N. Govindasamy
Singapore
“Sir, in the hope that the Ministry of Finance will release the funds required for the Telok Blangah community centre within the next six months, I beg leave to withdraw my amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. The following amendment stood in the name of Mr J F.”
“Member for Serangoon Gardens, would show that numerous criticisms were made in this Chamber. Some of the pitfalls of the education policies were pointed out and they could have been avoided.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I am still a little confused. Would the Minister of State categorically state in this House whether the restructured education scheme is on or off? Even the teachers and the principals are arguing among themselves whether the restructured education scheme is on or off.”
“Sir, I have no intention of joining in. The problem here is riot a question of marrying abroad or in Singapore. The problem is still faced by people who were married in Singapore. There is the case of a woman who has been married here for eight years and has four children all living here in a Housing Board flat.”
“Perhaps when the Minister replies he will want to use it. Sir, the woman has been here for eight years. She was married in the Singapore Registry of Marriages. Four children were born in Singapore and they are now living in a Housing Board flat.”
“Sir, the Minister has set a specific number of hours and he says. "Well, if they do their part-time national service in 12 years they will have to do so many hours of work, and if we reduce it to five years, then they must perform the same number of hours of duties." This would mean that they have to go for duty practically everyday.”
The complete record
Every one of 564 lines we hold for N. Govindasamy, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 2 of 12.
“For the 32 physiotherapists on the establishment, there is only one promotion post of a senior physiotherapist. Some physiotherapists have worked for 13-14 years without any promotions or any prospects for promotions in the near future. Turnover is very high I am told. In recent years. industrial accident cases have been referred to the Physiotherapy Department more frequently than ever, so that the department is unable to cope with and to give sufficient help to the victims. Rehabilitation of industrial accident cases has been neglected. Many of our specialists and Heads of Medical Units resigned without training other officials under them to take over, creating a vacuum. Sometimes one begins to wonder if they are deliberately creating a scarcity. thereby making themselves indispensable. We must be grateful that not all Heads of Units and specialists are in this category. I was therefore very pleased to note that the President found it fit to bestow the Meritorious Service Medals on Professors Wong Hock Boon and Seah Cheng Siang for their devoted service in establishing and training specialists in their School of Post-Graduate Medical Studies, Together with these two professors, we must also be grateful to the team of other lecturers and staff who assist them in their training of specialists in this School of Post-Graduate Medical Studies. Another complaint of doctors who have resigned is about the poor working conditions in our hospitals. In the case of the Singapore General Hospital, the complaint is generally true. I know because I have been there. In some wards, no private rooms are available for doctors to do their work or rest when they are on call or on a long stretch of duty.”
“One of the complaints of doctors in the Government service is that there are insufficient promotion prospects in our medical service. That is one of the `easons why many doctors have resigned. Of course, the other main reason is that they could hope to make more money in private practice. Although the Minister for Health mentioned that 48.1% of our doctors have resigned because there is more money outside than in the public service, I believe the figure could be much more than 48.1%. If money is the only reason for their leaving, it is deplorable to find that dedication to curing the sick is associated with the amount of money that can be made. Perhaps, there must be something wrong with our teachings in schools, or, more in the case of doctors, our teachings in the medical faculty of our University. There have also been cases of our professional people, doctors included, emigrating from Singapore. This was accepted by the Minister just now. One begins to wonder if, in the University, whilst teaching medicine proper ethics are also being taught with regard to saving I yes as well as the social obligation to the people of Singapore who foot the bulk of the bill of the School of Medicine. 5.30 p.m. Complaints of lack of promotion prospects are genuine and yet under BAA 1106, the Senior Physician, Grade D post, has been abolished. Under BAA 1107, three posts of Deputy Medical Superintendents. Grade E, positions have also been abolished. Similar reductions of senior posts are `also to be found in the Toa Payoh Hospital. This is not conducive to our retaining senior doctors who aspire to be promoted. I am told that in the Physiotherapy Department, with an establishment complement of 32 physiotherapists, we only have 22. This is a shortage of 31%.”
“Thank you. Sir. The Minister for Health has tried to explain away the shortage of doctors in the Ministry of Health. But I am sure that not only myself but other Members of the House are still not too happy with his explanation. Sir, there is a reduction of 55 Division I posts in subhead AAA 1111. I can reasonably assume that in the Ministry of Health most of the Division I posts would be held by doctors. If my presumption is correct, then the reduction in the posts of doctors is, to say the least, a little disturbing. Is the reduction provided for because the Ministry is unable to fill the present establishment vacancies of 398 Division I officers? There have always been complaints of a shortage of doctors in Government hospitals. What is the position now? Why is there this reduction of 55 posts in subhead AAA 1111? Sir, there is a shortage of doctors in the Government service. It is, therefore, disturbing to note that so many qualified doctors are performing administrative ,functions in the Ministry of Health. Some of these doctors have been trained at high cost, and many of them are specialists who are in short supply. It would be more appropriate to utilise these trained specialists and doctors in treating the poor than to make them fill up forms, statistics, ordering hospital equipment and other supervisory functions which could very well be performed by non-professional administrative officers. I am told that in advanced countries there are special courses for hospital administrators who need not be qualified doctors. Could we also not look forward to the day when our doctors will be employed only to cure the sick and not for filling up forms?”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head L be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead AAA 1111. Sir, I have another amendment under subhead BAA 1 107*. (*The amendment reads as follows:- (4) That the sum to be allocated for Head L be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead BAA 1107.) My comments on both these subheads are related and, as such. could I have your permission to range my comments on both subheads?”
“Sir, may I just point out to the Hon. Prime Minister that the figure I have quoted in respect of the shortage of staff is not mine. It is the Government's figure found in Cmd. Paper 4 of 1976.”
“Sir, when I first filed this amendment. I had the intention of enquiring into the need for the setting up of this Establishment Unit with 102 Division I officers, headed by a Deputy Secretary, Grade E. But since then, the Minister for Finance in his Budget Statement has clarified the functions of the Establishment Unit in the Prime Minister's Office. There has also been a press write-up on the Establishment Unit. presumably based on a release from the Prime Minister's Office. My question is this, Sir. Where is the Prime Minister's Office going to find the 102 high calibre officers, especially in the 25-40 age group? If you look at Appendix A of Cmd. Paper No. 4/76, you will notice that every Ministry is dismally understaffed, especially in respect of Division I officers. There are 2.455 Division I vacancies in the Government service alone. However, I do welcome the establishment of such a unit to spot outstanding talent among our administrative officers, and that it would also be responsible for career development and training, postings, transfers, secondments, and administration of the merit increment ~c he me. Sir, as the Member for Katong has said, perhaps another area that this Unit can look into is the frequency of complaints we hear in this House as well as outside, about the rudeness and arrogance of our civil servants. especially those who man the counters and come in contact with the public. Perhaps this Unit must be armed with not only the carrot but together with the carrot, the stick as well.”
“Sir, in view of the assurance from the Minister, I beg leave to withdraw my amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. The sum of $4,884,550 for Head D ordered to stand part of the Main Estimates. The sum of $3.1 00.000 for Head D ordered to stand part of the Development Estimates. Head J -”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, That the total sum to be allocated for Head D in respect of the Main Estimates be reduced by $100. Sir, this amendment is moved to seek some clarification and information in respect of our Judiciary and the appointment of High Court Judges. It is common knowledge in Singapore that the waiting period for a case to be heard in the High Court is lengthening. One of the reasons for this sorry state of affairs is the shortage of judges. From the Estimates, it is noted that provisions have been made for one Chief Justice, six High Court Judges, three Registrars/Senior District Judges, one Deputy District Judge and seven District Judges/Deputy Registrars. The total provision this year is an addition of only one District Judge. Can the Minister let us know the number of vacancies there are at the moment among the ranks of our District Judges and High Court Judges? How many High Court Judges are re-employed after retirement? It is commonly said that justice delayed is justice denied. It is important that our cases are heard expeditiously and justice meted out swiftly. If, as a result of shortage of judges, cases are long delayed, then remedial measures must be taken to put right this position. It would appear that in the High Court, in respect of capital punishment cases where two Judges sit on the Bench, when a case goes up for appeal and the Appeal Court decides to send the case down for a retrial, the case could not be retried as the result of a shortage of Judges. If this is so, then immediate remedial measures must be taken. Can the Minister tell us what he proposes to do in respect of filling up the vacancies?”
“May I, at this juncture, congratulate the Minister for Finance for producing Appendix A of the Establishment List in Paper Cmd. 4 of 1976 showing the vacancy position in the Civil Service at the beginning of December 1975. If you can recall, Sir, I asked for such a List during the last Budget debate in 1975. Although the Minister then stated that this was somewhat difficult, I am grateful that the vacancy position at least is provided this time. Finally, Sir, during his Budget Statement, the Minister for Finance has handed out his quota of tax increases for this month. This month's quota has been the increase in import duty on tobacco. While not quarrelling on this tax increase, can I take it that this tax increase is the only one for FY 76? It has become the habit of our Government to increase taxes or other forms of revenue not only during annual Budget but periodically in-between budgets. People in Singapore do not any more look apprehensively towards Budget statements by the Minister for tax increases because we have a habit of increasing taxes and revenue collection in one form or another throughout the year. When will this regular imposition of increased collection of revenue by the Government and statutory boards end? 3.10 p.m.”
“It was customary for the Minister for Labour, who is here now, to invite some prominent trade union officials to dinner at the end of each year when the top officials of the Ministry and the trade unions could meet in an informal atmosphere and discuss problems of mutual interest. This, I notice, has ceased in the last year or two. This is perhaps the result of the niggardly entertainment expenses allotted. The Government should revise the entertainment expenses allotted to our Ministries. Some Ministers: Hear, hear!”
“The burden of responsibility of scrutiny and control of proper management of these enterprises must rest with the Ministry of Finance. And with the present position of the establishment in the Ministry of Finance where there is a shortage of 196 Division I officers. I fear that the situation is going to be extremely difficult, Large sums of public funds are invested in these enterprises which are not accountable either to shareholders or, in this respect, to Parliament. This makes the responsibility of the Ministry of Finance, in respect of these enterprises, greater than we can reasonably expect. I hope the Minister for Finance will give very serious consideration to the possibility of `having. sufficient checks and balances in respect of the management of these Government enterprises. Sir, one area which the Government has to look into is in respect of a revision of entertainment expenses to various Ministries. In the past few years, the cost of living has gone up and so has the cost of entertainment. In order to make amends for the inflationary cost of living, adjustments have been made to wages. However, I notice that the entertainment expenses provided for the various Ministries have remained static. Most of our Ministers receive State guests and other eminent foreign visitors in their Ministries. I have been told by some eminent visitors from abroad that our Ministers could not decently entertain their guests. It appears as if that some guests of Ministers are only served with soft drinks and in some instances Chinese tea even at an hour when they should be served with lunch or dinner. I agree that they should not be lavish with their entertainment but, at the same time, they should not appear to be Shylocks.”
“While not criticising such enterprising expansion of these companies, they should be told to be cautious of proper financial, supervisory and management control by the parent company. These enterprises are increasing and expanding. Some wholly owned enterprises are also expanding and opening up joint ventures abroad. While congratulating these enterprises on their business acumen and far sightedness, may I suggest that we are still new in the international industrial competitive world and if our enterprises are not careful, they would be swallowed-up by bigger sharks in the industrial field. Our own industries must first look into the possibility of expanding locally in order to create employment for our own nationals, even if profitability is smaller compared to overseas investment. I know of a large Government-owned industry which, having been exempted by law from obtaining workmen's compensation insurance, continued to insure with a commercial enterprise for workmen's compensation. By so doing, it resulted in a financial benefit to the commercial insurance firm and a loss to the industry. Having realised this at a later date, the industry innocently applied to the Ministry of Labour for exemption only to be told that they are already enjoying such a privilege. This is only an illustration to show that proper management control of our own enterprises is called for. Our top civil servants and other suitable Government nominees sit on the Boards of these Government-owned enterprises and partnership companies. In their own Ministries they are already over-worked to their limit, and they could not possibly be expected to devote fully to the workings of these enterprises. It would be unfair to expect them to do so.”
“They think they have the protection of the Government as Government-owned enterprises, and yet they refuse to adopt the same attitude of the Government towards responsibility to their staff and understanding of their problems. We are aware of some Government-owned enterprises and their subsidiaries with unenlightened industrial relations' attitude in their dealings with the trade unions. I know of one statutory board where a senior member of the staff, in answering a query by the union raised in a polite letter in respect of a promotion exercise, replies and I quote: `As you are fully aware of the provisions of the Industrial Relations Act (Cap. 124), you will realise that it is futile for me to send the union any further guidelines of promotion since the union will not be able to act on them, However, their generality and simplicity will only serve to insult the intelligence of anyone. The delay in replying to your letter is regretted, but it never ceases to amaze the management on the extent at which the union will go to select futile issues.' In the view of this senior officer of a Government statutory board, the query is a futile issue. Such attitude by senior officers of Government statutory boards would only bring disruption to good industrial relations, to say the least. The Government has invested large sums of money in some private enterprises as joint ventures in order to promote industrialisation and employment. There are also some large industries wholly owned by the Government. Many of these wholly owned industries form subsidiary companies and joint ventures on their own for supporting services.”
“While asking the workers to work hard, to reduce cost, to increase productivity, they must themselves set good examples of what they preach. When workers are asked to economise and cut costs, the executives and managers should not be seen to be changing the fleet of management Mercedes-Benz cars every three to five years. One of our biggest labour intensive industries is ship-building and ship-repairing. In recent years shipyards have grown rapidly in Jurong. Tanjong Rhu. Sembawang, etc. Recently we hear of declining prospects in this particular sector, and there have been retrenchments. This is a serious cause for concern. Fierce competition is being felt by our local shipyards from Hong Kong, and especially Japan. In order to keep the Japanese workers employed and the shipyards going, large ship-builders in Japan are now successfully competing with our shipyards in the building of small barges and small-sized craft. They are successfully bidding against our local shipyards in ship-repairing and reconditioning. Our shipyards, in order to remain competitive, should be able to provide faster service and competitive costing. Next, I would like to touch on the statutory boards and Government-owned commercial and industrial enterprises either wholly owned or on a joint-venture basis. Recently the Minister for Labour, as well as the Hon. Minister for Finance, commented on the desirability of improved personnel management. This improvement in personnel management and industrial relations is required not only in the private sector but also in the Government-owned enterprises and statutory boards. They too in many instances lack the correct attitude in their industrial relations branch.”
“We made Singapore an attractive place for investment an 1968. We can do this once again. As I have said earlier, our workers will respond positively if we take them into our confidence and explain to them frankly what the odds against us are. The workers' response alone would not be sufficient. Similar responses should be forthcoming from our executives, managers, manufacturers, industrialists and entrepreneurs. Sacrifices are called for not only from the workers but also from the executives, managers, supervisors, businessmen and civil servants: in other words every sector of our nation. The almost full employment that we had in the past and also the high standard of living we are enjoying in Singapore, with reasonable wage increases, has made the ordinary man-in-the-street in Singapore over confident and complacent about his future. The attitude of "all is well" is over-prevalent. A greater effort is needed to bring home to our people the stark realities of life. Our manufacturers will have to continue to search for new markets for our manufactured goods. We can also look into the possibility of introducing protective tariffs on selected items that are locally produced in excess, due to depressed markets abroad. The possibility of at least a limited preferential trading can be pursued within the ASEAN market. I have in mind items like electronic calculators and transistors which are being produced in Singapore and which are also being dumped in the local market from overseas. Our manufacturers, especially the local ones, must be tough and high pressure salesmen. They must go out to compete and to sell. They seem to be over-reliant on the Government, asking for one concession or the other.”
“We must not only help the retrenched workers to get back their jobs but we must also create more jobs to help the unemployed and also create enough jobs for about 30.000 school leavers who join the labour market every year. It is projected that in the next two years we will have to create a total of 84,000 new jobs in order to achieve a target of reasonable employment. This is going to be a gigantic task unless the Government, the workers and our entrepreneurs can chart out a plan of action to attract new industries and capital investment. Trade unions in the developed countries argue that their overseas investment has resulted in loss of jobs for their own nationals. They are, therefore, mounting pressure on their own governments and industries to prevent the export of their capital investment overseas. Our prospective investors from the developed countries will not come to Singapore as eagerly as they have done in the past. The potential investing nations like the United States, Western Europe and Japan, are themselves facing tremendous opposition from their own trade unions against expansion outside their home bases. It is estimated that in the United States alone there are almost 8 million people unemployed. This is almost 8% of their working population. Developed countries in Europe like West Germany. Britain and France, each have over 1 million unemployed workers, and Japan is in a similar predicament. With the investment prospect being so bleak, what do we do? We must make Singapore once again attractive to overseas investors. We must make sure that our manufactured products are of high quality and cheaper than those produced by our competitors. This can be done if we can increase productivity and reduce our unit labour cost.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, in the last two decades or so, we in Singapore have faced a few crises and have overcome them. The resilient and hard working people of Singapore will respond positively to whatever problems we may have to face, if we take them into our confidence and explain to them frankly what the odds against us are. When we became independent in 1965, against unpredictable odds, we were able to launch our industrialisation programme successfully. Every true Singaporean had put his shoulder to the wheel so that we could progress comfortably as an independent nation. Then in 1968 when the British announced their total withdrawal we were faced with a massive unemployment problem. Together with our workers, we took bold decisions that created a climate for massive industrial investment. As a result of this bold and unprecedented cooperation between Government and labour, we enjoyed a period of full employment and prosperity. Perhaps now, we are facing yet another crisis which we have to face squarely and decide on a course of action which though might be unpalatable in the short term, would accrue benefits to the Singaporeans in the long run. From the euphoria of almost full employment two years ago, we are at the moment facing the bleak prospect of serious unemployment. We have to prepare ourselves and plan constructively to create new jobs. In the last two years, for the first time, we had large scale retrenchments in Singapore. In 1973 we had almost full employment with no retrenchment at all. In 1974 registered retrenchment was 1 7.081. In 1975 9,500 and in the last two months alone, 145 able-bodied workers were retrenched.”
“Sir, I suppose the hon. Member for Kuo Chuan, who is well-versed in law, is right in his pronouncement that under these Bills things may work out better than it is today. However, may I just have my own reservation on at least one clause in this Bill. Sir, it is the judicial practice now that at a trial it is obligatory for the court to warn itself about convicting an accused on the uncorroborated testimony of an accomplice. In this Bill, if clause 8 is accepted, then it is obligatory for the court to accept the uncorroborated testimony of an accomplice. An accomplice, to save his own skin, will give all sorts of evidence in order to convict others. Acceptance of this uncorroborated evidence is a move that leaves much to be desired. Sir, having lost faith in the investigative capabilities of the police force, we now have to rely on the evidence of only collaborators and accomplices. If I may say so, the Bill wants to take a short-cut to justice. There is no such thing as a short-cut to justice. The way to justice is always a long and burdensome one. Does this mean "Prosecution made Easy"?”
“I need only comment on one suggestion that there should be a bank guarantee instead of cash. That is already taken care of in my speech, i.e, the second-tier of acceptable instruments or guarantees for a value of $20,000 could possibly take into account the bank guarantee instead of cash. The two tiers consist of a first-tier of a cash levy of $5,000 and a second-tier of acceptable instruments or guarantees which would be to the value of $20,000. Of course, these sums can be varied and I have no doubt that in Select Committee full consideration can be given to any representation. On the other comment which the Member has made about the powers of the police constable to arrest and to seize documents and so on, I have no doubt again that these can be considered in Select Committee. Question put, and agreed to. Bill accordingly read a Second time. Resolved, "That the Travel Agents Bill be committed to a Select Committee consisting of Mr Speaker as Chairman and seven Members to be nominated by the Committee of Selection."-[Mr Hon Sui Sen]. TOURIST PROMOTION BOARD (AMENDMENT) BILL Order for Second Reading read. 5.51 p.m.”
“Sir, there are reputable, well-run travel agencies as well as not-so reputable ones. But the enforcement of this Act will penalise the good travel agencies as well as the bad agencies. Let me now turn to clauses 20, 21, 22 and 23 which deal with the power to search premises, power to arrest, power to investigate, and powers of the Board. Under the provisions of these clauses, any police constable has a right to search all persons found in a travel agency, seize all documents, detain persons, arrest any person without a warrant, take possession of all articles, etc, if the police constable suspects that the travel agency has committed an offence under this Act. This, I am afraid, with due respect to our Police Force, gives a police constable unlimited authority. Does this Bill also cover those airlines that are not registered as travel agencies but offer package tours, which include travel, transportation, sightseeing, hotel accommodation, etc.? I am glad that this Bill is being cornmitted to a Select Committee, and I am sure that the travel agencies will, make the necessary representations. Mr Hon Sui Sen: Sir, I do not propose to make a lengthy reply since the Bill is going to Select Committee, but some of the comments by the Member for Telok Blangah can be considered now. We are all agreed that there is a necessity for some kind of regulation. We are also agreed that this should be maintained at the lowest possible cost to the traveller. At the same time, we are all agreed that there should be a maximum fund to compensate a traveller in case of any malpractice by travel agents. Some of these objectives are in conflict with each other because obviously we cannot have the lowest possible cost to the traveller if we insist upon a very high compensation fund.”
“This would, as I have said earlier, increase the cost of running a travel agency and the additional cost will be passed on to the travellers. If the purpose of the Compensation Fund is to safeguard the welfare of Singaporeans travelling abroad, if they are stranded and lose financially as a result of the shady business of the travel agency, and not to increase the funds of the Tourist Promotion Board, then I would suggest that the licensed travel agencies be required to provide a bank guarantee of a sum to be decided by the Tourist Promotion Board and not pay such sums into the Compensation Fund. The bank guarantee should be a sufficient deterrent and it would not be an excuse for travel agencies to increase their fares. I contend, Sir, that it is a good thing to encourage Singapore citizens to travel abroad, especially to other countries in Asia. When the greatest critic of Singapore comes back after a trip abroad, he appreciates Singapore more than ever before. Let me quote the example of a politician who was the greatest critic of the Singapore Government and its way of life. When he came back after having been away for a short while from Singapore in 1972, he said that "there is no place like Singapore". Therefore, these restrictions imposed on travel agencies will result in an increased cost of running a travel agency which no doubt will be passed on to the travelling public and will reduce the number of Singaporeans going abroad. I contend that the same safeguards for Singapore travellers can be obtained by other forms of registration of travel agencies, prosecuting them when they fall foul of the law or when they cheat their clients by not fulfilling their contractual obligations.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I understand the purpose of this Bill. While appreciating the rationale behind the introduction of the Bill, I am a little perturbed as to the consequences that this Bill will have on Singaporeans who wish to travel as well as those who are in the travel agency business. I have no doubt, as a result of the Bill, that the cost of travel is going to increase. Although the intention of the Bill is to see that there are no fly-by-night travel agencies and that the travelling public is protected, the cost of travel is bound to go up. This protection that we hope to offer will no doubt ensure that travel agencies are properly organised and managed. The control we try to ad-minister will stifle the free enterprise economy that we have in Singapore. The additional expense that is to be borne by the travel agencies will certainly be passed on to the customers. As I understand the Bill, there will be two financial commitments on the part of the travel agencies. One is the licensing fee and the other is the payment to the Compensation Fund. How much the licensing fee is going to be and how much the travel agencies have to pay towards the Compensation Fund will be left to the Board to decide, although the Minister mentioned just now about the primary cash levy of $5,000 and the other payment to be in the form of a bank guarantee, if I understood him correctly. The payment to the Compensation Fund could consist of, according to clause 32(f) an initial contribution as well as annual contributions. If these contributions are to be a deterrent to the setting up of mosquito travel agencies, then they should be substantial. If the payments are not substantial, then they would not be a deterrent to anybody to set up a travel agency.”
“Mr Barker: Sir, may I thank both Members for their criticisms and interest in this Bill which, as the Member for Serangoon Gardens says, makes radical and far-reaching changes. It is for this reason that the Bill is being sent to a Select Committee where, as I said, we would welcome representations which will be given very careful consideration. At this stage I do not think I should take on both Members except that perhaps I should welcome them to the Select Committee. Question put, and agreed to. Bill accordingly read a Second time. Resolved, "That the Criminal Procedure Code (Amendment) Bill be committed to a Select Committee consisting of Mr Speaker as Chairman and seven Members to be nominated by the Committee of Selection."-[Mr E. W. Barker]. ECONOMIC EXPANSION INCENTIVES (RELIEF FROM INCOME TAX) (AMENDMENT) BILL Order for Second Reading read. 5.15 p.m.”
“What is more, it will construct new instruments of prosecution for the prosecuting power of the State. The provisions in the Bill are not selective provisions, selective in the sense that they relate to certain offences. They are blanket provisions. The meaning and implications of the changes described in the Bill are extensive and are not obvious. How they relate to criminal practice and the conduct of the court in its function of administering justice is highly important. The possibilities of clause 6 of the Bill, for example, where the accused's silence can corroborate the evidence against his own silent person are not easily discernible. The Member for Telok Blangah has also made reference to this clause with some expertise. Clause 16 abolishes the right of an accused to make an unsworn statement and he runs the risk of having an adverse inference made against him if he refuses to give evidence, on oath without good cause. Whatever is contemplated by "good cause" is left extremely indefinite good cause for the court, good cause for the prosecutor or good cause for the accused person himself. The changes in the Bill are indeed far-reaching and I am therefore glad that this Bill and the Evidence (Amendment) Bill are being committed to a Select Committee where they will be examined in greater detail. But at this stage. Sir, I wish to express the hope that all these changes which will facilitate prosecution of the criminal by apparently constricting the defence of the accused will not have the result of blunting the effectiveness of criminal investigation which ends with the apprehension of the criminal in the very first place.”
“This, I feel, is a fundamental deviation from the existing law. Under clause 6, the accused cannot even remain silent. While being interrogated, the silence of the accused is to be taken as amounting to corroboration of any evidence against him. When he is being interrogated by a police officer who could even be just a police constable, the accused must be in a position to make up his mind immediately what line of defence he is going to take during the trial and must inform the interrogator the facts he is going to rely on for his defence. He has to make a decision even before he has an opportunity to consult legal counsel. There is no question of legal advice that he may have to seek in order to put up his defence. I am sure there are many other points in this Bill that need further and more important comments which hon. Members from the legal profession in the House would no doubt make. To me, these two clauses are sufficiently important as fundamental changes from the present procedures. To me, it means that if the police cannot secure evidence through detective work, they can get evidence by just arresting an accused and interrogating him. What he says or what he does not say is to be used as evidence against him. Are we trying to promulgate laws to cover up for police deficiency? Are our laws to be promulgated to rectify the ineffectiveness of police investigations? Is Parliament asked to do police work? I am glad that this Bill is being committed to a Select Committee. Mr L. P. Rodrigo (Serangoon Gardens): Mr Speaker, Sir, notwithstanding the report of the Criminal Law Revision Committee, I take the view that this Bill will have the effect of changing or removing altogether time-tested legal concepts and practices in criminal law.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, today no less than four Bills are being debated, which are intended to make substantial amendments to our judicial system. We have just had the Criminal Justice (Temporary Provisions) (Amendment) Bill passed. Now we are debating the Criminal Procedure Code (Amendment) Bill, and later we shall be going through the Evidence (Amendment) Bill and the Criminal Law (Temporary Provisions) (Amendment) Bill. With the sudden introduction of amendments to so many of our Criminal Law Acts, one begins to wonder if all these pieces of legislation were defective. No evidence has been advanced so far to substantiate the need for radical changes which the passing of these Bills will have on our judicial practice. Since there are so many hon. Members in this House with legal training, I would leave to them the intricacies of the debate in respect of legal matters. However, I would like to touch on two clauses of the Bill, namely, clauses 5 and 6 which, even as a layman, I feel I can comment on. Clause 5 deletes the legal requirement to give a caution to a person under arrest before he is interrogated by the police. Instead, he is to be served with a notice advising him that adverse inferences may be drawn from his failure to mention a fact on which he is going to rely at his trial. This, to me, means a person arrested, even before he is charged, has to spill the beans. If he does not mention a fact that is later brought out in his trial, then adverse inferences would be drawn. During the course of a lengthy trial, all sorts of minor as well as major facts are brought out in court. If any one of the facts that is brought out in court has not been mentioned by the accused during the arrest and interrogation by the police, then, it is going to adversely affect the accused.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I am sorry I have to rise again. I am not satisfied with the Minister's answer, especially that concerning relief teachers. Perhaps it was because I raised this issue in 1971 when, according to the Minister, there were 800 relief teachers and that the number is now reduced to 300. I can assure the Minister that I will raise this problem again in three years' time, unless the 300 is reduced to 30. I refuse to accept the Minister's contention that there will be relief teachers so long as there are teachers taking maternity leave. Sir, women have been going on maternity leave since time im memorial. The problem of relief teachers arose not decades ago but a decade ago or even more recently. The Minister is aware that quite a few of us here are practising teachers. This phenomenon of unqualified relief teachers going to schools to teach came about only six or seven years ago. And in answer to the Member for Anson's question as to who wants to become teachers, he said that lots of people have applied to become teachers. A-s I said, we should train them and from this pool of trained teachers we can draw the number required to relieve those who go on maternity leave or any other leave.”
“When can we expect our children to be taught by qualified people and not by unqualified relief teachers who come and go as they please.”
“On 17th March, in answer to questions raised in Parliament, the Parliamentary Secretary (Education) told us that 383 relief teachers are employed to fill the regular vacancies in addition to 175 relief teachers employed to fill casual vacancies arising from regular teachers being away on various forms of leave. In other words, 175 of them are relief teachers in respect of people who are away from their jobs and 383 of them are filling pure vacancies, the pure vacancies which the Minister promised to fill as early as 1971. I am just wondering if there are any other professions in the world where they have such a situation. Sir, can you imagine our hospitals manned by unqualified relief nurses dispensing medicine and giving injections. Worse still, Sir, can you imagine unqualified relief nurses assisting you in an operating theatre. Sir, if unqualified people dispense medicine we call them quacks. If unqualified people tried to interpret laws we call them "lawyer burok". What do we call unqualified teachers trying to teach? Perhaps we have got to think of a suitable nomenclature. If we allow this situation to continue in the Ministry of Education, I am sure the Minister for Health - fortunately for us he is not here - may also introduce such a system to relieve the shortage of staff in the hospitals. In the Ministry of Education, there are more than 10,000 teachers. There certainly would be a number of teachers on various forms of leave at all times. Apparently, at the moment, 175 of them are away on one form of leave or the other. To relieve them, what we need is a pool of qualified teachers who can be utilised to do relief work instead of the present system of appointing unqualified relief teachers.”
“639], I queried the necessity of employing large numbers of daily-rated relief teachers for long periods. In answer to the many questions raised, among other things, the Minister for Education, who was then the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Education, replied as follows. Let me quote him [Vol. 28, col. 937]: `The work of the relief teachers is under constant review by the principals who make reports on their performances.' This was in 1969. Sir, again in 1971, on the same question of relief teachers [Vol. 30, col. 539], I asked the then Minister of State, now the Minister for Education, and I quote: `.what concrete steps are being taken to do away with the method of employing unqualified relief teachers to man our schools in such large numbers.?. He answered and I quote him: `..we cannot do away entirely with relief teachers. . , they are employed in a great variety of situations such as maternity leave and so on. The pure vacancies will be filled when graduates come out from the Teachers' Training College.' In answer to queries raised by other Members of this House, on the same topics, he also told us that: `.the programme of training of relief teachers will be carried out under the whole review of teacher training.' When the Member for Moulmein asked to introduce part-time training as a way to minimise the problem of having to employ large numbers of relief teachers to meet the shortages of teachers in schools, he again affirmed that he was carrying out an overall review of teacher training. Sir, that was 1969 and 1971. This is 1975. What has happened?”
“I have been informed that all Tamil and Malay pupils in the Selegie Integrated Primary School, Telok Kurau Primary School and Whitley Secondary School have been put in one class permanently for this year. Is it also true that in the Selegie Integrated Primary School, one class of English-medium pupils are all Indians? Will not the system of segregation work contrary to the Government's policy of maintaining a multiracial character in the schools? Will not this defeat the whole meaning and spirit of the school's pledge and the Government's effort to bring about a mingling of all races in the school classrooms as well as school playing fields? It has also been pointed out that the teaching of Tamil in many mission primary schools has been dropped completely. If pupils in mission primary schools offered to take Tamil as a second language, what provisions are being made? Better known old and well established secondary schools like Gan Eng Seng School, Beatty Secondary School and Bartley Secondary School, which were centres for teaching of Tamil as a second language, have been closed down. These centres, I have been told, were the oldest in Singapore. In Singapore, there are many teachers who have attained the required qualifications in Tamil and Malay to be recruited as Tamil and Malay Language teachers, and yet English-medium teachers who have obtained a credit or a distinction in the second language have been asked to teach Malay or Tamil as a second language. Why is this being done? Is it true that the Institute of Education has stopped training Malay and Tamil Language teachers? Sir, as early as 1969, six years ago, I objected to the employment of relief teachers by the Ministry of Education. In Hansard [Vol. 28, col.”
“Sir, after seeing the list of six speakers ahead of me, and practically all of them touched on the restructured education system, I thought I would ask you to appeal to the Minister once again to answer the questions raised first, before I speak. But having heard the hon. Member for Moulmein who so ably assisted the Minister in the first half of the debate, I would carry on with some other issues, not necessarily on the restructured education system. I think my mind has been put at ease in respect of certain matters on the restructured education system, not by the Minister as yet but by the hon. Member for Moulmein. Sir, I am not going to touch on the restructured education system. My intention is to talk on our education policy in respect of the teaching of the second language in our schools and the relief teachers, which point has somewhat been tackled by the hon. Member for Anson. There is a great deal of dissatisfaction amongst parents and teachers in respect of the teaching of Tamil and Malay as second languages in our schools. The complaint is that there are many English schools and integrated primary schools where Malay and Tamil pupils are grouped together permanently in one class, irrespective of educational achievements. This is just to make it convenient to teach the second language and also to ease administrative problems. It is claimed that many schools perhaps have grouped their pupils according to their second language choice in order to facilitate the arrangement of time-tables. No consideration at all is given to their second language ability nor their first language performance. 3.30 p.m.”
“Sir, in respect of staff, I am quite aware that the staffing position changes. In the Estimates we could perhaps, give the staffing position as at December of the year or at midyear. It would give us some indication as to what the actual position is. I think that would help us in our appreciation of the amount of work done by civil servants in the various Ministries.”
“Sir, I am sorry that this matter, as the Minister has pointed out, is a regular occurrence year after year. Unfortunately the reply also seems to be the stereotyped, year after year - the policy of citizenship is being reviewed year after year. This is one of the stereotype replies; but how it has changed from last year to this year we are not aware of. I thought I heard the Minister say that if citizenship is not granted to an applicant, perhaps he has not satisfied the requirements. I would have thought that once an application is accepted, he has already satisfied the minimum requirements. The other matter is that the applicant is told that no enquiries are to be made. If enquiries are at all made, the applicant is told that his application is still under investigation. If there is no communication between the applicant and the Registry, I do not know how the Department keeps track of an applicant fulfilling the requirements by a certain time, that is, he is able economically to be of some benefit to the State, before granting him citizenship.”
“Sir, in view of the explanation given, I beg leave to withdraw. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. The following amendment stood in the name of Mr L. P. Rodrigo - (21) That the sum to be allocated for Head S be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead CBD8113”
“Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head S be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead CDR 8106. Sir, last year when $300,000 was appropriated for the widening of Upper Thomson Road and Sembawang Road I was relieved, and I thought that at last the bottleneck at Neo Soon was going to be eased and that there would be a free flow of traffic. But, sad to say, the bottleneck there has become more acute and traffic jams are more common now than ever before. Last year only S 10,000 was utilised, unfortunately. With the new Jurong Town Corporation flats coming up there, the expansion of the shipyard and the industrial estate in Sembawang, it is even more essential now to widen that road. I hope this year at least the amount appropriated will be utilised and some improvements made to this important road, especially with the industrial estate being built in Sembawang.”
“Sir, I do not particularly accept the explanation. If they had known that I was coming and yet served that mess, I think we can well imagine what sort of food is served if no VIP is present at that place. Sir, swill cans are empty because less and less are being cooked and not more are being eaten. Having made the point and having brought it to the notice of the House and in particular to the Minister and the Parliamentary Secretary, who is responsible for the Bushey Park Home, I hope that there will be an improvement. I beg leave to withdraw my amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. The following amendment stood in the name of Mr Ang Nam Piau - (7) That the sum to be allocated for Head R be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead BED 1111.”
“At the whims and fancies of someone who is supposed to be the cook, this concoction is dished out to the inmates who are our senior citizens of Singapore in Bushey Park. One has to see this meal to really know what a mess this is, it is colourless, tasteless, not palatable, meshed and, as far as I am concerned, not fit for human consumption. [Laughter.] I do not think this is a matter for amusement. Sir, is this the way we treat our citizens in one of our welfare homes, citizens who perhaps have been neglected by their children or, in certain instances, even neglected by the State? I do not expect the Social Welfare Department to provide these inmates with restaurant-cooked meals. I do not expect the old folks to be provided with sumptuous meals. But one can reasonably expect them to be provided with at least a palatable meal.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head R be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead BEB 1111. Sir, in my constituency - I might as well say Telok Blangah, otherwise the newspaper reporters who are present here might report me as the Member for Anson instead, as had been the case this morning in respect of yesterday's speeches. They have also passed snide remarks in this afternoon's papers; perhaps this is as a result of the Culture Minister's running down of the press yesterday. Sir, in Telok Blangah there is an old folks' home in Bushey Park where the old citizens who are vagrants or who have no place to go are sheltered. This Bushey Park Home is spotlessly clean and the surroundings reasonably well maintained for which the Ministry of Social Affairs and the officials responsible ought to be congratulated. And the congratulations must end here. The inmates look after the surroundings well, and that is the only good thing that I can say about this Home. 3.45 p.m. Sir, the living quarters are terribly overcrowded and the amenities are terribly poor. The meals provided are communally cooked. I went there unannounced and have personally seen the meals cooked and served. I have no complaints about the rice that is served. But what goes with the rice cannot be imagined, unless one personally witnesses what is served for food. One need not be a dietician to know that a square meal needs to have protein, carbohydrates, fat and roughage. The inmates are provided with these. Vegetables and fish are boiled in a large cauldron with water and perhaps some salt. I would not dare taste it.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, until recently, all these years the Ministry of Culture printed well-presented calendars for distribution to members of statutory boards, the Citizens' Consultative Committees, management committees and other civic and community leaders who served the Government in one way or another. These calendars were also despatched to our foreign missions and our missions were able to distribute them to other friendly missions and friends who would be of service to our Republic. The calendars were also used in our Government offices and rooms of senior civil servants who had to use a calendar for various reasons. But this year these calendars were not printed. As a result, the annual gift to friends and well-wishers has been discontinued. Sir, the amount of goodwill lost cannot be equated to the amount of money saved by not printing these calendars. Today when we visit Government offices and statutory boards, we find all sorts of calendars displayed in prominent places. Some of these are pleasing to the eve, but others are downright out of place, to say the least. Sir, if the cost of printing calendars has gone up, we could have reduced its size. We could also have it printed on not-so-glossy a paper, and other means could have been found to reduce the cost. There is no good reason to completely do away with the printing of these calendars. Sir, I also note that this year the Other Operating Expenditure in respect of the Publicity Division, subhead BAA 2220, $306,000 is appropriated for production of publications and diaries for sale. Is the Ministry of Culture going into publication of diaries for sale when it has no money even to print calendars?”
“Sir, I too want to speak about the voting and revoting of Development Estimates in respect of the Paya Lebar Airport. Though it has been well covered by the Member for Anson, I would like to point out that I also looked through the Estimates for the last financial year which I think the Member for Anson did not look up. Last year's estimates were revoted from the year before last. Perhaps next year we would not have to revote again, and instead the lack of improvements that were complained of by the Members for Anson and Kampung Kapur would have been carried out.”
“These measures are effected within the framework of a rational economic analysis of the retrenchment situation within tripartite relationship of active cooperation between Government, trade unions and employers, with special emphasis placed on increasing productivity through adoption by management of new productivity techniques, skill acquisition by workers and preference given to job deployment and part-time work as against complete retrenchments. Singapore employers whose industries are hit by economic recession should be required, if necessary by legislation, to give the Labour Ministry and the trade unions advance notice of any impending retrenchment exercise. I am aware that the Labour Ministry has advised the industries to do so. But I am doubtful as to how many employers are complying with this request. They should provide the Ministry with a list of workers to be retrenched and the reasons for their action. This would enable the Labour Ministry officials, if necessary with the help of the Economic Development Board, to advise them on how best to tackle the various problems involved. This also will help the Ministry to monitor the labour situation.'”
“Sir, if you remember, I welcomed the announcement of the Ministry of Labour, during the debate on the President's policy speech, of the decision to set up an. Industrial Relations Division. I then posed a number of questions and made some comments hoping there would be some response. As there was no explanation from the Minister for Labour then, I have got to pose similar questions and make some more comments hoping for clarification. Neither the Main nor the Development Estimates provide for the setting up of an Industrial Relations Division that the Addendum to the President's speech mentioned. It was mentioned then that the Division, would be set up to "provide conciliation services as well as preventive mediation to eliminate areas of industrial friction". Sir, if this Division is to be set up, I welcome the Ministry's intention to obtain high level staff. I would like to caution the Ministry, however, that recruiting staff for Industrial Relations Division is one thing, but recruiting the right calibre of staff, who must not only gain the confidence of management but also of labour, is necessary for the success of the Division. Gaining the confidence of one party at the expense of the other is hound to fail. During the debate on the President's speech, I also made some remarks in respect of the special retrenchment Unit of the Ministry of Labour [col. 96]. I would be grateful for the Minister's comments on what I said then. To refresh his memory, I mentioned that: `We must in a concerted manner take steps to prevent or minimise the impact of retrenchment.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, in rising to speak after the Members for Sembawang and Anson, I find that they have covered the subject from A to Z that I have nothing else to comment. Mr Ng Kah Ting: Sir, in view of the reply given by the Minister, I beg leave to withdraw my amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.”
“If higher taxes is the means to curb vehicular traffic, here again there is a dangerous loophole. The rich people who own 2000 cc and 3000 cc cars and those with large families owning only one large car for the whole family would now prefer to own two small cars instead of one large, cheap white elephant. This means two cars on the road instead of one. Who wins? The rich man can afford to pay the hike and he will take this in his stride. What about the not-so-rich man who owns one family car? Chasing the motorists and penalising them is not the enlightened way of finding a solution to our traffic problems. While the vehicular traffic has increased, our roads have not been widened commensurately. We have not introduced the mass rapid transit system to cater for the needs of increasing numbers of commuters. As long as this problem remains unsolved, it would serve no purpose whatsoever to put an increasing burden on car owners, most of whom are industrious people struggling diligently to increase our economy and improve the quality of our people. We are only applying a brake on our economic progress by putting obstacles in their path. The Finance Minister's announcement of a tax concession for people over 50 and 60 years old from 1976 at a cost of some $4 million adds a merciful touch to his Budget. Singapore can well afford this concession. By the same token, for the benefit of the lower and middle income groups of wage earners, on whom the burden of inflation has fallen very heavily, there is a strong case for a concession in earned income relief to be increased from the present $1,000 to $2,000. I wish to conclude my speech on this happy note of anticipation, and I thank the Minister. 4.29 p.m.”
“But I cannot see eye to eye with the Minister on his contention that cars are "not basic to life for the average family". In fact, we have reached a stage of sophistication that a motor car has become a necessity rather than a luxury for a very large number of wage earners, professional people and businessmen. We have to take cognizance of the fact that we do not yet have an efficient transport service which can take a busy man to his destination as quickly as he wants. Let me hasten to add that public transport has improved compared to this time last year. Our efforts to reorganise the Singapore Bus Service and to bring some order into its inept management have not completely produced the desired results. Although the large crowds of commuters at bus stops have thinned down, the situation is far from completely satisfactory. This means that many people have to depend on the family motor car for quick transportation from place to place in their everyday working life. This is additional to taking their children to and from school. On the one hand the Government wants our people to be hardworking, innovative and forceful in taking initiatives to make Singapore tick as a centre of manifold activities in this region. On the other hand our energetic people are rendered immobile by Government action, such as higher road taxes. Coming in the wake of quadrupling of oil prices and the resultant inflationary spiral in prices of essential commodities from which many of our citizens have not fully recovered, this hike in higher road tax will deliver the knock-out punch on the middle income group. Owners of cars in the 1000 cc to 1600 cc class fall within the heaviest taxed group, and they are the middle income people who have to take the main brunt on their shoulders.”
“In the absence of any definite indication as to the period by which the sick economy of the world will recover, the inflationary trend that we have been experiencing in the past will continue to hurt us, especially the wage earners. Although the National Wages Council prevents the wage claims situation from going haywire by its annual stocktaking of the overall economic performance before giving its recommendations, for the sake of collective agreements, a process which goes on continuously upon the lapse of old agreements, I should have thought the Finance Minister could have given the Government's guidelines of wages policy to be pursued by the managements and unions. Coming to the more unpalatable part of the budget, let me take a look at the taxation policy. Of course it is the primary function of the Government to give priority to economic growth which would in turn bring increased revenue to finance public expenditure. This needs money and the public has to pay for it in the form of taxes, either directly or indirectly. In order not to upset the apple cart of prices of essential goods and services, there will be no increases to existing taxes, which is to be appreciated. Additional revenue, therefore, will have to come from increased taxes on tobacco, liquor and cars. The reason is that to quote the Minister these are "not basic to life for the average family". In the case of tobacco and liquor, I have no quarrel with the Minister. He who smokes pays. Measures introduced by the Government to discourage smoking over the last few years have been quite successful. If the additional tax would further reduce the number of smokers, it is all for the good. The same goes for liquor. Those who want to drink will have to pay a little more. Fair enough.”
“The Capital Assistance Scheme to assist skill intensive industries, the reorganisation of the Economic Development Board to make greater efforts to promote investments and the establishment of two more promotion centres in Houston and Copenhagen in addition to the nine centres in existence, tax incentives for pioneer industries, joint venture projects, strengthening of export promotion efforts and the stepping up of construction activity by increasing the Public Sector Development expenditure to $3,080 million, the manpower development policy to increase skills in our work force by expanding training and retraining programmes undertaken by the Industrial Training Board and Joint Industrial Training Centres all these are steps taken in the right direction, which in perspective deserve adequate recognition and approbation. When the standards of technological skills improve and when our workers exert themselves to achieve better results, better wage rates will have to be paid by industries. As the Finance Minister has stated, "Productivity increases depend as much on workers as on employers." Mention must he made at this juncture that it is still the practice of some employers to flog the horse with outdated machinery, bad supervision, old methods of working and colonial type of personnel managements who deprecate the workers joining unions. These managements enjoy a field day in hiring and firing workers at the slightest whims and fancies of officialdom. Only recently the Labour Minister had to order the reinstatement of five salesmen sacked by a firm, by the blessing of the Singapore Employers Federation. While on the subject of unions, let me touch on another subject which is very pertinent in view of the predicament in which we find ourselves today.”
“Transport, storage and communication sector provided 14% of our overall growth. Next was finance, insurance, real estate and business services sector 9%. The same 9% growth was recorded by community, social and personal services sector. Manufacturing 7%; construction 5% and ownership of dwellings 5%. Against this overall picture of our real growth in 1974, we were also informed of the widening of the base of our manufacturing sector by introducing new skills and products in metal and precision engineering, chemicals, e1ectronics and transport equipment. This has resulted in the advent of new industries to augment our main manufacturing activities, such as shipbuilding and ship-repairing (14.8% of total value added), refining of petroleum (20.3%) and electrical machinery (21.6%). No single industrial group accounts for more than 22% of our total earnings. In other words, we were prudent enough to put our eggs in different baskets. It is encouraging to note that the major elements of our economic policy would be guided by our objective of maintaining high growth rate, notwithstanding the present recession, and that industrialization would continue to accentuate our growth. Singapore will continue to serve the region as a services centre for technical know-how, tourism and finance. While taking all necessary measures to counter and minimise the effects of recession, we would also put the present slack period to full use by giving priority to the training of workers to raise the level of skills to meet the needs of the resurgent generation of skill-intensive and technology-oriented enterprises.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I am happy to join my colleagues in paying tribute to the Finance Minister for a very circumspect Budget statement. The Economic Survey of Singapore, 1974, earlier distributed by him was a commendable effort by his Ministry to furnish us with updated statistical information on our overall economic activities. When we look at our economic situation against the backdrop of a world economy, stricken with paralvsing stagflation, to which we are invariably vulnerable, we realise only too well that it was an uphill task for a non-oil producing country like Singapore to come out unscathed. The economic problem faced by the world has shifted in our favour as a result of a number of factors attributable to our correct analysis of the problem - intelligent anticipation and the alternative measures adopted to overcome the difficulties. It is gratifying to be told that we have in 1974 achieved a growth rate of 6.8%. During the corresponding period some of the richest and most progressive countries in the world have registered nil economic growth. Our economic strategy has paid us dividends. Diversification of our industrial activities resulting in an even spread of our earnings without having to depend too much on any one particular manufacturing group has helped us to pull through the crucial period. When certain sectors such as electronics, textiles/garments and wood-based industries took a beating, resulting in about 20,000 jobs being declared redundant, wholesale and retail trade including restaurants and hotels contributed to 49% of our 6.8% growth. We are told that the GDP at current factor cost in 1974 was estimated at $12,145 million, an increase of $2,524 million or 26.2%, over that of 1973. Very remarkable indeed.”