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 Amendment by leave, withdrawn.”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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“On a point of clarification, Sir. The Minister should look after the people of Singapore. He knows the conditions of living there, and should give them alternative accommodation. The slum areas should be removed.”
“On a point of clarification, Sir, Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, my point is this. In the case of these attap houses, either the owner or the tenants must undertake the repairs. Permission was not given by the Building Control Division because the owner did not sign. The owners want to chase the tenants out, and that is why they did not want to sign. That is the trouble. Therefore, the owners must be instructed to do the repairs.”
“I request that immediate action be taken, otherwise the houses will collapse. Bukit Merah is in a central area. The Department has to take immediate action to either give alternative accommodation to the residents or ask them to repair the houses. They should not ignore the problems of the tenants.”
“Not enough publicity has been given about the planning setup there. Logically, I am of the view that the sooner both these departments are integrated and restructured under one department, there will be better co-ordination and better streamlining of planning procedures. The next point I would like to raise is the developments in my constituency. Sir, along Jalan Bukit Merah, near Chiang Teck School, there is a squatter settlement. There are some 120 to 150 attap houses accommodating about a few hundred families. They are living in an extremely unhygienic and dangerous environment. A large number of the attap houses are without proper roofs. So when they sleep they can see the sky. These houses are partially covered with polythene materials, canvas and with odd patches. The Department does not allow them to repair the roofs because the owners were not allowed to sign. About 1/5th of the attap houses are very poorly constructed. Their roofs are leaking, and the wooden partitions used for rooms are damaged pieces of timber. More than 50% of the attap houses do not have proper living facilities and sanitation. Them are about five to eight bucket-type toilets in the vicinity giving a very unhealthy environment. The stench pervades the whole area which becomes an excellent breeding ground for pests because of the rubbish heap all over the place. The area is also a fire hazard. There are five houses with tree trunks within their premises and the houses are in a very bad shape. Some may even collapse any time. I understand that attempts were made by the residents to repair the houses, but it was rejected by some inspectors who had gone there to investigate. Could something be done to improve the living conditions around the locality?”
“Sir, last year I raised in Parliament the confusion that members of the public had as to which department was actually involved with planning matters. I regret to have to bring this matter up again, as the people, I mean particularly the man-in-the-street and not the professionals, are still unaware of the setup of the Planning Authority, that is, which department deals with Government and statutory board projects and which department deals with projects tom the private sector. Sir, ever since the Planning Department has been split into two divisions, i.e. the Development Control Division comes under the PWD, and the Planning Department operates on its own, more confusion has arisen among members of the public. I still get complaints from members of the public, some of whom are illiterate, that when they approach the officers of the Planning Department for advice on change of use of premises, they are told that the Planning Department does not deal with members of the public. They should have been advised that the Planning Department does not deal with private applications and they should also rightly be directed by the officers to go to the Development Control Division. I have known of some cases where members of the public have wandered round to three or four Government departments, and finally ended up in the Planning Department only to find that they are still in the wrong department. They should have, in the first place, been directed to go straight to the Development Control Division. Even many Government departments do not know about the Planning Authority's setup. Surprisingly, last year's annual report of the Ministry did not mention anything about the Development Control Division, but there was a full write-up about the Planning Department.”
“I do not see why permission is not granted to the lower income group to do part-time work, especially when we are short of workers at the moment. Could the Minister elaborate on this subject?”
“Because of family quarrels and other domestic problems, they take advantage of the situation and quietly leave the country without even informing their families too. In the past we have heard of professionals emigrating to Australia, Canada and so on. But today we are facing a different problem; the lower income group of workers are also leaving the country. We seem to have a shortage of labourers in our construction industry and we are liberal in permitting non-citizens to work in this field. Yet we find some of our lower income group of workers leaving their steady jobs for better employment elsewhere in other countries and creating family problems. I wonder whether the Minister is aware that there are syndicates cashing in on, this, by falsely promising our workers better employment in those countries? It is also reported that some of these, groups have made Singapore a meeting place for recruitment of foreigners and some of the foreigners too have been stranded here. Could the Minister explain what are the Ministry's views on this grave matter? Sir, I wonder whether the Minister would give his blessing to workers taking up part-time jobs after their normal duty hours. Quite often, we find the lower income group of workers illegally seeking employment after office hours, simply to supplement their income so as to settle their debts, or keeping the family ahead and many other reasons best known to them. These workers are indeed doing an honest job, but under the employment service, workers are generally not permitted to take up part-time employment. Teachers are allowed to give part-time tuition during the evenings and so forth.”
“Sir, I wonder why the Work Permit Office and the Marriage Approval Section for non-citizens wanting to marry Singapore citizens insist on permanent residents of Singapore to get the re-entry permit issued by the Immigration Department on the Passport before considering any applications. Sir, there was a case where a permanent resident's re-entry permit had expired for just one or two days. Because he had no intention to leave the State, he did not apply for a re-entry permit. But when he applied for approval of his marriage to a Singapore citizen, he was advised by the Marriage Approval Section that he must get a re-entry permit endorsement before making his application. This requirement also applies to permanent residents whose work permits have expired and who want to renew them. Sir, since the permanent residents are not leaving the country. why must they apply for re-entry permit? When this question was posed to the officers of the Immigration Department, they claimed that they did not know what the Labour Ministry's requirements are. Could the Minister enlighten why a re-entry permit is necessary for permanent residents who do not intend to leave the State when they apply for approval of marriage of Singapore citizens, and also when they apply for renewal of their work permits? My second topic is on the exodus of low-skilled workers seeking employment around the Middle East countries. We cannot prevent our workers from seeking employment elsewhere. Many of them think that the pastures are greener over there. Is the Minister aware that this exodus has created some domestic problems? Many of our workers think that the working conditions are easier and salaries are higher in those countries.”
“Sir, I thank the Minister for Health for his patience in giving a satisfactory reply. I beg leave to withdraw my amendment. Amendment by leave, withdrawn. The following amendment stood in the names of Messrs Teong Eng Siong and Ho See Beng - (5) That the sum to be allocated for Head K be reduced by $10 in respect of Subhead Code KC-01 of the Main Estimates.”
“Why is this service denied to mothers in the first and second class wards? Is it because the hospital authorities assume that patients in the first two classes have better knowledge of the post-natal care of babies and thus deny them this service? Could the Minister enlighten the House? Sir, I remember a few years ago I had strongly supported the idea of allowing parents to stay with their children in the wards of the Mistri Wing so that their children could recover much earlier. This idea was accepted, and now we find parents and relatives of infant patients staying back the whole day to look after them. As we know, parents are not allowed to sleep inside the wards, but they need a suitable resting place to take short rests during the night. At the moment, a few benches are provided along the main passage of the Mistri Wing. These benches are in great demand as the parents use them to put their little articles for overnight use. As a result we get the awful sight of women lying all over the place. Could something be done to provide a more decent place, perhaps a waiting room for those who have to sacrifice the comfort of their home to come and look after their sick children? A proper toilet with facilities for them to wash and freshen up should also be provided.”
“Sir, there is also an administrative problem in the admission of patients at the Singapore General Hospital. The usual practice is that when a patient at the Emergency Unit is referred to a particular ward for admission, the ward nurse would direct the person accompanying the patient to go to the Admission Section for the admission papers and then to come back to the ward to hand over the papers. In the meantime, the patient may also have to go for an X-ray and for this too the accompanying person has to follow. Sir, as you know, the layout of the Singapore General Hospital is rather complicated. The various treatment centres are scattered all over the place and the distance between one centre and another is not close. Why must the public be inconvenienced by this process of administration, especially when there is great anxiety in the patient's condition? Perhaps the structure of the new Singapore General Hospital would permit better administration. But then, what about the other hospitals in the Republic? They too have this problem. Could not a better system be introduced for the admission of patients? On the subject of nurses, there appears to be a shortage in the hospitals and in the out-patient dispensaries. In order to cope with the work, it is not an unusual sight to see the amahs taking temperatures of patients, weighing the babies at the Maternal and Child Health Clinics, and so forth. In time to come, they would also be giving injections to patients! I wonder whether we are on the right track. 6.15 p.m. [Mr Deputy Speaker in the Chair] Sir, I understand there is a service accorded to mothers who have given birth in the third class wards. A nurse will visit them in their homes to give assistance on post-natal care of the new born babies.”
“This is not a joke because in the Kandang Kerbau Hospital which is supposed to be the place where mothers give birth and babies lying in the cots, we sometimes find cats loitering in the wards looking for food and causing a nuisance to the patients. Sometime ago there was a case in a second class ward. The ward itself does not deserve the status that it is accorded. In this ward, in the middle of the night a cat jumped onto the bed of a recuperating mother who had her child just next to her. Just imagine the shock it gave to the sleeping mother. In some wards in the Tan Tock Seng Hospital we find rats running all over the place. Mosquitoes are commonly found in many hospitals. What are we doing about all these pests? Have the patients got to bear all this nuisance? Sir, in line with the improvement to hospitals there is a problem of communication from the main bus stop to the wards in some hospitals. For instance, at the Tan Tock Seng Hospital the distance from the bus stop to the wards is quite far. It is quite a problem for hospital workers who do not have their own transport as they have to walk up and down the long-winding road daily. Perhaps the Ministry of Health could liaise with the Ministry of Communications to introduce a shuttle service at a nominal charge during the peak hours at such hospitals from the main bus stop to a point near the wards. This service will definitely benefit the hospital staff, visitors and outpatients. Sir, what check is being made on the prices quoted by stalls at our hospital premises? Too often, we find that the provisions sold at the hospitals seem to be very expensive. Is it because of high overheads, or because of demand, or because of swindling?”
“Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head K be reduced by $10 in respect of item 1210 of Subhead Code KB-01 of the Main Estimates. Sir, could the Minister give some facts and figures on the number of local and foreign pharmacists in the Government service? I wonder whether the present strength is enough to cope with the heavy load of work that is coming in daily at the various hospitals and dispensaries. To assist the pharmacists, there are dispensing assistants in the Pharmaceutical service. How many are there in the service? With an increase in the volume of work, is a recruitment exercise carried out annually? What percentage of the dispensing assistants are promoted to the senior post? The job of these people requires precision and therefore at times we need experienced people in this field. It has been noticed in many hospitals that there are no dispensing assistants to dispense medicine after office hours. The evening shift staff therefore have to do the extra work of dispensing the few medicines that are at their disposal and the ailing patients who come in the evening have to come back the next day to get more medicine from the dispensing assistants. Why must the patients be put through this discomfort? If the service is short of dispensing assistants, are the retired officers considered for re-employment in the service, like in some other Ministries where certain workers are re-employed on a year to year basis? Could the Minister enlighten the House? Sir, I have noticed that during the last few years a large provision in the budget has been allocated for the improvements to our various hospitals, I wonder whether the Minister is aware that cats, rats, mosquitoes and other pests are found in our hospital wards.”
“Sir, can I have your permission to speak on amendment (4) which stands in my name also?”
“That is why I would like to ask the Minister whether he would consider setting up a hospital in Sembawang or to convert the Naval Base Hospital into a full hospital so that people in Sembawang, Nee Soon, Jalan Kayu and Bukit Panjang can be treated at this hospital. Secondly, would the Minister consider reducing the maternity charges imposed on non-permanent resident wives of citizens? I have received a complaint from a constituent that his wife had to pay about $600 for maternity charges at the Kandang Kerbau Hospital. He is a wage-earner and his income is low. It is quite a burden to him to pay such a big sum of money for maternity charges. I would like to ask the Minister to consider reducing the maternity charges for such people.”
“Sir, in view of the explanation by the Hon. Minister, I beg leave to withdraw my amendment. Amendment by leave, withdrawn. Mr Teong Eng Siong( In Mandarin): Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head K be reduced by $10 in respect of Subhead Code KA-01 of the Development Estimates. Sir, for this Head of Expenditure there is a provision of $254 million this year which represents an increase of 1.6% over last year. This means that our people will receive better health care which is commendable. As a matter of fact, our health care and medical services are quite progressive and modernised. It has also won acclaim from our neighbouring countries and many people from the neighbouring countries have come here to seek medical treatment and to recuperate. This is a boost to our medical service. The Government is spending large sums of money every year on medical services so that the people can enjoy better health care and a better physical constitution to enable them to better contribute to nation building. I would now like to ask two questions. Firstly, is the Government considering setting up a full hospital in Sembawang to look after the people in Sembawang, Nee Soon, Bukit Panjang and Jalan Kayu? At present, there is the Naval Base Hospital in Sembawang which takes in only chronic cases. There is another hospital at View Road which takes in mental cases. Therefore, those who seek emergency treatment have to go to Toa Payoh Hospital which is about seven miles away. There was one case of a constituent who suffered a heart attack one night. He drove to Toa Payoh Hospital but he could not stand the strain. Fortunately he met an acquaintance who drove him to the hospital, otherwise he would have died.”
“I know there were cases last year where some housemen had to have a break in service towards the end of the year, and it took sometime for them to be posted back as medical officers. And because of this break in service, their 13th month annual allowance was also affected and their much needed services in the hospitals were also wasted. I also understand that the contribution by the Ministry to the Central Provident Fund for housemen is 5 1/2% instead of 15 1/2% although they are not in the pension scheme. Could the Minister enlighten me on this? Mr Speaker, Sir, we have heard much about delays in the treatment of emergency cases at the Accident and Emergency Units of the hospitals. This, as we know, is because of the lack of manpower. But to make the situation worse, I gather some doctors at the A & E units in some hospitals are asked to assist in other units like the Orthopaedic Clinics and Surgery. If this is so, how are the doctors really going to cope with the numerous cases that are being referred to the A & E units? I also understand that many cases that are referred to the A & E units are not that serious. To alleviate the problem of attending to such cases, there was a rumour that a suggestion had been made to increase the charges at this unit so that the public will think twice before seeking admission. Sir, if it is true, I hope that this will not materialise and I want the Minister to give an assurance that the charges at the A & E units will not be raised, because the people, out of fear and anxiety, might not know what constitutes an emergency and what does not. Therefore, this restriction is not the right thing to do. 5.30 p.m.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head K be reduced by $10 in respect of item 1100 of Subhead code KA-01 of the Main Estimates*. Mr Speaker, Sir, we know that there is a great shortage of doctors in the hospitals. Even the Minister himself recently mentioned that the duty hours of doctors are a vexing problem. I believe the Ministry is looking seriously into this matter to solve the problem. I wonder what is the progress so far? Doctors with MBBS degrees have voiced to a certain extent that their conditions of service are not attractive when compared to the dentists. For instance, a dentist takes only four years to pass out and enjoy normal working hours. However, the Medical Officer has to put in five years of study to get his degree. Then he has to go through housemanship where the working hours are irregular while getting the same salary as the dentist. And when these doctors have a dental problem, they have to pay for it. Sir, I am not against the dentists, because their services are also greatly needed. What is the rationale in having different conditions of service between these two groups of officers? This is one example why we do not have enough doctors wishing to stay in the civil service. Sir, I have another question to ask. How many of the housemen were made to break their service during the last year though they had not opted to resign but rather waiting for posting as medical officers which were late in coming? Why must this break in service take place? Since we are aware that we are short of doctors, why is it that the posting of medical officers from housemen cannot be immediate, but instead there is an interruption in service?”
“I would therefore like to suggest that in future when the SAF Music and Drama Company gives performances they should be more careful about the nature and content of their programmes which should reflect truthfully the actual life and the discipline of the soldiers in our Armed Forces so as to establish a good image of our Armed Forces in the minds of our people. Dr Goh Keng Swee( In Mandarin): Sir, I accept the suggestion by the hon. Member but this is a matter pertaining to cultural programmes within the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Culture. I hope my colleague, the Minister for Culture will have taken note of his suggestion. Mr Ch'ng Jit Koon( In Mandarin): I am grateful for the reply by the Minister, and I beg leave to withdraw my amendment. Amendment by leave, withdrawn.”
“Sir, I beg to withdraw my amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. Mr Ch'ng Jit Koon (Tiong Bahru)( In Mandarin): Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head J be reduced by $10 in respect of item 3310 (b) of Subhead Code JA-01 of the Main Estimates. Sir, since the formation of the Music and Drama Company of the Singapore Armed Forces it has been going round the army camps and various places to give performances. They have also been invited to perform over Radio and TV. Their performances are of a good standard and artistically meritorious. Their high standard may even be comparable with that of professional performers. Wherever they went, there would be crowds of people to welcome them. Among the programmes they performed, I think the most popular is the comic sketches which normally depict the daily lives of soldiers from the rank and file. This is both recreational and comical and the performers purposely make use of faulty Mandarin, English or dialects, to create laughter from the audience. Sir, I am not against such performances if these were meant for the soldiers to break the monotony in the camps as the audience there could well understand the true nature of the performances. Then after enjoying such shows, there would not be any bad effect on them. But if the same is performed at other public places or broadcast over the air to a wide spectrum of audience who may not understand the life of our soldiers, they may get the wrong impression of our soldiers, as a result of the use by the performers of the kind of language or dialects just mentioned. This also creates a bad influence especially over the young ones in Singapore, at the present juncture when we are promoting the use of Mandarin for dialects.”
“It is not my duty to investigate. It is the duty of the Minister to investigate. I cannot give the name of the person, otherwise the Defence Ministry will take disciplinary action against him.”
“Now that they have grown older and could decide for themselves, they prefer to come back to their place of birth and become loyal citizens. Can the Minister enlighten me on whether such requests to volunteer for national service can be considered on the merits of the cases?”
“No wonder we find so many accidents involving Army drivers. Sir, I also understand that morale in the Army too has gone down to a certain extent. Generally, the relationship between the rank and file seems to be a bit cold. Young privates are at times confused when contradictory instructions are issued to them by their superiors. As an act of discipline, all soldiers are supposed to follow instructions given by any of their superiors. Quite often, because of an ambitious feeling to please certain officials, too many contradictory instructions are issued by some superior officers to their juniors, thereby confusing the subordinate soldiers as to whose instructions to follow. It is time that a greater sense of understanding be injected into the rank and file. They should be united and not act as individual masters, as what the impression is being created. Otherwise, in case of real emergency we may find them disunited. This is very important. We must be very careful about this matter. Sir, I would also like to know whether the Minister would consider allowing foreign youths to volunteer for national service and subsequently join the Army. These youths were actually born in Singapore but because of unforeseen circumstances had to follow their parents elsewhere to get their education. In fact, I have received cases of youths who were born in Singapore but because of their breadwinners seeking employment else- where, had their local education interrupted during their younger days. They had no choice but to follow reluctantly and continued with their education elsewhere. However, their minds and souls have always been with Singapore and this was expressed through their frequent visits to their relatives during the school holidays.”
“Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head J be reduced by $10 in respect of item 1100 of Subhead Cods JA-01 of the Main Estimates. Sir, what steps are being taken in the Army to improve the standard of driving of our young soldiers? In the past, there have been numerous accidents caused by reckless Army drivers. I believe the Army has been studying the matter to improve the situation. However, there is still room for improvement. What I understand is that as far as the Transport Base is concerned which is supposed to be a school for drivers in the Army, at times the instructions given are not clear and I do not know whether the students who pass out from the Transport Base could actually handle the Army vehicles. For instance, very lately there was a case of a young soldier. According to the Transport Base, he was qualified to drive. But when he was posted to another unit, it was found that he could not drive as expected of him. At the new base, when his Commanding Officer instructed him to drive a vehicle, this soldier deliberately refused and said that he could not drive. The Commanding Officer at first thought that the soldier was just playing the fool. Therefore, he threatened to put the soldier on a charge if he did not drive the vehicle. But then the soldier preferred to be charged. The Commanding Officer, sensing that something was wrong, asked the soldier to demonstrate his driving ability. The soldier was found to be incompetent and was in fact a dangerous driver and therefore the charge was withdrawn. Subsequently, he was asked to stay back daily to learn from other qualified drivers in the unit. What is the Transport Base actually up to? Are they really training the soldiers to be proficient drivers before passing them out?”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the Hon. Minister is the Chairman of the Board. True, he has to defend the department. But nevertheless the complaints of Members here and of the people outside should be considered. The system of billing should be looked into. Why is it that everybody is complaining about the meter? There should be a reorganisation, and only then will the PUB not get any complaints. I beg to withdraw my amendment. Amendment by leave, withdrawn.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, my question is different. For instance, a person may be billed at the commercial rate. He gets the department to favour him by reducing the charge and debit it against the account of people who use the service at the domestic rate and to adjust the account. The Minister had better check on that.”
“Sir, I think the Ministers, Members of Parliament and every consumer should check their meters every month. My friend's PUB bill went up straight-away from $50 to $101. How is this possible? I think the commercial rate has been imposed for a residential account. Most probably they have adjusted it to the commercial rate. Otherwise, how could the bill go up so high? There must be something going on in the department. 3.45 p.m.”
“I move this amendment in the hope that the PUB will be more responsive to consumer demand. We hope that such work could be carried out on rest days so that the company's production would not be disrupted.”
“However, when such a policy involves the changing of electric cables and water mains which causes inconvenience to workers and interrupting production schedules which in turn leads to a breach of contract on shipment schedules, then Sir, such a policy should be reconsidered. In one incident, a company was required to change the cables from a lower voltage to a higher voltage. The company requested the PUB to make the connection on a Sunday, which is a rest day for all the workers so that the workers would not be inconvenienced. At the same time the company could also meet the shipment schedule. I am sorry to say that in this case the PUB rejected the company's appeal and did the connection on a working day. The company could not operate on that day and the 700 employees were compelled to change their rest day from a Sunday to a working day. Sir, if workers refuse to work, it is considered an industrial action and action will be taken and the union will be summoned to the Labour Ministry. The PUB is providing an essential service and if all the employees of PUB, including contract workers, refuse to work they also will have to face the consequence. But here, the management does not realise the importance of industrial establishment which requires electricity to carry on production. Sir, this particular job required only nine men, each of whom had to work only three hours on that Sunday. I am sure that even if the PUB paid the nine workers double rates, definitely it would not be too expensive to pay. The sum is negligible. Sir, this refusal on the part of the PUB has resulted in hardship and financial loss to the workers, loss of production for the company, and probable loss of reputation to the company for its failure to honour a contract on its shipment schedule.”
“Otherwise it will be replaced without further argument if it is actually faulty. Sir, as a layman, how many consumers really understand how the meters operate? So why take the challenge? They do not meddle with the meters, so why all these unnecessary extra charges? Something must be done to rectify this situation. I feel that because of pressure of work, the meter readers are not doing a proper job. If one digit in the dial is misread, the whole bill is affected. Otherwise one should not get any fluctuations in the bills. I wonder whether the Board would consider rechecking any bills if the readings are suddenly jacked up very high before they are sent out to the consumers. This in a way would minimise the errors and complaints from dissatisfied consumers. In my house there were 24 people living in it. Five of them have gone out. However, the PUB bill has gone up. Last month it was $144 and this month it is $147. What is the reason for this increase? Sir, when wrong readings are detected and adjustments are made, I would like to know whether the PUB makes it a point to readjust the Government tax that has been paid for. Mr Phey Yew Kok (Boon Teck): Sir, there are a number of complaints received from the union leaders of PIEU and SILO and from companies which are represented by these two unions that the PUB obstructs their production because the PUB changes the electric cables and water mains only on a weekday, that is on a working day. Economising the running of the PUB and other government or statutory bodies is not only most welcomed but should also be encouraged.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head I be reduced by $10 in respect of item 1100 of Subhead Code IA-01 of the Main Estimates. Mr Speaker, Sir, can the Minister concerned give some facts and figures on the average monthly complaints by consumers on the PUB bills? What steps are being taken to reduce the number of complaints? Very frequently many consumers complain that they are being overcharged and when they raise a query the officials of the PUB seem to defend with some sort of explanation that the bills are in order. Sir, the meters are all read by them and the charges too are calculated or estimated bi-monthly by them. The meters are never meddled by the consumers. There is no increase in the number of persons in the house and there is no wastage in the use of the utilities. What is the reason for this sudden rise in PUB charges? There was an occasion when I received a complaint that a consumer's average monthly bill of $30 was jacked up to over $200. Something must be wrong somewhere. Either the meters are faulty or the meters are not read accurately and thus causing the bills to rise which also raises the Government tax. And for the readings to adjust to its normal average will take some six to eight months. This is because the consumption is estimated bi-monthly. By the time it is rectified, I believe the Government tax which was initially over-charged, will be totally ignored. Sir, if consumers were to complain of faulty meters resulting in heavy bills, they are being told by the officials that the meters are in good order. And if the consumers insist on a check of the meters, then if the meters are found to be in order a service charge is being imposed.”
“, when compared with the age group of 30 to 60 years over an interval of 10 years. Something must be done to help this group of people. Sir, to sum up the Economic Survey of Singapore over the last 13 years, Singapore has made tremendous progress in all fields of human activity, as has been analysed. To have achieved so much within so short a period is a great credit to the Government and the people of Singapore. The Government's ceaseless efforts at mapping out a clearly unique, self-reliant and undauntingly surging Singapore has created a facade of truth, honesty and incorruptibility of and a great faith in her leaders. The people of Singapore have a share in the cake of achievement, and it is no little share in these efforts, who by their faith and confidence in and unstinting co-operation with their leaders have made this possible. Thus, we can proudly say that it is now a Singapore which is the "Pearl of the Orient" and a model city in this part of the world. Let us hope the 'Horse' would gallop better in the Year of the Horse, leading to a brighter budget for next year. I give my wholehearted support for the Budget address presented in Parliament by the Finance Minister on the 27th February, 1978. 4.40 p.m.”
“Credit should be given to the Government and the bus workers for this improvement. During the last few years, in the hope of limiting vehicles on our limited stretch of roads, the motoring public has been greatly hit by the various taxes and restrictions imposed by the Government. Many car owners have given up their vehicles and are prepared to rely on public transport. However, in this respect there arises a new problem, and that is a great demand for taxis. Even though statistics have shown that there are many taxis on the roads, what has happened to them? Every taxi is seen to be fully occupied, so much so that some taxi drivers take advantage of the situation and do not provide the good services as before. The Ministry should seriously look into this matter and rectify the problems. Otherwise the Government will not be able to further reduce the number of private cars on the roads. It is very difficult to get a taxi in Maxwell Road at one o'clock in the afternoon. Sir, the Health Ministry is aware of the plight of those who are over 60 years of age and who are vulnerable to illness because of the degenerative process. Old people in most cases are not well-off like the others. The marginal utility of money for them is great. With the present high cost of living, medical bills are quite often a burden to them. It is a fact that a general reduction of hospital charges will not be possible. Perhaps a concession for the aged could be considered. I know of many old people who do not consult doctors because of the heavy charges. It is no wonder that on scrutinising the statistics for the last few years, this age group has got the most number of suicides, attempted suicides, missing persons, etc.”
“Sir, at present we see extensive developments taking place in the Republic. We find the city entirely different from what it was some 20 years' ago. We find many skyscrapers replacing the old dilapidated and low structures. These developments are, in fact, changing the skyline and also uplifting the image of the country. But then some of the skyscrapers are under-utilised. Probably because of the heavy overhead costs the business community does not want to occupy the buildings. Some of these buildings are therefore made to look as though they are 'white elephants'. Every attempt must be made to get all the vacant units occupied. Very frequently we notice road digging taking place along many roads, paths, circuses, etc. Sometimes we find developments going on in the same location over a short period of time. Development is good for the country. But then it should not be over-emphasised. I know that there is a co-ordinating committee to look into this and that it has got the final say. The question here is, how effective is the co-ordinating committee in its functions? Though there may be acceptable reasons for the changes, I think the planning and the co-ordinating committee should play a greater role in this control. I personally feel that the change in officers, which is quite common in the civil service, is the cause for the frequent changes in the physical outlook. This is because every new officer has his own way of thinking and working. Therefore, the now officer might not accept the ideas and plans of his predecessor and so changes have to take place. Sir, over the years the public bus transport has improved tremendously after the numerous complaints voiced by the Members in this House.”
“How many of our citizens would really want to go to Court and argue their cases, which may be economically unwise? It is apparent that once you are on the road either as a pedestrian or a motorist, there are so many regulations to abide and if you make a slip, the lawman is there to book you. On this subject, even a day's delay of payment on certain bills will subject a person to a fine, despite going to the department concerned to explain the reasons. However, some officers at the counter will invariably give a negative reply. It is only when one makes a nuisance there that a senior officer will intervene to help solve the problem. Everytime this happens, the law is always quoted, that is, the regulations in the notices, etc. It appears there are numerous minor instructions and regulations to be complied with and if one does not comply with any regulation, one is liable. On the other hand, if the mistakes are committed by the department concerned, then the matter is covered up after the wrongly booked person had been inconvenienced by having to go to the department to explain. What is the reason for the double standards? I hope the civil service will work with better understanding and courtesy with the erring public. It is true that laws have to be observed. But then surely discretion too plays a part, but in many cases there is no discretion and everything is being referred to the court. No wonder there is a glut of cases being pushed to the courts, where our learned Judges are already burdened with so many other cases. So it would be wise to maintain some sort of control over the issue of summons from the various Ministries and thus avoid the impression that is being created that fines are revenue-orientated which, in fact, is not true.”
“This could be due to their supervisors' lack of interest on the working conditions of the staff. There has also been a certain amount of dissatisfaction in the civil service, e.g. the 13th month annual allowance. A retiring officer who has put in many years of loyal and dedicated service is denied this allowance even if he were to retire just one day before the end of the year whereas a new recruit who has been in service for just two months is entitled to this benefit. Sir, the question here is, why are the civil servants who have put in so many years of loyal and dedicated service given a poor deal? Are they all being neglected? These are some of the frustrations that affect the work performance of the civil servants. We must remember that these are the workers who have played a major role in our Government's efforts in achieving excellent performance over the years and also in maintaining a stable Government. These people should not be forgotten. They are partly responsible for our success. Sir, to educate the people and to maintain discipline and a healthy society, in our legislations we have penalties in the form of fines. But then it appears that there are too many people who are involved in the issuing of summonses. Many years ago, only the Police were given the authority to issue summonses. At the moment, the masses are rather confused. It looks like any Tom, Dick and Harry from the various departments have the authority to book offenders. And some of the summonses are issued indiscriminately. I will quote a few instances when the Committee of Supply is in session. At times, offences committed are not intentional and the persons involved are not given a chance to explain but are advised that they can give their explanations in Court.”
“What steps are being taken to recover the uncollected taxes expeditiously? It was also mentioned that the Inland Revenue Department has $42 million in its coffers which should be returned to the taxpayers. What steps are being taken by the Department to return the credit balances of taxpayers who have over-estimated their tax assessments? What is the guideline here? Is there any precaution taken that the refundable amount is given back to the taxpayers? No wonder in their midst a single clerk outwitted all the tax intellects and managed to get away with a large sum of money amounting to a million dollars. This had been going on for many years and right at their doorstep. What measures have been taken to ensure that no such repetition occurs, not only in the income tax department but also in other Government departments? Sir, the Inland Revenue Department collects the main source of revenue for the Government which amounts to some 40% of the total revenue. It is time that the Department was properly organised. Priority should be given to this Department in the allocation of manpower and equipment and all its other divisions should be put under one roof instead of locating them in different parts of the city. If urgent attention is not given to this matter, we will notice a heavy "bad debt" in the long run and legal administration would be impossible and economically unwise. Sir, the large expenditure on Development has been made possible because of stringent pruning of the recurrent expenditure estimates especially on staff and manpower in the civil service. This is quite reasonable. But then the working conditions of many civil servants are not properly attended to. We find that many officers are working in cubicles with neither comfort nor privacy.”
“This is in the form of an investment credit scheme where a number of benefits have been granted so that we can secure markets for our exports which we greatly need. Sir, it is noted that the loss in revenue due to the income tax revision is estimated at $54 million and the revenue loss on tax on PUB bills is estimated at $5 million. With the various tax increases on non-essential items, the Government faces a total revenue loss of $17.1 million for the first year. In other words, the Government will not gain from the tax changes but it is fair to the masses who have a moderate living standard. The income tax issue has been a controversial one over the past few years. Year after year, Backbenchers have voiced for increased relief for taxpayers. Even the present Senior Minister of State for Finance who was on this side of the House last year, had also strongly supported the move. At last, we have seen some concessions in this year's budget. Sir, the Minister is aware that social circumstances are unfair because the burden falls heavily on the honest and hardworking salaried wage-earners who faithfully and loyally pay tax on their earnings. However, there are many loopholes for the 'big fish' to dodge paying tax on their income with legality and frequently these loopholes are not noticed by the income tax department. I remember some six months ago, during the Public Accounts Committee's inquiry, it was stated by the Commissioner of Inland Revenue that $22.2 million was not collected from taxpayers and he gave reasons which were the perennial problem of shortage of manpower, equipment and space. It seems that the outstanding amount is more than what the Minister expects to collect from the increases of taxes on any of the non-essential items.”
“This is possible- because of the stability of our government, whose leaders have a great sense of foresight and are prepared to work hard for the interest of the nation. Sir, over the last two weeks there has been much talk all over the island about the tax changes that have been announced in this House by the Finance Minister. There seems to be a misconception. In my opinion, this year the Finance Minister has presented a "caring budget". If we are to study the tax changes, we will notice that the tax increases are levied on non-essential items. As long as food, shelter and clothing which are the main necessities and essential items are not restricted, then there is no ground for any one to grumble. As I have mentioned, the "caring budget" has given great thought for the workers, for the Finance Minister has revised the income tax rates. The tax reduction varies from 7.8% to 18.8% depending on the tax bracket and the average tax cut is 14.6%. This tax reduction is indeed long over-due and will definitely benefit the majority of the taxpayers whose sweat and toil has contributed to the fine performance of the economy. The Budget has also abolished the 5% tax on PUB bills within the range of $35 to $50. This is also a timely gesture to the majority of the low-consumption consumers whose bills are within that range. This gesture will also help other consumers to be thrifty in the use of utilities so as to avoid paying the 10% tax on bills which are above $50. These two benefits will be felt directly by the individuals. On the other hand, to keep up with the challenging year ahead, tax concessions have also been considered for companies.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, during this period when the world economic growth has slowed down and yet to recover from the shocks of the oil crisis, for a City state like ours with no natural resources to speak of and with no agricultural sector, except for manpower and providing services, to achieve an economic growth rate of 7.8% is a marvellous achievement, when compared to the major countries of the OECD whose growth was only 4%. This achievement is due to the wisdom of the Finance Minister and the stable Government with its prudent policy, efficient management and hard work of the productive workers. I do not want to criticise. I must support the Minister for Finance. I therefore join my colleagues to commend the Finance Minister for producing an excellent economic survey of the country and delivering an excellent Budget address in this House on 27th February. Sir, this year's Budget statement is indeed a glorious example of a realistic, well-thought out and, needless to say, an express statement of great achievements despite the very many setbacks we have faced since the middle of 1973. Since the PAP took office in 1959, year in and year out we have seen continuous progress in every field and no stone was left untouched. This is proven by the statistics produced over the last 18 years. We are able to control our population growth. The crude birth rate is now 16.8 per 1,000 people, whereas in 1960 it was 37.5 per 1,000 people. This shows our Family Planning Scheme has been a success. Our unemployment rate too has gone down tremendously during the last decade. In 1968, the rate was 7.3% whereas today it stands at a record figure of 3.9%. These are just some examples.”
“Sir, I do understand what it means. But I am talking about a situation where there could be an anomaly between the leave allowances paid to new clerks and old clerks. That is the reason why I have tabled the question on whether the Minister will consider revising the leave allowances.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the Hon. Senior Minister of State explained that it would be wrong to revise the leave allowances, and I think it is right. But I want to know why newly recruited clerks are getting $30 leave allowance when the old clerks are getting only $20. Can the Senior Minister of State enlighten me on this?”
“To ask the Minister for Finance, in view of the consolidation of 1973-77 National Wages Council allowances into salary scales for civil servants, if he will consider revising the existing fixed leave allowances under the 1973 Leave Scheme. 25.”
“To ask the Minister for Finance, in view of the consolidation of 1973-77 National Wages Council allowances into salary scales for civil servants, if he will consider revising the existing fixed leave allowances under the 1973 Leave Scheme. 42.”
“To ask the Minister for National Development and Communications (a) whether he is aware that some of the houses in Kampong Silat have no proper roofing and if he will rectify the situation; (b) whether there are plans to develop the slum areas in Kampong Silat where there are floods, mosquito breeding and unhealthy environment; and (c) whether he will consider selling the old Singapore Improvement Trust flats in the Silat Road area to the sitting tenants.”
“To ask the Minister for Health (a) how many medical officers resigned from the Civil Service in 1977; (b) how many medical officers were attached to the various hospitals as at 30th November, 1977, and whether the number of medical officers in each hospital was sufficient to cope with the workload; and (c) what are the average working hours per week and the number of off days per month for medical officers and housemen, and, if it is not possible for them to work within the required working hours and take their off days weekly, whether he will consider making an alternative arrangement.”
“Sir, I want to know whether the Minister will consider altering it in a way that is proper for pedestrians to cross.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the junction at Maxwell Road/Wallich Street/Anson Road is causing confusion to pedestrians. Will the Hon. Minister instruct the Traffic Police to alter the situation so as to make it easier for pedestrians to cross there? Even Police constables do not know the rules, and innocent pedestrians are being booked. When pedestrians cross with green light, they suddenly have to stop at the red light. I suggest that the Minister visit this junction one day.”
“PROFESSIONAL ENGINEERS (AMENDMENT) BILL "to amend the Professional Engineers Act (Chapter 225 of the Revised Edition)", presented by the Senior Minister of State for National Development (Dr Tan Eng Liang); read the First time; to be read a Second time on the next available sitting of Parliament, and to be printed. MISUSE OF DRUGS (AMENDMENT) BILL "to amend the Misuse of Drugs Act, 1973 (No. 5 of 1973)", presented by the Minister for Home Affairs and Education (Mr Chua Sian Chin); read the First time; to be read a Second time on the next available sitting of Parliament and to be printed. IMMIGRATION (AMENDMENT) BILL "to amend the Immigration Act (Chapter 81 of the Revised Edition)". recommendation of President signified; presented by Mr Chua Sian Chin; read the First time; to be read a Second time on the next available sitting of Parliament, and to be printed. SINGAPORE RED CROSS SOCIETY (INCORPORATION) (AMENDMENT) BILL Order for Second Reading read. 3.22 p.m.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the Hon. Minister was not involved in the deliberations. The civil servants have made the recommendation. For their own benefit, they have made the recommendation according to the NWC guidelines. The Hon. Minister will have to look into the matter. There must be a justification. All the civil servants must benefit. ANNUAL INCREMENTS FOR DAILY-RATED EMPLOYEES 27. Encik Mansor Haji Sukaimi asked the Minister for Finance whether he will consider granting daily-rated employees annual increments instead of once in every three years. The Acting Minister for Finance (Mr Lim Kim San): Mr Speaker, Sir, the Ministry of Finance will be prepared to consider converting the existing triennial increment system into an annual increment system for daily-rated employees with a view to facilitating wage administration. However, a revision of this nature will require careful study before any decision can be made. BILLS INTRODUCED 3.20 p.m. SINGAPORE SPORTS COUNCIL (AMENDMENT) BILL "to amend the Singapore Sports Council Act, 1973 (No. 44 of 1973)", presented by the Minister for Health and Acting Minister for Social Affairs (Dr Toh Chin Chye); read the First time; to be read a Second time on the next available sitting of Parliament, and to be printed. ROAD TRAFFIC (AMENDMENT) BILL "to amend the Road Traffic Act (Chapter 92 of the Revised Edition)", presented by the Minister for National Development and Communications (Mr Lim Kim San); read the First time; to be read a Second time on the next available sitting of Parliament and to be printed.”