmes on television. I have an explanation to give for it. Initially, we telecast a series of about 26 programmes on physical exercises. Then we had "The daily dozen", a programme on callisthenics. All these programmes were produced in series, and they have all been completely telecast. So we are now faced with the problem of materials for a new programme. Through the Ministry of Culture, the Broadcasting Department has written a letter to the National Sports Central Board for their co-operation in this matter. All along, these programmes on physical exercises or callisthenics involved basketball, table tennis, and other exercises and games, both indoors and outdoors. Most of the viewers treated such programmes as any other television programmes. There was no active participation on the part of viewers. So we hope that the National Sports Central Board can assist us by teaching people how to play, for example, basketball, tennis, table tennis, football, or any other game.”
“Mr Speaker, first of all, I wish to thank the Member for Sembawang for his kind words about me and for his constructive criticisms. His words are very encouraging. But at the same time his praise is a little embarrassing, because if we can say that cultural activities in Singapore in the past year have really developed and are flourishing, then credit should be given to the civic organisations of art, the various cultural workers, and those of our people who love art. Mr Speaker, in a democracy, the Ministry of Culture is not a Ministry to create art and culture. Neither is it a controlling Ministry in so far as culture is concerned. Art and culture are matters which should come spontaneously from the people, from the art groups, and from the cultural workers. Art and culture must come up from the ground to the top, and not imposed from the top on to the ground. So if we only have to depend on a government agency like the Ministry of Culture to create a national culture, then in my view we will certainly fail in our objectives, because, as I say, the Ministry of Culture is not a creative Ministry. All that it can do is to give some form of assistance and encouragement. So it is the people themselves, the cultural workers, who are responsible for the creation of a national culture. And if the flowers of culture should bloom everywhere, then the credit should go to the people. The Member for Sembawang said a few moments ago that in the establishment of the Singapore Arts Council, the setting up of the Academy of Arts, and the National Gallery, there might have been some misunderstanding about the Singapore Arts Council simply because he was under the impression that it was set up by the Government. In fact, the Singapore Arts Council was not set up by the Government.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir,I beg to move. That Parliament do now adjourn. Question proposed. POLICY ON CULTURAL ACTIVITIES”
“The selected songs in four languages will be broadcast over Radio and T.V. SWINE FEVER 38. Mr Ng Kah Ting asked the Minister for Law and National Development how many cases of swine fever have been detected in the Republic re- cently; what steps have been taken to check the spread of the disease; and whether the disease is now under control.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the media of Radio and T.V. Singapura have already been used to a significant extent to foster a national spirit amongst our citizens. This is done in a variety of ways through T.V, and Radio. In T.V. the most important of the programmes which inculcate a feeling of patriotism in our citizens is in the series "It's happening in Singapore" which was started on 15th January this year. The series goes out in four languages every week. The other series which is intended to make our citizens proud of our nation is in the Spotlight series. This is shown periodically to highlight different aspects of Singapore's achievements. So far this series has already shown our achievements in low-cost housing industrialisation through the Jurong lndustrial Complex, technical education and the Polytechnic, health services and cleanliness, communications, widening of roads, building of bridges, veterinary services to our rural population, development of community centres, and, lately, development of the Armed Forces. The national spirit is also fostered indirectly through plays shown over T.V. in the Malay. Tamil and Chinese media. As for broadcasts, the breakfast bulletin every morning gives speeches made by Ministers. Parliamentary Secretaries and other leaders of important events in Singapore. These speeches are intended to show what has been done in our island Republic to improve ourselves, thereby to help create a patriotic spirit amongst our citizens. Some of the speeches made by the Prime Minister and other Ministers have also been televised. In the field of songs, the Broadcasting Department has recently promoted a competition in lyrics written in praise of Singapore. Some 700 entries were received for this competition.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, T.V. Singapura over the past few years have definitely increased their sports coverage. Apart from the weekly Sports Parade programme, there is coverage of sports in the newsreels and also full-length programmes on sports whenever they have been available, especially those on popular sports such as badminton and football. Between July 1966 and March 1967, there were two programmes on basketball with an interview in Chinese about local basketball, and for a similar number of occasions, table tennis was shown. In volley-ball, the finals of the Singapore Combined Schools' Inter-District Volley Ball Tournament was shown with three matches, the first between Nan Hwa Girls' School and River Valley Girls' School, the second, Nanyang Girls' School versus Whampoa Girls' School, and the third, Yock Eng School versus A.C.S. There can be more coverage if T.V. Singapura get advance information from the organisers of these sports. T.V. Singapura have no full-time sports reporters, and unless the organisers of the sports concerned give advance information, it is very difficult to cover such events. It must be appreciated that there are over 30 types of sports with different degrees of popularity in Singapore and something has to be shown of all these sports. PRIESTS IN HINDU TEMPLES (Terms of employment) 12. Mr S. Rajoo asked the Minister for Culture and Social Affairs how many priests are employed in each of the Hindu Temples administered by the Muslim and Hindu Endowments Board and whether their numbers are sufficient; and if he is in a position to give details of their initial salaries, periodic increments and present salaries.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the building of the Queenstown Branch Library, as stated by the Member for Sembawang, is part of the Government programme to provide more libraries not only in Queenstown but in the rural areas. The number of readers is expected to exceed our target of 120,000 by the end of this year. This is too big a number for our National Library. There is already serious over-crowding, and decentralisation is necessary. Apart from the National Library, there are two part-time branch libraries in Siglap and Joo Chiat community centres, and a mobile library which stops for two hours a week at four community centres, namely, Tanjong Pagar, the West Coast, Nee Soon and Bukit Panjang community centres. As a result of the expected expansion of the mobile library service in 1967, 12 additional community centres will be served. The proposed Queenstown Branch Library will be the first full-time branch library of the National Library to serve an estimated population of 160,000. It is hoped to build more branch libraries in other larger housing estates in the course of the next few years.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I do not think it is necessary for me to reply to the Member for Sembawang. He seems to be talking again about yellow culture, and the same can be said of the Member for Jurong who spoke partly about a certain item in the T.V. programmes. Briefly, I would like to say that we have to cater, as I have said, for all sections of the population. We cannot afford to give all the time to high-brow programmes to cater for people who go for high-brow art. We also have to consider those who prefer "middle-brow" or "low-brow" programmes. As for programming, we believe in a pragmatic approach. We are not a Communist country where we can be dogmatic and fix dogmatic programmes for one year or for ten years to come. It depends on the inspiration of our programme directors and on events that occur from time to time according to the needs of our people. As for coloured T.V., the present tension - the new building can cope with coloured T.V., but we have immediate plans to install it, because very large expenses may be involved. Even if we have coloured T.V., it only benefit the well-to-do who afford to buy sets which can show coloured T.V. However, if science provide us with more economical coloured T.V. sets and every average far can afford a set, we will not hesitate introduce coloured T.V. for the benefit of our population's better taste.”
“The question is a question of yardstick. We are against anything that is obscene and vulgar. But we have to emphasise that the right to differ is the essence of democracy. The moment a person or the Government demands the privilege of shaping others to its image, taste, its likes or dislikes, then the whole essence of democracy is gone. Our approach to cultural progress is positive and not negative. We intend to promote culture and accept the challenge put forward by the other side, the so-called yellow culture. 5.10 p.m.”
“A-Go-Go or asking people to cut their long hair.”
“National construction is not only confined to providing housing, education and jobs for our people. We have also to look after the spirit of the people. We have inherited in a multi-racial and multi-cultural nation, the cultural heritages of four great civilisations -Malay, Indian, Chinese and European. But as a nation and a people, we should not live in separate cultural compartments forever. Out of the four cultural streams we should try to mould something characteristic of our nation. Our music, dancing, drama, painting and other forms of art should reflect the spirit and aspirations of our people and our time. This may take time, but a start has to be made. The proposed Arts Council will help to gather forces towards this end. To enable the Council to fulfil this task, the question of promoting a national cultural fund is also being considered. Meanwhile, an interim cultural workshop, comprising prominent local composers, choreographers and artistes, is busily hammering out a programme for next year's music and dance festival. This festival, the first of its kind ever to be sponsored by this Ministry to perform locally, will compose music and dancing depicting the life, history and aspirations of our people and our young but dynamic Republic. We have also several other sub-committees dealing separately with the promotion of drama, art and other subjects. The activities of all these committees will come under the umbrella of the proposed Arts Council. The Government has all along been encouraging the promotion of healthy culture. We have not at any time encouraged yellow culture, if yellow culture means things obscene or vulgar. But it is quite a different thing to restrict the activities of a private individual; for instance, the call to ban.”
“Although there was vitality in the cultural field in the past few years, I must say, however, that there was a lack of concerted effort in the field of creative art; I mean the meeting of minds among the leaders of different cultural streams to study the problem of cultural integration and the development of a national culture. Most of the performances, whether in the field of music, the dance or drama, were still foreign-inspired and did not reflect local conditions, the spirit and aspirations of our own people. Although there were encouraging attempts at local composition, there was no concerted and organised effort. This aspect of our cultural development was hampered by the unsettled and unstable political situation which prevailed during the two-year "romance" of one but now two nations. When the life or death of a nation and its people looms over the political horizon, very little time and energy can be spared on the promotion of culture or the finer side of life. Now that there is better political stability, we can devote more time and energy to the cultural aspect of our national life. In 1967 we will enter a new phase in cultural development. Next year the Arts Council will be formed to assist in the promotion of the creative arts, such as music, the dance, drama, painting and sculpture. The Arts Council will comprise cultural experts and leaders from the four cultural streams. The establishment of this Arts Council, we hope, will capture the imagination and satisfy some of the aspirations of our people. The Council will help to tap the cultural resources and cultural talents of our young nation for the purpose of nation-building.”
“Notwithstanding the small sum of money available for the promotion of culture, the Ministry has done its best to encourage healthy cultural activities and to promote a cultural interchange in our multi-racial society. Since 1959, regular performances of Aneka Ragam Rakyat - the people's concert - in the city as well as the rural areas have brought about a better understanding and appreciation of our multi-racial cultures. In 1963 we even went one step further by organising the South-East Asia Cultural Festival which, to a certain extent, helped to promote better cultural understanding among the various people of this region. The promotion of culture and the task of shaping a national culture out of a diversity of cultures is not the sole responsibility of a Ministry, in a democratic society like ours, it is the people - when we say the people, we mean the multi-racial, multi-religious, and multi-cultural citizens o Singapore and in particular the artistes - who can shape the national destiny of our nation. The function of Government is just to guide them, to give them encouragement, morally if not financially. In this respect, cultural organisations have since 1959 responded very well to our call for a healthy culture and for a cultural interchange. The marked increase in the number of cultural performances, as the Member for Sembawang has agreed and has also mentioned, exhibitions and plays performed during this period compared to-those of the pre-P.A.P, days speak for themselves.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, coming to the point raised by the Member for Telok Blangah on public relations between the Secretary of the Singapore Turf Club and the Straits Times, I am afraid the relationship between the Secretary of the S.T.C. and the reporters of the Straits Times is not our concern. We have not received a copy of the complaint, but if we receive it, we will look into it, But I am afraid the Ministry of Culture cannot interfere too much in the relationship between other people and the Press. Coming to the comments by other Members, generally speaking, the Member for Sembawang wanted me to reply to his ten points, and the Member for Moulmein spoke about James Bond and other matters. I think I will cover all their points at one time. Mr Speaker, Sir, it is good to hear Members - for instance, the Member for Bukit Merah - asking for more funds to be allocated to the Ministry of Culture for the promotion of culture. Normally a Ministry is criticised for over-spending or wasting public funds. Any Ministry would, of course, welcome more funds, because with more money you can have more results. 5.00 p.m. However, we have to appreciate that there is such a thing as priority in the allocation of Government funds. This Government has to look after the rice bowl of the people, housing, education, health, welfare and the rest. Without the basic requirements - a full stomach, a roof over one's head, good health, a basic education - one will not have much time or energy to participate in cultural activities. That is why the Government has to pay more attention to these basic requirements first.”
“We are very short of staff who are able to produce programmes, particularly in the national language. There is only one Malay producer for the radio, and he is now mobilised into the Army. For television, we have three producers. With the removal to the new Television Centre, we have two big and two small studios as compared with one temporary studio in the old Broadcasting House. With these facilities and with more staff, we hope to be able to improve the production of Malay programmes. As for news from Radio Malaysia and T.V. Malaysia, I think that those who have been listening to the news from T.V. Malaysia will agree that, in fact, there is no news at all about Singapore. But this is beyond our control. It does not mean that we have to follow the same narrow-minded policy of not letting our viewers know what is happening in this part of the world, including Malaysia. The Member for Kampong Kapor has mentioned about air-conditioning the National Library. In fact, this suggestion has been put forward by us since 1962. But owing to the high recurrent cost, the matter has to he shelved. Everybody will welcome more comfort in the National Library, not only for workers but for children and other sections of the population. But we have to bear in mind the financial burden of the Government. On the other hand, comparatively speaking, the standard of living in Singapore can be considered to he very high: if not the highest, then the second highest in this part of the world. And at this time of nation-building, we should not make the people too comfortable, or they will become too soft, such as going to the National Library to read in an air-conditioned room. If this is the type of population we are producing, I do not think our nation can survive very long.”
“and over the radio to cater for a cross-section of our viewers. We must not forget that we are a multi-racial, multi-cultural, as well as a multi-religious population, and we have to give a chance to every section. There are only three films on bowling. Whenever programmes on sport are included, the popularity of the sport is taken into consideration. For instance, there have been films on the World Cup soccer matches, wrestling, boxing, etc., and whenever possible good matches of local sport, such as soccer, badminton, and sepak raga are covered. With regard to orchid-growing, sometime back in the series of Woman's World, there were talks on orchids: for example, how to recognise the different species, and how they are grafted. Also the production of a programme on orchids will take time. However, we will look into the suggestions put forward by the Member for Kampong Kembangan and other Members. The Member for Geylang Serai raised the question of foreign publications, and he specifically mentioned Suara Malaysia and Merdeka. He advocated their banning. The Singapore Government is aware of these publications. We are adopting a very generous attitude towards these publications. We believe in an open society and we are not afraid to allow publications like those mentioned by the Member to compete in the market-place of ideas and thoughts in our society. We are sure that our people will be able to differentiate between what is right and what is wrong. However, we also hope that the same spirit will be reciprocated from across the Causeway. I assure the Member for Geylang Serai that action has already been taken on his suggestion by the Singapore High Commission in Kuala Lumpur. About Malay films and films in general, it is a question of staff.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, it is very good to have such an enthusiastic debate on the development of culture. I will deal first with the comments made by the Member for Kampong Kembangan. The first point he has raised is about the Dewan Bahasa and what its achievements are. It is difficult to give full details of its achievements, but the fact that the national language is popular in the City State, where 75 per cent of the population are Chinese, is enough to show that at least the Dewan Bahasa is doing its best to encourage the study of the national language. We are now considering expanding this organisation into a Research Institute into Languages and Culture. When this is done, it will not only deal with publications but also research into the various languages and cultures of our people. On T.V. advertisements, the Member was not the only one to raise it. Of course, to the viewers it may be annoying to see an advertisement popping out in between very exciting moments of a film. But from the business man's point of view, that is exactly the time you hope to catch the attention of the viewers. Anyway, as we have explained many times, we have to include advertisements to help defray the expenses of running the radio and T.V. From radio and T.V. alone in 1966 we got $4,629,000, and from this money we were able to get better programmes for T.V. and radio. By next year we may get more than $5 million from advertisements. I can assure you, Sir, that much of the money received will be used to acquire better quality films as well as programmes for our viewers. The Member for Kampong Kembangan has also mentioned about programmes for golf players, and asked why we should have them. I have to enlighten him by saying that the programme on golf and bowling is introduced on T.V.”
“Sir, I would like to answer all of them together.”
“The Government, taking cognizance of the acute shortage of land, has decided that the policy regarding such settlement should be reviewed in the light of our rapidly increasing population. In Ayer Gemuroh for instance, some 82 acres of land were set aside for a Malay settlement. This land, however, was not completely vacant as at the time of gazetting in March 1959 there were already 190 Malay, 16 Chinese and 5 Indian families living on it. In the same year, 8 new families moved into the area and were allocated one lot each. Hence, though in theory it would appear that there were many lots which still remain to be allocated, in actual fact not much land is available for allocation at the site. Further, some parts of this land are low lying and subject to floods, and to make these parts suitable for habitation will require considerable expenditure of public funds towards earthworks and the construction of a sea-wall as well as the provision of roads, drainage, water, electricity and other facilities. The cost of earthworks alone has been estimated at $40,000. In view of the heavy expenditure required to settle a few more families in this area, the Government considers that alternative means may have to be found to solve the housing problem of the applicants, as it is evident that the advantages to be gained from the expenditure of funds at Ayer Gemuroh will be very much less than if the same sum of money is spent on a planned housing estate."”
“Talking about the promotion of a healthy culture, I shall take this opportunity to say that ever since 1959, when we initiated the Aneka Ragam Rakyat, we have also taken steps to establish a council which plans to launch a purely local-orientated cultural festival to display the work of our artists in Singapore. We want our artists and other experts to study and to create new art forms in Singapore and we shall launch a new art festival next year. In the field of drama we shall encourage our playwrights to write works reflecting local life for our radio and television. Perhaps this is what the Member for Sembawang would like to have, but some matters would not be to his taste. Because of the limitation of time, I shall under more favourable conditions give a more detailed answer to his speech. The Question having been proposed at 8.00 p.m. and the Debate having continued for half an hour, Mr Speaker adjourned the House without Question put, pursuant to the Standing Order. Adjourned accordingly at Thirty minutes past Eight o'clock p.m. WRITTEN ANSWER TO QUESTION Monday, 5th December, 1966 The following Question for Oral Answer stood on the Order Paper of 5th December, 1966: Land allocation for Malay Settlement at Ayer Gemuroh 22. "Mr Sim Boon Woo: To ask the Minister for Law and National Development what progress has been made in regard to the allocation of land for a Malay settlement at Ayer Gemuroh and when allocation will be made to the 290 applicants." Pursuant to Standing Order No. 20 (2) , the Minister for Law and National Development supplied the following answer:- 22. "No allocation of land in the Malay settlement at Ayer Gemuroh has been made since 1959.”
“In short, in a Communist dictatorship, the State has the power to interfere with the way of life of each and every individual in the country. But in the environment in which we live, which is a democratic country practising parliamentary democracy, we do not advocate the unlimited power of the State. We have certain limitations to the power of the State. Apart from looking after the necessities of the people, such as education, health, food and shelter, and security, we allow and respect certain individual freedom of a personal nature. Also, to judge others' standard of culture by your own standard, and to impose your own standard upon others, is against the spirit and principle of democracy. To illustrate this point. An African ballet troupe came to Singapore some time ago. Some members of the troupe were half-naked. If the Member for Sembawang were to see the show, he would not be able to sleep the whole night! But, generally speaking, from the artistic and aesthetic point of view, such half-nakedness was not provocative. It had an artistic effect. Even the folk dance of Egypt, the belly dance, which is a traditional dance, may be considered by some foreigners to be yellow culture. But in a democracy we must not adopt the views of a few Members and impose them on the people of Singapore in general and restrict them in their cultural activities. We will not force people to cut their hair short, because, by so doing we will be acting against democratic principles.”
“Mr Speaker, it is difficult to reply in 5 minutes to the matters raised by the Members, who took 25 minutes. But I shall endeavour to do my best. If I have longer time I shall give a more detailed reply. To sum up, Mr Speaker, the two Members have spoken generally on the so-called yellow culture prevalent in Singapore. The Member for Sembawang spent some 20 minutes on this matter. But to sum up his speech he appeals to the Government to take action to prevent the flood of yellow culture in Singapore, to take more restrictive measures against pornographic publications and films, and to take positive steps to promote a healthy cultural growth. In principle, Mr Speaker, the Government has since 1959 been implementing this policy. As a matter of fact, the Member for Sembawang himself has admitted, by the examples given by him, that the situation is not so bad. He says that yellow culture is not so rampant as to be beyond redemption. So, strictly speaking, the so-called unhealthy culture is still under effective control. That is what he says on his own admission. This is a fact, of course. Mr Speaker, before giving a point-by-point reply to the two Members, I shall let the House know briefly our national policy on culture. It is dependent upon the political system and the economic environment of the nation. It is determined by the economy and the politics of the country. In Communist countries where the national power is unlimited, even, as the Member for Geylang Serai has said, if your hair is too long or your shoes are not where they should be, or the hairdo of the women is considered improper, the nation has the power to interfere with your personal life and describe you as elements of yellow culture and even brand you as anti-nationals.”
“I can assure you, Mr Speaker, that all necessary measures to curb these undesirable activities have been taken by the Government.”
“Ariff Bin Suradi asked the Minister for Law and National Development whether the Government will give first priority to requests for rural development projects, such as the improvement of roads, drainage, street-lighting and other public amenities for the Kampong Kembangan Constituency.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the local agent, acting on behalf of the Hongkong movie stars art troupe, was the Grand Art Film Company. The financial arrangements with the local agent were that out of the net profit, the share to the Trust was 25 per cent and that to the Company was 75 per cent. The Company was responsible, out of the 75 per cent share of profit, for the payment to the Hongkong stars for their performances as well as payment of income tax payable on such earnings. The total expenditure figure given in answer to the Member for Aljunied has taken into account the 75 per cent share paid to the Grand Art Film Company. All these arrangements were agreed to by the National Theatre Trust. PALMER ROAD KAMPONG (Steps to improve inadequate drainage) 8. Mr P. Govindaswamy asked the Minister for Law and National Development whether he is aware that the drainage in the kampong at Palmer Road is inadequate and if he will take steps to improve it. The Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for National Development (Mr Ho Cheng Choon) (for the Minister for Law and National Development): Mr Speaker, Sir, the kampong at Palmer Road is situated in a low-lying area, in some places more than 3 feet below road level, and is subject to tidal influence. As such, it is impossible to improve the drainage in the kampong, short of re-developing the whole kampong. This area will be affected by the future extension of Shenton Way to the East Wharf Reclamation, and when that takes place the kampong may have to be removed. KAMPONG KEMBANGAN (Priority for rural development projects) 9. Inche Mohd.”
“We in Singapore feel that our policy of multi-racialism is the right one, and there will be safeguards written into our Constitution to preserve the rights of the minority groups. In foreign affairs, our policy is one of non-alignment. With all these policies and with the support of the people, we can succeed in making Singapore the Switzerland of the East in a few years' time. Mr Speaker, I support the motion moved by the Prime Minister to thank the Yang di-Pertuan Negara for delivering his Speech.”
“Only a policy of multi-racialism and non-alignment can lead Singapore to the path of peace, progress, and prosperity, and this policy that we have is not unique in the world. Just now I have mentioned that certain countries are able to prosper through two world wars. One example I gave was Switzerland, which safely went through two wars and yet was able to build herself up. This was all due to her policy of non-alignment and also to the fact that no other country wanted to bully her. It is because her people are loyal to their Government and to their country. So in this situation the only sane thing to do is to look after the people and maintain their economic, social, political and racial interests. Seventy-two per cent of the Swiss people speak French, and 20 per cent speak Italian. Also in other countries with people of different races who speak different languages, there is no hindrance to their national development. In Switzerland, the national languages are French, Italian, Swiss, and German. This is so today. And the people who speak these different languages are liberal-minded. So I hope that every one, particularly the people of Singapore, should he liberal-minded and should not force others to speak only one language. What we fear is the language policy adopted by our immediate neighbour. We hope that every citizen can speak the national language. Nevertheless, the method to be adopted should be one of persuasion and not of compulsion, because history has taught us that in a multi-racial society where one racial group tries to compel other groups to do its bidding, then there will be no peace, progress, or prosperity in society.”
“Up till now the Barisan Sosialis is pursuing a foolish line - rash, reckless and dangerous political adventurers - a line which will ultimately lead Singapore into a situation which I have described just now. I hope they will reconsider their step and not allow Singapore to come to an impasse. Singapore must not be allowed to get into such a situation, a situation in which she is surrounded by anti-Chinese forces. There is only one way out, and that is, to practise multi-racialism and democratic socialism, There is no other alternative. This policy depends on the concerted action of all the people. Yesterday the Minister of State for the Prime Minister's Department, Inche Yaacob, said that we were faced with the Ultras, Malay racialists, who were persuading the Malays in Singapore to go across the Causeway. This is another manifestation and challenge of racialism. If this scheme were to succeed, then naturally Singapore would become a Chinese State. But we believe that this intrigue or scheme will naturally fail because the Singapore Government has shown in all respects that its policy is one of multi-racialism and that it alone can look after the interests of all races. The future of Singapore depends on democratic socialism and a policy of multi-racialism and a non-Communist society, together with our non-aligned foreign policy. We can then establish friendly relations with all countries of the world, including the Republic of China. Although we want to establish friendly relations with the Republic of China, we do not propose to let Singapore become a third China, because this will only lead to suicide. This is a suicidal attempt.”
“Singapore will be encircled by unfriendly forces. Let us point out seriously that if there is an upsurge of racialism in Singapore, then the consequences will not be just one or two internal racial disturbances in Singapore, but it will also have repercussions outside Singapore. If we allow Chinese chauvinism to rear its head, then Singapore will easily be isolated in South-East Asia. It will be a country encircled by unfriendly forces. They will then attack Singapore, which is a tiny country. Under these circumstances, we cannot imagine that we can get help from Communist China or anywhere else. The question is that, "The distant waters cannot be made available to quench the fire that is immediately before us." We have a situation in Indonesia where the Chinese are persecuted. China could not send troops to Indonesia to protect the Chinese other than raise some protests. The Indonesian Communist Party has been suppressed by the Army, and yet the Chinese Communist Party could not intervene. They could not send troops to help the P.K.I. Another point is this. Small countries which can he protected by China are, from the geographical point of view, close to the Chinese border. "The near waters can he made available to quench the immediate fire." Of course, that is quite possible. There is the convenience of nearness. Also, if anything happens next to the Chinese border, assistance from China will be quick and immediate. This is all due to the favourable geographical position. But the situation in Singapore is different. The Barisan Sosialis' idea is to set up a Communist Singapore or a Chinese Singapore. Whatever they may want Singapore to be, they will finally put Singapore in a situation where it is surrounded by anti-Chinese forces.”
“So we cannot fully depend upon the British bases to defend ourselves. We must depend on our own strength, and we must have the backing of the people. Although we have been kicked out from Malaysia, the two subsequent by-elections in Malaysia have proved that the seed of nationalism has germinated and is coming to fruition. We also hope that with the increased trend towards nationalism, Malaysia will in the end be united. Just now I have given the example of Switzerland. Such countries can even defend their tiny nations against strong nations when they have the support of the people. Hitler was a very notorious dictator who looked down upon other nations. Yet in the end he was defeated. So it is in Singapore. If all the people are patriotic and are willing to sacrifice themselves; if they are solidly united and willing to work hard, then I believe no country in the world will dare to bully us. We hope that in our multi-racial society, all the races will be loyal and serve our country. We must give equal treatment to all the races. We must have a multi-racial policy. That is why we have tabled in this Parliament the Republic of Singapore Independence Bill and the Constitution (Amendment) Bill. They have provisions to safeguard the interests of minorities. They will give freedom in language, religion, culture and other things. This is a basic principle in democratic socialism. Based on this principle - a multi-racial society - there will be peace, progress and prosperity in Singapore. We must understand that Singapore is situated in South-East Asia, an area surrounded by some anti-Chinese countries. Any chauvinistic attempt to turn Singapore into a third China will only bring about a major disaster and tragedy to the people of Singapore.”
“I hope the workers in Singapore can forge ahead and consider the long-term interest in order that our industrialisation programme can materialise and that they would not just pay heed to the immediate interest and forget the future. If they can do so, then our industrialisation programme will materialise earlier and our better days will come earlier. We must always remember that although Singapore is a tiny island with a small population, her importance is internationally recognised. We remember that before the Second World War, there was a militarist who said that whoever had control over Singapore could control the whole of South-East Asia. Our neighbouring countries have recognised Singapore's strategic position. Although the British bases are here to protect Singapore, we must not forget our lesson in 1941. At that time everybody thought that Singapore was an impregnable fort, that it could not be conquered, and that everybody need not worry. Yet history has proved that in a short period of one week, Singapore was taken like a split bamboo. Why is it that Singapore fell so easily? The main reason was that Singapore was then a colony. Nationalism had not germinated, and Singapore was not defended by her own people. It was not backed by the people. We can learn a lesson from this. It is only through our own strength and our own efforts that we can truly defend our own country and preserve our own security. There are some countries which are small, such as Switzerland, but their citizens are patriotic. They can turn all their people into soldiers, so that even strong nations would not dare bully them. Although there are many soldiers with modern weapons in Vietnam, there is no end to the war there because they do not have the support of the people.”
“These were the years when we had Mr Ong Eng Guan and the Barisan incidents. In 1963, there was a general election. In 1964, we participated in the Federal elections and there were two riots in Singapore. In 1965, we were kicked out by the racialists from Malaysia. It seems that every year there are incidents. The P.A.P., while undergoing all these difficulties, has been able to fulfil the Five-Year Development Plan. Through democratic socialist methods, it has resolved the housing problem and has improved the living standard and safeguarded the welfare of the people. And we have established the basis for industrialisation. All these achievements have been due to the support of the people. Therefore, these achievements go to show the hardworking spirit and intelligence of our people. Therefore, although independent Singapore is faced with all these difficulties, I believe, in the end, we can overcome them with the co-operation of the Government and the industry of the people. The people will, in the end, overcome all these difficulties so that the Second Five-Year Plan can materialise. Economically, we need new markets so that our manufactures will have an outlet. We need to build more factories in order to provide more employment opportunities. But we must understand that in any newly emerging country, there must be a period of trials and tribulations. Germany, which was a defeated country, went through various trials and tribulations. But because of the determination and hard work of the people, they have rebuilt their country and their living standard has also been raised. There is a saying that whoever can endure extreme bitterness can become a man among men.”
“In fact, this cold war turned into a hot war, namely, bloodshed, as a result of communal strife. So Singapore was evicted from Malaysia. In Singapore, we have faced many trials and tribulations. Those of us born and bred in Singapore cannot forget our brothers and sisters across the Causeway. In fact, the worst thing one can do is to lie to oneself and say that the people of Singapore and Malaysia are two different types of people. For 140 years, the people of Singapore and Malaysia have been under the rule of the British colonialists. They went through similar sufferings in both territories and they were determined to strive for freedom and independence. We are determined to suffer and work together. This spirit of sacrifice and hard work is not what the Constitution can provide. Neither can the constitutional arrangements stifle these qualities. In the last two years, we have felt the poison spread as a result of the work of communal forces, and we hope that our brothers across the Causeway will not repeat this foolish act. Ten years ago, Singapore suffered a great deal because of the emergence of communal forces, and now we have been evicted because of the rise of communalism. We do hope that history will not repeat itself. Singapore is an island faced with trials and tribulations. After the P.A.P. Government came to power in 1959, we went through serious troubles almost every year. In 1960, there was Mr Ong Eng Guan who believed in individualism and who liked to fish in troubled waters. In 1962, he revealed his hypocrisy. He claimed to serve the interests of the people, but in fact he was a pseudo-revolutionist. And in 1962, he was busy with slogans of "phoney merger", and he called for general elections.”
“If Singapore's independence were phoney, then the more than one hundred countries which have recognised us, the people of these countries must have been mad, but the fact is that those who have gone crazy are not the one hundred and more nations which have recognised us, but the Barisan Sosialis. It is the Barisan Sosialis that have gone mad. I say so because we can never see anywhere in the world any people who refuse to recognise the independence of their own country. If the Barisan Sosialis still refuse to recognise our independence, then they must also admit that they are phoney citizens of Singapore. That being so, they are not fit to be citizens of Singapore and they should not enjoy the rights of Singapore citizens. Mr Speaker, as we can see now, even Russia, China and some other Communist countries have recognised their independence. They recognised their sovereignty and their nations as such. The true disciple of Marxism was Trotsky who believed that the revolution of the Communist world must be above the national interest. It was only he who genuinely believed that after the successful revolution of the Communist world, all nations in the world would perish. Perhaps the Barisan Sosialis is the incarnation of the life and soul of Trotsky. And it will attempt to start a world revolution in the Communist fold above the national interest. In the minds of people like Trotsky, nations are phoney; it is revolution that is genuine. But what happens to this kind of people? They are either crazy or they have committed suicide. The eviction of Singapore from Malaysia is a temporary result of the battle between the nationalist and communal forces. We have to avoid this type of cold war.”
“We do not know at this stage, but at any rate if they choose to do this, then I can foretell their fate right now - that they will only be digging their own graves. Mr Speaker, in order to have a Common Market we tried very hard in the past to secure a merger by way of Malaysia, but the Barisan at that time were shouting that merger was phoney. If, assuming that they were right, that merger was phoney, that merger sold away the interests of the people of Singapore, then today we would not have been kicked out of Malaysia. Mr Speaker, the slogan of the Barisan Sosialis all along has been that Malaysia is phoney, that Malaysia is a neo-colonialist plot, an intrigue, but in spite of their slogan, they sent three representatives to the Parliament of the Malaysian Federation. In fact, they were sworn in and demonstrated their loyalty by taking part in the swearing-in ceremony for Malaysia at that time. If Malaysia was phoney, then why should they swear the Oath of Allegiance to Malaysia? Now they turn round and say that Singapore's independence is phoney. This is the biggest laughing stock in the twentieth century. This is a most peculiar way of talking things in this century. Those who believe that Singapore's independence is phoney in fact require more psychiatric treatment than the inmates of Woodbridge Hospital, because ever since we became independent, there has not been a single country which has opposed our admission to the United Nations Organisation. Even Russia has not objected to our presence in this world body. In fact, Russia has agreed to send a trade mission to Singapore. The same applies to some East European countries which are Communist in nature. They are also willing to come here to establish trade relationships with Singapore.”
“Mr Speaker, under this parliamentary democracy the Party in power has to go back to the people every five years. It has to return the power to the people at intervals of five years. Because of the existence of an Opposition and because of the fact of having to return the power to the people every five years, there is the necessity for the Government or the Party in power to be very careful in handling the affairs of the people and the nation. But today, because of the boycott staged by the Barisan Sosialis, the P.A.P. in this House is without a single opponent, a situation which has been forced upon us. But in spite of all this, Mr Speaker, and in view of our beliefs, our convictions and our respect for the parliamentary democratic system, we are encouraging our Back-benchers to come out to criticise the measures to be taken or have been taken by the Government. This again goes to show our sincerity in our belief in the socialist parliamentary democratic system. If the people have lost confidence in the Barisan Sosialis entirely so as to result in all the 51 constituencies being in the hands of the P.A.P., thereby making the P.A.P. a one-party autocracy, then whatever it may be will be achieved through the democratic process of the one-man one-vote system, and this will be done by a general election. The abandonment of the democratic struggle by the Barisan Sosialis is worthy of our attention, because we have to know what steps they will take to achieve their aims. Will they, for example, go beyond the constitutional limits to resort to unpeaceful and unconstitutional means for their revolution? This will only be proved by time and history.”
“They can raise the living standard of the people. The people have realised that only by democratic socialism can they have a better future. Since the Barisan Sosialis have learnt these lessons from history, they have come to realise that it is impossible for them to capture power by the one-man one-vote system through peaceful means; so they have no choice but to change their basic stand in abandoning the line of capturing power by democratic means. Mr Speaker, the Barisan Sosialis have not been genuine in their belief in the parliamentary system. In fact, they want to make use of this system to destroy the system itself in order to establish a one-party autocracy. If they were really sincere in their belief in parliamentary democracy, then as an Opposition they should have had some effect in this House, because it is under the system of parliamentary democracy that the Opposition is charged with the responsibility to guide and criticise the Government, to point out the mistakes of the Government, and to put the Government on to the proper path, so that whatever actions the Government may take or are taking will not be against the interest of the people. But in spite of the responsibility charged upon them, they are now boycotting the proceedings in this House, thereby showing that they have forsaken the mandate given to them by the people. Mr Speaker, we support the bi-party system because we are of the opinion that, although human beings are the most intelligent of all forms of life, they are by no means perfect. Even saints themselves are not infallible. So we cannot say that whatever we do is not without fault. That is why there is the necessity for an Opposition to be present here and this is part and parcel of our parliamentary democracy.”
“That is the reason why they are not attending these proceedings. The second reason, Mr Speaker, is that there is now an internal split in the Barisan Sosialis itself. Dr Lee Siew Choh, not being a Member of this House, cannot give expression to his showmanship in this House and so he does not want Members of his Party to avail themselves of the opportunity to do so. Neither is he in a position to gain control of those Party members who have divergent views and he is afraid that they may say something against him or his Party in this House. That again is another reason for the boycott. The third reason, Mr Speaker, and this is the most important one, is that some leaders of the Barisan Sosialis have already succumbed to the truth. Some of them have openly shown their repentance and confessed that they have made mistakes in the past. They have criticised and even renounced Communism. Others who do not dare come out in open criticism of Communism are in a state of confusion, thereby making themselves fit for psychiatric treatment. All along, Mr Speaker, the Barisan Sosialis have been boasting that only their Party, the Barisan Sosialis, have the support of the people. This is what they have been claiming, and they say that they alone really represent the people. But look at the facts, Mr Speaker; the referendum in 1962, the general elections in 1963 and the Hong Lim by-election in 1965 all go to prove that the people are on our side. The people of Singapore support socialism, democracy and parliamentary procedure. They are in support of a socialist democratic Party, because they realise that socialist democracy and a socialist democratic Party like the P.A.P. can bring about the progress and prosperity of Singapore without bloodshed.”
“The Lee Kuan Yew regime seems to treat the question of independence as one of its own Party's problems, thereby treating the Legislative Assembly as an expendable showpiece." Mr Speaker, this is from an article published in the Party Organ of the Barisan Sosialis wherein they made their demand. At that time, the Government was very busily engaged in setting up relationships with other nations in the world, laying its foundations in the international arena, and finding trading outlets for the people of Singapore. So a Goodwill Mission under the leadership of the Deputy Prime Minister visited countries in Afro-Asia and Eastern Europe. We have made friends with these countries and we have laid a new foundation in our international relationships. The Goodwill Mission has accomplished its task, and we are now in this House. But we are facing a boycott by the Barisan Sosialis. Why should they boycott the proceedings of this House? Only a few months ago, Mr Speaker, they were clamouring for an immediate sitting of the Assembly. Why should there be a sudden change now in their policy and strategy? I think we should review the circumstances, and I can offer several reasons for their boycott of this Assembly. Firstly, they are running away from facts and realities, because they know by now that more than a hundred nations in the United Nations Organisation, including Russia which is a Communist country, as well as the other Communist countries, have recognised Singapore as an independent sovereign State; and if the Barisan Sosialis Members were to attend the sittings in this House, then it would be difficult for them to reconcile the fact of their attendance with their slogan of "Phoney independence! ". They would then be making a laughing stock of themselves.”