Lee Yock Suan
Singapore
“The position will be clear when the regulations have been drafted. Right now we are debating it in the absence of actual wording of the regulations. The regulations will be fair, they are meant to maintain a level playing field, and we should wait for the regulations before we pass judgement. The intention is not to go after everybody.”
“I think the Member will be aware that Internet is a very dangerous place. We can have all kinds of poison letters and they will just spread like wild fire. So we must have some means to try and minimise this and make sure that everything is orderly and fair.”
“The other Members have no problem supporting the Bill, including Mr Chiam. I think the position is about 95% clear. Question put, and agreed to. Bill accordingly read a Second time and committed to a Committee of the whole House. The House immediately resolved itself into a Committee on the Bill. - [Mr Lee Yock Suan].”
“Then we will have to see the actual situation. But, as I said, the intention is to go after the popular sites, the main sites of parties and non-party political sites. If it is an individual, eg, a young man posting up his own site and saying "These are my views", we are not going to go after those people.”
“The intention is to make the rules clear for the main parties involved in the contest, in other words, the party websites. These are the areas we are mainly after.”
“I thank Mr Chiam for reminding me about his question. On listening to his speech, I was under the impression that he was asking whether this ban on opinion polls applies to the mass media. The answer is yes, it applies to all media, not just the Internet but also newspapers, TV and so on. Thank you for pointing this out.”
The complete record
Every one of 1,595 lines we hold for Lee Yock Suan, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 30 of 32.
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the HDB charges a transfer fee of $500 when the registered tenant of a commercial or industrial premises transfers his tenancy to a business partner or a next of kin who has been assisting him in his business. The fee, in fact, is a token charge. Transfers of tenancy are generally not allowed as they enable new tenants to enjoy the subsidized rentals of original tenants which are far below rentals that can be fetched by tender on the open market. Transfers of tenancy also allow a new tenant to enjoy the reputation and goodwill of the original tenant. The HDB has considered charging prevailing market rentals for transfer tenancies but decided against this as it would cause undue hardship to a partner or next of kin of the original tenant. The transfer fee is therefore a concession given by the HDB. It is not imposed when the transfer of a tenancy to a next of kin is necessitated by the death of the registered tenant. Mr Jeyaretnam: Mr Speaker, Sir, in the written reply that was given, the answer was that this was to defray administrative costs. If that is correct, that it was to defray administrative costs and not a levy or a fine that the man has to pay for transferring the tenancy, I want to know what are the administrative costs involved. That was the answer that was given when I asked that question - it was to defray administrative costs. What are these costs?”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the proposed Seletar Expressway is part of the island-wide expressway network to be built by the Public Works Department in the next 10 years. It is a northward extension of the Central Expressway. It will stretch from Yio Chu Kang Road in the south to the Bukit Timah Expressway near Woodlands New Town in the north. The construction of the Seletar Expressway will only commence after the completion of the northern stretch of the Central Expressway from Jalan Toa Payoh to Yio Chu Kang (formerly called the Sembawang Expressway). Part of the Central Expressway between Jalan Toa Payoh and Ang Mo Kio Avenue 1 is nearing completion and will be opened to traffic by the end of this month. Construction of the other part from Ang Mo Kio Avenue 1 to Yio Chu Kang Road will commence in late 1984 and will be completed by late 1987. The implementation of the Seletar Expressway project can therefore be expected to be undertaken in the late 1980s. However, as detailed design for this new expressway has yet to commence, it is too early to determine its exact implementation schedule. HDB COMMERCIAL/INDUSTRIAL PREMISES (Transfer fee) 10. Mr J.B. Jeyaretnam asked the Minister for National Development if he will state the reason for the levy of $500.00 by the Housing and Development Board for the transfer of tenancy of its commercial/industrial premises from the tenant to a partner or next of kin.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the HDB has stopped building any more wet markets for a variety of reasons. The new market will be the new type with market produce stalls and so forth. SELETAR EXPRESSWAY (Construction of link between Yio Chu Kang Road and Mandai Road) 9. Dr Koh Lip Lin asked the Minister for National Development when construction work on the proposed Seletar Expressway linking Yio Chu Kang Road and Mandai Road will begin and when will it be completed.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the HDB has completed 440 4-room and 52 5-room flats in Yishun New Town. Construction of these flats commenced at the end of 1980 when applications for 4-and 5-room units totalled 235 and 40 respectively. At that time, the number of flats built was sufficient to meet the rather low demand for 4- and 5-room units in Yishun. The HDB could not afford to award more contracts in anticipation of future demand as its resources were channelled to meet the greater demand in other zones. The HDB will build 763 4-room flats in Yishun in 1983. It will build 5,290 4-room flats and 568 5-room flats in 1984. The first market and food centre in Yishun will be completed by August 1984.”
“In the SAF, where men's lives depend so much on the quality of those who lead and organize them, we have to look for intellect and skills, as well as other attributes like trustworthiness, selflessness, loyalty, and commitment. People are more likely to stay in the SAF if the organizational climate is one where they have a sense of pride and belonging, and where they can contribute actively towards making it a better organization. We are beginning to see this in the quality of officers and men choosing to stay on in the SAF after their initial contracts expired.”
“The number of officers recruited in 1981 was 229, compared to a yearly average of 430 for 1978-80. But officer recruitment has improved since 1982, after the salary revision. Between April and December 1982, 398 officers were recruited, an increase of 229 (or 135%) over the number recruited over the same period in 1981. The number of other ranks also was much better. In 1981 we had approximately 1,410, compared to a yearly average of 2,416 for 1978-80, Since June 1982, when other rank salaries were revised, recruitment has picked up. 1,016 were recruited from June to December 1982, an increase of 351 (or 53%) over the number recruited over the same period in 1981. At the same time, resignations of officers and other ranks have dropped. The number of resignations among officers from April to December 1982 was 55, compared to 85 in the same period in 1981, Among other ranks, the number who resigned from June to December 1982, was 71, compared to 360 for the same period in 1981. The retention rate, ie, the percentage of contract servicemen who extend their serice rather than leave the SAF on expiry of heir contract, has also improved, although this improvement is not quite as dramatic as that for recruitment. From April to December 1982, the retention rate for officers was 67%, compared to 60% for the same period in 1981. The retention rate for other ranks rose from 44% to 47%. To further improve recruitment and retention, MINDEF recognizes that increasing salaries alone is not sufficient. Neither is it desirable to have people joining the SAF as regulars simply because of better pay. What the higher salaries allow MINDEF to do is to attract a much larger pool of better candidates.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, presently my Ministry has no plan to widen the stretch of Upper Serangoon Road from Kangkar to Tampines Road as the existing traffic condition along this road is still satisfactory. To cope with the expected increase in traffic from Hougang Neighbourhoods 1, 11 and 111, the Housing and Development Board is constructing Hougang Avenue 3 which, together with the Airport Link, will provide access from Hougang to the Pan-Island Expressway and the Geylang area. This access road will be completed by July 1983. In addition, Hougang Avenue 3 will also be linked to Ang Mo Kio Avenue 3 via Hougang Avenue 2 by mid-84. This will link Hougang New Town to the Central Expressway and Ang Mo Kio New Town. These new access roads will help to divert traffic away from Upper Serangoon Road. PAY INCREASES FOR SAF OFFICERS (Effect on recruitment and retention of SAF regular servicemen) 5. Encik Othman bin Haron Eusofe asked the Minister of Defence and Second Minister for Health what effects the 1982 Singapore Armed Forces pay increases have had on the recruitment and retention of SAF regular servicemen. The Minister of State of Defence (Dr Yeo Ning Hong) (for the Minister of Defence and Second Minister for Health): Mr Speaker, Sir, in 1982, MINDEF revised the salaries of regular servicemen and introduced other measures to attract and retain talent for the SAF. Salaries of regular officers and men were increased early last year. The pay increases and other efforts of MINDEF had a favourable impact on the recruitment and retention of regular SAF servicemen. There had been a general slowdown in the recruitment of regulars since 1978, with an especially large drop in 1981 when the job market in Singapore was extremely competitive.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, there is no difficulty at all in providing the costing. If hon. Members want it, we will be happy to provide it. In fact, I am surprised to hear the Member now saying that there is no difficulty. If he recalls, sometime ago when we were debating this question of HDB prices, he was asking, "How does HDB price it?", because we have no accounting system and so on. We then asked him at that time whether he wanted us to price the flats for the Anson residents according to the true costs, and we did not get any answer from him. So now, I do not see how we should be asking him to give us a method to cost the houses.”
“143%, 1 stand corrected. This is because of the increase in the construction costs over the last few years. As you know, the prices of private properties and of HDB flats have all gone up because of the shortage of labour, the increase in the prices of construction materials, and so on. The HUDC were not making any losses, but it does not mean that costs have not gone up as much. As I have explained before, the HDB is in fact pricing the land at concessionary rates, and it is only on this basis that we are able to sell the flats some 40% to 50% lower than the market prices. This point about land values may not get through to the hon. Member. It seems to be a very difficult point for him to understand. But there is no doubt - if you ask any economist, he will tell you the meaning of this - that when we make land available to the public at subsidized rates, we should really be considering the market rate. I hope the Member now understands the issue.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the number of people who have dropped out from the HUDC waiting list is about 52 out of a total of over 4,000 applicants. That is roughly 1%. I do not think one swallow will make a summer. It is not necessarily the case anyway, that people who dropped out did so because they could not afford it. It could be for a great variety of reasons. The hon. Member should think carefully through his arguments before confusing the public. This question of the price increase of 78% to 123% -”
“Minister of State that the old company, HUDC, was running at a tremendous loss in selling those flats?”
“The average price of $210,000 per HUDC unit at Bedok, Hougang and Jurong East is well below market rates and within the reach of the HUDC applicants. For the exclusive estates of Pine Grove and Gillman Heights, public selling prices are fixed at $1,723 per square metre for apartments and $1,981 per square metre for maisonettes. These prices are still about 30% below the prices of nearby private developments. But selling prices of Pine Grove and Gillman Heights units should not be allowed to cloud the issue. These two estates are the remnants of a legacy of exclusive housing enclaves created by the former Housing & Urban Development Co (Pte) Ltd. The HDB inherited them when it assumed the function of developing HUDC housing. In future, HUDC housing will be integrated within HDB estates in accordance with the Government's objective of achieving a better social mix of communities. The determination of selling prices of future HUDC housing will follow the principles set for the first batch of integrated HUDC units at Bedok, Hougang and Jurong East. The Government will continue to ensure that these prices are kept within the reach of the people. Mr Jeyaretnam: Mr Speaker, Sir, the Hon. Minister of State says that the prices will be kept within the reach of those wishing to buy the HUDC apartments. But I see a report in the papers, only two days ago, that a number of people are dropping out of this queue to buy HUDC flats, and that less and less people are applying. So obviously it is beyond their reach. Less and less people will be able to afford the HUDC apartments. Secondly, the increases vary from 78% to 143% of the previous cost of HUDC apartments. Am I to understand from the Hon.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, prices for HUDC housing are fixed no differently from those of other public housing. The Government adheres to the fundamental principle that the selling prices of public housing, including HUDC housing, should be kept within the reach of the applicants. HUDC housing represents the apex of Government-developed housing for the people. Ideally, the prices of HUDC flats should be fixed to enable the HDB to fully recover all development costs incurred, including land costs at market value, as well as construction, financing and professional costs. However, if the HDB were to determine HUDC prices on this basis, selling prices would have been much more than those announced on 18th February 1983 owing to the high cost of land in Singapore. To keep prices down, land costs have therefore been set at concessionary rates. For example, land for Jurong East Estate in the Outer Suburban Zone was imputed at only $100 per square metre, while land for Bedok and Hougang Estates in the Inner Suburban Zone was valued at $150 per square metre. These values are much below the market values of comparable land for private residential development. In the 10th URA Sale, successful tenders for residential land in the vicinity of Bedok New Town ranged from $500 per square metre to $870 per square metre. In comparison with the selling prices of private flats in similar localities, the selling prices of HUDC flats in Bedok, Hougang and Jurong East are 40% to 50% cheaper in terms of per square metre of floor area. In the Bedok area, comparable private apartments are selling for about $2,230 per square metre, whereas HUDC flats are priced about 40% lower, at $1,238 per square metre for apartments and $1,424 per square metre for maisonettes.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the Public Works Department will be installing traffic signals at the junction of Geylang East Central/Aljunied Crescent/Geylang East Avenue 1 in April this year. The installation will be completed by the end of that month. HUDC FLATS (New prices) 8. Mr J.B. Jeyaretnam asked the Minister for National Development if he will explain how the new prices for the Housing and Urban Development Company flats announced on the 18th of February, 1983 were arrived at.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, Hougang Avenue 3 will be linked to Ang Mo Kio Avenue 3 by about the middle of 1984. The construction of the link, Hougang Avenue 2, is being carried out in two phases. Phase I is currently in progress and will be completed in March 1984. Work on Phase II, which is encumbered with squatters, is scheduled to commence in July 1983 and will be completed by June 1984. TRAFFIC SIGNALS AT GEYLANG EAST CENTRAL/GEYLANG EAST AVENUE 1/ALJUNIED CRESCENT (Installation) 7. Encik Othman bin Haron Eusofe asked the Minister for National Development what is the progress of the planned installation of traffic signals at the junction of Geylang East Central/Geylang East Avenue 1/Aljunied Crescent and when the installation is expected to be completed.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the Member may be aware that where a resettlement case is given alternative rental premises, normally they qualify for rental concessions over a period of five years. In the first year, they pay 50% of what is known as the resettlement rental, which is 10% below the average market rate. In the second year they pay 60%; third year, 70%; and so on. So there is a five-year rental concession which is very significant in terms of the actual quantum. As for the premises, they also get compensation for their premises. Let us say, in a squatter area, the Resettlement Department will measure the size of the facility and pay them according to the standard rates. As to whether the HDB will allow them to buy the premises, I believe the answer would depend on a case-by-case basis. LINKING OF ANG MO KIO AVENUE 3 TO HOUGANG AVENUE 3 6. Mr Ng Kah Ting asked the Minister for National Development when Hougang Avenue 3 will be linked to Ang Mo Kio Avenue 3.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the answer would be, yes in those cases. Where they have upgraded to that stage, I think they would normally qualify for JTC water-frontage land.”
“Where shopkeepers are concerned, there is less difficulty as most HDB shop premises have living quarters above the shop. In the case of industries and offices, it is not always possible to allocate premises near owners' homes owing to constraints in supply and the need for certain industries to be located in special areas. Businesses affected by resettlement action must qualify under certain rules before they can be considered for alternative accommodation. Generally, businesses not eligible for such alternative accommodation fall under the following categories:- (i) Cases where Business Registration Certificates do not bear the site address. (ii) Cases registered with the Registrar of Businesses after the cut-off date and where other documentary evidence does not exist to support their claims. (iii) Cases with Business Registration Certificates but which do not conduct business. (iv) Cases occupying premises acquired with vacant possession.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, businesses and industries affected by public development schemes are given resettlement benefits in accordance with the prevailing Resettlement policy. Eligible cases are allocated alternative office, shop, or industrial premises, depending on the type of activity. The HDB provides industrial premises for the relocation of a wide cross-section of industries affected by resettlement action. These industries include engineering, carpentry, motor-repairing and food manufacturing. However, it is not possible for the HDB to meet the requirements of some industries, a good example of which is boat-building. Boat-builders traditionally make small "sampans" or "tongkangs". As this is a declining trade and as boat-builders require scarce water-frontage land, the HDB is unable to provide alternative accommodation for them. Boat-builders affected by resettlement need to upgrade their activities to qualify for JTC industrial land or change their trades to those which can be conducted in HDB industrial estates. Large warehouses are usually not eligible for alternative premises because most of them are acquired with vacant possession. Owners of such warehouses can tender for URA sales sites reserved for warehouse construction, if they require alternative premises. Small storage facilities acquired on encumbered basis will be allocated alternative storage premises in HDB industrial estates, if the owners can prove that they qualify for such alternative accommodation. The relocation of affected businesses and industries depends on the urgency to clear the site and the supply of alternative accommodation. The Resettlement Department takes great pains to resettle businesses, wherever possible, near the residences of their owners.”
“The figure I mentioned is the latest figure - that the HDB maintains 5,559 lifts. We do knock down flats and so on. So there may be variations. RESETTLEMENT OF SMALL BUSINESSMEN (Alternative premises) 5. Mr Ng Kah Ting asked the Minister for National Development (a) if he will give suitable alternative premises to small businessmen and those persons engaged in businesses like boat-building, warehousing and food manufacturing who are affected by resettlement and whether he will consider re-locating them to places close to their residence; and (b) whether he is aware that, in some cases, those affected are not given any alternative sites.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I am not quite sure what figure he is referring to.”
“This is really a technical problem. In fact, I think we may have to ask the manufacturers how they are going to improve on the performance of their products. Nothing is perfect. But where technical improvements can be made or suggested to the manufacturers, I am sure my Ministry will be happy to do so. Also, the ARDs come from different suppliers. Some are more reliable than others. We will attempt to use the more reliable ones.”
“CRIMINAL PROCEDURE CODE (AMENDMENT) BILL "to amend the Criminal Procedure Code (Chapter 113 of the Revised Edition)", presented by the Minister for Law (Mr E.W. Barker); read the First time; to be read a Second time on the next available sitting of Parliament, and to be printed. REVISED EDITION OF THE LAWS BILL "to make provision for the preparation and publication of a revised edition of the laws of Singapore, for the annual revision thereof and for matters connected therewith", recommendation of President signified, presented by Mr E.W. Barker; read the First time; to be read a Second time on the next available sitting of Parliament, and to be printed. SUPPLY BILL "to provide for the issue from the Consolidated Fund of the sums necessary to meet the estimated expenditure for the financial year 1st April, 1983, to 31st March, 1984", recommendation of President signified; presented by the Minister for Trade and Industry (Dr Tony Tan Keng Yam); read the First time; to be read a Second time on the next available sitting of Parliament, and to be printed. SUPPLEMENTARY SUPPLY BILL "for making supplementary provision to meet additional expenditure for the financial year 1st April, 1982, to 31st March, 1983", recommendation of President signified, presented by Dr Tony Tan Keng Yam; read the First time; to be read a Second time on the next available sitting of Parliament, and to be printed. FIRST SUPPLEMENTARY MAIN ESTIMATES OF EXPENDITURE FOR THE FINANCIAL YEAR 1ST APRIL, 1982 TO 31ST MARCH, 1983 (Paper Cmd 1 of 1983) 3.33 p.m. Order read for consideration in Committee of Supply (Allotted Day). [Mr Speaker in the Chair]”
“On the first part of the question, I have to check with my officers on this particular point whether ,a notice is actually displayed. But it is a well - known fact that once our officers move in, all the residents in that area are aware unless the person is someone who is trying to gatecrash, maybe somebody from Anson trying to get in at the last minute. These are the people we have to cut out. Only genuine cases are considered. We have, in fact, relaxed the rules already, as explained before. But there is a long waiting list of 100,000 people waiting for flats. Why should these people who come in at the last minute be given consideration? The Member says that they are ignorant. But who is to tell whether he is telling the truth, because everybody in that area knows that the census has been taken. There has been a Gazette Notification and so on. So if these people move in, is the Member saying that we should bend the rules to accommodate them? As for the second part of his question, I think this has been dealt with at length in previous debates and there is really no need for me to go into this point again. The Member for Anson seems always to be championing the rights of people who break our rules. I do not see why we should make any changes just to accommodate these people. Mr Speaker: Order. It is now 3.30 p.m., end of Question Time. (See section 'Oral Answers to Questions Not Reached (Cols. 435 - 440)) BILLS INTRODUCED INCOME TAX (AMENDMENT) BILL "to amend the Income Tax Act (Chapter 141 of the Revised Edition)", recommendation of President signified, presented by the Minister for Finance (Mr Hon Sui Sen); read the First time; to be read a Second time on the next available sitting of Parliament, and to be printed.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, there is only one minute left. Do you want me to answer his question now, or shall I send him a written answer?”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, prior to 22nd March 1979, all squatters who were single as at the date of Gazette Notification of Acquisition were not eligible for priority to purchase HDB flats. The date of Gazette Notification was taken as the cut-off date for resettlement eligibility. Such persons would only be allocated one-room rental flats jointly with at least another single person. On 22nd March, 1979, the Government relaxed this rule to give re-housing priority to single persons who contract marriage after the cut-off date but before the last day of the resettlement census survey. However, those who got married after the census survey will not be granted resettlement priority. They will only be allocated 1 -room rental flats. Not all squatters found on the site affected by resettlement automatically qualify for re-housing priority. A squatter affected by resettlement action must satisfy the following criteria to qualify for priority: (i) He must prove his residence on the site before the cut-off date by way of the address in his identity card or through some acceptable document issued by Government Departments. (ii) He must be a Singapore citizen not below the age of 21. (iii) He must have an approved family nucleus living on the site before the cut-off date. (iv) At least one other member of his family must be a Singapore citizen or permanent resident.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, this will be one of the factors which we will consider in our review. RE-HOUSING PRIORITY FOR RESETTLEMENT CASES (Single persons who got married before clearance) 14. Mr Ng Kah Ting asked the Minister for National Development (a) if he will give re-housing priority to single persons who are affected by resettlement and who subsequently got married before being cleared; and (b) if he will state the criteria of re-housing priority to purchase Housing and Development Board flats.”
“The compensation rates are made up of a whole mixed bag of items. There are fruit trees, concrete structures, and so on. So I do not think it is quite fair to relate one to the other. This proposal has been made in the past that we should, in fact, index the compensation rates to HDB flat prices. But I think you will agree these two are not actually or completely a one-to-one relationship.”
“Sir, I think the two things may not be quite related. The figure I gave was the Consumer Price Index. Here, we are talking about the cost increases of HDB flats on contracts which have already been awarded and actually dependent also on some of the past years' inflation rates.”
“Sir, I think hon. Members will recall that in his announcement, the Minister for National Development mentioned that the increase in the prices of HDB flats for 3- and 4-room flats will not exceed 7 1/2% this year and next year and at most 10% for 5-room flats this year and next year. At the moment we do not yet know what the increase will be. These figures represent the upper limits and until that time, I think the compelling reason is not there. Even then the proposed increases, I think you will agree with me, are very moderate.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, resettlement compensation rates were revised twice in the last 24 months. In March 1981, rates were increased by 30% across-the-board. In December 1981, rates were again increased by 50% for squatter houses and ancillary farm structures. Inflation during 1982 has been low, amounting to only 3.9%. There is, therefore, no compelling reason for another upward revision of resettlement compensation. The current compensation rates are still adequate. Nevertheless, I wish to assure the hon. Member for Punggol that resettlement rates are regularly reviewed by my Ministry and will be increased when the need arises. As regards the second part of the Member's question, as a general rule, the Resettlement Department releases ex gratia compensation to squatters soon after they accept alternative HDB accommodation. However, delays in the payment of resettlement compensation sometimes occur. The assessment of compensation is both time-consuming and tedious. Improvements belonging to each squatter have to be recorded, measured in prescribed ways, and assessed for payment according to prevailing rates. These assessments require the verification and approval of the HDB's internal auditor before payments can be made. As far as possible, the Resettlement Department will expedite payments to squatters after they accept allocation of HDB flats.”
“Mr Ng Kah Ting asked the Minister for National Development, since it is the declared policy of the Government to periodically review the rates of compensation for those affected by resettlement, (a) if his Ministry will now consider an upward revision of existing rates in the light of inflation; and (b) whether his Ministry will expedite the payment of compensation during clearance.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, there are no plans yet for the redevelopment of the areas occupied by the former British Army Quarters along Ayer Rajah Road, namely, at Medway Park, Wessex Estate and Hyderabad Road. However, these areas are suitable for comprehensive redevelopment, should there be a need for more intensive residential use in the longer term. Certain portions have been safeguarded for University and Science Park expansion. There are 234 flats and semi-detached houses in Wessex Estate. These buildings are still in good condition. They are now let out to the public by HDB. To cope with the projected increase in traffic between the City and Jurong, the PWD is implementing the Ayer Rajah Expressway project. This expressway will stretch from Shenton Way in the east to Jurong Town Hall Road in the west. Phase I of the project between Shenton Way and Gillman Circus is expected to be completed by the end of 1985. Phase II of the project involves the widening of Ayer Rajah and Upper Ayer Rajah Roads, and the construction of interchanges at the junctions with North Buona Vista Road, Clementi Road and Jurong Town Hall Road. This phase of the project is under planning. It is expected to commence in late 1984 and will be completed by mid-1987. When the Ayer Rajah Expressway is completed, most of the Jurong-bound traffic from the City will make use of this Expressway and congestion along Pasir Panjang Road will be relieved. It is, therefore, not necessary to widen Pasir Panjang Road now. RESETTLEMENT COMPENSATION (Revision of rates) 13.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I think the proper person to answer this question is the Minister for Finance. REDEVELOPMENT OF AREAS OCCUPIED BY FORMER BRITISH ARMY QUARTERS ALONG AYER RAJAH ROAD AND WIDENING OF PASIR PANJANG ROAD AND AYER RAJAH ROAD 12. Encik Abbas Abu Amin asked the Minister for National Development whether his Ministry has any plans to (a) develop the areas occupied by the former British Army Quarters along Ayer Rajah Road, namely at Medway Park, Wessex Estate and Hyderabad Road; and (b) widen Pasir Panjang Road and Ayer Rajah Road so as to alleviate traffic congestion along these two main approaches to the Jurong Industrial Estate.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, my Ministry works closely with the Singapore Tourist Promotion Board in monitoring the situation in hotel rooms. Previously, they were projecting a 10% per annum increase in tourist arrivals, but in 1982 the number of arrivals was about three million persons. The increase was only 4.5%. 1 believe the Singapore Tourist Promotion Board is now making new projections and monitoring the situation. Nobody really knows how many new arrivals there will be in the next few years. Of course, right now with the recession, the outlook is not very good. But they will have to look into it and nobody really knows until the time comes. So from these figures, it is possible that there will be some surplus rooms. But this will be good for the tourist industry. In fact, as you will recall, over the last three years, the room rates went up very rapidly because of the tight situation. And if this were to slacken somewhat, I think it will help us to promote tourism in Singapore.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, as at 1st January, 1983, there were 130 hotels with 15,724 rooms and 10 boarding houses with 98 rooms, licensed by the Hotels Licensing Board. Based on planning applications that have been approved by my Ministry, the number of new hotels expected to be operational from 1983 to 1987 is as follows: ______________________________________________________________ Year 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 Total ______________________________________________________________ New 6* 9 6 7 8 36 Hotels ______________________________________________________________ *Including 2 boarding houses. If all the approved new hotels and extensions to existing hotels are implemented as planned, the number of new rooms expected to be available each year from 1983 to 1987 is as follows:- ______________________________________________________________ Year 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 Total ______________________________________________________________ Expected No. of 1,163 4,376 3,185 4,730 5,511 18,965 new rooms available ______________________________________________________________”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, in 1982, the Housing and Development Board dealt with a total of 93 cases of abuse of public housing, involving 32 rental flats and 61 sold flats. The tenancies of nine rental flats were terminated and 29 sold flats were repossessed. Legal action is still in progress against the tenants of 23 rental flats and the lessees of 32 sold flats. It is impossible for the HDB to conduct daily inspections on each of the 400,000 dwelling units under its management in order to detect or prevent abuses. However, the HDB carries out spot checks on flats at periodic intervals. The Board also works closely with the Police and the Central Narcotics Bureau to identify premises used for drugs and for immoral or illegal purposes. All complaints received from the public on the misuse of flats are also investigated. HOTELS AND BOARDING HOUSES (Figures) 11.”
“MILITARY MANOEUVRES (AMENDMENT) BILL "to amend the Military Manoeuvres Act (Chapter 232 of the Revised Edition)", presented by the Minister of State of Defence (Dr Yeo Ning Hong); read the First time; to be read a Second time on the next available sitting of Parliament, and to be printed. TRADE UNIONS (AMENDMENT) BILL 3.35 p.m. Order for Second Reading read.”
“Sir, the income ceiling for 1- and 2-room rental flats has already been raised, I think, from $500 to $800 and those applicants on the 3-room rental flats waiting list have been allowed to switch from 3-room to 1- and 2-room flats. 3.30 p.m. Pursuant to Standing Order 21 (2), Written Answers to Questions Nos. 13-22 remaining on the Order Paper are reproduced at the section 'Oral Answers to Questions Not Reached' (Cols. 313-26). BILLS INTRODUCED BANKING (AMENDMENT) BILL "to amend the Banking Act (Chapter 182 of the Revised Edition)", presented by the First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education (Dr Goh Keng Swee); read the First time; to be read a Second time on the next available sitting of Parliament, and to be printed. DEVELOPMENT LOAN BILL "to authorise a sum of fifteen thousand million dollars to be raised by way of loan for the purposes of the Development Fund", recommendation of President signified; presented by Dr Goh Keng Swee; read the First time; to be read a Second time on the next available sitting of Parliament and to be printed. ESTATE DUTY (AMENDMENT) BILL 'to amend the Estate Duty Act (Chapter 137 of the revised Edition)", recommendation of President signified; presented by the Minister for Finance (Mr Hon Sui Sen); read the First time; to be read a Second time on the next available sitting of Parliament, and to be printed. STATUTES (MISCELLANEOUS AMENDMENTS) BILL "to amend certain statutes of the Republic of Singapore", presented by the Minister of State for Law and Home Affairs (Prof. S. Jayakumar); read the First time; to be read a Second time on the next available sitting of Parliament, and to be printed.”
“Sir, this question has been dealt with previously and reported in the press. I think my Minister has clarified that, from the records, people who apply for 3-room rental flats, in fact, have an average income of about the same as those who buy 3-room flats. Some of the applicants who buy 3-room flats also do not have CPF. But it is a matter of self-discipline for these people. Many of them are hawkers and taxi drivers who fritter their money away. Our policy is really to try to encourage this group of people to save, and it is in their long-term interest to buy their own flat. Basically the Government is promoting home-owner-ship. So we have to adopt this policy. If these people are willing to save, they will be able to afford a 3-room flat.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I can only say that, of course, the HDB is doing its best to resolve the housing problem. The Member's question was whether this figure takes into account the resettlement cases. My answer is yes. But I cannot promise him that we will achieve everything because it depends on the rate of construction and so on. But the HDB will definitely do its best to cut down the waiting period.”
“Sir, the answer is yes, the resettlement cases have been considered. But the point I want to make is that this is only possible after the present abnormal situation with a very long waiting list of 108,000 applicants has been cleared. After that has been achieved sometime in 1984-85, then we should revert back to normal. Members may recall that in the past the waiting period was as short as two years, or three years in some cases.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, in 1981, the average waiting time for 1- and 2-room rental flats was about 1 to 1 1/2" years and that for 3-room rental flats was 5 to 6 years. The average waiting time for sale flats was 3 1/2 to 4 years. The waiting period for rental flats is expected to increase to 1 1/2 to 2 years for 1-and 2-room units, and 7 to 8 years for 3-room units. On the other hand, the waiting period for sale flats is expected to shorten to 2 to 3 years after the backlog has been cleared. The Government's policy is to encourage home-ownership of flats. In line with this policy, the HDB has stopped construction of new rental flats. Applicants for rental flats will be allocated flats only when tenancies of existing flats are terminated. The waiting time for 3-room rental flats is very long because the supply of such flats is declining as more sitting tenants buy over these flats. Applicants who wish to stay in 3-room flats are encouraged to buy rather than rent them. In view of the shortage of 3-room rental flats, the HDB has closed its 3-room rental register on 9th September, 1982. The waiting period for sale flats is expected to shorten to 2 to 3 years because the HDB has accelerated its building programme and expects to complete 140,000 units of flats between 1982 and 1985. Various measures have been taken to speed up construction, including the introduction of prefabricated housing.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the HDB is aware of the shortage of car parking lots in Radin Mas Constituency which covers Telok Blangah Neighbourhoods I and 11. Various measures have been taken to ease the parking shortage. For Neighbourhood I the HDB provided an additional 25 kerbside parking lots in April 1982. In Neighbourhood 11, 130 car parking lots and 10 lorry/bus parking lots were introduced along Telok Blangah Rise on 1st December, 1982. RENTAL AND SALE FLATS (Waiting time) 12. Encik Mansor Haji Sukaimi asked the Minister for National Development what was the average waiting time for the allocation of rental and sale flats during the year 1981; and whether the waiting time will be reduced and, if so, what is the extent of reduction and the reasons why the reduction is possible.”
“To relieve the shortage of lorry park lots, the HDB has provided 146 kerbside lots in industrial parks at Ang Mo Kio and another 19 lots along Street 12. These lots were completed between August and November 1982. Another 94 lorry park lots will be introduced in Ang Mo Kio Neighbourhood Ill by December 1982 and 15 at Industrial Park 11 by March 1983. Meanwhile, a long-term solution to the parking problems of goods vehicles is under study. The URA is conducting an island-wide survey to assess the extent of the problem. The results of this survey, together with studies conducted by an Inter-Departmental Committee comprising the URA, Traffic Police, Registry of Vehicles and Public Works Department, will form the basis for the formulation of a comprehensive island-wide parking policy. PARKING FACILITIES IN RADIN MAS (Measures to increase) 11. Mr M.K.A. Jabbar asked the Minister for National Development whether the Housing and Development Board has any plans to increase car parking facilities in HDB estates like Radin Mas as the residents in these estates are facing acute parking problems.”
“As a result, HDB residents who own their vehicles have to compete for parking space with residents who do not own the vehicles they drive. The HDB's surveys show that there are 17,400 light vehicles in Ang Mo Kio. About 71% or 12,300 are cars while the rest are light goods vehicles. The majority of goods vehicles are driven but not owned by residents. The present number of 16,200 car park lots in Ang Mo Kio would have been more than sufficient to cater for the cars had there not been so many goods vehicles. The HDB could not have anticipated the steep increase in demand for parking by goods vehicles when the plan for Ang Mo Kio was drawn up. It is not realistic for residents to expect the HDB to solve any parking problems in housing estates immediately when there is an increase in the number of vehicles. In some of the built-up estates, there may be insufficient land for additional parking lots. The only solution in such estates is to build multistorey car parks. But multi-storey car parks are very costly. To fully recover the construction and maintenance costs of such car parks, the HDB will have to increase the season parking fee from $15 to $164 per month for such car parks. Fortunately, Ang Mo Kio does not face the problem of insufficient space. The HDB will build more surface car parks there. A survey completed in October 1981 revealed an overall shortage of 1,200 car park lots. The HDB has begun construction on 1,246 off-street car park lots in various parts of Ang Mo Kio, of which 672 will be completed by the end of this year. The balance will be ready by March 1983. The HDB has also introduced 156 kerbside parking lots along Street 44 and 85 lots along Street 22.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the HDB plans to build about 400 units of 5-room and Executive flats on the piece of land at Lorong 1, Toa Payoh, which is vacant at present. The tender will be called in October 1983. To facilitate the development, part of Lorong 1 adjoining the site will be expunged and amalgamated with the vacant land. Traffic flowing from Lorong 1 to Braddell Road will be slightly diverted to the right before turning left into the slip road towards Braddell Road flyover. Traffic from Braddell Road towards Lorong 1 will flow in the opposite direction. To regulate the traffic flow, two traffic signals will be set up, one at the junction of Lorong 1 and Lorong 4, and the other at the junction of Lorong 6 and the slip road to Braddell Road. The HDB will send the Member for Boon Teck a plan of the proposed traffic circulation for his information. PARKING PROBLEM IN ANG MO KIO (Steps to alleviate) 10. Mr S. Chandra Das asked the Minister for National Development whether the Housing and Development Board has any immediate plans to alleviate the acute parking problems for both cars and lorries in HDB estates like Ang Mo Kio. Mr Lee Yock Suan (for the Minister for National Development): Mr Speaker, Sir, the parking problem in Ang Mo Kio is a relatively recent one. Until two or three years ago, HDB residents have generally enjoyed adequate parking facilities. Since 1979, the number of heavy and light goods vehicles in Singapore has increased by 77%. The sharp increase of goods vehicles is the main factor swelling the demand for parking space in HDB estates. This is because more and more goods vehicles owned by businesses are driven home by employees after work and parked in HDB estates where the majority of them live.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I am not a lawyer like the Member for Anson. But, if I may repeat the last part of my answer, what I said was that it is absurd to suggest that these rules deny citizens the fundamental liberties enshrined in the Constitution or that they discriminate against citizens on grounds of race or religion. If the Member for Anson feels strongly that these rules do indeed violate the Constitution, he is free to take this matter to a court of law to let it be decided by the court. LAND AT LORONG 1, TOA PAYOH (Development) 9. Mr Liew Kok Pun asked the Minister for National Development (a) whether, in order to make full use of the land area in Boon Teck Constituency, there is any public housing programme for development of the large piece of circular land at Lorong 1, Toa Payoh opposite San Shan School; (b) if so, whether the Housing. and Development Board will consider building 5-room or executive flats there in order to provide a better socio-economic mix of public housing in Boon Teck Constituency; and (c) if the housing programme for that area has been finalised, whether the Minister will give details of it and indicate how the traffic flow in that part of Boon Teck Constituency will be modified.”
“Sir, the HDB will of course consider each case of arson or vandalism carefully before deciding on appropriate action. For example, there was a recent case of a 13-year old girl who regularly urinated in a HDB lift in Telok Blangah before she was caught committing the offence by an HDB inspector. She was not of unsound mind but for some unknown reason she habitually dirtied the lift, much to the annoyance and discomfort of other residents who had to use the lift. As she was only a minor, the family was severely warned but not evicted. After the warning the offence stopped. I give the example to show that the HDB will, of course, consider the facts of every case. On the point whether there is any legislation enabling the HDB to make these rules and to debar these people, the answer is yes. It is in the Housing and Development Act. I have explained why we need to have rules to debar certain categories of people and to deny them the privilege of this housing. But the Member's original question was whether they iolate the Constitution. To that question, I have given my answer, which is, that they do not violate the Constitution.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I must point out that when State lands or acquired lands are to be developed, the Resettlement Department has to follow prescribed legal requirements and procedures to clear the land. The hon. Member for Kaki Bukit has previously raised this matter with my Ministry. He has been told the reasons for this legal process and he has reassured the affected residents in his constituency that the Government's intention is not to inconvenience them or to evict the eligible residents before alternative accommodation is available. However, for the benefit of the Member for Anson, who appears ignorant of the legal requirements, I shall now describe the various steps in the clearance process. Notices to Remove or Notices to Quit are first issued against squatters on the land. These are formal notices to the squatters that they have to vacate the site. Upon expiry of the notices, legal action has to be instituted under the State Lands Encroachments Act for the issuance of summonses. However, the squatters need not attend court in person to answer the charge of unlawful occupation of State land if they plead guilty by means of a standard written statement supplied by the Resettlement Department which provides assistance and advice to the squatters to complete this legal process unless they wish to contest the charges in court. Invariably more than 90% of the squatters follow this procedure and are therefore not inconvenienced. 3.30 p.m.”