Ng Yeow Chong
Singapore
“Sir, there is a creche called Lee Kuo Chuan Creche which is not in Kuo Chuan Constituency as the name implies but it is actually in Mountbatten Constituency.”
“As I have said earlier, those who wish to go abroad by air or by sea are usually advised by the travel agencies to apply for a re-entry permit first before buying their tickets.”
“My point is this. Why cannot these people be informed of this requirement in one way or another? As suggested by the Member for Punggol, why not put up notices somewhere near the Woodlands Checkpoint to remind those blue identity card holders who wish to go across the Causeway to apply for a re-entry permit before leaving?”
“Sir, I would like to make a small point. I would like to ask the Minister whether he has ever thought of looking into the ages of meter readers. How many of them are between the ages of 40 and 50 years? Have they been subjected to eye examinations? This is to avoid mistakes in meter reading, as we have so often heard.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, is the Minister aware that some Special Pass holders are former permanent residents? They have lost their permanent status because they have contravened certain Immigration rules and regulations, for example, returning from Malaysia without re-entry visas.”
“Sir, I want to stress to the Minister the importance of a sufficiency of fire hydrants in all housing estates. I wonder if there are sufficient fire hydrants in all HDB estates. Encik Othman Bin Wok: Sir, in answer to the question by the Member for Mountbatten, the answer is "yes".”
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“Sir, in the event of an accident, will the same reversal be implemented?”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, will the Senior Minister of State enlighten the House as to the approximate cost of these overhead bridges?”
“Sir, there is a creche called Lee Kuo Chuan Creche which is not in Kuo Chuan Constituency as the name implies but it is actually in Mountbatten Constituency. This creche was built in the early 1960s at the present site which is unfortunately in a remote corner of my constituency and is some distance away from my constituency's housing estate. In this regard, I have some queries for the acting Minister. (1) Has this creche been fully utilised by working mothers? (2) Is there any plan to relocate this creche within the housing estate in my constituency? (3) Can the name of this creche be changed to Mountbatten Creche instead of Lee Kuo Chuan Creche? (4) Is the NTUC taking over the creche and, if so, when will it be?”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, since the management of creches comes under the purview of the Minister for Social Affairs, may I be permitted to say something on this?”
“My point is this. Why cannot these people be informed of this requirement in one way or another? As suggested by the Member for Punggol, why not put up notices somewhere near the Woodlands Checkpoint to remind those blue identity card holders who wish to go across the Causeway to apply for a re-entry permit before leaving?”
“As I have said earlier, those who wish to go abroad by air or by sea are usually advised by the travel agencies to apply for a re-entry permit first before buying their tickets. But in the case of those who travel through the Causeway by the thousands, it is just not possible for them to go to the Immigration Office to apply for a re-entry permit. On the spur of the moment they may want to go to Johore Bahru or they may want to visit someone in Pontian or Muar. The Minister might have done that many times because he has got some relatives in Malacca.”
“Sir, I share the sentiments of the Member for Punggol. Perhaps the Minister may not know how painful it is for a person to lose his permanent resident status.”
“Sir, may I ask the Minister whether there is any plan to develop nuclear energy? I understand that there is a Nuclear Research Unit in the Ministry of Science and Technology. I just wish to know what has come out of it.”
“Sir, I would like to make a small point. I would like to ask the Minister whether he has ever thought of looking into the ages of meter readers. How many of them are between the ages of 40 and 50 years? Have they been subjected to eye examinations? This is to avoid mistakes in meter reading, as we have so often heard. I think it is a good thing for the Minister in charge to look into this matter and subject the meter readers to eye examination and require them to wear spectacles where necessary.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, is the Minister aware that some Special Pass holders are former permanent residents? They have lost their permanent status because they have contravened certain Immigration rules and regulations, for example, returning from Malaysia without re-entry visas. Will the Minister therefore consider restoring their status as permanent residents, taking into consideration that they had contravened out of ignorance and that they have been here for ten or more years?”
“Sir, I want to stress to the Minister the importance of a sufficiency of fire hydrants in all housing estates. I wonder if there are sufficient fire hydrants in all HDB estates. Encik Othman Bin Wok: Sir, in answer to the question by the Member for Mountbatten, the answer is "yes". I have stated that the fires which have occurred in Housing Board flats were all put out quickly because there are enough fire hydrants. In answer to the question by the Member for Kim Seng, we will sustain the campaign on fire prevention. We have carried Out this campaign for many years at community centres and Housing Board estates. We also have a national campaign at the Victoria Memorial Hall a couple of years ago. MAIN AND DEVELOPMENT ESTIMATES OF SINGAPORE FOR THE FINANCIAL YEAR 1ST APRIL, 1976 TO 31ST MARCH, 1977 Debate in Committee of Supply resumed. [Mr Speaker in the Chair] 5.29 p.m. Head V (cont.) --”
“Sir, I merely wish to make a small point. I understand, and I stand to be corrected, that junior employees of the Housing and Development Board such as maintenance inspectors and the hawker liaison officers, etc, are not given any training at all prior to their postings. These young employees of the Board are raw and inexperienced. They are simply recruited and posted straightaway to their jobs. Sir, this state of affairs is rather undesirable because the nature of their work brings them into contact with the public frequently. My suggestion for the consideration of the Minister is that we should get these young officers to undergo an induction course so as to provide them with some understanding of human relationship. There are lots of complaints about the way these young officers go about their duties. They are inconsiderate, rude and at times aggressive. Something must be done, otherwise the good image of the Government may be ruined by these young officers. Sir, you may agree that it is almost a threat that the HDB is fast becoming a government within the government. Unless something is done then, as I say, the image may be ruined. So the best solution is to let them go through an induction course. If this is done, they will be more polite and we can still maintain the good image that we have created. I hope these matters will be given serious consideration. 4.00 p.m.”
“Sir, I consider such a move a retrogressive one if it were not for the fact that this was recommended by the Committee on Crimes and Delinquency as a measure to reduce delinquency among school drop-outs. Sir, I hope there will be adequate provisions to ensure that these young workers will not be exploited by unscrupulous employers. The Ministry of Labour should also categorise the type of jobs suitable for these young persons so that their physical capacity will not be overtaxed. Regular inspection and strict enforcement of the law must be carried out by the Factory Inspectorate to ensure compliance of these regulations. Sir, I support the Motion moved by the Member for Kim Keat. 3.55 p.m.”
“The HDB and its contractors should work hand in hand to ensure that poor quality work is reduced to the minimum. Sir, we have placed emphasis oil the quality of everything we make, buy or serve. However, in private or public housing, it seems that quality is not taken into consideration. The problem, of course, is the shortage of experienced and skilled workers. Mr Speaker, Sir, the Housing and Development Board which is the biggest housing employer, may like to consider setting up its own training scheme under which trainees are recruited and paid to undergo training at an institute or vocational school to learn skills in construction. On completion of their training, they will form a pool of artisans from which the Board's contractors can draw upon. The Board will continue to pay a wage subsidy to these trained artisans to induce them to remain on employment with the Board's contractors. The Board can make the trainees sign a service bond to prevent them quitting half-way through their artisanship. It is believed that a certain contractors' association is contemplating such a training scheme. This should be given every encouragement. Mr Speaker, Sir, the HDB already has its own granite quarry, brick factory and sand quarry to ease the shortage or even achieve self-sufficiency in tile supply of building materials. Likewise, if the training scheme is found feasible, the HDB is assured of its own supply of trained workers and the standards of construction will be greatly enhanced. Finally, Sir, on the subject, of "Employment of Young Persons" under the Ministry of Labour, I wish to make brief remarks. Young persons between the ages of 14 and 16 years will he allowed to work in industrial establishments without the prior approval of the Commissioner for Labour.”
“Inadequate accommodation or overcrowding often influences young couples to live separately from their parents. Priority in allocation of housing to young couples who will have parents live with them will reverse this trend. Mr Speaker, Sir, the Housing and Development Board can also consider giving early consideration to applicants who live with their parents or applicants with married children. Similarly, applications for transfer to bigger fiats should be expeditiously dealt with by the Housing and Development Board if the applicants can have their parents live with them, or if they are single and are to be married soon, then of course documentary proof is necessary. I hope the HDB will consider my proposal. Mr Speaker, Sir, the Housing and Development Board must be complimented for its achievement in having completed 26,000 units of flats in 1974. It is gratifying to note that the 1-1DB will further accelerate its building programme towards new targets of 30,000 units and eventually 40,000 units per year. This is certainly good news to the applicants on the long waiting list. Almost every applicant is craving for early allocation of HDB flats. With its past records of achievement, the HDB will not have much difficulty in achieving its new targets. Mr Speaker, Sir, since there is an HDB housing estate in your constituency, you may be aware of numerous complaints about defects in the construction of fiats sold or rented out by the HDB. The Member for Telok Blangah also mentioned this point yesterday. I believe you are also faced with this problem. The finish of the flats is generally poor and some of the fixtures and fittings in the fiats have been found to be defective. Something must be done to improve the quality of construction work.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, our President in his opening Address to the House warned us not to expect real growth rates of 10-12% which we have enjoyed over the past five years up to 1973. He has also cautioned that we have to adjust to slower growth rates provided there is no war and another oil embargo or other major catastrophe. Our real growth last year was around 7%, which is not a poor performance considering the effects of world-wide inflation and recession. Singapore will continue to face these problems so long as the international economy is in disorder. We have to learn to live with these problems and to do our best to minimise the effects of inflation and recession. All we need to do right now is to consolidate what we have achieved, strengthen our organisation and prepare ourselves for economic recovery. Sir, I support and welcome the move to encourage young couples to have their aged parents live with them. The Government will take attractive measures to achieve this. To have our aged parents live with us and to look after them is a return of our gratitude to them for bringing us up. To show filial piety to our parents and honour them is a virtue of Asian tradition. We should therefore give full support to uphold this traditional value. I think the Government should offer incentives to encourage such a move. One attractive incentive will be to increase the amount of relief in income tax for the maintenance of aged parents and grandparents. However good an incentive this is, in my view filial piety would be meaningless if it is exchanged for monetary benefit. Also, income tax relief would mean nothing to people in the lower-income bracket. However, I do not oppose this proposal. Another incentive which I can think of is priority in housing.”
“Sir, would the Minister care to explain why the Housing Board fell short of the target of building 25,000 to 30,000 flats, as we had publicised last year? And what were the shortcomings? Would the Minister urge the Housing Board to accelerate the building programme to cope up with the long waiting list?”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, is the Minister aware of the fact that the applications for transfer to larger accommodation come mainly from one-room flat dwellers who cannot afford to buy flats under the home ownership scheme? Will the Minister urge the Housing and Development Board to speed up the processing of these applications? With particular reference to those living in my constituency, will the Minister request the Housing Board not to reserve all the casual vacant flats for resettlement purposes but to release some of these vacant flats, wherever possible, for my constituents who are on the waiting list? Sir, most of these constituents have lived in my constituency for more than a decade and they prefer to be transferred within the estate.”
“Sir, my constituents and I are indeed grateful to the Minister of State for this information. However, I would like to make a further request. I wonder whether the Minister of State could look into the feasibility of setting up a delivery post office instead of a non-delivery one as proposed. In my view, a delivery post office set up in my constituency will better serve the needs of the residents in the Old Kallang Airport and Guillemard estates, as well as the Kallang industrial estate at Kallang Park and the neighbouring area. Moreover, this delivery post office will help to reduce considerably the pressure of work at the Geylang Post Office where its capacity has been overstretched. Sir, I hope the Minister of State would take that into consideration.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I merely wish to ask the Minister some questions concerning the provision of $310,000 for new post offices to be established during the new financial year. My questions are: first, is there provision for a new post office at the Old Kallang Airport Estate in my constituency? Second, have the officials of the Ministry of Communications successfully negotiated with the Housing and Development Board for a suitable site for this purpose? If so, where is the site? Third, what type of post office will it be? Will it be a delivery or a non-delivery post office? Fourth, will there also be facilities for a Post Office Savings Bank? Fifth, when will this new post office be ready for operations? Sir, you will probably notice that every public housing estate is now provided with a new post office. It is for this reason that my constituents have made representation to me for a new post office to be set up in my constituency. I am, therefore, taking this opportunity to raise this matter here, and I earnestly hope for a favourable reply from the Minister concerned.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I fully support these measures against families having many children. I also agree with the suggestions made by the -Member for Changi that adequate propaganda should be carried out by making use of all the mass media. I have one simple question to raise on the priority for. Housing Board flats: How are we to prevent couples from having more children after they have been allotted Housing Board flats?”
“I am also not moving, Sir. The sum of $5,726,000 for Head 76 ordered to stand part of the Development Estimates. Pursuant to a resolution of the House, Mr Speaker thereupon left the Chair of the Committee and took the Chair of the House.”
“(2) That the sum to be allocated for Head 76 be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead 401. Tuan Haji Mohd. Ariff: I am not moving, Sir.”
“In view of the answer given by the Minister, I beg leave to withdraw. Amendment, by leave withdrawn. Mr Ng Kah Ting: Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head 75 be reduced by $10 in respect of item 006 of subhead 310. Sir, in moving this amendment, I merely wish to draw the attention of the Minister for Law and National Development to some of the bus shelters from Upper Serangoon Road, 64 m.s., to Punggol Point. I notice that some of these bus shelters are not only small but also are without stone benches, especially those shelters along Punggol Road. Sir, last year I also had occasion to make some requests for more bus shelters along Punggol Road, where there was a need for them. In this respect, I would urge the Minister to consider my suggestion.”
“Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head 75 be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead 306*. (* The same amendment also stood in the names of Messrs J. F. Conceicao and Sim Boon Woo.) Sir, this is a provision for pedestrian overhead bridges and underpasses. I wish to find out from the Minister whether there are plans to build a pedestrian overhead bridge or an underpass across Mountbatten Road at a point somewhere near Guillemard Road. 1 consider it necessary. Let me give the reasons. When games are held in future at the Sports Complex in Kallang Park, there will be, as can be expected, a heavy volume of traffic as well as a big crowd of pedestrians going to and returning from the games. A specially strong pedestrian overhead bridge, or preferably a big underpass, would draw the crowd of pedestrians away from the road, leaving it entirely free for the use of vehicles. Otherwise pedestrians will find it difficult to cross Mount-batten Road before and after the games. Sir, the bulk of the population of my constituency live in the Old Kallang Airport Estate, which is directly opposite the Sports Complex and separated by Mountbatten Road. An overhead bridge or underpass across Mountbatten Road will be convenient for some of my constituents, who are sports enthusiasts, to walk across to the Sports Complex instead of going there by car or bus, which may add to the traffic congestion that is expected there. In fact, most of the people who do not own cars will benefit if there is a pedestrian overhead bridge or an underpass for them to go across Mountbatten Road to the Sports Complex. Sir, I would like to hear the Minister's views.”
“Sir, I beg leave to withdraw my amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. The sum of $20,538,200 for Head 71 ordered to stand part of the Development Estimates.”
“Sir, may I further ask the Minister what will happen to the Britannia Club, and whether this property will be made available to the public for recreational purposes?”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head 71 be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead 302. Sir, the provision of $10 million for this subhead is a fairly large amount. Members in this House will be interested to know more from the Minister as to what these properties are, where they are situated, and for what purpose?”
“In view of the answer given by the Minister, I beg leave to withdraw. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. The following amendment stood in the name of Mr Yeo Choo Kok - (4) That the sum to be allocated for Head 31 be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead 304.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head 31 be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead. 203*(* The same amendment also stood in the name of Mr Ng Kah Ting). Sir, I am glad to note that the headquarters of the Registry of Vehicles will soon be relocated at Sin Ming Road. In this connection, I have two simple and straightforward questions to put to the Minister for Communications. Is this vote of half a million dollars to provide for the total cost of the building? Has construction work on the building actually started, and, if so, when is it expected to be completed?”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I would also like to make a request to the Minister concerned. My request is for exemption of search fee required for the inspection of particulars of birth from the Register of Births. Normally a fee of S2 is payable for this purpose in cases where the applicants do not have the red-printed duplicate copy of the registration of birth, it is only when a search has been successful that they have to pay a further sum of 52 for a Certificate of Extract from the Register of Births which we normally call tile birth certificate. So a total of 54 will have to be paid for the purpose of searching for a birth certificate. This is a burden to the poor people. The next point I wish to make is that the time of the search should be shortened as far as possible so as to facilitate matters for people who require the information.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I am quite satisfied with the answer given. I beg leave to withdraw. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. Tuan Haji Mohd. Ariff(In Malay): Mr Speaker. Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head 1401 be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead 1651*.(* The same amendment also stood in the name of Mr P. Govindaswamy.) Sir, I wish to congratulate the Minister for Home Affairs in setting up the Central Narcotics Bureau. It has a corps of efficient officers who recently have done much to expose the drug-pushers, and to confiscate quantities of MX pills, heroin and ganja, all in a short space of time after its setting up. The officers have been very efficient in their efforts to abolish drug trafficking. However, I regret to say that the people who were prosecuted for trafficking or peddling in MX pills and ganja have been given only light prison sentences. In the Straits Times dated 4th March, it was reported that two persons were convicted and fined $150 each for possession of ganja. In the Straits Times of 22nd March, a labourer was fined $25 for possession of ganja. Mr Speaker, Sir, the penalties given to these persons are very light in comparison with the penalties for other offences. They should be given the maximum penalty. If a person is convicted for causing damage to other people's property under the Vandalism Act, the sentence can include the rotan. Why cannot the punishment by the rotan be extended to persons trafficking in MX pills and other drugs? I feel that the Minister for Home Affairs should amend the laws so that these people will be given a heavier punishment, such as a longer term of imprisonment, including caning.”
“members in their community centres. At present the community leaders have first to seek permission before they can obtain the services of the V.V.C. This formality should be dispensed with wherever possible, otherwise it will be a hindrance to any plan to promote an effective role of the V.V.C, in community activities.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head 1401 be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead 1601. Sir, this subhead concerns the Vigilante Corps which has a glorious record ever since its inception in 1964. The Vigilante Corps was actively discussed during the Committee of Supply last year. I do not propose, therefore, to go over the same ground which has been covered by Members last year. I merely wish to seek clarification from the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Home Affairs: who is really in charge of the Vigilante Corps, and whether there are any plans to re-activate the Volunteer Vigilante Corps or, for short, the V.V.C.? At present there are only a very few volunteers remaining in service and the V.V.C, is, therefore, very inactive. Nowadays we seldom see them patrolling the streets or helping at community centre functions or participating in community activities in the various constituencies. Mr Speaker, Sir, sometime ago, Members of Parliament were asked to submit their views on the reorganisation of the V.V.C, in their respective constituencies. I wonder what conclusions have been made as a result of these suggestions by Members. Are there any plans to revive the V.V.C. and to make it play a more effective role in the interest of the community? In my view, in order to achieve this the V.V.C, members should not be confined to guard duties only but should also be encouraged to participate in the various activities organised by the Citizens' Consultative Committees or by the management committees of the community centres in the various constituencies. Moreover, the Citizens' Consultative Committees or the management committees of the community centres should have a measure of control over the V.V.C.”
“Sir, Singapore is known to have the best motoring roads in this region. Our roads are well-planned and built for heavy traffic; our highways and flyovers compare favourably with those in the advanced countries. Our road engineers in the Public Works Department deserve every praise for their good work. However, the patching up of pot-holes and resurfacing of some roads, after repairs to underground services, are not satisfactorily carried out. The roads remain uneven. Moreover the sides surrounding the manholes and water-mains are often left unfilled for days. If they are filled up later by manual labour, they are not evenly done. So when you motor along such roads, your car is bound to be affected by the severe bumps. In this respect I would urge our road engineers to make strict checks on either P.W.D. workers or contractors' labourers engaged in resurfacing of roads. Sir, there is another aspect of our roads which I would like to comment on. The smooth surface of our road curves or bends is a hazard to fast-moving vehicles, especially on rainy days. To prove my point, there were two fatal accidents some time ago. One involved a bus and a military vehicle which skidded near the Anderson Bridge. Apparently the tyres of these fast-moving vehicles lost their grip on the road surface. To prevent skidding of speeding motor vehicles, may I, Sir, as a layman, suggest that all road bends or curves be laid with a rough surface instead of the usual smooth surface. I notice that this rough surface has been laid on a short stretch of the road curve near Anderson Bridge. I hope the Minister will consider my proposal to have all road curves or bends rendered with a rough surface to prevent fast-moving cars from skidding.”
“Sir, I beg leave to withdraw my amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.”
“Sir, the Minister has not answered the point whether abuses by taxi drivers have been reported to the Superintendent of Car Parks.”
“Sir, I just quoted from the Hansard in which the Minister for Communications had promised to look into this matter during the debate that took place on the 2nd September, 1970. The Minister for Law and National Development just now said that there are certain restrictions. But I do not think they are necessary. We should, in fact, allow the taxi drivers to park their taxis at public parking places without any restrictions. No taxi driver in his right senses would waste his time in a public car park. He would rather keep his taxi going on the road and so get more fares for the time which he would have lost in parking his taxi. What I want is to grant them absolute permission to park their taxis in the public car parks. The Minister has said that some abuses have resulted. Can the Minister say what these abuses are and whether these cases have been reported to the Superintendent of Car Parks?”
“Sir, I am glad that the Social Welfare Department has other funds at its disposal. In view of this, I beg leave to withdraw. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. The sum of $7,042,660 for Head 1002 ordered to stand part of the Estimates. Head 1003 - The following amendment stood in the names of Messrs Teong Eng Siong, N. Govindasamy and Cheong Yuen Chee - (1) That the sum to be allocated for Head 1003 be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead 1001.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head 1002 be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead 2009. We have just heard a minute ago about giving care and attention to old people. This subhead 2009 is just another relevant matter concerning the care of the old people in the Homes for the Aged. The sum voted is to provide free coffins and free burials to the dead inmates of the Homes. I consider this sum too meagre. I feel that the dead inmates in these Homes are given something worse than a pauper's burial. I wish to appeal to the Minister for an exercise in this provision. So much money is being spent on less important matters, and therefore we should not save on our last services to the dead. Therefore, I advocate for an increase for this subhead in next year's budget.”
“Sir, I wish to make myself clear to the Minister. I am not for a moment advocating the taking off of all the old buses from the road at one time. All I want is that the Government should suggest to these bus companies to maintain their old buses and to service them properly before putting them on the roads.”
“Sir, I would also like to ask the Minister concerned whether the law enforcement section of the Registry of Vehicles has been adequately staffed, and whether these enforcement officers have been sent out to carry out their duties.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate the Minister for Communications on his success in the reorganisation of the motor transport service. There has been a lot of improvement in bus services since its reorganisation last year. However, one can still see some old buses operating on the roads.. These old and out-dated buses should have been condemned long ago as scrap for the national steel mill. Instead, they are still permitted to continue to operate, and most of them are polluting the air with their smoky exhausts. Besides, these old buses frequently break down, thereby upsetting the time schedule and causing great inconvenience to bus commuters. There was an occasion when I had to travel by bus, and I had to wait more than half an hour for it. I was later told by the bus conductor that the delay was due to the breakdown of a bus of the same service route somewhere on its return trip to the terminal. Sir, every morning as I travel from Changi to the city, I often see at least one or two buses parked on the roadside, apparently stalled with engine trouble. In one morning alone I counted no less than five buses, belonging to two bus companies, which were rendered inoperative with engine trouble. They were parked along Changi Road within a short stretch of half a mile. This state of affairs is highly undesirable. Something must be done quickly to rectify this situation. Why did the bus companies not replace the old buses with new ones, according to the plan? The Government should initiate action to press the bus companies for an early Replacement with new buses. Meanwhile, action must be taken against bus companies which do not keep their buses properly serviced and maintained before putting them on the road.”
“I am not moving, Sir. The sum of 59,704.180 for Head 0703 ordered to stand part of the Estimates. Head 0704 -”
“Sir, in view of the explanation given by the Minister, I beg leave to withdraw. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. The following amendment stood in the name of Mr Ng Yeow Chong- (4) That the sum to be allocated for Head 0703 be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead 1391.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head 0703 be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead 1371*.(* The same amendment also stood in the name of Mr Cheong Yuen Chee.) Sir, if my understanding is correct, Simbang Aerodrome was taken over by the Government from the British Forces. My queries to the Minister are: (1) where is this aerodrome sited, and what does the Government propose to do for its future use? (2) if it is to be used for civil aviation, for which a sum is provided, what type of aircraft will be allowed to operate in this aerodrome? and (3) why are only fire-fighting services stationed in this aerodrome, instead of an administrative set-up? Will the Minister clarify, please?”
“Sir, I beg leave to withdraw. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. The sum of $4,120,230 for Head 0201 ordered to stand part of the Estimates. Head 0301 -”
“Mr Speaker Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head 0201 be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead 3013. In an industrialised country, air pollution is the most serious of all forms of environmental pollution. This is no exception to Singapore. Therefore, we must take steps in advance to prepare for such an eventuality and to prevent air pollution from getting worse. The House is now asked to approve a vote of $50,000 for the purchase of equipment for the measurement of air pollution. I would like to take this opportunity to ask the Minister of State to explain to the House the uses of this equipment and its specific purposes. Is it to be used to combat industrial pollution, or to combat pollution caused by vehicles, or for other purposes? Tuan Haji Ya'acob(In Malay): Mr Speaker, Sir, six types of equipment are likely to be purchased. The first type of equipment, the Hydrocarbon Analyser, is used for measuring the presence of hydrocarbons, and the second type, the Auto-analyser, is used for measuring oxide of nitrogen. These two types of equipment will be used to monitor the ambient air in the urban area. Two other additional equipments will be used to measure dust concentration in and around manufacturing premises having dust pollution problems. The fifth equipment will be used for general monitoring and identification of particular sources of pollution, and the sixth equipment will be used in the laboratory for identification and measurement of the pollutants that have been sampled.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, in connection with Phase II of the National Sports Complex in Kallang Park, I wish to ask the Minister two questions. Firstly, what is the fee for engaging the services of Prof. Tange to carry out the project? Secondly, why are local architects not given the chance to carry out such a prestigious project of our own?”
“This is normally not allowed if they are taken into Government departments. Sir, the P.U.B, is now facing a shortage of meter readers, and employment of more meter readers will inevitably increase their operational costs. May I suggest that the P.U.B, consider a proposal of offering these retrenched civilian employees part-time work in meter reading. 1 am sure some of them will he willing to earn extra income to make up the deficit in their earnings. I do not wish to attempt to work out how the scheme should be carried out, and I shall leave it to the PUB, to consider its feasibility. Perhaps such part-time work can be carried out on weekends and in the area near the homes of the part-time workers. Sir, I conclude by expressing my full support and appreciation of the policy speech by our President. 3.45 p.m.”