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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“As the man on the spot, I know better than the Minister. I do not think that the attempt will be successful! On that note, I beg leave to withdraw. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. The following amendment stood in the name of Madam Chan Choy Siong- That the sum to be allocated for Head 1303 be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead 1854. Madam Chan Choy Siong: I am not moving. The following amendment stood in the name of Mr Ng Yeow Chong - That the sum to be allocated for Head 1303 be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead 1871. Mr Ng Yeow Chong: I am not moving. The following amendments stood in the name of Inche Mohd. Ariff bin Suradi - (6) That the sum to be allocated for Head 1303 he reduced by $10 in respect of subhead 2051. (7) That the sum to be allocated for Head 1303 be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead 2071.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I am quite happy to hear that some concrete measures have now been taken to resite unlicensed hawkers at the Old Kallang Airport Market. But the Minister has not answered me on another point. Will he discard the other market or will he attempt to use Guillemard Road Market?”
“There is talk that hawkers may lose their licences because they are an eyesore in the context of Singapore as a garden city and of the environmental public health measures that are being taken. This is what the hawkers - especially those who are non-citizens - are worried about. I hope the Minister will inform us of the purpose of the survey that is being carried out into the conditions of hawkers so that they need not be worried about their-future. Another point that is worrying them is that it is possible that hawkers holding blue identity cards may have their licences revoked. I hope this will not materialise as hawkers with blue identity cards are, after all, long residents of Singapore. I have touched on this point some time ago in this House. These hawkers with blue identity cards are not able to obtain Singapore citizenship although they have applied for it. So they have no other alternative but to resort to hawking for a living. It is not possible for aliens who do not even possess blue identity cards to hawk in our city. Will the Minister answer two questions: one, what is the purpose of the investigation into the conditions of hawkers? two, what is the policy with regard to hawkers who possess blue identity cards and will these cards be taken away from them if they do not have hawking licences?”
“I doubt very much if other unlicensed hawkers will accept any stalls or pitches in this market that are offered to them. This being the case, I suggest to the Minister that he accept a proposal to convert this market into a recreational hall for the benefit of the residents. This at least will serve some useful purpose instead of allowing the market to be deserted again. In this case, the People's Association can be asked to take over this market and develop it as a recreational centre particularly for the children. [Mr Speaker in the Chair] 7.18 p.m. May I also find out from the Minister for Health whether the Government or the Housing and Development Board has any plan to build a hawkers' centre in the Old Kallang Airport Estate to accommodate unlicensed hawkers? Madam Chan Choy Siong(In Mandarin): Mr Speaker, Sir, a month ago, the Hawkers Department of the Min istry of Health carried out an extensive investigation into the conditions and licensing of hawkers and the problems-relating thereto. Human beings are very emotional and sensitive. Therefore, the hawkers are rather worried about the investigation. There is a Chinese saying to the effect that when a dog raises its rear leg, it is an indication that it wants to ease itself. In other words, certain signs foretell what is coming. In the same way, the hawkers have certain misgivings and suspicions. They wonder what is behind the move to investigate their conditions. They know that un licensed hawkers are not allowed to hawk and that normally hawkers should have licences. So they suspect that there is something cooking because the Government is carrying out a full-scale investigation into the conditions of hawkers.”
“The hawkers were harassed and cleared. But harassing and clearing alone are not the solution to the problem. After some persuasion, these unlicensed hawkers agreed to be resited at Guillemard Road Market for a period of three to four months. When the survey of vacant stalls and pitches in and around Old Airport Market has been completed, they have been promised priority in the consideration of stalls and pitches at the Old Airport Market when these vacancies are thrown open for application. In this connection, may I ask the Minister a few questions: (1) Has the survey for vacant stalls and pitches in and around the Old Airport Market been finalised, and, if so, are they ready for application? (2) Are there any previous applications from residents of the Old Kallang Airport Estate, and, if so, will these applications be entertained? (3) Will additional hawking lots be provided at the surrounding concourse of the Old Kallang Airport Market to accommodate and resite more unlicensed hawkers? I sincerely hope that the Minister for Health will give satisfactory answers to the questions I have just raised. 7.15 p.m. Sir, I now wish to touch on Guillemard Road Market. I have just mentioned that any future attempt to offer stalls and pitches at this market to unlicensed hawkers will again be a failure because hawkers do not have any confidence in this market. There will be no business in this market as a standard-, size market, i.e., the Old Kallang Airport Market, is just less than 200 yards away. Although these unlicensed hawkers took out licences for their ballotted stalls and pitches, so far only a few cooked-food hawkers are doing their hawking trade there. They have com plained of poor business and sometimes no business at all.”
“This market, which is an open-shed structure and can accommodate only 34 stalls (not counting the pitches outside it), was built probably in 1953 or 1954 after the completion of the low- terrace houses around Guillemard Road by the then Singapore Improvement Trust. These low-terrace houses were used to rehouse the families from the clearance site at Beach Road to make way for the erection of Merdeka Bridge. Later in 1958, when the Singapore Improvement Trust developed the Old Kallang Airport Estate which is adjacent to the Guillemard Road Estate, another standard market, now known as Old Airport Road Market, was also built. When the Old Airport Road Market was completed, hawkers began to desert Guillemard Road Market. Some of the hawkers took up stalls at the Old Airport Road Market while others who were not so successful took to hawking along the roadsides around the Old Airport Road Market. Sir, I am not very optimistic about the success of any future attempt to offer the stalls and pitches at Guillemard Road Mark-et to hawkers, nor will they have any confidence in a market which was once deserted for eight to nine years. I do not understand why the Hawkers Department has allowed this state of affairs to go on for such a long time. It reflects on its efficiency. When I was approached by the Hawkers Department in July 1967 on the problem of the hawker congregation at Old Kallang Airport Estate, I gave my comments and some suggestions on how to resite the unlicensed hawkers, but resiting was not carried out until October this year. The congregation of hawkers was allowed to continue unchecked. It was not until January this year, when the powers to tackle the hawker problem were transferred to the Housing and Development Board, that some action was taken.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, The the sum to be allocated for Head 1303 be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead 1831(The same amendment also stood in the name of Madam Chan Choy Siong). Sir, to save some time, may I seek your permission to range over the other amendment which stands in my name in respect of subhead 1871+? + The amendment reads as follows: (5) That the sum to be allocated for Head 1303 be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead 1871. The points I wish to raise concern the hawker situation in my constituency. There is a hawker congregation at Old Kallang Airport Estate. Although 107 unlicensed roadside hawkers were resited at Guillemard Road Market in October this year, only a few cooked-food hawkers have taken up their allotted pitches in this market, whereas the other market- produce hawkers who sell vegetables, meat, pork, etc., have so far not taken up the stalls allotted to them in Guillemard Road Market except the two exist ing stall-holders. Prior to the resiting of these hawkers, this market was occupied by only these two existing stall-holders who actually used the market as their transit stalls. There are 34 stalls in this market and 32 of them have been left vacant for, as far as I know, about eight to nine years. After the resiting took place, the majority of these hawkers, who now possess licences, have again resorted to illegal hawking on the Estate's roads or car parks from where they were earlier cleared. Some of them have migrated to other housing estates. During the "Keep Singapore Clean" campaign the Minister for Health toured the market and he knew the situation. Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, you may wish to know why these hawkers have refused to take up their allotted stalls and pitches in and around Guillemard Road Market.”
“I beg leave to withdraw. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. The sum of $1,096,530 for Head 1204 ordered to stand part of the Estimates. Head 1207 -”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head 1204 be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead 1001*. * The same amendment also stood in the name of Mr Ho Kah Leong. Sir, I only wish to seek information on the total area of land now held by the British Armed Forces, and whether plans are being made well in advance before the reversion takes place rather than to wait till the end of 1971.”
“I wish to refute this allegation. I contend that if it had not been for the efficiency of the Fire Brigade, the fires in the squatter areas would have affected the adjacent built-up and developed areas. It must be admitted that fire fighting in certain slum areas is extremely difficult because of the congestion of squatter houses and the lack of fire fighting facilities, such as fire hydrants. The recent fire at Bukit Ho Swee nearly threatened a block of Housing Board flats which were adjacent to the area under fire. The Fire Brigade was able to check the fire from spreading to the adjacent developed areas. Therefore, I wish to pay a tribute to the Fire Brigade and its members for their high efficiency. In connection with fire hydrants, may I ask - 7.50 p.m. .”
“Yes, it is the best equipped. It is the most efficient Fire Brigade in this part of the world. Yet, many people in Singapore do not appreciate its excellent and efficient service. They often blame it for not being able to control the big fires that broke out in certain slum areas.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head 1103 be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead 2005. Sir, I note that there is a tremendous increase in the amount for this vote for the next financial year as compared with the provision for last year. As explained in the Memorandum on the Estimates of Revenue and Expenditure, the increase is due to the payment of rental of all the fire hydrants in the Republic to the Public Utilities Board. From now on theP.U.B, will be responsible for the installation of new hydrants and for the maintenance of existing ones as well as for the cost of water supply to these fivehydrants. Sir, our Fire Brigade is known to be among the best equipped -”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I support the motion of the Member for Delta. In certain industrial areas such as .Jurong and Tanglin Halt, the women folk usually go to work. No creches have been built there. I would suggest that creches be built there. Furthermore, the children in the creches should also be taught various languages. The Member for Delta has mentioned that the medium of instruction is solely English. In our efforts to promote multi-lingualism, we should instruct the children in other languages as well.”
“I thank the Minister for the information. On that note, I beg leave to withdraw. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. 7.00 p.m. The following amendments stood in the name of Mr L. P. Rodrigo - (3) That the sum to be allocated for Head 1101 be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead 1071. (4) That the sum to be allocated for Head 1101 be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead 1121.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head 1101 be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead 1051*. * The same amendment also stood in the name of Mr Tay Boon Too. Sir, following the need to build a rugged society, the promotion of sports in our Republic has never been so intensive as it is today. Since the creation of the Sports Division in the Ministry of Social Affairs in 1967, sports activities have been organised and promoted on a national basis. Many Ministers and even some Members of Parliament have shown their keenness in sports activities by taking an active part as presidents of sports orga nisations. However, I note with regret that badminton, which is popular among our young citizens, has been somewhat neglected by the Government and civic organisations. There has so far been no organised effort to revive it. May I, therefore, seek information from the Minister for Social Affairs as to whether a plan has been drawn up to train our young enthusiasts to become potential players of international standard? If so, how many trainees are there and how often do they train? Can the Minister also inform the House when these trainees are expected to come out into the open and compete in international tournaments in order to win back the coveted Thomas Cup?”
“I beg leave to withdraw. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head 0901 be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead 2009. Sir, this item concerns the Vigilante Corps and the expenditure allotted for it. Some national service youths have been absorbed into the Vigilante Corps. It has now become a force supplementing the work of the police. They have contributed much by way of maintaining law and order in our country. Our purpose in getting national servicemen into the Vigilante Corps is to inculcate in them a spirit of national consciousness and service to the people. Since the past few weeks, a number of Vigilante Corps members have completed their training. They have graduated. So far they have not been sent to serve in the various community centres. The Vigilante Corps posts are still being manned by volunteers. I would like to ask the Minister whether these well-trained Vigilante Corps members who are national servicemen could be sent to serve in the various community centres. However, there are many community centres which do not have Vigilante Corps posts. I wonder whether the Vigilante Corps members could set up a post in every community centre. Can the Minister also tell the House how many Vigilante Corps training centres there are for the training of national service personnel and where they are situated? Finally, I would like to ask a very important question. I wonder whether the Government can provide these national servicemen serving as Vigilante Corps members with work as is now being provided for full-time national servicemen.”
“When I asked a question for oral answer, I was given to understand that we are going to celebrate the sesquicentennial of Singapore. But there is no provision for such an occasion. Provision for celebrations of this nature, for example, the National Day celebration, is normally entered under Head 0901 for defence expenditure. I would like to ask the Minister why there is no provision under this head for the celebration of the 150th anniversary of Singapore.”
“Sir, will the Parliamentary Secretary indicate when these nation- wide celebrations will be held and whether it is possible that this 150th anniversary can be held in conjunction with the National Day celebrations?”
“Mr Teong Eng Siong asked the Minister for Social Affairs, during the period 1st January, 1968 to 31st October, 1968, (a) how many persons have been given public assistance and the total amount paid out; and (b) how many persons have had such assistance terminated and the reasons therefor.”
“Question No. 13. The Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Social Affairs (Mr Chan Chee Seng) (for the Minister for Social Affairs): The creche service has been set up primarily to meet the needs of working women in providing a proper place for the care of their infant children (under six years old) when they are at work. As such, the 10 creches operated by the Social Welfare Department are open from 7 am, to 5 p.m, on weekdays and from 7 am, to 1 p.m, on Saturdays. Although extending the services of the creches to late evening would help some working women to have more time for participation in community activities, this will definitely not be in the interests of the children themselves. It is a well-known fact that for the proper growth and development of infants, it is essential that they spend as much time as possible with their parents, brothers and sisters from whom they will receive and can express their love and affection. Since under the existing arrangement children attending creches will be away from their homes for as much as 10 hours a day on weekdays and six hours a day on Saturdays, any extension of these hours to late evening will be undesirable, as it would mean that the children would be spending all their waking hours at the creches, leaving little or no time with their parents and other members of the family. For the above reasons, the Ministry considers it inadvisable to extend the services of creches beyond the hours as provided at present. PUBLIC ASSISTANCE (Particulars) 14.”
“Sir, as a matter of fact, I do not like to press further, but if the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs would like to give an answer, I am happy to hear it.”
“We will probably have to spend much more on defence with the build-up of the armed forces. In the circumstances, I would like to know whether our foreign policy of non- alignment will be affected by our commitments on defence. 7.45 p.m. The third point is this. In the 1967 Budget we approved the establishment of diplomatic missions in Johore Bahru and Rangoon. However, up to now, we still do not have any commercial representatives in Johore Bahru and Rangoon. What are we going to do about this next year? The other place is Cambodia. According to last year's Budget, we were to have an Ambassador there but we still do not have one yet. Who is going to be the Ambassador in Cambodia? I would like the Minister for Foreign Affairs to give me a reply.”
“Sir, I beg leave to withdraw. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. Madam Chan Choy Siong(In Mandarin): Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, That the total sum to be allocated for Head 0501 be reduced by $100*. * The same amendment also stood in the name of Mr Low Yong Nguan. Sir, Singapore is a newly independent country. We do not have natural resources, but we have managed to survive and live in peace and order as a result of the talents of our people who have worked towards this end. At the same time, we can be proud of our secure economic base and of the non-aligned foreign policy we pursue. As a result of this policy, our country has managed to escape involvement in international conflicts. We can say that this is a very wise policy of our Government. If we can continue with it, I think the future of Singapore will be bright. However, there are certain problems which remain with us. I wish to mention a few. One of them is that the countries surrounding Singapore are still in a state of turbulence and restlessness. Singapore is a member of ASEAN. There is a problem in ASEAN which gives rise to instability. I would like to ask the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs what the present position of ASEAN is. Does he think that ASEAN will produce concrete results? As a matter of ASEAN, what sort of a future do we have? As everybody knows, we are faced with the problem of increased expenditure on defence and this is a considerable sum. The economic problem facing us is a big one. As a result of the Minister for Finance's efforts, we have managed to escape from economic depression. The expenditure on defence is not limited to what we are spending this year or next year. What happens after next year?”
“Sir, in cities like Tokyo, Hong Kong and Jakarta, trade officers or First Secretaries (Commercial) are not assigned to these overseas missions.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head 0501 be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead 1059+. Mr Speaker, Sir, I recollect during the debate in Committee of Supply last December on the Estimates of Expenditure for 1968, the Minister for Foreign Affairs indicated that a number of trade representatives would be sent to our Singapore overseas missions. It is now observed that in the estimates for the next financial year, there are provisions for one post of Counsellor (Commercial) and three posts of First Secretaries (Commercial). In going through the detailed estimates of expenditure for various overseas missions, I discovered that only one Counsellor (Commercial) and one First Secretary (Commercial) are provided in London and Washington respectively. 7.30 p.m. Sir, will the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs kindly enlighten the House on when and in which overseas mission the two remaining posts of First Secretaries (Commercial) will be filled? It is surprising to note that in our overseas missions in cities like Tokyo, Hong Kong and Jakarta with which our Republic has close trade relations, there are still no Counsellor (Commercial) or First Secretaries (Commercial).”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head 0409 be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead 3002. Sir, this is a sum set aside for the next financial year for a population census. I would like to ask the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Finance when and how this population census will be taken, and whether Members of Parliament and members of the Citizens' Consultative Committees will be involved in this exercise.”
“I beg leave to withdraw. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. The following amendment stood in the name of Madam Chan Choy Siong - (3) That the total sum to be allocated for Head 0408 be reduced by $100.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head 0408 be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead 2023. The $35,630 provided in this vote for the next financial year is for payments to the Postal Department for services rendered to the Imports and Exports Office of the Trade Division. Will the Minister for Finance please inform this House of the nature of the payments and the reason for such a tremendous increase which, after taking into account the provision for the first quarter of 1970, is about three times that of the 1968 Estimates?”
“Sir, I beg leave to withdraw. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.”
“I am sure that our able Minister for Finance, who is an eminent economist, will be shrewd enough to work out a scheme to tackle this problem, if he considers that now is the appropriate time to do so. Mr Speaker, Sir, in fact, this is not the first time that this subject has been raised in Parliament. In the Committee of Supply on the Estimates of Expenditure in this House last year, the Minister promised to give consideration to this matter. This House may be interested to hear his comments.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, you may perhaps agree with me that during the colonial and semi-colonial periods, many people indulged in illegal business transactions such as smuggling, perpetrating frauds, gambling and other forms of commercial crime, and they became rich in such rackets. The profits arising there- from could hardly be accounted for by the Income Tax Department. In this manner, a lot of money must have been accumulated inside and outside our Republic by these people. Naturally, they do not dare come out with their hidden capital for investment for fear that action will be taken against them, apart from queries from the Income Tax Department as to the sources of their invested income. This accumulation of hidden capital must run well into hundreds of millions of dollars. Some of these people may sincerely want to start off with a clean state and invest their money in honest business. Every endeavour must be made to attract this idle money to come out from underground for useful investment. Mr Speaker, Sir, is it possible for the Government to work out some solution whereby this enormous sum of under ground capital can come out into the open without fear and prejudice? If this is possible, I am sure it will tremendously help the economic growth of the Republic, otherwise this hidden money will remain idle or it will even be sneaked out from the Republic. The stolen hens must be allowed to come out openly to lay eggs which can be shared between the Government and the owners. These eggs may, in time to come, produce more hens which in turn will produce more eggs. In other words, if the hidden capital can be utilised in honest investments, the Government and the owners will enjoy a profitable partnership.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head 0406 be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead 3014*. * The same amendment also stood in the name of Mr Lim Cheng Lock. Sir, the evasion of income tax is not uncommon in every country. Efforts have been carried out by every government to track down tax-dodgers. Our Republic cannot be an exception in this respect. It is now the opportune time for our Government to set up the Anti-Evasion Unit by tapping the knowledge of U.S.A. tax experts. At this particular moment, when our country is facing economic problems of a magnitude not known in the history of Singapore, we must endeavour to seek ways and means not only to counter the economic recession as a result of the British withdrawal from Singapore, but also to encourage and promote greater economic growth in both the public and private sectors. Therefore, in the public sector, the Government needs large sums of money for public redevelopment as well as for building up the defence capability. Hence it is only natural for our entrepreneurs, as loyal citizens of our country, to shoulder their burden by honestly paying their taxes which are due to the Government, while they enjoy prosperity and live in safety here. It is to be borne in mind that we are not a recipient country of any financial aid from any donor country. We always stand on our own feet and our future will depend on our own efforts. Therefore, we cannot afford to overlook the possibility of a minority indulging in tax evasion. I need not emphasise the necessity of setting up the Anti-Evasion Unit within the Income Tax Division to track down unscrupulous tax-dodgers.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head 0403 be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead 2651. Mr Speaker, Sir, the Republic of Singapore is now better known to the world since its independence. The increase in this vote is obviously due to more active participation in international organisations' activities. The information that I wish to seek is, to which respective international organisations the sum so provided in this vote will be paid, and the respective amounts? Perhaps the Minister for Finance has the answers, though the expenditure will be incurred for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.”
“I regret to, hear that no further assistance can be given to the Association. In spite of this, I beg leave to withdraw. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head 0403 be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead 2307. Sir, this is a provision of $15,000 for the next financial year in the form of contributions to the Singapore Association for the Deaf and Dumb which provides welfare and care for the deaf and dumb people in Singapore. It is worthy to mention that the Association has also been running a Deaf and Dumb School in Mountbatten Road, which is in my constituency, for many, many years. I understand the school is only for primary education. These deaf and dumb children, if given proper training, can live as useful lives as other children. It is regretted that they receive only primary education in this school and no facilities are provided for them for further education. Sometime this year I was invited to witness the first investiture of deaf cub-scouts held by this School for the Deaf and Dumb and I observed that these children had done fairly well. The principal of this School informed me that the Association has a plan to build a school for vocational training for deaf and dumb children so that they can make their own living. Sir, may I know from the Government whether there is any plan to provide a plot of land to build a vocational school for these deaf and dumb children, and also whether the Government can contribute towards the cost of building such a school to be managed by the Association for the Deaf and Dumb?”
“Sir, I beg leave to withdraw. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. The following amendment stood in the name of Mr Lim Cheng Lock - (14) That the sum to be allocated for Head 0401 be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead 3074.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head 0401 be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead 3072. Sir, the provision of this vote of $1� million is for the purchase of property for overseas missions for the next financial year. In the Committee of Supply in December last year, the Minister for Finance gave information on properties purchased for some of the overseas missions. Will the Minister again inform this House what other properties have been bought or will be bought for the other overseas missions?”
“Sir, I beg leave to withdraw. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.”
“Sir, I only want the Minister to know so that he can raise this anomaly with the Housing Board. For a two-room flat, the rentals are $35, $46.50 and $60. For a three-room flat, the different rentals are $55, $66.50 and $75. I hope the Minister for Finance can look into this.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head 0401 be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead 2005*. *The same amendment also stood in the name of Madam Chan Choy Siong. Sir, this sum is a subsidy to the Housing and Development Board. I notice that there is half a million dollars increase after providing for the first quarter of 1970. I would have thought that the subsidy would have been reduced considerably since new flats and some existing ones have been offered for sale to the public and to existing tenants. I would like to have the Minister's comments on this. The other point is on the standardisation of rentals paid by Housing Board tenants. The Old Kallang Airport Housing Estate is in my constituency. The Housing Board tenants there are paying three different rentals, and I suppose it is the same with the other housing estates. In the Old Kallang Airport Estate, for a one-room flat, the different rentals are $20, $25 and $40.”
“Sir, I beg leave to withdraw. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. The sum of $4,198,850 for Head 0201 ordered to stand part of the Estimates. Head 0301 -”
“have been taken into employment with the industrial firms and how many are at present still under training; (3) whether plans have been made out to take over the three air bases at Changi, Seletar and Tengah and what the Government proposes to do with them; and (4) whether the British Army establishments and land along Ayer Rajah Road and Alexandra Road areas and elsewhere in the Republic will be converted for use by light industries after providing for its use by our own defence forces.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head 0201 be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead 3004*. * The same amendment aslo stood in the name of Mr. Hwang Soo Jin. Sir, I understand that this block provision of nearly $2.3 million is provided for the Bases Economic Conversion Department for the next financial year to meet expenses on the training and retraining courses for redundant base workers and expenditure on administration in connection therewith. In addition, there is a supplementary provision of $430,000 provided in the Third Supplementary Estimates of Expenditure for 1968 which was approved in this House a few days ago. The establishment of this new department is necessary in view of the redundancy of large numbers of base workers who will be retrenched in stages from now up to the end of 1971. Our Government must be praised for this wise move in making advance plans for the train ing and retraining of redundant base workers and for the taking over and conversion of certain military bases for commercial use. For instance, the Naval Dockyard at Sembawang has been taken over and converted into a commercial dockyard. Base workers will no doubt benefit under this scheme and will definitely appreciate what the Government is doing for them. Sir, may I request the Acting Prime Minister to brief the House on: (1) whether the training and retraining of redundant base workers is deemed to be satisfactory; (2) how many of the redundant base workers who have completed training?”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, will the Government consider exempting purchasers and transferors of Housing and Development Board flats from paying increased stamp duties, the legislation of which will be contemplated in the near future? Mr Tang See Chim: Sir, the answer is "No".”
“Can the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Labour state how many strikes have taken place after the enforcement of the Employment Act?”
“Will the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Labour state whether there will be facilities for training the top and middle hotel management staff and, if not, whether arrangements will be made to send these trainees abroad?”
“Can the Minister state whether the present deadlock between the Philippines and Malaysia over the Sabah claim will lead to the dissolution of ASEAN, or, at best, adversely affect the future of ASEAN?”
“It has made great advances in all fields of economic development and has now become one of the world's leading industrialised nations. What has made this possible? It is not only because of the foresight and able leadership of the Japanese Government, but also because its people take pride in building their nation. We, the people of Singapore, should emulate them. Mr Speaker, Sir, with the exception of a few new clauses, the bulk of the provisions in the Employment Bill are merely a re-enactment and modification of the provisions contained in the three existing labour Ordinances. I do agree that there are shortcomings in the Employment Bill, such as the clauses relating to retirement age, payment of bonuses, sick leave, annual leave, etc. I understand these will be given re-consideration when the Member for Bukit Ho Swee moves his amendments at the Committee stage. On the whole and although unpopular, the Employment Bill is by far the most important piece of legislation which the P.A.P. Government has ever introduced since it came to power in 1959. But this piece of legislation has to be introduced not to enhance the popularity of the P.A.P., but because the nation's economy and the survival of its people are at stake. On this note, I end by expressing my support for this Bill in the hope that the amendments of the Member for Bukit Ho Swee will be accepted by the Government. 3.12 p.m.”
“benefits, better education for their children and other social benefits which the Government will seek to provide. You will agree with me, Sir, that a nation's well-being is, in effect, inevitably tied to its economic growth and the high productivity of its people. The emphasis now is on the need to increase our labour productivity to accelerate the economic growth of our Republic, especially in the industrial field. It must be remembered that labour represents the largest input of all factors of our economic productivity. An increase in labour productivity means a reduction in the cost of goods and services. This is vital and essential if Singapore is to meet competition in the world market for our export-oriented industries. This is what the Employment Bill hopes to achieve. If Singapore is to survive and progress as an industrialised nation, there must be concerted effort by labour, management and the Government to steer the country through the crucial years. A nation's advancement depends on the determination and the will of its people to live as a nation. We have to adapt ourselves to changes if such changes are for the good of the whole nation. It is the long-term interest and not the short-term interest of a country which should be given a high degree of consideration. It is the national interest and not the personal or sectional interest which should be given consideration. We should look to Japan and its people as our example. Japan's enterprises experienced rapid economic growth through its industrialisation which started in the Meiji era. The growth of Japan's economy played an important role in Japan's modernisation. Though the country was in ruins at the end of World War II, it has made a great recovery in the post-war era.”