Ng Pock Too
Singapore
“Sir, I thank the Minister for his comprehensive answers and I beg leave to withdraw the amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. The sum of $78,037,100 for Head O ordered to stand part of the Main Estimates. The sum of $30,022,000 for Head O ordered to stand part of the Development Estimates.”
“When a reservist goes for reservist training, he worries about the outstanding work in his office and whether his boss will penalise him for any delays or other setbacks that may subsequently affect his promotion.”
“--- which they are entitled to and they were totally unaware of HDB's schemes which are designed to help them seek alternative accommodation. Would the Minister ensure that standard compensation guidelines which are used to assess the amount of compensation that tenants, sub-tenants and occupiers are entitled to are made known to those wh…”
“Can the Minister explain why does he allow other Government agencies to use our nature reserves for activities which have a negative impact on our nature reserves? For instance, our SAF use the forest reserves for training activities.”
“I think in the future, it is to our interest that we have to ensure sufficient flexibility in our political system to allow for a new channel of creative ideas and constructive criticisms in order that all important issues before Parliament receive rounded treatment.”
“But I would like to remind him that sound democracy is founded on the principle that democracy is government of the people, by the people, and for the people. So the existence in whatever numbers, elected, or like my friend, Dr Lee, the Non-Constituency MP, does not come into question.”
The complete record
Every one of 57 lines we hold for Ng Pock Too, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 1 of 2.
“Sir, I thank the Minister for his comprehensive answers and I beg leave to withdraw the amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. The sum of $78,037,100 for Head O ordered to stand part of the Main Estimates. The sum of $30,022,000 for Head O ordered to stand part of the Development Estimates.”
“The idea of creating a North American free trade area encompassing the United States, Mexico and Canada is gaining momentum. Latin American and US links will increase in line with their historical and investment patterns. There is every likelihood that North and South America will form a hemispheric free trade area along the lines envisioned in President Bush's "Enterprise for the Americas" initiative. The Asia-Pacific region has also seen a proliferation of regional economic groupings: ASEAN, APEC, the Growth Triangle, and now the East Asian Economic Grouping (EAEG), although they are not trading blocs in the same sense as the Single European Market and the US/Canada Free Trade Agreement. Singapore is an active participant in regional cooperation in all these regional groupings. However, the formation of regional economic groupings must not lead to more inward-looking economic policies. The objective must be to preserve the open multilateral system for international trade in goods and services following GATT rules so that the Asia-Pacific region as a whole can contribute to the prosperity of the world economy. Singapore is a global city with an open economy. We cannot afford to tie our economic links only to one particular regional economic group. I would like to ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs how will our global outlook be reconciled with the trend towards regionalism. Can we be global as well as regional?”
“Sir, I beg to move, That the total sum to be allocated for Head O of the Main Estimates be reduced by $100. Because trade friction can become touchy foreign policy issues in the future for Singapore, I have decided to raise this matter under regional economic groupings. The Uruguay Round of GATT, the mechanism to dismantle barriers to world trade, has been stalled over the bitter issue of farm subsidies and the subsidies code. This failure in GATT negotiations will now make it much more difficult for the GATT system to adapt to the changing nature of global trade. But, worse still, the failure to keep vibrant, a multilateral trading framework, will accelerate regionalism and bilateralism. These are trends that will impede the economic growth potential of countries that depend on global strategies. They are also trends that will gradually limit these countries free access to world markets through trade restrictions such as anti-dumping laws, countervailing duties and non-tariff barriers. Regionalism is on the fast track in Europe and North America. Europe is no longer talking of EC 92. If the Single European Market (SEM) is unified on schedule and without any hindrance, then from 1st January 1993, the combined markets of the European Community consisting of Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain and the UK, and EFTA (European Free Trade Area) consisting of Austria, Finland, Norway, Sweden and Switzerland, will integrate into one huge European market with common rules for cross border trade, banking, insurance, product standards and environmental protection. 2.00 pm North America now has the US/Canada Free Trade Agreement which will eliminate all tariffs between the two countries over a period of 10 years.”
“Sir, I thank the Minister for his comprehensive answers and I beg leave to withdraw the amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.”
“When a reservist goes for reservist training, he worries about the outstanding work in his office and whether his boss will penalise him for any delays or other setbacks that may subsequently affect his promotion. At the same time, he worries about the transition from civilian to army green and whether his reservist commanders will make it difficult for him to make that transition. Employers and reservist commanders can make reservist training either a chore to be dreaded, or a welcome change from the office. MINDEF, therefore, should spend more resources educating employers and reservist commanders. I am also happy to note that the Government will build a Country Club for reservists. I support the concept of term membership rather than transferable membership for active reservists. In this way, the scheme will not deny further generations of reservists access to the Club. I would like to ask the Minister when the Club will be ready for use by reservists and their families.”
“" I would like to ask the Minister how the computerised immigration procedures have fared so far, and whether MINDEF will consider extending the validity of reservists' passports to 10 years, the same as for non-reservists. Last year, the Second Minister for Defence also announced the formation of a Committee chaired by BG George Yeo to study and recommend ways to recognise and reward the contributions of reservists. Today, the report of RECORD has been released. I would like to congratulate the Committee for a job well done. The recommendations are comprehensive, bold and innovative. In fact, much more than what I would have dared to ask as a reservist without appearing too mercenary. I support the two underlying principles of the recommendations, that is, firstly, we must recognise the contributions of reservists in general, and recognise more those who contribute more; and secondly, in recognising reservists we should not unwitt- ingly discourage the immigration of foreign talents into Singapore. In this respect, therefore, I support the case for a slightly more favourable income tax rate of, say, 1 to 2 percentage points for citizens as opposed to non-citizens. We should emphasise that citizenship has its privileges, not just obligations of National Service. As for the in-camp training allowance over and above the rank pay and make-up pay, personally, I do not think it is necessary, although it would be a bonus to have it. More important to the reservist than in-camp training allowance are the support of the employer and the understanding of his reservist commanders.”
“Placing nation before self gives the will to fight to survive when threatened. The majority of Singaporeans understand the survival imperatives. They will have to convince the minority who mistakenly think that the responsibility to defend the nation should be done by those other than themselves. RECORD will do justice to those who care for our national survival. Sir, my GPC members will elaborate in greater detail on these three issues I have raised. Mr Lew Syn Pau (Tanglin): Sir, first of all, let me declare my interest as a reservist. Last year, at the debate on the same topic in the Committee of Supply, the general sentiment among MPs who spoke was that there was not enough recognition given to reservists who sacrificed time, family life, and sometimes, career and business setbacks during the three to six weeks of reservist raining every year. In addition to the inconvenience of being away from the office during reservist training, there are other inconveniences outside the training period which they encountered, such as mobilization and the one year validity for their passports. In positive response, the then Second Minister for Defence, BG Lee Hsien, Loong, announced that MINDEF would extend the validity of their passports from one year to two years with effect from 1st June 1990, when the Immigration Department computerised immigration procedures. He also said, "If the new system works well, and reservists keep their units posted of their whereabouts when they go overseas, then MINDEF will review the passport validity to see if it can be extended further.”
“Kennedy once said: Ask not what your country can do for you but ask what you can do for your country. In Singapore, I would put it this way: Ask what you can do for your country; but also ask what your country can do for you. The right balance of commitment and reward has to be found. 1.00 pm Over the past few years, the SAF has increasingly undertaken humanitarian missions in countries which have asked for our assistance. For instance, a SAF medical team was in the Philippines in July 1990 to render medical assistance to casualties from a serious earthquake disaster. In August 1990, a combined Singapore and Bruneian evacuation team went on a rescue mission to Jordan to ferry Sri Lankan refugees affected by the Gulf War. And most recently, the SAF medical team was sent on a humanitarian mission to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, to treat war casualties of all nationalities in the Gulf War. I might also add here that the Singapore Police Force also sent a team to Namibia last year to supervise the election in the country under the United Nations transitional assistance programme. Such missions are not holiday trips for our men. They are exposed to dangers and risks of death and injury. Their lives are on the line. In view of the likelihood that we may be involved in many more such missions in the future, I would like to ask the Minister whether those sent on such missions are volunteers or are they chosen by a set of criteria. Can the SAF respond to more similar requests by nations affected by unfortunate natural disasters or national crises? The common thread that runs through the three issues I have raised is voluntarism. It is this core value that commits one's life to the nation over one's own material well-being.”
“The more a reservist contributes, the more he gains in terms of rewards. From past experience in the SAF, a reservist who excels in his unit normally ends up shouldering more than his fair share of responsibility. This is unfair. So the principle of positive discrimination will differentiate those who contribute more from those who contribute less. While I agree with the principle of positive discrimination, I must, however, alert RECORD to the dangers of over-emphasising material incentives to motivate reservists. There must be a proper balance struck between reward and commitment. And unless our reservists possess the will and commitment to defend Singapore with their lives, they will melt away in the heat of a crisis. This draws an interesting parallel to NTUC's experience of increasing their union membership. In 1985, alarmed by a rapid decline in union membership, NTUC undertook an indepth analysis into the factors that led to the drastic drop in union members. It made the recommendation, firstly, that it had to exercise positive discrimination to differentiate union from non-union members and, secondly, that it had to provide a range of tangible union benefits to be enjoyed only by members while ensuring that it did not lose sight of its objective for which it was set up to accomplish - the protection of workers' rights. This led to the provision of benefits in the form of NTUC Club membership, discounts for purchases at various departmental stores, and now golf club memberships. SAFRA is approaching the problem the same way. So, in recognising the contribution of reservists, we must never lose sight of the SAF's mission. It is to defend Singapore through the commitment of our citizens and in particular our reservist soldiers. President John F.”
“Third, technical superiority of equipment and proper defence training are crucial determinants in giving us the ability to defend ourselves in modern warfare. We saw this vividly on CNN. This means heavy expenditure on high technology defence equipment to run an effective army, navy and air force capable of defending Singapore against external threats. Fourth, the good life which we enjoy through sustained economic progress can make us complacent and lower our guard, so much so that we run the danger of taking the soft options when we face a crisis. This is particularly relevant to reservists who sometimes question the need for serious defence training and mobilisation exercises for which they were called up when there are no visible external threats. Before the invasion, Kuwait did not perceive Iraq as a military threat. It was totally unprepared for any external incursion. When it realised that 100,000 Iraqi troops supported by 350 tanks and heavy artillery had overrun the border, Kuwaiti resistance was too little and too late. As a nation enfeebled by the easy life, Kuwait paid an enormous price in terms of loss of lives of its people, permanent damage to its social fabric, devastation of its infrastructure and looted of its national wealth. This brings me to the Report of the Committee to Recognise the Contributions of Reservists to Total Defence (RECORD). In my view, the key sentence in the Report is to be found in BG George Yeo's letter to the Deputy Prime Minister. And I quote: '... we thought it most important that in addition to recommending ways to recognise the contribution of reservists, we also recommend ways to enhance the contribution by reservists to Total Defence'. In other words, recognition through rewards must go hand in hand with contribution.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, That the total sum to be allocated for Head K of the Main Estimates be reduced by $100. Sir, many instructive lessons can be learnt from the six months Gulf War. First, no one can assume that the world today will always remain a community of peace-loving nations. For the naive, there can be deadly surprises behind the facade of warm words like cooperation and co-existence. Regional and world peace can never be taken for granted, even though global tensions have eased. With the withdrawal of US presence as a stabilising force from many regions in the world and hence a reduced commitment to world security, potential conflicts among regional powers can suddenly erupt. We must remember that for a small nation like Singapore, our security depends on the stability of the region and in the world. Without global stability and respect for international law and order by the world community, our economic progress will falter. Second, in the last resort we are on our own. We can only rely on ourselves to protect and defend Singapore. We cannot pay others to defend us. Without a strong defence capability of our own, we can end up like Kuwait on 2nd August 1990. The most excruciating scene I have witnessed recently was the statement made by the Kuwaiti Ambassador to the United States who was interviewed on CNN. The interviewer had asked him whether he regretted the action by the US in supplying arms to Iraq in its war with Iran and which were now used to invade and occupy Kuwait. The Ambassador put it this way. He had double regrets, because Kuwait had paid for the supplies of military equipment thinking that Iraq would defend her in any conflict with Iran.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, my GPC supports the Town Councils (Amendment) Bill. The Town Councils (Amendment) Bill will give the Town Councils the requisite powers to carry out their functions more effectively, particularly in the collection of service and conservancy charges. The Bill seeks to empower Town Councils by enabling them to introduce by-laws to levy administrative fees and penalties for persistent late payment of conservancy and service charges. Recovering money owing to Town Councils by residents who persistently incur arrears has always been a tedious and bothersome task. Town Councils have had to resort to various means to tackle the problem of arrears, such as posting up notices bearing the names of offenders, issuing letters threatening legal action or applying to the Small Claims Tribunal. This Bill will empower the Town Councils to impose penalties on those who incur arrears persistently and to demand the payment of upfront deposits to ensure that conservancy and service charges are paid promptly. While my GPC recognises that this Bill will help Town Councils to discharge their functions more effectively, we are concerned whether the existing arrangement for delegation of powers by HDB under the Housing and Development Act will remain. At present, Town Councils carry out enforcement action with powers which HDB delegates. Will this delegation of power continue after the amendment? Do Town Councils have the choice of continuing with the present arrangement? Another concern my GPC has is in connection with the compounding of offences so that Town Councils need not prosecute each and every offender. But what will happen if an offender chooses to blatantly ignore the compound notices issued by the Town Council?”
“--- which they are entitled to and they were totally unaware of HDB's schemes which are designed to help them seek alternative accommodation. Would the Minister ensure that standard compensation guidelines which are used to assess the amount of compensation that tenants, sub-tenants and occupiers are entitled to are made known to those who are affected? Would he also ask HDB to give more publicity to the scheme to look after those who do not have families and are dislocated by repossession of their premises for conservation development?”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I have three matters which I hope the Minister can clarify. First, in announcing these phases of designated rent-controlled areas for conservation development, does the Ministry have further plans to declare more new areas for conservation in each of these phases? In other words, apart from those which have already been earmarked for conservation, will there be more tenanted premises under rent control to be declared designated development areas for conservation? Second, if more new areas are designated for conservation development, would owners then not lose out in terms of development potential? Because better development potential can be achieved if their properties can be knocked down and rebuilt rather than redeveloped through conservation works. Conservation by itself imposes restrictions in a manner with which owners can redevelop, thereby limiting the development potential of affected areas. Third, my GPC Members and I have frequently come across cases of dispossessed tenants and sub-tenants who are totally ignorant of their rights, who have no knowledge of the proper recourse to adequate compensation ---”
“To the EDB, it was the rare opportunity to receive hundreds of leading CEOs of major multi-national companies in the aerospace industry in the world. Once they can see Singapore, Singapore sells itself. What began as a bold idea became a reality, serving as an effective promotion tool for the EDB. Our leaders and our people must have bold vision of the future and set out to realise this vision with tenacity and sense of purpose. I share in Mr Goh's vision for Singapore's future and I am sure this enthusiasm is equally shared by all my colleagues in this Chamber. Thirdly, the Government and its people must move as one. The rapport between leadership and society is crucial. No matter how dedicated and capable the leadership, it is only when it is able or allowed to move as one with the general body that maximum benefits may be derived from the meaning and purpose of the society. The first step must be for everyone in Singapore under Mr Goh's leadership to come to a common resolve and a common vision. There will be problems as we progress but many pressing problems can be resolved when we move as one enlightened force. The future may always be uncertain but the effort to realise our vision must depend on each and everyone of us. We will make it safe through the rough patches if we are one people, one nation, one Singapore. I support the motion.”
“the main factor of success for global companies will be what was Singapore's main factor of success in the last 25 years - the quality of its leadership and its people.' Mr Goh Chok Tong will take over the helm as Prime Minister at the end of this year. On him, lies the future destiny of Singapore and its people in the 1990s. Secondly, boldness in vision and daring to achieve. The basic secret of Singapore's success so far has been that we have never flinched from making bold and difficult decisions. The genesis of the First Asian Aerospace Airshow is an outstanding example. It started with an idea during a brainstorming discussion in the EDB in the mid-1970s. At that time, the development of the aerospace sector was difficult and needed a new thrust. The EDB studied the industry in detail after sending a special team of EDB officers out to Boeing in Seattle. It came to the conclusion that in order to give it the promotion thrust, it had to mount an effort to attract all the major players in this industry to come and see Singapore for themselves. The idea of staging an Aerospace Airshow on the same concept as the Farnborough and Paris Airshows was mooted. It sounded ambitious. The idea turned into a specific plan of action to get an Airshow organised - to talk to the organisers of Farnborough and Paris Airshows, arrange for exhibition facilities, clearance with Civil Aviation authority for aerial displays. It became a reality in Paya Lebar when the first Asian Aerospace Airshow took off. The fourth one was held at Changi earlier this year. What was the real value of the airshow to Singapore? To Singaporeans, it was the excitement of watching the aircrafts flying in their breathtaking stunts.”
“It will no longer require labour in great abundance to perform assembly and testing of consumer electronic products. These processes will be integrated into the production system which will control both production and quality, thereby changing completely the nature of jobs in the industry. He emphasised four critical success factors which he judged as crucial determinants for his company's future: (1) versatility and flexibility; (2) strength and coherence; (3) capacity and knowhow to cooperate; and (4) ability to put in place a global organisation. Listening to this CEO explain how his company was managing the future got me thinking about the critical success factors for Singapore in the 1990s. What are our critical success factors? In my opinion, there are three critical success factors for Singapore in the 1990s: (1) good political leadership; (2) boldness in vision and daring to achieve by our leaders and our people; and (3) Government and people must move as one. First, good political leadership. I can think of no other country in the world which has tackled the problem of political succession so seriously as we have. We have done this with systematic planning over a sustained period of time so that we can successfully create new leaders to replace old ones, while at the same time ensuring that they got into positions of leadership on the basis of their own effort and proven ability. They have indeed proven their capacity and fitness for leadership, not merely to take over the present leaders but also to deal successfully with the new and more difficult problems that Singapore will face in the future. As the CEO said at the Global Strategies Conference, and I quote: '...”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I rise to support the motion moved by the Member for Tanglin to thank the President for his Address to this Parliament. The President's Address has stimulated our minds to prepare ourselves for the tasks ahead. And the tasks before us have to do with the way we manage our future. The trends for the future of Singapore are bright. A robust economy for 1990, a prosperous Indonesia and Malaysia, no unemployment, growth in real wages, harmonious labour-management relations, and progress in living standards. In practically all indicators of social and economic progress, we have done exceedingly well. But, the real future before us is always fraught with unforeseen developments. No one will ever be able to predict the future with certainty (not even Nostradamus). We can only manage our future well if we can understand what it takes to make us succeed. I had the opportunity to listen to a leading Chief Executive Officer of a major multi-national company speak at the recent Global Strategies Conference. He described in the language understood by business executives, the fantastic technological progress in semiconductors over the last 30 years. In 1960, there was only one transistor on 1 square millimetre of an electronic chip. In 1990, there are eight million transistors on 1 square millimetre of an electronic chip! He identified that the leading trend for the future that will be shaping technology and manufacturing in his industry will be digital technology and digital systems. This will have a substantial impact on the configuration of factories where consumer electronic products are made. It will allow automatic testing, assembly and tuning at every step in the assembly line.”
“Can the Minister explain why does he allow other Government agencies to use our nature reserves for activities which have a negative impact on our nature reserves? For instance, our SAF use the forest reserves for training activities. This can cause irreversible damage to our forest reserves even if the damage areas are restored subsequently. The Singapore Botanic Gardens is a popular venue for many Singaporeans who use the extensive grounds for their morning exercises and evening strolls. With the proposed developments mentioned by the Minister, will the Board deprive regular users of the gardens of their exercise venue? I hope this will not make the Gardens less accessible to members of the public. The Minister has circulated the development plans for the Singapore Botanic Gardens and the Fort Canning Park. Can the Minister tell Members of this House what progress has been made since these development programmes were approved?”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, my GPC supports the Bill. The establishment of the National Parks Board is indeed a step in the right direction. It will help to ensure that the limited land we have set aside for national parks and the nature reserves will be properly developed and managed as amenities for not only recreational and leisure activities for Singaporeans, but also for the preservation of our heritage and our culture. I agree with what the Minister has said that it is easy to let the urban sprawl encroach into our green and open spaces. The National Parks Board has to ensure that our national parks and the nature reserves are optimally developed, as it would increasingly be very difficult to find such large recreational space with the biological and ecological factors that make our island conducive to plant life and bird life. But while it is crucial that the central catchment area and the nature reserves be safeguarded, the amount of land that is sterilised is not insignificant. The nature reserves in Singapore presently occupy a total land area of 2,795 ha. In land scarce Singapore, we have to ensure that there is optimal use of all land resources in Singapore, including the central catchment area within the nature reserves. Would the Minister consider allowing the development of more golf courses or other compatible land use such as parks in the central catchment area? This will satisfy both our needs for preservation of our water catchment areas and for freeing up more land for recreational amenities to our people. Our nature reserves were set up to preserve and protect our indigenous plants and our mature rain forests. Any damage inflicted will leave permanent scars on our natural landscape.”
“Sir, in the Report submitted to Parliament by the Select Committee on Land Transportation Policy on 2nd January 1990 there were a number of specific observations made by the Select Committee which the Government has said it would study in greater depth. Apart from the proposal on the quota system, the Select Committee also addressed the need to continually expand and upgrade the national road infrastructure in order to cope with the problem of handling high volumes of road traffic. It was the collective view of the Select Committee that by constructing more double-decker highways, more roads and underpasses as well as by selective road widening, we can, in fact, tolerate having a higher car population. But the public at large must also understand that building more elevated roads and tunnels to solve our traffic congestion is really an economic trade-off. The high cost for building such roadways will ultimately have to be met somehow by revenue to be collected by the Government. The road network expansion projects planned for financial year 1990-91 are listed in detail in the Budget document from pages 584 to 586. But they do not appear to be projects aimed at more effective traffic management. They appear to be straight expansions with possibly no thought given to a comprehensive master plan for an overall road network that can accommodate a planned maximum number of vehicles. I would like to ask the Minister if his Ministry has made any specific plans to upgrade and expand our national infrastructure for road transportation with the objective of making it possible for more people to own and use their cars in Singapore.”
“Sir, I beg to move, That the total sum to be allocated for Head T of the Main Estimates be reduced by $100. Sir, the problem of heavy goods vehicles parking illegally in HDB estates is not a new one. It has been a recurrent complaint from HDB residents that drivers of heavy goods vehicles park indiscriminately in car parks not meant nor designed for such vehicles. They also park alongside busy public roads posing a danger to pedestrians and other road users, even though there are designated parking lots available for these vehicles. But, unfortunately, these parking lots meant for heavy vehicles are not used because they are located some distance away from HDB estates. The drivers of such heavy vehicles are often not the vehicle owners themselves. So when the drivers are issued with traffic summonses for illegal parking, they come to their MPs to explain their predicament. It is really the vehicle owners who should make sure that they have proper parking places for their vehicles. I would like to ask the Minister whether he would consider a scheme that will require owners of heavy goods vehicles to show proof that they have arranged season parking facilities for their vehicles before renewing their road taxes. In this way, like SBS and TIBS buses, which have proper bus depots for overnight parking or parking when not in use, heavy goods vehicles will have proper parking facilities before they are allowed on our public roads.”
“Sir, I have never said that the Opposition is an obstruction to good government. I said a good Opposition, if it is constructive and intelligent enough to offer a better alternative and a better viable alternative to a given issue, then I think the Opposition view should be respected and should win the support of this House. But, unfortunately, it is not the case.”
“Of course. Mr Speaker, I do not want to belabour the point. But the point that I am trying to make here is that there is no quality in our Opposition, and until there is this quality in the Opposition, we will not be able to improve the quality of our debate. There are no better constructive views expressed. It is just ephemeral issues that are short-lived, that win popularity only for his political party.”
“But I would like to remind him that sound democracy is founded on the principle that democracy is government of the people, by the people, and for the people. So the existence in whatever numbers, elected, or like my friend, Dr Lee, the Non-Constituency MP, does not come into question. It is up to the people of Singapore to decide who they want in Parliament. And if he is the only one in Parliament representing the Opposition, I make no apologies about it. It is not the ruling Party's choice; it is the people's choice.”
“No. I think the connotations are very clear. I think, to him, to have more Opposition MPs in Parliament is good parliamentary democracy.”
“His contention has always been that the ruling Party having 80 out of 81 seats in Parliament is undemocratic.”
“But I think the Opposition Member, and I think this is not new, has often repeated this before. He often bemoans the fact ---”
“I think the answer is obvious, is it not?”
“I think in the future, it is to our interest that we have to ensure sufficient flexibility in our political system to allow for a new channel of creative ideas and constructive criticisms in order that all important issues before Parliament receive rounded treatment. Not all of us are familiar at all times with many of the complex issues before us, and ideas and visions from nominated MPs will be useful for new insights on a given issue. Our political process will then be able to take into account the expression of diverse interests that represent the broad-based wishes of our people for more than what can adequately be catered for from our existing system of elected MPs and NCMPs. It is a workable method to encourage a higher aggregation of interests by our people in the future of our country through better structured, better focused and constructive debate in Parliament. This will also help us, the elected MPs in Parliament, to weigh all possible courses of Government action, thus increasing the chance of reaching a wise decision. Mr Speaker, Sir, I support the amendment.”
“The First Deputy Prime Minister's proposal to amend the Constitution to provide for up to six nominated MPs in Parliament is yet another step in strengthening the parliamentary system, to re-shape the existing structure to cater for dissenting but constructive alternatives. We must never be afraid of dissenting opinions if they are sincerely expressed by people who may hold a different set of convictions but whose end purpose is to build a better society for all Singaporeans. We must not make it difficult for such people with this genuine desire to contribute to the political process to seeking viable and better alternatives. No Opposition enters Parliament to help a government to govern well. If any Opposition succeeds in doing this, I think the outcome in the next General Elections will be obvious. It will be sent into oblivion. The function of an Opposition, no matter how earnestly it may declare its intentions otherwise, is to make sure that good government is prevented from performing its task. At the rate we are going, and I think we can consciously judge for ourselves the quality of Opposition Members we have in Parliament, non-government viewpoints are not properly put across and expressed. I think nominated MPs will be better able to concentrate on the substance of the debate from a non-government standpoint. To introduce and accept a basic change is never easy. We are all accustomed to thinking of Parliament representation as MPs who have undergone the election process, of having sought and obtained our constituents' mandate to enter Parliament. This representation system has remained largely intact and has not undergone any consciously designed changes.”
“It also seems to me that somehow we have forgotten that parliamentary democracy rests on the solid concept that we are voted by the people to do things in the interest of the people, and not as the debate has progressed so far, in the interest of one's own political party. We must subordinate party's interest behind the people's interest which must rank supreme. The important question to ask ourselves is: Is this idea to have nominated MPs good for the people of Singapore and not whether it is good for us, as MPs, in Parliament? If it is, then we should give it the full support. If not, it should be modified or even totally discarded. I see merit in the First Deputy Prime Minister's proposal because it will be good for Singaporeans to see the non-government side of an issue with the same clarity of mind and intelligence which our present Opposition MPs now cannot offer. We have to meet the political and economic realities of our times, and the political reality is that people want to see Government as well as non-government view- points expressed with equal quality of mind and with equal thoroughness. We have gone to great lengths to re-shape our political system so that through GRCs, we can always preserve minority representation in Parliament. We have put in a lot of time, energy and effort to create the possibility of NCMPs to be in Parliament so that they together with elected Opposition MPs can hopefully offer a genuine and meaningful opposition who can come up with better solutions to problems than those offered by the ruling Party. These efforts require amendments to be made to the Constitution, and they have been made for the purpose of ensuring that the long-term interests of our people are safeguarded.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I have been listening intently to the proceedings of the debate. It seems to me that well before NMPs are in our midst, we are judging their performance. We seem to be prejudging that before they are in our midst, we have questions regarding whether or not they are going to be effective. We question the wisdom of their being able to give us credible and better alternative views. It has always been Singapore's premise that we thrive in open competition. If we are so insecure that we feel that we are going to be outperformed in Parliament by NMPs, then I think we deserve not to be elected MPs. Because if NMPs can offer us a better alternative and sounder judgment on issues before Parliament, then we are missing out the opportunity to hear and to listen to better alternatives. It is just like what we are trying to do in the trade unions. As Singapore progresses, we see a more intelligent younger workforce emerging and we have to ensure that we have younger trade union leaders groomed up and developed to take on new leadership roles. All trade union leaders are not afraid of new trade union leaders in the central committee, in the branch committee and in the union executive committee. We openly hear views, alternative suggestions, ideas and visions which better represent the kind of world that the younger leaders want for the trade unions. And likewise here in Parliament, by the same argument, we should not be so, if I may use the term, protectionistic that we fear that someone else is going to have a better view or better vision than us and we will throw in all the road blocks and prevent him or her from coming in.”
“On the aspect of conservation authority, the Bill also empowers the Minister to appoint any person to be a conservation authority. Conservation carried to its absurd limits can stifle development. We have seen how many major projects in other countries can be stalled simply because someone found good reason through conservation protection to block or to prevent new development. In Singapore, with our limited land resources, we need to maximize the use of land for development purposes. But at the same time, emphasis on history and heritage is also important to give our young nation the guidepost to our sense of history. Good judgment must prevail when weighing the benefits of development on the one hand, and keeping our heritage through conservation on the other. The Ministry has to consider the cost versus the benefits carefully when making the decision. Conservation must not stifle development, nor indiscriminately demolish structures of immense historic value. The Ministry must therefore have a set of balanced objectives to guide intelligently the development in Singapore.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, my GPC supports the Bill as it will enable the Ministry to streamline its planning functions and to establish a clearer system of imposing development charges for permission to develop land in Singapore. My GPC has also been following closely the developments concerning the proposed implementation of the revised system of determining development charges by a set of prescribed rates and a definite method of calculation. In particular, we have been monitoring the Ministry's recent decision to allow from 1st September 1989 the present system of computing development charges based on a case by case valuation of enhanced land value by the Chief Valuer to run parallel with the revised system based on a published table of rates drawn up by the Ministry. The trial period will be for one year to enable developers and the Ministry to iron out the problems in implementing the new system. My GPC is happy that the Ministry consulted the building professionals and developers on the revised development charge system. As a result, we understand the Ministry will be modifying the original proposed system to take into account recommendations made by the developers. My GPC Members and I are not experts in determining land valuation. The system of determining development charges is extremely technical and complicated and we do not profess to have a complete understanding of the issues involved. But whatever system is to emerge ultimately must be one that is practical, equitable and simple to implement. I hope the Minister will continue to consult the building professionals and developer groups and take their professional advice seriously when making further refinements to the revised system of computing development charges.”
“The immigrants we hope to attract should be able to bring in more investments, in turn to generate more jobs, expand our economy and eventually create more opportunities and greater prosperity for Singaporeans. In a sense, this is what had happened in the past when our own forefathers came and built up modern Singapore.”
“Sir, can I ask the Minister, in view of the relaxation in the rules for permanent residence and the expected influx of more workers coming to Singapore as a result, whether a situation will arise where our workers will face greater competition for jobs and in the process result in a reduction in wages for our own workers in Singapore? Prof. Jayakumar: I am aware of the concern which the Member has expressed - that Singaporeans fear greater competition. First, we must remind ourselves that we have a labour shortage problem. Employers are crying out for more workers and we have some 150,000 work permit holders here. Secondly, it should also be borne in mind that many of the Hong Kong workers generally earn more than Singaporeans and I think quite a number of them in coming to Singapore would actually suffer a loss in wages. I would also like to add that in a sense, whether or not the Hong Kong workers come here, Singaporeans have always been competing with people in Hong Kong at a long distance, shall we say. And if the Hong Kong residents do not come here, Singaporeans will still have to compete with Hong Kong residents who may not come to Singapore and settle elsewhere and will have to compete with them for the world market. I think it is far better that we try to get them here and be part of our team, the Singapore team. In the longer term, talented immigrants will not shrink the share of our economy, will not shrink the economy which accrues to Singaporeans. On the contrary, the enterprise, the ability, the skills which they will bring with them should make Singapore really more competitive internationally, provided of course we admit the right quality of people.”
“Thank you, Mr Speaker. Will the cost sharing formula for this upgrading programme be uniformly applied to all Town Councils irrespective of how old the HDB estates are?”
“In moving my amendment to the amendment I mentioned that some of the measures were onerous and that they needed review by the Ministry. One of these measures which I feel very strongly about is the 100% increase in the seasonal car parking charges. I would like to ask the Minister for National Development, on what basis did he arrive at a 100% increase in car parking charges? Do we have full cost recovery with a 100% increase? The press statement indicated that car parking charges presently are heavily subsidized and that there is no full cost recovery. My question is: will the 100% increase give us the full cost recovery? I support the motion moved by Dr Hong Hai and ask my colleagues in this Chamber to support my amendment as worded in its present form.”
“I know it is unpleasant having to endure more restrictions because of changes in the ALS scheme. I know it is bothersome for all motorcyclists to buy ALS stickers if they want to enter the CBD during the peak hours. But unless we have the political will and understanding to tackle a difficult problem before us, this debate will be nothing more than mere airing of grouses. I am not saying that the Ministry has the right answer to solve the problem. I reserve that judgment. Only time can tell whether the measures announced are effective. But if all of us speak up against these measures with no suggestion for a better alternative, because it is a popular thing to do in Parliament, then we have not really addressed our minds to the real problem. I urge all Members to allow the Ministry an even chance of succeeding in working its policy through. The end objective is what we all desire to see, a better managed traffic situation on our small island nation. Listening to the Member for Fengshan yesterday reminded me of a patient being prescribed the proverbial bitter pill. The package of measures announced is indeed a bitter pill for all of us to swallow. But though bitter, it has the potency to cure our traffic ills. In asking for a review, what the Member is trying to do, by implying that these measures were hastily introduced and are too harsh for our roadusers, is to tell the doctor, "Now, take this pill back, make it less bitter, sugar-coat it if necessary. Never mind if the pill is less effective or takes a longer time to have the desired effect." Can we live with the ailment? Can we in Singapore, where the traffic situation is reaching saturation point on some of our roads?”
“This appointment gave him the privilege of full access to information on Singapore's road transport policies which the Ministry has been working on over the past few years. The Minister for Communications and Information had also given a series of fair warning over the past six months on the Ministry's intentions to curb car usage through stiffer measures. To now say that these measures were too hastily introduced would suggest that these were on the spur-of-the-moment decisions, and not given the thorough consideration that they deserve. Please remember that all these decisions and policies have to pass the test by going through Cabinet. A hasty decision poorly thought through can never stand Cabinet's test. Are the measures too harsh? It is really subjective. What is harsh to some may be interpreted as mild to others. These are buzz words. They mean different things to different people. The need to review? Yes, I agree with him. The measures are somewhat burdensome on some of our road users. But a review has to be carefully thought through. Perhaps a better time to do the review could be after the Ministry has had the chance to assess the results of these measures. What are we really after? We are after effective solutions that can deal with a real problem, where tough measures are necessary to solve our traffic problems. We are not interested in making any passionate oration here in Parliament to sidestep the real issue. As a Backbench MP, I speak up for the Ministry, because it has a difficult job to do. I do not envy the Minister's task. The Minister for Communications and Information has never been a popular portfolio. I know it hurts every car owner's pockets, having to pay more for car park charges.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move an amendment to the amendment moved by Dr Arthur Beng. To leave out all the words after "measures", and insert - 'may be too onerous and urges the Ministry to review them.' [Copy of amendment to the amendment handed to the Clerk.] Sir, my colleagues who have spoken before me have expressed their sentiments. There is one common thread that runs through all their arguments in this debate. The policy of restraining car ownership and car usage is necessary. But the measures which have been announced are unnecessarily harsh and, by implication, completely devoid of feelings of compassion for car owners and road users. So they make the earnest appeal for a reprieve, for that palliative which car owners can tolerate and live with. Even though I was one of the scheduled speakers to join in the chorus of appeals to implore the Minister to treat our car owners and road users with a gentler glove, I was quite prepared to let the other speakers who are more passionate in their arguments than myself to undertake this task. But when I heard my colleague, the Member for Fengshan, move and speak on his amendment to the motion being debated, I felt compelled to speak against his amendment, and to move this amendment to his amendment. The Member went on an emotional tirade to castigate the Ministry for being too hasty and too harsh in introducing some of the measures and called for a review of these measures. But he forgot to identify what these measures were. Which specific measures was he referring to when he said that they were too hastily introduced? The Member, as every Member knows, was the previous Chairman of the GPC for Communications and Information.”
“Mr Chairman, I wish to thank the Minister and the Senior Minister of State for their comprehensive explanation. We are satisfied with the explanation given. I withdraw the amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.”
“"This is meant to be an 'upfront' provision for town councils" which are taking over estate management functions from HDB while their sinking funds are allowed to accumulate. This provision is to assist in meeting expenditure on cyclical works. I presume this is for works involving repainting, replacing water pumps, etc. My question is, is this provision adequate? And what about new start-up expenses? If town councils are able to accummulate surplus from the service and conservancy charges income, will they also be taxed on these surpluses? Thirdly, Policy for the Improvement of HDB Flats. During the early 1980's HDB's construction programme was speeded up to ensure that HDB flats were made available to as many of our citizens as possible. Unfortunately, during this accelerated phase of construction and because of the difficulty in supervising such a massive scale building programme, defects and shoddy workmanship began to show up. For instance, in my own constituency in Nee Soon Central, in Neighbourhood VII, Nee Soon New Town, the quality of finish and workmanship for some of the flats are extremely poor. My question is, has the Ministry any plans or policy to help residents to rectify these defects which have surfaced after the defect-free warranty period? Such defects were not due to usage but due to poor construction and bad workmanship. The Chairman: Dr Vasoo, I suggest you speak on both topics.”
“Firstly, Redevelopment of Old HDB Estates. I would like to ask the Minister whether there is a comprehensive Master Plan for the redevelopment of the older housing estates in Singapore and whether there is a specific policy formulated to handle re-building of old housing estates. By "re-building" I do not mean just demolish old flats and build new bigger units. New flats on their own do not make a neighbourhood. They have to come with all the supporting amenities and infrastructure. Therefore, whole new neighbourhoods, shopping units, recreational facilities may have to be rebuilt. At the same time we may not be able to afford having so much land committed for such purpose, particularly in the central and urban areas. It therefore requires or may require a comprehensive Master Plan to do this. Secondly, Financial Policy for Town Councils. Our experience with the three pilot projects in Ang Mo Kio has shown that the town councils can be feasible. They provide a satisfactory level of service with no increase in service and conservancy charges. All three Ang Mo Kio town councils have shown operating surpluses. But Ang Mo Kio is a relatively newer HDB housing estate. For the older HDB estates I am not sure if more subsidies would be needed to maintain this same level of service in order for the town council which has to look after such older housing estates to remain financially viable. It is more costly to maintain an old flat than a new one. Would the Minister be able to provide adequate subsidies for the town councils which have to look after older housing estates? There is a new provision of $118 million which has been provided as "capital grants to sinking funds to be managed by town councils". This is on page 611 of the Budget document.”
“Mr Chairman, Sir, I beg to move, That the total sum to be allocated for Head T of the Main Estimates be reduced by $100. Sir, may I be allowed to take my three amendments at one go?”
“Perhaps you may consider allowing the workers who are interested to be trained without the need for them to obtain their employer's recommendation, provided the training they receive would be relevant to their work. Sixth, the budget proposes that high level civil servants' remunerations will be increased so as to make them comparable with those paid to managerial talent in private enterprises. I do not oppose the increase in their remunerations, but when revising their remunerations, the following factors should be considered. High level civil servants have secure jobs, high prestige and great powers. Their decisions can even affect private enterprises. Whereas employees of private enterprises do not have such advantages. Particularly when there is economic recession or merger of companies they usually would bear the brunt of the impact, and they certainly run the risk of retrenchment. In the meantime, now that our economy is on the upturn, when we are adjusting the remunerations of our high level civil servants upwards, we should not forget our partners, the lower rungs of workers, who had during our economic recession voluntarily frozen their salaries or reduced their wages to help turn round our economy. They similarly have greatly contributed towards promoting our economic development.”
“What we are worried about is that this may presage further consumption tax by the Government. I do not oppose consumption tax in toto. If this tax is imposed on luxuries, liquors and tobaccos, not affecting the livelihood of the people, then I will agree to such taxes. But if this kind of taxes is imposed on the consumption of daily necessities and will affect the livelihood of our low income people, causing them greater burden, and will also hinder our people from evolving into a middle class society. I will not agree to such taxes. This therefore calls for our further consideration before any action. Fifth, according to the budget, since May 1987 the Skills Development Fund has laid emphasis on the training of general workers. This is a good move in this direction. Singapore is gradually developing into a high-tech commercial and industrial society. The training of our general workers in skills will lay a sound foundation for this development. But the training sponsored by the Government is on the basis of recommendation by the employer. This policy would result in certain oversight, because mainly the big companies and big organizations can afford to recommend the workers for such skill development training. Small employers could not respond actively, for the reason that they have very few employees. If they recommend any employees to receive such training, then their business would be affected. In Singapore, there are about 60,000 such small businesses, each of which employs fewer than 10 persons. The employees employed by them numbered some few hundreds of thousands. So I wonder whether the department concerned would take the necessary steps to solve this problem.”
“In recent years, there has been the general trend of Singaporeans towards materialism, personal enjoyment. Human relationship is on the decline. Compassionate attitude is declining. This will adversely affect social cohesion. We should not allow this trend of social behavior to continue. The budget seeks to encourage compassionate considerations among our people. The more important thing is whether all relevant departments, social organizations and educational institutions have actively taken more positive meaures to promote better human relationship and compassionate consideration for others in our prosperous society. This should call for our further pondering. Third, the Government's proposal to reduce the stamp duty on the transfer of houses under $150,000 shows that the Government is trying to raise the quality of life of our middle and lower-income classes. It also shows that the Government is concerned for the welfare of these people. At the moment, all the HDB flats are under $150,000. So, it can be said that this will benefit all HDB dwellers and will be a tangible encouragement to these people to improve their living environment and conditions. This is also a necessary step to facilitate Singapore's more speedy evolvement into a middle class society. Fourth, the abovementioned measures taken by the Government to show its concern for the middle and lower-income groups of people are gratifying and much much appreciated. But the tax proposed in the Budget on over $40 per month PUB consumption is a cause for concern. According to my understanding, although over 50% of account holders have PUB consumption lower than $40 per month, there are over 40% of consumers who will be affected by this tax.”
“It continues to follow the spirit and principles of the previous budgets. It continues to maintain the growth of our reserves without upsetting the balance of our income and expenditure. At the same time, it will serve to boost up our effort in promoting a healthier development of our society in the best possible way. I support this budget and I shall give my views and suggestions on it. First, the budget increases the tax reliefs on maintenance of parents and on the wife. This shows the positive attitude of the Government in promoting Asian values. The family is the core of the society and the nation. When a family is consolidated, the society will be stable and the country will be peaceful. When a family is not in harmony, it will destroy social order and the peace of the country. In recent years, the Government has been stressing this point now and then. And now we see that the Government is not only preaching the theory but also putting it into practice by encouraging the actual implementation of this concept. However, by Government's effort alone it is not enough. Consolidation of the family should be on a national basis. It calls for the full participation of all the people, and this concept should be deeply ingrained in the thought of our people. The schools should also help in strengthening the education of the students on this aspect. Community organizations should also actively help to promote this spirit and thought through various activities and turn it into an all-nation campaign in order to thoroughly and fully instil and inculcate this thought in our people. Second, this budget fully reflects a spirit of human compassion, an example of which is shown in the increase of tax relief for maintaining disabled children.”