Mansor Haji Sukaimi
Singapore
“Mr Speaker, Sir, does the Minister of State have any programme to visit my Constituency and to meet the principals and teachers of the secondary and primary schools in my Constituency to discuss matters of common interest? If so, when will that visit likely be?”
“To ask the First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education if he will report on the progress of implementation of the "Gifted Project" and state what representations or reservations have been expressed to the Ministry concerning the project and from whom; and what solutions or modifications will be made by the Ministry in view of su…”
“To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister for Culture whether prior comparative studies were made of the video-film censorship systems in other countries in the formulation and setting-up of the video-film censorship system in Singapore; and which countries were used in such studies, stating how our system varies from the syste…”
“To ask the Minister for Trade and Industry if he will report on the progress of the German-Singapore, French-Singapore and Japanese-Singapore joint industrial training centres, stating the types of courses available, entry requirements, methods of application for entry, and the allocation of training places that will be offered by these c…”
“They may be knowledgeable in their respective fields but there is a need for the Library staff to be trained and to gain experience in relating themselves with the grassroots leaders, mixing with them, and also in developing the techniques of selling the programmes that they have developed in the National Library.”
“Sir, will the Minister of State be able to say that the techniques and system used in the prefabrication projects will ensure that the seepage problem, a notorious phenomenon in most pre-fabrication schemes, will not crop up, and if it does crop up, there are sufficient measures to ensure that the seepage problem is minimized?”
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“Sir, does it mean that by taking in these foreign students, Singapore students will be deprived of places?”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, it may be amusing to the Minister and the House, but it is not amusing when four parents rang me up last night, hysterical about their children. One of them had told her daughters not to go to school. I do not consider that funny. I thought that the Minister could at least make a public statement to reassure the parents that these rumours are false.”
“Sir, is the Minister aware that there is now a general fear amongst mothers about the safety of their school-going daughters? This fear is the result of a rumour that an unknown male or males have deceived innocent girls, snatched them and brought them in cars to unknown places where, rumours say, parts of their bodies were sold or given away for rituals.”
“Sir, are the Police aware that cases of snatch theft and molestation have occurred in dark places in certain parts of the Kampong Kembangan Constituency? If this is verified, would the Minister ask the Police to step up their surveillance and also arrest the culprits, because this is a major complaint from my constituents?”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I understand that the number of drug cases has dropped considerably but there has been a rise in petty theft and robbery, including house-breaking. Does the Minister see any correlation, or does he not see that the persons who are alleged to have committed these petty offences and housebreaking are also drug addicts? Mr Chua Sian Chin: Mr Speaker, Sir, the correlation is a bit tenuous. Not all house-breakers or petty thieves are drug addicts. But a certain percentage of them, about 5% or 10%. are drug addicts.”
“Point of clarification, Sir. I did not make any suggestion about the construction of any temporary canal. I only raised the question whether the Drainage Department has advised the PWD about the implications of the flood relief projects in the area.”
“Sir, I do not wish to appear persistent on this issue. But I have received petitions, more than four times over, from the constituents there. The question is: was there prior consultation between the Drainage Department and the PWD, so that the Drainage Department could instruct the PWD of the drainage control measures that should be provided before the earth-works started? I raise this question because I understand that this is part and parcel of the code of practice in the Drainage Department before they approve major projects and give clearance before a project can commence.”
“Supplementary questions, Sir. Was the Drainage Department notified in advance about the construction of the Pan-Island Expressway flyover? If so, did the Drainage Department indicate specifically what drainage measures should be taken to ensure that flooding would be minimised? The second question is: why is it that the area now suffers from flooding? For example, the area was flooded on the 27th April and 3rd May, 1979, when the rainfall recorded was only 40 mm and 43.6 mm respectively. Yet in January 1978 when the maximum rainfall for that month was 86 mm the area was not flooded. In making this comparison we have to bear in mind that the construction of the Pan-Island Expressway flyover commenced in March 1978 and the major earthworks were somewhat completed in September/October 1978.”
“Perhaps, some professional doctors or, better still, a multi-disciplinary team, should do a review of all important work on brain research. The team should then submit its verifications on the research findings, and recommend how they can be beneficially used for Singapore's child educational and development programmes. Mr Speaker, Sir, I am sure all of us want to see our children and their children grow up to be literate, educated and wholesome citizens. Let us all give our support to the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education, his officials, all principals and teachers to whom we will entrust our children. And let us do it with a sense of calm urgency and with abiding purpose. We may not have succeeded in tackling all our problems or getting answers to all our questions. Indeed, sometimes we have the exasperating feeling that- we have not completely answered any of them. The answers we have found may only serve to raise a whole new set of questions. In some ways, we feel that we are so confused as ever. But the difference is that we know we are confused on a higher level and about more important things. 3.10 p.m.”
“Thank you very much. The Hon. Minister for Health's suggestion that we should now take these findings to the ground is most laudable and should be taken seriously. If more parents, especially newly-weds, know the critical importance of the first two or three years of the child's life, and if we help them to know how to nurture the child's brain development, then we will have a better base to put into effect our educational and child development activities. I have tried to do this on 23rd April, 1978, when I lectured to 270 participants of a family guidance course, and all of them were either newly-weds or would-be marrieds. And what I did was to summarize the work done by Dobbing and Sands on the 2-stage development of the brain; the work of Zena Stein and associates; Myron Wiwick and associates on the non-correlation of diet and intelligence, and the findings of R.B. Zajone of the Confluence Theory which argues that the size of the family is not as critical as the spacing between childbirth and the quality of intellectual interactions and the environment the child is exposed to. The response was cold. Even the reporter from a local press took me wrong. I had to write to the Editor. I even wrote to MUIS on 23rd May, 1977, suggesting that these studies on brain development be culled into simple information booklets and distributed to couples who register for marriage. That was on 23rd May, 1977. I received no reply. I even had a letter to the Director of Medical Services ready to be signed, but I chickened out for fear that it would be wrongly misunderstood. I think we should take the suggestion of the Hon. Minister for Health seriously.”
“Once again I thank the hon. Senior Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Labour who is very experienced and more knowledgeable about Standing Orders than I am.”
“Minister for Health has rightly brought to our attention the critical growth processes that occur during the first two to three years of the child after birth. To me, this is one of the most profound statements that can ever be said during this debate on education policy. Roger Lewin, in his excellent review article, entitled "Starved Brains", presents research work which confirms Dr Toh Chin Chye's statements. In that review, it is stated that research has shown that the brain grows in two stages. First, between the 10th and 1 8th week of pregnancy, the adult number of nerve cells develops. Second, about the beginning of the 20th week, the brain's packing cells begin to appear, followed by the production of the insulating material (myelin) that coats the long fibres along which the nerve cells send their messages. This second stage, the research shows, continues for at least two years after birth. Myelination progresses at a lower rate until the age of four years. The second stage, known as the brain-growth spurt, represents the most vulnerable period of brain development. It is the critical period when inadequate nutrition and lack of stimulation inflict the most lasting damage. Before John Dobbing and Jean Sands of the University of Manchester laid out clearly the timing of the human brain's growth spurt, we assumed that most of the brain's important development took place prenatally and was more or less complete by birth. But their demonstration that about five-sixths of the growth spurt comes after birth forced an awareness of the hazards of prolonged malnutrition and of poor environment in these critical early years of life. Mr Speaker, Sir, Dr Toh Chin Chye's suggestion that we should now take these findings to the ground is most laudable.”
“If you are of the view, Mr Speaker, Sir, that this particular reference to the London Sunday Times is contrary to the Standing Orders, then I beg leave to withdraw it. Thank you very much, Sir. I also thank very much the Senior Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Labour. The husband and wife team, Professors Alan and Anne Clarke of Hull University, who worked with Sir Cyril in the 1940s and the 1950s, suspected his integrity even then. The mystery of how much, if any, of Sir Cyril's work was fraudulent and why, will probably never be solved. Six chestful of papers were burnt immediately after his death and many of his original works were thought to have been among them. This battle between "naturists", and the environmentalists, or "nurturists", will certainly continue. The lesson to learn is that we must be extra cautious when making claims about genetic determinism. It could be extremely dangerous, considering its frightening underlying tones and its fatalistic meaning. In the case of Cyril Burt, he was known to be a man of enormous charm and erudition. He was also famous for being a fearsome figure, an autocrat of the old school but wrapped in a most charming style. The eminent geneticist, L.S. Penrose, who had known Sir Cyril for 30 years, once said of Sir Cyril Burt: "I don't believe a word the old rogue says, but, by God, I admire the way he says it". Brain research has now moved more and more to the less discomforting issues - how diet affects brain growth; how size of family or spacing of children promotes intelligence growth; how a rich stimulating environment, meaningful to the child, can boost up the breadth, depth and capacity of the child's brain. And thank God, this is the trend. The Hon.”
“Sir, I will do it later, as I have left my file at home. But if the Senior Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Labour is interested in this study, I would be very happy to give him a copy.”
“Finally, I would like to enquire whether the National Library has plans to further urge more editors of professional journals in Singapore to publish the new books that have been acquired by the Library, and whether the National Library could expand its programme of select reading, through which programme the Library would distribute or publish more book reviews or synopses of articles of interest to specific readers in Singapore. On this matter, I was thinking of the benefits that can accrue if the National Library, with the help of professional persons or professional organisations, could review books or journals and make them available to leaders or active members in civic organisations in the field of sports, cultural promotion, or child care, and so on. If we can expand this book review service or providing synopses of professional articles, many people in the civic or community service organisations will benefit from ideas or suggestions that are available in these publications.”
“I will be very brief, Sir. I will only put my questions to the Parliamentary Secretary. Firstly, what is the progress of the plans in the National Library to computerise the library procedures? When will the computerised programme be put into effect? Secondly, what is the present position with regard to the implementation of the recommendations made by the survey on the study and reading facilities for students? I think the report on the survey was made in October 1977. Thirdly, what further plans does the National Library have to extend its policy of decentralisation? In particular, I would like to ask, as the Member for Punggol has asked, whether the Ministry could consider extending its mobile library services to more housing estates. And in providing these mobile library services, whether the National Library, in conjunction with the People's Association, youth groups, maybe the Citizens' Consultative Committees, the community centres, and civic organisations in the constituencies or housing estates, will mobilise the students so that when the mobile service does come to the housing estates, it will be fully used by the children in the estates. 4.45 p.m. Thirdly, whether the National Library could also consider designing a plan on how to encourage the reading habit at home. I am sure we are all agreed that the habit of reading books at home is important because what the child reads or how interested the child is in reading normally depends on the interest and reading habit of the parents. Perhaps if the National Library could think of such a service, then through this service we could help the parents to help their children to inculcate a more abiding reading habit at home.”
“If you allow me to speak now, there is no need for me to move my Amendment No. (5).”
“Sir, if I am allowed to speak now, I would prefer to do so because the points I intend to raise are similar to those which have been raised by the Member for Punggol.”
“Sir, I must thank you for speeding up the reply from the Minister. In view of the explanations from the Minister, I beg leave to withdraw my amendment. Amendment by leave, withdrawn.”
“Sir, in fact, this problem came to my notice when I was in the Legal Aid Bureau talking to the Legal officers about a legal adoption which was being handled by the Legal Aid Bureau.”
“Thank you very much, Sir. I am particularly mindful that a careful decision must be made when adopting a child and therefore it must be done through proper legal procedures. There must be no shortcuts, for if we ignore legal procedures there can be more serious and disturbing problems of disputes and litigations. Nonetheless, there is an urgent need for us to speed up the procedures for adopting a child. I say this because in a recent case that I came to know of the parents had to go to the Legal Aid Bureau more than 12 times before they could finally sign what is called the "Adoption Petition". I am told that it is only after the Adoption Petition is signed will the Legal Aid Bureau be able to proceed with the legal procedures to have the child legally adopted. However, from this point until the actual adoption, I am told that it is normal for the application to take more than one year to complete. Let me cite a specific case. In this particular case, the Adoption Petition was signed on 5th November, 1976. The Legal Aid Bureau took a number of days to file the petition to the Subordinate Courts, and this filing was made for three purposes: (1) To apply for the consent of the Attorney-General to be the guardian of the child; (2) To ask the courts to dispense with "Service on the Natural Parents"; (3) To ask the courts to issue an adoption order.”
“Yes, Sir. The Chairman: All right. Carry on.”
“Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head W be reduced by $10 in respect of Subhead Code WC-08 of the Main Estimates. When a parent decides to adopt a child, it is a deeply emotional decision. Naturally the parent will welcome all possible help to expedite the adoption. I want to ask the Minister how we can help such parents in fulfilling their cherished dreams of having a child in the family. In particular, I would like to ask the Minister how we can speed up the procedures for formalising the adoption.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I am very satisfied with the assurances given by the Hon. Minister. I also respect some of his views and I assure him that I will try my very best to see how we can solve some of the problems, especially those which create misconceptions. On that note, I beg leave to withdraw my amendment. Amendment by leave, withdrawn.”
“(2) Will he step up the efforts to seek and secure the services and contribution of more knowledgeable Muslim leaders in the formulation and implementation of MUIS policies and programmes and, if so, what specific steps will he undertake? (3) Will he ensure that the MUIS management is prompt in dealing with matters referred to MUIS? (4) Does he not agree that the role and functions of the Mufti are critical in the administration of the Muslim law, quite akin to that of the Attorney-General in the civil law and, accordingly, will he not consider it most inept to appoint the Mufti on a temporary month-to-month basis? (5) What steps will he take to ensure that the Boards of Management of the present and future ultra-modern mosques are capable of rendering a proficient, efficient and accountable service, and to ensure that the activities of these mosques do not create the misconception that Muslims are people who prefer to keep to themselves, not wanting to integrate with the larger society? (6) Will he consider plans to bring together the principal officers of the Boards of Management of the six mosques to review and discuss, in depth, measures to ensure that the management of the mosques will succeed in fulfilling the difficult and complex task of running the mosques in a modern, progressive and multi-racial society in housing estates? (7) Will he consider forming a group of experts to improve the management of mosques, the application of modern, financial and accounting system for use by mosque management and the wider-application of audio-visual techniques in religious teachings conducted in mosques and in other religious centres?”
“May I also ask the Minister whether he is aware of Muslim organisations which conduct religious classes and missionary activities which tend to make Muslims misconceive Islam as being an exclusive religion, not entirely consistent with the needs and problems of a modern society like ours? Are there also Muslim organisations which teach their followers matters which are even bordering on animism? May I also ask the Minister whether he is aware of any Muslim organisation which has published in its newsletter arguing that the Government scheme for the purchase of HDB flats is said to make the Muslims poorer and therefore deprive Muslims the financial means to perform their Haj pilgrimage? What steps would the Minister take on these matters, as issues of this kind are negative and do not do justice to the majority of Muslims in Singapore? Would the Minister also agree to the view that it is important for Muslims themselves to conduct and safeguard the good name of Muslims by being responsible, conscientious and tolerant in their efforts to promote and practise the religion in their community and, in this regard, would the Minister not agree that the role of MUIS is very critical in this respect? If he agrees with this viewpoint, will he consider taking the steps to upgrade the efficacy of the management of MUIS? In this respect, will he consider the following measures:- (1) Will he consider increasing the allowance of the President of MUIS, bearing in mind the meagre monthly allowance relative to the onerous responsibility and difficult task of the position?”
“" Those who really understand the tenets of Islam will know that Islam is a key abiding guide for decent, meaningful and productive life in a modern society like ours. Islam is not anti-modern or anti-materialism. It is not even anti-Western. It strongly forbids waste, inefficiency, laziness and dishonesty. Appeals for social discipline, tolerance, modernization and even productive labour are indeed consistent with the tenets of Islam. I think it is the responsibility of the Majlis Ugama Islam Singapura, religious leaders, religious teachers and all good Muslims to ensure that the true meaning, purpose and function of Islam are not misunderstood. There are, in fact, few examples of a number of situations which have caused some misconception. While it is true that mastering the Arabic language will make one understand the deeper meaning of religion, it may not be entirely appropriate to say that mastering that language is a pre-condition for one to become a good Muslim. Moreover, it is not necessarily true that a person who attends religious classes full-time will become a better Muslim than one who does not attend full-time religious schools. One can still acquire sufficient depth and breadth of religion if one undertakes part-time religious lessons. This is particularly so if these part-time classes are efficiently organised and the most scientific methodologies in the field of education are employed. The question of part-time religious lessons is of special importance to Muslims in Singapore because many Muslim parents want to send their children to English schools. I would like to ask the Minister whether he is aware of religious teachers taking too strong a stand on this question of mastering the Arabic language and attending full-time religious classes.”
“3 million have been constructed in Toa Payoh, Queenstown and Jurong and three more costing more than $5 million are being constructed in Bedok/Chai Chee, Woodlands and Ang Mo Kio. Through the Muslim Religious Council (MUIS), the Singapore Muslims are also benefiting from an orderly system of collection and distribution of tithes or fitrah, facilitation of Haj pilgrimage and massive religious education through Friday prayers and annual commemorations of the Birthday of the Prophet, Nuzul Quran, Israk Mi'raj and the Ramadhan or fasting month. Even in the field of religious education, the state of affairs has been most heartening. There are four full-time religious secondary schools and six full-time primary schools. Efforts are made to expand the curricula to include subjects such as science, mathematics and languages. There are also 15 other madrasahs which conduct part-time religious education in addition to many more private classes conducted in religious institutions, suraus, mosques and private homes of religious teachers. And all these are conducted for Muslim children on a part-time basis. It is perhaps necessary to take stock of the state of Muslim religious programmes and the missionary activities to ensure that Singapore Muslims will truly become good Muslims and good Singaporeans who understand that Islam is not inconsistent with modernization and that Muslims must strive to excel in all fields and make the greatest contribution towards the social and economic development of our society. This issue needs urgent and regular emphasis because there is still some confusion in certain circles where Islam is seen as a religion exclusively for the "afterworld.”
“Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head W be reduced by $10 in respect of Subhead Code WB-02 of the Main Estimates. Sir, there are about 400,000 Muslims in our Republic. These Muslims have been very fortunate in many respects. While they enjoy the fruits of a dynamic, progressive, and modern society of ours, and are active in making contributions towards the material growth and enrichment of our society, they also benefit tremendously by the richness of our multi-racial society and the tolerant values of our multi-religious policies. They also enjoy the substantial support and facilities which enable them, as a community, to practise the tenets of Islam on an extensive scale. There are indeed few Islamic societies which are so well organised through the highly structured order and infrastructure as provided for by the Administration of the Muslim Law Act which was passed by Parliament on 17th August, 1966 and made effective on 1st July, 1968. Singapore Muslims are also endowed with a most progressive and beneficial scheme of collective financing in the construction of ultra-modern mosques through the Mosque Building Fund scheme which was approved by Parliament on 19th August, 1975, and put into effect on 1st October, 1975. As Members are aware, under this scheme, Muslims can contribute 50 cents per month through CPF deduction and this amount has been revised to $1 with effect from 1st July, 1977. So far, the accumulated total contribution collected under this scheme is $4,231,199 as at February 1979 and the total number of contributors is 130,281. From these collections, three mosques costing $3.”
“The following amendment stood on the Order Paper Supplement - (12) That the sum to be allocated for Head U be reduced by $10 in respect of Subhead Code U F-03 of the Main Estimates.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I am very happy to hear the assurance from the Hon. Minister that he will send his officers to take a look at Lorong G, and I am sure the residents who are affected in this particular case would appreciate the action by his department. With regard to the premises along major roads and in the particular case which I referred to, the owners were given a specific approval by the appropriate authorities. But then they were told that the department has the discretion to withdraw it because it was a temporary approval. The approval given was on a temporary basis. But subsequently when I discussed the matter with the officials, they did say, "It is important for you to keep this place neat because it is off the main road and it should not be unsightly from the main road." So we offered them a solution by putting up proper fencing, lean-to and awnings to make it look tidy. I am glad that the officer concerned was kind enough to consider this case favourably. In fact, we have offered the owner this proposal, I am not sure whether the owner has given a specific decision because this offer was made just about one and a half weeks ago. With regard to the use of shophouses by civic organisations, in this particular case the shophouse is located off the main road. It is quite noisy, and I thought that since the use of this particular premises for a specific organisation will not add to the noise, the case could be considered favourably. If the Minister would allow me, maybe I would correspond again with him on his matter. On that note, I beg leave to withdraw my amendment. Amendment by leave, withdrawn.”
“The Ministry of National Development had insisted that the sheds must be pulled down but after a site inspection with me, he realised the problems of the particular owner of the building and agreed to allow the owner to build an attractive shed and construct a proper fence so that it would not be too unsightly from the main road. I have also received many requests from other constituents, and their sheds have been constructed a very long time ago. So far, there has not been a clear-cut explanation as to why these sheds or lean-tos which have been standing for a number of years must now be pulled down. Perhaps it would make the job of Members of Parliament much easier if this policy is stated more clearly. Finally, again, the use of residential and shophouse premises along main roads by civic organisations. I have recently written a case to the Hon. Minister concerning a particular organisation which has already occupied the top floor of a row of shop-houses in Changi Road for its organisation's activities. Since there are many other associations along many main roads using premises for civic organisation purposes, they thought that it should be all right for them to do the same. Of course, there must be conditions, and if we can make clear what these conditions are and ensure that these conditions are complied with, it should be possible for us to grant approval on this particular request.”
“Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head U be reduced by $10 in respect of Subhead Code UF-01 of the Main Estimates. Sir, I have three problems concerning the use of premises in residential areas for non-residential purposes. Firstly, I hope the Hon. Minister could help me with the problem of the residents in Lorong G. I have received a number of complaints about residential premises being used for non-residential purposes. I think it is only right for residents, especially in areas designated as residential areas, to be given the maximum possible peace. If there are instances where persons make use of the premises for commercial purposes, I think it is necessary for us to ensure that there are strong curbs to control this. I would like to ask the Minister to see if some review could be done to such practices in Lorong G, Telok Kurau. As the Minister may know, there had been previous instances where many of the premises in Lorong G had been used for commercial purposes. But these problems have long been solved. There have been complaints about the use of premises in Lorong G for non-residential purposes. Secondly, it concerns premises along main roads, which have lean-tos or sheds that have been used for a number of years. I am aware that it is extremely important for houses or buildings along main roads to look pretty, beautiful, neat and clean. But then, in many instances, sheds or lean-tos have been constructed without prior approval of the planning authorities and they have been used for very special reasons. They need the sheds. In one particular case, I had the special assistance of the Higher Executive Planner of the Development Control Division.”
“Sir, let me first thank the Hon. Minister for the very pleasant compliments that he has paid me. I am sure all Members of Parliament in Singapore are as hard working and true representatives of their respective constituents. I travel in that area very regularly because my party branch is just a few yards away from the work site. I travel there in the early hours of the evening and late hours of the night. Before we made representation, that place was really very dark. If the Minister feels satisfied with the standard of the facilities of interim lighting provided for by the PWD, then obviously our conception of "satisfactory lighting" is different tom that of the PWD, or maybe the officials in the PWD can see better in the dark than I can. I should give the Minister an assurance that I personally found that the lighting was quite poor, but after the help of his officers in the Ministry, the situation has improved. With regard to the footpath, I am surprised that the temporary footpath referred to is an earth footpath. It should not be an earth footpath. It should at least be laid with gravel or some light cement, which eventually was done after our request. That has made the situation very much more satisfactory. In this particular case, the residents had no other way out. They could not go under the bridge They could not walk around it because the whole place was closed up. The only way was to make a detour round the work site and to walk along the road flanking Jalan Daud Primary School. Therefore, I thought that with so much inconvenience, a decent footpath was quite a fair request to make.”
“If the Minister can ensure us that such interim facilities will be incorporated in future projects, while major projects are being constructed, the inconvenience of this kind can be minimised. The Senior Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Labour (Mr Fong Sip Chee): On a point of clarification, Sir. The hon. Member for Kampong Kembangan has made mention of Teo Kim Eng Road, Foo Kim Lin Road and Jalan Pagak. Half of Jalan Pagak comes under Kampong Chai Chee Constituency, and the stretches of Foo Kim Lin Road and Teo Kim Eng Road are in Kampong Chai Chee Constituency. I have not received any representation at all from anybody regarding the inconvenience caused by the Pan-Island Expressway, although it is a bit difficult for me to visit the Kaki Bukit area now. I would call upon the Minister to refer to me if there has been any representation made through the Member for Kampong Kembangan, from residents of those areas in Kampong Chai Chee. As the Member of Parliament of that constituency, I am entitled to be informed of what transpired between the Ministry and the Member for Kampong Kembangan.”
“Sir, we should be very thankful that no workers were injured or killed when the massive concrete flyover over the Paya Lebar Pan-Island Expressway collapsed recently. Indeed we should be more thankful that it collapsed before it was put into operation. If the matter is not sub judice, may I ask the Minister for National Development to inform the House briefly what were the reasons for the collapse. If investigations are still being carried out, what is the progress of the investigations, and when will the report be completed? If we know the reasons for the collapse, what steps are being taken to ensure that a collapse of such massive structures does not recur? I would also like to bring this matter to the attention of the Minister. The residents in Jalan Eunos, Jalan Pagak, Foo Kim Lin Road and Teo Kim Eng Road met me on a number of occasions complaining about the inconvenience that has arisen from the project which is now being carried out at Jalan Eunos. This project is connected with the construction of the Paya Lebar Pan-Island Expressway. I would like to acknowledge the very efficient and prompt assistance that has been given to me by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry for National Development and his officials in constructing the footpath and in installing street lights in areas affected by road development in that vicinity. I wonder why it is really necessary for the residents to make representation and for the Member of Parliament to write on their behalf requesting for such facilities when these should have been incorporated in the planning stage of a project of that size.”
“Yes. It is connected with the Pan-Island Expressway. The Chairman: All right.”
“Sir, since we are now discussing about the Pan-Island Expressway, and since my amendment No. (6) also concerns the Pan-Island Expressway, may I be permitted to speak at this juncture?”
“I am not moving, Sir. The sum of $603,455,310 for Head R ordered to stand part of the Main Estimates. The sum of $664,548,000 for Head R ordered to stand part of the Development Estimates. The Chairman: At this stage I propose to take the Suspension. Thereupon Mr Speaker left the Chair of the Committee and took the Chair of the House”
“(8) That the sum to be allocated for Head R be reduced by $10 in respect of Subhead Code RI-02 of the Main Estimates.”
“Sir, I would like to seek clarification from the Minister. How does he define "strong family roots". This is one aspect of policy which can solve many problems. If he can clarify, we Members of Parliament will be in a better position to help our constituents in regard to applications for citizenship.”
“This means that for every thousand young people who are detained and sent to the DRCs, 500 are sent home because the tests are not confirmed. If these 500 are being made to feel that they are being harassed, then we are releasing 500 angry young people. I wonder if the Minister could report whether it is true that about 50% of cases are released and whether he is satisfied that those released are not subjected to any harassment.”
“Unfortunately, we did not make any early contacts with the DRC releasees and because of the lack of these early contacts we found it difficult to get them to join us in our recreational activities or in other projects which could keep them away from drug addiction. In one instance, one of my colleagues in Kampong Kembangan made an approach to a family but the family was not friendly. If we had had earlier contacts with the drug addicts while they were still under detention, it would have been easier for us to involve them in many recreational activities. We can involve the former drug addicts in more positive activities in the constituency. Another point which deserves mention is the question of enforcement officers. On the whole we must say that the drug-enforcement officers have done a wonderful job. But I am concerned about the way in which enforcement officers approach suspects along the public road. It is common to see youths on bicycles or motor cycles being stopped along the road and questioned and checked by the enforcement officers. Maybe this is one way to check on suspects. But it is important for us to ensure that the enforcement officers make a very strong effort to be more friendly to the suspects, and not to make it appear that they are being harassed. 5.45 p.m. Normally when a person is stopped and checked, and if there is reason to suspect him of drug taking, he is sent to the police station for a urine test. I understand that about 50% of cases sent to the police station are either confirmed drug addicts or cases confirmed by urine tests to have symptoms of drug taking. But then there are the other 50% who are not confirmed, and therefore they are released.”
“While there are custodial reasons to treat the addicts firmly and in isolation, we should not divorce a drug addict completely from his family. I consider this important for the following reasons. A drug addict has become one because of a severe breakdown in his ties with, and loyalty to, his family. To my mind, this is a fundamental cause for drug abuse. Therefore, the best solution is to ensure that there are sound programmes on education, and community service to strengthen the family ties so that a family can play a role in protecting its members from drug abuse. Secondly, a drug addict is usually repentant during or after the first week of detention in the Drug Rehabilitation Centre. He normally needs emotional reassurance and, in this regard, his family is the most ready source for this reassurance. Therefore, the rehabilitation programme must take into account the active participation of the family. To this extent I wish to mention that in Kampong Kembangan constituency we have during the past year received over 20 requests for assistance from families on the problems of drug addicts detained in the DRCs. We have tried a number of ways to seek the assurance of the DRC authorities that they will give the families all possible facilities to help the addicts. I am happy to say that we have received active support and understanding from the DRC authorities. Perhaps we could further increase the opportunities for early contacts between the family, the community leaders and the DRC during the detention. I say this because recently we received a list of 40 DRC releasees.”
“Sir, I am sure that when we debate and discuss about the problems of drug abuse, our objective is to see that these problems are effectively controlled. We can say that so far we have succeeded in containing the problems of drug abuse. I agree with the views of my colleague that there are still problems, for example, the need for Government to take the lead in getting job placements for DRC releasees because without jobs the releasees will not have the opportunity to strengthen their self-esteem and confidence and, therefore, have a real purpose in keeping themselves away from drug abuse. I share the sentiments of the Member for Kim Seng that the Government should take a lead in this respect. On this particular point, my view is that this job placement is not so simple. From my constituency's experience we offered 120 jobs to the DRC releasees but only 40 accepted the offers. Out of the 40, less than half assumed the jobs and after that less than half continued in their jobs. The problem of job emplacement exists not necessarily because of the reluctance of companies or departments to get jobs for them but arises because of the attitudes of the DRC releasees themselves. While I do not want to suggest that we should ignore them because of their disinclination to take their jobs seriously, we must bend ourselves as far as possible to help the drug releasees to stick to their jobs and encourage them to take their jobs seriously. While we have succeeded in implementing enforcement measures, there is still scope for us to improve the scheme. In this respect I would like to humbly submit the following views. First, there is the important role of the family.”
“Sir, I find that this subject matter concerns drug enforcement and, if I may, I would like to withdraw this particular amendment and join in the discussion on Subhead Code QG-01.”
“(8) That the sum to be allocated for Head Q be reduced by $10 in respect of Subhead Code QF-08 of the Main Estimates.”
“Sir, since we are now discussing issues on Neighbourhood Policing, team policing and also the functions of Special Constabulary on the question of drug abuse, may I have your permission to speak on the subject now?”
“Sir, if that is how the Hon. Minister feels, then there is no point in debating further, and I beg leave to withdraw the amendment. Amendment by leave, withdrawn. The following amendment stood in the name of Mr Eric Cheong Yuen Chee. (5) That the sum to be allocated for Head Q be reduced by $10 in respect of Object Group 1210 of Subhead Code QE-01 of the Main Estimates.”
“On the basis of these figures and through discussion with my community leaders, we managed to locate, on a constituency basis, the drug-prone areas and the crime-prone areas. With this information we mobilised the religious leaders, community leaders, youth groups and the sports recreation group to tackle the problems and we seemed to have reduced the problems. During April to September 1977, the number of arrests ranged from 11 to 34, with the maximum in May 1977, with 34 cases. Since the PWD pulled down the empty houses, sometime in October and November, crime and drug cases dropped drastically. In fact, for the last three months, from the very summarised statistics I got from the Police, them were no drug cases in my constituency. Therefore, I thought that statistics of this kind would be extremely useful for Members of Parliament and the community leaders.”