P. Govindaswamy
Singapore
“Sir, the purchase of SBS shares should not be made compulsory. It should be voluntary. If a poor man were to use all his $5,000 CPF savings to buy SBS shares, he will not know what will happen to his shares in one or two years' time.”
“Sir, we know that Singapore Government Officers' Cooperative Housing Society has been in trouble for many years. But I fail to understand why when members write in for a refund, they do not even get a reply. Nobody seems to know exactly what is happening with this society.”
“In the past few years and even now, every Malaysia Cup soccer tie that is played at our Stadium, the tickets are sold out within hours and many fans are disappointed. Even ugly scenes have happened, to the extent that one soccer fan fell dead whilst trying to buy tickets.”
“If the Minister approaches the Finance Ministry for extra staff, he must press on with his request. Anyway, Sir, I beg leave to withdraw my amendment. Amendment by leave, withdrawn.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I have forgotten one point. Regarding the word "million". can the Minister please give instructions to the RTS staff not to use the English word "million" but to use the Tamil word for it? If they do not know the Tamil word for it, they can ask the people from the higher institutions.”
“The Minister must think it over. Mr Ng Yeow Chong: Sir, can the acting Minister give me an assurance that my request for the re-naming and for the re-location of the creche within the constituency's housing estate will be brought up when his Ministry starts negotiations with the NTUC for the taking over of the creches?”
The complete record
Every one of 1,199 lines we hold for P. Govindaswamy, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 14 of 24.
“Sir, I would like to mention that some sponsors of art, after succeeding in inviting foreign artistes to perform in Singapore, are unable to look after them, such as providing proper food and shelter. What restriction has the Culture Ministry had in mind for such sponsors? Are they fully screened before a permit is granted?”
“Sir, what effort is being made to promote a Singaporean culture here in Singapore? When the PAP came to power in 1959, there were cultural shows like the Aneka Ragam shows. These shows provided a direct link between the artistes and the masses. Further, it went at great length towards promoting an understanding of the other peoples' cultures. Very unfortunately it has died out. Even the programmes arranged at the parks here have died out. Why, may I ask, has this been allowed to happen? What is the use of building stages at Hong Lim Park, MacRitchie Reservoir and at Seletar Reservoir, if these have been allowed to become white elephants? Even in the field of art, the open-air Art Exhibition held on the first Sunday of each month has not been heard, of late. What has happened to the Art for Everyone exhibitions that are supposed to tour the community centres? How can we build a society interested in the arts if the Ministry of Culture, which is responsible for the promotion of these arts, has let these exhibitions and shows to die out? Even the young are being forgotten. The Education Ministry organises an art exhibition in connection with the Youth Festival. But the exhibition is of too short a duration and held only once a year. The Ministry of Culture should take the initiative to hold similar exhibitions of young peoples' work, and to hold it more often. These exhibitions could then make a tour of the various community centres. To promote further interest in music and art the Ministry of Culture, in liaison with RTS, can introduce more documentary films so as to educate our public. Various aspects of art and music can also be introduced. Art and music in our schools can also be encouraged so that our citizens can take pride in what goes on in present day schools.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, in view of the Minister's explanation, I beg leave to withdraw my amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.”
“Sir, regarding the flood at Bukit Timah Road, I think the Minister for the Environment is staying at Stevens Road, but he never crosses Stevens Road. He must go to Balmoral Road at the junction of Stevens Road/Bukit Timah Road. When there is rain, the flood occurs there. He has never seen that. Probably he never crosses that part of the road. Regarding the flood which occurred last month, it has never happened before. I know because I have been in Singapore for 45 years. It is very surprising that the tide was so high. The Minister has said that it was not due to reclamation of land. But I think that most probably it is because of the reclamation of land from the sea. If you claim a part of the sea, the water cannot flow over there, scientifically speaking. There is something wrong there. I would like the Minister to look into the matter. He can get experts to see why the tide came into the land; came inside, and not that side.”
“When there is a full moon, there is no doubt that there is always high tide. It is not when there is a full moon that the tide is low. But on the occasion that I mentioned there was no full moon, but still the tide came and flooded the City.”
“But if the Government wants to do that, we do not want to object. It is better. 6.15 p.m. If you stand at the Kallang Basin for one hour, you can get a terrible smell. If you inhale it, within two hours you will straightaway get high fever. I have been to that place myself, and I could not stand the smell. The Minister must do something about the drains and canals. Otherwise it will be very difficult for us to be here debating about anti-pollution and anti-mosquito campaigns. What is the use of all these campaigns if we do not do anything about drains and canals? We must do our duty. Then we can ask the people to do their part.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head IA be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead CB 1109. Sir, what remedial action is being taken to alleviate the constant floods in low-lying localities after a short shower? For example, Bukit Timah around Newton and in Thomson Road. The water in some of the drains, especially those covered with metal grids, is not flowing properly and therefore stagnates. This results in a stinking smell, and the drains become excellent grounds for breeding mosquitoes. Furthermore, some of the canals and monsoon drains, like the one near the People's Park, are constantly giving out foul smell. This is also due to the poor flow of the water. Can something be done to ensure a proper flow of the water? Sir, Rochore Canal has the reputation of producing the "best aroma" for residents in the area. Of late, it has acquired the ill-repute of being the cause of floods. This is because of the canal work which has been going on for the last two years. In fact, work on that canal has stopped of late. Has the contractor disappeared again? It is time something was done about this canal. Of late, the City area has experienced freak floods - something that has never occurred before. Is this due to poor drainage in the City area, or is it caused by the filling of the sea to reclaim more land? Such heavy floods have not occurred for many years. Could it be that since we are reclaiming land from the sea, the water has no chance of flowing outward but to flow back to the land? What has the department done to stop a recurrence of these floods? During one of these freak floods, many shopkeepers had their goods soaked with sea water, resulting in a heavy financial loss. Therefore, reclaiming land from the sea is very bad.”
“Sir, I am glad the Minister has explained the position. After the introduction of the Sale of Food Act, I saw in the newspaper headlines "50 people affected by typhoid fever". Before that Act, nothing happened! Anyway, I beg to withdraw my amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.”
“It may end up similarly like the tenants in pre-war houses whose names were omitted for some obvious reasons during census-taking and that resulted in no priority for alternative accommodation during clearance time. Therefore, I request that ample notice and plenty of time be given to the hawkers in going about with this computerisation. 6.05 p.m. [Mr Deputy Speaker in the Chair]”
“Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head IA be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead BM 1111. Sir, the new regulations regarding handling of food is no doubt good for the health of the public, but I am afraid to say that some of the conditions are stiff and may drive many hawkers out of business. Take, for instance, poh piah and roti prata hawkers. How can a hawker preparing roti prata make this bread with knives and spoons, let alone chopsticks? Are the hawker inspectors given instructions to be lenient with such hawkers who have no choice but to use their fingers in the preparation of such types of food? Hawker inspectors should be given a course on human relations. I have received complaints that some of the inspectors are arrogant and rude to hawkers. Some are so inconsiderate that they pick on particular hawkers and victimise them. I quote a case of a female hawker in my constituency who had been harassed and issued with many summonses by the hawker inspector, who seemed to relish his authority and uniform. The woman became so desperate that she committed suicide by jumping down from a nearby block of flats. Sir, what steps are taken by the Hawkers Department to resite all stalls that are operating in back lanes? Nowadays we can find many of them in the lanes which are very unhygienic, with toilets sited close to the stalls and with stagnant water in the drain. Would the Department consider resiting all those hawkers in this situation as soon as possible? Of late, there has been a move to computerise hawker licences, and the hawkers are expected to co-operate by giving their particulars to the officials concerned, or else they may lose certain benefits later on.”
“Sir, I want the Minister to take action to clear the rubbish. That is what we want, although the explanation he has given is good.”
“Sir, the Minister has asked me to go and check on one day. I would like to ask the Minister to go round one day to the area at Tanjong Pagar. The Minister is a busy man, but if he has the time, he should see the rubbish there.”
“Sir, traffic congestion is a daily problem during the peak hours. It has been the order of the day in Singapore these days. With the recent introduction of bus lanes buses are supposed to speed up the travel of bus commuters. Has it helped in any way, or has the congestion in the other lanes prevented buses from leaving the bus lanes? If it has improved the traffic flow, has the ROV any intention of introducing more bus lanes along all major bus routes? One setback against this new bus lane is that when the traffic lights change to green, cars which are turning left have to give way to the buses that are passing through the bus lanes. This results in a stretch of other vehicles coming to a standstill, until the car in front has moved off. Furthermore, cyclists find it risky to ride between the buses and the other vehicles. What action has been taken to remedy the situation? Mr Ivan Baptist (Potong Pasir): I am not speaking, Sir.”
“Can anything be done to bring about a better public transport system, especially when price increases have already caused great hardship to the people? With the recent rise in the price of petrol, can something be done to keep inflation down to a minimum? Sir, the Singapore Telephone Board in the past had declared proudly that its profits ran into several millions. Yet the services provided to the ordinary subscribers are extremely poor. What is the existing policy of the management of the STB? Are they out to make profits from the City area and to ignore the rural areas? New applicants for the installation of telephones find it difficult to get a line. Some have been waiting for years, and yet the Board has plans to introduce telephones in cars. The STB encourages the public to use the digital system and car telephones, though the services provided are quite often appalling. Some of the operators are frequently the most elusive of characters, and if by chance one gets through them to inquire about a certain number, the quick reply would be that the telephone is out of order. That is a very convenient excuse, I must say, but it is done too often. Either the section is under-staffed or something is wrong with the operators.”
“But today the same commuter has to change service, that is, one service from the Lower Delta Road to the juction of Alexandra/Telok Blangah Road, and from there another service to Keppel Harbour, and every time he changes a bus he has to pay an extra 10 cents. In the bus there is no chart to indicate the fare stages. Many of the commuters and even some conductors themselves do not know the exact amount, and the various fare stages. Just imagine if a commuter has innocently short-paid his fare and is about to get down at an extra stop. If the conductor is not a reasonable person, which happens many a time, the poor commuter has to pay an extra 20 cents for the distance to the next bus stop. How costly is their extra stop! Another major complaint is that the buses are not travelling according to schedule,. What is the point of having a schedule? What is the purpose of having a bus guide, when the commuters have to wait as long as an hour for certain services? And when they do arrive, one will not be surprised to see them coming in twos or threes in a stretch. I would like to know why the three former bus companies had to merge. I sense that due to the amalgamation, there is no competition and therefore this state of affairs has arisen. Sir, greater emphasis and publicity should be extended to the supplementary public transport system. Though a start has been made, there are many teething problems which should be rectified as soon as possible. I would also request that the supplementary public transport service should begin at 6 a.m, for the benefit of the shift workers in the port and in the factories because there is a mad rush for buses in the morning.”
“Sir, last year I spoke on the introduction of a complete ban on smoking in buses. I am indeed glad to note that my suggestion has now been legislated. However, there is much room for further improvement of the buses. There are too many buses with tickets and bits of paper thrown here and there, litter boxes with no bottoms, seats, windows and doors damaged and smoky exhausts. The buses are often very untidy inside and dirty outside. In fact, some of them are so filthy that they are no better than the rubbish trucks. We have been emphasising the need to keep our City clean. Yet cleanliness is certainly not a virtue with the Singapore Bus Service Ltd. There are too many breakdowns and many of them can be seen lying at the roadside during peak periods. Day before yesterday one bus knocked down a tree. Yesterday a bus knocked down a tree and a lamp post, and on the same day another bus knocked down a bus stand at Raffles Quay. I have to bring to the attention of the Minister the problem of re-routing of the bus services recently. Firstly, some of the routing has caused considerable delay in commuters reaching their destination as the buses take a roundabout route. The fare has also been increased by 10 cents for the benefit of the bus company, thus causing further hardship to the people. Since the fares had been raised, the public expect a better service. But then it is just the reverse. As a result of the increase in bus fares, I observe that there has been a sharp drop in the number of people travelling by bus. The routing of buses has still to be revised. I quote an instance. Previously there was a direct service, No. 125, passing through the stretch of Alexandra Road to Keppel Harbour and the commuter had to pay only 20 cents.”
“The commuter has to strain his eyes to make out the numbers, and he is expected to know where the buses are heading for, just by looking at the numbers. Some of the numbers are even written with marker pens. In other words, the commuter is expected to be a walking `memory book' of bus routes. Let me ask one simple question. Is it going to cost that much more just to include the terminus and the main routes of the buses? How do you expect a poor illiterate person to remember numbers and to take the right bus? Woe betide the traveller who boards the wrong bus. He will be a victim of insults and shouts from bus conductors who have generally acquired a reputation for their uncalled-for remarks and intolerant behaviour. 6.00 p.m. Furthermore, the route numbers appearing in front and sides of the buses should be clearly indicated with luminous paint and the lighting behind the route number should be more effective. At night, many bus drivers switch on the head lights and drive at deadly speed, so that commuters cannot see the bus numbers and thereby cannot signal to stop and board it in time, even though the bus is empty. Therefore, the driver is the wise guy and commuters are left to curse the bus service. How much longer have the people of Singapore to suffer and tolerate under the very poor mass transport system? Some of the bus drivers are very hasty in closing the exit door even before the commuters have alighted. A case in point is the incident of a woman whose arm was caught by the sliding door, thus preventing her from getting down at the correct bus stop. When she finally got down, she had injured her arm. This sort of incident is a daily occurrence, and nothing is being done to penalise the driver to correct his attitude.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, my speech is fairly long and I hope the Minister will not be angry with me. Many Members have already spoken on public transport and my speech now is also on public transport. Sir, under this subhead I would like to draw the attention of the Minister to two important items, and I hope that he would take action to rectify the deteriorating public transport system and the bad state of the telephone exchange. Though last year many of my comrade Members had much to speak on the subject of public transport, there does not seem to be any results, but it is even worse at the moment. At present, the public transport service is one of the major issues in our country. Whilst the Ministry of Communications is taking steps to alleviate the setbacks by introducing supplementary transport schemes as alternatives, the Minister must make it a point to succeed in having a better transport service in the future. It will be useless to waste much money and sweat on anything that brings adverse results. The people are disgusted in having to read the daily press of the numerous complaints against our public transport system. With the introduction of the new revised bus services recently, the changes have not shown any marked improvement. Instead, some of the commuters experience further hardship in waiting for buses that finally appear but do not bother to pick them up. They have to wait for a considerable time just to get into the right bus. In the mornings and evenings there is a mad rush of office workers and school children to board the buses, and many of them report late for work or school. To aggravate the situation, most of the buses display only the numbers, some of which are small and illegible.”
“After all, there is a shortage of labour in these factories. Furthermore, illegal workers in these factories will mean the employers are not contributing any CPF for them. Further, may I also ask why our own Singapore citizens shy away from certain types of work? Can these types of jobs be given to non-citizens by issuing them with work permits? Sometime ago, I came across our citizens receiving welfare aid and not preferring to do certain types of jobs offered to them. It is time that we be strict with such people living at the taxpayers' expense. Unless they are sick, or physically or mentally retarded or aged, I see no reason why the able-bodied cannot work and get out of the habit of living at public expense. Surely at this time, people have no excuse to lay idle and live at the taxpayers' expense.”
“The youngest was an 18-year old lad, the oldest a 34-year old man, married with a 3-year old child. Each was required to work on weekly rotating shifts. The pay was $4.40 a day for the first and second shifts and $5.20 for the night shift. They were housed in a 12-storey block of 3-room flats. Ten persons were allocated to a flat; four beds in each bedroom and two in the living room, for which each person paid $8 rent a month. Since they are not Singapore citizens, the company applied for work permits for them to work in Singapore. The company did this. Two months later the company received a letter from the Work Permits Office stating that its application for work permits for 79 employees, which included the lad, had been approved and that the application for work permits for the balance of 21 employees was still being considered. Another three months later the company was informed by the Work Permits Office that the application for work permits for the 21 which included the 34-year old married person with a child, was rejected. No reason was given. They were shocked when they were told that the company could no longer employ them. They were given a week to move out of the company's quarters. Mr Speaker, Sir, there are cases in the electronic component factories where there is a grave shortage of daily-rated workers. As a result, non-citizens were recruited off-and-on. However, many of the employees had applied for work permits on behalf of their non-citizen workers and found that some of the applications were rejected without reason being given. So much so, I understand, that some of these factories are employing non-citizens without work permits. Sir, I do not see why all these applications for work permits are being rejected.”
“Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head GA be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead HA 1111.* (* The same amendment also stood in the names of Messrs Ho See Beng, Hwang Soo Jin and Ho Kah Leong.) Sir, I wish to question the basis upon which work permits are issued to non-citizens. There seems to be a lot of discrimination shown to persons and no reason is given by the officials at the Work Permits Office for rejecting an application. I will quote an example. Two persons of the same age, and coming from the same town, applied for the same type of job. One application was approved while the other was rejected. No reason was given. The present labour shortage is so acute that some employers are prepared to take risks by employing non-citizens without work permits, although their applications have been rejected. Would it not be better for the country to grant more work permits, so that the CPF contributions they make and the taxes they pay would be an indirect earning for us. It is also better to state the reason for the rejection of work permits to relieve heartaches. No doubt, skilled persons should be issued with work permits. But servants are rare nowadays. So a relaxation in this respect would help in the employment of valuable citizens, who have to give up jobs to look after their children at home. It is a gross waste when teachers and lawyers have to resign in order to look after their children at home. Their useful services will be available only if they can get servants to look after their children. Sir, to quote another case, sometime ago a personnel officer of a large factory in Jurong went to the Labour Exchange outside Singapore to recruit 100 male workers to work in Jurong. He hired 100 workers.”
“But I am sorry to say that, as two hon. Members have also just mentioned, the enforcement seems to be quite inadequate. I am just wondering what the Ministry is proposing to do here. Sir, the Finance Minister in his Budget Statement to the House has called for the cutting down of wastage. Of all forms of wastage, the loss of manpower - human resource - through accidents is one area that we can ill-afford to allow it to continue. I would urge the Minister to give serious consideration to substantially increase the number of staff for the Factory Inspectorate so as to ensure that the relevant laws are adequately enforced.”
“Sir, on many occasions the question of the Factory Inspectorate has been raised, but no satisfactory reply has ever been received. Is it possible for the Minister to look into the matter and give us a definite reply as to the number of inspectors employed, and the type of work they have been doing to uplift the morale of workers and ensure better safety precautions? As late as a year ago, there have been a spate of factory accidents. Sir, I have received complaints that some of the inspectors are biased in their duties. They only check certain factories and find fault with them, whereas numerous other factories committing similar offences were being overlooked. And when the victim draws the attention of the inspector, they get rude remarks that it is not his business. I wonder whether there is any discrimination shown by the factory inspectors. Mr Hwang Soo Jin: Mr Speaker, Sir, in the area of industrial safety, it is generally agreed that prevention is better than cure. When an accident occurs, there will, in fact, be no cure. The very mere fact that monetary compensation is awarded for death or injury offers no consolation~ to those who have suffered. In looking at the Labour Ministry's Estimates, one gets the impression that greater emphasis is placed on compensation rather than prevention. I say this because I notice that whilst it is proposed to increase the staff of the Workmen's Compensation Department from the existing strength of 16 to 22, i.e, a very substantial increase of 6 or some 37 per cent, the proposed increase for the Factory Inspectorate is only from 50 to 55, representing an increase of 5, or only 10 per cent. Sir, during past years much tougher rules and regulations had been introduced with a view to reducing the high rate of accidents.”
“Mr. Speaker, Sir, can the Minister say how many proprietors of bars have been prosecuted? Mr Ong Pang Boon: Sir, I am not able to provide the Member with the actual number of prosecutions. But if he would raise a Question at the next sitting of Parliament, I am quite prepared to supply him with the information.”
“Sir, the Minister said that the Labour Inspectors are not sleeping and that they are doing their duty. Can the Minister say whether bars and nightclubs are being checked to see whether there are non-citizens working in these establishments?”
“Since Singapore is short of labour now and until such time as we have an optimum labour force, a relaxation of the law would help our labour market to a certain extent. Will the Minister consider the suggestion? Sir, last year it was announced that non-citizens wishing to marry Singapore citizens should get the prior approval of the Commissioner for Employment. What were the reasons behind this? Is it true that in every case the newly-married non-citizens will seek employment here? Can the Minister elaborate on the subject? One more item which I would like to ask is this: what precautionary steps has the Labour Ministry taken against the incidence of silicosis among the sand-blasting workers? Mr Ho See Beng (Bras Basah): Mr Speaker, Sir, I have two amendments* to raise on the Ministry of Labour. With your permission, Sir, may I speak on them now, so that I need not raise them at the proper time?”
“Sir, since there is a great shortage of manpower both in the Government and the private sectors, it is time the Government relaxed the ruling governing the lower income group and allow them to work after office hours. This could be regulated by imposing conditions, such as controlling the number of extra hours they work, etc. After all, teachers are permitted to work up to six extra hours after their teaching hours, and yet the Government has not relaxed the ruling for the lower income group of Government servants. The cost of living being so high, a relaxation in this ruling will help them to reduce their sufferings; because there is evidence that many people are working on extra jobs as gardeners, cooks and drivers after their office hours and are not detected. I have to bring to the notice of the Minister the exploitation of both our citizens and non-citizens by many employers. There are many factories which employ workers who are below the minimum legal employable age. To make matters worse, many non-citizens are employed illegally at reduced pay and with no benefits whatever. Most of these misdeeds occur during night shift hours when our Labour Ministry sleeps. It is time surprise checks were made at night so as to minimise the exploitation by some employers. Sir, in the past there was a provision in the Employment Act enabling workers to be entitled for domicile leave after certain years of service. But this provision has been gradually withdrawn. This withdrawal has caused many daily-rated workers, who have served many years of dedicated service, to pack up. Their decision was made because many of them had to visit parents and relatives abroad every four or five years. But now with the imposed restrictions they have no other choice but to leave for good.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, to what extent have our embassies abroad been effective? Are they of international standard? Do Singapore citizens in foreign countries get adequate help from our missions? Sir, the recent sea-jacking incident has shown that extremist elements in the world do not recognise neutrality. As such, have any measures been taken to intensify security arrangements in our foreign embassies?”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, what is Singapore's role in the ASEAN organisation? Has Singapore participated effectively in this organisation? What are the various programmes in which Singapore has participated in? In order to keep alive our existence in the ASEAN group of countries, the people ought to be told from time to time about the meaning of ASEAN and our importance in this connection. A campaign might be held. A special day could be set aside, like the Commonwealth Day, calling it ASEAN Day to make people aware of our membership in the group. This will also tell the people of the importance of being not only in the international limelight, but also in the regional set-up. A good example was the 7th SEAP Games that aroused people's interest in the region. Sir, I most heartily congratulate the Minister on his recent successful mission to the Middle East countries. This is good for our political development. May I know what has been the outcome of this trip, and what measures are being taken to ensure that we get a continuous flow of oil from the Middle East, so that our refineries do not dry up? Has any reciprocal arrangement been made with the countries so that they could benefit from our expertise? What good has it served to Singapore's progress in the next few years?”
“In view of the explanation of the Minister, I beg leave to withdraw my amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. The sum of $2,159,460 for Head EA ordered to stand part of the Main Estimates. The sum of $36,900,000 for Head EA ordered to stand part of the Development Estimates.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the Minister once mentioned about making Singapore the brain centre. In this respect, what is being done about it? Singapore is fast becoming an international centre for many things. We only hope that in this all-important matter the Government will try to expedite movement towards international standards. I would like to know how much of the main scientific facilities are available in the Republic. I would also like to know how effective is the Science Centre at Jurong. Is it being fully utilized? Mr Speaker, Sir, it has been some time now since metrication was introduced. We welcome this attempt and praise the Government for its good efforts. I observe that many people still do not know how to convert, though there is a conversion table in every shop. It would appear that the people are slow to use it. The metrication campaign should be revitalised to see its effects truly felt. Even the kilometre signs on the road are hardly noticed by the people, though they are prominently placed. This campaign should be continued with better force and effect. Have new equipments been provided for the purpose? How far has metrication been introduced in markets and provision stores? We still find the people and shopkeepers trading with the imperial system, for example, rice is being dealt in katis, sugar in pounds, etc. How far has the daching been eliminated in the markets, as there have been reports of a lot of manipulation of the instruments? Has the Minister thought of introducing any other reliable instruments with metric markings which would be easier to work on?”
“Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head EA be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead AA 1003. Sir, as I have another amendment* under the same Head, may I seek your permission to speak on it, as it will be easier for the Minister to answer? * The same amendment reads as follows: (2) That the sum to be allocated for Head EA be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead AA 2902. The Chairman: Yes.”
“They cannot control the privates. If they have more powers, then they can control them. Otherwise there will be no discipline.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the Minister has not answered two of my questions: one regarding the Australian pull-out from the ANZUK forces and the other on the power given to the NCOs to control their men.”
“Could something be done to help the men? Recently, it was reported in the press that the army would assist with its helicopter services to fight against fire in high-rise buildings. Could the same services be extended to the Police Force to help them fight against crime?”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, for a long time there have been no statements regarding international agreements. May I know the state of the defence agreements, and to what extent will they involve our Singapore Armed Forces? It is known that Australia had pulled out quite a number of its troops from Singapore. I wonder how effective are the ANZUK forces at the moment, and what is the extent of its future plans, in terms of defence training and common interest? Sir, I would also like to touch upon the intake of national servicemen. What is the present procedure for the call-up of national servicemen? I raise this question because I have observed that there are many potential boys who are eligible and are eagerly awaiting for the Central Manpower Base to call them up. And there are others who are still lingering on the streets and who may also be called up. On the other hand there are many who are hoping for a postponement for a couple of years due to some reasons, but they are the ones to be called in first. I also understand that food supplied to the national servicemen is being wasted. This could probably be due either to poor quality or to the fact that some of the well-to-do boys could not be bothered about the army food. Could the Minister say something on this? Sir, I heard that at present there is a lack of understanding between officers and senior NCOs in the army. Discipline to a certain extent has been affected. Could more power be given to senior NCOs and corporals to deal with their subordinates? The NCOs should be given opportunity to lead and train their men. This will help them in times of crisis if the officers are being pinned down. Furthermore, I observe that there are inadequate recreational facilities in some camps for these young men.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, it has been some time now since the Anti-Pollution Unit was established. May we have a detailed account of the activities of this Unit, and what has been the general effect of its activities? As far as I am aware, the anti-pollution campaign has been quite successful. I wonder if the campaign could be repeated from time to time after short intervals so that our people are constantly reminded of it until the problem is eradicated. As for air pollution, there are still buses and taxis emitting large volumes of black smoke. Can something be done to keep a better control of these vehicles?”
“Mr Speaker. Sir, in respect of unmarried women, may I know what are their ages?”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, my question is this: will the hawkers affected by development be granted alternative site or not? That is what I want to know.”
“Sir, I want to know whether the profits of the bus company by that time will be reduced or increased.”
“Sir, can the Minister promise that there will be no further increase of fares?”
“It has been the declared policy of the Government to bridge the gap between the haves and the have-nots. I have no doubt that the Government is vigorously pursuing this policy, and I venture to take this opportunity to draw the attention of Government to some of the difficulties of the have-nots. I am aware of the difficulties to be encountered in trying to achieve this objective, and I am sure future policies will be made with this in mind. In conclusion, I support the Minister for Finance's Budget Statement. 5.50 p.m.”
“The public transport system has recently been revised, and while it is claimed to be an improvement, workers are complaining that it costs them more to move from place to place. The new bus lanes which are designed with good intentions to relieve traffic congestion have produced more traffic jams than before. Mr Speaker, Sir, therefore, we have to take steps to improve the transport system. The recent increase in charges at the Government hospitals and outpatient dispensaries has caused considerable hardship to the poor people. It now costs $3 per visit per person at any Government clinic. When one member of the family catches a cold, it will invariably spread to other members of the family, especially the children. If one has three or four children, then it would cost the family in the region of $15 per visit to the clinic for treatment. For families earning $200 or $300 per month, this is certainly going to cause hardship to them. While I agree that the cost of medical treatment is rising, I am sure it does not cost $3 to treat a person for a common cold. I hope that the Government will consider the plight of the poor people who, if they are unable to pay for the treatment, will have to suffer quietly, because the $15 could well be the marketing money for a couple of days for the family. For the Government to function efficiently, it is important that its civil servants be given fair opportunities for advancement. While new recruits in the Service are people with better academic qualifications, the older officers who have proven their worth over the years should not be discouraged. They should be given fair opportunities for promotion. Short of this, there would he no incentive for hard work.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg your leave to make some comments on the Finance Minister's Budget Statement. Despite the many unfavourable recent developments in the financial world which have affected our economy in no small way, it is heartening to note that our Finance Minister has proposed no tax increases. Instead he has proposed certain tax reliefs, such as the increase of relief from $300 to $750 for those who support aged parents. I must congratulate the Minister for this. The greatness of a government is not measured by the size of its army or by the stock of gold it holds, but by the way in which it provides services for its people, especially the poor. The past year has seen much progress in the fields of employment, industrial growth and trade promotion. It is an achievement that calls for recognition and endorsement by every citizen. The 9 per cent wage increase and the $25 flat increase for workers drawing a salary of less than $1,000 have certainly brought relief to the lower income group. However, all these increases would be of no avail if the prices of commodities continue to rise. I therefore urge the Government to adopt measures to keep the prices of essential commodities down. The setting up of WELCOME Supermarkets and SAFE Supermarkets has to some extent helped the workers, but these are too few to benefit the majority of our people who live in various parts of the island. While it is true that the prices of commodities are somewhat cheaper in some of these Supermarkets, the cost of transport would offset the saving. I therefore urge the Government to set up more such Supermarkets, and to set them up quickly.”
“Whilst implementing the Act, consideration should also be given to the safety of our shift workers in the factories and industries who may have to go to work in blacked-out streets. In this regard more security personnel should be provided in those blacked-out streets. Sir, I support this Bill.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, today, we have to consider this emergency Bill. We have no choice but to accept it if we want to avoid the dark days ahead. At this time last year, we did not anticipate that an energy crisis would occur and would affect many developing countries. We were making tremendous progress both in our social and economic fields. But now, because of this energy crisis, our economic growth for the coming years is going to be bleak. This Bill appears to be drastic as restrictions are provided for the use of petroleum and electricity. However, looking at the world's supply of oil, it is apparent that the supply of oil will never meet the demand of the consumers even if the producing countries were to increase their exports in later years. I wonder whether the Minister has any plans to obtain alternative sources, like building a tidal barrage in the sea to generate electricity, or to utilise gaseous vapours as substitutes for petroleum for our daily requirements. Statistics have shown that our major oil users are as follows: electricity 45 per cent; transport 38 per cent; industry 14 per cent and domestic heating 3 per cent. Our main users are electricity and transport, while the industrial sector only utilises 14 per cent. We must be careful not to restrict the industrial sector too much or else our economy will be greatly hit. However, the implementation of the law should be carried out carefully. We should not be penny-wise and pound foolish, because there may be avenues where a small percentage of oil and electricity may be saved but in terms of production we may lose heavily. On the other hand, there may also be areas where electricity and petroleum are heavily used, but the profits are nominal.”
“Sir, she wants to get married in Singapore.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, my question is: with two million people in Singapore, how could he check who are the illegal immigrants? Does he check them when they come into Singapore? Mr Chua Sian Chin: Mr Speaker, Sir, if the Member for Anson had listened to me carefully, he would have got the answer. BILLS INTRODUCED 3.00 p.m. MULTI-LEVEL MARKETING AND PYRAMID SELLING (PROHIBITION) BILL "to prohibit the registration of businesses that are designed to promote multi-level marketing schemes or arrangements or pyramid selling schemes or arrangements in relation to the distribution and sale of commodities; to prohibit the incorporation or registration of companies which propose to promote multi-level marketing schemes or arrangements or pyramid selling schemes or arrangements in relation to the distribution and sale of commodities and to make it unlawful for any person to promote such schemes or arrangements and to provide for matters connected therewith", presented by the Minister for Finance (Mr Hon Sui Sen) read the First time, to be read a Second time on the next available sitting of Parliament, and to be printed. COMPANIES (AMENDMENT) BILL "to amend the Companies Act (Chapter 185 of the Revised Edition)", presented by Mr Hon Sui Sen; read the First time, to be read a Second time on the next available silting of Parliament, and to be printed. SECURITIES INDUSTRY (AMENDMENT) BILL "to amend the Securities Industry Act, 1973 (No. 17 of 1973)", presented by Mr Hon Sui Sen; read the First time, to be read a Second time on the next available sitting of Parliament, and to be printed. NATIONAL PRODUCTIVITY BOARD (AMENDMENT) BILL Order for Second Reading read. 3.02 p.m.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the Minister has told us the number of illegal entries into Singapore. Can the Minister check up and let us know how many of these cases are new?”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, since so many applications have been rejected, would the Minister like to enlighten the House on the reasons?”