Ong Pang Boon
Singapore
“At the same time, our shoulders should be broad enough to accept criticism and even admit mistakes if need be, and be prepared to make the necessary changes. This does not mean pandering to the baser instincts of the people.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the Ministry will certainly give every assistance to the villagers in clearing the debris, especially if they are left over by the contractors. I will appreciate if the Member can also let the Ministry know who are these contractors and we will prosecute them. CONSTRUCTION BRIGADE (Progress) 2.”
“The Ministry is now monitoring the results of the programme and is happy to note that there are some improvements in the cleanliness of our public toilets. It would prosecute managements of public toilets who fail to provide proper maintenance.”
“A comprehensive programme to monitor the air and sea environment in the vicinity of the Complex has been drawn up. Engineers and technicians from the Ministry and other departments have been sent for overseas training on the surveillance of petrochemical complexes.”
“The professional or other misconduct for the purposes of revocation must be of such a nature as to render, in the opinion of the Attorney-General, the notary public unfit to practise as such. This amendment is dealt with in clause 4 of the Bill.”
“All flats of the Port of Singapore Authority (PSA) including those at Blair Plain are rented out to employees on monthly tenancies and are not provided as part of their terms and conditions of service. These flats are therefore not service quarters.”
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“At the same time, our shoulders should be broad enough to accept criticism and even admit mistakes if need be, and be prepared to make the necessary changes. This does not mean pandering to the baser instincts of the people. Tinkering with the Constitution and the established political system which have proved workable is not the best long-term solution. After 30 years of political tutelage under the PAP rule, with universal education and the mass media on the Government's side, the electorate today cannot be less well-informed and responsible than in the 50's and 60's when, despite the poverty, widespread illiteracy and squalor, the people had consistently voted for the PAP in every election. I am, therefore, not convinced of the need to amend the Constitution to provide for an elected President with certain duties and power as contained in the White Paper. The proposed changes are so fundamental in nature that I feel compelled to reiterate my reservation in this House. 11.10 am”
“Should by some freak election results (which the Government claimed to be possible), an Opposition government were elected to office, it would be logical for the PAP President to work to undermine and bring down the Opposition Prime Minister and his government, even if the Opposition wants to act responsibly. In a Parliamentary democracy, peaceful transfer of power, whether intra-party or inter-party, is fundamental to the system, and must be seen to be so. Once this possibility appears closed, then violent revolutionary means would loom large. I do not think this is what we want. The PAP was founded on the Parliamentary system of democracy without a President endowed with wide-ranging powers. We defended this form of democratic system of government against powerful enemies. The system has worked well so far with material progress unsurpassed by others in Southeast Asia. We have gone through seven Parliamentary elections and the voters have always voted wisely by returning the PAP to power. The present second-generation leaders, by the Prime Minister's account, have acquitted themselves well, have worked as a team, and the future Prime Minister-elect is well placed to take over the reins if the Prime Minister decides to step down. Neither have they exhibited any profligate tendency to raid the country's reserves, to spend on generous subsidies, or dispense largesse to bribe the electorate. So why is there the need for such a fundamental change to the political system of government in Singapore? The best means of preventing an irresponsible government from coming to power is to take positive measures to persuade and convince the people that your policy and actions are in their best interests.”
“In an economic recession (through no fault of the government) when money is most urgently needed to prop up the economy, the future Prime Minister, if he is without even the power to borrow, would have to go on bended knees. A strong President, given the wide ranging powers, would be able to secure compliance to his views without having to have the executive powers and take the rap for exercising it. On the other hand, an equally strong-willed Prime Minister will render the system very difficult to work. Constant friction and endless arguments, even if eventually resolved through a compromise, makes the process of policy-making and implementation time-consuming and inefficient. In practice, either one has to recognize and accept the other as the de facto power in charge. The question then arises: under a dominant PAP President, can a second- or third-generation Prime Minister ever come of age as to be able to govern independently without having to lean on the President's crutches? One underlying assumption in the Government's argument so far appears to be that the elected President is a good guy and the Prime Minister may be a bad guy and, therefore, requires the President to keep a check on his or her actions. This may be so; but can we always ensure that the subsequent Presidents would be of equal calibre? If not, how would the stronger Prime Minister be restrained from raiding the reserves? The proposal as contained in the White Paper, whichever way one looks at it, would ensure the election of a Presidential candidate from the PAP.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, as early as April 1983 when the subject of an elected President with certain executive powers in a certain given situation was raised in discussion, I had grave reservations then. My views on the subject have not changed since. Although in certain respects the proposal has now been refined and harsh edges polished, for example, the choice of the Presidential candidate has been widened and that the President is not to be an executive one, nevertheless the crucial substance remains the same. In fact, the intention of the proposal as contained in the White Paper has gone even much further than originally mooted, which was to protect the country's financial reserves from being raided by a profligate government elected to office. The reserved powers of the elected President now extend beyond financial reserves to cover all assets of the government and key public service appointments. In the nature of power politics, another centre of power will emerge around the President, especially if the elected President has been a towering political leader for a long time. Ipso facto, the power and status of future Prime Ministers would correspondingly be reduced. For a Prime Minister to carry out his government's policies effectively, he must have the power over key public service appointments. That was what the PAP did in 1959 when it appointed the late Encik Yusof Ishak (who later became the First President) to head a new Public Service Commission, and so also other key appointments as and when they fell vacant. He must also have the wherewithal to pay for the administration and implementation of government policies.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the Ministry will certainly give every assistance to the villagers in clearing the debris, especially if they are left over by the contractors. I will appreciate if the Member can also let the Ministry know who are these contractors and we will prosecute them. CONSTRUCTION BRIGADE (Progress) 2. Encik Saidi Haji Shariff asked the Minister for Home Affairs how successful has been the Construction Brigade in achieving its objectives.”
“He should try to instill in them a sense of pride in keeping their living environment clean and green.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, there are about 420 semi-permanent and squat- ter premises in nine villages along Pasir Panjang Road. Refuse is collected everyday from these premises except for some 55 premises which are not accessible to our smallest refuse collection vehicles. Collection from these premises is difficult though our workmen have been instructed to proceed on foot for collection. Residents can help to improve our refuse collection service by using proper plastic bags to contain their refuse. For premises inaccessible to our vehicles, residents should deposit their plastic bags at designated points prior to the arrival of our refuse vehicles. There will be less smell, spillage and nuisance from flies and, at the same time, our workmen can collect faster. We do have a problem with bulky refuse such as old furniture, renovation debris, old ovens, etc., which are discarded at vacant lands in the villages. These cannot be removed by our daily refuse collection teams. They are too bulky and our vehicles are not designed to remove such items. We have to organize a task force from time to time to remove these items. Residents who have bulky waste should make use of our bulky waste removal service instead of dumping them indiscriminately. Mr Speaker, Sir, although we deploy workmen to clear the drains and roads in the villages, the conditions of the drains and roads are at times still bad due to indiscriminate dumping of refuse on them. We will endeavour to maintain the drains and roads satisfactorily. I will appreciate if the Member for Pasir Panjang can assist in persuading the villagers to refrain from their anti-social habit of indiscriminately dumping refuse on drains and roads.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I beg to report that the Committee of Supply has made progress on the Main and Development Estimates for the financial year 1984-85 and ask leave to sit again tomorrow.”
“Sir, my Ministry will certainly discourage unhygienic practices that will give rise to public health risks, even those of barbers and hairdressers. However, at present we do not license or control barber shops and hairdressing salons under our environmental regulations. So far we are not aware of any cases of skin infection being transmitted through these premises. However, we do read about anti-vice raids by the Police against certain new wave barber shops and hairdressing salons. The kind of skin diseases likely to be spread through these newwave hairdressing salons has nothing to do with hairdressing operations. Nevertheless, the Ministry will review the situation if there is any danger to public health. Meanwhile, those who patronize barber shops and hairdressing salons can take precautions through good personal hygiene by avoiding the use of face towels which have not been disinfected and also by washing their hair thoroughly after a hair cut. Alternatively, they should avoid those barbers and hairdressers who do not observe basic hygienic practices. The Ministry will prepare educational leaflets on simple hygienic practices for distribution to barbers and hairdressers through their respective trade associations.”
“The Ministry is now monitoring the results of the programme and is happy to note that there are some improvements in the cleanliness of our public toilets. It would prosecute managements of public toilets who fail to provide proper maintenance. In 1983, in fact, some 500 managements were warned about their dirty toilets, and 127 were prosecuted. Sir, regarding the question of launching a public campaign, I am not so sure how effective it will be other than publicising the state of the toilets. As I pointed out, last year the problem of enforcement was somewhat difficult and sensitive. You cannot expect the inspectors to be stationed in public toilets and see how the public use the toilets. But, nevertheless, the Ministry will give thought to launching another campaign and if that comes about I hope the Member for Alexandra will take the lead to launch it.”
“Sir, I cannot agree more with what the Member for Alexandra has said just now. However, in our situation, the problem of keeping public toilets clean is compounded by an influx of foreign workers from regions that have no modern sanitation. The cleanliness of our public toilets depends on various factors, including the level of maintenance, adequacy of toilet facilities and usage. The Ministry of the Environment has, in fact, embarked on a programme last year to keep our public toilets clean. In the first phase, about 1,017 managements and proprietors of commercial complexes, restaurants and coffee-shops were asked to upgrade and rectify all defects in the public toilets within their premises. The response was good. By the end of the year, more than 90% of the public toilets had complied with our requirements. The Ministry of the Environment itself spent about $275,000 last year to repair and renovate some 43 public toilets in markets and food centres. It is a matter of regret, however, that some public buildings are not provided with adequate toilet facilities or the level of maintenance left much to be desired. In this respect, the Government had not set a good example for others to emulate. The second phase involved inculcating good social habits on the part of users of public toilets. This is a more difficult problem. An educational and publicity campaign was launched to remind the public of the proper use of toilet facilities, They have been urged, among other things, to flush toilets after use, to keep the toilets clean and dry, to lift up the seat covers, etc. I think the recent wash toilet campaign organized by the schools, if sustained over a long period, is bound to have a positive effect on the cleanliness of our public toilets.”
“A comprehensive programme to monitor the air and sea environment in the vicinity of the Complex has been drawn up. Engineers and technicians from the Ministry and other departments have been sent for overseas training on the surveillance of petrochemical complexes. The sea and air environment in the vicinity of the Petrochemical Complex are safe and within the standards prescribed by us. The Ministry will continue to monitor the quality of the air and sea in the vicinity of the Petrochemical Complex, and will not hesitate to take any appropriate action to ensure that our environmental regulations are not violated. PROPERTIES RETURNED TO OWNERS AFTER ACQUISITION 2. Mr J.B. Jeyaretnam asked the Minister for Law if he will list out the various instances from 1965 in which properties had been returned to their registered owners after declaration for their acquisition had been made under the Land Acquisition Act, giving in each case the address of the properties and the name/names of the person/persons to whom the properties were returned.”
“In the vicinity of the Petrochemical Complex are two large oil refineries which have been operating long before the Petrochemical Complex was built. The oil refineries were required to comply with our standards for air and water discharge and had incorporated sufficient pollution control equipment and measures. The emissions from these refineries are within the standards set by my Ministry. When the decision was taken to proceed with the construction of the Petrochemical Complex, the Government also decided to form a Team comprising officers from the Anti-Pollution Unit, Ministry of the Environment, Singapore Fire Service, Factory Inspectorate, Industrial Health Division and Development of Building Control Division to conduct a baseline study on the air and marine environment in the area and to prescribe and evaluate appropriate pollution control measures for the Complex. The services of a British Consultant specialising in large chemical plants, M/s Cremer & Warner, was also engaged to advise on these matters. The Petrochemical Complex has complied with the pollution control requirements imposed by the Ministry. A central treatment plant was constructed to handle the process liquid wastes and catch pits were also installed around the plant areas to trap and remove light waste products. Oil interceptors were installed to remove oil from the liquid wastes as well as oil spillages which may be carried off by storm water during rainfall. Solid waste generated by the Complex will be incinerated on the island, re-exported for regeneration or detoxified and buried at a designated area in the Petrochemical Complex while waste hydrocarbon gases will not be allowed to be discharged into the air, but must be burnt off.”
“The professional or other misconduct for the purposes of revocation must be of such a nature as to render, in the opinion of the Attorney-General, the notary public unfit to practise as such. This amendment is dealt with in clause 4 of the Bill. Secondly, the Bill inserts a new section 5A to the Act to enable the appointment of a notary public to be revoked in certain other circumstances where no misconduct is involved. These are where the notary public himself requests that his appointment be revoked (e.g. when he is leaving Singapore for good), or where he has ceased to practise as an advocate and solicitor for a continuous period of more than two years. This amendment is contained in clause 5 of the Bill. Clauses 2 and 3 are purely formal amendments and have no substantive effect. Sir, I beg to move. Question proposed.”
“The present penalty is only a fine of up to $5,000 for the first offence, and up to $10,000 for a subsequent offence. A new provision has been included to provide that where an offence is committed by a body corporate with the consent, connivance or due to neglect on the part of any officer of the body corporate, he will also be guilty of the offence. The Minister will also be empowered to make regulations on storage, removal and disposal of toxic wastes. As the proposed penalties are heavy, no prosecution shall be instituted without the consent of the Public Prosecutor to prevent excesses in the enforcement. Sir, I beg to move. Question put, and agreed to. Bill accordingly read a Second time and committed to a Committee of the whole House. The House immediately resolved itself into a committee on the Bill. - [Mr Ong Pang Boon]. Bill considered in Committee; reported without amendment; read a Third time and passed. NOTARIES PUBLIC (AMENDMENT) BILL Order for Second Reading read. 4.18 pm The Acting Minister for Labour (Prof. S. Jayakumar): Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, "That the Bill be now read a Second time." Sir, this is a short Bill which seeks to amend the Notaries Public Act in two respects. First, it amends section 5 of the Act relating to the revocation of appointment of a notary public in cases of misconduct. At present, that section only has application where the notary public has been struck off the roll of advocates and solicitors. The Bill amends that section so as to enable the Attorney-General, who is the appointing authority, to also revoke the appointment of a notary public who has become a bankrupt or made an arrangement with his creditors or who has been found to be guilty of professional or other misconduct.”
“Another illegal toxic dump was found the following month in May, just outside the Kranji Catchment, which contained nickel, copper, chromium, lead and zinc compounds. These chemicals, if consumed in sufficient quantities, can cause damage to the nervous system, internal organs and the brain. It could also lead to other long-term health hazards which are yet unknown or even death. A case in point is the highly publicised Love Canal in the United States where the population of an entire town suffered from various diseases associated with drinking contaminated water. Fortunately, the two local incidents were discovered in time to prevent contamination of the reservoirs. However, these serve to illustrate the vulnerability of our water resources to such wanton acts by irresponsible individuals and companies. It is, therefore, important that we have sufficient penalties to deter people against the indiscriminate discharge of toxic wastes. The existing Water Pollution Control and Drainage Act, 1975, does not have penalties that sufficiently discourage such indiscriminate discharge which can cause untold damage. The Bill before the House is to provide these deterrent penalties to protect our population and water resources. The new section 14A of the Act will prohibit the discharge of toxic substances into any inland water and persons convicted of such an offence will be liable to a penalty of up to $10,000 fine or six months' imprisonment or both for a first offence. Mandatory imprisonment of between one month and one year will be prescribed in addition to a fine not exceeding $20,000 for a second or subsequent offence. For a third offence, the Minister may by order direct the person to cease with the process or business were the toxic substance is being produced.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, "That the Bill be now read a Second time." Singapore's water resources are limited and must be developed to its full potential to meet our increasing demand for potable water. Stringent measures to prevent pollution of the watercourses and reservoirs will therefore be necessary so that our water supply is safe for consumption. This is especially so when many of our reservoirs are in unprotected catchments where only limited housing development and clean industries are allowed. Preventive measures have been taken whereby all industrial, trade and residential premises will need to comply with the pollution control requirements. However, there is a growing threat of contamination of our water resources through the indiscriminate dumping of toxic waste, which originates from the processes of industrial and trade establishments. This could have very serious consequences. An entire reservoir built at substantial cost may have to be written off altogether. There could be serious health implications as the toxic materials could be carcinogenic or cause long-term health effects. Outside of the catchments, efforts to clean up the rivers and canals to bring back marine life would be negated if such illegal dumping is unchecked. Only in April this year, a substantial quantity of toxic waste was found to have been dumped in the Kranji Catchment. The waste, containing mainly copper chloride, had leached through the ground and into a stream which flowed into the Kranji Catchment. A sample analysis of the water in the polluted stream indicated a high copper concentration. Fish kept in this water died within a few hours. A high level of copper in human beings can lead to brain damage.”
“All flats of the Port of Singapore Authority (PSA) including those at Blair Plain are rented out to employees on monthly tenancies and are not provided as part of their terms and conditions of service. These flats are therefore not service quarters. Under the terms and conditions of service, all PSA employees are not entitled to transport or transport allowance for travel between home and their work places. Employees who were previously staying at Blair Plain cannot therefore be treated any differently. Like other PSA employees, they must bear their own transport expenses and make their own arrangements for travel to and from work. PLANS TO COMBAT COMPUTER CRIME 4. Mr Rohan bin Kamis asked the Minister for Home Affairs, with widespread usage of computers in Singapore and the increasing rate of computer crime, what are the plans to equip our Police Force, particularly the Commercial Crime Division, to meet this new challenge in terms of manpower and expertise, and, if necessary, legislation.”
“(c) the power to enter private buildings lying within 150 metres from the MRT alignment to carry out inspections, surveys and remedial works where necessary. (d) the power to request the diversion or removal of utility lines, fences and other obstructions lying in the way of MRT construction. Parts V and VI of the Bill deal with the issue of compensation. The circumstances in which it can be claimed as of right are described in the Schedule to the Bill. These include compensation for displacement from lands and buildings affected by MRT construction and compensation for structural damage to buildings arising from MRT construction. A Railway Compensation Board will be established under clause 39 to arbitrate on disputes pertaining to compensation. This would be similar to the Tenants Compensation Board. The advantage of this approach is that it would be procedurally simpler and less costly than going to court. Nevertheless, the Bill does allow for appeals to the High Court against the Compensation Board's decisions on points of law. Upon the passing of this Bill, the Provisional MRT Authority Act will be repealed and the MRT Corporation will take over all its assets, liabilities and responsibilities. Sir, I beg to move. Question put, and agreed to. Bill accordingly read a Second time and committed to a Committee of the whole House. The House immediately resolved itself into a Committee on the Bill. - [Mr Ong Pang Boon]. Bill considered in Committee; reported without amendment; read a Third time and passed. PUBLIC UTILITIES (AMENDMENT) BILL Order for Second Reading read. 3.45 p.m.”
“And finally, Part VII sews up the Bill with various miscellaneous provisions. I shall now highlight some of the more important provisions of the Bill. Clause 17 sets out Government's decision to pay from public funds the full one-time cost of building and equipping the MRT. Clause 18 imposes a duty on the Corporation to ensure as far as possible that, taking one year with another, its revenue is sufficient to meet the cost of operating the MRT. Clauses 24 to 32 of the Bill set out the specific powers required by the Corporation to construct the MRT and the pro- cedures for exercising them. These powers include : (a) the power to acquire land compulsorily under the provisions of the Land Acquisition Act; (b) the power to enter private and State lands for the purpose of building the MRT. This includes the right to bore tunnels through private property as well as the right to span or support viaducts over private property. In exercising this power, the Corporation is obliged to show clearly on maps the precise area within which the MRT may be built, and to make these maps available for public inspection. Moreover, the Corporation is required to serve at least two months' notice on owners and occupiers of private lands before exercising the power of entry. On this point, I should add that the right to drive a tunnel through private property or to build a viaduct above it is necessary because of the strict geometric constraints on the MRT line. This is unlike roads or sewers which can be shifted this way or that, relatively easily. However, the Bill does provide a remedy in that the owner of any land affected in this way can, if he so wishes, require the MRT Corporation to buy over his land.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, "That the Bill be now read a Second time." Sir, the Provisional Mass Rapid Transit Authority was established in July 1980 to undertake preparatory works pending a decision on the MRT. Members will recall that the rationale of the establishment of the Provisional Authority was to minimize delay once a firm decision to build the MRT had been taken. This move has paid off. The project is now progressing rapidly. Tenders have been invited for several major contracts. The first set of civil contracts is expected to be awarded next month. Construction work will then begin a month or two later. It is a credit to the Board and Management of the Provisional MRT Authority that we have managed to come this far so quickly. Although the Provisional MRT Authority has been administering the implementation of the project since Government took a firm decision in May last year, it does not possess the legal powers necessary to actually build and operate the MRT. Hence it is necessary to introduce fresh legislation to establish a permanent successor to the Provisional Authority and to vest it with the necessary powers. This permanent successor will be called the Mass Rapid Transit Corporation. Part I of the Bill deals with preliminaries. Part 11 deals with the incorporation, functions and powers of the Corporation, and Part Ill sets out the financial provisions. These are, by and large, fairly standard and straightforward in the sense that broadly similar provisions can be found in the legislation of other statutory authorities. Part IV of the Bill sets out the special powers required for MRT implementation and the methods for exercising them. Parts V and VI deal with compensation rights and procedures.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, pig farming is by nature pollutive and will give rise to malodour. It is not practical to completely eliminate the odour nuisance. However, the nuisance can be minimized through better housekeeping at the farms and improved waste treatment and disposal methods. During the day, the odour is less noticeable because the malodour is dispersed and diluted with rising warm air. However, during the evening when the temperature of the air is cooler at the ground level, the malodour does not disperse easily and the smell nuisance becomes more noticeable. Farmers have, therefore, been advised not to wash or flush their pig pens towards the late afternoon to minimize the nuisance. To further reduce odour and pollution caused by pig farms, farmers in designated pig farming areas are also required to install waste treatment plants by 1984 to treat their waste properly. The larger farms in Punggol are taking action to implement this requirement. One alternative to eliminate the smell problem is to rear pigs in completely enclosed buildings which, in our local weather conditions, would be uneconomic and impractical. It must be stressed that so long as we want to maintain a flourishing pig industry in Singapore, we would also have to accept some level of smell nuisance from pig farms. It is a price we pay for having pig farms in Singapore.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the Simon Road Market and Food Centre was alienated to the HDB under a comprehensive plan for the development of Hougang New Town. I have been informed by the HDB that the Market and Food Centre will not be relocated within the next two to three years as the HDB will not require this site within that period. In view of the large numbers of stallholders at the Simon Road Market, however, it is unlikely that the stallholders will be relocated en bloc. Mr HO JUAN THAI 2. Mr J.B. Jeyaretnam asked the Minister for Home Affairs, in view of the statement made by Mr Tan Chay Wa shortly before his death, whether he will now withdraw his allegation that Mr Ho Juan Thai was actively connected with Mr Tan Chay Wa and that the Workers' Party has provided cover for subversive activities and, if he is not prepared to withdraw his allegations, will he order a public inquiry into this serious allegation against this political party.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the Ministry of the Environment, together with the Housing and Development Board, will continue to provide cleansing services, educate the public against littering and take enforcement action against those who litter. The Ministry, together with the Housing and Development Board, deploys more than 3,000 workers and 30 mechanical sweepers each day to clean up HDB's housing estates. Enforcement action on littering offences in HDB's housing estates has also been stepped up. In 1982, a total of 13,712 people were fined for littering in HDB's estates compared to 8,881 in 1981. Last year, a total of 43 public health educational programmes comprising talks, slides and film shows and exhibitions were held in various HDB housing estates, community centres and schools. The themes of these programmes varied from anti-littering to the use of plastic bags for the proper disposal of refuse. MPs, CCCs and RCs have actively participated in these campaigns. It is imperative that residents cooperate and make a concerted effort not to litter. Parents should refrain their children from littering and the children, in turn, should exert pressure on their friends. When there is sufficient social pressure against littering, and every resident makes a concerted effort not to litter, then we will have a cleaner environment to live in. HELL RIDING ACTIVITIES (Measures to eradicate) 4. Mr Yeo Toon Chia asked the Minister for Home Affairs how many hell riders were arrested in 1980, 1981 and 1982, and what action was taken against them; and, in view of the high risk of injury to life and of being a nuisance to the public, what measures are being taken to stop the dangerous riding practices of these hell riders.”
“Sir, I will certainly look into the problem.”
“Whether or not the present system is 20 years behind time, I do not know, but the Member has suggested that we should pay a visit to Osaka to study how waste is disposed there. We will certainly look into it.”
“Sir, there are two principal ways of disposing wastes in Singapore. One is by dumping at the dumping ground and the other is by incineration. As the House may be aware, incineration has been found to be the most effective and economic means in terms of land use for disposing waste whether domestic or industrial. The present incineration plant in Ulu Pandan can handle a capacity of 1,600 tons of waste a day, and with the completion of a second incineration plant in Tuas, which can handle a capacity of another 2,000 tons of refuse a day in 1986, we will be able to incinerate about 80% or 85% of the waste produced in Singapore by 1986. As for the dumping ground which we have in the land-fill sites at Lorong Halus and Lim Chu Kang, these two sites will be able to cater for all the refuse and waste collected in Singapore for the next 20 years. The Member for Toa Payoh has mentioned about the nuisance caused by refuse collection in the Housing Board estates. It is true that under the present system, multiple chutes in HDB blocks of flats are constructed, each leading into a bin placed at the bottom. The bins are carried each day to a bin centre and the contents emptied into the refuse truck when it arrives at the bin centre. The advantage of this system is that every household has direct access to the chute from the kitchen. However, the problem observed by the Member for Toa Payoh is true. In this system we cannot avoid a certain amount of spilling, smell and so forth. It is for this reason that shopkeepers, hawkers and residents can help if they put their refuse in plastic bags. A better solution, of course, is for the HDB to consider alternative means of providing waste disposal in their building plans.”
“Sir, yes, in some of the NTUC supermarkets.”
“As for smoking ban, the Ministry does not have any plans to impose a ban on smoking in supermarkets and departmental stores. We have studied the experience and practice in other countries where people shop mainly in supermarkets and departmental stores. We found that the Americans and the Japanese do not legislate against smoking in supermarkets and departmental stores. Whilst Canada and Germany have laws prohibiting smoking in such places, the ban was imposed for safety rather than for public health. In this respect we have received no complaints from the Fire Service. There is no evidence yet that smoking, though undesirable in supermarkets, is posing a health hazard. 6.30 p.m. However, the Ministry has noticed that a number of supermarkets and departmental stores have their own house rules against smoking, These rules are observed by the public. These places are generally not smoky or stuffy and the food displayed is not affected. The Ministry will encourage the supermarkets and departmental stores to follow suit and introduce their own house rules against smoking.”
“Sir, in general, the Ministry does not allow eating establishments-to extend their business on to five-foot ways, roadsides and other public areas when such areas do not form part of the approved layout of the premises. To ensure that eating establishments operate under hygienic conditions, the layout must be carefully planned so that there will be adequate kitchen and storage areas. For example, the common kitchen area for an eating house should be 25% of the refreshment area. The stipulation for a minimum kitchen area is necessary as otherwise the operator would find himself preparing food under cramped and unhygienic conditions. In the last Budget session of Parliament, my former Senior Parliamentary Secretary did reply to the effect that if the shopkeeper wishes to extend his area of operation he must first enlarge the kitchen area and also improve the other facilities. If the operator of the eating establishment can satisfy the condition, the Ministry can give favourable consideration. The reason why the refreshment area is related to the size of the kitchen is that all too often the Ministry found eating establishments and restaurants having to extend their kitchen to the backyard with no proper washing or waste disposal facilities. Sometimes food is also prepared in the back lanes when they try to cater for more customers than they could cope. There is also the problem of littering and so forth. But nevertheless in the last two years the Department had approved 14 applications for extension of the dining area on to adjacent concourses and vacant land. The Department gave the approval after ascertaining that the kitchen and the storage areas were adequate and that the extension would not cause disturbance to the residents nearby.”
“But we will try our best, although I must say the number of health inspectors that we have at the moment is inadequate to cover all the public toilets plus the inspection of restaurants and various kinds of food establishments and so forth. The cooperation of every member of the public is necessary. As for the cost of construction of a hawker still, the Minister for National Development is probably the authority on this subject. But the construction cost is not just confined to the hawker stall but also the refreshment area, the concourse, the footpath, and the various facilities. An hon. Member: Toilets.”
“Sir, there are really no itinerant hawkers as such. The instance mentioned by the Member for Telok Blangah is, in fact, a stationary hawker and not an itinerant hawker. If I understand him, the so-called itinerant hawker goes to Telok Blangah, parks his vehicle there, and conducts his business. It is stationary; it is not itinerant. I think the objection is mainly on grounds of public health because these itinerant hawkers are unlicensed and therefore they are not medically screened and we have no means of knowing where they prepare their food; and whether the food is prepared hygienically or not. So it poses a health hazard, besides littering and polluting the place. As regards hardship criteria, I have given instances of hardship criteria. One is recipient of public assistance and the other is an unemployed person over the age of 40, or the physically handicapped who is not able to do any other job. It is difficult to fix different rates for different markets or in different zones. This will mean arbitrary action on the part of the Ministry. The correct way will be, as the Minister for National Development always advocated, that these stalls should go for public tender and let the market forces decide on the rates. Maybe if that is what Members prefer, I will certainly consider it very seriously by tendering out all the vacant stalls. I agree with the Member for Whampoa that the school is the best place to inculcate the habits of personal hygiene, especially when the school-going children are still young. Once they become adults, it is a bit more difficult.”
“So the Member for Whampoa can rest assured that the market in his constituency will not be phased out yet. I understand the HDB has already started to allocate neighbourhood shops for market produce in some of their new estates.”
“For public health reasons and because hawkers were socially disadvantaged people, the Government adopted the policy of subsidizing them by providing food centres and markets for hawkers to conduct their trade under clean and hygienic conditions. Hawkers were charged a nominal sum as licence fee or rental for their stalls. Another reason for subsidizing was that they provided a cheap source of food for the lower and middle income groups. During the years when wages had to be kept low to build up the economy, hawkers helped to lower the cost of living. As the economy strengthened and wages increased, the provision of a cheap source of food by hawkers helped to contain inflation. Hawkers have, therefore, in their own way contributed to the economy. In the '70s the situation changed. With full employment and higher wages, there was a great demand for hawker food as working families often eat out. Hawking became lucrative and was not just a way out for the unemployed. Many able-bodied young men, attracted by the profits of cooked food hawking applied for hawker stalls.' 5.15 p.m. The studies have established that the existing wet market distribution system is labour-intensive and there is a decline in the demand for wet market stalls. There are currently more than 2,000 vacant stalls in wet markets. However, about 66% of the 20,600 people who are in the trade now are above 40 years of age, and they will find it difficult to find alternative employment if wet markets are phased out completely. Therefore, the alternative retail distribution system in the form of supermarkets and neighbourhood shops as recommended by the STRED and supported by the Review Committee will only be introduced in the new HDB estates.”
“Yet, despite their success in the hawking business, they have shown no desire to give up their hawker stalls which are heavily subsidized by the public. I would be much happier if the very MPs who have spoken up for the poor hawkers will also make a plea to these prosperous hawkers to give up their heavily subsidized stalls to the needy. Mr Speaker, Sir, a study team on the retail distribution system known as STRED was formed to examine the retail distribution trade in Singapore. It recommended, among other things, a fundamental restructuring of the wet market system, including phasing out of wet markets to release precious labour into the industrial sector, the setting up of supermarkets and specialty stores to replace the wet markets, and the charging of market rates, etc. In view of this radical recommendation, a special review committee, chaired by my former Senior Parliamentary Secretary, including the Parliamentary Secretary (Ministry of National Development) and a few other Members of Parliament and officials from the relevant Ministries, was thereafter appointed to look into the social and political implications of the recommendations of STRED. In a chapter entitled "Social and Political Background", the Committee commented: 'Hawkers were a major social and political issue in the '5Os and early '60s when unemployment was high. As hawking provided a way out for the unemployed, Government was, therefore, liberal in issuing hawker licences. By the late '60s, the employment situation improved, To limit the number of hawkers in the Republic and to ensure that the able-bodied men were channelled to more productive sectors of the economy, the register for hawkers was closed in December 1969. The total number of hawkers then was 24,843.”
“All hawkers and their assistants, cooks, waiters, waitresses in hotels, restaurants, schools and office canteens are required to be medically screened and inoculated once every three years against typhoid. As for ducks being hung out to dry in the open air, mentioned by the Member for Whampoa, the inspectors of the Ministry will take enforcement action whenever they come across such practices. But generally, the management of the restaurants should take the initial action to ensure that such practices do not take place. It will be difficult for the health inspectors to be present everywhere at all times of the year. Mr Speaker, Sir, the subject of hawkers has always been a hot topic in this House. This is perhaps to be expected as, traditionally, hawking has always been associated with the poor and the under-privileged in our society. I presume this must be the underlying reason that has prompted so many Members of Parliament to take up cudgels on behalf of the hawkers. Viewed in this light, I am glad that in our materialistic society where the philosophy appears to be everyone for himself, as the world does not owe us a living, there are still MPs who have a soft heart for the underdogs. However, this appears to run smack against the constant advocacy of the need to make hard-headed and invariably unpleasant decisions for the long-term good and interest of the society. In their eagerness to take up issues for the hawkers, they should not overlook the many instances of cooked food hawkers who first obtained a cooked food licence on hardship grounds and have since prospered to the extent of owning a Mercedes and also sending their children abroad for further studies.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, may I first reply to the Member for Whampoa. There are 10,700 public toilets in Singapore. Some of these are well maintained but many are not satisfactorily maintained. It is important for both the management and members of the public to realize their responsibilities in keeping public toilets clean. Whilst the Ministry's health inspectors can and will continue to inspect the public toilets regularly and take enforcement action when necessary, the condition of the toilets can only improve if management pay more attention to the maintenance of public toilets and if members of the public make, a concerted effort to use the toilets with consideration for others. Public health inspectors can easily take action against management for dirty toilets. However, it is difficult to check on the users of the toilets without intruding on their privacy. The Ministry has conducted an intensive survey of all public toilets in Singapore early this year, and subsequently issued notices to the managements and proprietors of commercial buildings, eating establishments and other public places where the public toilets need to be repaired or upgraded. They will be given six months to make the necessary improvements. Thereafter, the Ministry will go out to the public to appeal to them to use public toilets properly. The Ministry realizes that it will not be easy to teach the public how to use public toilets properly as this is a sensitive and personal matter but, nonetheless, every effort will be made to bring the message across. The fullest cooperation from everyone is needed if we want to see the standard of cleanliness of public toilets improved. The Ministry pays close attention to the personal hygiene of food handlers in eating establishments.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the present policy is to resite the street hawkers in the nearest food centre available.”
“We are aware though of the growing tendency amongst the public to patronize stalls with accomplished culinary skills to the extent that people travel long distances to patronize their favourite food centres. Today, the business of selling cooked food is no longer a means to eke out a livelihood, but it is a business as lucrative as any other for those with special culinary skills. We see culinary skills as our heritage. However, in view of the priority we have to give to the resiting of street hawkers, the question of issuing more licences based on culinary skills would have to be considered later. Meanwhile, those with culinary skills and who wish to sell cooked food can rent a stall in a coffee shop or other private food establishments.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, my Ministry does not issue any more new licences for people to operate in Government or Statutory Boards' food centres, except to a few who are in financial hardship and unable to take up other gainful employment. Vacant stalls in these food centres are reserved for the resettlement of street hawkers. There are still some 2,300 street hawkers comprising 1,450 cooked food, 310 market produce and 540 piece and sundry goods hawkers who must be resettled into proper premises for environmental and public health reasons. The policy to resite all street hawkers into proper premises was implemented in 1970. All new markets and food centres built by the Ministry of the Environment (MOE) and HDB are reserved for this purpose. The HDB also reserved some stalls in its markets and food centres to resettle shopkeepers and farmers in lieu of alternative premises or cash compensation. Some 23,200 street hawkers have been resited since 1970. With the completion of the cooked food centres at Kreta Ayer, Church Street, Amoy Street and Hill Street, another 1,170 street hawkers will be resited, leaving a balance of 1,130 hawkers on the street. As land will not be made available for the construction of cooked food centres in the central business core areas, alternative means will have to be found to resite these hawkers. My Ministry and the Ministry of National Development will be looking into various alternatives, including the conversion of vacant market produce stalls in existing MOE and HDB markets into cooked food stalls. Our priority, therefore, is in the resiting of street hawkers into the limited number of existing stalls.”
“My Ministry had already made arrangements with the Ministry of National Development for HDB to collect the refuse fees for hawkers in HDB estates. This will be implemented soon. GROUNDS OF REFUSAL TO ISSUE PASSPORTS 2. Mr J.B. Jeyaretnam asked the Minister for Home Affairs on what grounds the Controller of Immigration refuses to issue passports to Singapore citizens for travel abroad.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, very few people are found smoking in cinemas, buses and lifts nowadays. Generally, the people in Singapore have accepted and responded to the ban against smoking in such places. My Ministry will ban smoking in indoor amusement centres for electronic games, even though they will all be closed down next year. This is necessary as these places are very confined and often crowded with children and young adults and smoking in such places is therefore undesirable. Bowling alleys, however, are more spacious and less crowded and smoking in such places does not pose a serious threat to public health. SINGAPORE POLICE FORCE (Review by Japanese and British Study Teams) 6. Mr Rohan bin Kamis asked the Minister for Home Affairs what is the status of the reports submitted by the Japanese and British Study Teams in their reviews of the Singapore Police Force in early 1982; whether the recommendations are acceptable; when these will be implemented, and how will the public be affected.”
“Sir, I thought I have replied to that question in my reply just now. The first thing to do is to control pollution of our catchment areas so that all the water flowing into our catchment areas will not be polluted.”
“However, in the rural areas it is uneconomical to extend sewers to premises which are scattered over a large area. Punggol is a rural area. The northern part of Punggol has been developed for pig farming. The widely scattered households living in the area will install a simple rural sewerage system known as R2 designed by our Sewerage Department. The Housing and Development Board is developing the southern part of Punggol as part of the Hougang New Town. This area will be sewered. When the Hougang New Town project is completed in the next few years, the Member for Punggol will have no cause to raise this matter in this House again. Mr Speaker, Sir, we are trying to conserve all our water resources by removing all sources of pollution from protected and unprotected water catchment areas. Only non-pollutive light industries and limited residential development are allowed in catchment areas. We also try to reclaim waste water for use by industries and households. The Jurong Industrial Water Works reclaims some 20,000 cubic metres of waste water daily from the Ulu Pandan Sewage Treatment Works. The reclaimed water is used by 39 industries in Jurong and 5,658 units of flats for toilet flushing.”
“In this respect, perhaps the Member for Bukit Batok can seek the assistance of the Minister for National Development to find such a place. As for the Member for Punggol, from FY 77 to FY 80, the Government spent about $584 million on sewerage development projects to provide modern sanitation to our people. We have a total of six major sewage treatment works, 1,500 small sewage treatment plants, 1,550 kilometres of sewers and 122 pumping stations. Daily, about half a million cubic metres of waste water is treated by these installations. To-date, about 440,000 households or 88% of the total households in Singapore are enjoying modern sanitation. Besides serving households, a comprehensive sewerage network is also provided for industries, trade and commercial premises. Therefore, in terms of population equivalent served by modern sanitation, Singapore records a very high 82% compared with 79% for West Germany, 74% for the USA and 30% for Japan. Singapore is an urbanized society. It is necessary for us to have an effective system for the immediate removal of sewage and waste water which is a constant source of pollution and infection. Without such an advanced sanitation system, it would be difficult to control any outbreak of water-borne diseases in our urbanized and crowded environment. As a result of our extensive sewerage system, we have successfully prevented outbreaks of water-borne diseases such as cholera, typhoid and dysentery. The high level of sanitation is also necessary to prevent pollution in our water catchments, the major part of which is unprotected. Mr Speaker, Sir, it is our policy to extend the sewerage system to serve the entire population of Singapore wherever feasible and within economic reach.”
“Mr. Speaker, Sir, there are only 17 bean cake manufacturers in Jalan Bandar and these are located in the Kranji water catchment. The manufacture of bean cake requires large quantities of water which have to be disposed of as waste water. At present, the 17 bean cake manufacturers are discharging the waste water into water courses, which pollutes the Kranji Reservoir. We need to protect our reservoirs from pollution so that our citizens can have clean piped water for consumption. On the other hand, the nearest sewer available is in Jurong East New Town, To extend this sewer to the bean cake manufacturers would cost $3 to $5 million. It is therefore uneconomical to extend the sewer to these 17 bean cake manufacturers at such a huge cost. The rural sanitation system, called the R2, cannot cope with such a large volume of highly polluted waste water. It is therefore not suitable for this cottage manufacturing industry. Mr Speaker, Sir, the Ministry has been sympathetic to the plight of the bean cake manufacturers and has given various periods of extension to enable them to find alternative sites. After we first served notice in January 1978, the 17 manufacturers were given extensions of 12 months, then six months and another six months up to January 1980, to move out of the area. Following appeals in June 1980, the Ministry deferred enforcement action on these bean cake manufacturers until December 1981. The bean cake manufacturers therefore have been given more than ample time, four years altogether, to find alternative sites. I am sure the Member for Bukit Batok will agree with me that for the benefit of the larger population in Singapore, these 17 bean cake manufacturers should therefore resettle to a sewered area designed for food manufacturing.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the reduction in staff for the Quarantine Services is in respect of Changi Airport. The Quarantine staff at our seaport are not affected. The best safeguard against the introduction and transmission of infectious diseases is to ensure that diseases cannot take root in Singapore. Over the last two decades, we have strengthened the home defences by building up a strong public health infrastructure, by providing environmental sanitation, educating our people on the preventive aspects of infectious diseases and minimizing breeding grounds for vectors which transmit such infectious diseases. We have a high standard of environmental sanitation. Our water supply is clean and reliable. We have an efficient and effective waste disposal system. With these measures, we have been able to minimize the recurrence and spread of many infectious and vector-borne, food-borne and water-borne diseases such as malaria, typhoid and cholera. With the improvement in the overall environmental standards, a review of the quarantine procedures at the Airport was carried out last year. It was found that it was unnecessary for passengers entering Singapore to declare any health papers except for those from South America and Africa, who must be vaccinated against yellow fever. Consequently, first-line health checks at the Airport could be carried out by Immigration officers. As a result, 18 posts of the Quarantine staff at the Airport were deleted. Faster clearance of passengers entering Singapore has now been achieved without any compromise in our port health standards.”
“We will continue to mount an intensive public health education campaign to inform our public how to prevent breeding of mosquitoes at home. This public education programme is carried out with the assistance of schools and grassroots organizations in various constituencies. Overall vector control has progressed and improved over the years. Although there are still complaints about mosquitoes, the number of complaints has, in fact, reduced from 1,453 in 1979 to 1,418 in 1980 and further reduced to 1,204 in 1981. The success in our vector control programme has resulted in a reduction of mosquito-borne diseases, such as dengue haemorrhagic fever or malaria. In fact, there has been no major outbreak of dengue haemorrhagic fever and malaria in recent years. This is a credit to Singapore as we are situated in a region that is endemic to vector-borne diseases. Recently, the World Health Organization sent officers down to Singapore to evaluate whether Singapore is malaria-free. We are awaiting the decision of the WHO. Mr Sia Khoon Seong: Sir, I beg leave to withdraw my amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.”
“Sir, vector control is a labour-intensive activity with limited scope for mechanization. Manpower costs account for 90% of the expenditure for this activity. The increase in cost for this activity is due to increases in wages for manpower from about $9.4 million last year to $10.7 million this year, or an increase of about 14%. We have reduced the manpower in this activity. Otherwise the increase in manpower costs would have been greater. 4.30 p.m. Mr Speaker, Sir, the number of daily-rated employees was reduced from 1,470 to 939. At the same time, the number of monthly-rated employees increased from 204 to 266 to enhance supervision of the daily-rated employees. The additional 62 officers were redeployed from other departments in the Ministry following reorganization. We have also reduced the use of anti-malarial oil. The consumption has been reduced from a monthly average of about 64,000 litres in 1975 to about 27,000 litres in 1981. We were able to reduce manpower and the use of anti-malarial oil without affecting the standard of vector control because we have been eliminating or controlling the primary sources of mosquito breeding. The need for recurrent oiling is, therefore, reduced. The primary sources of breeding grounds are usually in sunken drains, vacant land and construction sites. Where possible, these breeding grounds will be removed. The ground puddles on vacant land will be filled and sunken drains will be repaired. The Public Works Department has been very cooperative and since 1979 they have repaired an average of 41,000 metres of sunken drains each year. The programme is still going on. A tighter surveillance is maintained on construction sites to prevent mosquito breeding. Mosquito breeding in homes, however, still remains a problem.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the training programme will certainly be stepped up whenever it is necessary.”