Low Thia Khiang
Singapore
“Mr Speaker, my question is for the Minister for Health. The official communication channel to the people who subscribe to the WhatsApp group quoted the Prime Minister saying that "Experts think that the Wuhan virus may be less deadlier than SARS". So, can we have some verification whether this is true so far?”
“In Mandarin, Sir. (In Mandarin): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] So, Member Mr Gan Thiam Poh meant to say that although the Minister has the decision-making power under this Bill, you can still go to Court to challenge the decision.”
“Mr Speaker, clarification in Mandarin. (In Mandarin): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] I have stated clearly that the Government already has a lot of power under existing legislation. They can even shut down websites.”
“(In Mandarin): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] First and foremost, you must follow the Minister's decision to take down the message, you cannot go to Court. According to this Bill, you must comply with the Minister's order. Otherwise, you will be charged.”
“In Mandarin, Sir. (In Mandarin): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] Our Secretary-General is in the Committee. He told us about the contents of the Committee's discussion, so we know what was discussed in the Committee.”
“(In Mandarin): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] You assume that the Minister will not do this, but is your assumption correct? It may be correct now, but will it be correct in the future? Even the Minister cannot guarantee that, he said he cannot be sure that future governments will not abuse their power. Can you be sure?”
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“Should it not be the HDB's responsibility to rectify it? Why must it be the town council? Is it not pushing the responsibility to the town council?”
“Does the Minister agree that this sunken apron problem, because of soil settlement or whatever, could have probably occurred long ago, even before town councils came into existence? Therefore, why should town councils take the responsibility?”
“Sir, I inherited whatever we think is right from the previous town council but whether there has been a proper check, that is another issue. I do not think I want to comment on it. At least, I have got some answer from the Minister now. I would like to seek some clarifications. One is about goodwill. Why on a goodwill basis? The Minister mentioned goodwill and sewerage. If the sewerage line is affected, will the HDB reinstate the sewerage line plus the sunken apron?”
“Sir, is the Senior Parliamentary Secretary aware that I inherited the Council by virtue of the fact that I was elected the MP?”
“Sir, unfortunately, the Hougang Town Council was not taken over by me from the HDB. It was under the HDB as the managing agent of Hougang Town Council. So the question does not arise. The question now is: what are the guidelines? Does the Senior Parliamentary Secretary agree to set clear guidelines as to the circumstances under which the HDB will undertake the repairs? That is what I want to know.”
“I think the Senior Parliamentary Secretary has side-tracked. The question remains as to whether HDB will repair serious sunken aprons. So I would like to know what are the guidelines and the position of HDB. Is HDB going to repair it? If they are, what are the strict guidelines? There is no point just talking about the technical experts and depending on how serious it is. There must be clear guidelines. Or is HDB going to say that it is under the management of the town council? If you say it is the responsibility and management of the town council, it is fair enough, I would like to ask the Senior Parliamentary Secretary whether MND had a proper taking-over and handing-over of an estate, or blocks, when the town councils were formed. Mr Matthias Yao Chih: Sir, HDB will consider a request from any town council that wishes to repair the sunken aprons. HDB will assess whether the sunken aprons are seriously affecting the structural safety of the users. And it will consider on a case-by-case basis and repair them on a goodwill basis. If Mr Low Thia Khiang is not happy with the taking-over and handing-over procedure, he should have alerted us with the fact, two or three years ago, when he took over the town council. If he did not do a proper job of taking over the town council, it is already two or three years thence.”
“Sir, I think it is only fair to the town councils that HDB has a set of guidelines. What do you mean by seriously sunken or not? I would like to know whether HDB is going to take the responsibility of repairing serious cases of sunken aprons. Or is HDB going to say that these sunken aprons are under the management of town councils and therefore the town councils should repair it?”
“I want to know what he means by "serious cases". Is there a set of criteria or guidelines drawn up by the HDB?”
“Sir, would the Parliamentary Secretary agree to carry out rectification works to sunken aprons upon request? And what is the position of MND or HDB on sunken aprons?”
“Sir, I asked about repairs to HDB properties in the Budget debate. I am surprised that the Minister said he does not have the details. But anyway, would the Minister check through his records and let me know in writing?”
“Sir, I would just like to ask the Minister whether the HDB has carried out any rectification works to sunken apron since 1991. And if they were carried out, would the Minister reveal the details of these works by giving the locality and amount?”
“Sir, I withdraw my amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.”
“Is the Government paying back to the restructured hospitals or the restructured hospitals paying back to the Government?”
“There is a reason. It is stated in the Budget book that there is a back payment of about $40 million due to more patients being received by restructured hospitals.”
“In fact, I do not have the Budget book here.”
“Sir, can I seek two clarifications from the Minister of State? Granted the cost increases in medical technology and operating costs, but did the MOH take into account all these higher costs in its budget? And does this lower estimate than the actual expenditure - I think it is a huge variance - indicate that it is the intention of Government to try and reduce medical expenditure by the Government? Second clarification. It is also stated in the Budget book that due to more patients being received in the restructured hospitals last year - I suppose business was good - there was a back payment amounting to about $40 million by restructured hospitals. Why was it so? Lastly, would the Minister of State send me the range of the waiting time?”
“Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head P of the Main Estimates be reduced by $10 in respect of Code PD 3300. (In Mandarin): Sir, the Government has stated that the aim of restructuring Government hospitals is to give them more efficiency in determining their expenditure and better use of their manpower resources. The new Minister for Health has also said that restructuring is more cost effective. From the amount of subventions, we can see that since 1991 we have repeatedly exceeded the estimates. In 1991, we have exceeded by $10 million, in 1992, by $16 million, and in 1993, by $50 million. Why is this so? The previous Minister for Health said that after the restructuring of hospitals they can change their operational methods and implement measures to save costs. I would like to know since then, apart from SGH, what kind of cost saving measures have been implemented by other hospitals. Have these measures caused any inconvenience to the patients and has a standard of medical care been lowered? Finally, I would like to know what is the shortest and the longest time a patient has to wait before he is seen by a doctor in our hospitals.”
“" We want our producers to be creative, we want them to know what our overall policy direction is. But I do not think it is possible for us to control them too tightly because if we do that, we will become a sterile environment. We may win all the battles but we will lose the war. On Dr Wang Kai Yuen's question about central TV antenna system, that decision has not yet been taken. I think we have to look at the costs and the benefits and to ensure that the services which residents now enjoy will not be taken away lightly. Dr Arthur Beng's clarification of his definition of "violence", I am glad that we share exactly the same idea. Mr Low Thia Khiang asked whether we have a policy to purchase more Chinese books and to promote more reading in Chinese. Yes, that will be our policy. It may not have been to his satisfaction and to my satisfaction in the past, but it will be in the future.”
“Many years ago, we had a young producer called Robert Chua. He worked for SBC, fell out, went to Hong Kong, and he produced the most successful entertainment magazine programme Hong Kong has ever known and seen, which is called Enjoy Yourself Tonight. And today, copycats are found all over the world, including Singapore. I met him recently because he is starting a 24-hour TV channel in Chinese over satellite. I said, "Would you be interested if we were to take a stake in your company, from SBC?" He said, "Yes, but provided SBC does not control me." Robert Chua is very proud to be a Singaporean and his productions are not bad, they are not lewd, they are entertaining, and from time to time he helps our Commission in Hong Kong. But we cannot have a situation in SBC where we are so rigid, we drive out people like Robert Chua. Let me give you a sense of some of the constraints that we face in SBC. Needless to say, our heroes cannot smoke, cannot chew gum. That we do dramas about the SAF, the Police, the Civil Defence, and so on, and all the organisations must be portrayed in a good light. A few years ago, the Medical Director of a hospital told me - at that time I was a Board member, I was not in politics then - that SBC wanted to shoot a film at his hospital. He said, "Fine." In fact, they wanted to shoot a pick-pocketing scene in his hospital. So he told them, "Over my dead body." When Moe Alkaff sips some champagne at the end of a magazine programme, there was a big howl in Berita Harian because it was during the Puasa month and Muslims were rightly offended. And when Gurmit Singh wore a cross, declaring that he is a Christian, some friends told me, "Look. Must we needle the Sikhs on this point?”
“Sir, can I seek a clarification from the Minister? Does the Ministry of Information and the Arts have any clear policy guideline in regard to purchase of various language books, in terms of budget allocation? And is there any concrete measure or plan for the library to promote the reading habit among the Chinese readers? BG George Yong-Boon Yeo: Sir, I would like to assure Mr Peh Chin Hua that I was not promoting a totally laissez-faire attitude. The point I wanted to make is too much is as bad as too little. We have to strike a balance between regulation and competition. If we want to win every battle, we will lose the war. To win the war, we have to be prepared to lose some battles. That is the point I am making. That if you want every programme to be full of educational content, if you want every documentary to be politically correct and socially correct, I think we will lose the war. You know, maybe more than a year ago, Run Run Shaw was asked whether we could build up a movie industry in Singapore. He is a very wise man, and he smiled and said, "No. It is too clean." When I read that, I told myself it is a compliment. It is a compliment because that is precisely what we want to be, and that is precisely the reason why China today, Vietnam and other countries want to learn from us. How do we have that free flow of people, of capital, information, without the society becoming seedy and sleazy? But at the same time, while we want to be a clean society, we do not want to be a sterile society. You ask me what is the difference between being clean and being sterile. Well, this is precisely the balance that I am talking about. If we seek to control everything, the creative spark will be extinguished. Let me give you an example.”
“No. How about those who do not have the ability to regionalise? Will they be neglected by EDB?”
“Okay. I beg leave to withdraw my amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.”
“May I have a further clarification, Sir? I understand that there is only one local organisation which receives a subvention from MTI, and that is CASE. I would like to know from the Minister whether the subvention of $450,000 is sufficient for CASE to carry out its duties and at the same time toughen its teeth. 3.00 pm”
“Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head W of the Main Estimates be reduced by $10 in respect of Code WA 2600. (In Mandarin): Sir, under the estimates of MTI, we have $4.5 million to be used for subventions to local and international organisations. My question is: what kind of organisations are these? What are the names of these organisations? Why is it that MTI should provide subventions to them? Thirdly, on what basis or criteria is a decision made to assist these organisations?”
“Sir, may I seek clarification from the Leader of the House?”
“I suggest that the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Health should do an extensive study on this problem and consider the following two points: (1) Is it because we are lacking in natural resources, so we are over-conscious about "saving energy"? Because of the PUB's success in its "save energy campaign", every household and every school is trying to save energy by not switching on the lights or switching on fewer lights. As a result, there is inadequate lighting. (2) Our primary school students may think that it is fashionable to wear glasses.”
“Secondly, the Ministry should install alarm systems in the schools which are linked to the nearby NPP so that the Police can arrive at the scene at the shortest possible time in order to arrest the criminals. Thirdly, the schools should also have better equipment. Schools can keep their documents and other important examination papers in fire-proof safes. I hope that the Ministry will look into the matter seriously and should not take it lightly. Next, I would like to refer to the eyesight problem of students. Singapore is one of the countries that has the highest number of myopic students. About one in four persons is shortsighted. I think the figure came from the late Dr Tay Eng Soon. This situation is getting worse and worse. We cannot afford to overlook this. According to the Head of the School Health Section, Dr Uma Rajan, in the past 34 years, ie, from 1958 to 1992, myopia in students has been on the increase by nearly 34-35%, ie, 34.5% for males and 34.9% for females. This situation is not only confined to the number of people. The degree of myopia is even worse than mine. Some primary school pupils wear spectacles of nearly 1,000 degrees, like mine, before leaving school. So it is very worrying. According to reports, about 25% of Singaporeans are shortsighted, but the rate for students is more than 40%. In the past 10 years, the number of Primary 1 pupils who wear spectacles has increased from 7% to 12%, and for Primary 6, it has increased from 29% to 55%. If the situation is not carefully studied and rectified by the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Health, then the rates will be even worse.”
“I beg leave to withdraw my amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. The Chairman: Amendment No. (7), Mr Peh. You may speak now on the two subjects together. Mr Peh Chin Hua( In Mandarin): Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head L of the Main Estimates be reduced by $10 in respect of Code LD 1500. The Straits Times reported on 23rd January 1993 that from April 1991 to January 1993, there were six reported cases of arson and damage to school properties in Singapore. Other cases like break-in and minor damages were not reported in the papers. But I believe this is not a small number. In the past, security in schools was quite good, as security guards were employed to patrol the school grounds. With the abolition of the school security guard system by the Ministry of Education, coupled with the lack of an alarm system, the unguarded schools have become less secure at night. According to my knowledge, most cases of housebreaking were committed during examination periods and at the beginning of a new term. The prime targets are valuable items in the teachers' common room, the computer room and the school bookshop. Some of the law breakers even threatened the students. Sir, we understand the difficulty in employing security guards to patrol the school ground. But we should not neglect the security of schools. Otherwise, schools will often have their properties damaged or become the target of arson, burglary and intrusion at night by the bad hats. I therefore urge the Ministry of Education to place emphasis on the security problem. Last year, I suggested that we should have a regional patrol system to do this. I do not know whether the Ministry has got any assistance from the Police. If not, I think the Ministry should think about it.”
“I will wait for his written answer. As for the New Mathematics, I wonder whether the schools could play an active role to help the parents in Singapore to have a better understanding of the New Mathematics. Is the Ministry of Education going to help the parents by enlightening them on the New Mathematics? Dr Ker Sin Tze( In Mandarin): As I said just now, schools and parents should always maintain close contacts and, if possible, help them understand New Mathematics or any other new subjects. This is a desirable and effective way to help students. As long as time and resources permit, we would encourage schools to do so. Mr Low Thia Khiang( In Mandarin): What concrete system or method has the Ministry of Education for this proposal? Dr Ker Sin Tze( In Mandarin): Schools will have to find the time and make the necessary arrangements to brief parents on the subjects. Some schools may not be able to do it due to manpower shortage. So we cannot make it compulsory for the schools to introduce such an arrangement.”
“I believe that officials at the Ministry do evaluate the efficacy of projects and equipment before project implementation and purchase of equipment. Thirdly, the Member for Hougang said that parents had problems with New Mathematics. I did not say that the Member for Hougang wants us to stop the teaching of New Mathematics. What I meant is that if we want to give up New Mathematics because of the difficulty in understanding its concepts, then it is not a progressive way in dealing with the problem. Mr Low Thia Khiang( In Mandarin): The Minister of State himself says that we should not drop New Mathematics. What I am saying is that the Ministry or schools should help the parents to solve the problem with New Mathematics. As regards teaching materials developed by the Ministry, the cost of production went up by over 100%. What sort of human resources and materials were used? What kind of evaluation is done? Can you make public the results of the evaluation? I am talking about the production of materials and not the purchase. 4.45 pm Dr Ker Sin Tze( In Mandarin): On the question of the content of the curriculum development and the increase in costs, I will give a written answer to the Member for Hougang. As for the evaluation of our projects in developing audio-visual aids, I will also provide a written answer to the Member for Hougang so that he will know the exact details of our evaluation process. As for the problem relating to New Mathematics, as I said, there are two ways. One is to give up the learning of New Mathematics and, two, is try to understand New Mathematics ourselves so that we can help our children. Mr Low Thia Khiang( In Mandarin): Since the Minister of State is going to give me a written answer, I will leave it for the time being ( ).”
“My main question is why the cost of production has gone up so much, from an estimated $3,590 to $7,300. I would like him to evaluate the teaching materials. I have been a teacher myself and I know it is always the more teaching materials the better. The question is cost effectiveness, and whether the materials designed have achieved the teaching aims and objectives. You spend so much money to produce these materials. In fact, have you achieved the objective? Has the Ministry of Education made any evaluation of these teaching materials? I have never said that the students should not learn New Mathematics. What I said was that the parents are faced with the problem about New Mathematics. It is a general problem. Because the parents do not quite understand New Mathematics, they cannot help their children. Since the schools place importance on the role of parents, then the schools should help parents so that they can help the students and, at the same time, foster better relationship between parents and schools. Dr Ker Sin Tze( In Mandarin): The Member for Hougang spoke about various curriculum projects, course materials and high production costs. As I said, because the Ministry is revising and developing new curricula and course materials, we need more manpower, more resources to plan, design and produce various teaching aids. So the costs have gone up because there have been increases in both quality and quantity. It was not due to sharp increase in unit production costs. The second point is whether we have been evaluating the effectiveness of these teaching aids. Of course, we do not buy accessories and equipment just for show if they are of no value.”
“We need a variety of subjects because we have to prepare our students to deal with changes in the society. After leaving schools they have to work. So they must be able to master the basic skills and knowledge which will be changed with times and the advancement of technologies. School curricula and the subject contents should also be changed as time passes. If the curricula remain unchanged, say, 10 or 20 years, then it is something that we should be worried about. On audio-visual aids and other teaching accessories, we have been selecting and acquiring the best available in the market. The most modern audio-visual aids such as laser discs, compact discs, video tapes and other facilities are used to teach languages and technical subjects. The production of such teaching aids is important to help students in learning the subjects. I do not know why the Member for Hougang wants to criticise this. Another point raised by him is the difficulties in understanding Mathematics. It is true that some parts of the New Mathematics are difficult because we did not learn it at our time. So some parents may not understand it. But it does not mean that because of this, the students should not learn New Mathematics. He suggests that the schools should have "Open House" for parents to understand the contents of New Mathematics. It would certainly be a good thing if schools could do that. We will try and do our best to see whether, in terms of time and resources, it is possible for schools to help parents in this aspect. I would like to thank him for his suggestion. Mr Low Thia Khiang( In Mandarin): I do not know whether the Minister of State understands my Mandarin, or he has missed the point. He has either misunderstood me or is giving a misleading answer.”
“At the same time, the teachers can also use this "Open House Day" of the school to interact with parents to understand the background of weaker students so as to promote a closer school-parent relationship. Mr Choo Wee Khiang( In Mandarin): In 1992, Mr Peh Chin Hua asked the Ministry of Education about the weight of the school bags. I would like to take this opportunity to ask the Minister for Education, after two years, what has the Ministry done about the weight of the school bags, so that the students do not have to carry a heavy bag on their back. From 1992 until now, some new school buildings have been completed. I would like to know whether any locker system is provided in the classroom in these schools, or somewhere else in the school. Dr Ker Sin Tze( In Mandarin): Sir, let me first reply to the Member for Hougang on the contents of the curricula. The Member for Hougang said that the revision of the curriculum of some technical subjects was carried out in a hurry. This is not true because the Ministry of Education normally makes a decision on curriculum revision after very careful consideration and consultation with the various people concerned. Mr Low also mentioned that there had been too many curriculum projects. This is in fact a praise for the Ministry of Education. It is true that there is a variety of curricula and audio-visual aids projects developed by the Ministry. I agree with him that the co-operation between schools and parents is an important factor in making these projects effective and useful. In fact, the schools have always been doing this to promote such close relationship. He complained that there were too many subjects and their curricula were complicated.”
“Can they meet and justify the production costs, and are they cost effective or not? I think the Ministry should exercise effective control to evaluate the production of teaching materials to prevent creation of of "white elephant" due to over creativity of curriculum material by some people. The other related question is the change in the curriculum of Mathematics. Over the past two years, the Ministry has adopted new materials for teaching Mathematics. I am not an expert in Mathematics, I cannot evaluate or comment on the value of this so-called New Mathematics. But what I know is that many parents do not quite understand the concept of the New Mathematics. The primary school Mathematicstests and exercises are set in such a way that even the parents cannot help their children. If the Ministry and the schools recognise the importance of the role of parents, then the Ministry should help the parents, especially the parents of primary school students, to understand the concept of the New Mathematics. Recently, a school has started a workshop to explain the concept of the New Mathematics to parents. It is a good beginning. I hope that the Ministry and the schools could help parents to understand all these new curricula and courses. I also suggest that the Ministry should encourage the parents and the schools to interact more often. Apart from workshops and other programmes, they should be encouraged to fix Saturdays as "Open House Day" for parents who have problems with the various subjects and they may want to ask the teachers so that they could better understand the contents.”
“Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head L of the Main Estimates be reduced by $10 in respect of Code LC 2100. (In Mandarin): I heard the explanation of the Minister for Education to Mr Chin Harn Tong's query about the curricula of the Secondary Normal (Technical) stream implemented by the Ministry of Education. I think the Ministry seems to have failed in its duty to educate the students ( ). Now, let me go into what I want to say. The Ministry of Education has always been famous for having all kinds of gimmicks, the different kinds of curricula, different designs and developments of different curricula. In 1992, the average cost of one set of materials was $4,600, the estimated cost for 1993 was $3,590, but now it has been increased to $7,300. So the cost of materials has gone up and it will increase the burden of the students and the schools soon. What kind of teaching material had the Ministry designed? Why is it that there is such a big jump by nearly 100% in the costing? Then there are the audio-visual aids, computers, laser discs, and all kinds of pictorial cards. There are so many kinds and such a great variety. It may appear to be very advanced, but the production costs are not cheap. What is the effect, however, of the teaching? For example, you may have only a few periods a week to use all these kinds of materials. Do you have enough time to use them? For example, there are only about three to six periods of Chinese a week in secondary schools. If these materials and audio-visual aids have not been properly and fully used, it is a waste of money and time. I think the Ministry should conduct a survey into the effective use of such teaching aids. What is the effect?”
“Sir, what is the basis of the Government's calculation for this increase in CPF Minimum Sum?”
“I beg leave to withdraw my amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. The sum of $31,235,600 for Head E ordered to stand part of the Main Estimates. The sum of $11,645,700 for Head E ordered to stand part of the Development Estimates. Head T -”
“What are the criteria for waiver and how does the court assess whether a person is proficient in English?”
“I cannot accept this argument, because people do not want to go to court unless they really have to. If you want to equate fees with efficiency, then you might as well privatise the courts and let them become Courts Private Limited.”
“Sir, I beg to move, That the total sum to be allocated for Head E of the Main Estimates be reduced by $100. (In Mandarin): Sir, the subordinate court did not levy any fees and charges in the past. Now, in the district court and the magistrate's court, charges have been levied. Starting from the second day of the commencement of hearing, the charge per day for Magistrate's Court is $500. If the estimated number of days of hearing is exceeded, then the charges for each subsequent day of hearing is $800. All this will have to be paid upfront. What is even more unacceptable is that if any of the parties does not speak English, $100 a day has to be paid for the use of interpreters. This is unfair. It is alleged that those who are proficient in English and some lawyers have been abusing the interpreters' service. I cannot accept this argument because the Court would not be able to correctly judge the witnesses' proficiency of English. Using the language that they are most proficient in Court is the right of every citizen of Singapore. So even if they need interpreters and need more days of hearing, it is not fair to impose a fee on them, because we are a multi-racial society. We must accept that. Sir, the court's charges for hearing fees and interpreter's fees will create an obstacle to the lower-income people who need to seek justice. It is a threat to these people. If the court keeps on charging fees for services and adds on a burden on the poor people, then one day, it will be impossible for the lower-income people in Singapore to seek justice, and this will be a great tragedy for our society. According to reports, this measure is introduced to prevent abuse of the services and to increase efficiency.”
“I do not think that the fact that costs would have to be paid if the accused is in fact innocent will stop a good case being brought to trial. If it deters marginal cases being brought to trial, or if it deters frivolous cases, then we should not mourn about that. If the objection is that the State cannot pay, again it shows that it is specious. The Public Prosecutor, I am sure, is very careful about the people he prosecutes. It is only in a very small minority of cases that a mistake is made, perhaps the wrong person is prosecuted. So in this very small minority of cases, cannot the State with its budget surplus afford to redress the wrong it has done to a person who should have not been prosecuted, but who is? Legal costs are very high and it is a small comfort to a person to be vindicated in court if he is ruined financially. The prosecution already claims costs from persons who are convicted. This is fair. A criminal should pay for the expenses of his trial. But the other side of the coin is that if a person has been prosecuted when he is innocent, he should have his costs reimbursed. It is a matter of fairness to individuals who are mistakenly prosecuted that they should be paid the costs by the State. It is not a subsidy. It is justice.”
“I beg leave to withdraw my amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. The sum of $4,329,000,000 for Head K ordered to stand part of the Main Estimates. The sum of $350,000,000 for Head K ordered to stand part of the Development Estimates. Head B - Assoc. Prof. Walter Woon (Nominated Member): Sir, I beg to move, That the total sum to be allocated for Head B of the Main Estimates be reduced by $100. Our prosecutors in AG's Chambers are very efficient and hardworking. They do an excellent job in enforcing the law. But they are human and they do make mistakes. Every once in a while, we read of people being acquitted after trial, or acquitted after charges against them are withdrawn. In a civil case, if a plaintiff loses his case, he pays the defendant's costs. In a criminal case, if a person is acquitted without a stain on his character, he still has to pay his own lawyers for defending him. If a person is acquitted because he has committed no crime, is it just for him to be forced to spend, sometimes tens of thousands of dollars, vindicating himself? Is it just that an innocent man may have to ruin himself financially to prove his innocence? 2.30 pm The Criminal Procedure Code allows the Magistrate to award the princely sum of $50 if a prosecution is brought frivolously. This, I think, Members of the House will agree is totally inadequate. Could the Minister please look into the possibility of giving the courts the discretion to award costs to a defendant in an appropriate case if he is acquitted? What are the arguments against such payments? Can it be said that paying costs to acquitted persons will inhibit prosecutions? That argument is specious. A prosecution is brought when the Public Prosecutor is satisfied that there is a prima facie case.”
“Would the Minister assure this House that a similar incident which happened in Taiwan will not happen in Singapore?”
“Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head K of the Main Estimates be reduced by $10 in respect of Code KA 2100. (In Mandarin): Sir, recently the body of a Taiwanese Navy Captain was found floating in the sea which led to the discovery of a collusion between the military and the military equipment suppliers. The military equipment suppliers have established a relation with retired military officers to rig the procurement of military equipment. So the extreme case in Taiwan that was uncovered has given rise to the question as to whether we have any safeguard against such irregularities. What kind of system do we have to monitor the system of military procurement, especially those that are not done by way of tender, that is, from the time of proposal to procure military equipment up to the time of approval? What sort of procedures are followed? Furthermore, are there any regulations to ensure that there is no irregularity among our people who are involved in military procurement? Can the Minister for Defence assure us that there is no such irregularity happening in Singapore?”
“Sir, I beg to withdraw my amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. The sum of $24,869,830 for Head V ordered to stand part of the Main Estimates. The sum of $15,352,000 for Head V ordered to stand part of the Development Estimates. 1.45 pm Head K -”
“It is in the Budget book. It was for completed projects.”
“Sir, the Minister mentioned about staff. Approximately, how many staff are working in the Istana? As for the renovation of Command House, I understand that previously the President had been living in the Istana. Since we are going to renovate Istana, why can we not have an extension for the President to live there? Why is there a need to further renovate Command House? What would happen if, say, the next Elected President decides not to live there, just like the Speaker of the House? What are you going to do then? The other question which the Minister has not answered is the $2.6 million of completed projects. What are the projects?”
“The staff have to rest along the corridors. Finally, most of the M&E equipment in the Istana are 15-20 years old, beyond their normal lifespan. It costs us a large amount to maintain them and they are in need of replacement. For these reasons, therefore, the Government decided to refurbish the Istana. As for the Command House, the Command House was also built a long time ago. It was built in 1938. It was used as the official residence of the Speaker of Parliament from 1972 to 1989. The current Speaker had decided not to live in the Command House. The House was therefore put up for rent. We managed to find two short-term tenants. The House has been vacant since March last year because there were no suitable tenants to be found. The existing House is not properly furnished and its provisions are very basic. The Government has therefore decided to renovate the building and upgrade the mechanical and electrical systems. After renovation, the Command House will be used as the official residence of the Elected President. So the refurbishment of the Istana is primarily to serve state functions. The refurbishment of the Command House will serve as the official residence of the Elected President.”
“The main building was built in 1869, that is about 125 years ago. Minor renovations have been done over the years but the building requires upgrading to meet present-day needs. Space and facilities for the staff and for holding state functions are very limited. The Government has therefore decided to have a major renovation to the Istana to upgrade and modernise the mechanical and electrical services and facilities as well as to build an extension block to provide the additional space. Let me elaborate the reasons why we have to refurbish the Istana. First, there is an acute shortage of functional space in Istana. Because of this constraint, the Government has to limit the number of guests to be invited to state functions, for example, state banquets for visiting heads of state or other ceremonial functions. Second, the Banquet Room and the State Room have to double up for use as wet weather programme for garden functions. Each time when there is a garden reception, as a precaution for wet weather, all the tables and chairs in the Banquet Room and State Room have to be removed and stacked away along the corridors and tarpaulins rolled on to the floors to protect the carpets. This is very labour intensive. It will also incur maintenance cost. It is also very unsightly for guests to see all the tables and chairs stacked along the corridors. Therefore, in the proposed renovation, a new multi-purpose hall will be created to serve the purpose of wet weather programme. Proper storerooms are also built to store the furniture. Third, there is also a shortage of space for the staff working in the Istana. There are no common rooms for the staff to rest when they are required to stay back in the evening to organise official functions and attend to the guests.”
“Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head V of the Development Estimates be reduced by $10 in respect of Code VA 5100. (In Mandarin): Sir, the Development Estimates have increased tremendously under the Prime Minister's Office. There is a seven-fold increase, about $9.14 million for Istana and $3.11 million for the renovation of Command House, and $2.6 million for the completion of some projects. Apart from MND spending about $10 million for the renovation of the Istana Park outside the Istana entrance, we are now spending such a lot of money to renovate Istana. Why is it necessary to carry out the massive renovations? I would ask the Prime Minister to justify this renovation. Secondly, the renovation of Command House. According to Lianhe Zaobao, this will become the official residence of the Elected President. I do not understand. Istana is meant for the President. Why does the Government want to spend so much money to renovate Istana and, at the same time, spend another big sum of money to renovate Command House for the Elected President? Is it necessary? Thirdly, some completed projects needed $2.6 million. What sort of projects were involved and when were these projects completed? The Acting Minister for National Development (Mr Lim Hng Kiang): Sir, first, let me clarify the $10 million that has been spent for the Istana Park is the park outside the Istana. It is not in Istana. We name it Istana Park, but it is intended for the use of the Singaporean public. It is a piece of land outside the Istana, along Orchard Road. So he should not ascribe the $10 million to renovation within the Istana. The second point is: why is there a need to refurbish Istana? The Istana buildings are very old.”