Lim Kim San
Singapore
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the Public Utilities Board's investigation shows that the residents of Pulau Ubin are unwilling to pay higher prices due to higher operating costs, thereby causing the contractor to cease operations. It was explained to the hon.”
“Sir, I understand the Member's point, but I hope he realises that six months after serving notice, the pigs will still be defecating freely which will continue to contaminate our water.”
“Sir, if anyone should get sick from coming into contact with contaminated water, I hope they will accept sympathy from the Member for Jurong. But we cannot evaluate the danger to human life in terms of dollars and cents. The farmers have known for several years now that pig-rearing will have to be phased out of the catchment areas.”
“Sir, all I can say is that we are still looking into the feasibility of siting a coal-fired station on one of the islands to reduce the pollution problem. But no definite decision has yet been made. We have several offers to do a feasibility study on it, and we are looking closely into the matter. 5.45 p.m.”
“Merit Scholar- Merit Courses ships Bursaries Medicine/ Dentistry 44 41 Engineering 28 22 Architecture/ Building/ Estate Management 6 18 Accountancy/ Business Administration 9 14 Arts/Social Science/Law 32 40 Science (includes Pharmacy) 82 102 ___ ___ 201 237 === === Sir, I believe the hon.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, air pollution is being monitored daily by the Anti- Pollution Unit, and we find that the air pollution in industrial estates and the urban areas is normally higher than in the residential or rural areas.”
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Every one of 1,111 lines we hold for Lim Kim San, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 7 of 23.
“It is about half a mile from Chua Chu Kang cemetery.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the workers who are being transferred to Chua Chu Kang cemetery from Bidadari have all been offered quarters, but none of them has accepted. So it is no fault of the Ministry that they are running into difficulties in going to their place of work because we have offered them quarters and they have turned down the offer. We have tried to make things easy for them but the offer has been turned down. What can we do!”
“Sir, we are clearing 1,200 tons of refuse per day! The Member for Anson is a very hard man to convince. Here again, I would invite him to the dumping ground at Tampines to see how the rubbish is being weighed. We are doing our best to collect the rubbish, and it is 1,200 tons on the average per day. Sir, if the Member does not believe what I say, it is best for him to go to the Tampines dumping ground and watch the lorries come in. And if he can stand the stench for a day there, he will be able to check on 1,200 tons of rubbish collected daily.”
“Sir, I did not invite the Member to go round checking. I invited him to spend a day in my Operations room because he says that the figures exist in my imagination. I do go round, and that is why I am able to say that in certain instances we collect rubbish three or four times in a day. And there are also places where, after collection, in two hours we find the whole place filled with rubbish. The Member is shaking his head. I can guarantee him that I will spend one day there. Haji Mohd. Ariff(In Malay): Sir, I refer to the dustbins which are attached to lamp posts. These dustbins, which are provided by the Ministry of the Environment, are damaged and have not been replaced.”
“Sir, I think it is up to the householder to make good the bins that have been spoilt or destroyed. Our workers have all along been told to be very careful with the refuse bins when they do their collection. Probably in their haste to rid themselves of the dirt on the dustbin, they put it down quickly. I quite agree that there have been many instances where workers just carelessly throw the bins into the van and then throw them down again, causing damage. Anyway we are trying to instill into our workers a sense of paying more regard to the household bins. My own dustbins have also been damaged on many occasions.”
“In the past they had been able to get away by just throwing the sawdust anywhere. But with the setting up of the Ministry of the Environment, such liberty and freedom to pollute our environment must not be allowed. Sir, I hope I have answered all the questions raised.”
“There were instances where we had to collect three or four times a day from one place. I would ask Members to have a look at Queen Street. Two hours after removal, all the bins are filled again. So this is not an easy job, but we are doing our best. Once we find that we have access to the roads, the bins would be removed and the normal method of collection would take place. On the complaint of mosquitoes, I must say that everybody is complaining about mosquitoes. We must have mosquitoes in our tropical climate. We cannot eliminate them. We have anti-mosquito campaigns and, as usual, after the campaign people forget. Anyway, I am glad to inform the Member for Anson that at present the mosquito situation is under control. We make random visits to houses and to sites every month and during the last two months, the incidence of mosquito breeding has gone down. It is round about two per cent and is under control. Of course, we can have campaign after campaign. But if we have it too often and too long a period for each campaign, it becomes non-productive. And there are other departments which may also want to carry out their own campaigns. In reply to the Member for Kim Keat as to whether we will build incinerators or provide places for people to dispose of their rubbish by burning, if he has been following the news lately he would have come across an item in the papers which states that we are building an incinerator costing about $50 million. But that apart, the question of waste disposal of sawdust from sawmills is quite a problem. Wherever possible, we suggest to the sawmillers to get together and construct an incinerator to burn their refuse without polluting the air. Actually we encourage that.”
“There are 260 routes all over Singapore where refuse collection is made, and the vehicles make an average of 400 trips a day. This is the volume of work on a normal day. On festival days, or particularly during the durian season, the volume of rubbish goes up to nearly 2,000 tons per day. During festival days when other citizens in Singapore are enjoying themselves, or during the durian season when they are eating and enjoying durian, the officers in the Ministry of the Environment work over-time to clear up the rubbish. Every effort is being made to see that the City is kept clean. We are one of the few authorities in the world which go out daily to collect refuse. There may come a time when because of traffic jams caused by commuters, each driving alone in one car and because of a shortage of labour, we may require the householder, as is being done in some other countries, to packet his rubbish and wait outside the house at a certain time of the day to catch the van when it passes by to put the rubbish in. If the householder is not there at that time, it is just too bad. He will have to bring the garbage back, keep it in the house, and live with the smell. We have not reached that stage yet, but we are doing everything we can to prevent this inconvenience to householders. 5.45 p.m. The Member also spoke about over-spilling of bins. Bins are provided in markets at a central spot where the surrounding areas are inaccessible because of the narrow streets or because of bad roads. The bins provided at such places are sufficient for the normal volume of refuse. But some tradesmen Sir, tradesmen now have to pay more to have their refuse removed if it exceeds a certain volume - have surreptitiously dumped their rubbish there, and as a result these bins overspill.”
“It is not theoretical. It is practical. If the Member does not believe me, I invite him to spend one day in our Operations room. In the Operations room we receive complaints from members of the public, but because of the rising standard of cleanliness expected by the public and the campaigns that we have launched, we receive still more complaints. And when they find that their surroundings are not clean or where there is rubbish, they phone us up and tell us about it. The telephone number of the Operations room is 635111, extensions 232 and 233. If the Member for Anson thinks that this is fictitious and it exists in my imagination or in the imagination of my officers, I do invite him to spend a day there to see the volume of complaints. We have compiled statistics of these complaints and the action that follows. The Member for Anson also asked whether we make an attempt to remove the rubbish on time. The complaints that we receive are divided into several categories. If the refuse is not collected, and people ring us up and complain, we put it under the heading of "Refuse collection". The other categories are: Mosquitoes, flies, drainage, smell, hawkers, overgrown vegetation, dumping of refuse, sewage, non-collection of night-soil, littering, dust, and so on. On the average, we receive about 400 to 500 complaints a month, the least of which is refuse collection - six. It may be that the Member for Anson came across one of those few exceptions where refuse was not collected for the day because there was a shortage of labour for that particular day or where the refuse collecting vehicle has broken down. We collect on the average 1,200 tons daily. It is normal for us to collect 1,200 tons of refuse a day.”
“I would say that the solution lies in educating the public, especially the younger ones, to form good habits, and not automatically throw an ice-cream wrapper or an ice-cream cup once they have finished their ice-cream. The solution rather is to inculcate in them a sense of civic consciousness .- make them think twice before throwing a piece of paper. Education takes some time to percolate through the whole section of the public. At the moment, because of the shortage of labour, we have already bought and are using 13 mechanical sweepers. Twelve other mechanical sweepers are under order. They will be here soon. I can safely say to the Member for Kampung Kembangan that there has been no let-up at all in street cleansing, and the enforcement section will continue to take action against those littering the streets. Now to reply to the Member for Anson. He has asked whether efforts are being made by the Public Health Division to remove rubbish on time. We are making every effort to remove rubbish on time. I have here the statistics which I receive regularly. They show the number of complaints with regard -”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, it is true that once a public campaign is over, and after a lapse of time, there is slackness on the part of the public with regard to cleanliness of the environment or to prevent mosquitoes from breeding. But I would refute the suggestion of the Member for Kampung Kembangan that we are not concentrating on keeping the streets clean because we are spending time on resettling the hawkers. For his information, we try to clean the streets daily. I think we are one of the few authorities that do this. When a Street is not cleaned or when it is a bit dirty, we do send down teams of our inspectors to go on a blitzkrieg. Occasionally they may come across streets that are dirty and this is probably because the workers for that day are not available. One evidence which points to the fact that we are not slackening our efforts to keep our streets clean is the fact that during the last 12 months 20,000 persons were brought to court for littering. I think we have taken sufficient punitive action by bringing 20,000 persons to court during the course of the year. The solution to the problem here really lies not in the sweeping of the streets, but in educating the public. In my opinion, several of the campaigns, for instance, the "Keep Singapore Green", the "Keep Singapore Clean", and the "Save Water" Campaigns, have been successful. This is because in all the statistics that we have gathered in respect of the campaigns to save water and to keep our streets clean, for instance, indications are that there has been a great improvement. But it takes time.”
“On the point of anti-pollution campaigns, Sir, I would like to assure the Member for Anson that such campaigns will be held from time to time to constantly remind the people of the need to prevent pollution in Singapore and of their social responsibility to help Government in maintaining a clean and healthy environment.”
“These early preventive measures are more effective and economical in the long run. But I would also like to inform the Member for Anson that the Anti-Pollution Unit published a report in 1973, which has been distributed to Members of Parliament, and it covers in detail the activities of the Unit. I would suggest that, if he wants more details, he should refer to the Report. The control of air pollution from buses and taxis, of course, requires constant surveillance. The ROV and the Traffic Police have jurisdiction over this problem, as I have said, and many offenders have been fined in court for running vehicles emitting excessive smoke. The problem now probably is to see that all the buses are on the move, and it is possible that in the ROV's estimate this problem is to be given first priority rather than the problem of cutting down the emission of smoke. Once there are enough buses, probably they will then be more severe upon offenders. It is now a question of transporting the commuter or moving the buses out of the road. Mr Speaker, Sir, the real cause of black smoke actually lies with the running of diesel vehicles, and it is due to the lack of proper operation and lack of maintenance of the engine. If a diesel engine is maintained regularly and properly, there is no reason for it to emit black smoke. To a large extent, Sir, the problem lies in the hands of the owners who should keep their vehicles in good mechanical condition. I can assure the Member for Anson that with better transport services and management, the emission of black smoke will be reduced significantly.”
“Often a choice has to be made: either not to have an industry because it pollutes and so losing the economic advantages, or to have the industry with attendant pollution reduced through control with costly devices, but still giving economic advantages. Having the Unit under the Prime Minister's Office has its advantages in that the competing interests of various Ministries can be more expeditiously resolved. So the Anti-Pollution Unit will continue to remain under the Prime Minister's Office for the time being. The hon. Member for Telok Blangah is right in that enforcement authority for the various anti-pollution measures and control are vested in the various departments at the moment. For instance, the question of bringing smoky buses to book comes under the ROV, and not under my Ministry. And the question of pollution in markets and dirtying of markets, which was under the Ministry of Health, has now been shifted to the Ministry of the Environment. That is another reason why the Anti-Pollution Unit should best be left under the Prime Minister's Office for the time being. Mr Speaker, Sir, my earlier answer to the Member for Telok Blangah refers to some of the main activities of the Anti-Pollution Unit. To answer the Member for Anson, on air pollution, the Unit has been successful in preventing an increase in air pollution level despite rapid industrialisation in the last few years. Many existing factories have improved on their house-keeping and have installed control equipment to abate emissions of pollutants. The Unit has also been successful in seeing that the establishment and allocation of factories are done with due consideration to the environment, especially the pollution problems.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, actually the Anti-Pollution Unit was established in April 1970 and it was under the Prime Minister's Office. It was established initially to look into air pollution control in Singapore. Since then the Unit has set up the necessary machinery and enacted the necessary legislation to control air pollution from various sources. On a wider scope, the Unit is also responsible for: (a) the formulation of pollution control policy, especially those impinging on the industrialisation of Singapore; (b) identification and screening of the larger industries according to their proneness to pollution, and to encourage the setting up of those industries less likely to cause pollution; (c) the study of problems of pollution caused by emissions from motor vehicles; (d) the formulation of standards for environmental pollution control. The Unit has since actively looked into some of these problems, and examples are the establishment and siting of some larger industries, like oil refineries and petro-chemical industries. It also has looked into the problem of hard and soft detergents, pollution by sawmills, pollution by agricultural activities, and pollution by motor vehicles. Mr Speaker. Sir, the Member for Telok Blangah will note that these problems impinge on the responsibilities of many other Government Ministries, departments and statutory bodies. Policies on these matters are carefully considered after consultation with these departments. Thus the Anti-Pollution Unit serves to co-ordinate the departments and statutory bodies involved when it comes to pollution problems.”
“Clearance of those affected by the second phase development of this New Town will be undertaken by the Resettlement Department of the Housing and Development Board after the completion of the first phase which is now in progress. The people who are affected by the development and who qualify for rehousing will be re-accommodated in Housing Board flats in Woodlands New Town itself. Those eligible will receive ex gratia payment under the prevailing resettlement policy. MOTOR INDUSTRY COMPLEX AT KALLANG BASIN (Development of) 3. Encik Abdul Aziz Karim asked the Minister for Law and National Development if the Housing and Development Board will consider developing an appropriate number of motor industry complexes and if such a complex can be developed at Kallang Basin, after taking into consideration that the industry is firmly developed at and around Serangoon Road, Lavender Street and Jalan Besar.”
“Recently, the Ministry participated in a seminar on "Mosquito Control in Construction Sites" in conjunction with the Singapore Contractors' Association, the Singapore Institute of Architects and the Singapore Institute of Engineers. The aim of these talks is to inform and educate the people involved of the dangers of these mosquitoes and seek their co-operation in eradicating this menace. The Ministry has also been issuing press releases over the last few months on the mosquito situation, but I regret to say that the press reports have not given wide publicity, which they deserve, to the warnings on Dengue Haemorrhagic Fever and also on the necessity to take preventive measures. The most effective means of preventing any outbreak of Dengue Haemorrhagic Fever is, of course, to stop mosquito breeding. I must reiterate that the control of mosquitoes is very much the duty and responsibility of householders, contractors and, in fact, all of us. Unless the public plays its part, the present outbreak of Dengue Haemorrhagic Fever may get out of control. LAND ACQUISITION AT SEMBAWANG (Particulars) 2. Mr Teong Eng Siong asked the Minister for Law and National Development if the Government has acquired the 59 lots of land at Sembawang; what is the purpose of the acquisition; when development of the land is expected to take place; and how will the people, who are affected by the acquisition, be compensated and resettled. 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 59 lots referred to by the Member for Sembawang were gazetted on 21st May, 1973, for compulsory acquisition for the second phase of the development of Woodlands New Town.”
“This was necessary to improve administration and to make vector control more effective as mosquito breeding, as Members are all aware, is related to cleansing of the drains. The Vector Control and Research Branch is responsible for research and advising the Districts of the various actions to be taken. The Chief Vector Control Officer is the expert and, since April, he has been advising and co-ordinating operations against mosquito breeding by the Districts. Perhaps it is necessary to explain in detail the type of mosquitoes that we are dealing with. The Aedes mosquitoes, which are the carriers of the Dengue Haemorrhagic Fever, breed in relatively clean water and usually are found in rain water in containers. These are usually found in households, construction sites, and in open spaces, but seldom in polluted, dirty drains. The Culex mosquitoes, which are not the carriers of Dengue Haemorrhagic Fever, breed in polluted water. From the above examples, Members will note that there are thousands of places that these Aedes mosquitoes could breed, and it is near impossible for any authority to carry out a house-to-house search throughout the entire city at any one time, especially when the breeding cycle of mosquitoes is very short, normally one week. The recent increase in mosquito breeding is mainly attributable to the increase in rainfall over the last few months, bad housekeeping in the numerous construction sites as a result of rapid urbanisation, and more generally, the complacency and neglect of the public to take control measures within the premises.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, yes, the Ministry of the Environment is aware of the increase in the incidence of mosquito breeding during the last few months. Since March/April this year, we have stepped up our mosquito surveys and control with search and destroy operations. Nine per cent of the 44,530 household premises were found breeding mosquitoes. In construction sites the situation was even worse. Over 50 per cent of some 2,363 construction sites were also found breeding mosquitoes. Over the last three months alone, some 2,000 orders and 350 summonses were served on households and contractors. The numerous weekly surveys carried out by the Ministry of the Environment have disclosed distinct areas of high incidence of mosquito breeding. Action to eradicate mosquitoes in these areas has commenced with the application of swing-fogging with a non-toxic insecticide into each and every premises. So far about 4,000 premises in Outram Road, Tiong Bahru, Jalan Bukit Merah and Geylang have been so treated. The operation will continue in Rochore and Beach Road areas. From the above statistics, it can be seen that far from being inactive, as suggested by the Member for River Valley, my Ministry has taken firm action against mosquito breeders. I am not aware of any recent reorganisation of the vector control services. The control of mosquitoes has always been under the Districts and under the charge of Assistant Commissioners. In 1971, there was a reorganisation of the Vector Control Section of the Districts in that the Sections were brought under the charge of the Senior Public Health Inspectors in charge of cleansing.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, as I have said, I will leave the option to them. Tuan Haji Mohd. Ariff(In Malay): With this explanation, I beg leave to withdraw. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. The sum of $53,141,850 for Head 0801 ordered to stand part of the Main Estimates. The sum of $36,194,100 for Head 0801 ordered to stand part of the Development Estimates.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I am not good at working out time-tables. But if he says that there is going to be development there, so be it. There will be sewers. I hope that will satisfy him. And if he says that that part of Tampines is in Punggol, well, he lives there and he knows better.”
“If that is so, there is hope for him, but I cannot tell him definitely whether this is in the Punggol area. I have not been there. But where the Housing and Development Board has a housing project, there is sewerage. Mr Ng Kah Ting: Sir, in that case, I must say that the Minister has been misinformed. That part of Tampines Road definitely comes under Punggol area, because I happen to live there, and I am also required under Acquisition order to move. The Minister may say that Punggol rates very low in priority for a sewerage scheme. All I am asking is: when will this sewerage scheme be extended to the Upper Serangoon constituency, in which there is a great deal of development going on, and whether it will ultimately extend to Punggol constituency?”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the Member for Punggol is going to be very disappointed. At the moment it is not likely that the sewerage scheme will be extended to the Punggol area. Under our sewerage scheme, we are undertaking to sewer the whole of Singapore in as short a time as possible. For this, we require a lot of money. It is quite costly to sewer, and we must get loans from the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD). As Members know, when the IBRD lends money for any project, it must be economically feasible. Comparatively speaking, Punggol has a lower density of population than the other areas of Singapore. Therefore, to sewer the area there is not economically feasible. I think Punggol has a very low priority in our sewerage scheme. But if something should happen, such as a major development in Punggol, perhaps this question can be reviewed. Moreover, Punggol is in a very low-lying area, and it will cost quite a lot of money to sewer such areas.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, there is no doubt that where work has not been properly done, it will be rectified. Tuan Haji Mohd. Ariff(In Malay): I beg leave to withdraw. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.”
“Therefore, though water is precious, the health of our citizens is more precious. Tuan Haji Mohd. Ariff(In Malay): Mr Speaker, Sir, the drains I referred to are the drains which had been made in the developed areas, at Lorong Maideen, Lorong Melayu, etc. These drains were made under section 19 of the Local Government Integration Act with funds collected from the owners. However, these drains, for which the owners have paid, have not been properly made and, as a result, water does not flow properly. Will the Minister concerned consider improving these drains without any extra cost, because this has been fixed by the PWD?”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I think the Member for Kampung Kembangan will recall that a large number of drainage improvement projects have been completed in his constituency. For example, there are two main drainage outlets, one along Jalan Kembangan and the other along Jalan Wijaya, not to mention a number of subsidiary drainage projects which have been completed. As 1 have said just now in reply to certain questions raised by him under another subhead, there is going to be a major development in his area, and there is no point in spending money on improving drains when they will only be temporary. However, where it is found that a minor improvement could improve the drainage, and where it is feasible to do so, money will be spent on it. But where a major development will affect the drainage, then we will just do a little bit of repair work. With regard to using potable water to flush the drains, I would like to say that this practice has been stopped for almost a year. We have not used potable water to flush drains, unless for health reasons we have to use potable water, for example, in the markets and crowded hawker centres. Much as we like to use effluent water to flush drains, it is not safe to do so because it might contaminate the food. At the moment effluent water is not as clean or as pure and sterile as potable water. We are, however, working on a system of tertiary treatment of effluent water. By further treatment, we hope to be able to bring it up to the standard of potable water. By then we could probably use effluent water for flushing. But at the moment to use effluent water for flushing drains would endanger the health of our citizens. In the process of flushing, sprays of effluent water may drop on to the food or may spill on to passers-by.”
“But I know that a lot of drains are being flushed with potable water from hydrants. Why cannot these drains be flushed with effluent water transported by lorries? Is this not one of the ways to waste water which is, of course, precious? 4.00 p.m.”
“Sir, contrary to what the Member for Kampung Kembangan may think, the Siglap canal is being maintained regularly. I agree there is a lot of sand. This is largely because of the development and earth-works going on in the area there. When there is heavy rain, sand gets washed into the canal, and this problem is accentuated by the sand-bar at the south-end of the canal. However, steps arc being taken to widen the canal and to bring the peak fall beyond the sand-bar into a deeper part of the sea, so that the sand that goes through will not pile up on the sand-bar and thus block the canal. The work is in hand. That is the reason why $600,000 is required for it. Tuan Haji Mohd. Ariff(In Malay): Sir, in view of the explanation given, I beg leave to withdraw. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. Tuan Haji Mohd. Ariff(In Malay): Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head 0801 be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead 42. Sir, the provision allocated for Minor Drainage Improvement is $450,000, as compared with $300,000 last year. With the extra provision of $150,000 this year, I hope the drains in most of the roads in Kampung Kembangan can be repaired. For example, the drains on both sides of Changi Road have broken down and the same condition can be said for the drains along the roads made under section 19 of the Local Government Integration Act. The drains are not properly made. As a result, water cannot flow properly, so much so that the owners of land in the area had to pay for the repair of roads and drains in front of their houses. This is because the drains are not properly constructed resulting in poor water drainage. Mr Speaker, Sir, the Minister has said just now that water is precious and that we should not waste water.”
“Sir, it is a very good sign that people are complaining about smell. It means they are becoming aware of the need for a clean environment, and are more voluble now. However, if you live somewhere near a dumping ground, the smell is just unavoidable. We can keep it to the minimum. I believe the department has been quite efficient, and they have been keeping the smell down to the lowest minimum possible. If you live next to a septic tank, then of course you cannot avoid smelling what is in it. But we are doing everything possible technically, to keep the pollution down to the barest minimum. For the information of the Member, we do spray the dumping ground regularly with anti-malarial or anti-mosquito oil, and insecticides. We do not let the refuse rot to high heaven. We try to keep pollution down to the minimum. It is just too bad if you live in that area where the smell is unavoidable.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, refuse sites are usually located in tidal swamp lands. For obvious reasons, I think it is advisable for me to indicate the actual locations, as the Ministry is in the process of acquiring these lands. We are well aware that with the increase in population and with our limited land space, we have to think of new ways of disposing refuse. So the uses of incinerator and compaction plant are possible ways. But this is something which you are not likely to go ahead with lightly because the cost of the compaction plant and incinerator is in the region of $100 million! There is also the problem of pollution: how big is the incinerator and where is it going to be sited? What sort of compaction plant will you have, and where will you locate it? If you locate the plant at Tampines, the Member for Punggol will again complain because, in addition to the smell, he will get the noise. And if the incinerator is also there, he will get air pollution too. Therefore, this matter needs very careful study by specialists. Anyway, we arc embarking on this study, and it will be some time before we come out with the appropriate method or methods suitable for our use. I hope that answers the question.”
“For example, I have received many complaints from my constituents regarding the stench and breeding of flies in the Tampines refuse dumping ground. I wonder if steps are being taken to eradicate this. As a matter of interest, Sir, the Housing and Development Board is at the present moment, building flats at the Tampines Estate, just next to the Tampines dumping ground. When these flats are ready, and with the present Tampines dumping ground still in existence, and with still more refuse being dumped there, I do not know just what will be the reaction of future residents of this Estate. Sir, under this vote, more land is being acquired for this purpose. In this respect, I would like to know from the Minister when will the refuse incinerator and compaction plant be built, and where will they be sited? I hope it will not be in Punggol again!”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, it is very difficult to exempt payment of refuse fees to only a section of the population. The only thing we can do, Sir, is to see that we have enough people to collect the refuse. There is a shortage of labour. However, we are trying out a new way of collecting waste by encouraging people whose premises are not accessible either to hand-carts or trucks, to put their refuse in paper bags, and dump the bags at the refuse centre. They will probably find this method of refuse disposal much easier. But it will be difficult to exempt a certain portion of the population from paying refuse fees. Probably in the course of development within the next few months or years, the area mentioned by the hon. Member may have a few roads or tracks opened so that the hand-carts can go in. We will look into this matter, but it is impossible to exempt them from payment of fees. Tuan Haji Mohd. Ariff(In Malay): Sir, in view of the explanation given by the Minister, I beg leave to withdraw. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. Mr Ng Kah Ting (Punggol): Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head 0801 be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead 21. Sir, I think acquisition of land for refuse disposal should not be the only means of refuse disposal. At the same time whilst I appreciate the difficulty involved and the time needed for the refuse incinerator and compaction plant to be built, the conventional means of merely dumping trade and household refuse at the refuse disposal sites is both unhealthy and "anti-environment". I am sure the Members will agree with me on this, because this will cause air pollution, not forgetting the stench emanating from the rubbish heaps.”
“Therefore, even if we move them into hawkers centres so long as they are not careful in their personal hygiene, there will be an epidemic and they will have to stop selling. There is going to be a major development in the Kampung Kembangan area. In common with all the other areas where development will take place, there will be plans for markets and hawkers centres in Kampung Kembangan. So if the Member will bide his time, he will have all these developments in his constituency.”
“First, to answer the Member for Sembawang. We are building three hawkers centres: at Empress Place, Telok Ayer Market and North Bridge Road. They are expected to be completed this year. These are the old projects. Tenders for hawkers centres at Jalan Besar and Beach Road are now being called. In addition, there are eight more projects in various parts of Singapore. They will be implemented this year. The above 13 hawkers centres, plus one centre already built at Yung Sheng Road, Jurong, will accommodate about 1,600 hawkers in all, and the estimated cost is about $7.4 million. Coming to the Member for Kampung Kembangan, may I say that the building of a hawkers centre will not stop any epidemic of enteric diseases. I think it is more the practice of personal hygiene. Regardless of whether they are accommodated in a centre or hawking. If hawkers were to practise personal hygiene, they are not likely to spread diseases, and therefore their livelihood and the health of their customers will not be endangered. It is unlikely that they will be ordered to stop selling unless there is a danger of their spreading diseases. For instance, at the last and biggest cholera epidemic outbreak we ever had, there was a total of 114 cases, with three deaths. Twelve carriers were detected. Fortunately, we were able to control the outbreak. Most of the victims ate from hawker stalls. Out of 641 food samples taken from hawkers in the affected area, 357 samples, or more than half of the hawkers were found to sell food contaminated with faecal coliform organisms. These are germs found in faeces of human beings. In other words, you find traces of faeces in the food. These findings indicate that the food handlers had not practised personal hygiene.”
“Sir, if I should close an eye and ask my inspector to close an eye, Members will come up to me and say that my inspectors have been discriminating, "How is it that on such a day, they did not summon so-and-so? And yet today he is being summoned?"”
“However, if there are real cases of discrimination, they can be brought to my notice with specific details and action will be taken. I am very much worried by his request for relaxation of the rules during festive seasons. Once you relax, you allow people to do as they like - illegal hawkers will come in; hawkers will obstruct traffic during festive seasons- and this will become a habit and compound the problem. As it is, we are having great difficulty in keeping these people within the law, it is easy to relax rules, but very hard to bring them back to observing them again. Therefore, we cannot make exceptions even on festival days.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, much as I sympathise with the Member for Changi with regard to the plight of his constituents, the department's policy of not giving new hawker licences is a good one. Otherwise, the policy that we are carrying out now of resiting all bona fide hawkers would go awry. We are already finding great difficulty in resiting bona fide hawkers, i.e, hawkers who were registered prior to 1968. If, at the same time, we are to increase the number of new hawkers, then it would be an impossible job to resite all of them. I doubt very much whether new hawkers can be registered. It is not our policy to encourage hawking as such because it has brought about a lot of pollution. As it is, we are already finding our hands full with controlling whatever pollution there is. 3.30 p.m. We have looked into this problem and, as I have said, the Ministry itself is short of workers. In this respect we have gone down to his area and we have so far employed 50 of those who were retrenched by the British forces. There is no reason why some of these retrenched workers cannot be retrained because quite a large number of new industries are being set up in Changi. If there are real cases of hardship, perhaps they can be brought to my notice. We could employ these people in the Ministry of the Environment to help us clear the rubbish and keep the place clean. The Member for Anson said that he has received many complaints about discrimination by hawker inspectors. The Ministry takes a very serious view of any discriminatory practices by hawker inspectors. Largely, I think the complaint is not so much that they are discriminating; it is perhaps because they have done their job very well.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, in spite of the "Anti-Litter Campaign", people still keep throwing refuse into the drains. As a result, the drains are choked, mosquitoes breed in them, giving rise to smells and all that. We are well aware of the problem, especially with mosquitoes. The health inspectors do go round to persuade contractors to take preventive measures against mosquito breeding. We try to clean the drains as often as possible. But here we must seek the co-operation of the public in trying not to throw refuse or sullage water into the drains so as to block the free flow of water. We are carrying out regular oiling in all these places. The inspectors do go round to the contractors and warn them of the dangers of mosquito breeding. If they do not conform and do not take preventive measures, they are summoned and fined. To assure the Member for Anson, I would like to clarify that mosquitoes commonly found breeding in construction sites are of the Aedes and Culex species, and they are not vectors of malaria. The construction work at Rochore Canal Road has stopped because the original contractor has failed. We have suspended him and we have got a new contractor. The work will resume as soon as the new contractor can get to the work site.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I presume the Member for Changi must be talking about rural areas which are inaccessible either to the vehicles of the Ministry or to hand-carts, because normally where premises are accessible to the Ministry's vehicles, the refuse is collected direct. Where premises are not accessible to the vehicles of the Ministry, the refuse is collected by hand-carts. It is only in places where it is inaccessible either to lorries or to hand-carts that we ask the residents to bring their refuse to the collection centre. I have already mentioned just now that there is a shortage of workers and to remove refuse by hand is labour-intensive. The problem here is to find enough men to do that. However, as I said, we are mechanising, and I hope that with more mechanisation we can make-do with less manual labour. With regard to the complaint about inconsiderate driving by drivers of the Ministry's vehicles along Koh Sek Lim Road, it is difficult to take action. We have asked our inspectors and drivers to be considerate and to be careful in what they do. But if the Member for Changi can give me specific instances of inconsiderate driving, resulting in refuse spilling on to the road, action will be taken.”
“Sir, we try our best to clear all the refuse. But, as I said, during holidays there is usually an increase in absenteeism and also an increase in rubbish because of the rise in the standard of living. The Member for Anson suggested that we remove the rubbish at least twice a day. 1 have known of instances where we remove the rubbish five times a day and the rubbish still keep piling up. We are trying to solve the problem by mechanisation, and if the Member will help us recruit workers, probably the problem could be more easily solved.”
“Sir, this is the first time I have heard of a "water number". What is a water number? Who gives the water number? And with the water number, can you find the addresses? The answer is that, if you do not have numbers to our houses, you do not get water.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I do not number the houses for people.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, let me ask him a question: will he pay for the water consumed by these people? Since they have no house numbers, where can I send the bill to? That is the reason why the Water Department does not approve applications from residents of unnumbered houses, because we cannot send the bill to these people. That is the simple reason. As regards consultation with the URSC, I think we have had none of these problems from any of the other Members, and we do not disconnect the water supply unless the URSC and the CCC are satisfied that there is an alternative water supply. I presume when the CCC says so, it has the benefit of the advice of the Member of Parliament concerned, and unless they say that there is an alternative supply, or there is available an alternative supply, we do not cut off the water supply. We know how difficult it is for people to be without water. Therefore, if the Member for Paya Lebar has really looked into the problem, he would have raised the matter with the CCC and the URSC. We do not cut off water supply without making sure there is an alternative supply. 3.00 p.m.”
“A few others were also prosecuted for open burning of trade waste, thus causing a nuisance. An acid works has also been fined for emitting acidic fumes which exceed the minimum allowed. I think it is advisable for hon. Members to note that open burning of trade and industrial refuse is now prohibited under the Clean Air Act. This Act was gazetted on the 26th of January this year. I would like to assure the Member for Jurong that the Anti-Pollution Unit will continue to closely watch emission from the various factories, and there will be no let up in their surveillance. We will not hesitate to bring the offending factories to court, as most of them have been given more than adequate time to comply with the requirements of the Clean Air Act. As regards pollution in the urban area from motor vehicles, this is being closely watched. The Anti-Pollution Unit is working closely with the Registry of Vehicles on the measures to be taken to control pollution from this source. I am glad also that the Member for Jurong has invited my inspectors to go to Jurong and ticket those people who have been throwing refuse all over the place. I only hope that when summonses arc issued to these offenders, he will not come up to me and ask for the summonses to be waived.”
“Coming to the Member for Jurong, let me say that it is neither the policy nor the duty of the Ministry of the Environment to remove trade or industrial refuse. Removal of trade or industrial refuse is part of the manufacturing process. The Government will try its best to remove refuse from trade premises and from houses daily. It is only when there is an increase in absenteeism of the workers, usually during festivals and holidays, when a greater amount of refuse is discarded that there is a pile-up of refuse. This is perhaps also because of the higher standard of living. It is usual to find that there is an increase in absenteeism during public holidays. And to highlight the problem, the newspapers publish a picture of a refuse heap just before it is removed. I think we are probably one of the few countries in the world where refuse is being removed daily, and it is not our duty to remove industrial refuse or trade waste. If the Member for Jurong said that manufacturers are willing to pay for its removal, I am sure there are many contractors who are willing to remove their refuse for them. As for the fire hazard arising from industrial waste, it is largely because the factories have a very irresponsible attitude: they pile up their refuse and leave it there for quite some time. That is where the hazard lies. I would like to reassure the Member for Jurong and the House again that the air in Singapore, including Jurong, is quite pure. We take measurements regularly and when factories violate anti-pollution requirements, action is taken against them. A number of offenders have been warned. In fact, two of them have been prosecuted under the Clean Air Act, because their chimneys have been emitting an excessive amount of smoke.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I am most happy to learn that the Member for Paya Lebar is now well aware that water is precious. He has further emphasised how precious water is to us in Singapore by enumerating the difficulties which some of his constituents have faced because they suddenly found themselves without water. I think, having understood how precious water is, he will probably understand the reason why we are removing standpipes because a lot of wastage has been caused by these stand-pipes. Sir, the removal of standpipes in the Paya Lebar constituency is not done arbitrarily. I am sure all Members are aware that the Water Department of the Public Utilities Board have, in all instances of the removal of stand-pipes, worked closely with Members of Parliament. The procedure adopted before removing a standpipe is this: the Water Department will consult the Urban and Rural Services Committee which, in turn, will consult the Citizens' Consultative Committee of the area. The Member of Parliament is the adviser to the CCC of his constituency. It is only after these two Committees are satisfied that an alternative supply of water is available, or that there is an alternative supply of water, then and only then will the standpipe be cut off. In the case of the Member for Paya Lebar, I am sure this procedure was followed. As far as I am aware, I have ascertained from the URSC and the CCC that there has been no complaint from him whatsoever. Therefore, I believe there must be a satisfactory alternative supply of water. Anyway, I am glad to note that the problem which he has brought up has made him realise that water is precious, and it is part of his duty to see that he saves water.”
“I do not think so. The Minister only replied that "we are doing everything possible to see that it is all right." But the Minister, in replying to my question, should have said, "We will try to do something about that." Then I would accept it. But it is all right in any case.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the Member for Anson may not have been aware that the Ministry of the Environment did issue on 11th October, 1972, a press statement on the subject of haze over Singapore. It advised people not to be unduly concerned about the haze which spread over a very large area in this region. It also pointed out that it was not of local origin and that it was not photo-chemical smog. This was confirmed by the Anti-Pollution Unit whose air monitoring station did not indicate any increase in the pollution level except for a reduction in visibility. I would like to assure the Member for Anson that the level of air pollution in Singapore is permissible and under control, though he may feel otherwise. We use scientific instruments to measure the pollutants and the level of various pollutants, particularly sulphur dioxide, and oxidant which cause photo-chemical smog, as monitored by the Anti-Pollution Unit, is still low and well within the international air pollution standards and criteria. With regard to the question of smarting eyes, if the Member for Anson can be more specific and give more details, then an investigation will be carried out. But' I doubt whether the cause is due to air pollution in Singapore. I would like to remind him, however, that there are many causes to smarting eyes, e.g, cigarette smoke, spicy food, late nights and not enough sleep and, last but not least, conjunctivitis. If anyone should suffer from conjunctivitis, I would suggest that he refer it to a doctor or see the Minister for Health! Mr P. Govindaswamy: Mr Speaker, Sir, the Minister has given an explanation which I think is not very clear. How did the haze come to Singapore? Has anything been done with the other Government to prevent the haze from coming to Singapore?”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the Government has allocated $10 million for the construction of hawkers centres. These centres will be built in areas to serve the `needs of workers for cooked food, to relieve congestion by street hawkers, and to control water pollution. While we are concentrating on the urban areas where the problem of hawking is more acute, we are not neglecting the rural areas. Wherever there is a real need for one, a hawkers centre will be built. The Member for Sembawang may be pleased to note that the Ministry proposes to build a cooked food centre near Chong Pang Police Station. A site has been earmarked for this purpose, and the Hawkers Branch and the P.W.D, are now working out the details. JTC FLATS IN NAVAL BASE (Particulars) 3. Mr Teong Eng Siong asked the Minister for Finance how many housing units the Jurong Town Corporation proposes to build at Naval Base in the Sembawang Constituency; when the units will be completed; and how many applications for those units have been received to date.”
“It also empowers the Board to cut off supply of water in case of misuse or waste. For administrative expediency, provision is made under clause 9 of the Bill for the Board to delegate to the Chairman certain of its powers, functions and duties. Clause 10 of the Bill makes it necessary for the Board to obtain the approval of the Minister in prescribing tariffs, and it also enables the Board to fix different tariffs for consumers similarly situated for a temporary period to he approved by the Minister. The Public Utilities Board (Provident Fund) Rules have been amended to enable the employees to appoint nominees to whom the amount standing to the credit of a deceased member may be given. Although paragraph (e) of section 31 (2) of the Public Utilities Act provides for the appointment of a nominee, paragraph (h) of the same section does not include that a receipt by the nominee or nominees is a valid discharge to the Board for any moneys payable. Clause 11 of the Bill will remedy the situation. As the offence for obstructing or hindering the Board's employees in the performance of their duties is considered serious, it is proposed to increase the penalty under section 82 of the Public Utilities Act from $500 to $1,000, similar to such penalty as provided under the Port of Singapore Authority Act, the Jurong Town Corporation Act and the Housing and Development Act. Clause 13 of the Bill provides for this. Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move. 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 Lim Kim San]. Bill considered in Committee; reported without amendment; read a Third time and passed.”