Othman bin Wok
Singapore
“Mr Speaker, Sir, since 1958, the Land Office has been administering the Singapore Badminton Hall on trust for the Singapore Badminton Association. The Ministry of Social Affairs had been looking into the possibility of the Singapore Sports Council taking over the Singapore Badminton Hall.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, there are no plans to expand the seating capacity of the National Stadium. The present structure can accommodate 60,000 people. The development plans for Phase II of the National Stadium Complex have been abandoned. SINGAPORE BADMINTON HALL (Take-over by Singapore Sports Council) 22.”
“Mr Teo Chong Tee asked the Minister for Social Affairs (a) whether the Sri Rama temple which has been existing for more than 31 years in Changi Village will be allowed to remain on the present site in view of its significant importance of being the only one of its kind in Singapore as well as in the whole of South East Asia; and (b) if so…”
“I have already mentioned previously in this House that my Ministry is setting up a coordinating committee of officials from various Ministries and departments to see what can be done for these cases. I would like to assure the hon.”
“Sir, I am not aware of this temple in Changi and I am also not aware that it is going to be pulled down, or whether it is to be preserved and thus allowed to continue its activities.”
“I have had such requests since the early sixties but on each occasion I have been unable to bring about the operation of this part of the legislation mainly because of two reasons: (i) the tremendous amount of cost that would have been involved; and (ii) it is felt that all prosecutions, being supervised by the Attorney-General, would onl…”
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“The Member also raised the point of instilling in the public, particularly those occupying high-rise buildings, the consciousness of never to be careless and to prevent fire outbreaks. The Fire Brigade, in fact, is conducting several short courses in fire-fighting and fire prevention for occupants of high-rise buildings, industrial workers and members of the public. I hope more people will take advantage of such educationaI programmes so that collectively we car help to promote fire safety in the Republic. As I say, while I am satisfied that the Fire Brigade is making good effort to meet the new challenges posed by high-rise buildings. I would like to point out that it is essential for the public to play their part in helping to prevent outbreaks of fire. Although high-rise buildings and residential flats may be equipped with adequate fire prevention measures, we must not forget that the contents of the building, such as furniture, carpets, curtains and other furnishings are usually highly combustible material. It is therefore necessary for the occupants of high-rise buildings to inculcate good habits to ensure that they do not cause fire through acts of carelessness and negligence.”
“I believe that the high standards of fire prevention advocated by the Fire Brigade have been maintained through the Fire Precautionary Code which was prepared by the Building Control Division in consultation with the Singapore Fire Brigade. Sir, fire-fighting in HDB flats would pose obvious problems to the Fire Brigade, especially if the fire occurs on the upper floors. Since HDB buildings do not have built-in facilities, fire hoses and other fire-fighting equipment have to be manually carried up to the affected floor level. The fire hose is then lowered down and connected to a fire pump in the fire engine. Such difficulties faced by the Fire Brigade could be minimised through the provision, and I say again, of rising mains, access ways for fire engines, fire lifts and fire resistant entrance doors to the flats in the HDB buildings. These provisions have been incorporated in the Safety Code of Practice which was prepared in consultation with the Fire Brigade. Contingency plans have been drawn up for the Republic of Singapore Air Force Helicopter Squadron to assist the Fire Brigade in the event of an extreme need to rescue persons trapped on the rooftops of high-rise buildings. These plans include calling up of off-duty personnel and other essential supporting Government services. However, I must emphasise that aerial evacuation will only be used as a last resort in view of the great dangers involved In a high-rise fire, the occupants should be told to descend through protected staircases rather than ascend to the roof-top where heat and smoke and other conditions might make it impossible for rescue to be effected. 3.15 p.m.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the Singapore Fire Brigade is aware of the problems involved in fighting fires in high-rise buildings. As early as 1960, the Fire Brigade had insisted that high-rise buildings be provided with built-in fire-fighting facilities and such other preventive measures as are necessary for the protection of lives and property. Also regular fire drills are held in high-rise buildings for members of the Brigade to familiarise themselves with the built-in fire protection facilities. In addition, inspections are also made by fire officers of all high-rise buildings to ensure that the fire protection facilities are in good working order. The Fire Brigade will have no special difficulty in fighting a fire, say, on the 50th floor or above the 16th floor of a high-rise building provided the building, as I said, is equipped with adequate fire protection facilities such as fire lifts, wet rising mains and hose reels. When the Brigade was involved in making recommendations for fire prevention facilities in all buildings to ensure that adequate fire prevention measures were provided, stringent requirements were imposed on high-rise buildings, including the provision of automatic sprinklers and fire detectors, wet and dry rising mains. protected staircases for escape purposes, ventilated lobbies for internal fire fighting, fire lifts for use by firemen in emergencies, hose reels and extinguishers and the use of non-combustible building materials to control the spread of fire. Since 1st August, 1973, this function has been transferred to the Building Control Division of the Public Works Department. However.”
“Sir, I beg to report that the Committee of Supply has made further progress on the Main and Development Estimates for the financial year 1st April, 1976 to 31st March, 1977, and ask leave to sit again on Monday, 22nd March, 1976.”
“Sir, I will take note of that for the next pilgrimage.”
“Sir, firstly, I would like to thank the Member for his kind words. It is not only the Ministry of Social Affairs or the Muslim Religious Council but there were many other Government departments which were involved in solving the problems faced by the pilgrims last year. We moved in just at the right time and therefore we were able to solve those problems, This year the Muslim Religious Council will be responsible for pilgrimage matters between Singapore and Mecca. It is also true, Sir, that last year four welfare officers accompanied our pilgrims to Mecca. Two of them volunteered their good services free of charge. As regards the other two officers, although the cost of their air passage was paid by the travel agents, the expenses incurred during their 60-odd days stay in Saudi Arabia to carry out their duties, amounted to $3,941.73. This sum includes service charges by sheikhs in Mecca, Jeddah and Medina, transportation charges, costs of accommodation and personal expenses. Pending approval from Government ~o meet this expenditure from public funds, the MUIS paid out the above sum out of the Baitul-mal Account, in the first instance. The Ministry of Finance has been asked to refund to the MUIS the sum expended.”
“Reports of the visits which were considered worthwhile for the respective heads of departments to note and to take action have been brought to the attention of the departments concerned. The Bureau has found these visits fruitful and effective in eradicating discourtesy in the public service. Hence. for the current year the number of visits planned will be doubled.”
“If necessary, investigations are made before action is taken to refer the complaint, The Bureau sometimes receives complaints which are malicious or frivolous against hardworking and innocent public servants. While ensuring that such public servants are protected from such injustice through careful investigations, the Bureau never hesitates to take action against any public servant who has failed to discharge his or hen duty properly. It is the policy of the Bureau to keep the complainant informed of the outcome of his complaint immediately. For cases requiring protracted investigation and verification of statements made by various parties, interim replies are given to let the complainant know that the Bureau is still actively pursuing the issue on his or her behalf, The Bureau has a small staff but, with the efficient deployment of staff and the cooperation of the departments which have dealings with the Bureau, so fan work in the Bureau has not in any way been handicapped by the limited staff. As part of the campaign to reduce incidents of discourtesy in the public service, since September 1974 the Bureau has started deploying its officers to conduct observations and inspections at various Government departments and statutory bodies which have frequent dealings with the public. From September to December 1974 the Bureau made 122 such visits. Last year, 465 visits were made. Besides observing the way officers at the counter treat members of the public, an assessment of the facilities, such as. directional signs, cleanliness of waiting areas, etc.. available for the public, was also made.”
“Sir, through the years the Central Complaints Bureau has established itself as an avenue for complaints from persons who consider themselves aggrieved by acts or omission on the pant of individual civil servants or departments. The Bureau, not unlike the famous Justice Pao series on television, as mentioned by the Member for Katong just now, is prepared to take a determined stand to rectify a wrong done. In several instances too, the processing of one particular complaint has led to a general overall improvement of the department as a whole. Despite the burden which the investigation of complaints imposes on the inspected offices and departments, their response has been generally satisfactory and encouraging. While the Bureau endeavours to treat the inspected department or officer with consideration, it will on no account do so at the expense of complainants, and it displays suitable firmness where necessary. The Bureau received 695 complaints last year. Complaints received and attended to by the CCB fall under three broad categories. The first category relates to complaints against individual civil servants. Cases include discourtesy, misconduct, petty bureaucracy, unnecessary delay of service, and discrimination of service. The second category relates to complaints directed against Government departments and statutory boards, The complaints are usually directed against departments which have to do enforcement work. 7.45 p.m. The last category of cases attended to are, strictly speaking, not complaints but rather appeals for assistance and inquiries. All cases, either big or small, referred to the Bureau are studied.”
“The society has also been advised to improve its accounting system and to have its staff trained in proper accounting practices with the help of its external auditors.”
“Comments from the Singapore National Cooperative Union have been received, but the NTUC is still studying the draft legislation. We have sent them a reminder and are still waiting for an answer. The cooperative movement is by and large very healthy, with the exception of a few weak cooperative societies which are receiving guidance and assistance from the Registry. I agree fully with the Member that good management is vitally important for the successful operation of cooperative societies, including multi-purpose societies. Unfortunately, only a few cooperative societies can afford full-time staff which are particularly required by those societies which have been converted into multi-purpose societies. It will take time for the movement to develop professionalism in the administration and management of cooperative societies. In this regard, the establishment of a cooperative training centre is important. This centre will in future conduct courses for in-service training of staff and for the training of officers and managers of cooperative societies on a regular basis. Regarding multi-purpose cooperative societies, at present theme are seven of them. Two were converted from Thrift amid Loan societies, while the remaining five were formed as multi-purpose societies from the start. The Hon. Member also wanted to know the position of the Singapore Teachers' Multi-purpose Cooperative Society. The big sum of money which he mentioned actually refers to discrepancies of consumer stocks in hand valued at $25,544. which could not be verified owing to the absence of a proper stock record, The Registrar is satisfied that the present management committee has been making an effort to rectify the shortcoming.”
“Sir, the House will recall that during the last Budget debate I mentioned that the ILO experts had made a number of recommendations to the Government. These include the reorganisation of the Registry of Cooperative Societies into a Cooperative Development Department, the formation of a Cooperative Apex Organisation for the cooperative movement, the revision of the cooperative law and the establishment of a Cooperative Training Centre. As a first phase of the reorganisation of the Registry of Cooperative Societies, the establishment of the Registry has been strengthened with the increase of four additional staff, including two of executive officer grade. The strengthening of the staffing situation has made it possible to reorganise the Registry on a functional basis. It has also enabled the Registry now to undertake more promotional and educational work for the benefit of the cooperative movement. On the question of unifying the cooperative movement. this has been actively pursued. A cooperative convention of representatives of various cooperative societies was held in March last year to discuss the proposed Cooperative Apex Organisation. Owing to divergent views on the constitution of the proposed Cooperative Apex Organisation, as well as the question of representation, it was decided that this proposal be deferred until relevant details of the revised cooperative laws are known. On the question of a revision of the existing cooperative legislation, the draft Bill has been sent to the Singapore National Cooperative Union and the National Trades Union Congress to seek their views on certain fundamental issues which affect all cooperative societies, including those belonging to the trade union movement.”
“Sir, to answer the Member for Sembawang, it is very difficult to please everybody, but we will do our best. If it is possible, we will provide sports facilities for the people in the rural areas too. I know that the Member for Sembawang is a good sportsman. He man 13 laps at the National Stadium in 24 minutes, and that is an achievement. I can assure him that we will look into the question of building squash courts or jogging tracks in Sembawang. To the Member for Punggol, I thank him for his support.”
“All might. That makes it easier still. We can add one more. As regards the allowance for the inter-constituency sports. I am not aware of any slashing of the allowance. But I will look into this matter and the Chairman of the SSC can help me out with this. On the question of the Toto money, well, it should have come straight to the SSC. But as matters stand, this is for the Minister for Finance to decide on the matter. As I said just now, I will be negotiating with the Minister for Finance on that and I hope Members can give me all the support they can. Some Hon. Members: Yes, we will.”
“Sir, the Member can rest assured that I am looking into the matter actively and will settle it.”
“(2) The Sports Council will provide free auditing services to the clubs. (3) All donations to the clubs via the SSC will be tax free. (4) The clubs' use of SSC facilities will be at a concession rate. (5) A seminar for Sports Liaison Officers and Chairmen and members of the CSA on CSC was conducted in 1975. It is true that SLOs are voluntary workers, But the Sports Council has provided them with these privileges: (a) free passes to witness football matches at the National Stadium; (b) concession rates at SSC instructional lessons in swimming, tennis and squash: (c) concession mates for use of all SSC swimming pools; and (d) special rates for all seminars organised by the SSC. The SSC is therefore sympathetic towards sports liaison officers, If they are advisers of the Constituency Sports Clubs - I believe most of them are Members of Parliament - and if they feel strongly about the matter of allowances, I suggest they bring it to the attention of the Council. As regards incentives for our football players, this matter is under the jurisdiction of the FAS and I believe the FAS is the body to negotiate with the respective employers of these football players on the matter of refunding or reimbursing whatever monetary loss they have suffered by way of attending practices.”
“This arrangement took effect from, 18th August, 1975 and it has been found to be working very satisfactorily. Steps are also being taken to floodlight the courts at Farmer Park as the peak hours are between 5.30 p.m. and 10 p.m. The Council has also plans to build another eight tennis courts and nine squash courts at the Kallang Complex and two more of each at St. Wilfrid Road in the Whampoa area. At the moment, we already have 11 squash courts in use. The Pesta Sukan is an annual feature of our sports programme and it has proved to be very popular. With increased support from local participants and the emphasis on mass participation, the Council has been and will be catering for more local competitions and mass participation events such as the National Walk, National Jog and National Cycling. The national sports associations participating in the Pesta Sukan receive a subsidy and the Council also provides for the medals for all the competitions. However, those national sports associations wishing to include foreign participation can do so provided they are responsible for all such expenses involved. In 1975, the SSC provided a small subsidy to all constituencies which had organised a Constituency Sports Association (CSA) on a Constituency Sports Club (CSC). The Council is considering the possibility of giving another subsidy in 1976 for all constituency sports clubs, The following are the forms of assistance that the Sports Council has given or will be providing to the constituency sports clubs: (1) The Council's assistant sports officers will attend management committee meetings of the CSA on CSC to help with their immediate problems. They will also assist the sports liaison officers in the organisation of intra-constituency sports.”
“He has also raised a number of points concerning the maintenance of sports facilities as well as assistance to sports organisations. The fields at Tanglin. Dover Road and Farrer Park, under the management of the Singapore Sports Council, are being maintained regularly throughout the year. There is a heavy demand for the use of these fields by members of the public, especially during week-ends and public holidays. The fields are, therefore, without a doubt generally over-used and this causes heavy wear and tear. This goes to emphasise that the fields of the Singapore Sports Council are fully utilised and that theme is a shortage of playing fields. On the question of tennis at Tanglin, the players normally are already properly attired for the game. However, those who wish to change on use the toilet facilities can do so at the booking office where such facilities are available. Steps are being taken to convent a small hut, adjacent to the tennis count, into a changing room. 7.15 p.m. In 1975, the Sports Council requested that the clay courts at Tanglin be cemented, but it was turned down by the Ministry of Finance because they felt that it would be more economical to cement the courts at a time when major repairs or renovations were due. The SSC has tennis courts located at different pants of the island and the most popular courts are those at the National Stadium, Farmer Park and Tanglin. The Council has implemented a twice-a-week booking system at the National Stadium on Mondays and Thursdays to enable more people to have a chance to play. The previous booking system was unsatisfactory as theme were complaints from the public. As a result, the Council insists that bookings can only be made in person between 8 am, and 10 am.”
“What is desirable is to build a new Hindu temple in a satellite town where there are a large number of Hindus. A good suggestion is to build one such temple for several temples affected by development. The management committees of these temples should pool their resources to get a new temple built as soon as possible. The choice of a site for the new temple is left to the Hindu Endowment Board and the Hindu Advisory Board which are concerned with the problem of the construction of new temples at the satellite towns. In this regard. Sir, I have already directed the Hindu Endowment Board, of which the Member for Anson is the Chairman, to set up a management committee to coordinate the clearance of sites used for religious purposes and to build new temples in satellite towns. The management committee which will be set up under the Hindu Endowment Act will advise the various management committees to transfer compensation money from the demolished temples to the Board for use specifically for the building of new temples in satellite towns. The committee will also look into the other aspects, including fund-raising, for the construction of new temples in satellite towns. On the question of sports, in the last Budget sitting the Member referred to the National Stadium as a white elephant. Now he says that the National Stadium is not a white elephant. Instead, he says that the elephant is causing traffic congestion. He has praised the new Chairman of the Singapore Sports Council for attending personally to the problems of the Council, including the construction of an underpass which not only eases traffic congestion but also provides a short-cut to the Stadium and a safe passage for the convenience of the public.”
“On the question of asking the Singapore Turf Club to support sports from its revenue, this again is a matter which is in the hands of my colleague, the Minister for Finance. I can suggest it to him, As regards Toto, it is for sports. Its origin can be traced to a proposal made by my Ministry, as I have mentioned earlier, to raise money for sports. I would like to thank the Member for his suggestion. As I have already said, negotiation is going on between my Ministry and the Ministry of Finance on the matter. As regards the Member for Anson, he has brought up the question of temples and sports which appear to be unrelated subjects, because one relates to the spiritual realm while the other to temporal affairs. However, he has a point in bringing up these two subjects together, since sports deal with the enrichment of the spirit, one relating to the religious spirit and the other is what all of us in Singapore is quite concerned with, that is, building a rugged physique. He has referred to temples which have to give way to urban renewal and other development projects. It must be emphasised that development projects which are for the benefit of the people as a whole must go on. If any building is in the way of such development, obviously it will have to go. This is unavoidable, This applies not only to temples but also to mosques and churches. It is the policy of the Government to provide sites in every new satellite town for the building of mosques, churches, Hindu or Chinese temples for the people living in these new satellite towns. This policy has already been announced and will be implemented. The Government cannot provide a site to replace every religious building affected by urban renewal and development.”
“In fact, prior to the announcement on the increase in cigarette and tobacco duties, my Ministry had intended to request the Ministry of Finance to levy a few cents tax on each packet of cigarettes for the purpose of sports promotion. In 1974, duty was levied on 3.610 million kilogrammes of local and imported cigarettes. At the rate of one kilogramme of tobacco to 88 packets of cigarettes of 10 sticks each, the total volume works out to about 317.715 million packets. With just a levy of a few cents, we could, in fact, expect to collect an additional revenue for sports promotion equivalent to the additional revenue from the recent increase in duties in cigarette and tobacco. As soon as the announcement was made by the Minister for Finance, I suggested to him that at least 50% of the additional revenue arising from duties on cigarettes should be channelled to the Singapore Sports Council so that the annual grant in the Budget may be correspondingly reduced. I fully agree with the Member that smokers who ignore Government's call to reduce or stop smoking, which is a serious health hazard, should contribute in a positive manner to sports which is health-giving. I am not one of the veteran smokers in the Cabinet who are immunised against lung and other pulmonary diseases referred to by the Minister for Finance. In fact. I have never smoked at all. I support the views of the Member for Jalan Kayu, not because I am not a smoker but because we need a definite source of funds to finance public sports facilities, and to ask for 50% of the additional revenue from the duties on cigarettes seems reasonable enough.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, the Member for Jalan Kayu is a man after my own heart and to have such a suggestion from him, a smoker himself, is most commendable. The idea of getting definite sources of revenue to finance sports projects and the development of sports facilities in Singapore has been considered by my Ministry on many occasions. Many alternatives have been considered, including the lottery now known as the Singapore Sweep and the Football Pools which has now become Toto. The House may wish to know that the Singapore Sports Council has formulated a 7-year Master Plan for the long-term development of public sports facilities in Singapore. The Master Plan recommends the creation of an international indoor stadium, a velodrome, multi-purpose indoor stadium, swimming pools, athletic stadium, tennis courts, football fields and squash courts. All these facilities will be decentralised all over the island. The Master Plan envisages an expenditure commitment of $75.45 million and the recurrent expenditure, in excess of revenue, ranges from $6 million in 1976 to $8.8 million in 1982. Through consultations With the Ministry of Finance this year, a grant of $2 million has been provided for the development of sports facilities which cover some of the much needed facilities envisaged in the Master Plan which I have mentioned. Bearing in mind the urgency to develop adequate sports facilities in order to promote sports for the masses, the present system of financing sports through grants and loans plus interest may not be sufficient. I agree with the Member that the additional revenue derived from the increase in import duty on cigarettes and tobacco as has been announced recently, should be channelled for sports promotion purposes.”
“Mr Hwang Soo Jin asked the Minister for Law and the Environment what is the justification for charging the transfer fee of $500 in respect of Temporary Occupation Licences held by farmers in the rural areas; if he will consider waiving such fees in all cases where the transfer is from parent to son or from one member to another in the same family, and if he will also consider continuing to maintain the same rate of T.O.L, fees in all such cases of transfer within the same family.”
“Mr Speaker. Sir, as in previous years. Haj pilgrims made private arrangements with travel agents to proceed to Mecca by air. It came to the notice of the Ministry a few days before the scheduled departure of two groups of Haj pilgrims that the pilgrimage flights for the 9th and 10th November would be delayed due to the non-availability of the planes. The Ministry immediately initiated investigations. It was found that the two travel agents who were responsible for these two groups of pilgrims, together with other parties responsible for chartering and providing the planes, had mishandled the flight arrangements. In view of the circumstances, the Ministry intervened and, with the assistance of the Singapore International Airlines, arranged a number of SIA flights to transport all the pilgrims to Jeddah in time to perform pilgrimage. Return flights were also arranged for the pilgrims. In future, all pilgrims whether they intend to travel to Mecca by sea or air, will be required to register at the Pilgrimage Office of the Majlis Ugama Islam Singapura, at Em press Place. They will be issued with Pilgrim Passes which will entitle them to medical and welfare services during their pilgrimage. The Ministry is now making plans for pilgrim chartered flights to and from Mecca to be coordinated by MUIS with the assistance of the Singapore International Airlines. TEMPORARY OCCUPATION LICENCES (Transfer fees) 2.”
“Sir, I have nothing more to add. I have clearly stated just now that the SSC will look into this.”
“Sir, the point raised by the Member has no relevance to the Bill before the House.”
“Sir, not all the funds of the Singapore Pools (Pte) Ltd, are channelled into financing the Constituency Sports Associations. Of course it will be desirable for these Sports Associations or Clubs to raise their own funds. But if it is necessary for the SSC to provide them with funds, then the SSC will look into the matter.”
“Sir, as the Member for Sembawang has been repeating what I have said, therefore I have nothing to say to him. On the question raised by the Member for Punggol, when this Bill becomes an Act, the Singapore Sports Council will look into that matter.”
“The amendment to section 8 of the Singapore Sports Council Act, 1973, will enable the Council to establish Constituency Sports Clubs as proprietary clubs under the Act, to, ensure that the "sports-for-all" policy can be implemented successfully. This would enable all constituencies to overcome the technical difficulties they face in promoting sports through Constituency Sports Associations. The amendment to section 23 is a consequential amendment. Sir, I beg to move. Question proposed. 4.20 p.m.”
“Members of Parliament who attended these meetings pointed out various problems connected with the running of these Associations, apart from difficulties in management and in the recruitment of suitable personnel to serve in them. Subsequently, the Singapore Sports Council made a study of Constituency Sports Associations. The Study revealed that not all Members of Parliament were in favour of forming Constituency Sports Associations under the Societies Act because, amongst other things, the registration procedures in forming societies under the Societies Act are too complex and the legal obligations of managing an association under the Act are too burdensome. These obligations include: (i) the submission of annual reports and statements of accounts audited by public accountants; (ii) the liability of excess revenue to income tax; and (iii) an annual election of office bearers. Constituencies with Constituency Sports Associations are also faced with the following problems: (a) difficulty in getting sports officers and dedicated members to serve in the Associations on a continuing basis. Officials serve in a purely voluntary capacity. They are, by and large, persons with full-time employment and untrained in sports administration; (b) difficulty in obtaining sufficient funds to finance their sports programmes. The tax liability on excess revenue discourages them from raising funds. Furthermore, donations to the Associations do not enjoy income tax relief. There is no doubt that the difficulties and problems I have just mentioned have impeded the speedy formation of Constituency Sports Associations and their operation. Needless to say, such a situation would adversely affect the implementation of our "sports-for-all" policy.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, "That the Bill be now read a Second time." The Bill before the House seeks to amend section 8 of the Singapore Sports Council Act, 1973, to enable the Council to establish and manage sports clubs. One of the primary tasks of the Council is the planning and implementation of Government's "sports-for-all" policy which calls for the education and involvement of the masses in the regular practice of some wholesome form of physical activity. Towards this end, inter-constituency sports tournaments were introduced in 1972. The tournaments are organised by the Singapore Sports Council working closely with the various national sports organisations and the sports liaison officers of the constituencies. As the sports programme in each constituency developed, it was found that a sports liaison officer working alone was not enough for the proper co-ordination of sporting activities within his constituency. In view of this, Constituency. Sports Associations were formed to provide the organisational base for the promotion of sports within the constituencies and for the preparation of teams for both inter-constituency and intra-constituency tournaments. To-date, 39 such Associations have been registered under the Societies Act (Chapter 262). Hon. Members of the House will recall that several meetings were held in 1974 to discuss inter-constituency sports. Though it was generally agreed that the Constituency Sports Associations should be independent bodies, it was also recognised that to ensure success these Associations should be managed by officials who had the interest, aptitude and background in sports.”
“SINGAPORE SPORTS COUNCIL (AMENDMENT) BILL Order for Second Reading read. 4.15 p.m.”
“Clause 5 amends section 6 of the Act and provides for the vesting in a volunteer probation officer, the same respective powers and duties as a probation officer would have under section 6 of the Act if the latter had been appointed to supervise the probationer instead. In addition, the clause empowers a volunteer probation officer to apply to a court for the discharge or an amendment of a probation order, with the proviso that he must first seek the approval of the Chief Probation Officer before applying for such a discharge or amendment of the order. Finally, clause 6 amends sections 4, 5 and 13 of the Act to provide that:- (a) the work of a volunteer probation officer may be reviewed by a Probation Committee appointed by the Minister under section 4 of the Act; (b) a court may appoint, under section 5 of the Act, a volunteer probation officer to be responsible for the supervision of a probationer; (c) another volunteer probation officer or probation officer may be selected to supervise a probationer, if the volunteer probation officer originally assigned to his supervision is unable to carry out his duties for any reason, if the Probation Committee considers it desirable that another person should be appointed to supervise the probationer; (d) female volunteer probation officers may be appointed to supervise female persons under the Act; and (e) rules may be made which prescribe the duties of volunteer probation officers. 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.-[Encik Othman Bin Wok]. Bill considered in Committee; reported without amendment; read a Third time and passed.”
“Up to now, volunteer probation officers have been acting as Welfare Assistants to our departmental probation officers, and they have no powers under the Act to supervise probationers. They only supplement the work of our own officers by increasing the frequency of contacts with probationers at their places of work, schools, homes or elsewhere. The Bill before the House is designed to vest volunteer probation officers with statutory powers to enable them to work closely with our own officers in supervising probationers, thus enhancing their effectiveness besides strengthening the Probation and Aftercare Service. The volunteers will handle the less problematic cases with the necessary guidance from the Department. Our own officers could then concentrate on the more difficult cases and the preparation of comprehensive and evaluative presentence reports for the consideration of the courts. Clause 3 of the Bill provides for the appointment of volunteer probation officers by the Minister from amongst persons who are not employed as Police Officers or Prison Officers. Initially, the Ministry intends to be very selective in the appointment of voluntary probation officers. Only those who have demonstrated the right attitude towards the job and the aptitude to work with offenders will be appointed. Clause 4 amends subsection (7) of section 5 of the Act which will enable the Chief Probation Officer to make available a copy of the probation order of the court to the volunteer probation officer if such a person has been assigned to supervise the probationer.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, "That the Bill be now read a Second time." The Bill before the House seeks to amend the Probation of Offenders Act to provide for the appointment of volunteer probation officers who will be empowered to supervise offenders placed on probation. Hon. Members of the House may wish to know that the Community Probation Service Scheme was introduced in 1971. Under this Scheme, the Probation and Aftercare Service enrols members of the public as volunteer probation officers to help in the rehabilitation of young offenders whom the courts place on probation. Since the introduction of the Scheme, 347 persons have applied to become volunteer probation officers. So far, 132 persons have been selected. Of this number, 53 have been put on the job and 79 are receiving practical training. The Ministry's objective in introducing the Community Probation Service was to secure community involvement in probation and aftercare work. Probation as a form of treating offenders works best in a community which understands and accepts its objectives, principles and methods. Furthermore, the Ministry realises that there is a considerable pool of resources and goodwill among ordinary citizens, which could be tapped to assist the Service in its work. Since the implementation of the Scheme, we have found that our trust and confidence in the ability of these people to befriend and guide young people who have gone wrong has not been misplaced. My Ministry intends, therefore, to encourage further community participation and involvement in probation work by strengthening and consolidating the Community Probation Service. One of the ways in which this can be done is to empower volunteer probation officers the legal responsibility for supervising probationers.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I would just like to point out to the Member for Kampung Kembangan that this Fund is established for the purpose of building mosques in the new towns only, and not as he has stated just now, i.e, whenever a mosque is pulled down a new mosque will be built on the site. The Fund is not meant for that purpose. It is specifically set up to build mosques in the new towns which I have named in my Second Reading speech. On his point about utilising monies in the Mosque Building Fund under the new section 75B, in clause 3 of the Bill, I wish to reiterate that the Fund is established for a specific purpose only, that is, it shall be used for: `(a)the purpose of building any mosque in Singapore; and (b)the payment of any costs, charges and expenses of maintaining and administering the Mosque Building Fund.' I am afraid the monies cannot be used for any other purpose than what is stated in the Bill. On his third point about the powers given to the MUIS, I can assure him, Sir, that I will keep an eye on whatever the MUIS is doing. 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.-[Encik Othman Bin Wok]. Bill considered in Committee; reported without amendment; read a Third time and passed. LAND TITLES (STRATA) (AMENDMENT) BILL Order for Second Reading read. 3.17 p.m.”
“Just as there may be Muslims who are financially unable to contribute, there may be those who wish to contribute more than the minimum amount. For this purpose, the Bill also makes provision for contributions in excess of the minimum amount of 50 cents per month to the Mosque Building Fund. An employee who wishes to contribute more than 50 cents per month can notify his employer by submitting a Notification Form stating the desired amount for a period of six months. Self-employed Muslims can notify the MUIS in like manner. The MUIS is also empowered to receive contributions for the Mosque Building Fund from non-Muslim persons. Non-Muslim well-wishers are, therefore, welcomed to contribute to the Mosque Building Fund. The Bill also provides for the Majlis to make rules with the approval of the Minister for Social Affairs for the purpose of collecting contributions direct from those who do not have CPF accounts, either because they are employers or self-employed, and also for the purpose of carrying out the provisions of the Act relating to the Mosque Building Fund. Sir, I beg to move. Question proposed. 3.03 p.m.”
“The MUIS will appoint their own agents to collect contributions from Muslims who are employers or are self-employed, since these people do not have CPF accounts. For this purpose, Ketua Amils and Amils will also be appointed during each fasting month. The Central Provident Fund Board will be the collecting agent for the contributions payable in respect of Muslim employees. Members of the House will observe that the Bill makes it compulsory for every employer of a Muslim employee to pay monthly contributions to the Mosque Building Fund of an amount set out in the Schedule to the Act on behalf of his employee. He is empowered to recover such contributions from the wages of his Muslim employees. Realising that there may be Muslims who are financially unable to afford to contribute, the scheme has been designed as a voluntary scheme. Since contribution to the Mosque Building Fund is voluntary, a Muslim employee who does not wish his employer to contribute to the Mosque Building Fund on his behalf can exercise an option not to contribute under the Act. A Muslim employee who does not wish to contribute could, therefore, file an application for a Certificate of Option with the Majlis Ugama Islam which is responsible for issuing Certificates of Option which are valid for a period not exceeding 12 months. Whilst the Certificate is in force, his employer need not pay contributions on his behalf. However, on the expiry of the period for which the option is in force, the employer shall be liable to pay the contributions unless the employee again exercises an option to absolve him from this liability for a further period of time not exceeding 12 months.”
“Moreover, the Government has already publicly announced in November 1973 that its policy in the process of urban renewal and development is to reserve adequate sites for a temple, a mosque, and a church in each of the new towns or concentrations of population into which people are moving. Depending on the size of the community in each of these housing estates, adequate space will be reserved for each religion in every new town. The Muslims in Singapore have experienced difficulties in raising funds for the mosque building programmes. To-date, not a single mosque has been erected at the sites in satellite towns provided by the Government, despite the efforts made by Muslim groups in various parts of Singapore to raise funds for the construction of mosques. The difficulty and the slow pace in fund-raising are compounded by the escalation in building costs. A number of appeals for assistance have been made to the Majlis Ugama Islam Singapura and this has led the Majlis to approach the Government to help solve the problem. The Bill now before the House seeks to amend the Administration of Muslim Law Act to provide for the establishment of a Mosque Building Fund to be used for building one mosque in each new town. In the course of the next three to eight years, four new mosques, each varying between $500,000 to $800,000 in costs, will be built in Toa Payoh, Queenstown, Jurong and Woodlands. Two other mosques will also be built, one in Chai Chee, another in Telok Blangah or Pasir Panjang. The Mosque Building Fund will be administered by the Majlis Ugama Islam Singapura (MUIS) and contributions to the Fund will be voluntary.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, "That the Bill be now read a Second time." The Administration of Muslim Law (Amendment) Bill, 1975, was introduced in Parliament on 29th July, 1975. The Majlis Ugama Islam Singapura, under the Administration of the Muslim Law Act (Cap. 42) has certain responsibilities. One of these is the administration of all mosques in Singapore. Progress in Singapore involves change. The numerous development schemes such as public housing, road development, etc, require the best possible use of land. Wherever possible, alternative sites for religious buildings are provided within the framework of a rational utilisation of scarce land. This applies to all religions in Singapore. The process of urban renewal has resulted in the moving of population from one area to another and the concentration of people in satellite towns. In recognition of the religious needs of the Muslims who have been resettled, the Government has provided the Majlis Ugama Islam Singapura sites for mosques at the satellite towns of Jurong, Toa Payoh and Queenstown. Mosque sites at Woodlands and Chai Chee are also made available to the Majlis. At Chua Chu Kang, a new mosque has already been built by the Government at the site of the new cemetery. At Geylang Serai, two mosques had to be demolished as a result of a new road project, but both were re-built nearby at Government's expense. The re-built mosques at Jalan Rebong and Lorong Ungku Aman are bigger and are provided with better modern facilities.”
“Sir, I think it is simplest for the borrower to open a Post Office Savings Bank account and bank in the cheque. 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. - [Encik Othman Bin Wok]. Bill considered in Committee; reported without amendment, read a Third time and passed. WATER POLLUTION CONTROL AND DRAINAGE BILL Order for Second Reading read. 3.22 p.m.”
“Sir, as I have said just now, in the initial stage, there will be inconveniences. I presume everyone has a Post Office Savings Bank account. If it is so, the moneylender can buy a postal order or whatever it is in the name of the borrower to enable him to put it in his Post Office Savings Bank account. But in the case of an account payee cheque, if he has no bank account I think he could sign it and pass it on to his friend who will put it in his own bank account.”
“The proposed amendment will raise the maximum fine to $2,000. If the offender is a company, the fine will be $5,000 instead of the present $1,000. Finally, the Bill also seeks to introduce a new section 34A to the Moneylenders Act. The Registrar or a Police Officer not below the rank of Assistant Superintendent of Police may authorise a Police Officer of the rank of Sergeant and above to enter the premises of any person who is suspected of having contravened the provisions of the Act and to inspect or seize any book or document relating to moneylending transactions, without warrant from a magistrate. This provision will facilitate Police investigations. In the past, legal action could not be taken in many cases of alleged illegal moneylending or malpractices by moneylenders simply because evidence was lacking. For instance, since 1970, the Registry of Moneylenders has received 80 complaints against illegal moneylenders, and yet only five of these cases resulted in the conviction of the culprits. Likewise, it has been difficult to convict moneylenders for other offences committed under the Act, partly because the borrowers themselves are reluctant to cooperate with the Registry of Moneylenders and the Police in their investigations. It is, therefore, desirable to widen the powers of the Registrar and to introduce amendments to the Act which will help curb these malpractices. Sir, I beg to move. Question proposed. 3.15 p.m.”
“Moneylenders who contravene this requirement will be liable to a fine not exceeding $500. This provision is desirable to protect the borrower and also to facilitate Police investigations. Many low wage earners and poor traders settle their loans by instalments of $10 to $50, and the amendment is necessary to ensure that such borrowers are not cheated at the time when repayments are made. Although a moneylender will be required to issue a receipt for any payment received by him, this alone is not adequate because, in any particular case, it would be difficult to prove that a receipt was not issued when a repayment was in fact given. The extra costs involved for the payment of bank commission or fee for the purchase of postal order or money order are negligible, and it is worth incurring such expenditure to further protect the borrower. Cheques, money orders and postal orders can be easily obtained, and I am confident that this requirement will soon become an accepted practice although it may initially cause some inconvenience. The Bill also seeks to amend section 31 of the Act to increase the penalty for making a promissory note in which the principal or the rate of interest is not truly stated or is left blank. The maximum fine for such an offence will be increased four times to $2,000. For a second or subsequent offence, the present penalty is a fine not exceeding $1,000 or imprisonment not exceeding six months, or both fine and imprisonment. The maximum fine will now be increased to $5,000. Likewise, section 33 of the Act will be amended to increase the penalty for harassment of a debtor or any member of his family. At present, the penalty is a fine not exceeding $250 or imprisonment not exceeding three months, or both such fine and imprisonment.”
“The present penalty is not a sufficient deterrent and many moneylenders have repeatedly contravened this section of the Act. Since 1970, the Registry of Moneylenders has recorded 94 convictions under this section. It is, therefore, desirable to increase the penalty to ensure that the requirements of the Registry are complied with. At present, section 20 of the Act requires a moneylender to issue a receipt for every repayment he receives, only if the payer demands it This section will be amended to make a moneylender give such receipts for every repayment regardless of whether the payer demands one. The penalty for an offence committed under this section will be increased ten-fold to a fine not exceeding $2,000. The Bill also seeks to amend section 23 of the Act to make usury an offence, and a moneylender convicted under this section will be liable to a fine not exceeding $2,000. For a second or subsequent offence, he will be liable to a fine not exceeding $5,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding one year or to both fine and imprisonment. If it is a company that lends the money, the penalty for a second or subsequent offence will be a fine not exceeding $10,000. At present, interest rates above 18% per annum for unsecured loans and 12% per annum for secured loans are considered excessive, but there is no provision to prohibit moneylenders from charging interest above these rates or to penalise them if they do so. The Bill seeks to make it an offence for a moneylender to charge a higher rate of interest for a loan than is prescribed in the Rules made under the Act. Section 25 of the Act will be amended to require a moneylender to accept any repayment above $10 in the form of a cheque, money order or postal order.”
“Furthermore, section 10 will be repealed and re-enacted to give the Registrar powers to revoke a licence. However, the person whose licence has been revoked will be allowed to appeal to the Minister whose decision will be final. Some forms of malpractice in the moneylending business are difficult to prove, and this new provision will enable the Registrar to cancel the licence of any moneylender if there is adequate information from various sources to indicate that the moneylender is not fit to hold a licence. Section 16 of the Act will be amended to make it mandatory for moneylenders to give out every loan in the form of a crossed account payee cheque. If they fail to do so, they will be liable to pay the penalty of a fine not exceeding $2,000 or imprisonment for a term not exceeding six months or both fine and imprisonment. The safeguard that this requirement provides for the borrower outweighs the inconvenience to the borrower who has no bank account. In addition, moneylenders will be required to obtain from the Registrar of Moneylenders forms to be used as promissory notes. Such forms will be serially numbered and controlled by the Registrar. The Bill also seeks to amend section 19 of the Act. Moneylenders will be required to account for or explain any item or detail appearing in the quarterly statements of their cash and loan position which they submit to the Registrar under this section. The penalty for failure to comply with the requirements of section 19 will be increased from a fine not exceeding $50 to a fine not exceeding $1,000. In the case of a continuing offence, the penalty will be increased from a fine not exceeding $10 to a fine not exceeding $100 for each day during which the offence is continued after conviction.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, "That the Bill be now read a Second time." The Moneylenders (Amendment) Bill was introduced in Parliament on 24th March, 1975. The purpose of the Bill is to facilitate the control of moneylending in the Republic and to increase the penalties for offences committed under the Moneylenders Act (Chapter 220 of the Revised Edition). There are at present 453 licensed moneylenders in the Republic, whose main clients are the poorer members of our community. It is, therefore, necessary to safeguard the interest of the poor and to ensure that the law protects them against exploitation by unscrupulous persons. The Moneylenders Act is not wholly satisfactory, and the proposed amendments are essential to plug the loopholes in the Act and to curb malpractices in moneylending activities. The penalties for illegal moneylending will be heavier under the proposed amendments. Section 8 of the Act will be amended to increase the maximum fine for such offences from $1,000 to $5,000. A second or subsequent offender is liable to imprisonment not exceeding 12 months or a maximum fine of $1,000 or both imprisonment and fine. Under the proposed amendment, the maximum fine will be raised to $5,000. In the case of a company, the penalty for a second or subsequent offence will be increased from a fine not exceeding $5,000 to a fine not exceeding $10,000. My Ministry takes a serious view of illegal money-lending and will not hesitate to act against any person who is guilty of this offence. The Bill also seeks to amend section 9 of the Act to empower the Registrar to refuse to issue a licence if the applicant or any partner, director of other person responsible for the management of a moneylending firm is below the age of 21 years.”
“In some cases, the High Court declared such marriages null and void. The decision of the High Court on these cases will remain unchanged despite this new provision. 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.-[Encik Othman Bin Wok]. Bill considered in Committee; reported without amendment; read a Third time and passed. ADJOURNMENT Resolved, "That Parliament do now adjourn,"- [Encik Othman Bin Wok]. Adjourned accordingly at Twenty-five minutes past Seven o'clock p.m.”
“Since a void marriage is no marriage in law, the child of a void marriage should acquire Singapore citizenship on the same basis as an illegitimate child. It is not desirable that a child whose parents knowingly contracted a void marriage should qualify for Singapore citizenship more easily than an illegitimate child. So, under the new provision, if a man and a woman marry and they both know that their marriage is not a valid one, their children will be deemed to be illegitimate. The change is particularly necessary in our social situation as there are work permit holders who are required to seek the approval of the Commissioner for Employment before they contract a marriage with a Singapore citizen. Some work permit holders are circumventing this requirement by contracting customary marriages in Singapore knowing full well that such marriages contracted on or after 2nd June, 1967, are void. Under the existing law, the children born of such void marriages are deemed legitimate and they will acquire Singapore citizenship on the same basis as a legitimate child acquires Singapore citizenship. A marriage can be void for a number of reasons, such as when one partner is underage or is already married. Under the proposed amendment, the children of such marriages would be deemed to be legitimate, because under the new provision, both or either of the parents may have reasonably believed that the marriage was valid. I now turn to the other amendment to the Women's Charter introduced in this Bill. A new section 168 will be added to the Women's Charter to make it clear that the customary marriages contracted before 2nd June, 1967, will continue to be valid, so long as they do not contravene section 4 or 10 of the Women's Charter in force at that time.”
“Once a person has obtained a certificate for marriage or a licence, he is free to have his marriage solemnised in accordance with the law, religion, customs or usage of the parties or any of the parties to the marriage by an authorised person. The family is the basic social institution. The way families are started through marriage and the stability of family life have far-reaching social consequences in any society. The Government, therefore, takes a serious view of the contracting of "marriages" which are void. Since the beginning of 1974, action has been taken against those who are found to have contracted void marriages contrary to the requirements of the Women's Charter. An educational and publicity campaign has also been conducted to make it known that it is the obtaining of a certificate or a licence before a customary marriage is solemnised by an authorised person and the solemnisation of a marriage by the Registrar that gives a marriage legal validity. In September 1973, a grace period was given to couples who had contracted invalid customary marriages to have their "marriages" properly solemnised at the Registry of Marriages. A record number of 11,479 couples responded. Many people contract void marriages by contravening the provisions of the Women's Charter. A void marriage is no marriage at all. It is regarded as never having taken place. By virtue of section 93, subsection (2), of the Women's Charter, the child of a void "marriage" is deemed to be a legitimate child of his or her parents, and under our citizenship laws, if any one of his or her parents is a Singapore citizen, he or she is also a Singapore citizen. The child born out of cohabitation or out of wedlock is not a Singapore citizen unless his or her mother is a Singapore citizen.”