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 Amendment by leave, withdrawn.”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?”
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“That is right. Mr Chua Sian Chin: May I now turn to the Member for Kim Seng. The first question asked by him is the number of applications approved in 1976 and 1977. The answer is, for 1976, 7,806 applications were approved and in 1977, 5,051 applications were approved. However, the number of applications dealt with in 1976 and 1977 was 11,552 and 11,637 respectively. In other words, the number dealt with in 1977 is slightly more than the number dealt with in 1976. However, the number pending as at 31st December 1976 was 25,829. But the number pending as at 31st December 1977 was 23,787. In other words, the backlog has been reduced by 2,042. With regard to the criteria for assessing citizenship application, they are always under constant review although the basic policy of Government in granting citizenship remains the same. The general criterion of granting citizenship is that the applicant will not be a liability but an asset to Singapore. The question is that in applying this criterion, account is taken of the prevailing social and economic conditions in the Republic. However, within this framework, the Government is already giving special consideration to those with family roots in Singapore. Applications from those who are the only non-citizen in their family are dealt with sympathetically. Except for some Members of Parliament, most of them will bear testimony that most applicants in this category, that is, the applicant is the only non-citizen in the family, have in the last two years been granted citizenship. The Member mentioned about statutory declaration as insufficient evidence. May I explain that this is a matter which does not concern application for citizenship but it is a matter of proof of birth in Singapore.”
“His parents and seven brothers and sisters, except him, are Singapore citizens. He received his education in Singapore and is now 21 years old. He is a permanent resident and he holds a work permit. He has also registered for national service and is waiting to be called up. Will his application for citizenship be considered favourably?”
“Could the Minister explain whether it is an offence for a person to go abroad for further studies even if he could produce documentary evidence to prove it? When he received his last rejection letter, he went to the office to enquire the reason and also to re-apply. Very sad to say, I am told the experience he had was unpleasant. The officer who interviewed him was not sympathetic; instead he was hostile. The officer even discouraged him from re-applying saying that he would get the same reply because his mother and two brothers were not living here. What has this got to do with his case? He is married to a Singaporean and has a daughter born in Singapore. He has got a father and a brother who are also Singapore citizens. But when he insisted on re-applying for the fourth time, the officer got angry and directed his clerk to give the person a date and to write on the form, "Refused but insisted on re-applying." This remark has deterred the person from going for an interview because it is something adverse to his application. 4.15 p.m. Sir, it is noted that in the past citizenship had been granted to applicants whose families have not completed their 10-year stay in Singapore. I cannot understand why this particular person is being deprived of this privilege when his family is small. In addition, he has a foreign degree, and is contributing to the CPF and is also a taxpayer. Could the Minister tell me what was the reason for rejecting his application? In the light of the facts that I have just given, could his case be considered favourably? If the Minister wants to have all his papers, I would not mind submitting them to him for consideration. Sir, there is also the case of a boy in my constituency.”
“Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head S be reduced by $10 in respect of item 1210 of Subhead Code SH-01 of the Main Estimates. Sir, I know that it is not a right but a privilege where granting of citizenship is concerned. And I also know that it is a rule that applicants will not be favourably considered if they are considered a liability. Furthermore, the criteria for consideration are being reviewed from time to time. But there are people who find the standing instructions rather confusing. I know of a case of a boy who was born in 1945 and has been a permanent resident since 1958. He completed his secondary education in 1967 and intended to further his studies abroad. Before leaving the country he applied for citizenship. But he was told verbally by the officials at the Citizenship office that he would only be eligible to apply in 1968 and also that the period of study spent overseas supported by documentary evidence would be considered as residence in Singapore. In 1968, his application was recorded with proof of his studies abroad, and yet after some time he received a letter of rejection stating that he was not residentially qualified. What is the meaning of this? Are the officials clear in their advice to the public who are applying for citizenship? In the meantime, every year during vacation he would come back to Singapore. Immediately after completing his studies in 1972, he came back for good and re-applied for citizenship. Within three to six months, he was given a letter of rejection, giving the same reason, "not residentially qualified". In 1975, he again applied for the third time, and again it was rejected for the same reason.”
“Sir, in view of the explanation given by the Hon. Minister, some of which I do not agree, I beg leave to withdraw my amendment. Amendment by leave, withdrawn.”
“Besides having to work on shift duty, he is also pursuing private studies for a promotion. I want to know whether consideration could be given for his past performance and whether an exemption could be made for such cases.”
“There was a standing instruction that those who have completed full-time national service must compulsorily perform part-time national service for 12 years or until they reach 40 years of age, whichever is the later. I have received complaints from many national servicemen who have been transferred to the Special Constabulary that they have been told that the period reckoned for part-time national service would commence from the date they were transferred to the Special Constabulary, and even now those who have been transferred to different branches of the national service are in doubt about the period reckoned for national service. Could the Minister enlighten the House on this point? I also heard rumours that part-time national service for reservists until the age of 40 years has been scrapped, Is this true? Could the Minister make an official announcement about the actual period of national service so that our national servicemen would not be kept in suspense or anxiety. Sir, I wonder whether exemption from part-time police national service could be considered for a person who has passed the call-up age but who has been called up because of his employment in the civil service. There is the case of a person who had served in the Special Constabulary for a period of six years from 1962 to 1968. He had undergone all the basic police training at the Police Academy. He was also active in service during the riots, the civil disturbances and other emergencies during that time. However, as he has to do shift duty and private studies, he was unable to continue service with the Special Constabulary and he ultimately resigned in 1968. Currently, he is working in a statutory board where his presence is required in times of emergency.”
“Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head S be reduced by $10 in respect of item 1210 of Subhead Code SF-01 of the Main Estimates. Sir, what is the budget allocated for food for our Police national servicemen who are called up for in-camp training? I understand that the lowest tenderer was given the contract. At some camps, the supply of three meals per day, that is, breakfast, lunch and dinner was fixed at $2.45 per head, without any snacks in between. Just imagine what type of food can the national servicemen expect to get nowadays at $2.45 for three meals a day. It is no wonder that the swill collectors are getting a better deal because of the food that is wasted. I also gather that the Vigilante Corps officers who know too well about the quality of food and who have to go for refresher course at St John's Island have asked their Cultural, Sports and Welfare Association to subsidise 50 cents per head per day so that the caterer could supply better quality food. Why must the Association subsidise this? Why did the Ministry accept the lowest tender for the supply of food? I think the Ministry should not be stingy in the supply of food. At least, a reasonable amount of money should be allocated, so that the boys can get decent meals instead of what they are getting at the moment. Sir, national service was introduced in 1967. During the initial period, a few batches of recruits were sent to the First SIR for three months' full-time training and were later absorbed into the People's Defence Force. Subsequently, after a couple of years, when doing part-time national service, some of these recruits were transferred to the Special Constabulary.”
“It is a complicated junction. Since everybody makes mistakes the pedestrian must be given a chance.”
“Very good. The Minister should show the plan to Mr Speaker. Mr Chua Sian Chin: I can show it to the Member for Anson. I admit it is a complicated junction.”
“Sir, another matter is about the area bounded by Robinson Road, Cecil Street, Maxwell Road, Wallich Street and Anson Road. That is the place the Minister should look into. He should instruct the policemen to advise pedestrians if they cross the roads wrongly. They should not straightaway book the pedestrians, Some of these policemen on duty themselves do not know the rules and regulations of the Pedestrian Crossing Rules. I am not blaming all the police officers. Some of them are very good officers. Could I have an assurance from the Minister on this matter?”
“Sir, the Minister has not answered my complaint about the police officer who was asked to produce his warrant card because he was in plain clothes when he issued a summons. The Minister asked me to give the particulars of the person concerned. If I furnish the particulars today, he will be victimised tomorrow. The Minister is not aware of what is happening inside, I want an assurance from the Minister that when policemen are in plain clothes they should show their warrant cards if they want to issue a summons.”
“Sir, I agree with the Hon. Minister's explanation. The motorist explained to the Traffic Police saying, "I am innocent of the charge." The police officer said "If you are innocent, then go to court." The motorist did not want to go to court and so he paid the fine. If he goes to court, it is a waste of time. There are so many things involved here. The Minister must consider. The Minister is right when he said "If you are innocent, you go to court." No doubt he is right. But how many people are willing to go to court? Has the Minister checked with the Traffic Police to find out the number of people who went to court to prove their innocence? Nobody will go to court. It is a waste of time, waste of money. So they pay the fine. Anyway, I have brought up this matter so that the Hon. Minister can instruct the Traffic Police that next time a police officer in plainclothes stops anybody, he has to show his warrant card to identify himself. Sir, I do not want to talk too much. I am only asking the Minister to give instruction that in future any plainclothes officer who arrests or issues a summons to anybody should show his warrant card. I agree with what the Minister has said about going to court But the motorist did not want to go to court, and so he paid the fine. The Minister says "If he pays the fine, he admits his guilt." What can the poor fellow do? He cannot do anything. All right, pay the fine. Sir, I hope the Minister can clarify.”
“How can they receive the report? [Interruption]. Sir, I am not joking about this matter. The Minister has got to give instructions to the Traffic Police to take the necessary action wherever possible. If he is a plainclothes police officer, he must show his warrant card. If he does not show his warrant card, nobody will respect him and nobody will give a correct answer. That is why I raised this point in the House.”
“Sir, I was referring to the police officer who called the motorist kayu. It seems that the Minister has not answered my question correctly. Even if, as is alleged by the Minister which I gather is not true, the motorist had abused the plainclothes police officer and called him kayu, how did this spark off? If there was no spark there would not be any fire. It appears that the Minister is defending his department which I think is rightly his duty. No doubt every Minister has to defend his department. But then my question was aimed at stopping the abuse in the issue of summonses. This is very important. If I am not mistaken, what I learnt from the Minister's reply on Friday is that it is in order for any plainclothes officer from any department to issue a summons without properly identifying himself, even though the public request to see the warrant card, because of doubt. If that is the case, we would not be surprised to see that many impersonators will take advantage of the situation. Could the Minister enlighten us on this point? The Minister had also stated that the motorist had shown disrespect for the court. This is a matter of opinion. Everybody must respect the court. It seems that the Minister is unaware that many people, not only this motorist, do not take the trouble to go to court, not because they have no respect for the court but for many other reasons, like whether or not it is economically wise to go to the court, or for reasons best known to the person concerned. Therefore, it is not fair for the Minister to give me an answer which is not to the point. Sir, today the Minister asked why this man did not go and make a police report. Yes, that man went and reported to the police. The police did not receive the report because he went against the police.”
“Sir, last Friday the Hon. Minister mentioned about kayu. Actually, I said that a police officer called the motorist kayu. How can the Hon. Minister use the word kayu? Is it a parliamentary word? The Minister should not use it. Sir, unlike the Minister, I am not going to call anyone kayu. The reason why I mentioned about the police officer calling the motorist kayu is to draw the attention of this House to an abuse in the issue of summonses.”
“In fact, some of the pedestrians did not intentionally by-pass the pedestrian crossing but it was simply because of the traffic flow which induces people coming out from a busy lane to move straight on to cross Wallich Street without noticing the pedestrian footpath which is a distance away. Many people have been booked for jaywalking by the uniformed personnel who are on duty there. They show no discretion in letting off pedestrians who are confused and have unintentionally crossed against the rules. Only lately an improvement was made to that place. A private plot of vacant land used as a small park was converted into a footpath to join the pedestrian footpath at Wallich Street and the other end at Choon Guan Street. Even at the time when the footpath was under construction, a lorry was seen to unload the concrete slabs near the pedestrian path and it was therefore blocking the pedestrian's view of the crossing. During that specific time some pedestrian did not therefore notice the pedestrian crossing and they too were booked by the uniformed personnel for jaywalking. I wonder whether any discretion has been given to these uniformed personnel when booking offenders for jaywalking. It would seem that if they do not issue three or four summonses a day, they would not get any promotion or increment. Is that the reason? Could the Minister give the number of offenders who had been booked just for ignoring the use of the complicated pedestrian crossing at the junction of Wallich Street and Anson Road? Sir, something has to be done to eradicate all these abuses.”
“The Minister's reply would be, "He had committed an offence and he was therefore fined." I am now telling this House that such abuse of power is going on. What is the Minister going to do to stop such uncalled-for summons? Again, it is observed that quite often notices too are being issued to the wrong persons. There was a case where a person was away from the country and his car was never used and yet he was given a notice to get the particulars of the driver for an offence committed during his absence. It was the wrong number. The person was' in the United States. Fortunately he had his passport to prove that he had been abroad and the case was squashed. They can do whatever they like. Why was this person made to waste his precious time to go and explain the unnecessary summons? It appears that the person who issued the wrong notice had not been dealt with for his mistake. But then when the motorists commit an offence, they are ever ready to book them. What is the criterion here? Sir, sometime ago I did bring up the question of courtesy of uniformed personnel who are out to book jaywalkers. Even now, there is still room for improvement, I had also mentioned the confusing pedestrian crossing along Wallich Street in my constituency. In reply, the Minister said that the Traffic Police would keep the matter under review to see how this inconvenience to the motorists could be reduced. After that, every day during the peak hour periods a few uniformed personnel with a tally board in their hands would hang around five-foot ways, just waiting to book all pedestrians who by-pass the pedestrian crossing.”
“He then went to the Traffic Police Section to explain his case. But his explanation was not accepted and he was told that he could go to court and appeal. How can he appeal? He must engage a lawyer, and he would probably have to spend another $150 in order to go to the court and again be fined. The plainclothes man did a wrong thing. He must first give a warning. However, to avoid trouble instead of going to court, he decided to pay the $70 fine which was indeed a great blow to him, in view of his low income. Sir, the question here is that it would appear that anyone without properly identifying himself could issue a summons indiscriminately to any motorist. In other words, any one can impersonate a police officer without producing a warrant card and summon as they wish.”
“Sir, it is apparent that nowadays as a pedestrian or a motorist, there are so many traffic instructions to abide that if you make a slip, the lawman is there to book you. But the uniformed personnel should not give an impression that they are out only to book offenders. They should attempt to educate the public and with courtesy. Sir, is the Minister aware that some of the traffic summonses have been issued indiscriminately? What remedial action is he taking against those who abuse their privilege of booking offenders? Let me quote a case. A motorist was turning right from Beatty Road to the one-way Serangoon Road, and he had been observing the proper traffic signs. But all of a sudden, a plainclothes man who was also riding a motor cycle drew up to him at the road junction of Lavender Street and Serangoon Road and abused him by calling him kayu, and so on. This motorist who was abused knew that he had not committed any offence but nevertheless followed him a short distance away from the junction and asked him the reason for the abuse. The next moment the plainclothes man demanded the driving licence of the motorist who in turn, questioned as to who he was to demand for his licence. In reply, the plainclothes man said that he was a police officer. The motorist then requested him to show his warrant card. But he refused to show his warrant card and just took down the number of the motorist and went off, Two weeks later, the motorist received a traffic summons pointing out that he had committed an offence for inconsiderate riding and failing to show his driving licence. He was asked to pay a fine of $70. He is a hospital servant. His pay is only $150. If he has to pay $70 for one traffic offence, how can he live?”
“Sir, in view of the Minister's explanation, I beg leave to withdraw my amendment. Amendment by leave, withdrawn.”
“Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head R be reduced by $10 in respect of item 1100 of Subhead Code RA-01 of the Main Estimates. Sir, we have heard that some of our science students have experimented to a certain extent the use of solar energy as an alternative source of energy. May I know how successful has this experiment been, and how is this energy to be channelled for domestic use on the island. I wonder whether any tests or studies have been conducted in harnessing wind energy as an alternative source of power. Could the Minister comment? Sir, I have noticed that our contribution to the International Atomic Energy Agency last year was $40,000, whereas the Budget estimates for this year have been increased to $105,000, that is an increase of over a hundred percent. I presume that our activities in connection with this Agency must have expanded. If so, to what extent have we benefited by contributing to this Agency? Could the Minister elaborate?”
“Sir, on the assurance given by the Minister on the hawker centre for Anson, I beg leave to withdraw my amendment. Amendment by leave, withdrawn.”
“Just as people in the middle income group are faced with the question of owning cars and the question of commuting, people in the lower income group are faced with the problem of hawker licence and related matters. They have now become a social problem of equal importance. In view of the fact that different hawker centres are administered differently, I am therefore making this suggestion to the Ministry of the Environment to have a unified and centralised hawker controlling authority to deal with hawker problems in a comprehensive way.”
“And when the applicant enquires from the staff of the Ministry of the Environment, they in turn would also say that the applicant should go to the HDB Hawkers Department as such matters concern the HDB. I would not like to say that they are passing the buck, but it is certainly an irony. In the adjustment of hawkers' fees, hawkers under the Ministry of the Environment have to pay their fees once in three months, whereas the HDB hawkers have to pay once a month including stamp fees. This is a contradiction and will cause some dispute. Let me give another example. In certain areas hawker centres under the charge of the Ministry are rather old because the building have a longer history. Hawker centres in the HDB estates are rather new and better designed. There will be disputes because the Ministry of the Environment does not have enough money to spend on the control and management of hawker centres: so it is much the worse off. On the other hand, the HDB has all the funds for the building and care of hawker centres. This divergent situation may aggravate matters, and if allowed to continue, it would not be good for all concerned. I would like to ask whether it would not be advisable to set up a unified and comprehensive hawker department comprising representatives from both the Ministry of the Environment and the HDB so as to centralise and facilitate the control and management of all hawkers. Otherwise as at the moment certain matters concern both the departments while certain other matters do not concern either of them because there is confusion as to the division of responsibility or line of control. Hawker problems are many and complicated; they belong to a class all by itself.”
“If the situation is not properly checked, we will not be surprised if an epidemic of haemorrhagic fever should arise. Mr Lai Tha Chai (Henderson)( In Mandarin): Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I would also like to talk about the policy on hawkers. At present the Ministry of the Environment is resiting hawker stalls along the roadside to hawker centres. Of course, from the long term point of view, I support this move. At present, most of the hawker centres are sited in the HDB housing estates. Therefore, the more hawkers the Ministry resites, the more will they be concentrated in the HDB housing estates. The hawker centres under the Ministry of the Environment will then become fewer and fewer. One day the Ministry of the Environment will find that it has no more hawker centres to control. In other words, rules relating to the control of hawkers promulgated by the Ministry of the Environment will not be implemented by the Ministry itself. Instead, the task of control will be carried out by other departments. This is an irony in the process of development. I would like to ask whether the Ministry of the Environment will consider taking over hawker centres now under the charge of other departments, so as to unify the control and management of hawker centres. It will be beneficial to do so because, if someone wants to become a hawker and brings his problem to his Member of Parliament, the MP can advise him where to go to deal with the matter. At the moment the Ministry of the Environment has a department in charge of hawkers and the HDB also has a department in charge of hawker centres. When an applicant makes enquiries from the HDB Hawkers Department, the staff there will tell him to go to the Ministry of the Environment saying it is a matter which concerns the Ministry.”
“How successful has this instruction been carried out by the food handlers in the Republic? Could the Minister elaborate? 4.00 p.m. Sir, last year I queried about the resiting of hawkers in the Anson constituency to hawker centres. Arising out of this question, a debate arose between the Senior Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for the Environment and myself. One year has already passed and I should say that nothing has been done so far to build a hawker centre in my constituency. There are new buildings coming up. If the Minister does not take action this time, I cannot get the hawker centre. Why was my request not looked into? There is no point in debating in this House if we forget the whole issue after a debate. Would the Hawkers Department prefer that hawkers in the Anson constituency carry on business in backlanes and along the streets? We have seen many developments in Anson constituency, like road widening, building of flats, etc. But why does the Hawkers Department ignore the Anson constituency? Could the Minister explain? I would also like to know what measures are being taken by the Hawkers Department to see that hawkers do not unnecessarily jack up their prices when there is a demand for their food. This happens especially when there is usually a large crowd patronising them. Sir, what measures are being taken to see that our drains are properly flushed, so that water is flowing smoothly, and also thick lallang is trimmed in order to avoid mosquito breeding. It is common nowadays to find mosquitoes in housing estates, construction sites and even inside the hospital premises. Mosquitoes suck human blood, especially of children. What is the Vector Control Unit doing all this time? Are they really doing their job of controlling the breeding of mosquitoes?”
“Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head Q be reduced by $10 in respect of item 1100 of Subhead Code GA-01 of the Main Estimates. Instead of putting questions under different subheads in the Environment Ministry, I prefer the Minister to answer my questions under this subhead in order to save time. Sir, I would like to invite the Minister to visit a kampong and squatter area near Jalan Bukit Merah behind Chiang Teck School in my constituency and see for himself the living conditions of a few hundred families living there. The environment there is very unhygienic, numerous rubbish heaps are strewn all over, roofs are in very poor state and many houses are in a dilapidated state. Floods occur during inclement weather, sanitation and water supply are poor and there are many other environmental hazards. I understand that officials from the Environment Ministry have visited the place. I would like to know what action has been taken to improve the environment of the kampong. My next query is that wide publicity was recently given in the press that well known supermarkets in Orchard Road were fined for selling contaminated food. As a result, at the moment many of the workers at the food section of these supermarkets are wearing face masks. If contaminated food could be sold in these well known supermarkets, what would the situation be in other places? I think it would be even worse. What steps are being taken to check on shops and hawker stalls to ensure that the food they sell is not contaminated? could the Minister give some facts and figures on the number of stallholders that were convicted for this offence? Sometime ago an official instruction was issued to all food handlers that they have to use gloves and tongs when preparing the food.”
“Sir, the Member for Whampoa said that in New York bicycles are used for many years. I do not know for how many years. We do not know whether it is 40 years or 50 years. The United States is a cold country and bicycles are not used very often. Singapore is a hot country. The postmen use the bicycles everyday and they cycle a distance of at least 20 miles a day. From this, we can tell the number of miles they cover in one year. This means that the bicycles are overused and they break down easily. My colleague, the Member for Punggol, is right. The old bicycles should be scrapped. If motorcars can be scrapped, why can we not scrap the old bicycles? I do not agree with this view. I know the job of a postman. I was a postman before. I have ridden a bicycle over 40 miles a day, from Nee Soon Post Office to Yio Chu Kang, 10 m.s. and returned and then proceeded again to Thomson Road, 5 m.s. This was done twice a day. Members can calculate the distance covered. I have ridden bicycles; I know the difficulties. When climbing a hill, it is so difficult to pedal and sometimes the chain comes off. Nowadays the postmen have better working conditions. Anyway, the old bicycles should be replaced. The Postal Department is providing essential services. As the Member for Sembawang has said, if we want good service we must have good equipment.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, the Member for Sembawang said that I was replying on behalf of the Minister. I was not replying on his behalf. I had worked in the Postal Department before and I know the difficulties in that department. That is the reason why I have to speak. I cannot keep quiet sitting down here. What would be the use of being a Member of Parliament then? I must draw the Minister's attention to the inadequacies in the Postal Department. I was not answering on behalf of the Minister. Since the Senior Minister of State has not given an adequate reply, I have therefore offered some practical suggestions. Any objections to that? Some hon. Members: No.”
“Sir, my colleague, the Member for Sembawang also spoke about the postal services. I thank him for that. He complained that the Marsiling Post Office is not working properly. Most probably the postage was $46 instead of $21 which could be wrong. If there is any doubt, he must see the Postmaster. 3.00 p.m. Concerning the registered mail, maybe the postman did not know where to find the people to accept the registered letter. If a wrong address is given on the envelope, it is not easy for the postman to deliver it. If the address is written, say, 12 Upper Thomson Road, there are many No. 12s in Thomson Road. The sender must know the district number for Upper Thomson Road. Let us not blame the postmen. Theirs is a hard job. On the one hand if we appreciate the work that postmen do, then we should not, on the other hand, blame them if anything goes wrong. That is no good. If we appreciate their work, then we should not blame them. If we want to blame them, we should not say that they are very good. They are public servants. They go out to deliver letters, rain or shine. They work very hard. We must appreciate that. So we should not put a blame on them. That is my point of clarification.”
“Secondly, Sir, I have also received complaints from my constituents that the staff in the Marsiling Post Office do not have a standard practice of assessing postage rates. A man once went to the post office to post a parcel. The postage was assessed at $20 which was reasonable. He then sent his friend to post another parcel containing the same article. This time the postage was assessed at $46, an increase of $26. When his friend told him about this $46-postage, he was very surprised. So he personally went back to the post office again and asked for a re-assessment of the postage for the parcel. It was assessed at only $21. From this example, we can either infer that some members of the staff do not know how to assess postage or that they have not been doing their work seriously and correctly. So, I hope the Minister will look into the matter to ensure that there will be no recurrence of such incidents.”
“In this respect, the Postal Services Department plays a very important role in the maintenance of efficient services so that there is no misdelivery or delay in the delivery of mail which can affect some people adversely. Generally speaking, our postal services are satisfactory. It does not, however, mean that there are no defects or shortcomings. On the contrary, there are still some defects which can be improved. I would like to draw the attention of the Minister to two matters. Firstly, I have received complaints from my constituents that some postmen in the Marsiling Post Office are not doing their work properly. For example, registered mails are n(it delivered to the addressees, in spite of the fact that some members of the family are always at home. They simply leave behind one card to say that the mail could not be delivered and asked the addressee to go and collect the mail from the post office. Worse, the post oft ce has at times written wrongly the name of the recipient on the card. I can give ons example. One Mr Nah had his name written on the card as Mr "Liah". So he took this card to the post office to collect his mail, only to find out that his name had been wrongly written, Sir, if "N" for "National" is wrongly written as "M". then the mistake is not so serious. But if "N" is written as "L" for "London ,', then the mistake is serious because the two letters are miles apart. This mistake is inexcusable, and it shows the nonchalant attitude of the postal staff concerned. I hope the Minister will look into the matter to rectify immediately the attitude of the workers in the post office concerned.”
“Sir, previously I had raised a number of questions relating to the Postal Services Department which other Members had also raised, like the Member for Anson. Generally, the complaints were about delays in delivery of mail and misdelivery of mail. After making such complaints in Parliament, there was considerable improvement in the Postal Services Department. As a result in the last two years I did not receive so many complaints of this nature. I should congratulate the Minister and the staff of the Postal Department for raising their standard of service. The Member for Anson also referred to the use of bicycles which are more than 20 years old but the Minister in his answer stated that bicycles of more than 10 years old are still in use. If the Department wants to provide a more efficient postal service, then they should have good bicycles for use by the postmen. As the saying goes, if you want a job done well, you must have good tools. If the bicycles are too old and rickety, the Department cannot expect good service out of the staff. I hope the Senior Minister of State will look into this matter. Sir, this complaint about the misdirection and delay in the delivery of mail has been attended to, and I would like the Senior Minister of State to convey my congratulations and compliments to all the postal staff for an improvement in the service. It is important that we maintain a high standard of efficiency in our postal services, particularly in a country like Singapore which is highly commercialised and urbanised. In Singapore we all stress the importance of efficiency and speed in the direction of government affairs, commercial activities and private correspondence.”
“No, more staff. Otherwise, after one or two days they will resign. The qualifications of a postman are now either Secondary IV or Secondary III. It is very difficult to get people with these qualifications to work as postmen. How can you ask these people to carry mail bags? If the qualification is School Certificate, they should be allowed to choose the type of job they like. They can choose to be a sweeper. postman or clerk. Since they have the same qualification their salary should also be the same. Then there will be no trouble. If he likes to be a postman, he can choose to become a postman. The Minister for Finance should think about this because this is very important. If we cannot get the people to do this work, we can recruit outsiders on work permits. Work in the Postal Department is not easy. If one letter is lost, he can be sentenced to seven years' imprisonment. It is a very responsible job. I was working in the Postal Department before and I know the difficulties. There are all sorts of problems in the Postal Department. Another point is this. When they know that the work cannot be finished, the staff would be asked to stay back. This department wants to get a medal! The department should be told to do their work properly and that there should be proper coordination of work among the staff so that the work can be carried out smoothly. I hope that I do not have to bring up this question again next year. Anyway, I beg leave to withdraw my amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. Mr Teong Eng Siong (Sembawang)( In Mandarin): Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head O be reduced by $10 in respect of Subhead Code OE-01 of the Main Estimates.”
“Sir, I agree with the reply given by the Senior Minister of State for Communications. The assistant postmen and assistant postwomen are doing heavy work. A man can only work up to a certain limit. How can you ask a man who weighs 120 lbs to carry a mail bag weighing 80 lbs? The Postal Department has always got vacancies for the post of postman because of the difficult nature of the job. You must give more -”
“I would ask the Department to negotiate with the union.”
“I wonder whether the Postal Department would consider air-conditioning all the post offices for the benefit of the staff and the general public. If you go to the banks, they are all air-conditioned. The POSB is earning money. The Minister for Communications must ask the Minister for Finance adequate funds for this purpose. The Postal Department is very essential. How many million dollars does it make in profit? It must give good service to the public and at the same time it must look after the staff.”
“They want good work from the staff but they do not like to hear the problems of the staff. Has the Postal Department any plans to replace all these bicycles? And those that are commissioned are of the type meant for use by ladies. The men are also now required to use these bicycles. We are indeed becoming a unisex world. Some of the men have expressed their feelings about using ladies' bicycles on the streets. I also note that generally all the postmen are wearing a standard uniform. In the Postal Department there are so many grades. There are assistant postmen, assistant postwomen, postwomen, and postmen, special grade. They all have the same uniform. But we cannot identify them. It is only when you go near them and scrutinise the badge that you know the designation of the worker. It is just a small badge. Even though I had been working in the Postal Department, I cannot tell the difference between a postman, an assistant postman, or a postman, special grade. Although I always complain about the Postal Department, there are no results. I wonder whether different coloured uniforms can be introduced to distinguish the different grades of postmen. Can you see any postman in a smart uniform? The assistant postman's uniform should be of one colour and the postman another colour. There must be some identification. They must have a smart uniform too. Sir, I note that there is a provision for a new international express service called the "Speed Post" that is being worked out by the Postal Department. This is indeed a wise move to keep up with modern times. What I want to know here is when will this scheme be implemented. To keep us with the times, many sections which deal with cash are air-conditioned, like the POSB branches.”
“I agree with that. But then there is a little problem here. The recipients may not be able to make out the sender's name and address on the heavily coloured superimposed scenery. It would be wiser to have the design printed in lighter tone or just leave a small blank space for the sender's particulars. Sir, it appears that in the Mailing Centre at Nelson Road, too often the assistant postmen and postwomen who are normally engaged in the loading and unloading of mails are asked to stay back at the last minute to continue with their work. Because of this last minute decision, the workers cannot participate in any activities outside office hours. This extra work is, of course, treated as overtime. But the problem here is due to the shortage of manpower. Could the Minister give some figures of assistant postmen and postwomen, and what is the rate of resignation and absconding, i.e. without giving any notice at all? Is it true that the rate of attrition is higher than the recruitment? If that is the case, how are the existing workers going to tackle the increasingly heavy load? What is being done to recruit this category of workers and what benefits are given to them so that they will remain in the service? Why is the rate of resignation and absconding so high? I think it is because of the poor working conditions. Something must be done to improve their conditions of service. Sir, I would also like to know how many bicycles are available for the use of the postal workers. I notice that although some of the bicycles are 20 to 30 years old, with so many mendings and welding here and there, they are still in service. I always complain about the Postal Department. The Postal Service is an essential one. However, the Department is not concerned about the staff.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head O be reduced by $10 in respect of item 1210 of Subhead Code OE-01 of the Main Estimates. Sir, it is a fact that our Postal Services is considered to be one of the best in this part of the world. This is because of the Department's efforts in constantly reviewing and introducing new ideas and systems to deal with the growing workload in the Postal Department. However, I would like to comment on certain matters connected with the Postal Services. Sir, some time ago General Purpose counters were introduced at the various post offices. Are these counters working satisfactorily? These counters deal with so many items, renewal of various licences, stamps, registration of letters, etc. that the people have to wait for a considerable time. Even the clerical staff working at the counters voice a certain amount of dissatisfaction over the arrangement. May I know the Minister's views about these General Purpose counters? I also want to know how often does the Postal Department check on the stocks of items like stamps, aerogrammes, etc. to ensure that there is always enough stock available at all times. I say this, because over the last few weeks - I do not mean at the moment - it was apparent that there was no stock of aerogramme forms at a number of post offices. Many people after queuing at the now busy counters which handle the various services were told that there was no stock of aerogrammes. This was the situation for one or two weeks. Why is this so? Since we are on the topic of aerogrammes, I notice that that portion of the aerogramme giving the sender's particulars is covered with a design of a scenery of the Republic. This is a form of publicity for Singapore for tourist attraction.”
“In the days before metrication it was perhaps understandable that rounding off would ease such calculations, but now that we use the metric system this practice is quite unnecessary and there is no justification for overcharging consignees in this way. The consignees are then forced to pass on these extra charges to the customer and cost of the consignment is unnecessarily inflated. The Minister may feel that I have chosen an extreme case to illustrate my point, or that the amount of the extra charge is not great. But let me make it clear that if this practice is continued for all consignments for a whole year, this artificial profit must run into millions of dollars and it must therefore be a cause for inflation in the country. Another area where the PSA is overcharging the consignee is the practice of imposing railing charges irrespective of whether or not the goods have actually been railed. For clarification, let me explain - The Chairman: Order. Would the Member for Telok Blangah please inform the House whether he is speaking with any vested interest?”
“They are like the Scheme 'B' buses; their services too may in a way help to ease the present problem of getting more taxis on the road. Perhaps, we can introduce a Scheme B taxi service. Sir, I hope the Ministry will seriously look into this problem. I want to know how best they intend to solve this daily problem of inadequate taxi services in the Republic. Mr Ahmad Haleem: Sir, Singapore is the fourth busiest port in the world and it shows millions of dollars profit annually. However, on closer examination it is evident that a sizable percentage of this profit is being made in ways which cannot be considered legitimate; I wonder whether or not the Hon. Minister is aware of certain practices currently operating in PSA, through which these profits are being made. One practice which results in overcharging the consignee is that of rounding up the tonnage of a truckload of a cargo to the next higher whole number. By way of illustration, let us consider a consignment of ten large heavy cases each weighing 5.1 tonnes. The total bill of lading tonnage is therefore 51 tonnes. Each case, because of its weight, would be loaded onto a separate truck and, for the purpose of calculating PSA charges, each truckload would be rounded up to 6 tonnes. This means that for a bill of lading showing 51 tonnes, the PSA is charging for 60 tonnes. This is an overcharge of nine tonnes. Taking it the other way round, with a consignment of 10 small cases each weighing 1.1 tonnes, the total tonnage charged by the PSA is 20 tonnes, instead of 11 tonnes as given in the bill of lading.”
“Sometimes tourists have to wait as long as 1 1/2 to 2 hours for their turn to board a taxi at the airport, especially in the later part of the evening. Sir, sometime ago the Ministry had indicated that the taxi service would be reorganised and more taxis would be sent to the airport. What has happened to all this talk of reorganising the taxi service? Why is this problem allowed to go on daily? In fact, if you ask any one who has been riding in taxis regularly, this is their opinion - that the taxi service in Singapore is horrible. I personally feel that this is the result of the many restrictions and heavy taxes imposed on private vehicles that many people have given up their vehicles and rely on taxi services. And if these services are not improved, I do not foresee other motorists surrendering their cars for alternative means of transport. Sir, the Government may quote figures to show that there are ample taxis on the road. But then the figures quoted are of no use. Theoretically, the figures may be adequate. But then, in practical terms, where have the taxis gone to? Most of the taxis that are on the road are over-utilised. And because of the heavy demand for taxis, some of the taxi drivers too have taken advantage, such as not picking up passengers with baggage. On one occasion I noticed a blind man being helped by a salesgirl at a queue for taxis at the Yaohan Supermarket. He too was denied the service by a taxi driver. Some of them, I do not mean all, are taking the law into their own hands. In the past we have gone all the way to stop the pirate taxis from their illegal operations. Now, come to think of it, many of the pirate taxis were, in fact, providing a good illegal supplementary taxi service.”
“Officials from the Ministry of the Environment say that 20% of the daily litter collected appears to be bus tickets. One of the officials even suggested that perhaps the POSB could introduce a scheme to reward school children for collecting the highest-number of bus tickets. The question here is why are these tickets thrown all over the place? Are all the buses not properly equipped with proper receptacles, so that the commuters could throw the used tickets into them? Sir, in 1974 the Ministry of Communications hinted that within a few years' time the SBS would be coverted into a public limited company in which the Government would hold an equity share. Sir, could the Minister explain what is the Government's stand at the moment? The Scheme 'B' buses was initially introduced as a temporary measure to supplement the services of the SBS during peak periods. This was indeed a wise move. Today this temporary measure has more or less become a permanent transport scheme, and I think the owners of these Scheme 'B' buses have also organised themselves to provide a good service to the public. However, we are now faced with a new problem, that is, the extremely poor taxi service. Very often, it is not easy to get a taxi at any time of the day. This problem also exists after midnight hours and is even worse during the change over of the taxi drivers, for they ignore any flagging by passengers. So in times of emergency, just imagine how frustrating it can be to wait for an empty taxi. Even at the airport, many tourists whom we most welcome to our Republic have indicated that everything is all right in Singapore, except that the taxi service is very poor.”
“Sir, our telephone services are considered to be one of the best in the world. I understand that the TAS is now planning to operate the videophone system. This is a teleview in which two people talking to each other can hear and also see each other at the same time by way of a television screen. If the experiments by the TAS are successful, it intends to introduce this service to the general public. I wonder what progress has been made in this direction? Can the Minister elaborate on this subject? Turning to the subject of public bus transport, a few years ago the SBS came under heavy attack by the Backbenchers here and also the general public calling for massive improvement of its services. Government officers were then seconded to the Singapore Bus Service to help in the reorganisation of the bus transport. Today, we have to congratulate the SBS and the Government officials for more or less solving the major problems that existed in the bus company, like rude conductors, reckless drivers, inadequate services and many other problems. Because of the constant review of the whole Singapore bus service, we can say that the SBS has been reorganised and we have indeed broken the backbone of the problem. However, some minor problems still exist. In some areas the services are not sufficiently covered. To quote examples, if a person from Geylang wants to go to Tan Tock Seng Hospital at Moulmein Road, he has got no choice but to take two different service buses to reach his destination. Again, if a person at Marine Parade wants to go to PSA Towers at Telok Blangah Road, he too has to change to a different bus to reach his destination. Because of these bus changes, the commuters have to incur extra fare.”
“Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head N be reduced by $10 in respect of item 8102 of Subhead Code NC-02 of the Development Estimates*. Sir, sometime ago wide publicity was given to the Government's plan to build a Mass Rapid Transit System. Millions of dollars were voted for studies to be carried out and for subsequent developments. So far the cost of the total project amounted to $2,253,000. The estimates for 1977 was $680,000. This year the House is asked to approve only $38,950. I want to know why the provision is so low. What has happened to all the studies which were conducted previously? Are we still going ahead with the Mass Rapid Transit project? Could the Minister enlighten the House on the latest position of this project?”
“Sir, in view of the Minister's reply, I beg leave to withdraw my amendment. Amendment by leave, withdrawn. Mr Teong Eng Siong (Sembawang)( In Mandarin): Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head N be reduced by $10 in respect of Subhead Code NC-01 of the Main Estimates. Sir, the PWD has contributed a lot to the task of road building and public communication network, and the city has become cleaner and modernised, compatible with other metropolis. The PWD has constructed walkways along the pavements of shops in the city and laid them with good quality tiles. These places have been renovated so as to give a pleasing atmosphere to pedestrians and visitors to these thoroughfares. Undoubtedly, this beautification programme has been well received by the people, and praised by tourists. I feel that the programme should be extended to other areas. For this reason, I would request the Minister to consider constructing the same public walkways along Bah Tan Road in Sembawang. There are two primary schools and one secondary school in this area, with several thousand pupils of tender age. If there are walkways along this road, they will provide safe passage for the children and facilitate their commuting from one side of the road to the other. Secondly, I would like to ask the Minister when will the widening of the road stretching from Thomson Road to Sembawang Road be completed. And how will the resettlement of the residents and shopkeepers affected by the widening of roads in Sembawang be dealt with? I would like to ask the Minister to consider their case sympathetically, particularly in giving them rental concessions to minimise their hardship.”
“Further down Anson Road near the junction of Maxwell Road, the area there is also very complicated both for motorists and pedestrians. The many roads meeting at that point result in frequent traffic jams during peak periods. Because of the new law on jaywalking, many pedestrians find it very confusing when commuting in this area. Sir, the traffic-congestion problem is not peculiar only in my constituency. There are also other areas in the city where such problem exists. In order to resolve the traffic congestion problem, the Ministry in its long-term planning should take my views into consideration.”
“Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head N be reduced by $10 in respect of item 1210 of Subhead Code NC-01 of the Main Estimates. I am pleased to note that after having raised an issue last year about an accident prone area at the deadly bend around the Kampong Bahru/Kampong Lama Roads, an immediate improvement has been carried out by the Department concerned by erecting a metal barrier along the bend. This barrier has definitely prevented further accidents in that area which is evident as the barrier is damaged every now and then and is replaced. Anyway, this is the best that the Department could do at the moment. Sir, on the question of road improvements in my constituency, that stretch of Keppel Road near Customs House to Anson Road is frequently congested with traffic. This is because of the traffic signals at the closely spaced road junctions in the area. This stretch of the road is part of a key mad for traffic from the city to the western sector of the island and also vice versa. Even the traffic lights do not seem to be synchronised. It is true that road widening is taking place at the moment to improve the flow of traffic. In the near future, a road would be constructed from Tanjong Rhu passing through the reclaimed land and is expected to be joined to this already congested road. And because of the present closely spaced traffic lights, the traffic snarl may still exist. My purpose in raising this issue is that in the long term planning, the roads in this area like Cantonment Road, Keppel Road, Tanjong Pagar Road, Anson Road and all the other subsidiary roads should be reviewed carefully. Further improvements should be carried out so that there will be less traffic lights and interruption to the free flow of traffic could be avoided.”