Ng Kah Ting
Singapore
“Mr Speaker, Sir, before I ask my supplementary question, may I declare, on behalf of the Member for Kebun Baru and myself, that we are both involved in the building of Montfort Secondary School and Montfort Junior School both of which are Government-aided schools. My question now, Sir, is: when will this take effect?”
“But, Sir, at the end of this debate on the Second Reading and the Bill committed to a Select Committee, I sincerely hope that all those who have the interest of Singapore at heart should come forward and make their contributions, be they critical or ways and means on how better we can improve upon this Bill.”
“But the basic foundation, I submit, and that is, the political stability-honest, efficient and an incorruptible political leadership-is paramount to the future well-being of Singapore, and that is, if we are to continue to enjoy our good standard of living, our good government and of course as an independent, sovereign entity or nation.”
“Sir, I knew that the NCMP would come out and say that-don't mix up the ISA with PPSO because basically it is the same. I say, no. Because in 1958, PAP was not in power. It was the Lim Yew Hock government. That is the difference I am trying to make. So let us not go around in this wild political rhetoric. I understand that.”
“Sir, before I make my observations, I just want to make a couple of points in reply to the Non-Constituency MP, Dr Lee. He said that in 1958 when he was asked to stand as a PAP candidate in Kallang he was afraid of the ISA. I do not think that is quite correct because in 1958, Sir, there was no ISA.”
“We should take advantage of the present political stability to provide for the future. In conclusion, Sir, let me draw an analogy. With Singapore being the No. 1 port in the world, this analogy is not inappropriate.”
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“I would urge that when the SBC is set up, one of its first functions will not be just to increase the radio and television licence fees. Sir, with these remarks, I give my full support to the Bill. 5.07 p.m.”
“As this Bill will be referred to a Select Committee, I shall touch briefly on some aspects of it. In Part II, clause 4 concerns the Constitution of the Corporation and the provisions of the First Schedule to the Act. May I ask the Hon. Minister concerned why the Corporation should have not less than three members and not more than seven members? I agree that the Corporation has an important role to play. The other question is the appointment of the Chairman and the Deputy Chairman by the President and the appointment of the other members of the Corporation by the Minister. I am quite sure there are good reasons for this. Sir, Part III of the Bill deals with the functions, duties and powers of the Corporation which have been quite clearly spelt out. But, as I have pointed out earlier, I can only hope that in view of the importance of this powerful mass media, the public will have a better and more efficient service. Part IV deals with provisions relating to the staff of the Corporation. We have just heard the Hon. Minister elaborating on the provisions of Part IV. I have also mentioned earlier of the need for adequate manpower in order to provide this service with better programmes. I am reliably told that there has been some difficulty in getting staff of good calibre, including artistes, producers, choreographers and other personnel. This is a question of dollars and cents. I am also told that the fees payable to these artistes have remained unchanged since 1971. It has been said that if you pay peanuts you get monkeys. So it is a question of rates in terms of monetary return. I only hope that this matter will be looked into by the SBC when it is set up. As regards Part VII, among the provisions in clause 49 there is the question of licence fees.”
“What I am trying to say is that I know of some TV stations which are very much commercialised and, as such, commercials take up most of the time. The functions and the role of the SBC would then be lost if it has got to look after the prospect of maintaining itself through programmes which bring in revenue. But I would contend that the SBC should provide the public with good programmes and films of good entertainment value. Therefore, Sir, I am sure that the SBC will not have to be self-providing and will have to rely heavily on the Government for financial support. In this respect, I would urge the Minister-in-charge to take this into consideration. Now, Sir, it is also imperative that the SBC should look into the question of obtaining up-to-date equipment and sufficient manpower in order to render a good service to the public. Compared with the equipment used in some other countries, I think the equipment that RTS has at the moment is still far behind time. Just to illustrate, Sir, in the presentation of news over TV at 9.30 p.m, and the newsreel that follows, although the news presentation has improved with some changes in the news readers, what is more important to the TV viewer is the clarity of voice and the intelligent reading of the newbreader so that the news can be clearly understood. Also, far from a flat presentation of news where one sees only the newsreader reading the news, on-the-spot coverage of important events flashed on the screen will be more desirable. I believe this may well be one reason behind the need to convert the RTS into a statutory body. I do not wish to go into the details of manpower and equipment, but suffice it to say the SBC should look into these two functions which are very important areas in its role in the community.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I welcome the establishment of the Singapore Broadcasting Corporation which will replace Radio and Television Singapore. Sir, there has been talk of the desirability of the Broadcasting Department of the Ministry of Culture to be a corporate body so that it can be more effective and efficient. The merits and demerits of this idea have yet to be seen, and I can only hope that when the Singapore Broadcasting Corporation is set up it will serve the community better. In any case, this Bill is long overdue and I am glad that after its Second Reading the Bill will be committed to a Select Committee. Here, Sir, I would like to urge that more publicity be given to the Bill so that more people can come forward to express their views on it. I fully agree that the Government should retain control of the Corporation in view of the very important functions it has to play in the community. But there are other aspects which I wish to touch upon, One of these concerns financial support from Government. The Hon. Minister for Communications and Acting Minister for Culture has said that financial support from the Government is vital if the SBC is to develop into a reputable organisation capable of producing good quality programmes. Hence, the House expects that Government's financial support should in a very great measure help towards the setting up of SBC as well as other expenditure that may be forthcoming. But, nevertheless, Sir, it should be borne in mind that the main objective of the Singapore Broadcasting Corporation should not be entirely profit-oriented, as pointed out by the Minister just now, otherwise the public might not be able to enjoy the programmes.”
“Sir, I am not too sure that they always go hand-in-hand. I myself am not a town planner or a landscaper. But I am sure hon. Members will agree with me that along the roads we see more trees, more greenery, than colour, if at all there is any colour. If one takes a drive to the City, he does not see much colour apart from the buildings and the trees. Could the Minister look into this aspect of landscaping suitable places to add beauty and colour, apart from the greenery?”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, apart from the planting of free-flowering shrubs and trees, will the Hon. Minister give consideration to landscaping these areas to add to the beauty of the area?”
“The statement that the pig farms will remain in Punggol for another 15 years is, in fact, correct and the Government has not changed its policy. SELETAR FARMWAYS (Resettlement of pig farmers) 11. Mr Hwang Soo Jin asked the Minister for National Development (a) whether there is any plan to resettle pig farmers in Seletar Farmways in the Lim Chu Kang area; (b) if so, when this is expected to take place; and (c) whether he will give an assurance that, if resettlement for any important reason becomes necessary, enhanced rate of compensation will be paid especially to those who have already been inconvenienced once before and that every endeavour will be made to minimise hardship and disruption in the production.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, if I may be permitted to refer the Hon. Minister to Hansard, dated 16th February, 1977 [Vol. 36, cols. 192-3], a photocopy of which was extended to him by me just now. In that Hansard, I asked a question on pig farming in Punggol, and a reply was given by the hon. Member for River Valley who was then the Senior Minister of State for National Development. He stated, and I quote: 'The very fact that we have given leases of 30 years [i.e. to Punggol pig farmers] we can even speculate that it is very likely that pig farming will be there for 15 to 30 years.' Sir, if I heard the Minister correctly just now, he said that the Punggol pig farms would be phased out in 10 years. If the statement in the Hansard is correct, there seems to have been a change of policy. Would the Minister then consider enabling the pig farmers in Punggol to continue their pig farming activities for the duration of the lease that they have been given, i.e. between 15 and 30 years? If that is not possible, would the Minister consider paying enhanced rates of compensation for the loss of future earnings, bearing in mind that these pig farmers have been resettled at least three to four times over? I do not know how many times more they will have to be resettled. Mr Teh Cheang Wan: Mr Speaker, Sir, just now I mentioned that pig farms in Punggol will be permitted to remain for another 10 years. The former Senior Minister of State for National Development mentioned in February 1977 that the pig farms were likely to remain in Punggol for another 15 years. About 2 1/2 years have elapsed. If the pig farmers remain there for another 10 years, that means 12 1/2 years, and the phasing-out process will perhaps take one or two years.”
“Thank you. ANG MO KIO NEW TOWN (Bus services) 5. Mr Yeo Toon Chia asked the Minister for Communications and Acting Minister for Culture when the bus terminus at Ang Mo Kio New Town will be completed and what is the number of bus services to be provided; and, in view of the increasing population in Ang Mo Kio, whether he has any immediate plan to improve the existing bus services.”
“Sir, while it is encouraging to hear from the Minister for Finance that his Ministry is studying the observations and recommendations of the Public Accounts Committee (Paper Parl. 4 of 1979), could he also enlighten the House as to when his Ministry will put the recommendations of the PAC into practice?”
“Sir, whilst I agree that we have to introduce such a policy to retain the ablest and the best within the Administrative Service, we must also not forget that the Executive Officers as well as those in the Clerical Service also play an important role in the civil service. In that respect, Sir, would the Hon. Minister consider looking into the statement I have posed?”
“Sir, since such a move will benefit only a small group, namely, the ablest or, as the Hon. Minister has just mentioned, the highflyers at the top echelon in the Singapore Administrative Service, would the implementation of this new policy not discourage or bring about dissatisfaction or even frustration to the average Administrative Officers and lesser peers in the Administrative Service?”
“Sir, if the Ministry cannot take any definite decision after three phases of study have been completed, has the Minister not taken into consideration the question of rising costs? In other words, if a firm decision cannot be taken, then I do not foresee any decision to be taken at all.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, in view of the fact that the present incinerator at Toh Tuck Road is able to produce 8.2 megawatts of electricity, with an excess of 6.2 megawatts which is sold to the PUB, will the Hon. Minister consider building one or two more incinerators so that the question of having to dispose of refuse at an uneconomic cost at the Tampines dumping ground can be resolved?”
“Minister for Health that it is best left to parents to choose, and that sufficient time should be given in this respect. Finally, Sir, I would just like to echo the words of our Prime Minister - "A generation of Singaporeans is coming of age."”
“Therefore, teaching should not be a last resort for those who cannot find other better jobs just because they have the necessary qualifications. The final point that I am glad to note is that the Government subscribes to the concept of allowing parents a free choice of education for their children. I think it is only fair that the policy of the restructured system of education be explicitly elaborated on and this Report be made available to them so that parents can decide on the choice they want for their children. Also, all schools should have at least a copy of the Report. But parents, on the other hand, as has been rightly pointed out by the Hon. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education, should not expect too much of their children. To put it simply: if every parent expects his child to be a top student, then which student shall be the last? Before concluding, Sir, may I refer to the two amendments that have been proposed. The Senior Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Labour, fortunately, has withdrawn the first part of his amendment and has moved the second part. With this restructured education system, I think it is a bit difficult for the Minister of Education to report progress to Parliament after two or three years. Anyway, the Hon. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education in reply has indicated that he has agreed, and I would thus go along with the amendment. On the amendment moved by the Minister for Health, it advocates that the Ministry of Education collates the suggestions and criticisms raised during the debate in this House. This, Sir, is important. Hon. Members' view-points ought to be taken into consideration. I think no one can quarrel with the Hon.”
“They should be taught about group instinct and be closely attached to the school. In short, pride in the school to which they belong. No doubt the school cannot replace the home where parents still play a crucial role in shaping up the minds of the young children. I believe the restructured education policy can succeed given time and the correct direction. The next point that I wish to touch is on the need to have more teachers, preferably bilingual. It is gratifying to note that the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education has said that some form of recognition by way of status and an increase in their emoluments be granted to them, although it is not possible to match those in the other sectors. But I am positive that this will certainly help to attract some of the brighter ones into the teaching vocation. I use the term "teaching vocation" because many will agree with me that teaching is not a profession. The teacher must like children in the first instance; he must be able to impart knowledge to the children; he must gain the confidence and respect of the children by his demeanour. Most of all, he must have the aptitude to teach apart from the observations of the Prime Minister in paragraph 25, page V, of the Report. I know of many teachers who have been very dedicated to teaching and I still revere those who taught me in my younger days some 32 years ago at Holy Innocents' English school, now Montfort School. My good friend, the Member for Whampoa can bear me out on this. We still remember them though some have left this world. Such is the impact these teachers had made. In this respect, the Institute of Education can well assist in the selection of those who wish to take up teaching.”
“This is not covered in the Report, whereas the Hon, Prime Minister in reply to the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education posed several fundamental questions contained in paragraph 19, page IV, concerning citizenship and nationhood. This is the central aspect of Education. Education is nation building. To my mind, the ultimate aim of education is not merely to equip our young citizens with the necessary tool for employment. It goes much deeper than that. Education should make him fully aware of his role in the community and his ultimate responsibility to his fellow citizens and country. This is distinct from his obligations to his family. Therefore, Sir, I would like to suggest that this most important aspect on education be looked into soonest possible. Though Singapore's history is 160 years old and independence was achieved without bloodshed some 14 years ago, it is imperative that we take stock of the situation so that hopefully, within the next one or two generations, we can build a strong foundation for nationhood, whose people shall then answer all the questions of what a Singaporean is! Another point I wish to touch on, Sir, concerns the pace with which the restructured education system should be carried out. Many will not disagree that education is a life-long process. Just now the Senior Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Labour mentioned in Mandarin that education is a life-long process, bai nian shu ren ( ) . May I add, she nian shu mu, bai nian shu ren ( ) . Ten years for the tree to grow. Therefore, education in the schools should be conducted in a manner in which children will find it interesting and will treat the school as a home-away-from-home environment in which a much bigger family is involved, whatever the time they spend there.”
“All these should be made compulsory learning as part of the school curricula. This comes under the topic of nation building. It may be pointed out that there is a subject on this but as I can see it from my own experience, the area covered during this period is very limited and grossly insufficient to make the student understand the very important chapter in the history of Singapore. As I said, this is important in respect of nation building. Therefore, the time has come for Government to recognise this need and give it serious attention. Furthermore, on the question of the teaching of Mandarin, I have something to say, as I have some experience on learning the language. What I have learnt in two years as a five-year old in a Chinese school 34 years ago, I can honestly say, has given me some foundation in later years when I had to pick up public speaking in the Hokkien and Teochew dialects and even Mandarin. Until some years ago, before the introduction of the simplified Chinese characters, I could follow the Chinese newspapers reasonably well. Now with the simplified characters, I am almost at a loss. I have to rely heavily on the English/Chinese dictionary of simplified characters. Believe it or not some of the words cannot be found. It is a real chore. So, the problem is greater to students whose parents are in the same predicament as I am. What about the Chinese language teachers? Are they really conversant in this respect? Therefore, the Education Ministry should seriously decide and not vacillate as to the version of the Chinese language they want to use, and for that matter Singapore to use? I do not have to go deeper than this, as I think I have made my point quite clear enough. Having said all this, I now turn to the most fundamental aspect on education.”
“If we are to survive in this part of the turbulent world and plugged ourselves on to the world grid, then we have no other alternative but to master the English language well and use it as a common denominator to communicate with the world. So it is the language of our Government, legislature (though MPs can use any of the four official languages I mentioned earlier on) and the judiciary. All laws and reports are in English. Hence, I wish to suggest that a standard type of English language be taught. In short, the English language taught must be understood not only by all Singaporeans but also by other people as well. In other words, it must be the correct form of English. Let us cut out the accents; use the Singapore accent by all means but correct usage of English is what matters. Also, the teaching of English language should be aimed at instilling into the students Asian values. Of course, I am aware that there is a dearth of books on this. Perhaps, the Education Ministry can start with the tumultuous period of the last 25 years prior to our independence in 1965. (This goes for the Chinese, Malay and Tamil streams too). Books on Asian values should be made compulsory reading. On the other hand, students can acquaint themselves with the struggles in Singapore's history, viz., the Japanese Occupation (1 942 - 45), the Battle for Merger (1961 -63), Merger with Federation of Malaysia (1963), Singapore's Secession from the Federation (1965), Struggle for Nation Building and thereafter. For those below the age of 30 years, this period of the history of Singapore means nothing to them. Perhaps they were too young then. Much less for those below 40 years of age to remember the difficult times of the forties when Singapore was ruled by the Japanese from 1942-1945.”
“On the other aspect of bilingualism, I am pleased to note that it is being introduced in some selected Chinese schools this year under the pre-primary education programme in which the curricular content is 50% - 50%. This is a move in the right direction and should be stepped up so that parents can send their children to schools nearest their homes. However, there is a need to ensure that these young children should speak English and Mandarin in the schools. In this respect proper vigilance should be maintained over the teachers as well. In short, no dialect is to be spoken by them and that the children should be encouraged to bring home these two languages to their parents. The languages they are learning must be "living", that is, "living languages". In other words, they use them in their daily lives as of now. It may appear harsh to suggest this, but I firmly believe that this must start now, not forgetting that the journey of a thousand steps begins with the first step. I shall now touch on the teaching of English which will eventually become the common language. In colonial times, English was taught with the objective of serving the masters and that no Asian values could hardly be found in the curricula. And not to know English would mean no job in the Civil Service then. To-day, the situation is different. The Government has recognised that the English language has to be the common language in Singapore. The English language is today the most widely used of all languages. It is the language of diplomacy, of world trade, of communication and of technical and higher education. In other words, it is a universal language and we, in Singapore, have to be realistic about it.”
“From the principal down to the teacher and the pupil in these schools, I would suggest that the Education Ministry implement this restructured programme with a pragmatic approach so that the maximum results of success can be obtained and with the least of failures. This stage should take place now and can be likened to mounting a rescue operation to save as many as possible those "trapped" in these schools. I note the concluding remarks of the Report that, "During the transition, special care needs to be taken to reduce pupil wastage to a minimum and to avoid unnecessary dislocation in schools." I think the parents and students concerned may heave a sigh of relief. It is therefore necessary that during this operation a great deal of patience and understanding of the magnitude of the problem be exercised. Of course, this situation should be closely monitored and reviewed by the Education Ministry. As I have pointed out before, the professionals in the Education Ministry should not be too hasty and have high expectations. They should understand the education policy. After all, one must not forget that the parents of these students send their sons and daughters to Chinese schools in the belief that their children will be educated and so equipped with the prospect of getting equal treatment in employment opportunities. Now the situation has changed dramatically. I share the concern of these parents now that it is intended to place English as a language necessary in the examinations of the Nanyang University. So much on the transitional stage of implementation of bilingualism, especially in the Chinese language schools. As regards Malay and Tamil schools, the problem is not so acute.”
“reports & Annual Reports � LIST OF REPORTS ON GENERAL EDUCATION POLICY IN SINGAPORE 1946-1979, ANNUAL REPORTS OF MINISTRY OF EDUCATION (Cols. 147 - 150) I have here three reports on education policy, viz. (1) the Education Policy in the Colony of Singapore (Ten Years' Programme) adopted in the Advisory Council on 7th August, 1947; (2) Report of the All-Party Committee of the Singapore Legislative Assembly on Chinese Education, Paper Cmd. 9 of 1956; and (3) White Paper on Education Policy, Paper Cmd. 15 of 1956. This goes to show that we have had so many reports during the last 33 years. But may I say that the present report on the Ministry of Education by the Hon. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education is by far the most comprehensive of all. It touches on almost all aspects of education in the primary, secondary and pre-university levels. Sir, I accept the Report with some reservations. In his reply to the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education, the Hon. Prime Minister has covered almost every aspect of the problems of Education, and has left Backbenchers with very limited areas to touch on. Nevertheless, we will still endeavour to do our best. I would therefore prefer to deal in broad terms as several of my Backbench colleagues have dealt with many aspects of the Report in great detail. May I first refer to the transitional stage of the implementation of bilingualism in the schools? This, I believe, is a very critical stage. With thousands of pupils still in primary and secondary Chinese schools, the problem of "Immersion into English", so to say, poses a tremendous challenge and is therefore an arduous task which the Ministry of Education has to face.”
“Here, I am pleased to know that this sentiment is also shared by the Hon. Minister for Health in his speech just now. Having dwelt sufficiently on the history of our education, may I now turn to the first principle of education policy, which cannot be more aptly described than in the proverb, "All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy', and for that matter may I add Ah Fatt, Dollah or Rengasamy? My school days were some of the happiest times of my life and though I remain a Backbencher, I have not done too badly. I had plenty of time to play in school. But what about our children, their future and their children's future - the future of Singapore as well? Are we not pushing them too hard because competition in Singapore is very keen? Are the parents to blame, or the Government that has set the style? In the last 30 years or so, there have been many reports on Education. In fact, I have a list here of some of the reports (Cols. 147 - 148). It is a list of reports on the general education policy in Singapore covering the period 1946 to 1979. There are 13 of them. The present Report on the Ministry of Education 1978 by our Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education is the thirteenth report. There are also 14 Annual Reports (Cols. 149 - 150) of the Ministry of Education covering a period from 1946 to 1967, and three "Other Relevant Publications" (1) the Fenn-Wu Report on Chinese Education (Chinese schools and the education of Chinese Malayans) 1951; (2) Ministry of Education - Education in Singapore, 1969 and (3) Ministry of Education - Education in Singapore, 1972. I do not know what happened after that. This list was compiled by our Librarian in the Parliament Library.”
“The Prime Minister is admonishing the English educated students in the joint campus of the University of Singapore for not teaching their Chinese counterparts how to speak and write English. Mr Speaker, Sir, I mention these facts not with a view to criticising the PAP or the Prime Minister or the Government. I merely state the facts to point out the numerous problems that we have because of our history and our cosmopolitan population. To put it simply - a country which speaks one language has lesser problems than we have - our problems are multiplied by the number and diversity of our languages and dialects. This is covered in the All-Party Committee Report entitled "White Paper on Education Policy". Paper Cmd. 15 of 1966. In Papua New Guinea, I understand the people speak several hundred languages, not dialects, and the common denominator is pidgin English which most people there understand. We have our own brand of English, spoken with a Singapore accent and we have four languages in this House and four streams of education in our schools. Hence our problems. But can the average Singaporean speak and write in more than one language? I believe the top 4% can. Those at the top of the top can master even more than two languages. The outstanding example is our Prime Minister, eloquent and articulate in English, comprehensible in Mandarin and even in Hokkien, and almost royal in his Malay. But then he is our top brain. Lesser lights like us Backbenchers can perform creditably in two languages. But what about the rest and those lying at the bottom of the barrel? Our Singapore Armed Forces has had to form Hokkien platoons. I therefore question whether it is desirable to make a second language compulsory for entrance into the university.”
“Though our rulers were English, our workers were mostly Asian - our sons of the soil, the Malays, indentured labour from India and even Ceylon, and hordes of Chinese from China speaking a diversity of dialects. So non-English schools grew up, mainly Chinese. We Asians are proud of our language and culture. Then came 31st May 1959 when the People's Action Party won the General Elections. In the first flush of victory, our Hon. Prime Minister said in the House that: (Hansard, Vol. 11, Col. 368). "The civil service is now open for competition to all streams of education - English, Chinese, Malay and Tamil educated - and we will take from all the streams, the best of them all." And amongst other things said of the civil service by the Prime Minister were: "I say to the civil service and their present rather inept leaders who have begun what they believe to be a revolutionary movement against the Government, that if nothing else more catastrophic happens to them than the loss of allowances in the top brackets of the civil service, and the fact that they have to face fiercer competition from the non-English educated members of the service, then they should go down on their bended knees and thank the gods that their souls have been spared." Was our Prime Minister playing up to Chinese chauvinism or condemning the civil service for being English-educated through no fault of their own and having been under a colonial power for nearly 140 years, or was he condemning them for voting anti-PAP because of the antics of Mayor Ong Eng Guan and the communist elements in the PAP then? I pose the question, but offer no answers because I was not an MP then and wish to remain one now. Today the pattern has changed.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, why was it necessary after so many years of PAP Government to have a Report on Education? The answer is because the Government places the greatest emphasis on educating our young. I am more than pleased to quote what our Hon. Prime Minister said in this House 20 years ago on 21st July 1959: [Hansard, Vol. 11, col. 369]. "The only people who are prepared to face the facts are the people in the leadership of the PAP. We pursued our line not for reasons of political opportunism but because we believed it was the only way, the only sensible and sane way, to prevent all that was good in the past from being destroyed by all that was bad in the past. I would like to say that this is a government with long memories. We do not pursue petty personal vendettas, but what we say as a matter of policy we stand by." Hence, this debate. The end result of any policy on education can only be known in the long term - after the lapse of a decade. One starts in a primary school and ends up, if successful, in a junior college, some 10 years later. But to understand our problems, one has to go back to that historic day in 1819 when Singapore was founded by Sir Stamford Raffles. Within four years, in 1823, Raffles established Raffles Institution, the school that taught our Hon. Prime Minister and several of his Cabinet colleagues. After Raffles, the Christian missionaries arrived and started several schools, namely, Anglo-Chinese School, St Andrew's School and St Joseph's Institution which together with Raffles Institution were the secondary boys' schools before the last war.”
“Sir, I must thank the Parliamentary Secretary's concern over my promise. May I say that I stand by what I say, and on that note I beg leave to withdraw my amendment. Amendment by leave, withdrawn. The sum of $42,787,900 for Head T ordered to stand part of the Main Estimates. The sum of $5,402,200 for Head T ordered to stand part of the Development Estimates. 5.15 p.m.”
“Sir, I am going to touch on one point that the Parliamentary Secretary has not answered. My suggestion was that the acquisition of more reference books for the students pertaining to the school curriculum should be looked into. If he could answer that question, I will be quite happy and I will then beg leave to withdraw my amendment.”
“May I suggest that more reference books pertaining to the school curriculum be made available to the students because I believe that reference books are quite expensive and may well be beyond the means of some students. After all, there is a provision of $5.26 million under the Main and Development Estimates in respect of library services. In order to get -every cent worth I hope the Minister concerned would comment on my remarks.”
“This will not only provide more space for the children to browse the books but it is also healthier that way, because it is so crammed up in the small mobile library. I have been in one of them. That is why I can make this observation. This brings me to one small point. I was surprised to read the newspaper sometime last year that the National Library had closed its doors to many school children who wanted to make use of the reading rooms in the National Library to swot out for their terminal examinations. I do not know what the reason was for locking out these school children. I believe most of them come from the Housing Board estates so that when the examination comes around all the children want to go to the National Library where they can work in quiet in order to do well in their examinations. I think an explanation should be given for this policy. There was some play made in the press about some children who took to reading under the street lamps in certain places. I am not at all surprised that as a result of poor lighting these children become myopic. This brings me to the last point on loan services. There was an appropriation of $2,018,000 for this project in FY 78. There is no such provision this year. I wonder if the Minister for Communications and the Acting Minister for Culture could give us the reason why there is no, appropriation for loan services this year. Talking about the appropriation for loan services, I note that there is a small increase of less than $250,000 for the acquisition of books and other materials for loan to the public.”
“Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head T be reduced by $10 in respect of Object Group 1210 of Subhead Code TE-01 of the Main Estimates. Sir, in moving this amendment, I wish to make some observations on the Library Services Programme, which objective is to provide public library services. While there has been an improvement of public library services, nevertheless, there is still room for improvement. About 70% of the population are housed in HDB flats and the majority of them are young. There is therefore a need to encourage the young people to form the habit of reading. To my mind, reading broadens one's outlook. I notice that the National Library has branches in some constituencies, like Queenstown, Marine Parade and Toa Payoh. But what about the other housing estates? Hence, I see the provision of the Library Extension Service which provides a mobile library in some of the areas which have no branch libraries. This service is also extended to Punggol at the Punggol Community Centre on a bi-weekly basis. However, a period of two hours in the evening per service for the children to borrow books is hardly sufficient. Moreover, there are not enough books to give the children a wider choice. In other words, the mobile library can only carry a limited number of books. We must also not forget that there should be some space in the mobile library for the children to browse through the books. In any case, only a few children are allowed in the mobile library at any one time. Since the library extension service is provided in the community centre, would it not be better to display the books in the community centre itself where the necessary space can be made available for such a purpose?”
“Sir, in view of the assurance of the Minister that his Ministry is actively making recommendations for an upward revision of public assistance, I beg leave to withdraw my amendment. Amendment by leave, withdrawn.”
“The hon. Member for Bukit Ho Swee said, "cut". I do not think this is very fair. I hope the Minister for Social Affairs can enlighten this House on this aspect before I consider withdrawing my amendment.”
“Of course it cannot be downwards. If it goes downwards, we would not be here. I hope it will revise upwards so that recipients of public assistance will benefit. As I said, nobody wants to live on the bitter bread of charity. That is the first principle. If a person can find a job, he will do it. That brings me to the next point, and that is, a widow living in a one-room flat with some young children and paying a rental of $37.50 per month she managed to get public assistance. But she knows that she cannot upkeep or maintain the flat as well as to sustain the family. Therefore she takes on additional work as a washerwoman. But when the officials of the Social Welfare Department come to know of it -”
“Sir, I am surprised that the Acting Minister for Social Affairs is singing the same song as the hon. Minister of Defence. He is wearing two hats. One hat, as the Member for Brickworks, and the other as the Minister for Social Affairs, He is a human being, I am also a human being. He has a heart, I also have a heart. He has feelings, I too have feelings. It is gratifying to note that his Ministry at last, after a period of three years, is now reviewing upwards - An hon. Member: Downwards!”
“Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head W be reduced by $10 in respect of Object Group 3310 (a) of Subhead Code WC-06 of the Main Estimates. Sir, I notice that there is no change in the provision of public assistance allowance and this has been mentioned by some Friends of mine on the Backbench. As I understand it, the monthly PA allowance is $40 for a single person. May I ask the Acting Minister for Social Affairs whether this sum is sufficient to meet the basic needs of a single person for a month? Cost of living has gone up. If I can refer the Hon. Minister to my remarks in this House several years ago, I said "no one likes to take the bitter bread of charity". It is because they are old people, they are our citizens, and therefore it is only right that society should help them. In this respect, the Government has to take the leading role. Sir, $40 is nothing much. The provision for public assistance allowance adds up to $3.6 million. I would like to know how many people are in receipt of this public assistance.”
“I thank the Hon. Minister for his reply, and I beg leave to withdraw my amendment. Amendment by leave, withdrawn. The sum of $898,424,190 for Head V ordered to stand part of the Main Estimates. The sum of $100,000,000 for Head v ordered to stand part of the Development Estimates Head W - The following amendment stood in the name of Dr Ong Leong Boon - (1) That the sum to be allocated for Head W be reduced by $10 in respect of Object Group 1100 of Subhead Code WAS-01 of the Main Estimates,”
“One small question, Sir. The Minister mentioned the figure of 70 trainees at any one time. Since the Ministry of Defence has got the trained personnel, would not the Minister consider expanding the number of courses so that more people can take advantage of the vigorous training that is provided by the Outward Bound School?”
“Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head V be reduced by $10 in respect of Object Group 1210 of Subhead Code VB-03 of the Main Estimates. Sir, just now the House was treated to a very well-known exposition by the Minister of Defence on the need to build up a defence capability. I fully agree with what he has said. A sum of $389,380 for FY 79 for Outward Bound Training is being sought for. This objective of Outward Bound Training is "to promote the building of a healthy and rugged society through the provision of a course of rigorous physical training." I believe this Outward Bound Training School is located in Pulau Ubin. The building and the facilities were at one time manned by the People's Association until they were taken over by the Defence Ministry. With a picture very vividly painted on the need to build up a defence capability within so short a time, I was just wondering whether this can help to fulfil the role in some respects. I do not think so. So I would like to ask the Minister of Defence how many courses have been conducted in the past year in this Outward Bound Training School; how many persons have benefited from the courses conducted and from which walks of life; and how effective in terms of cost effectiveness have these courses been. I ask those questions because there is a provision of almost $400,000. The total number of posts for this little unit is 32, comprising one Warden, one Defence Executive, 14 Instruction posts, etc. In the light of my remarks I hope the Minister would care to reply.”
“Minister himself is aware of this, I hope, Sir, towards this end the Minister would care to elaborate on what new revisions are being provided under the resettlement rates of compensation.”
“The previous Ministers and Ministers of State expounded that the criteria were based on certain policies, and many Members of Parliament whose constituencies are affected by resettlement do not share the same sentiments. In this respect, Sir, would not the Minister think that the time is now ripe for a review of the entire resettlement programme? For example, those who are classified as bona fide farmers enjoy a higher rate of compensation in terms not only of houses, but also farm structures and fruit trees. But those classified as non-bona fide farmers, the rates of compensation are almost half. I think this is not fair and a correction should be made. No doubt those affected by resettlement are very unhappy because it means that their families are uprooted and they have to move into a new environment. Maybe most of them have to look for alternative employment. I have a lot of cases in my constituency where they cannot adjust themselves to the new environment. Some of them prefer to go back to their old occupations but since their land has already been acquired, they cannot depend entirely on farming any more, and so with $11,800 or a three-room flat as compensation they have to move out. These people find it difficult to adjust themselves. They apply for hawker stalls. Some may be successful, while others may not. What complicates the problem is the direction of the Primary Production Department in relation to fishing. I have had to deal with this problem over and over again trying to get something for those affected and who want to continue with inshore fishing by way of drift nets, etc, I believe the Hon.”
“Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head U be reduced by $10 in respect of Subhead Code UG-02 of the Development Estimates. Sir, I notice that there is no increase in the provision under this subhead on Resettlement. The provision of $25 million is the same as for FY 78. Just now the Hon. Minister for National Development disclosed that there would be a review of resettlement policy. I have brought to the attention of the House in past years the problems of resettlement, one of which is the ex-gratia payment. I would urge that now is the time for a review to take place in view of what the Hon. Minister disclosed yesterday, i.e. that a sum of $106 million would be spent over the next few years for the improvement of the old housing estates. Similarly, Sir, ex-gratia payment, that is, payment out of grace, for those affected by resettlement has been very small. This makes it very difficult for me and also some of my colleagues who have areas of land under clearance because there is a great disparity in the rates of compensation. One matter which has been a subject of intense argument in this House in the past years is the question of bona fide and non-bona fide farmers. Does the Hon. Minister think that the sum of $11,800 or a three-room flat, old type, is enough to compensate a farmer who has been classified as a bona fide farmer by the Resettlement Department which was told so by the Primary Production Department? For loss of livelihood that is their compensation. No doubt, the rates of compensation have been increased, for items like fruit trees, farm structures, houses, etc. But what about the non-bona fide farmers? My question is: who is to determine that one is bona fide and the other is non-bona fide? What criteria are used?”
“Sir, in view of the explanation given by the Hon. Minister for National Development, I beg leave to withdraw my amendment. Amendment by leave, withdrawn.”
“Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head U be reduced by $10 in respect of Project 8103 of Subhead Code UC-02 of the Development Estimates. Sir, I notice that under this Subhead Code there is a provision of $3.1 million for Preliminary Engineering Designs in respect of the Mass Rapid Transit System. In moving this amendment, I merely wish to ask two questions. What feasibility study has been made in regard to the MRT system so far, and if found feasible, when will the MRT system be introduced?”
“Sir, in that case, it would appear that these would be the hard-core addicts. Apart from the reasons advanced by the Hon. Minister for Home Affairs of the 67 posts of supervisors that are being provided foL I have mentioned that that number of posts is hardly sufficient, to which he has replied. My question now is whether the relapse is also partly due to the availability of drugs. No doubt, some of the addicts have gone on to some other forms of drugs, like barbiturates, MX pills etc., but he has not actually replied to this point raised.”
“Sir, the Minister has not, in fact, replied to the question of relapses posed by my friend, the Member for Kim Seng. From the figure of 8,732 ex-addicts, 3,200 of them, or 36.8% had relapses. He then gave a figure of 358 ex-addicts against 238 relapses, that is, 66.7%. He has not clarified that point.”
“Information passed on to the Ministry concerned should be classified as secret and should not be divulged to any unauthorised persons, because we need the confidence of the public and those who are public spirited to come forward and give such information. We should give them a greater sense of confidence by ensuring that any information supplied will not be disclosed, otherwise no one will come forward to give such information. These are the points which I intended to raise when I filed my notice of amendment, and I thank you, Sir, for allowing me to speak.”
“Sir, in enforcing the provisions in the Act, how many persons have so far been found guilty of drug trafficking and drug pushing, resulting in the death penalty being imposed, the number sent to the gallows, and the number still outstanding. 5.30 p.m. The other matter, as pointed out by the Member for Kim Seng, is the question of rehabilitating the addicts. There are a few drug rehabilitation centres. Some MPs had the opportunity to visit these drug rehabilitation centres. With the provision of another 67 posts for the setting up of a Supervision Division within the Central Narcotics Bureau, I wonder whether this number is sufficient to supervise such a large number of addicts who are being rehabilitated in the centres concerned. Will there be an extension of service to those who have already been reformed, and whether they could be given opportunities for employment, as mentioned by the Member for Kim Seng? Those who have been rehabilitated and want to get a job should be given an opportunity to earn an honest living. The fact that they were drug addicts before should not be held against them. In this respect, I would like to know how many drug addicts have been rehabilitated, whether the number of relapses is great, and whether studies have been made to ascertain the reasons for these relapses. Is it because there is an easily available supply of drugs that they can go back on drugs? If this is one of the reasons then, I am afraid, there must be greater enforcement, that is to say, enforcement officers must be more than vigilant. This brings me to my next point.”
“Thank you, Sir. I am entirely in agreement with the sentiments expressed by the hon. Member for Kim Seng. I am just as concerned about the fight against drug abuse. Under the programme, it is divided into two parts, drug enforcement and rehabilitation. For this year's estimates, there is an increase of $2.9 million, or 30%, for this two-pronged approach against drug abuse. I am gratified to note that this fight has entered a new phase by placing greater emphasis on rehabilitating drug addicts through work therapy and supervising ex-addicts to prevent relapse. 5.28 p.m. [Mr Deputy Speaker in the Chair] This brings to my mind several questions which I would like to pose to the Hon. Minister for Home Affairs. One, Sir, is in regard to rehabilitating the drug addicts. In moving the Second Reading of the Misuse of Drugs Bill a couple of years back, the Hon. Minister stated that the situation was critical. He said that there was a need to repeal the previous Act and to introduce a new Act. He mentioned that more than 11,000 persons were hooked on drugs. I remember puffing up some observation on this particular point, and that was, on the one hand, rehabilitation, and on the other hand, enforcement by way of catching the drug traffickers and pushers. In this respect, one of the provisions in the Act is capital punishment. I did raise the question of the number of drug traffickers and drug pushers so far sentenced to death and the number executed. I remember the Hon. Minister said in his reply that there were still a few cases pending because of their appeal to the Privy Council.”