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, I wish to thank the Minister for referring to the team of systems engineers headed by the Deputy Prime Minister. In fact, this was the example which I had in mind to prove the importance of the method where we can apply the task force system. But we could also look at this task force method as a means of more in-depth assessment because the very design and functions of such a task force require an officer to work very closely with other officers and their work requires intensive discussions. In the process they expose their attitudes and their capabilities. I would like to ask the Minister whether his office would consider the possibility of applying this task force method. in a more general way in many other Ministries, so that hopefully we could have more task forces in other Ministries and, in the process, build up more higher calibre officers in the civil service.”
“Sir, may I just conclude with three more points?”
“Such a desirable situation will result only if we have Administrative officers who not only have brains but also have character, depth of feeling and strength of commitment to help others in making Government work so that society will benefit. It also needs the infrastructures, the methods, the instruments and the understanding to build up this type of Administrative officers. I have, in April 1976, before I was given the privilege to be a Member of this presti- gious House, been given the opportunity to be a drafter of a report which reads "The Singapore Civil Service, Projected and Actual" and this report is incorporated in a larger report entitled "The Singapore Civil Service - A Critical Appraisal". In that report, I have urged that central agencies like the Prime Minister's Office should explore and institutionalise the greater use of "special task force" which is multi-disciplinary and which comprises highly skilled administrators to tackle problems faced by Ministries. The primary function of such a task force should be to undertake in-depth reviews of special problem areas and to develop within the Ministry concerned the core essential resources, procedures and practices which will cause and facilitate the continual improvements of policies and services rendered by the Ministries concerned.”
“For all these reasons, it is important for us to ensure that we attract the best to the Administrative Service and retain them. Most importantly, we must allow them to see, understand and feel strongly to remain in the service to render their best. The easier way is to improve conditions of service like pay, status, benefits, and so on. Maybe there is a need for this because it is quite ridiculous to see two classmates - one joining the Administrative Service and having to shoulder onerous responsibilities but does not enjoy glamour, and the other joining the private sector who also has responsibilities, but enjoying much more glamour and much more pay. Decent working conditions and other benefits are actually entitlements to be expected, especially if the officer has the merit and he does work for the pay. But these monetary rewards have limits. This is so because I see the fine distinction between "dissatisfaction" and "satisfaction". To me, these are two concepts, operating on two different levels and are concerned with two different ranges of man's needs. Removing dissatisfaction cannot be deemed as incentives to greater satisfaction. What appears more critical to me is the rewarding nature of work itself; the privilege of being given the task of solving major problems, the opportunity to make meaningful contributions on substantive matters which are more crucial to larger numbers of people, the rare opportunity to feel that one has given one's best in the making of good policies, in making sure that the policies work and in seeing that so many people in our society are benefitting from the policies one has initiated. To me, Sir, this is the best reward that an Administrative officer can hope for and must strive to get.”
“For these reasons, Sir, I am of the view that the Personnel Management Programme under the Prime Minister's Office will be one of the most important programmes in the Government, and the failure or success of this programme will largely determine the failure or success of our effort in building up a strong group of able, loyal and dedicated administrators, men and women with high character and integrity. We have been very fortunate to have acquired and built up sufficient strength in the Administrative Service and, therefore, the civil service. We have an efficient official language, English. We have good civil service traditions acquired from the British traditions which ensure stability and continuity, and we are freed by the unsettling effects of the "spoils systems" form of government. Our administrative and political cultures have also trained us to be unfettered by rigid ideologies. We are flexible and we are free to select what is best in the field of management, organisation and policy making, irrespective of the ideological sources or political constraints. We operate by merit and we have made our system a responsive system. In the area of administration in the civil service, and through the merit principle, we have been able to select the best brains and we can continue to do so as we have dismantled the previous exclusive policies in establishment of government where it once insisted that Administrative Officers must be a separate service closed to others from the other services. Now, officers from the engineering service and other departmental grades can join the Administrative Service and they can take up key positions. This is as it must be and it must be on the basis of merit and ability to give maximum contributions.”
“There are also others from the trade unions, private sector or non-profit sectors, select individuals, whose views and support are sought and valued for this difficult process of policy making and implementation. But there is yet a group of people who are called by the unpretentious and unglamourous term "Administrative Officers". These are the people I am referring to in my amendment for this subhead. They can be Permanent Secretaries, Deputy Secretaries, Principal Assistant Secretaries, Assistant Secretaries or the junior Administrative Assistants. As a group, they are the people who are the first audience to Ministers' wishes and directives. They are the people who translate Ministers' wishes and views into all types of policy instruments. Of course, the best example is the Cabinet paper. The Cabinet paper in our Government system is the key instrument by which the Minister seeks to convince his Cabinet colleagues on what his Ministry wants to do, why it has to do it, how it is to be implemented, and what benefits can accrue from the programmes which are to be implemented from the policies. The style or method of policy making places the Administrative Officers in a very strategic position in so far as policy making and policy implementation are concerned. The criticality of their position is magnified by the compactness of our society, our highly organised habit of doing things and the strongly elitist mode of our organisation.”
“Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head I be reduced by $10 in respect of Subhead Code IE-01 of the Main Estimates. Governing a country is a serious affair. It cannot be done, as some feeble-minded people think it can, by merely having an Opposition in Parliament or in always having to make all people happy all the time. There are too many problems, hard and difficult problems, which can only be solved through hard and difficult ways, even bitter ones. And we have learnt that this must be so if we are to be what we are now and to remain adequately prosperous and stable. What we do as a Government, what we offer our citizens are made on the basis of the common but unpopular word called "policy". Policies indeed are the instruments by which taxes are made and new laws introduced. The shirts we buy, the cheap food we eat in hawker stalls, the clean environment, the type of education our children get, the things the Police do, the stability we enjoy - all these are the by-products of policies. They have such an awesome influence on our day-to-day life that we must ensure that policy making and policy implementation in the Government are done with the best possible prospect of success and will indeed render us that degree of prosperity we could have. Who are the people who formulate policies, get them approved, implement them, and review them as to whether the results achieved are what the policies have been designed to achieve? No doubt the Prime Minister, his Cabinet colleagues, other political leaders and we Members of Parliament are part of this policy making team.”
“Prime Minister who has taken special pains to seek, test and groom up candidates for the future leadership. It is indeed very rare for us to find a political system where current leaders who hold power take serious steps to prepare others to take over from them. In fact, there are more examples to the contrary. I also fully support the concluding reminder from the President that "it is the quality of the political leadership that is decisive." He emphasised the importance for us to have the commitment and willingness to look for future leaders, give them the experience and time to understand the demands of leadership. I am especially moved by the President's emphasis on the need to develop camaraderie amongst leaders. In the final analysis, I think this is the crux of successful leadership in Singapore. The Prime Minister and his close Cabinet colleagues and also the top leaders in the Government departments, the trade union movement and even in selected private sectors, are people who have enjoyed a high degree of camaraderie amongst themselves, for they have undergone together the tough battles of our formative years. In fact, in their case, they were first friends and then leaders. This esprit de corps enables them to discuss and review problems openly, frankly and sincerely. I think this is the formula - the spirit of camaraderie which is the best guarantee for us to build up the top leadership of the Republic of Singapore. 3.40 p.m.”
“In Kampong Kembangan we have been lucky to emplace 150 ex-addicts to profitable employment. All these jobs have been offered by private companies. I had difficulty in getting these ex-addicts emplaced in Government departments. I think it is important for us to review this because, in the final analysis, the success of rehabilitation will depend on the degree to which these drug addicts have a way to redeem their self-esteem through getting decent employment. I am sorry to have taken so much time, Mr Speaker. Taken as a whole the Ministerial Addenda to the Presidential Address have adequately covered many important issues that should be looked into in the immediate years and, with the record that we have achieved and the momentum that we have built, I am confident that we should be able to overcome the gloomy economic growth that the President has timely reminded us in his Address. Of the three issues mentioned by the President, the conflict in Indo-China and the problem of the next political leadership are also very important matters which deserve serious attention. I wholeheartedly support the statement by the ASEAN leaders recently released by the Indonesian Foreign Minister. With ASEAN's credibility as a serious-minded regional organisation, I am confident that what we say and what we do will go a long way towards gaining the attention and respect of the big powers and countries involved in this conflict. With our active participation in resolving this regional problem, we should be able, if not solve the problem, to at least minimise its implications. As to the question of future political leadership, this is another point which, I think, is critical. This matter has attracted the deep concern of the Hon.”
“The Education Ministry, in a recent case especially, gave us very little notice about the very major changes in educational policy. I think this is not fair. I think it is necessary for the Ministry to give the public some notice about impending changes. This raises a second point: is it possible for the Ministry to consider how, and to what extent, community leaders, including Members of Parliament, can be involved in formulating and reviewing new proposals on educational policies? In fact, one Member said to me a very interesting recommendation as to whether or not educational policies, especially the major ones, could be made the subject of a White Paper to be submitted to the House for study and debate by Members. Regarding the proposal on feedback and monitoring to be undertaken by the Ministry, it will be useful if the Minister could tell the House how the Ministry will implement the feedback and monitoring exercise. What criteria it will use, and how this feedback and monitoring programme will benefit not only in the formulation of educational policies but also in ensuring that the programmes are effectively implemented. For Culture, my only remark at this juncture is that there is an urgent need to review the People's Association programme. I have had the privilege of having discussions with the Director and we agreed that P.A. is not a private corporation. It is a national body concerned with national problems and it must reflect the aspirations and future problems of the whole nation. I would like to reserve my discussion on this in the Budget debate. Home Affairs. I fully share the views of the Member for Khe Bong about drug problems and the need to get employment for ex-drug addicts released from rehabilitation centres.”
“The support I am thinking of is by way of seconding experts from Government departments, or even private organisations by invitation, to serve full-time for a specific period to help upgrade the administration and management of social services undertaken by these civic organisations. I say this because many civic organisations are doing a very good service, but they are facing serious problems of ensuring a consistent and vigorous management leadership in the planning and implementation of community programmes. With regard to the Majlis Ugama Islam of Singapore which, of course, comes under the Ministry of Social Affairs, I prefer to reserve this for the Budget debate. The only point I would like to mention here concerns the proposal to review the Administration of Muslim Law Act. It would be useful if the Minister could in the very near future indicate why it is necessary to review the Act now. What are the points or issues which need to be rationalised? What are the criteria that he will use in making these changes? And will he seek active consultation with persons in the civic organisations and the community at large to ensure that these amendments are consistent, not only with solving problems or upgrading present services but also in managing problems of the future? I have already made some mention about education. In fact, I have chosen not to spend too much time on it because I am eager to learn what the full recommendations of Dr Goh and his team of systems analysts are. I do not know whether these recommendations will be forthcoming but it is worth waiting for them because it will show us clearly whether the programmes of the Ministry are really firm and whether they will be implemented on a long term basis.”
“Of course, the public themselves must be involved. But, to be fair to them, it is not possible for the public to flush when the flush is faulty, or always to tip-toe when the floor is so dirty because nobody washes it. I have already raised a number of points on Social Affairs. I just have one or two more points. If we look at the Minister of Culture's Addendum, we would have seen the steps he has taken to seek the involvement and support of private cultural organisations. I think the Ministry of Social Affairs should adopt the same approach. There are about 2,400 registered societies in Singapore. My guess is that 60% of them are societies which are connected with the rendering of social and welfare services at grassroots level. In this sense, I think they can play a greater role towards upgrading the social services in our Republic. It will do us a great deal of good if the Ministry takes steps to hold regular dialogues with these associations and their leaders to see how they can be more involved and make more wider contributions in the field of social services. Another point which I am quite doubtful about is that societies are registered by the Home Affairs Ministry but many of the problems affect the Social Affairs Ministry. I do not know whether there is any link or interface between the Home Affairs Ministry and the Social Affairs Ministry. Another point which I would like to raise concerning the Ministry of Social Affairs is whether the Ministry could carry out an urgent study about certain creditable civic organisations and whether they deserve some special support.”
“My only comment is to suggest the need to give greater consideration and interface between various sectors and institutions in the health-care system that, in this scheme of things, it is imperative that the Ministry develops and upgrade the monitoring and evaluation system. The best way is perhaps to review the recommendations of the President's Commission on the development of research and statistical unit for health development and to consider further improvements. The Ministry of the Environment should be commended for having successfully expanded its water and air pollution control services. I think it has also done creditably in drainage development programmes. But two matters, I think, require discussion. Let me take hawkers first. I am not too sure whether there are really 27,500 hawkers in Singapore. Presumably, these are stallholders who are selling in markets and food centres and who are licensed by the Hawkers Department of the Ministry. But I know there is another category of hawkers who are administratively defined as "stallholders" but licensed by the Public Health District Offices and not by the Hawkers Department. For purposes of overall planning, the Ministry should resolve this question as to whether these stallholders should not rightly be defined as "hawkers" as well. If this is done, then the number of hawkers in Singapore will be very much more than 27,500. The second point concerns public toilets. I support the plan to improve the management and standard of hygiene.in public toilets. However, I do not know whether this can be achieved solely through enforcement methods. The managements of shopping complexes, cinemas, restaurants and bus terminals must be made more aware and more concerned about this problem.”
“But now there are cases where the constituents come and tell me that the HDB will not give them flats even though they were promised a flat at the time of the survey. I think this makes the job of MPs much more difficult because it is difficult to prove whether this has happened. And I normally avoid getting embroiled with the staff of the HDB on this matter. But I think it is very important for the Ministry officials and HDB officials to make an effort to make it clear whether a person is eligible for a flat on resettlement, with priority or without. If they are not eligible, I think, to be fair to them, the officials should tell them in advance so that they can register for a flat at an earlier date. I agree with the comments of the Member for Changi about unauthorised structures. I have had the privilege of getting wonderful assistance from the former Senior Minister of State for National Development and the present Senior Minister of State in tackling many problems of unauthorised structures. I agree that some structures need to be pulled down. But the point stressed by the Member for Changi is correct: in many cases the structures have been in existence for many years and it is impossible for the owners to produce proof. I think the Ministry should give due regard to this problem. On the Ministry of Health, the programmes set out by the Minister are consistent with my conception of what health services should be, and I fully support him in his approach to give priority to primary health care and health education.”
“With the very kind permission of my colleague, the Member for Moulmein, I would like to know whether it is true that workmen's compensation does not cover accidents involving teachers in school premises. If this is not included, what is the rationale? I would like to ask the Ministry to review this because there should be some form of protection for teachers who could be injured in accidents in laboratories or for any other reasons involved with their school and professional duties. Next is National Development, and I think this subject is too large, I prefer to reserve this for the forthcoming debate. I would only like to raise a few points and this concerns the ethics of officers in the HDB and also in the Ministry of National Development. Firstly, is there a standing instruction in the Ministry on how fast or how slow replies should be given to letters from members of the public and Members of Parliament? From the cases I have seen, it appears that there is a policy that in so far as replies to MPs are concerned, take your time. The second problem concerns officers who go round taking surveys of families affected by resettlement programmes. I must commend the Resettlement Department for tackling the resettlement problem magnificently. I know there are problems, given the complexity of the exercise. But I have received many complaints from my constituents in Kampong Kembangan and also in Kampong Ubi which I look after on behalf of Tuan Haji Ya'acob bin Mohamed. At the time of the survey, which may be one, two or three years before actual reallocation, the families were told not to worry and were given assurance that they would be given flats.”
“I think there is an urgent need to study this matter because more and more Singaporeans are required to perform night shift or shift work and also because, without night shift and shift work, I do not think our industrialisation programme can achieve its maximum potential and capacity. These studies should show what effects night work has on workers, their families and their community life. Is night work medically harmful to workers? If it is, is it more harmful to men or women? If it is harmful to either party, or both, what steps should be taken and what specialised or new social services are required in the factory or community? It is good to note that the Ministry will review the Employment Act but nothing is mentioned as to what the objectives of this review are, why it must be done, what criteria will be used to select those parts of the Act to be changed, and why? Another problem which is building up, but has not been adequately discussed by the Minister, concerns the increasing number of workers joining the service industry. This trend has already been seen in many industrialised economies and there has been so much discussion on this problem in those countries. Yet our Ministry has not indicated in the Addendum that urgent attention has been given to this. I think this is important because so far our labour policies have been directed more towards problems of industrial workers. This must be so in the past and perhaps also in the future because of the importance of the manufacturing sector, but we must not ignore the increasing importance of the service industry. Sir, I would like to ask if the Minister could keep us informed about this particular problem. The next point is workmen's compensation.”
“it is no good having excellent laws and regulations but which are not properly enforced. The statements on labour-management relations are a bit lopsided. It is not fair, by implication, to keep on blaming workers for failing to work hard or to accumulate and develop skills. There are, of course, workers who lack diligence, who job-hop and who do not seem to appreciate the value of work ethics. However, these problems, more often than not, are the result of inefficient and inconsiderate management. By this, I do not mean that management are intrinsically or wilfully bad. I am more concerned with the unwitting failure of top management not knowing what is happening at grassroots level. There is also inadequate public discussions about the responsibilities of managers. On the workers' part, the NTUC have undertaken various educational services and workers' education programmes and are really attempting to educate the workers about their responsibilities, obligations and the need to work hard. On the other hand, there is no corresponding concern and interest on the part of management to do similar programmes for their members. I know that many companies have undertaken their own internal management education programmes. But, to my mind, this is not enough. Managers must also be educated on their broader responsibilities and obligations. They must understand the social, economic and political imperatives of Singapore and, in context, what their roles should be. The Labour Minister's Addendum also does not discuss a very important subject of night shift or shift work.”
“However, there is no mention about whether or not the Minister will encourage the national servicemen to take an active part in community service. I am aware that the SAF personnel have been active in helping MPs in numerous gotong-royong projects, but I think the SAF can do much more than this. The Ministry of Defence should realise the need to help the national servicemen to understand the problems of community service, and to know how and why they should be actively involved in community service. To me, this is important because in the long run nearly all adults in Singapore would have gone through National Service and I do not see why we should not prepare them to be more involved in community service. Another reason why I recommend this is that through SAF there is a greater chance for us to get more professionals to gear themselves to take active positions in community service projects. If this is achieved, then the problems of attracting more professionals to voluntary service in civic organisations could be effectively resolved. With greater community involvement there is a chance for the Army and the community to understand and respect each other. If this is achieved, then all will be well because the high technical or technological standards and capability which we have built up in our Army will be consolidated by strong and abiding grassroot support of the ordinary citizen. With regard to the Ministry of Labour, I have a few points to raise. I share the concern on problems of occupational safety. My view is that while it is necessary to review present policies and introduce better ones, it is more important to make sure that there are proper and effective enforcement and monitoring programmes.”
“With regard to the Civil Service terms and conditions of service, I support the Minister's proposal to improve the terms and conditions of employees and to make them comparative with the private sector. I agree that priority must be given to developing a strong corps of administrators, and it is important for us to attract the best in a competitive way with the private sector. In this programme, the issue must not be just to attract them but also to ensure that they remain and serve in the Civil Service with greater dedication and conviction. I also hope that the Ministry has plans to improve the terms and conditions of Government employees in the lower grades, including the Public Daily Rated Employees. There was no mention in the Minister's Addendum about staff assessment problems. I know that the Government is using Staff Confidential Reports but there have been discussions which indicate that this reporting system is far from adequate, especially if we are to assess Government employees on matters like character and commitment. I had the privilege of presenting my comments to the Head of the Civil Service early last year, and he assured me that the Public Service Commission would review the staff evaluation system. I wonder if the Minister could report to this House the progress on this matter and whether the Ministry has plans to revamp the staff performance system. Let me now be permitted to comment on Defence. The Minister has told us that the basic build-up of the SAF is practically completed. Steps are now being taken to improve the quality of the personnel, development of leadership, improve the Reservist Corps, and the control of drugs.”
“I beg your pardon, Mr Speaker. Apparently this matter has just been resolved. Thank you very much for updating my information. I am glad that this matter has been resolved because the delegates to the seminar spent a lot of time discussing this matter. The point to stress is that the union represents over 10,000 workers in hotels, restaurants and various industries within the tourist sector and I think it will benefit our tourism development programme if we have the union represented in the Board, so that they can effectively link the policies of the Government and the Board with the problems at grassroots levels. Finally, with regard to the Ministry of Finance, I would like to comment on the statistical development. I support the Minister's proposal to undertake a census of population in 1980. I hope he can report to this House at a later stage on the progress of preparation undertaken by his Ministry. Aside from population data. the Minister has not made any mention about the data on Civil Service performance. I say this because way back in 1960 there was a President's Commission on the development of research and statistical services in Government departments. In fact, specific recommendations were made by that Commission on plans to improve statistical services by the Ministries of Labour, National Development and Health. I would like to ask, if it is possible, whether the Minister could report to the House on the progress of the implementation of the Commission's recommendations. If it is possible, I would also like to ask if he could indicate whether there is a need for other Ministries, not covered by that Commission's report, to also take steps to develop fu ll-fledged research and statistical services.”
“It appears from recent developments that the STPB is as yet unable to sustain an effective directorate to implement this because of some protracted staffing problems. Finally, I would now like to touch on tripartite participation. If I may be permitted, Mr Speaker, Sir, I would like to raise a point on the specific recommendation which has been made by the participants of the recent seminar which was organised by the Food, Drinks and Allied Workers' Union regarding trade union involvement in the task of tourist promotion and development. The seminar noted that the membership of the Tourist Promotion Board at the moment consists of only Government representatives and representatives from the private sector. There are no representatives from the trade union movement. An hon. Member: Yes, there is.”
“' He concluded his speech, which was made three years ago, by stating: 'These are matters for close study by the experts. The problem is still a long way off. That is why it is better to start working on it now rather than wait until it is upon us, when many options will have been closed needlessly for want of foresight.' I would like to humbly request the Minister for Finance to assure us that this matter has been adequately looked into and that the Ministry has made preparations to overcome the problems as anticipated by the Deputy Prime Minister three years ago. I think the expansion of tourism should not be seen as an unending linear expansion, that is, just more tourists and longer stay in Singapore. Of course, we will ,.benefit if we have more tourists and if they stay longer. But we must assess our capacity for more tourists. We must also consider whether there is a need to restructure the system so that new and different types of tourist facilities are introduced to cater for large increases without necessarily giving rise to internal problems. I think we were right when we chose the policy of making Singapore a convention centre. This is the second point I would like to comment on with regard to the Addendum from the Minister for Finance. This policy is consistent with attracting a 'high-load' tourist volume besides, of course, raising the mature of Singapore as a place where people can reflect and discuss serious matters on development, professional, and international issues. If it is the intention of the Minister to really develop this policy, it is important for the Ministry to review the management and status of the department in the Singapore Tourist Promotion Board which is responsible for implementing this policy.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, these are my brief overviews on the Addenda on the policies presented by the Ministers. May I now be permitted to come to specific issues? Let me take the Addendum on the Ministry of Finance. My comments are on the three following issues, tourism, statistical development, and the Civil Service. I share the concern of the hon. Member for Whampoa when he raised the question of the limits of tourism. He may have some aversions about having too many foreign tourists all over Singapore, and I do share his views. I would like to add my comments on three points: 1. The question of the limits of tourism. 2. Policies of making Singapore a conventional centre. 3. Tripartism in the field of tourist promotion. Our Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence has, as early as December, 1976, cautioned us about the limits of tourism when he spoke at the annual dinner of the Singapore Society of Tour Agents. I quote: 'The rapid growth of the tourist trade has both its blessings and its problems. On the one hand, it has contributed to significant foreign exchange earnings, created employment and added to the construction boom in the recent past. This is for the good. But can we keep on growing forever?' He further stated, and I quote: 'What I am proposing is that we should look closely at the long-term problems which will arise from limitation of space. slow growth of population and the requirements of our own citizens when they have to compete with the demands of the overseas visitors. When we have understood these matters better, we can probably raise the maximum number of tourists we can receive each year and still provide tourist visitors and citizens with enough elbow room.”
“The policy set out by the Minister for Culture is another example of the importance of policy redefinition. I am glad that the Ministry has done something about the vague and amorphous subject of Culture. His recent statements do give us some indication of his concept of culture. But there are a number of papers which could be discussed to indicate the correct interpretation of what a unique Singapore culture is, vis-a-vis the stature and role of the component cultures of the various racial groups in our society. The Minister has stated that he will "pursue the policy of allowing Singapore's rich cultural heritage to gradually interact and blend into a distinctive Singaporean culture", and he plans to do it in a very imaginative manner. He realises the importance of achieving better coordination between the cultural programmes of Government and those carried out by private cultural bodies. He has also taken steps to provide the important infrastructure, namely, the Cultural Foundation, and through this I have confidence that he can succeed in attracting greater involvement and contributions from private cultural organisations and individuals. With regard to the improvement of radio and TV programmes, he has also stressed the importance of "listener participation." All these indicate a very refreshing approach in the task of promoting culture which is so essential to us, especially the young who need the cultural ballast to strengthen certain important traditional values and at the same time to guard them against the impact of convenient, fashionable, but not always relevant values of the West. The Minister, however, still has a number of outstanding matters which require urgent attention.”
“Minister for Health, on assuming the Health portfolio, had seen it right to give urgent attention to the problem of policy redefinition, and here he has stated three important policies:- 1. To make a clear distinction between hospital and community health services; 2. To restructure and expand the community health service under the programme of primary health care; and 3. The need to pursue an urgent policy on preventive health, through a vigorous health promotion programme. If the Ministry had not tackled these policy redefinitions on a priority basis, it is likely that the Health Ministry will still be bogged down with unending problems of inadequate doctors, medicines, long queues of patients and long queues on the surgical lists. They will also find it very difficult to seek the rationale for proper allocation of budget and manpower, and they would not be able to carry out their expansion plans in a more effective way. On the other hand, with a clearer policy redefinition, it is possible for the Ministry to embark upon its programme more confidently. With emphasis on health care and preventive medicine, correct emphasis can be put on the individual and community responsibilities of Singaporeans in tackling the problems of health. Morbidity issues will also become more important than mortality issues. It is really futile to spend so much time preparing beautiful mortality statistics when what is more important are morbidity statistics. With the expansion of the public health education programme, there is a greater chance for the general public to learn how to look after their own health, and this I believe could lighten the burden of the Ministry. Of course, the Minister still has a number of outstanding problems to resolve.”
“The Addendum from the Minister for Social Affairs does not sufficiently answer these issues except perhaps the proposal to implement the Family Service Centre which certainly is a suitable programme designed to promote more abiding friendship, mutual help and neighbourliness amongst families, children and aged kinsfolk in the new housing estates. May I mention here, Sir, that I am not saying that we must totally disregard the helpless, the abandoned, the aged and the destitutes, even if we believe that the living standard and earning capacity of Singaporeans are now very much higher. Naturally, there are still many unfortunates who would still need the care and protection of the social services rendered by the State. This service must continue and even extended especially to the problems of the aged, bearing in mind the demographic changes anticipated in the eighties and nineties, and also the problem of break-up of the extended family and the loosening of bonds of filial piety. While we continue to render protective and charitable services, we must also bear in mind that there are many others healthy and quite well-off but who still need some form of social and community service. New considerations must be given to this, and therefore new policies are required. These have not been set out in the Ministry's Addendum. The problem of redefinition, based on the Ministry of Social Affairs, can best be contrasted by the situations in the Addenda on the Ministries of Health and Culture. With regard to the Ministry of Health, the problem of systems redefinition is invariably also a major problem. I am glad to note that the Hon.”
“The question here is whether it is really possible for us to separate sociological and political considerations from the professional concerns of Education. I think we cannot. On the contrary, professionals in the Ministry of Education - administrators, principals and teachers - must surely know that, in the final analysis, education is not merely a process of equipping our students with bits of alphabets or figures or formulas or sentence construction. There must be inculcation of "purpose" - purpose to create a citizenry well equipped to perform economic and political tasks and to understand why; not only to know how to do things properly and efficiently, but to know why. Therefore, my proposition here is that educationists must themselves realise that understanding social and political issues and imparting them to the students are part and parcel of their professional responsibility in education. The example which I have given on education clearly indicates the problem of programme definition or redefinition of purpose, which is the central problem affecting the Ministries under this third category. Take Social Affairs. Are we still supposed to be preoccupied with eleemosynary or charitable considerations, without giving due regard to seeing that social services serve as a development programme charged with the task of tackling and preparing the society which is developing and modernising rapidly? If so, why? If not, why not? If we have to restructure our approach, how can we ensure that the needs of the helpless destitutes, etc. are well attended to?”
“However, if there is oversight or unwitting disregard, coupled with inadequate explanation, the effect of this disparate priority will be an imbalanced allocation of staff and budget with resulting lowering of staff morale, ineffectiveness of the service departments and a disgruntled public. Ministries under this category would do well to give due consideration to this type of problem. The third category is the most complex and tricky. This comprises those Ministries which do not seem to be able to embark upon a vigorous and purposeful expansion programme for the following reasons:- (1) The problem itself is a complex one; (2) There is unclear policy objective; (3) There are inadequate administrators and key staff: (4) There is inadequate budget; (5) There is disorganised intervention by outsiders making it difficult for ministry officials to pursue and organise their policies on a long-term basis; and (6) Political problems. The Ministries failing under this category seem to include Social Affairs, Health and Education. Let me take the Ministry of Education first. If the formulation of education policies is merely an exercise of professional or technical judgment, then I think the job in that Ministry would not be as difficult as it is now. Unfortunately, education is an all-embracing problem. Education policies must take into account sociological and political considerations. This should be so because if education ignores the sociological and political needs of the country, our students will just be literate and skilful people but persons lacking the soul and ballast so essential for a dynamic Republic such as ours.”
“In Defence, for example, old programmes on personnel deployment will have to be reviewed and rationalised as mechanisation and labour-saving devices are introduced, as more women are recruited into regular service; and as more NCO skills are improved. Publicity and coordination programmes to explain the new changes to departments or the public affected by these changes must also be given due attention. Similarly, if I take the example of the Ministry of Communications, consideration must also be given to the implications of the changes with the expansion of the tourist and traffic cargoes, expansion of telephone and port services, and, in particular, introduction of the Post Code System. Let me now come to the second category of policies and these comprise those which, though consolidating or expanding, are still quite bogged down with outstanding problems. The Ministries of the Environment, National Development, Home Affairs, Health, and Culture seem to fit quite well under this classification. In such situations, there exist two disparate levels of expansion rates: one, where there is higher priority for sectors which are developing and, the other, where there appears to be lower priority on service departments. The tendency is that expanding departments will be given greater priority (as it should be) but the problems will arise when this is done without sufficient regard to service departments where the problems are more intractable and are less quantifiable. If this disparate priority exists, but adequate explanation and attention are given to the service departments, then I believe the problems can be controlled.”
“Firstly, they are policies which clearly seek higher and new targets through consolidation, expansion and restructuring programmes. Secondly, they are policies which, though consolidating in nature, are quite tied up with resolving long-standing problems. Thirdly, there are those which are primarily preoccupied with resolving long-standing problems or are not yet geared towards vigorous consolidation or new programmes. Again, the Ministry of Defence is the best example of the first type. The Minister's Addendum strongly reflects the Ministry's confidence and readiness to upgrade programmes. The Minister is satisfied that the primary task of a build-up of the SAF is practically completed. The Ministry is now geared to undertake new tasks in improving the quality of its personnel, introducing computerisation of allocating technically qualified national servicemen and upgrading SAF leaders. Only two programmes in the Minister's Addendum are essentially continuing in nature. The Ministerial Addenda on Finance, Communications and Science and Technology also contain exciting policies which project the predisposition and ability of these Ministries to embark upon major expansion and new programmes. My proposition is that these expansion sectors will invariably encounter problems peculiar to systems which undergo rapid changes which quite naturally are bound to create new problems and new reactions. These problems and reactions will by nature be different from those arising from past expansion and to ensure that these new programmes achieve best impact, these new problems and reactions must be anticipated and appropriate measures must be taken to adequately prepare the ground during implementation.”
“This is the fundamental question: "How we Singaporeans living on a small island, devoid of natural resources, seek to earn a decent living for ourselves and our children and also our children's children in such a way that will safeguard our national integrity, yet earn respectability, regionally and internationally." The new and promotive policies set out by the Minister for Finance in regard to monetary and fiscal policies, industrial development and trade development clearly reflect the attempt to upgrade the economic basis upon which we depend to fulfil our long-term national programmes. Similarly, the proposals to upgrade the use of manpower and development of leadership by the Minister of Defence serve to further refine the organisation of manpower in the SAF which, in turn, will consolidate the build-up of the SAF which the Minister says has been practically completed. The Addenda on the Ministries of National Development, Communications and Education also contain various programmes which attempt to make our island republic more amenable to and responsive towards rational development in the various tasks of social and economic development programmes. The second category which I see from the various Addenda are policies which reflect short term efforts. They are policies which reflect our effort to improve what we have achieved in the past; to adjust to economic and social imperatives which we are subjected to; or to seek new and better targets as a response to demographic, social, economic and political conditions and trends that have an impact on us. Though the Ministerial Addenda are in a sense unified by these two underlying themes they, however, vary to a certain degree in the following ways.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I rise to join the hon. Member for Serangoon Gardens in thanking the President for his speech and to extend, on behalf of my constituents and on my personal behalf, our deep appreciation to President Sheares for graciously consenting to serve a third term as our President. As is the practice on each Opening of the Parliament, we are charged with the task of reviewing and debating the policies that our Government will pursue in various aspects of governance. The materials we are provided with are the Presidential Address and its various Ministerial Addenda. These documents, as they should be, set out statements of intent and rationale as to why our Government leaders have to do what they have set out to do. In preparing for this debate, Sir, I had to divide my material for use in this debate and the forthcoming Budget debate. For this Debate I have chosen those issues which I thought would have the best impact if they are raised now. Other issues will be reserved for the Budget debate. I propose to present my comments in two ways. First, I will attempt to make a general overview and evaluate the Ministerial Addenda on a comparative basis. Then I would make comments on specific issues. I have chosen to make a general overview because I thought it would be useful if we can get an overall feel of the policies which have been presented by our Ministers. This will also enable us to assess the comparative standing of the various Ministerial programmes. The policies presented to us through the Addenda cover a wide variety of topics. Notwithstanding this, I see two unifying and inter-related themes which underlie them. Firstly, there are policies which reflect the long-term problem that concerns all of us.”
“To ask the Minister for Social Affairs if he will report the progress of dialogues the Majlis Ugama Islam Singapura has held with Muslim religious institutions and associations and what further plans are being made to expand such dialogues.”
“To ask the Minister for Home Affairs and Education if he will elaborate on what specific criteria or qualities are expected of an applicant for Singapore Citizenship in assessing the applicant's ability "to make a positive contribution towards the economic well-being of the Republic and not to become a liability."”
“To ask the Minister for National Development whether there is a new policy which authorises the Building Control Division to demolish extensions to residential houses even though such extensions have been previously approved by the Department.”
“Sir, will the overhead bridge be of a special design to ensure that it is beautiful and blend well with the surroundings of the National Stadium? Dr Tan Eng Liang: Sir, the approximate cost given of almost half a million dollars must surely indicate to the hon. Member that it is no ordinary overhead bridge. I can assure him that it will be done as tastefully and as aesthetically as possible. ZEBRA CROSSING AT OLD AIRPORT ROAD 2. Mr Ng Yeow Chong asked the Minister for National Development and Communications whether a zebra crossing for pedestrians will be provided at the Old Airport Road near the Old Airport Road Emporium and Hawker Centre as the two existing pedestrian overhead bridges along that road are quite far apart from each other.”
“Sir, in my question, I have also asked what criteria will be used to ensure orderly integration. I have received requests from a number of organisations, in particular, constituencies like Kampong Kembangan and Kampong Ubi, and they have been there for more than 20 years. But perhaps because of lack of clearcut policies, these organisations have not been told very clearly whether or not they will be given sites in HDB estates; if so, when will they be given and what will be the terms. I needed clarification on the criteria because should the representatives of these organisations see me again I would be in a better position to explain to them.”
“Sir, I would like to know whether all these facilities will be extended to all registered associations in the areas affected, or will this be done on a selective basis? If this is to be done on a selective basis, what will be the criteria?”
“No. I am just saying that my overseas friend has wrongly described our housing estates as pigeon coops. I am proud of the housing estates in Singapore. I just want to clarify that point, Sir.”
“Sir, I must thank my senior colleague, the Member for Punggol. He has given me tremendous help by giving good advice. But may I just clarify? I deliberately described my friend's remarks as indiscreet when he said that our housing estates look like "pigeon coops."”
“I am trying to stress the point that besides the physical amenities, the HDB should also consider developing a principle which has sociological importance and this should be part and parcel of the HDB administration.”
“Sir, perhaps the information given by the friend of mine is wrong as the Member for Ang Mo Kio has clarified this. An hon. Member: Why listen to your friend?”
“I am saying that some friends in Ang Mo Kio say this.”
“I think it is important because all the time we have been talking about the physical aspects of housing estates. It is agreed that we need to have better and cleaner rooms, better maintenance and better hawker centres. It is true. This is necessary. But at the same time it is also important for HDB to have a conscious policy of finding out whether there are any sociological principles which can be incorporated as part and parcel of the HDB administration. For example, the Marine Parade community hall represents a very important facility which will allow for a dynamic and integrated community life. There is also a new development in Bedok Housing Estate where the HDB has allowed the construction of' partitions at the void decks, which is not seen in other estates. I raised this question with friends in Ang Mo Kio, and they told me that HDB will never approve the construction of such partitions in the void decks. An hon. Member: Why not?”
“Sir, in the last few days I have been very impressed by the Senior Minister of State for his very direct replies. In the same breath of saying "no", he added, "but if there are problems I will definitely look into them." I felt this a very good strategy. Perhaps I am one of the few Members of Parliament who have that rare privilege of being spared the mundane problems found in HDB flats as I do not have any Housing Board flats in my constituency. Nonetheless, I would like to raise a problem which concerns the social aspect of HDB life. I would like to know from the Senior Minister of State whether the HDB has a conscious policy of undertaking a continuous indepth study on the sociological problems in HDB estates, and whether the results from such studies have been used as guidelines in the day-to-day administration and management of the HDB estates to ensure that, in the long run, there will be a more meaningful community life in housing estates. I consider this important because just a few years ago a friend from overseas made a rather indiscreet remark to me, saying that "there are many pigeon coops in Singapore." He was referring to our housing estates. To some extent -”
“Sir, what about those officers who retire on the 30th December, subjected to one day's break in service on the 31st December, and re-engaged on the 2nd January?”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the hon. Senior Parliamentary Secretary has mentioned that the Government creches are being heavily subsidised. I have got two questions. First, on the transfer of the creches to SILO or the NTUC, will there be an element of subsidy? Second, will there be any limit on the rates to be imposed by the organisations on taking over of the creches?”
“I am really trying to ask the Member to clarify so that we can have a true and better picture of the situation. That is my request.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, let me first say that in my dealings with the Hon. Minister for Social Affairs I found him to be an amiable person. In fact, I had the pleasure of being his constituent because I was residing in Pasir Panjang before I shifted to Marine Vista. I also had the pleasure of working very closely with him on sports promotion. Therefore, when I heard my colleague's remark that he is such a heartless person, I thought it was a bit of an overstatement. I also found that the Minister's pleasantness seems to have sieved down his Ministry because my dealings with his officials have also given me extremely pleasant experiences and I have had the pleasure of receiving excellent service. However, I found that the counter attack by the Minister on the Member for Boon Lay was also a bit harsh, Perhaps the seriousness of the matter may have really provoked him into choosing words which, to my mind, can mar his pleasantness. But if it is really true that this problem had gone to the extent where the Member for Boon Lay being a person of position and power -”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, if I may be allowed to comment further. In the first place, the points summarised before the news do not cover all the news items being read. They may just be covering 40% of the news items. So to say that the pre-News Summary is to enable persons to anticipate what would be read in the news items does not seem to be a good explanation as to why the summary is given at the beginning of the news. Secondly, I do not really think it means much to those who came late for the news nor do I believe that they really benefit by getting the summary at the end of the news. I would like to say that I do not suggest in any way that we should stop the reading of the summary at the beginning and at the end of the news. But I think it is good for us to just ask what the rationale is, Even if this has been a long practice, do we really need to continue it? This is all I ask.”