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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“Sir, may I have your permission to speak on this amendment so that I need not have to move the next amendment?”
“Thank you, Sir. If I heard the Parliamentary Secretary correctly, he talked about policing in the Housing Board estates by reservists. Looking at the various Subhead Codes under the National Service Programme, we have Police National Service (full-time) for policing, Security Guard Services, Drug Enforcement, Emergency Security Services, including the Special Constabulary. One of the functions of the Special Constabulary includes Neighbourhood Policing. In this respect I would like to ask the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Home Affairs how effective is Neighbourhood Policing. I know that several Housing Board estates are covered by this scheme and, hopefully, when more national servicemen are released into the Special Constabulary service, they will also be deployed to police more Housing Board estates. In this light would the Parliamentary Secretary concerned enlighten this House as to how effective Neighbourhood Policing is in relation to crime prevention, detection since implementation of the scheme. I would also like to know whether he has got figures to show that this scheme has proved to be effective so that he can embark on the next stage of ensuring that there will be real peace and harmony in the housing estates, relatively crime free.”
“Sir, can I have your permission to speak on my amendment no. (9) now, which touches on Neighbourhood Policing, so that I need not have to move it later?”
“Sir, I believe that there are more than two cases. I make no bones about it. I think the hon. Member for Brickworks has also come across such a case. That makes more than two. But in view of the Minister's assurance that all complaints received will be thoroughly investigated impartially, I beg leave to withdraw my amendment.”
“Sir, I believe the Hon. Minister has not answered my question, i.e. how many cases have been brought to his attention, apart from the two he has mentioned just now?”
“Sir, may I also add that I am surprised that almost three years (short of two days) have elapsed since the Member for Aljunied went over to the other side of the House as the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Home Affairs. In order to save the time of hon. Members of the House, I have decided not to quote at length the number of cases he brought up and in which the Hon. Minister in reply sought details from the Member. But just now when the Hon. Minister mentioned the two cases, I brought them to the attention of his Parliamentary Secretary. This goes to show that. as far as I can believe, no follow-up action seems to have been taken. I would, therefore, hope that all allegations, both substantiated or, after an impartial investigation, proved to be unsubstantiated, are thoroughly investigated. It is no use coming to this Chamber just to make allegations if in the end they are not followed up by a thorough investigation. That is the observation I wish to make. I hope the Hon. Minister would consider in his reply as to the number of cases that have been brought to his attention and the two cases that I have raised.”
“Therefore, my question is: what is being done? Can the Hon. Minister, apart from reassuring the House that he does not condone such acts, say that he will act firmly, but impartially, to deal with those culprits so that the public will continue to have confidence in the Police? Sir, if this is not forthcoming, then I fear that despite all the exhortations to the public spirited to come forward with such information and in turn the public's fear of retaliation on the part of those brought to book, nobody will want to come forward to give such information. Their attitude will then be, "Let the Police do the work and we stay out of trouble." This is no good, Sir. Should this happen, then I think the work of the Police in crime detection, prevention and the eradication of crime and drug abuse, more so in the maintenance of our internal security, can be reckoned to fighting an uphill task. Towards this end, the good work of the Police in the last 20 years is well known, but I must add that its good name should not be marred by a few black sheep in the flock. Sir, Singapore's crime rate as compared to many other cities may not be high. But it is still not enough for the Police to feel relieved that the situation is manageable. The Police should redouble their efforts so that this problem will be further reduced to a minimum. I would certainly be of the opinion that public cooperation is vital and, in turn, the Police can manifest to them that in the enforcement of the laws not only are they firm but they are also fair to all.”
“Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head Q be reduced by $10 in respect of Object Group 1210 of Subhead Code QB-O1 of the Main Estimates. In reply to criticisms by some Members of Parliament on 22nd March, 1976, in this House, the Hon. Minister for Home Affairs said [Hansard, Vol. 35, cols. 765-6]: "When members of the public give information to the Police on suspicious persons or activities of suspected criminals, etc., the source and identity of the persons giving such information are always treated with the strictest confidence. Such information is treated as intelligence and classified as secret and will not be revealed to any member of the public, much less the accused ... and if the information given is revealed to members of the public, then it is a very serious offence and the officer responsible has committed an offence." It is precisely in this context that the amendment is moved. Lest the Hon. Minister for Home Affairs becomes impatient, I would like to ask him whether the information passed on to his Ministry on drug-taking is also classified as secret. (Sir, this is not to forget the provisions in the Misuse of Drugs Act.) I would think it is, and I shall therefore develop my comments on two aspects: - (1) breach of confidentiality by some police officers, and (2) the possibility to cover up such misdeed. 3.00 p.m. May I say, "There's no smoke without fire." As I have stated, this House debated at great length on these two matters over the years. This was more so detailed as can be seen in the deliberations on 22nd March, 1976, in which the Member for Aljunied who is now Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Home Affairs, gave several illustrations to substantiate these allegations (Cols, 757-759 and col. 770 of the same Volume).”
“Sir, could the Minister for National Development indicate whether and when his Ministry could successfully obtain the necessary clearance from the PSA in order that these 19 applications, both for commercial fish farming as well as green shell cultivation, may be approved?”
“Sir, in view of the reply of the Hon. Minister, I beg leave to withdraw my amendment. Amendment by leave, withdrawn. The sum of $9,875,100 for Head O ordered to stand part of the Main Estimates. The sum of $25,000,000 for Head O ordered to stand part of the Development Estimates. Head P -”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move. That the sum to be allocated for Head O be reduced by $10 in respect of Project 8401 of Subhead Code OB-04 of the Development Estimates. Mr Speaker, Sir, in moving this amendment, I wish to seek clarification and elaboration from the hon. Minister concerned regarding the provision for FY 79 as against FY 78. For FY 79 there is a provision of $25 million for Land Acquisition for General Development, whereas for FY 78 the sum provided was $54 million. Apparently there appears to be some slowing down, or is it because less private land is required for public development? 4.30 p.m.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I have nothing to add to that, and I beg leave to withdraw my amendment. Amendment by leave, withdrawn. The following amendment stood in the name of Encik Mansor Haji Sukaimi: (3) That the sum to be allocated for Head O be reduced by $10 in respect of Subhead Code OB-04 of the Main Estimates.”
“In that case, Sir, I will withdraw my amendment after the Member for Kuo Chuan has spoken.”
“Sir, I thank the hon. Minister for the kind reply and the assurance given.”
“In the case of non-farm structures, that is to say, a dwelling house, a watch tower or a feedmill, the application, after it has been processed, will be submitted to the Building Control Division of the Ministry of National Development for approval and issue of a temporary building permit. Now, farmers are required to notify the Primary Production Department when they have completed construction of such structures. Thereafter, the State Lands Section of the Land Office will on the advice of the Primary Production Department, inspect the structures to ensure that they are erected in accordance with the approved plans. Should there be deviations in the structures, then the structures will not be permitted to be retained and the State Lands Section, after notice, will have to proceed with demolition action.”
“Minister for Law and Science and Technology would assure me that his department will not be so drastic in taking action against the farmers. The Minister for Law and Science and Technology (Mr E.W. Barker): Mr Speaker, Sir, the State Lands Section does not work exactly hand in glove with the Primary Production Department. But I can assure the hon. Member that there is plenty of coordination between these two departments. Records in the Land Office and the Primary Production Department indicate that most of the enforcement cases complained about by the hon. Member are in respect of unauthorised poultry sheds, additional kitchens, and change of use of farm structures for other business activities. The Primary Production Department has only four enforcement cases involving pig sties. The first case involved the conversion of a pig sty into poultry rearing. Two other cases were in respect of encroachments of land reserved for a proposed expressway and buffer zones where pig sties are not allowed to be constructed because of pollution problems in Punggol. The fourth case concerned pig sties on land reserved for the Telecommunication Authority of Singapore. The Member for Punggol may rest assured that action is taken only against unauthorised structures or change of user without permission. In fact, we have a licensing Committee which reviews all such cases, and I am tempted to put the Member for Punggol on that committee. There is an agreed procedure between the two departments. For instance, if someone applies for permission to build a structure, say a pig farm, the Primary Production Department will first process the application for the erection of the farm structure and, if approved, issue a temporary permit for it.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head O be reduced by $10 in respect of Object Group 1210 of Subhead Code OB-02 of the Main Estimates. Sir, this concerns "State Lands Management" which has to maintain and manage State lands as well as reverted properties, including acquired properties pending development, among other things. What I wish to ask of the Hon. Minister for Law and Science and Technology is whether he is aware that the staff in the State Lands Section, in their over-eagerness to maintain and manage these State lands, do not seem to take into account the hardship faced by the farmers. In this respect, I am directing my remarks at those State lands known as farm lands. I have received complaints from some pig farmers that when they put up a pig sty to keep their pigs they get a notice from the State Lands Section asking them to demolish it. In one instance I sent a complaint to the relevant department and the reply was that they were acting as a result of a notice from the Primary Production Department. I would like to believe that the two departments are working not only hand in hand but hand in glove with each other, so that these farmers can understand that the piece of land is allocated to them under TOL for pig rearing. So the farmer must therefore make full use of the land by rearing the stated minimum number of pigs and to put up the necessary structures. Of course, if a farmer puts up his structure without submitting the proper plans assistance must be given to him. But sometimes it is not possible for him to wait for the approval because we all know that he has got a target date to rear the minimum number of pigs laid down by the Primary Production Department. In this respect, I hope the Hon.”
“Sir, I do not wish to impose on the Hon. Minister, but I believe we are speaking at cross-purposes. I personally would not like to be the one to complain about the problem of smell, but it is a problem which the constituents of another constituency have also complained about. What I would like to see are steps being taken to solve this problem. 4.15 p.m. All I am saying is, and I repeat, that the drainage system ought to be looked into further. I know and I realise there is a plan to construct seven drains which the Hon. Minister has indicated to this House; that the length of the seven drains is some 12,000 metres long; but that is one matter. The question is that the present drainage system is already inadequate. That is the first lesson to be learnt. So when his Ministry goes on to Phase 111, adequate care and consideration should be given to the planning of the drainage system if we are to resolve the problem of smell. I think the Minister has got the point. I hope he takes heed of it and, if he does, I beg leave to withdraw my amendment. Amendment by leave, withdrawn. The sum of $97,235,050 for Head N ordered to stand part of the Main Estimates. The sum of $197,305,000 for Head N ordered to stand part of the Development Estimates. Head O -”
“Sir, whilst I have a lot of patience, I think the people at large do not have sufficient patience in this matter. With regard to the drainage work at Sungei Tongkang Pechah, may I say that it is nearing completion but it serves the drainage system at Seletar Hills which joins up with Sungei Punggol. This will not alleviate the problem that is present in the farms at the Lorong Buang Kok and Lorong Cheng Lim areas. I am well aware that it is not the first or second step, but it is the third step. All I am saying is that there must be comprehensive planning so that all these problems can be alleviated, if not, solved.”
“Sir, I thank the Hon. Minister for his kind remarks. But he probably missed out my point that the drainage system provided under Phases I and II is grossly inadequate. This leads me to the point which he has just made and, that is, we are now faced with this problem of smell nuisance. He pointed out that there is the possibility of providing sewerage treatment for pig waste. I have occasion to develop this argument with some of the officials of the Ministry of National Development in which the Primary Production Department is involved. I am given to understand that such a plant would involve tremendous costs. Sir, I would like to come back to this question of drainage. Under Phases I and II, the drain is very small, mostly of composite channels, and not what is known as the bigger L-shape or U-shape type of drain which resembles the monsoon drain. After the last flood on 2nd December, 1978, I went to the site on the following day and saw that many of these drains were damaged. Following several site meetings that we had, I must confess that up till today I have not been able to see any improvement in the drainage. As the Hon. Minister mentioned earlier, "it begins with the first step towards the ultimate", then may I say that, of course, the second step must be taken before he goes on to the third step, that is, Phase 111. So I would like to seek enlightenment from the Minister on these remarks.”
“Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head N be reduced by $10 in respect of Project 8114 of Subhead Code ND-02 of the Development Estimates. Sir, first of all, may I say that I welcome the provision of $640,000 for FY 79 for Drainage Improvement for Punggol Pig Farm Phase Ill. Hon. Members know that the Punggol Pig Farm has already begun and pig production has already gone quite a long way but there is still a need to further develop the pig farms under Phase III. Whilst I welcome this provision, I would also like to draw the attention of the Hon. Minister for the Environment to the inadequate drainage system provided under Phases I and Ii. I have had on several occasions made visits, together with the engineers from the Drainage Division of the Ministry concerned, to see for ourselves the present drainage system and we found that it is grossly inadequate. In this respect, I am just wondering whether the Minister concerned would look into the question of providing adequate drainage system under Phase II before he tackles the drainage problem under Phase III.”
“Sir, while I cannot wholeheartedly disagree with the Hon. Minister of Defence, I would also like to submit, with all the reasons given, whether the vehicles have been well maintained, as was pointed out by the Minister for the Environment just now in reply to my question concerning vehicles in his Ministry.”
“If that is the case, Sir, maybe the hon. Minister thinks that the measures, both preventive and precautionary, are sufficient to help reduce the number of accidents involving vehicles of his Ministry. Therefore, my question is this: would he not take more measures to further reduce the number of accidents given in the last three years? I wholeheartedly agree with the Minister that we should prepare our young soldiers to defend the country and that they also have got to know how to transport their fellow soldiers to the battle front.”
“Sir, does the Minister of Defence not disagree with me that most of the drivers of these vehicles are national servicemen? In that sense, they are very young, 18 years and above, and therefore considering this aspect would he not engage professional drivers with a view to further curbing the numerous accidents in the last three years?”
“Sir, in this respect would the Hon. Minister for Home Affairs enlighten this House as to the type and structure of these secret societies or gangs, and whether their modus operandi is the same as the secret society of yesterday?”
“Sir, since there are still so many secret societies and so many gangs in so many constituencies, even in Housing Board estates, what steps does the Hon. Minister for Home Affairs propose to take to eliminate them? Mr Chua Sian Chin: Sir, as I have said, the Police are maintaining very close surveillance on areas where they are still active. When there are cases of secret society incidents, they are investigated and we make use of the powers of detention under the Criminal Law (Temporary Provisions) Act. But over the years we have less and less incidents of secret society activity in Singapore.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, while I thank the Hon. Minister for his kind reply and for the figures on the number of accidents, I would like to refer him to the observation that in 1976 and 1977, over 60% of the vehicles were involved in accidents and in 1978 the accident rate dropped to over 40%. My question is: besides giving a handbook to the drivers and regularly maintaining the vehicles, are the drivers given incentives for accident-free driving for periods from six months up to a year? If incentives are given, does the Minister agree that the accident rate could be further reduced, to less than 40%?”
“(11) That the sum to be allocated for Head M be reduced by $10 in respect of Object Group 2210 of Subhead Code MD-02 of the Main Estimates.”
“Employers who do not want to introduce new working methods and policy to train and encourage the workers, those who do not want to improve the working environment of the workers and those who do not want to reward the deserving workers will always face this serious problem of job hopping. In other words, only by fostering a sense of belonging among the workers to the companies through various advanced methods will they solve the problem of job hopping thoroughly.”
“This starts them thinking of changing their working environment and is a cause for job hopping. Therefore, while the employers seek to increase production, they have to give some thought to improving the working environment, such as organising regular social and recreational facilities for the workers. With some exceptions, many factories do not have such facilities. The Ministry of Labour could play an active role in this respect by encouraging factories to set up such recreational facilities and, where necessary, encourage them to cooperate with the unions by providing such facilities or activities jointly with the workers. The Ministry of Labour is planning to recruit workers in schools and community centres in order to meet the shortage of staff in some labour intensive factories. This is an enlightened move. In fact, the shortage problem is closely related to the concept of students and parents towards blue collar jobs. In order to solve this problem in a fundamental way, it is necessary to tackle with education first. I suggest that the Ministry of Labour, Ministry of Education, People's Association and the NTUC jointly set up a committee to systematically educate our younger generation about the correct value concept and attitude with regard to blue collar jobs. Furthermore, knowledge of the trade union movement and labour legislation should also be disseminated to the younger generation systematically by this committee, to enable them to understand the importance and prospects of blue collar job in the building of our national economy. According to statistics for last year, job hopping is still a serious problem. There are many valid and complicated reasons for job hopping. Here, some employers should be made responsible for it.”
“It is obvious that for many years the trade unions have, for the sake of our continued progress and prosperity, exercised restraint in collective bargaining or in dealing with industrial disputes. Unfortunately, self-restraint has been taken for granted by employers, whose exploitation has made things difficult for the workers. This can be seen in their attempts to frustrate the trade unions' efforts in trying to organise workers who have not yet been organised. What is most regrettable is that some such employers come from civilised countries which set great store in human rights. This is a result of the foreign managers not understanding the industrial relationship between them and their employees. Therefore, the Ministry of Labour could play an important role in enlightening such employers and managers on the importance of tripartite cooperation. Ever since the National Wages Council put forward the merit and demerit schemes, the National Productivity Board seems to be lagging behind in their work in this aspect. In fact, trade unions have shown more enthusiasm and resolution to this scheri4e than the employers. The National Productivity Board should make further efforts to study this scheme in depth so as to ensure that this scheme is not exploited or misused by the employers as a means to stop the workers' annual wage increase. Sir, one effective way to increase production is to allow workers to work overtime. However, many companies lose sight of the fact that continual additional shifts of mechanical routine work can only have a detrimental effect on workers both physically and mentally. Tense mechanical work will make the workers feel disinterested and tired of their work.”
“Sir, whoever prompted the Senior Minister of State must himself have an intention of becoming an ambassador! I hope the Senior Minister of State will take note of who the prompter is. As for me, I am not in the running. On the other hand, I am quite satisfied with the assurance of the Senior Minister of State that everything is being taken care of in the setting up of overseas missions. On that note, I beg leave to withdraw my amendment. Amendment by leave, withdrawn. The sum of $39,734,520 for Head L ordered to stand part of the Main Estimates. Head M - Mr Tan Cheng San (Paya Lebar)( In Mandarin): Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head M be reduced by $10 in respect of Object Group 1100 of Subhead Code MA-01 of the Main Estimates. Sir, today the trade unions in our Republic have outgrown their traditional duty towards workers. The unions we have today are not only fighting for the interests of their members but also take an active part in nation building, social and economic development and striving for a better and a more just and ideal society. That we have been able to maintain our progress and prosperity is due to an important fact that the Government has in the last ten years or so actively promoted the idea of tripartite cooperation between Labour, Employer and Government. The political and military changes in this region coupled with growing international protectionism are constantly exerting influence on the economic development of our economy. Therefore, it is more important that the Government, Employer and Labour should continue to cooperate closely for our continued economic growth in this changing world.”
“Sir, in the light of the Senior Minister of State's disclosure of further extending our missions' accreditation to the other countries in Europe, my question is whether there is sufficient staff to man these missions. When I say "sufficient staff', I have in mind the setting up of the mission in France, when it took the Foreign Ministry slightly over five years to find an ambassador. I hope he can provide further enlightenment on this aspect.”
“Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head L be reduced by $10 in respect of Subhead Code LB-02 of the Main Estimates. Sir, for FY 79 a provision of $1 million has been made for the setting up of overseas missions. I have just one small question to ask of the Minister for Foreign Affairs. Would he inform the House whether new missions will be set up and, if so, where will they be?”
“Sir, in the light of the not-so-unsatisfactory reply, I beg leave to withdraw my amendment. Amendment by leave, withdrawn.”
“Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head J be reduced by $10 in respect of Project 8106 of Subhead Code J8-01 of the Development Estimates. Sir, this provision of $1.3 million is for repairs to school fields. I fully agree that if school fields need repair, they have to be repaired. But what bugs me is that in the process of carrying out the necessary repairs to the school fields, will the extra curricular activities not be hampered? To my mind, if a school field needs to be repaired, a considerable length of time is needed not only for the repairs but also for maintenance of the field over another period of time before it can be used. Therefore, this will certainly disrupt ECA. I wonder whether either of the Senior Ministers of State would care to assure the House that, in the course of carrying out such repairs, disruption of extra curricular activities will be done at a minimum, if not none at all.”
“Sir, I must thank the Senior Minister of State for having taken pains to explain to the House, as well as to assure the House, that a great deal of care and caution has been taken in the implementation of the pre-primary programme to be carried out over the next few years. In the light of his remarks, Sir, I beg leave to withdraw my amendment. Amendment by leave, withdrawn.”
“Though the content of the curriculum is 50% English and 50% Chinese, I do not know, Sir, how it is going to be divided between the two, i.e. the curricula content and the exposure time for the children to use English as well as Chinese. This will lead us to another take-off point. In the light of my remarks, I hope the Hon. Senior Minister of State for Education will comment. 7.15 p.m.”
“Sir, first of all, may I say that I am well aware of the difference in curricula between courses for kindergarten classes organised by the People's Association through the community centres and the pre-primary classes. I am also aware that the direction for the pre-primary education is to prepare the children to continue primary education in the same school. Just now the Hon. Senior Minister of State for Education has given some figures of enrolment which represented a percentage of a possible total enrolment in the pre-primary classes. He said that this is an experiment and that it is hoped that the children from a very tender age would be able to learn two languages, namely, English and Mandarin. In other words, they would be bilingual. He also said that "the pre-primary programme will be considered as an integral part of the new education system" that will take shape over the next few years. I can only hope that this is so because by nature, Sir, I am an optimist. He said that 11% of the five-year olds are attending the pre-primary classes. This means that there is a balance of 89%. I would like to believe that in offering such a programme we can also take the majority. I grant that it is in an experimental stage, but between this year and the next, are we taking steps through evaluation to go on to step two to increase the percentage of enrolment? If so, it follows that more staff will be required, and he will have to bear in mind that it is quality staff, not quantity, that is important, in other words, teachers who have the ability to handle little children. When I say "quality" I must also qualify that the teachers themselves ought to be absolutely proficient in the two languages.”
“Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head J be reduced by $10 in respect of Project 8105 of Subhead Code JB-01 of the Development Estimates. Sir, this is a new provision, pre-primary programme, which I believe has been introduced this year. In moving this amendment I wish to know what is the direction of this pre-primary programme. I would also like to know whether the hon. Senior Ministers of State for Education are aware that kindergarten classes for the four to five year olds are already being organised by the community centres of the People's Association as well as by other organisations. 7.00 p.m. Will not the implementation of the pre-primary programme somewhat duplicate the community centres' efforts in running the kindergarten classes? I believe the Ministry itself is already beset with varied and complicated problems, as can be seen from the first part of the Report of the Hon. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education which was just released a couple of days ago. These problems have to be resolved first and time is needed to resolve these problems. So in introducing the pre-primary programme, I am just wondering, Sir, whether the Ministry is not trying to achieve too much. I can envisage problems, like teachers. According to the Memorandum on the Budget, Paper Misc. 1 of 1979, there is an explanation that a total number of 347 posts are provided for the new pre-primary course. That is all right. Parliament can well provide the money by approving the amount to be voted for but getting the right type of teachers to handle the pre-primary children is another matter altogether. So, all in all, my question is: is it really necessary to start off the pre-primary programme?”
“At no cost to the Building Fund Committee, please.”
“Sir, on a point of clarification. I must say that in the case of Punggol Estate, the site was already set aside when the conceptual plan for the development of Punggol Estate was being drawn up; and Punggol Estate was built in the early 70's. So that piece of land was already there. There is no question of asking for more land.”
“To cite the example of Punggol Estate, a new centre will be built. Sufficient funds have already been collected. Hopefully work will commence sometime this year. But the piece of land that has been set aside is slightly more than an acre, about 1.3 acres to be exact. The extra 0.3 acre is rather odd-shaped. I raised the question with PA as to whether it could ask the Finance Ministry to allow the proposed centre to take over the extra 0.3 acres, thereby providing more facilities for other activities too. But the reply was that the proposal would upset the norm laid down by the Budget Division of the Ministry of Finance. I left the matter at that. But I understand from the Housing and Development Board that they have no use for this extra piece of land, If that is the case, could not the People's Association discuss with the Finance Ministry with a view to obtaining approval for that extra bit of land to be incorporated into the building scheme of the community centre? I bear in mind the remarks of one of our Ministers who said that we should make optimal use of land availability in Singapore. 4.30 p.m.”
“Thank you, Sir, I would like to refer to the Senior Minister of State's reply to a point raised by my colleague, the Member for Kim Seng in this House last year, on the inadequacy of land for the building of community centres. The Senior Minister of State stated that the People's Association had suggested to the Minister for Finance to approve an acre of land, or slightly more than 4,000 square metres. I believe this suggestion has been favourably considered. What I wish to point out is that in order to build a really good key centre under the revised scheme, which has already been implemented, the built-up area, which caters for both indoor and outdoor facilities will, to my mind, almost certainly take up the land area. The Member for Kim Seng has given a vivid illustration as to the cost of building the centre in two phases. I would merely like to add that under phase one the building cost of an ordinary type of centre, which is called the standard type, is estimated at $450,000 for which the constituency should raise $100,000 before the People's Association could consider granting an outright grant of $350,000 with basic facilities. Under phase two, the cost of the building would amount to $400,000 or more, but there would be a maximum dollar-for-dollar subsidy of $200,000. So with phase two under way, more land would be needed. That brings me to the question of how much more land could be set aside. I recognise the constraint of land availability in Singapore, more so in the urban area. May I suggest that where a piece of land, slightly more than the approved area, has been set aside, the PA should look into the question and, where necessary, obtain approval from the Ministry of Finance to take up the little extra land.”
“Sir, can I have your permission to speak on my Amendment No. (7) now, because it is somewhat related to the development of community centres? The Chairman: All right.”
“Sir, first of all, I would like to thank the Hon. Senior Minister of State for the long answer that he has given to the problems that I have raised. I think the rationale behind the setting up of the RC is sound. But before I withdraw my amendment, may I just make one small point in reply to my good friend, the Member for Kim Seng. He remarked that his constituents may look with nostalgia towards Punggol Constituency because Punggol Constituency has also got housing estates. I would like to extend an invitation to him to come to Punggol, since he was from Punggol, and see the extent to which a constituency, though rural in nature, has developed today with small housing estates and some industrial workshops. Sir, I beg to withdraw my amendment. Amendment by leave, withdrawn. The following amendment stood in the name of Mr Ch'ng Jit Koon - (4) That the sum to be allocated for Head I be reduced by $10 in respect of Subhead Code IF-02 of the Main Estimates.”
“I foresee teething problems in the initial stages of implementation of this scheme, but given time, persuasion, tolerance and, most of all, correct guidance in the right direction, the objective of establishing Residents' Committees will be achieved. Hopefully, this achievement may come about, say, in the next few years. Before I conclude, Sir, may I add that I know of a few constituencies in which the MPs concerned have taken the initiative to organise committees, and calling them Block Committees or Residents' Committees. The functions of these committees are somewhat similar to the Residents' Committee mentioned earlier. I would like to know whether these Block Committees or Residents' Committees come within the ambit of the Residents' Committees proposed by Government and whether the rules and regulations governing Residents' Committees will also apply in this case.”
“There are three blocks with 240 units each. In other words, there are 240 families in each block. With common corridors and lack of play area for little children, coupled with poor lighting, many families tend to keep to themselves. Apparently, there is a lack of interaction amongst them. The womenfolk stay behind locked doors while their spouses are out at work. Strangely, the few families who were affected by resettlement and managed to obtain flats in the same block seem to be familiar with one another. But those who move in from other areas do not seem to mix well. What I wish to point out is that this situation is worrying me. We see a block of flats, which is like a village, but the families keep to themselves and do not seem to be making any attempt to establish rapport or good neighbourliness amongst themselves. This problem is further compounded by the lack of response from the residents to come forward for a discussion of the problems that might face them. Several reasons have been given: they have no time or that they have to work late. Therefore, recognising the need to bring these families of each block together, and if we are to succeed in nation building and to establish an identity of our own, the Government has decided to embark on a scheme to set up Residents' Committees in the various constituencies. I would like to find out what role these Residents' Committees will play in nation building; what services and facilities the Government will provide to these Residents' Committees which comprise residents who will eventually become Village Elders or "leaders" so to speak; and in what direction will the Residents' Committees be aimed at.”
“Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head I be reduced by $10 in respect of Object Group 2510 of Subhead Code IF-02 of the Main Estimates. Sir, I welcome the provision in the Estimates to set up Residents' Committees in the various constituencies. First of all, may I say that since the inception of the Housing and Development Board (HDB) in 1960 many new towns have been built, namely, Queenstown, Toa Payoh, Woodlands, Ang Mo Kio and Bedok, besides other small ones. There is also urban renewal in progress. In other words, population shifts have taken place. Thousands of low-cost housing units have been built by the HDB and as a result a substantial part of the population are now housed in these flats. Now, problems will certainly arise out of this, and these are my observations. Sir, in the past, when there were slums in the city area and villages in the rural areas, the relationship amongst the residents was very close. People knew one another. But with resettlement and moving into Housing Board flats, families have been uprooted. They have to move into new environments where they may have to strike new roots. I notice that each low-cost housing block will house between 76 and 240 families, depending on the size of the block. To my mind, each block is like a village, but what perturbs me is the lack of rapport among these families. They do not seem to know one another well enough as a result of little interaction between parents and children. To illustrate, I would like to cite the case of Punggol Estate. It is a small estate comprising 3,091 units of one-room, two-room, three-room, four-room and five-room flats. Today, some 15,500 persons live in these blocks of flats. Let me first take the one-room improved flats.”
“Wherever we can afford to, we shall show in some tangible way that those who have served are not forgotten". This heart-touching and humane statement has so touched me that I feel it necessary to speak once again on behalf of those retired teachers of the aided schools. These retired teachers have worked conscientiously for education and have dedicated their lives to our country. Because the CPF contribution was low during the time of their service, the amount they got upon their retirement was very meagre. If they were to buy a flat with their CPF savings, there would not be very much left. No sooner had they retired than they had to return their medical benefit entitlement cards. Society seems to be rather unfair to them. When one grows old, of course, one tends to get ill more easily. Therefore, now is the time when they need medical care most. While they have to look for jobs to make a. living and not always with medical benefits, on the other hand, they still have to save up something for medical care. I earnestly hope that the Minister concerned will do his utmost to assist these aged retired teachers, in the same spirit and by the same reason as he accords tax exemption to resident pensioners. 5.57 p.m.”