Mohd. Ariff bin Suradi
Singapore
“Sir, were these two welfare officers appointed by the MUIS, on did they voluntarily come forward to offer their services as welfare officers? As regards air passage, was it paid for by the travel agents who arranged the flights for the pilgrims, on was it paid by those who had no connection whatsoever with the pilgrimage?”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, if the cost of the air passage for these two welfare officers was paid by the travel agencies which organised the pilgrimage, this is indeed improper.”
“I think this is most inappropriate. Again, recipients of these scholarships have been known to drive in Opel 1700s to attend classes whilst applicants for such scholarships who are genuinely in need of financial assistance, as they are fatherless and depend solely on their brothers who themselves have their own responsibilities, are depri…”
“Sir, in view of the explanation and assurance by the Minister, I beg leave to withdraw. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. COMMITTEE OF SUPPLY REPORTING PROGRESS (Suspension of Standing Orders) 6.50 p.m. Resolved, "That notwithstanding the Standing Orders, progress be reported and leave asked to sit again."-[Mr E. W. Barker].”
“In view of the Minister's explanation, I beg leave to withdraw. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. The following amendment stood in the names of Messrs Ng Kah Ting and P. Govindaswamy - (4) That the sum to be allocated for Head R be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead BDA 1107.”
“The People's Association should not content itself with giving orders to the management committees through its supervisors, without advising how best to implement its instructions.”
The complete record
Every one of 252 lines we hold for Mohd. Ariff bin Suradi, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 3 of 6.
“I am not moving my amendment No. (1), Sir, but I would like to speak on amendment No. (2)*. * The same amendment also stood in the name of Mr Ng Yeow Chong.”
“With that explanation, may I beg leave to withdraw? Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head 1108 be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead 2121. Mr Speaker, Sir, Singapore is a developing country which is not behind in modern technology, so much so that the central abattoirs are using modern equipment. I wish to know whether the slaughtering of cattle, cows, goats and sheep is carried out according to Muslim rites.”
“I beg leave to withdraw. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. 3.05 p.m.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head 1001 be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead 1140*(Appendix, cols. 901-4). Appendix to Speaker's Announcement (Cols 901-904) Mr Speaker, Sir, the Administration of Muslim Law Bill was introduced in Parliament in 1960 and re-introduced in 1965. Then it went to Select Committee which received representations from members of the public. Thereafter, it was brought back to Parliament for Third Reading and was passed in August 1966. It was assented to by the President in 1966. It is now six years since this Bill was introduced, but up to today it has not been put into operation although it has been passed. The Bill provides for the setting up of the Majlis us Ugama islam, Sin gapura, and the appointments of a Mufti and a Secretary of the Mais. I wish to know whether both these appointments have been filled and whether the Majlis Ugama islam, Sin gapura, has been constituted. In reply to a question I put to the Minister for Culture and Social Affairs which appears in Hansard, Vol. 26, No. 3, dated 8th September, 1967, at col. 201, as to whether there would be an additional Kathi, he replied that a third Kathi would be appointed, bringing the total number of Kathis to three. But in the Estimates, I notice that there is provision for only two Kathis.”
“If our industrial capacity is weak, this is because of the educational policy under the colonial regime which was very backward. In order to expand our industry and economy, we must make full use of our talents. A nation can exist only because it has the capacity to produce all the material resources and goods to feed its people. Singapore does not produce any natural resources and, therefore, our productive capacity must be fully geared to the utilisation of our human resources. Our educational policy should place emphasis on the training of people in order to achieve such an objective. There are many schools in various parts of the island and all children of school-going age are assured of a place in school. 3.30 p.m. But when the P.A.P. came to power, the objective was not to produce white-collar workers. Our objective is to produce technicians. But up to date there is a lack of technical schools and technical training for our pupils.”
“'s Five-Year Plan 1959-1964" under the chapter of "Spring Source of Our Nation" to show that certain policies or measures have not been carried out: Our teachers must therefore realise the important role they play in the building of a united democratic Malayan nation. And they must learn that their duties do not end with the imparting of text-book knowledge. They have a whole generation of children to mould into a national pattern. To do this successfully, they themselves must acquire those social values and convictions which they will have to impart to the young. It is unlikely that we shall succeed in building a Malayan nation unless teachers know exactly what this means and understand exactly what they have to do.' Therefore, I feel that now that we have gained independence, our young generation must be imbued with national consciousness and the persons who teach them are the teachers. But there is a lack of such training for teachers. They themselves have not realised the important task of education. They treat it as a means of livelihood and not as their vocation or as part of their duties. They treat their work in the same routine manner as the civil servants. The Teachers' Training College should institute such training in the courses for teachers in the coming year so that our young generation can better absorb social values and convictions. There is another aspect in the P.A.P.'s educational policy which has not been carried out, namely, the main objective of training our students to become useful citizens so that they can adapt themselves to our economic policies and the task of nation building. They will be the next generation who will lay down the foundations of a socialist society.”
“I beg leave to withdraw. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. Madam Chan Choy Siong (Delta)(In Mandarin): Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, That the total sum to be allocated for Head 0601 be reduced by $100*. * The same amendment also stood in the names of Mr Chow Chiok Hock. Mr P. Govindaswamy, Mr Teong Eng Siong, Inche Mohd. Ariff Bin Suradi, Mr Ho See Beng and Mr Tay Boon Too. Mr Speaker, Sir, the educational measures that have been put into practice are more or less based on the 1959 educational policy. But we are aware that certain policies have not been carried out, one of which relates to teacher training. Every year, we spend quite a large sum of money on teacher training. We know that the Teachers' Training College, apart from providing training in teaching methods, has not provided the most important kind of training, namely, the development of the outlook of teachers. In view of the fact that Singapore has been independent for nearly three years now, we would like all students to realise that this country belongs to them. It is, therefore, very important that we should instil national consciousness in their minds. It follows that the trainee teachers must also be imbued with this quality, otherwise the minds of their pupils will not he instilled with national consciousness. I remember that not long ago certain Chinese schools did quite well in this aspect of education, and they instilled a feeling of patriotism in their pupils. Of course, many schools are teaching civics and other subjects pertaining to patriotism, but if the trainee teachers themselves are not properly taught in this respect, they will not cut a good image with their students. I would like to quote from the booklet "The Tasks Ahead - P.A.P.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head 0601 be reduced by $10 in respect of item (3) of subhead 2124. Mr Speaker, Sir, the education policy of the Government of Singapore gives equal treatment to all four streams of education - Malay, Chinese, Tamil and English. The Malay schools receive Government assistance. Recently a Committee was set up to collect funds for the building of a secondary school. Can the Minister say whether a similar grant-in-aid will be given to the proposed Islamic Secondary School?”
“With that assurance by the Minister, I beg leave to withdraw. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.”
“Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head 0601 be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead 2123. The allocation for free text-books and stationery for pupils for 1968 is no different from the amount for 1967. Many schools are unable to provide free text-books to pupils who deserve them. In Kampong Kembangan Constituency, there are schools where a number of students deserve to get free text-books but, unfortunately, they could not be given and their applications were refused. Therefore, I would request the Minister to increase the allocation for Kampong Kembangan in view of the fact that the parents there are in the low salary bracket and in order that children who deserve to get free text-books can continue their education in the schools.”
“With that explanation, Sir, I beg leave to withdraw. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head 0601 be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead 1221. Sir, with the rise in the number of births in Singapore and with the increase in the number of children registered in schools, I do not see any increase in this provision for 1968 as against 1967. Can the Minister say why the provision for 1968 is not increased?”
“With that explanation, I beg leave to withdraw. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.”
“Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head 0401 be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead 2110. [Mr Speaker in the Chair] 5.35 p.m. Sir, this provision is for "Barrack Conservancy and Maintenance of Compounds". I would like to draw the attention of the Minister of Defence to the police barracks at Jalan Eunos -the black building -which appears to me no longer suitable for habitation for the police. The Minister for Social Affairs bore witness to this when he visited Kampong Kembangan. So I would request the Minister of Defence to give the policemen more suitable accommodation, such as flats, or to construct new barracks in the area, because the present barrack at Kaki Bukit, which is called the "black barrack", is no longer suitable for the policemen. Mr Lim Kim San: Mr Speaker, Sir, my Ministry is now looking into the question of whether it is feasible and worth while economically to make structural alterations to the barracks at Jalan Eunos. It is only after the result of that study is made known that we will decide whether to carry on with the alterations or to pull down the barracks and build new ones elsewhere. I can assure the Member that the welfare of the officers, especially the police, is always uppermost in our minds and we will see to it that suitable quarters are provided for officers and men of the police force as far as possible.”
“if that is the assurance of the Minister of State, then I beg leave to withdraw. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. The sum of $1,175,760 for Head 0309 ordered to stand part of the Estimates. Head 0401 - The following amendments stood in the name of Madam Chan Choy Siong- (1) That the sum to be allocated for Head 0401 be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead 1151. (2) That the sum to be allocated for Head 0401 be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead 1152. Madam Chan Choy Siong: I am not moving both my amendments.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I thank the Minister of State who has considered the appeal by the residents there. But what I am surprised is that whilst Gazette S 138 restricts the use of Jalan Ubi between Jalan Mempelam and Changi Road which are not passable to heavy vehicles, there is no restriction to the use of the other half from Jalan Mempelam to Airport Road. The Gazette only states Jalan Ubi between Jalan Mempelam and Changi Road. Likewise Jalan Betek between Jalan Taugeh and Jalan Ubi. The length of Jalan Betek stretches from Jalan Taugeh to Jalan Sayur, which means that the other half can be used. The other road names are not included in the Gazette. It is not because of the lack of road names but because they are not gazetted. As I have said just now, Jalan Ubi between Jalan Mempelam and Airport Road, Jalan Betek between Jalan Taugeh and Jalan Sayur, Jalan Ladang, Jalan Siput, Jalan Ang Teng are not included in the Gazette. I hope the Minister of State will look into the matter and impose similar restrictions on the roads to which I have referred. Tuan Haji Yaacob(In Malay): I have explained that, as a result of the visit of the Prime Minister to that constituency, a memorandum was sent. However, if there are new suggestions, I will put them up to the authorities for consideration. This department is under the Prime Minister's Office. The administration of this matter comes under the Ministry of Defence and the traffic police, and it is also connected with the Ministry of National Development, which is the Public Works Department.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, That the total sum to be allocated for Head 0309 be reduced by $100*. * The same amendment also stood in the names of Mr. Ho See Beng and Mr. Teong Eng Siong. Mr Speaker, Sir, Gazette No. 5 183 dated 29th August, 1962, does not permit vehicles of over five tons to make use of Jalan Ubi from Jalan Mempelam and Changi Road, but not in the case of Jalan Ubi from Airport Road to Changi Road -i.e., Jalan Betek between Jalan Taugeh and Jalan Ubi. The length of Jalan Betek is from Jalan Sayur to Jalan Ubi. The limitation, therefore, is half. Why is the other half of the road from Jalan Mempelam to Airport Road not gazetted? Likewise Jalan Betek between Jalan Sayur and Jalan Taugeh. Why does the Prime Minister's Department restrict half the portion of the road only? I would also like the Prime Minister's Department to restrict the use of all the roads to light vehicles only.”
“Some of the candidates would not abide by the regulations. They wanted to play foul. Some of them would canvass illegally or tease election officers so that the election officers could not look after their jobs as efficiently as they would like to. All these malpractices are not very good and when elections -”
“I am not moving, Sir. Madam Chan Choy Siong (Delta): Sir, I beg to move, That the total sum to be allocated for Head 0301 be reduced by $100. (In Mandarin): Sir, we all know that according to our Constitution there will be an election every five years. In other words, Members of Parliament who have been elected in the 1963 elections will be occupying these seats up to the 30th September, 1968. In a review of past elections which began not very long ago, the first general elections were conducted under a semi-colonial regime. Later on, the general elections were conducted under an internally self-governing Singapore, and the last elections were also conducted quite differently. And the general elections which will take place in 1968 will still be different in nature because Singapore has since become an independent Republic. So the people of Singapore are free. They have the right to elect their own representatives into this House. Therefore, in view of the changed circumstances and the different nature and importance of our coming general elections, I would like to raise a few points. What I want to ask concerns the coming general elections. In view of its different meaning and nature, can certain citizens of Singapore who have become diplomats, or local citizens who have become High Commissioners, ambassadors or diplomatic personnel of foreign countries -in other words, they are now serving foreign countries -become candidates in the general elections in 1968? The second question is the allocation of work pertaining to the election officers. According to our experience in the past, very often when it came to the time of election many unhappy incidents took place, especially in a constituency where many candidates competed.”
“Mr Speaker, can the Deputy Prime Minister explain whether in a bona fide case of an elector who should not really vote in Kampong Chai Chee as he still lives at the same address, will the Deputy Prime Minister waive the payment of a fee?”
“Mr Speaker, concerning the inspection of electoral registers over a period of two weeks, I find that of the many electors who live on the same road or street in my constituency, half of them will have to vote in Kampong Kembangan and the other half in Kampong Chai Chee. Further, of the other electors who have been living at the same address for so many years, some will have to vote in Kampong Chai Chee and the rest in Kampong Kembangan. And if these people wish to raise any objection, they have to fill up a form and pay a prescribed fee of $1 per person. Can the Deputy Prime Minister re-examine the electoral registers with a view to rectifying the errors, so that proper electoral registers can be drawn up without paying any fees?”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg leave to withdraw. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. 2.45 p.m.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, will this be a tradition every year?”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head 0104 be reduced by $10 in respect of item (2) of subhead 2004. Sir, holders of scholarships and bursaries are lucky to receive these awards. I believe they include pocket expenses and expenses for books. I wonder why there is a vote for Entertainment Expenses. Can the Minister concerned please explain?”
“Quite often the power supply is disrupted on account of the heavy machinery, and the noise emanating therefrom disturbs the tranquillity of the neighbourhood and is another nuisance to the children who wish to study their lessons at home. Roads and drains are damaged. Far from being regularly maintained and repaired, these roads and drains are now subjected to constant use by heavy vehicles which pass to and from the factories, causing even greater damage. Lastly, although the figures and indications which point to our economic development are interesting, as stated by the Minister for Finance, nevertheless I, for one, am still not convinced that the people of Singapore will not experience increased taxation in 1968. In the first place, if the Minister is unable to anticipate the number of Government officers going into retirement as evidenced in the Supplementary Estimates for 1967, which was debated last Monday, I do not see how he is able to anticipate that the collection of revenue will exceed expenditure for 1968. In the second place, the Minister himself stated that he expected another set of Supplementary Estimates for next year. Whereas the surplus for 1968 is only to the tune of $0.3 million, the Supplementary Estimates for 1967 was for more than $5 million. Thus, the Budget Estimates for 1968 are at best vague. It is not as yet certain that the people of Singapore will not experience tax increases in the coming year. 3.23 p.m.”
“Moreover, during the present rainy season, with Christmas coming soon, to be followed by Han Raya Puasa and Chinese New Year, you can be sure that the residents of Kampong Kembangan, who are of various races and religions, will be observing these days with an air of despondency and gloom, even though taxes are not raised. The Minister for Finance was elated to note the increase in the number of motor-cycles and scooters registered in the past three months, an indication that skilled artisans and white-collar workers are also benefiting from our economic expansion. I am, however, sad when I think of the number of car-owners who have found it necessary to sell their cars because of the increase last December in the cost of petrol, car tax, and driving licence fees. Furthermore, they have to pay for parking in the city, to the extent that car-owners, even if they are flat dwellers, have to pay to park near their homes. These are some of the reasons for the increase in the number of motorcycles and scooters registered, rather than that the increase is due to economic expansion. Car owners have to economise, and the simplest and cheapest way is to sell their cars and buy motor-cycles and scooters instead. Sir, with regard to the increase in the number of new factories, admittedly this is good because it provides jobs for the unemployed. But my complaint is that a number of these factories are built in residential areas, such as Kampong Kembangan. My constituency is a residential area, but industries such as sawmills, iron foundries, etc, are fast growing in number, like mushrooms after a heavy rain. All this affects the peace and tranquillity of the residents in my constituency.”
“But this time the public were much relieved when it was announced that there were to be no increases in taxes for the coming year. If there are those who are somewhat worried - the number is not big - it is because of the devaluation of the Pound Sterling. But I believe that they too will be relieved to know that the economy of Singapore is not only stable but improving from time to time, as has been stated by the Minister in his policy speech on the Budget for 1968. One of the facts he gave was that the use of granite continues to increase due to building construction - construction of new roads and repair of old roads - an increase of two and a half times. Another economic indicator, which the Minister found interesting to watch, was the increase in the number of motorcycles and scooters registered. Five years ago, the average was 548 per month, but for the last three months the average was 1,258. So too is it the case with the construction of factories, etc. However, Mr Speaker, Sir, the examples mentioned just now are as yet no cause for satisfaction to me. The increase in the use of granite to build new roads - to nearly 130,000 cubic yards per month - is of little benefit to Kampong Kembangan Constituency. To date, the roads in Kampong Kembangan are still full of pot-holes and unfit not only for vehicular traffic but also for pedestrians. The fact is that requests and appeals have incessantly and repeatedly been made to the Ministry, but unfortunately all to no avail. So today you find that about 80 per cent of the roads in Kampong Kembangan are still in a sorry state.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, it would indeed be difficult to find a newly independent and developing nation, particularly in this part of the world, whose Budget Estimates show a surplus and whose revenue exceeds its expenditure. It is a truism to say that every newly independent and developing nation inevitably finds it necessary to raise income tax, import tax, property tax and various taxes of one kind or another or to obtain loans from foreign countries or, if not, to sell one of the islands in its territory in order to finance its national expenditure. There was a time during the Lim Yew Hock regime when the Singapore Government found it necessary to sell Christmas Island in order to get money to overcome the deficit in the national Budget. However, Singapore, ever since it came under the P.A.P. rule, has steadily progressed in prosperity. Its social services have improved; its housing problems which posed a major problem at one time have now been successfully overcome; every child born is assured of a place in school, no matter whether he stays far or near; industrial disputes between employers and employees are decreasing in number. All these achievements are due to the dedication, sincerity and hard work of the leaders as well as to their correct leadership in striving towards the goal of progress and prosperity and harmony among its multi-racial citizens. Moreover, the Minister for Finance is an acknowledged expert in economics. That is why Singapore today can justly be proud of the successes it has achieved. It is usual, every time the Minister for Finance presents the Budget Estimates, for every sector of the public, from the businessman to the worker, to become apprehensive and wonder whether there will be any increases in taxes.”
“Mr Speaker, although the Minister for Law and National Development does not fully understand the position in Kampong Kembangan, I would request him to visit my constituency during this rainy weather. The Minister has said just now that all Members want extra funds for their constituencies. Kampong Kembangan is a different constituency where 75 per cent of the area has not been built up. The Minister has said that his sympathies are with the people of Kampong Kembangan, but the funds are in the hands of the Minister for Finance. I would like to ask the Minister to assure me if he can get the Minister for Finance to give some funds to Kampong Kembangan.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, as has been explained by the Minister for Law and National Development who said he knew about the conditions in Kampong Kembangan, what has been proposed has not been done, but projects that have not been proposed have been carried out. I do not understand how the Minister considers requests from the rural constituencies and brings them before this Parliament. Though the Minister has said that this expenditure is of an unforeseen nature, I would like to know whether the projects proposed for Kampong Kembangan constituency will be carried out.”
“I am not moving, Sir. The sum of $660,000 for Head 1002 ordered to stand part of the First Supplementary Estimates of Expenditure for 1967. Question, "That the sum of $5,882,710 shall be supplied to the Government under the heads of expenditure for the public services shown in the First Supplementary Estimates of Expenditure for 1967 contained in Paper Cmd. 25 of 1967", put, and agreed to. Resolution to be reported. 3.10 p.m.”
“I beg leave to withdraw. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. The sum of $233,260 for Head 0803 ordered to stand part of the First Supplementary Estimates of Expenditure for 1967. Head 1002 -”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head 0803 be reduced by the whole sum in respect of subhead 2043. Mr Speaker, Sir, to my mind, the amount requested is for officers who have retired this year. As stated by two hon. Members earlier, could the Ministry not have anticipated the number of officers who would be retiring at the end of the year? This means that the Ministry is lacking in efficiency in not having been able to determine the number of officers who would be retiring. The Minister has said earlier that 80 per cent of such officers had to retire compulsorily. If this was known, why did the Ministry not make provision for these people to retire? If this state of affairs carries on, then our Estimates for 1968 will go haywire and there will be further Supplementary Estimates for us to consider at the end of 1968.”
“I am not moving. The sum of $4,989,450 for Head 0401 ordered to stand part of the First Supplementary Estimates of Expenditure for 1967. Head 0803 -”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, what is the position regarding those who intend to leave Singapore for Malaysia for good? Can they withdraw their money?”
“When will those who are working part-time somewhere else be replaced? Mr Lee Khoon Choy: This matter is being studied and we will do it as soon as possible. OVERHEAD BRIDGE FOR PEDESTRIANS IN SOMAPAH AREA 22. Mr Sim Boon Woo asked the Minister for Law and National Development, in view of the increased population in the Somapah area and the newly built schools at Jalan Tiga Ratus and the heavy traffic along the 10 milestone, Upper Changi Road, if he will consider the erection of an overhead bridge for pedestrians in that area. The Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for National Development (Mr Ho Cheng Choon) (for the Minister for Law and National Development): Mr Speaker, Sir, the Public Works Department is considering the erection of an overhead bridge for pedestrians at the 10 milestone, Changi Road. This site is included in the list of sites at which the need and justification for an overhead pedestrian bridge are being investigated. If this site should warrant priority, a bridge will be built soon.”
“Mr Speaker, is the Minister considering recruiting more Kathis?”
“I would like to ask what action will be taken against those who wilfully damage a court of law?”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, what action will he taken against those who wilfully damage the Court room?”
“This is admitted by the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Finance when he answered a question from the Member for Anson. He admitted that the prices of staple foods have risen but that the salaries of workers have not been given a fair rise. In preventing the workers from asking or agitating for more pay, the Minister for Labour is moving this amendment to establish more unions so that the spirit of the workers can be dampened.”
“So with this amendment Bill, I think the workers will not he weakened in their struggle for their rights. On the contrary, they will consolidate their position and they will be even more determined to fight for their interests in future. Mr Speaker, Sir, the policy of the present Government to unite trade unions and to abolish splinter or yellow unions has been welcomed by workers throughout Singapore. It was through this policy that the ruling party, which is pro-labour, came to power. Many unions have adhered to this policy with the result that unions catering for insurance company workers, bank employees, the Singapore Manual and Mercantile Workers' Union and many other unions have been established. But what is strange is that this amendment Bill mainly concerns workers in the P.U.B., whilst workers in commercial firms are not affected by it. Although the Minister for Labour has stated that the object of this amendment is not to suppress the unions in general, nevertheless, there is no doubt that it is directed against a particular union or unions. It is unjustified, Mr Speaker, because this amendment is designed to restrict a particular union while not affecting other trade unions.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I am sorry that the Trade Unions (Amendment) Bill has been moved by the Minister for Labour. Its object is nothing else but to break up and control the unions by a policy of divide and rule. Perhaps he is worried about workers who are uniting in a militant trade union to struggle for their own rights. Amendments one after another to the Trade Unions Ordinance have been moved in this Parliament to stifle the achievements of unions who have made progress. Not long ago, an amendment Bill was approved in this Parliament to prohibit P.U.B. employees from taking industrial action. There were also other amendments, and bank employees were also affected. All this goes to show that the trade unions will face a very difficult situation. The Minister for Labour believes that the militant trade unions can be controlled only in this way. But he is unaware that the workers are fully conscious of the tactics of employers to weaken them and that they are ever willing to struggle for their legitimate rights. Mr Speaker, Sir, on one occasion, the Minister for Labour, when refuting a statement made by the Member for Bras Basah, said that the Member for Bras Basah took part in trade union activities only very recently. He also said that he had more experience and that although he had been to prison at one time, it would not dampen his spirit to struggle for the cause of labour. Today he is the Minister for Labour. Likewise the workers are prepared to sacrifice their time and energy to struggle for their legitimate rights and interests. I believe that the spirit of the workers of Singapore is strong today, unlike in the past, and that they are prepared to face any consequences.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, as the Parliamentary Secretary himself has admitted that the price of rice has gone up, is his Ministry not trying to increase the allowance of workers to overcome this problem?”
“Regarding Article 11 of the Constitution of Malaysia which deals with freedom of religion and gives every person the right to profess and practise his religion, only one memorandum was received by the Commission requesting that the exception regarding the propagation of religion be left untouched. This exception permits any State in Malaysia to restrict by law the propagation of any religious doctrine amongst persons professing the Muslim religion. Mr Speaker, our country exercises freedom of religion and gives every person the right to practise his religion. This practice has been going on satisfactorily and there has been understanding in the Inter-Religious Council in Singapore to maintain religious tolerance without any legislation. Therefore, Mr Speaker, it is better that such a state of affairs be allowed to continue without the necessity of legislation. If the suggestion put to the Commission can be used as a guide when it comes to considering the Constitution of Singapore, it will be a model Constitution for other countries to follow, because we can show that we are practising multi-racialism and we are guided by the system practised in Switzerland. However, many of them profess only Christianity. Various religions are tolerated and practised in Singapore. In Indonesia, there is a multiplicity of religions; some profess Islam, others Hinduism, Christianity and Buddhism, but they are all Indonesian citizens of one nation. So if our country can practise the multi-racial concept in peace and harmony, it follows that it will be a model to the world and will show how unity among diverse peoples and diverse religions is maintained among our population. 3.08 p.m.”
“I would like to quote: `"Malay" means a person who professes the Muslim religion, habitually speaks the Malay language, conforms to Malay custom ...' Mr Speaker, if this definition is accepted by the Constitutional Commission as suggested by U.M.N.O., it means that all the other races can become Malays and will enjoy the special position. Yesterday my colleague, the Minister of State for Education, stated that Mr Tan Siew Sin can become a Malay if he embraces Islam. Likewise, Mr Speaker, if an Englishman, who has lived many years in Singapore and has become a Singapore citizen, embraces Islam, speaks Malay, and conforms to Malay custom, then he can become a Malay, and will enjoy the special position of the Malays. So the Malays in future cannot be regarded as the indigenous people if this article is embodied in the Singapore Constitution. Although the Commission has not accepted the U.M.N.O. suggestion for the perpetuation of Article 89 (2) of the Constitution without any alteration, I hope the Minister for Law and National Development will seriously consider the definition of the word "Malay", because if there is a definition for the word "Malay", then there will be difficulties when it comes to the implementation of the special position of the Malays. So I wish to suggest to the Minister to have the definition of "Malay" embodied; that is, the standard definition of the word "Malay". For example, "Malay" means a person who comes from the Malay Archipelago, including the Indonesian islands, professes the Muslim religion, speaks the Malay language as used in our country, and conforms to Malay custom.”
“Mr Speaker, the special position of the Malays, as recommended by the Commission, is enough to protect in all aspects the Malays as the indigenous people. It is up to the Malays themselves to make full use of this opportunity to inculcate in them the spirit of competition with the other races in our Republic. The Malays need have no fear because the Secretary-General of U.M.N.O. himself has signed the Report, and they must never allow the special position of the Malays to be used as a means to get some privileges or to threaten the Government in any way. Therefore, the Malays should realise that the recommendation regarding the special position of the Malays is sufficient and can he an inducement to them to make progress if they are prepared to work hard. The religion of Islam, which is the religion of the Malays, has the Koran as its bible. It says that God will not help those who do not help themselves. As an example, I would like to cite here an article in page 3 of the Berita Harian of yesterday. It says that a sweeper will take his Cambridge School Certificate Examination. This is an example which the Malays as the indigenous people with a special position provided for them in the Constitution, should emulate. Paragraph 35 of the Report makes mention of a Malay political organisation without naming it. However, I can guess that the political party is no other than U.M.N.O, led by Ahmad Haji Taff as the Chairman, Syed Esa Almenoar as the Secretary-General, and Syed Au Redha Alsagoff as Head of the Religious Section. This political organisation has urged the Commission that a definition be given to the word "Malays" in Article 89 (2) of the Constitution to be in line with the definition contained in the Constitution of Malaysia.”
“Article 89 of the Constitution of Singapore provides that: `The Government shall exercise its functions in such manner as to recognise the special position of the Malays, who are the indigenous people of Singapore, and accordingly it shall be the responsibility of the Government to protect, safeguard, support, foster and promote their political, educational, religious, economic, social and cultural interests and the Malay language.' I would like to explain to this House that the Government has already implemented the provisions of this Article since it assumed office in 1959. For instance, the Government has been responsible for protecting, safeguarding, supporting, fostering and promoting the economic, religious, social and cultural interests of the Malays and the Malay language. Regarding political interests, the Government has not deprived the rights of the Malays who are the indigenous people, as has happened in South Africa and Rhodesia where the political rights of the majority, who are the indigenous people, have been deprived by the white minority. But in our coun try, although the non-Malays constitute a majority, the rights of the Malays, the indigenous people, are protected, safeguarded and fostered. Relating to education, the Government has given all facilities to Malay students - free education up to University level. Similarly in religious matters, the teaching of Islam has been made a subject in schools, and every registered religious school which requires aid has been given such aid. These two privileges are not accorded to other religious schools. The Malay language has been made the national language. This has been accepted by all sections of the population.”
“Mr Speaker, I am confident that the Report of the Constitutional Commission, 1966, which is being debated in this House is a wise Report. I believe our people will accept it in good faith and with open arms, because the members of the Commission, who deliberated on the representations from individuals and from political and cultural organisations and other associations, comprise citizens of Singapore of diverse origins. If we refer to page 28 of the Report, we can see the names of members of the Commission. They come from diverse communities and they therefore represent the various communities. And it goes without saying that these members profess various religions. Nevertheless, Mr Speaker, I see that the Constitutional Commission is a non-party commission, and its members are not active in politics except for Syed Esa Bin Syed Hassan Almenoar who is the Secretary-General of U.M.N.O., Singapore. The ruling Party, the P.A.P., however, is not represented in the Commission by its Secretary-General. After considering the memoranda which it received from individuals and political associations, the Commission drafted its Report which has been received unanimously - and this includes the Secretary-General of U.M.N.O. This goes to prove that this Report is very wise indeed and will be a very significant document in the annals of Singapore. In connection with the recommendations of the Commission, these have been accepted unanimously by its members, as I have said earlier.”
“Can the Minister state how many flats there are involved and how big is the area?”