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, I am happy with the Minister's reply, and I beg leave to withdraw. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head 0501 be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead 1062. Sir, some time ago I raised the question of Students' Counsellor and inquired of the Minister for Foreign Affairs whether or not there would be other Students' Counsellors to be posted to other missions. Here again, I would like the Minister for Foreign Affairs to consider posting more Students' Advisers to our missions abroad and to places where we have a concentration of our students. With the help of these Advisers, our students abroad will be able to keep themselves informed of events in Singapore. At the same time, they will be able to explain to their friends what and where Singapore is. This is important because, in the course of my meetings with some of our students overseas, they complain that they do not know What is happening at home. In order to get information, they have to go to our missions and some of them are far away from their places of study. In this respect, if more Students' Advisers are attached to our missions, they will be a great help to our students.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I was touching on the question of the staffing of our overseas missions when the Moment of interruption came. I think I dealt with that issue at some length. My last question is whether the Minister for Foreign Affairs will consider creating a post of Information Officer in each of these missions so that, among other things, he can also help boost the tourist trade.”
“In this respect, I am happy to note that there was a post of Confidential Secretary in our High Commission in London, and I have brought this matter up today. You can see that this post has got a little abbreviation, "pa", which means that the post has been abolished. This goes to show that every care must be taken in recruiting staff. I shall cover the other details at the proper time as I have put in my amendments to them. Sir, I have brought up the question of extra officers to he recruited for these various overseas missions, Invariably in some missions we have only the First Secretary and an Attache, and no Second or Third Secretary. These two posts of Second and Third Secretaries are important. Their duties will have to be specially defined so that they will know what to do. They will also take a load off the First Secretary. In some cases you will notice that we have Counsellors in the various missions. I fully agree that we should have Counsellors, but they are so few in number. Will the Ministry of Foreign Affairs not consider recruiting suitable officers to fill such posts? Counsellors do a variety of work. No doubt they are only termed "Counsellors", but they are important. I hope the Minister for Foreign Affairs will consider these suggestions and ensure that in the next or future Budget Estimates, there will be provision for more officers, especially from home. Sir, there is also the question of their salaries. I am told that these are based on the salary scales here, but when they go overseas they are entitled to an overseas allowance. But the salaries in terms of overseas postings are - 8.00 p.m.”
“This concerns our establishment of missions overseas. I have had the opportunity to visit some of our foreign missions, the chanceries, and also the residences of our Ambassadors. My point is this: we send our Ambassadors to represent Singapore. The image of Singapore must, therefore, be well projected, and one of the ways of doing so is to see that every care and consideration - I am not saying that no care has been taken - should be given towards the setting up of these chanceries or getting adequate residences for our Ambassadors. There is also another important point that we should remember: the question of staff. In the course of my visits to quite a number of these foreign missions, I have noticed that our home-based staff are small in number, and the locally recruited staff are equally small. Sir, I am going to reach the Moment of interruption because I want the Minister to give his answers tomorrow. Sir, the staff recruitment in a mission is very important in two respects. Let us say in a mission we have staff from the Ambassador downwards, maybe the Counsellor, then the First Secretary, the Second Secretary, a general clerical officer, and some locally recruited staff. I am of the opinion that in quite a number of missions there is much work to be done, and the nature of the work is such that sometimes it has to be done by home-based staff. Let us take, as an illustration, our Permanent Mission to the United Nations, New York. Looking at the staffing position, we have four locally recruited staff. But we do not know exactly the home staffing position. I can make a guess. There is so much work to be done and some of this work should he handled by home-based staff.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I am happy to note that, as we have not come to the Moment of interruption, I can enjoy some free time to speak on foreign affairs. No doubt just now I have missed the opportunity to speak on two of my amendments when we reached "guillotine" time. But the second part of it pertaining to A.S.E.A.N. has already been dealt with by the Member for Sembawang. So on this amendment to cut the Minister's salary by $10, I would like to join the crowd by airing my views on these two points. Sir, firstly, we have to make annual contributions to international organisations. There are organisations like the United Nations under which you have the United Nations Development Programme, etc. I would like the Minister to give this House an idea of how much Singapore has to contribute to each of these international organisations. The other point is the A.S.E.A.N. set-up. A.S.E.A.N. was set up a few years ago, and over the last few years the Foreign Ministers of member countries have been getting together and Standing Committees have been formed. A lot of discussion and consultation has been going on, and, as a result, we are asked today to vote for a sum of no less than $3 million towards the A.S.E.A.N. Fund. Sir, in this respect, I would be grateful if the Minister for Foreign Affairs would care to elaborate on how and in what form the $3.08 million would be utilised towards the A.S.E.A.N. Fund. Where is the base of operations, in other words, whether it is in Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, or Djakarta? And how many of its representatives will be grouped together in order to set up this central body to control the membership subscriptions towards the A.S.E.A.N. fund? My last point is a follow-up of what my colleague, the Member for Telok Blangah, has just raised.”
“(13) That the sums to be allocated for Head 0403 be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead 2656. The sum of $27,072,580 for Head 0403 ordered to stand part of the Estimates. Head 0405 -”
“(12) That the sum to be allocated for Head 0403 he reduced by $10 in respect of subhead 2651.”
“Sir, I thank the Minister for his patience and replies. I beg leave to withdraw my amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.”
“Sir, I thank the Minister for his replies to my questions, but I have supplementary questions to ask. Sir, he mentioned that gift accounts are only meant for Secondary I students. Can I suggest to him that we accord this gift account to students in primary schools also? The reason is that for primary school students, there is a course of six years, whereas for those in secondary schools there is a course of only four years, with another two years in the upper secondary. Why cannot we induce children to start saving in the Post Office Savings Bank right from the moment they enter school? In this way, not only will much more savings be collected, but the children will also benefit with a gift of an extra $5. Will he consider this suggestion> 6.00 p.m.”
“I am satisfied with the Minister's explanation. I beg leave to withdraw. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. The following amendment stood in the name of Mr Ng Kah Ting - (3) That the sum to be allocated for Head 0402 be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead 2007. The Chairman: Amendment (3) is not being moved. Mr Ng Yeow Chong, amendment (4). 5.15 p.m.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head 0402 be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead 2006. Sir, with your permission, in my comments, I wish to range over my next amendment* on subhead 2007. * The amendment reads as follows: (3) That the sum to be allocated for Head 0402 be redued by $10 in respect of subhead 2007.”
“Sir, I thank the Minister for his answer. I beg leave to withdraw my amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. The following amendments stood in the name of Mr Ng Kah Ting - (12) That the sum to be allocated for Head 0401 be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead 2105. (13) That the sum to be allocated for Head 0401 be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead 2106.”
“Sir, these three subheads have almost similar titles: "Passages and Miscellaneous Travelling Expenses", with the addition of "General" in subhead 2104, "Overseas Service Aid Scheme" in subhead 2105, and "Other Overseas Officers" in subhead 2106. More than half a million dollars is involved in these subheads. I wish to seek elucidation from the Finance Minister as to what these expenses are for, and for whom they are to be used.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head 0401 be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead 2104. Sir, with your permission, may I range over my other two amendments*? By not moving them, I may save some time. * The amendments read as follows: (12) That the sum to be allocated for Head 0401 be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead 2105. (13) That the sum to be allocated for Head 0401 be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead 2106.”
“I beg leave to withdraw the amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head 0401 be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead 2101. Sir, there is a provision of $1,000 under this subhead entitled "Hotel Allowance". My question is, how will this sum be expended and by whom?”
“I beg leave to withdraw. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.”
“Sir, I was wondering whether these expenses could not be charged to the various Ministries instead of only to the Ministry of Finance.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head 0401 be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead 2098. Sir, in moving this amendment, I seek the Minister's clarification of what sort of expenses have been incurred in connection with inquiries, commissions and conferences. In other words, what are the inquiries, commissions and conferences we have had last year.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I think my colleague, the Member for Mountbatten, has covered this topic very well and leaves me with little area to cover. Sir, this is a new expenditure that will henceforth appear in the Estimates. For how long this item will appear I do not know, because it is being charged under the grouping, "Other Charges, Annually Recurrent". Under this vote, all Permanent Secretaries will be given entertainment expenses. I do not know whether or not this is an expense to be incurred in the course of their duties, as it is just charged to "Entertainment Expenses". But I would like to know how much this will cost the taxpayer each year. No doubt in some quarters it has been speculated to be $2 million, but I do not think so. My question is this: is it right or not to give Permanent Secretaries such entertainment allowances? Invariably we are going to follow the practice in commercial firms, where top executives enjoy certain perks, i.e., expense accounts, etc. But this item is an expenditure on the civil service, in which every cent to be expended requires the sanction of Parliament. In other words, Government should at all times be on the alert to see that monies requiring Parliament's blessing are wisely and worthily spent. I hope the Minister for Finance will care to comment these remarks.”
“Yes, Sir, a complaint was immediately made - this is just for the information of the Minister. No doubt he was not informed of it, because I felt it was a frivolous matter. It was, however, immediately attended to by the Matron and the Acting Secretary of the Hospital. In the end the Medical Superintendent rang me up and I said, "Forget about filing the complaint." I know very well the good work done by the nursing staff and the other members of the hospital. They are all the time under heavy strain, and human beings are human beings. We are here today debating the attitude of our civil servants under this topic. Sir, I would strongly urge the Finance Minister kindly to take note of what we Back-benchers have been facing and seek remedial measures, not those we took in 1959, but somewhat stern measures which would not bring about a further deterioration in the conduct of the civil service.”
“" That sort of attitude, Sir, is very bad. This discourteous attitude is slowly creeping back into the civil service.”
“So I asked the officer, "Do you remember meeting these two persons?" He kept on denying and denying. Then I told him I was so and so, and that I was there to find out what had happened. I told him that I was not going there to make a charge against him or anybody. In the end, he reluctantly admitted. But that is not the only case of this nature. In the hospitals, M.P.s also get such problems. I had an experience myself. I quoted these two examples to show that during the last few years there have been clear signs of deterioration in the conduct of some of our civil servants. I am not saying that all of them are discourteous. Coming back to a point which concerns the Ministry of Health - I am happy that the Minister for Health is here. One of my Citizens' Consultative Committee members suddenly had a stroke in town and he was rushed to the General Hospital. I went there when I got the news. First of all, I found out to which ward this person was admitted, and I went to the ward, though I knew that it was before Visiting Hours' time. I went up to the staff nurse and asked, "How is the condition of this man? I am so and so and he is connected with my constituency and the welfare of the constituents." She could not even care to say anything. She just went about her work. In the end I said, "Look, can you answer this simple question? Do you not know the condition of this man?" She gave an irrelevant answer, and I said, "Look, I did not ask you that yet. I am asking you about the condition of the man, because I am concerned with his condition. If he had conked off, I would have lost a very important man in my area. What happened?" She just went about her work. I then said, "All right, I will see your Sister." She replied, "Go and see the Sister if you want to.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, whilst the Member for Telok Blangah has not had the experience of encountering rudeness from certain sections of the civil service, I stand together with my colleague, the Member for Delta, in her complaints. Certainly I think the Staff Training Centre is far from adequate in this respect. There is no doubt about it. The staffing there may be small, but there may be other instructors coming in between, but what we must not forget is this question of human relationship. Being in public service, whether in the statutory boards or elsewhere, those at the counter invariably will be under a certain amount of strain in having to deal with members of the public. Members of the public come from all walks of life. In other words, tact, politeness and courtesy must always be uppermost in the minds of officers who have to deal with them daily. I can draw from my own experience with my own constituents. Just to illustrate this -- in the Electricity Department of the Public Utilities Board, there is a counter for "Applications for Transfers", the words of which are written in the English language. Two persons went there. They did not know where else to go. They had to make some inquiries. It so happened that at about this time the officer handling this matter was about to close shop. However, since names are invariably wrongly filled in, one of them went to this person who rudely told him, "Look, your name is not the same as that in the identity card. Get lost and do not waste my time!" When I got this complaint, I, together with the two men concerned, went to the P.U.B. the following morning. I asked these two men whether they could recognise the officer who was rude to them, and they said, "Here he is," pointing him out.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I would like to draw the Minister's attention to the salary code. The post of Commissioner of Banking is a Grade E post and the post of Commissioner for Finance Companies is a Grade G post. Their salary codes are different. So with one man running two jobs, are the two departments safe and are they well run?”
“As regards the remittances of profits, foreign incorporated banks are free to remit their profits if they want to or to plough them back into their Singapore business if they so desire. We are not restricting the remittances of profits. It will be wrong to do so. The Member for Punggol wants to know whether the banking staff are qualified. The answer is yes, they are qualified. They are being trained by an expert sent by the International Monetary Fund. An inspectorate is being built up slowly because we want people with proper qualifications and capacity. We have provided a token sum for the Commissioner of Banking because he is the same man as the Commissioner for Finance Companies. It is the same person occupying two posts and doing two jobs. In fact, he is doing work very much of the same type and using the same staff. This token provision is just a matter of financial procedure.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I share the sentiments which have just been expressed by my colleague, the Member for Changi. But being the co-mover of this amendment, I seek somewhat different answers. As I see it, we have in Singapore a banking structure. In the Estimates of Expenditure for 1969-70, there is a token provision of $10 for a Commissioner of Banking. In the Estimates of Expenditure for 1970-71, there is also a token provision of $10. In other words, is there a proper man to fill this post full-time? My colleague, the Member for Changi, has inquired just now how much deposits both the locally incorporated banks and those incorporated outside Singapore have got from the people of Singapore. The post of Commissioner of Banking is a very important one and I do not think that this $10 token vote is a sufficient guarantee that the office will be well run. Can the Minister enlighten us on the points which I have just raised? Dr Goh Keng Swee: The capital of locally incorporated banks - that is, capital and not deposits - comes to $204.8 million. The capital of foreign incorporated banks in their respective headquarters adds up to $3,363.9 million, as far as we can ascertain. I will not guarantee the accuracy of this latter figure. As regards the licensing of new banks, my policy is to decline all applications because I think we already have too many banks. However, in very exceptional cases we may allow new licences. I am allowing only one new foreign bank to be established - it is a German bank ---, and this is because of new interest shown by German industrialists to set up establishments in Singapore.”
“Sir, I beg leave to withdraw my amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. 2.45 p.m. The time allotted for Head 0106 having expired, the following amendment, standing in the name of Mr Ng Kah Ting, was not proceeded with. That the sum to be allocated for Head 0106 be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead 3002. The sum of $1,855,240 for Head 0106 ordered to stand part of the Estimates. Head 0107 -”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head 0106 be reduced by $10 in respect of item (1) of subhead 2010. In moving this amendment, I have just one simple question. I wish to seek clarification from the Prime Minister as to what "unallocated awards" are.”
“In that case, I thank the Prime Minister for his answer and I beg leave to withdraw my amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.”
“Sir, whilst going through the 1967 debate on the Estimates of Expenditure for 1968, in Vol. 26, from col. 632 (at the bottom) to col. 636, I notice that one point brought out was that the President's scholar, in addition to his winning the President's scholarship, will go on to win other scholarships as well and, as a result, he will get what is termed a "scholarship allowance" and not the full award. My question is this. Will not the full award of the scholarship enhance the prestige of the recipient rather than just a scholarship allowance? If that is the case, I think this $42,000 will go a much longer way.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head 0106 be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead 2009. Sir, may I quote from page 22 of the Memorandum on the Estimates of Revenue and Expenditure of Singapore for the financial year 1st April, 1970, to 31st March, 1971 (Misc. 1 of 1970): 'Decrease of $170,000 in O.C.A.R. is mainly due to a smaller provision being required for Bursaries and Other Assistance for Students of Higher Institutions based on past experience and a reduction in the number of President's Scholarships in view of the prestigious nature of these scholarships.' Sir, the President's scholarships for the year 1970-71 are being provided with a sum of $42,000 as against that of $124,370 for the period 1969-70, that is, a period of 15 months. In other words, no less than $82,000 has been lopped off. This is a drastic cut. I well know, Sir, that such scholarships are few in number and that, in most cases, the recipients win other awards. Therefore, three questions come to my mind. First, will the Prime Minister indicate the number of such holders who have graduated from their courses of study since the inception of the President's scholarships and in which areas they are now serving? Secondly, whilst I agree that such top honours are not easy to gain, I am wondering whether this further cut will not dampen the keenness in competition of the aspirants, in view of a further reduction in the number of awards this year, as was so stated. Sir, no one doubts that this is a highly covetous award which many of our students are aiming to get. Thirdly, Sir, will the Prime Minister indicate the number of awards made last year as against the possible number this year? Sir, I beg to move.”
“Now is the time for the Government to implement a fairer distribution of wealth for the whole society. 4.03 p.m.”
“From the Budget statement, we can see that our Gross Domestic Product has increased from $1,968 million in 1959 to $4,833 million in 1969. The per capita income in 1959 was $1,262 whereas in 1969 it was $2,437. This goes to show the economic progress of our country in the past ten years. However, this rate of economic progress does not necessarily mean that the standard of living of everyone in Singapore has gone up, that we are now very well off. Even though about ten years ago the per capita income was about $1,200, the poor people could still put some savings in the bank, but now they do not have enough to live on even though the per capita income has risen to $2,400. They have to borrow from the chit-fund companies. I would urge the Government to impose a more progressive tax on the rich people so that they will be taxed more. This is not improper. In this way, we can close the gap between the rich and the poor people of our country. Sir, to come down to the root of the matter. If the Government wants to realise its aims and objectives of democratic socialism, it should provide a fairer and more equal redistribution of wealth. Though at the beginning this might call for a small sacrifice from the people, we have reason to believe that in the long run they will resolve to march forward in order to achieve a better and a more prosperous future. In this way we will be able to instil in our people hopes and prospects for a better future. Otherwise the political ideas which we have spent much thought in formulating and which we have struggled hard to realise will have no significance. If there is no political idealism in our work here in Parliament, then, Sir, may I ask, how can the Government still expect to receive the support of the masses?”
“Why do the Government not think of measures to prevent the evasion of tax by the "big fish"? It is an open secret that rich people have been evading taxes. Instead, the Government is increasing the tax on hawkers' licences. This kind of action is not appropriate. I believe the Government, by paying attention to this point, will be able to get more revenue from people who have been evading taxes. Sir, I urge the Government to take note that to tax the hawkers would only increase their burden and suffering. They are already finding it difficult to make ends meet. In the end, they would form the habit of borrowing from chit-fund companies, which are now flourishing, to solve their financial difficulties. The chit-fund companies thus become blood-sucking vampires. For instance, when small merchants remove to other accommodation because of the urban renewal scheme, they will have to pay a lot of money like initial down-payment, rentals and other necessities. Since they have no ready cash, they will have to get some sort of a loan from the chit-fund companies. They will have to pay very high interest rates. In this way, the poor becomes poorer and the rich becomes richer. Thus the rich would be able to exploit the poor. This has always been the case. The legislation of chit-fund companies by the Government will lead to the result I have just mentioned. I would like to ask the Government why it cannot provide the same kind of service as the chit-fund companies do for these citizens in order to help them improve their livelihood. The Government can charge a low rate of interest as maintenance charges. In this way, it can help the poor people when they need money urgently.”
“Though they are given concessions, the type of dwellings or shophouses, the cruel fact is that everything boils down to money in the final analysis. What the Government cares for is also money. Small merchants have not been successful in competing with larger capitalists when tendering for premises. Talking about small hawkers, this question again makes us realise that the Government is not dealing with matters based on the spirit of democratic socialism. First of all, I should point out that as our Government is elected by the people, we should act according to the manifesto we put up during the elections. We must have the agreement of the people first before we implement any new policy. In this way we can be true to our people. They will therefore support us because they feel that we have fulfilled our promises. How are we going to explain to the people in great detail that we could not fulfil all our promises, as pledged, because of the changing times? We should make ourselves clear to the people and explain the present changes to them. We are duty bound to explain to the people who have elected us to this House why certain measures are impractical and cannot be implemented. In my view the Government has not acted according to the spirit and principle of its manifesto, in dealing with the hawkers. Sir, the question of hardship of the hawkers has been resolved to some extent. However, they still face some problems, for instance, the increase in hawkers' licence fees. The Government's policy on hawkers needs to be changed so that they may be better treated. When we increase their licence fees, we are imposing a greater burden on them, though the additional sum extracted from them is to be used for health and environmental services.”
“The Government must also take steps to increase the purchasing power of the working class. Of course, it will have to proceed with its industrialisation programme. But I feel that in the process, we should synchronize it with our policy of democratic socialism in order to increase the benefits of production so that they can be shared equally by all the people. However, Sir, I do not advocate that the Government should do away with private enterprise. All private enterprises, in so far as they do not act against the interest of the people and the nation, should receive assistance from the Government in order to increase production and efficiency. The rich are still in an advantageous position. For instance, we have heard from many hawkers complaining that they have suffered considerably under the urban renewal scheme. I fully support the redevelopment of the urban areas, but we should also realise that some people would be affected as a result of the urban renewal scheme. Redevelopment affects different people in different ways. On the one hand, some investors would reap huge profits, but, on the other hand, small merchants would sustain severe losses. Some might even go bankrupt. This is because they are unable to adapt to their new situation and new environment. I am sure the Government can get all these facts from the Ministry of Law and National Development. Though the Government awards compensation to the people affected, it should be stressed that the amount of compensation given cannot make up for their suffering. The high-ranking Government officers who stay in their air-conditioned rooms cannot appreciate the extent of their sufferings. As regards the concessions given to those who are forced to remove, the actual fact is that they have no choice.”
“After a lapse of ten years and in spite of the increase in our work, our parliamentary allowance of $500 has not been increased. In other countries, the M.P.s have ways and means to enrich themselves. But we are a different lot here and we do not think of enriching ourselves. If we compare ourselves with the M.P.s of other countries, we do more work in the constituencies and we are serving the masses even though our allowance has not been increased. This is an example for all to see and emulate. Sir, I have given this example but it does not mean that I am making a request for an increase in our allowance. I have no such intention. The main purpose in giving this example is to compare the M.P.s here with the M.P.s of other countries. And also to urge all our M.P.s to adhere to our democratic socialist principles and march along this path in order to build a better and fairer society. In order to achieve this ideal, we have to take the necessary measures. There must be a balance between production and consumption. We must also try to narrow the gap between the rich and the poor. There should be better safeguards for the working class, and production must be increased. The workers' living standard should be raised so that there will be a fairer distribution of the economic fruits. We should aim at these targets, and not allow our society to be manipulated by the rich. Only by these means can we eliminate the exploitation of the working class and bridge the gap between the rich and the poor. Sir, you will agree with me that the main task of the Government is to look after the welfare of the people and to increase the rewards for the working class so that they can improve their livelihood and also to provide for the next generation.”
“I am quoting these figures in order to show that, as a result of the sacrifices and hard work of our people, our country has been able to overcome its difficulties and has achieved the present mild boom in our economy. During this period, the Government has improved the living conditions of a few high-ranking Government officers and also increased their allowances. For instance, a Mercedes car is provided free to every one of these officers in order that they can better serve the Government. The total cost of seven Mercedes cars is more than $110,000. I do not deny that these high-ranking Government officers have contributed a great deal to the country. In a way, it is proper to give them incentives so that they can better serve the Government. But the crux of the question is that we should not neglect the contribution made by the working class who have taken part in the building of our country. Why is it that the living standard of the working class has not been raised? Furthermore, Government has not introduced measures to improve the living standard of the working class. Sir, I am sure you will agree with me that if we are to give incentives to Government servants so that they can serve the country better and make them feel secure in their posts, we should not forget the lot of the general masses. When these high-ranking Government officers in air-conditioned rooms formulate schemes, they have to depend on the general masses to carry them out. When the general masses cannot carry out these schemes they will be made scapegoats. And we, as Members of Parliament, will also become scapegoats of these officers. Talking about Members of Parliament, our duties in the constituencies have increased considerably.”
“We have strongly supported local industries, and yet locally-produced goods are more expensive than imported goods. For instance, fire-crackers are locally produced. We can also get imported fire-crackers which are subject to tax. But both imported and locally-produced fire-crackers are sold at 35 cents per packet. Therefore, we can see that the local product is not cheaper than the imported crackers. We have made our contributions and sacrifices, and yet we have not enjoyed the fruits of our sacrifices. When imported goods can be sold cheaper than our locally-produced goods even after they have been taxed, we can see-how expensive our local products are. There is something wrong here. It seems that the Government wants only our people to make sacrifices. On the other hand, it has been more courteous towards the capitalists. Sir, I do not mean to frighten away the capitalists from investing in our country. But what I want to point out is that the encouragement of foreign investment in our country should be based on the principle of mutual benefit. If the Government were to take a placating and cringing attitude towards the capitalists in order to encourage foreign investment here, it would only expose the inability and foolishness of the Government. It would also show that it is not adhering to its principle of democratic socialism. Sir, from the Budget statement, we can see that the efforts of our people produced $414.3 million for the manufacturing sector in 1965. In 1966, it increased to $486.8 million - an increase of $72 million. Private sector investment also increased from $233 million in 1966 to $596 million in 1969, showing an increase of 156 per cent.”
“Yet what they have received in return has been less than what they have paid for in their efforts. To put it simply, from what we can see of the economic development of our country, the Government has not made a fair distribution of the fruits of our economic development, because there is still a gulf between the rich and the poor in our society. The Minister for Finance has pointed out that the Employment Act, 1968, has been supported by the N.T.U.C. This shows that our people are determined to overcome the present difficulties and that they are willing to make sacrifices in order to ensure a better future. He has also pointed out that in this way foreign investors will be able to recognise in our people a trustworthiness which can ensure the success of their investments. The working class has contributed much to the progress of industrialisation, and has sacrificed a lot in the interest of the country. However, some capitalists use the Employment Act to exploit the fundamental interests of the workers in order to enrich themselves. The Government has now and again said that it would take action to deal with those capitalists who exploit labour. But this is only lip-service. From this, we can see that the Government has not taken any strict measures to check management in order that the interests of the working class can be safeguarded. Sir, the welfare of the working class is also the responsibility of the Government. It should be safeguarded. I want to stress that the working class is prepared to meet the challenge of the age. They are willing to sacrifice their personal interests in order to help the Government make a success of its industrialisation programme. However, locally-produced goods are not cheaper than imported goods.”
“I also hope he will clarify what I have just raised, for I must admit that I am no economist but am just trying to fulfil my duties like others. 3.25 p.m. Madam Chan Choy Siong (Delta)(In Mandarin): Mr Speaker, Sir, we are glad to hear the Finance Minister make the announcement in his Budget statement for the coming financial year that there will be no increase in the present taxes or the creation of new ones. This is a very welcome statement. In spite of the fact that our country is faced with the imminent withdrawal of British troops with a consequent increase in our defence expenditure, our revenue has reached the figure of $1,041,200,000. Comparing this figure with that of 1969, the revenue estimate has increased by $106,800,000. After transferring $40 million to the Development Fund and meeting the expenditure of $1,040,920,780, there is still a surplus of $348,220. There is no deficit. This is a good reflection of our economic achievements since independence. Our economic growth has enabled us to meet our increased expenditure. It also shows how, with preparation, the Government is able to achieve these results. It has also been able to create a mild boom in its economic development. This has injected confidence into our people in the future of our country. Sir, in discussing this painless budget, allow me to express my feelings which come from the bottom of my heart. First, the economic prosperity we have achieved seems to have the appearance of democratic socialism. But fundamentally the Government has not realised the principle of democratic socialism. Secondly, as regards the livelihood of the people, the working class has made their contribution to our economic development.”
“He gave only an example, but then what about the rest? My next point arising out of the Finance Minister's observations concerns under-employment. He made an observation on the tight labour market with regard to skilled and semi-skilled labour. However, there would appear to be a category of people labelled under-employed. These are either white-collar aspirants or else Primary VI rejects, and they are mostly young, and largely sheltered by familial structures. And yearly we add to the list, if only via Primary VI rejections. My question is: what can we do about this category? We take care of those who survive the Primary School Leaving Examination in either academic or technical education. I believe the Government did attempt to do something by opening vocational schools. But such schools have now been replaced by Industrial Training Centres. Hence, the problem of this lot of under-employed has yet to be solved. Therefore, something should be done about it. Sir, I notice that the Finance Minister did not touch on the Vietnam issue. With the accelerated reduction of U.S. military expenditure in Vietnam, our trade in that area will be affected. It may be that the volume of trade is small, but certainly one cannot say that it is negligible. Perhaps the Finance Minister would care to comment on how it will affect our trade. Sir, my last point concerns the near standstill expenditure on social services. My question is: is this justified in view of all the gains we have made in the G.N.P. growth? Sir, I notice that there are other Back-benchers who are also eager to have their say on the Budget statement and I would now like to close my remarks by saying that I fully support the motion so moved by the Finance Minister.”
“Should we not then moderate our ambitions and settle for a realistic pace of economic change? We certainly would not want, I am sure, any political shift that might attend rapid social and economic changes? I come now to the subject of the British military pull-out. Looking into the immediate future, the Minister for Finance has drawn our attention to the expenditure effects of some $250 million to $300 million from the final phase of the British withdrawal. In addition, we face the prospect of a dampening of world trade. The question I would like to ask is this: have we drawn up plans for mitigating or offsetting the otherwise deflationary impact of the two factors? The Finance Minister mentioned the running down of the foreign exchange reserves. There are, therefore, two points that many be worthy of notice. First of all, I believe we can reduce the anti-deflation expenditure somewhat if we chose projects that have low import leakage. Secondly, we should resist the temptation to raise taxes. Depending on the incidence of such taxation, the overall effect would be deflationary. Instead, if capital markets abroad loosen up, we should borrow from abroad. But in any case, our non-monetary reserves would be more than adequate for the purpose. I now come to the question of the profitability of Government enterprises. We in this House have had on several occasions touched on the Government's participation in a number of enterprises, both wholly - and partly-owned. All we know about them is that so much has been invested. Perhaps the Minister for Finance can enlighten this House on the profitability of these ventures, that is, the rates of return we have earned on them. I think in reply to questions yesterday, the Minister threw little light on them.”
“Our dilemma is that, on the one hand, wages and salaries are contributions to the G.N.P. and hence, other things being equal, maximising wages and salaries would maximise the G.N.P. And on the other hand, wage and salary increases unwarranted by productivity gains can surely hurt us by dampening investment, both local and foreign. Therefore, Sir, I think some kind of balance in this respect would have to be struck. A third point in regard to the immigration policy is the possible political repercussions. As long as the flow of such workers is inwards, no such problem conceivably arises, apart from other nations' concern about a brain drain. In the eventuality of any recession in Singapore. however, the resulting retrenchment of foreign workers could give rise to political problems particularly if the numbers are significant. I must hasten to add, Sir, that this has not happened as yet, but we should be prepared for such an eventuality. Hence, as I have said earlier, we should exercise extra caution and selectivity. My second point concerns the economic growth and social fabric. Mr Speaker. Sir, I get the impression, after reading the Budget statement, that our Finance Minister seems rather envious of the Japanese growth and savings rates. I have already pointed out that, in our context, a high G.D.P. rate need not necessarily mean a correspondingly high G.N.P. growth rate. But even with a high G.N.P. growth rate, the danger arises in that our social fabric might not be able to cope with the ensuing rapid changes in style of living. Furthermore, we would also see severe strains upon the economic and physical infrastructure together with the attendant problems of pollution of air, land and sea.”
“(2) Immigration. The Finance Minister has called for a review of the immigration policy relating to the inflow of skilled labour and managerial personnel. This is the second aspect of our open door policy on which I would like to focus. As I see it, the immediate objective of this policy is presumably to prevent run-away wage and salary increases so that the momentum of our industrialisation plans is not impeded. The policy, I must say, is well considered, given this objective. However, two other questions need to be put forward. First. consider the situation where the foreign enterprise is set up with pioneer benefits of tax exemption, accelerated depreciation, lower property tax rates, subsidised factory sites and utilities, and, lastly, utilising imported personnel. One may wonder what net benefit the concern is to our Republic. Therefore, Sir, if we look at the Gross Domestic Product, the sum total of employee remuneration and profits will be registered, but in terms of the Gross National Product -a truer measure of national welfare -the addition is negligible, if not negative. Undoubtedly one can argue for some multiplier effects arising from the enterprise's local purchases as well as for eventual tax revenue gains. Nevertheless, the point is surely crucial in that we need to be aware of net benefits and costs. In this regard, perhaps steps should be taken to reduce the large item of "Errors and Omissions" in the balance of payments to enable us to get a better picture of the G.N.P. Second, another issue connected with the immigration policy is that we should exercise extra caution and selectivity. It would not do for us to erode legitimate gains in worker productivity by allowing in sufficient numbers so as to keep wages and salaries down.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I rise to speak in admiration of the way in which the Minister for Finance masterfully and coherently presented the Budget statement. Clearly, Sir, there are many advantages in having a distinguished economist as Minister for Finance. But to many of us Backbenchers, this poses a distinct disadvantage in having to try to com-prehend the economic jargon, let alone try to tackle the Minister on his home ground. I have a particularly difficult task today, Sir, as my economist friends who have read the statement tell me that the Budget statement is a masterly analysis of the exciting economic events of the last decade. Of course, one cannot deny the fact that the Finance Minister has had all the advantages of being at the economic helm. Therefore, Sir, I shall have to be satisfied with just a few questions, which I hope the Minister will clarify. First, it concerns our open door policy. There are two aspects of this policy on which I would like to focus. (1) Foreign investment. In his speech the Finance Minister pointed out that we do not really need the money that comes with foreign investments, but rather we want and require foreign investments for the technology, the marketing and managerial expertise that come with them. Therefore, first of all, if we have capital of our own presently invested abroad, should we not look into the possibility of hiring the managerial skills and know-how but providing the capital ourselves? Alternatively, should we not actively encourage more joint ventures in a much more significant manner, whether wholly-owned or partly-owned? Secondly, what steps are being taken to ensure that the marketing and managerial know-how is being transmitted to local personnel so that eventually we will acquire such indigenous skills?”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, in that case, I will be grateful if the Minister can enlighten the House on the yardstick used to differentiate between the various classes of markets.”
“Will the Minister enlighten the House further by elaborating on the three cases he has mentioned just now?”