P. Govindaswamy
Singapore
“Sir, the purchase of SBS shares should not be made compulsory. It should be voluntary. If a poor man were to use all his $5,000 CPF savings to buy SBS shares, he will not know what will happen to his shares in one or two years' time.”
“Sir, we know that Singapore Government Officers' Cooperative Housing Society has been in trouble for many years. But I fail to understand why when members write in for a refund, they do not even get a reply. Nobody seems to know exactly what is happening with this society.”
“In the past few years and even now, every Malaysia Cup soccer tie that is played at our Stadium, the tickets are sold out within hours and many fans are disappointed. Even ugly scenes have happened, to the extent that one soccer fan fell dead whilst trying to buy tickets.”
“If the Minister approaches the Finance Ministry for extra staff, he must press on with his request. Anyway, Sir, I beg leave to withdraw my amendment. Amendment by leave, withdrawn.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I have forgotten one point. Regarding the word "million". can the Minister please give instructions to the RTS staff not to use the English word "million" but to use the Tamil word for it? If they do not know the Tamil word for it, they can ask the people from the higher institutions.”
“The Minister must think it over. Mr Ng Yeow Chong: Sir, can the acting Minister give me an assurance that my request for the re-naming and for the re-location of the creche within the constituency's housing estate will be brought up when his Ministry starts negotiations with the NTUC for the taking over of the creches?”
The complete record
Every one of 1,199 lines we hold for P. Govindaswamy, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 5 of 24.
“If there is a telephone, it may be that they will have to every now and then answer telephone calls from parents. That is the reason why they refuse to instal a telephone. I understand that some principals of the rural schools do not want to instal a telephone simply because they do not want the Ministry officials to contact them every now and then. In this way, there will be very little communication between the Ministry and the school administration. I wonder how often the Inspectors of Schools go round to these schools to spot check on what is exactly happening there. I also gather that some of the Inspectors do not visit these schools frequently because of the distance from the Ministry. Sir, I would also like to know how often does the Ministry of Education issue syllabuses to schools because many schools are still using the 1976 syllabus, and not the current one. Is there any standardisation of the syllabus in schools? Sir, I wonder how the secondary schools, especially the Secondary IV level, are functioning. We do agree that there is a shortage of teachers and therefore relief teachers are employed every now and then. But then some sort of control must be maintained in the teaching of subjects in the Secondary IV level because it is more or less a crucial year to decide a student's future career. I understand that due to many problems in the school, like resignation of teachers and secondment to work on certain projects and assignments, the performance of the students seems to fall under the different teachers. 6.00 p.m. I know of a case last year in a secondary school where just to teach a science subject there were five different teachers teaching the subject. One after another came to teach the subject at the Secondary IV level.”
“Furthermore, many schools, particularly the popular ones and the mission schools, are not teaching Tamil as a second language. These schools play a smart game. By not engaging a Tamil teacher, they claim that Tamil cannot be offered in their schools and thus cunningly keep the Tamil students out of these schools. The Minister may reply that the response of Tamil students in the schools is very poor and that is why there is no pro vision for Tamil education. But I would like to tell the Minister that many Tamil students were refused registration because of the lame excuse by the school authorities that the response in the school for Tamil teaching is poor. In fact, the students were told of this one or two at a time. Just imagine, if there were 100 students and they were given one or two at a time, the lame excuse of poor response, then how are we going to promote Tamil language in schools? In this way. Tamil students would be deprived of the learning of this language in the schools. Sir, I would like to know the Minister's views regarding the posting of teachers to Chinese schools from English medium schools? I have been told that some teachers who were supposed to be loaned to the Chinese schools have literally been "dumped" into rural schools and they have become the forgotten ones. Since these teachers are not happy to be "dumped" to the rural schools, why not alternatively post teachers to Chinese schools by rotation so that the teachers do not rot. Sir, why is it that some schools, especially in the rural areas, still do not have telephones? Is it because the principals purposely do not request the installation of a telephone although lines are available?”
“Sir, quite often criticisms against the Ministry of Education have been heavy. But then we must accept some of the changes in the policies which have been introduced now and again as they are justified because of our country's needs. Otherwise, we shall be carrying on with the colonial style and methods of teaching, in which case the Ministry of Education will be in the good books. But then what would happen to the other sectors, especially when the students have completed their studies from schools and are looking for jobs? Well, this is the main reason why the educational system has been revised every now and then so as to improve its effectiveness to suit the country's needs. The present aim in education is to strengthen moral and civic education in order to raise the effectiveness of the education system. So, there should be a limit to the questioning of our education policies, like the learning of languages and the teaching of technical education, the revision of the system of primary education, the abolition of automatic promotion and the introduction of the basic courses to teach pupils to read and write in one language and who cannot cope with the standard course. Sir, whilst we speak about the second language, I wonder whether the Ministry is aware of a new kind of problem we face Some schools are making use of language as an excuse to put the Malay and Tamil students into one class while the Chinese are put in the other classes. Thus, throughout their school life, some students may not have a chance to integrate with the other students. The little integration that we find in schools now is very superficial. This is in a way against our cultural policy of integrating all the races into a Singaporean group.”
“Sir, the old lady told me that she wanted to die in Singapore and therefore she wanted to become a Singapore citizen. Anyway, I beg leave to withdraw my amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head V be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead HAA 1101. I know that the granting of citizenship is not a right but only a privilege. It is granted depending on the situation of the State, and the person who is granted will not be a national liability. Sir, some years back citizenship was so easy to get that one just had to go through a "turnstile" system to get a certificate. In 1968 when the British pullout was announced we were very strict in granting citizenship. Now I wonder what is the policy? Could the Minister explain? Is there any relaxation? Sir, there are many old people who have been living here for many decades. These people have strong family background and with children supporting them. They have applied for Singapore citizenship but their applications have been pending for many years. I have the case of an old lady who has been living here since 1948. She owns properties and her children were all born in Singapore and are financially strong. This lady has applied for citizenship but her application has been "dangling" for many years. Why is there such a delay for this type of a case? After all these people are not going to seek employment. Their financial background is also sound. So why cannot early consideration be given? Can the Minister use his good offices to deal with such cases favourably and expeditiously as they will not be a national liability in the future.”
“I beg leave to withdraw my amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.”
“Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head V be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead GAA 1101. Sir, I hope the Hon. Minister for Home Affairs has a lot of time for me. I wonder how the National Registration Office deals with the issue of Singapore identity cards for persons who have been granted Singapore citizenship. Does the Registration Office co-ordinate its work with the Citizenship Office in the issue of identity cards promptly? I have a case where a Malaysian woman married to a Singapore citizen successfully acquired Singapore citizenship last November. She was then advised by the Citizenship Office to surrender her Malaysian documents to the Malaysian High Commission and then to collect the Singapore Citizenship Certificate. Immediately after she received her Citizenship Certificate, she went over to the National Registration Office to apply for a Singapore identity card. She was then given a temporary receipt at the National Registration Office. And, only yesterday, after five months have passed, did she receive her identity card. Why was there such a long delay? In the meantime, she was issued with a restricted passport granted provisionally for three months, pending the issue of her Singapore identity card. The three months period has already expired and she was given a second extension of her restricted passport. Sir, normally, the granting of citizenship takes a long time. But it seems our National Registration Office makes it more difficult to get an identity card. Can the Minister explain the reason for the delay in the issue of this identity card and what is the procedure?”
“I think most probably it is relaxed because everybody is sporting long hair now. Finally, Sir, are the traffic lights synchronised at street junctions? Although some traffic lights are very close together, they operate independently and sometimes cause more confusion than help in the traffic flow. The traffic lights at Keppel Road, Cantonment Road, Tanjong Pagar Road and Anson Road junction are typical examples.”
“Sir, do the police offices in the stations have enough telephones? At times in cases of emergency it is extremely difficult to contact certain officers in the stations simply because there are insufficient telephones. Sir, in the last few years the rate of armed robbery has gone down considerably. In 1971 the figure was 1,124 and at the end of last year it was less than 500. This is because of the performance of the section which deals with the combating of such crimes. The section concerned must be congratulated for the good work and I hope that it will continue with the good performance. Sir, lately commercial crime has become one of the commonest forms of crime in Singapore. Though Singapore is a commercial centre there are many criminal opportunists lurking around and they are all waiting to make a fast buck. In fact, some foreigners have even joined in the game. The Slater Walker trial is a good example of this. Is it because they feel that commercial crime does pay here, or is it because the punishment is not severe enough? I think most probably the Minister for Home Affairs knows that there is a big gang operating in the bank. The bank is a big one. Or is it because the Commercial Branch does not have enough suitably qualified persons to help in the detection of this form of crime? If so, what is being done to remedy the situation? An increasing number of countries in the West use computers to aid them in police work. Do the police here also have these facilities to help them detect criminals quickly? Sir, in the past we have been talking so much about people sporting long and unkempt hair. It appears that many people nowadays are still sporting long hair and yet no action has been taken. I wonder whether this policy is still in existence or is it being relaxed.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the resiting of police stations in modern structural buildings near housing estates is a wise move. I wonder whether any consideration has been given to locating the new sites. Most of the old police stations were located at street junctions, and there must be a reason for this. It could be for a greater public awareness of a police station and also for easy access. But the present new sites do not appear to be located at street junctions, and when the old police stations are removed there seems to be a vacuum in that area. The Kandang Kerbau Police Station is a hundred years old but recently it has been removed to Toa Payoh. Why not use the old station as a sub-station, because the nearest police station at the moment for the people living around there seems to be far away? The vacuum is already felt by the people living in that locality. Sir, I understand the CID is also going to be rehoused. I am sure that this resiting will leave a vacuum in that area. The CID building has been in the Central Business District where much activity is going on, and the people are also aware that its presence provides some sort of police protection around, especially by the various offices in town. But now, when the CID moves out, the vacuum would be greatly felt. Instead of rehousing it, why not renovate the building and continue with its operations from there? Sir, the introduction of the Police national service is remarkable. About 9,000 part-time national servicemen are now serving in the Force. With this increased manpower in the Force, does it have sufficient equipment and vehicles to support their operation? I understand the Force is short of such facilities. What is the Ministry going to do about this? 3.15 p.m.”
“Sir, the reason why I praised the ISD is because I hope the officers will work hard. A drop of ink in a bucket of milk can spoil the whole milk. Therefore, the ISD should check each and every department. I repeat: a drop of ink can spoil a whole bucket of milk.”
“At present, foreigners can easily stay behind after the stipulated time and escape detection. Why not introduce entry control cards which could be used to detect anyone overstaying his visit? Perhaps peddlers and drug dealers could be dealt a severe blow if the entry of foreigners was controlled. Sir, as for drug abusers, what action is being taken against them and what rehabilitation is being given to them? I understand that many young boys and girls who indulge in drugs are not being properly rehabilitated in the detention camps. Quite often, after their release they commit the same offence and have to go back again for rehabilitation. There seems to be no proper rehabilitation of these young drug addicts to give up the habit of taking drugs. Why is this so? Could the Minister comment on this matter?”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head V be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead AAA 1004*. (*The same amendment also stood in the name of Dr Ong Leong Boon). The Minister for Home Affairs is entrusted with the responsibility of internal security and law and order. The Internal Security Department comes under his Ministry and therefore it has the duty and responsibility to check on any dangerous elements in our midst. During the last few months the ISD has been doing an excellent job in actively tracking down and exposing many communists and anti-national elements in our midst. Its performance is indeed commendable. It appears there are a number of dangerous people living in our midst, whom the ISD has already detected and exposed. I would like to suggest that the ISD be expanded so that there could be a thorough check of all Government departments, schools and tertiary institutions, because at the moment we do not seem to know who is who. Sir, turning to the subject of drugs. Many Members have already spoken about the drug problem the trafficking and consumption of drugs in Singapore during the last decade. Yesterday a man died because of drug addiction. Even our laws too have been revised and the death penalty has been introduced for drug offences. Though the death penalty has been introduced, yet we do not see any appreciable decline in the trafficking of drugs. We have already heard that about 10 persons have been sentenced to death and about 30 others are still awaiting trial. I wonder what the authorities are doing to further stamp this menace of drug trafficking. One way to solve the prevalent drug problem is to stringently control the entry and departure of foreigners.”
“Now I have already brought up this problem: we need a hawker centre in Anson Road. What, else does he need? Mr Chor Yeok Eng(In Mandarin): Sir, on principle we said that in the short term we do not have a plan for it, but since the Member feels that there is a need then we will consider it.”
“This is his responsibility. Why is he seated there? He has to liaise with the various departments and seek a favourable solution. Therefore, it is his duty to build a hawker centre, wherever a place is available. It is his duty. It is not my duty. I am here to bring the problems of my constituents, and it is his duty to listen to these problems and to seek a solution.”
“Sir, that is not my duty. That is his duty. He has the responsibility of selecting a place. He must ask the Government to get a place to build the hawker centre. Will he give us a place when we ask for it? If we select a vacant place, will he build us a hawker centre? If we select a corner at Maxwell Road, or a carpark, will he build a hawker centre for us? Please tell us. It is no point talking. We must have action. Yes, I have been serving my constituency for a long time. He has also been serving in that Ministry for a long time. Therefore, he should also be conversant. Now the Anson constituency has been enlarged. I agree. But there is only one hawker centre. We need more hawker centres, Therefore I repeatedly request him for a hawker centre in my constituency.”
“My request is to get a hawker centre in the Anson constituency. Where is he going to dump the hawkers! It is his duty to give them a place. Whenever I ask a question of the Senior Parliamentary Secretary, he never gives a complete answer. He gives an answer as he wishes. This is a fair request that I am asking. We are elected representatives of the people and therefore I am here to request the Senior Parliamentary Secretary on behalf of my people to look after their interests. We are entitled to have proper answers.”
“Sir,I ask for a hawker centre in the Anson constituency, but he says that there are many markets. Where are the markets? There is only one market at Maxwell Road. I am talking about hawker centres. There are so many hawkers in the Anson constituency. Why do they not want to resite these hawkers in a hawker centre? The Senior Parliamentary Secretary does not always give a proper reply to my question. I want a proper reply.”
“I would like to ask the Ministry to look into this and see whether it is feasible to issue cooperative licence to four or five of our old-age citizens so that they can operate it and be economically independent.”
“No, kway teow. But now for 80 cents, the quantity is the same as for 30 cents previously. The price has been increased but the quantity remains the same. This Enforcement Section must play an active role at places where the hawkers find that the people are in demand for their food or drink. Thus, they increase their prices like nobody's business. A strict check should be made at these places. Sir, it has been reported that pasar malam, a common sight in Singapore, is slowly being phased out. In fact, many of them are being de-registered and they have been told that their licences would not be renewed. This has brought about some hardship to some of them. May I suggest that instead of withdrawing their licences, they should be resited at some other suitable place where there is no obstruction to traffic. Pasar malam is a convenient temporary shopping centre for many housewives and workers who cannot shop in the day time. Pasar malam has been a colourful scene of Singapore's night life Mr Ahmad Haleem: Sir, currently four different bodies operate hawker centres, namely, the Housing and Development Board, Jurong Town Corporation, Port of Singapore Authority and also the Ministry of the Environment. The question I would like to ask the Ministry of the Environment is whether it could look into the standardisation of licences At the moment the HDB's licence and the Ministry's licence are the same, but the stallholders' licences issued by the Port of Singapore Authority are different, I think if we could standardise the licences it would be very helpful to all. The second part of my question concerns what I have already brought up earlier today. This is in regard to the cooperative hawker licence for senior citizens.”
“What measures are being taken by the Hawkers Department to control the prices charged by the hawkers? I must at this time point out that price tagging has been implemented in many foodstalls and hawker centres. Yet the prices are still stiff. Despite the fact that the prices of certain commodities have gone down, many hawkers have made no attempt whatsoever to either reduce the price of food they sell or increase the quantity of food. No one is seen to check the price that is being quoted. I suggest that the Enforcement Section should check on this, otherwise the people will be swindled by the hawkers. Previously, a bowl of kway teow costs 30 cents.”
“Sir, there are some 28,750 licensed hawkers at the moment. Out of this, 17,000 are already sited within premises. There are still 11,750 hawkers who need to be resited from the streets. When are they going to be resited? What measures are being taken to resite the hawkers in Anson Constituency? What plans are being drawn up for building hawker centres in Anson Constituency? Sir, the Hawkers Department says that it would not issue any new licences because the present 28,750 licensed hawkers in Singapore are sufficient to cater for our population. Can the Minister say actually how many of the licensees are really looking after the stall? It is observed that many licences have been sub-let. Why is this allowed? I understand that in some instances the Hawkers Department is de-registering some of the hawkers and asking them to go back to their place of residence for their business. What is the reason for this move? This will cause unnecessary hardship and headache. For example, the hawkers at Anson constituency after having been in business in that place for over 10 years are told to go to another place, like Telok Blangah. Is this really necessary? Is it not possible to resite the hawkers within that particular area? Or give them an option to either remain in that particular area or to be resited elsewhere. Many of the hawkers are really unhappy about this move. How could they go to a new place to sell a product or food which they have been selling in another area for so long and where they generally have their customers' goodwill? One way of solving this problem is to give an option for those who have been in business for more than 10 years to either remain at the `existing place or go back to their place of residence.”
“Sir, we had a meeting with the Ministry of the Environment and the Ministry of Social Affairs. At that time we agreed in principle to the amendments made. But since then we have had many troubles. Sometimes the crematorium is fully booked and they have to keep the bodies either at home or in the mortuary. The Hindu people have been pressing the Hindu Advisory Board on this matter. Today I have mentioned about the Hindu Sabai sending a letter to the Ministry of Social Affairs regarding this matter. The Hon. Minister will have to reconsider this matter. I think he understands the position. I beg the Minister to do it for the general public. I hope the Minister will do it. Anyway, Sir, I beg leave to withdraw my amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.”
“Previously there were nine chambers for cremation but now there are only two. These two are not only for the Hindus but for the other races as well. How can they be sufficient? According to Hindu custom once you take the body to the crematorium you cannot bring it back to the home or for burial. That is very important. The Hindu Sabai has also sent a letter to the Ministry of Social Affairs regarding this matter. I am indeed rather surprised that an assurance was given sometime ago that the bodies could be brought in after 3 p.m. for cremation and now there is so much problem caused to mourners. Sir, I urge the Minister to settle this problem once and for all. Otherwise, it is better to go back to the old system. Sir, I think the Minister understands the Hindu tradition. If the present two chambers are not sufficient for cremation, then go back to the old system where there were more places for cremation. I hope the Minister will look into this matter seriously.”
“after the post-mortem, a relative and a friend collected the death certificate from the mortuary and rushed down to the Mount Vernon Crematorium at 11 am, to make arrangements for the funeral to take place in the afternoon. But to their disappointment, the person in charge told them that the body could only be brought in at 1 p.m. and at no other time. These two persons could not decide on the suggested time, because of the very short notice Therefore, they rushed back to town to consult with the eldest son of the deceased. Later, as time was so short, the family of the deceased decided reluctantly to bury the body. So the relative who was making the arrangements had to rush back to Mount Vernon Crematorium to take back the death certificate and then back to the mortuary to get it altered for a burial. And finally, the casket company had to make the arrangements for a burial. Five days later, there was another funeral. Here again, the deceased passed away in the Singapore General Hospital on a Friday and a post-mortem had to be carried out on the following day, because the family of the deceased were ignorant of the post-mortem procedure whereby a member of the family would be required by the pathologist and coroner to identify the body. This dead person was supposed to be cremated on the following day, Saturday. But it had to be postponed to Sunday because of heavy bookings at the crematorium. Sir, why should so much problems be caused to people who have to fight against time to make arrangements for funerals? It is observed that only two gas chambers have been allocated for Hindu cremations. Furthermore, other communities are also using the same place. That is why the bookings are heavy. Something must be done to improve this situation.”
“Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head U be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead BCA 1101. Sir, when the cremation of dead bodies in gas chambers was introduced, there were numerous problems posed by the Hindu community because of the traditional last rites which have to be observed. This has been thrashed out in the many discussions held in the past by the various authorities concerned. In one of the discussions, it was decided that the last cremation at 3 o'clock p.m. was to be extended to 4 o'clock p.m. However, now we have a fresh problem in regard to the crematorium. It appears that at the Mount Vernon Crematorium there is a very heavy booking for the cremation of bodies by the various communities. As such, the time given by the staff of the crematorium to an applicant for a cremation in most cases is not suitable. I have received many complaints on this matter, because alternative arrangements for the funeral have to be made. Sometimes they even have to postpone for a day because of the non-availability of the crematorium According to Hindu custom you can only keep the body for 24 hours. Even the staff attached to the crematorium could not help the people in any way. This problem did not exist in the past. Why is the people being inconvenienced now? Something should be done immediately to rectify the situation. Just to quote you a case. A few weeks ago on a Sunday, the breadwinner of a family passed away in the Singapore General Hospital. His body could not be released till the following day because of a post-mortem. On the following Monday at 10 a.m.”
“Sir, I remember that last year the Minister said that the Government was going to build a 70-storey building but now he said that the private sector is going to do it. Anyway I beg leave to withdraw my amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.”
“In the meanwhile, of course, we have not just left it as useless land. We replanted the grass and our younger citizens are having a good time playing soccer there. The land is being made use of by many schools. As for other sites, when a site is encumbered, it takes a long time to clear the land, especially if there are squatters. In order to move people, you have to find them homes. Having found them homes, there may be other encumbrances. As far as is possible, we do not leave vacant land alone because it takes time to build. We have to get planning approval and we have to get the finance in some cases But let me assure the Member that the Government does not acquire land unless it is required for some public purpose. If any piece of land has been cleared and is vacant, just like Raffles Institution, which incidentally again was not acquired, there are good reasons for the delay. If the Member is interested in further details about the Raffles Institution site, I am prepared to give it to him. I am just wondering whether he is an old boy of Raffles. Would the Member like more particulars about what is going to happen to the site?”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head T be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead DAA 1101. Sir, many pieces of land have been acquired by the Government, but they have been found to be of very little use and are therefore left vacant. To quote an example, a few years ago I spoke about the vacant ground of the old Raffles Institution. The Minister had then replied that a 70-storey building would be constructed at this place. Some years have already passed and we are still waiting for action to be taken. Why is there such a delay? Could not this land be used more productively in some other way? The purpose of my bringing up this issue is because many people have been grumbling when their land is acquired by the Government. In most cases they have to accept whatever compensation is given. But after that, we find the land seems to be left vacant. Why bother the people if the land is going to be left vacant? We must make sure that whatever land is acquired is used productively. The Minister for Law and the Environment (Mr E. W. Barker): Sir, the Member for Anson is playing the same tune on his organ grinder in this House for several years. But then the Prime Minister has got plenty of time for him. So have you, Mr Speaker, and so have I. He refers to land being acquired and then left unused, and he cites just one example -Raffles Institution. May I point out to this House that Raffles Institution was not acquired by Government. It has always belonged to us. It is only that Raffles Institution went to a new site. To put it straight. the site itself was sold by Government to the Development Bank of Singapore. It is the Development Bank of Singapore that is taking a long time to build.”
“Sir, the Social Welfare Department which looks after the welfare homes seems to be uncertain particularly in its management of Girls' Homes. I have often been told that some of the girls from these homes after rehabilitation are repeatedly sent back to the welfare homes for the same offences, like running away from home, mixing with bad company, indulging in undesirable acts, etc. Why is this so? I wonder what motivation and rehabilitation is given to these girls when they are in these welfare homes. Sir, I would like to know how the counselling of welfare cases is being handled. I gather that many cases of family disputes are referred to this Counselling and Advice Section. The cases take a long time to settle, and some even take a year, so much so that some fail to resolve the family disputes. This section is indeed a very important one. It is this section which decides either the family lives in harmony or break up. I feel this section cannot afford to delay the settling of welfare cases. I wonder whether this section is running short of officers or the officers themselves have to be given proper and intensive training either locally or abroad. Sir, I notice that some of the offices of the Social Welfare Department at Pearl's Hill are badly housed. There are cubicles with wooden partitions which look like dungeons, and the atmosphere is uncomfortable. Any private discussion going on in one room can be heard in the other. Private affairs become public knowledge, because of the shabby cubicles provided. Can something be done to improve this deplorable situation, so that the officers can deal with the public more efficiently and in a better environment?”
“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 S be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead BCA 1101* (*The same amendment also stood in the name of Encik Sidek Bin Saniff). Sir, I have received a request for an extra Tamil-speaking kathi, for the Shariah Court which at the moment has only got a Malay speaking kathi. I understand that some of the Indian Muslims who have a lot of dealings in this court find it difficult at times to communicate with the Malay kathi. Perhaps the Department would not mind providing a Tamil-speaking kathi to solve the problem. Could the Minister look into this matter?”
“Sir, in view of the Minister's explanation, I beg leave to withdraw my amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. Haji Sha'ari Bin Tadin (Bedok): Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head S be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead ADA 1101. Sir, as you are aware, the volunteer probation officers, since the scheme was initiated by the Ministry of Social Affairs sometime ago, have been and are performing a very useful community service in preventing crime and delinquency and in preventing offenders placed on probation. The handful of probation and aftercare officers of the Ministry of Social Affairs, one of whom I know personally, have by tradition and dedication continued without much publicity in shouldering responsibilities for rehabilitating offenders and drug addicts in our community. With the increasing problem of drug abuse on our hands, the burden of rehabilitating these offenders will fall on the shoulders of these officers and the volunteer probation officers. I would like to know, Sir, if the Minister could inform the House how many such volunteer probation officers are now attached to the Probation and Aftercare Service of the Ministry of Social Affairs, and what has been the dropout rate during the past five years? Are there plans and sufficient resources to further expand the service to the various constituencies or neighbourhoods? Will the Minister consider granting incentives and privileges to volunteer probation officers in appreciation of their services, for example, transport and out-of-pocket allowances, concession on extramural study courses of the University of Singapore which are relevant to their work?”
“Sir, I would also like to know how many cooperative societies are in existence in Singapore. How many of them are really active? Does the Registry of Cooperative Societies have a proper set of rules to run the various cooperatives? If it has, how is it that some societies have financial problems? I suggest that the Registry should play a greater role in the interest of the various societies and ensure that a healthy environment exists. Even in the case of the Singapore Government Officers' Cooperative Housing Society, we do not know whether or not it is really functioning. If members request for a refund of their money, no reply is given. I do not know what they are doing.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head S be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead ACA 1101. Mr Speaker, Sir, it is understood that the Registry of Cooperative Societies has been reorganised on a functional basis with an additional four staff, including two of executive officer grade. Could the Minister give some facts and figures to indicate that after this reorganisation what the Registry has done so far in respect of promotional and educational work for the benefit of the cooperative movement. Sir, the idea of a Cooperative training centre to be set up by the Registry is a wise one. I am sure it will be welcomed by the various cooperative organisations. In fact, this training centre is long overdue. But what I want to know is where will this cooperative training centre be located, when will it be in operation, and who will be in charge of it. Sir, it is a fact that when members of trade unions affiliated to the NTUC are selected for seminars and courses conducted abroad and locally, they are granted special leave to attend these seminars and courses. This is in a way good in promoting trade unionism. Even cooperative societies were given this privilege many years ago. But now I gather that when cooperators go for courses or seminars either abroad or locally, they are now not entitled to this special leave. Why is this so? I wonder whether the Minister will consider recommending the granting of this special leave for participants who go for cooperative training. This will in a way help develop better cooperators in the various cooperative movements. Sir, besides being a Registry, what encouragement and moral support does the Registry of Cooperative Societies give to ensure that the cooperative societies function properly?”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, that is also another problem to me, but I did not mention it earlier because it is in Changi. If the Government is going to acquire that place, the Government must give an alternative site so that the temple can be resited. Regarding the 10,000 sq. ft. mentioned by the Minister, most probably they will give the alternative site right at the corner or near a rubbish dump. I must emphasise that it must be a suitable site and it must have the agreement of the Board of Management.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I am the Chairman of the Hindu Endowment Board. That is the reason why I have to bring up these matters.”
“This action is unfair to the Hindu religious community. Mr Speaker, Sir, if you have the time you should go and see the Woodlands temple. I think the Hon. Minister has been to the Woodlands temple. Besides the Hindu temple, there is a mosque and a church. It is unreasonable to lock up the Hindu temple straightaway. This action amounts to victimising Hinduism? I cannot think of another word, therefore I have to use the word "victimising". Sir, all these matters must be considered by the Minister for Social Affairs. He is looking after religious matters. I think he is capable of handling these matters. I also hope the Minister for National Development and the Senior Minister of State for National Development will consider and resolve the question of an alternative site for the Somerset Hindu temple as soon as possible because the Hindu Endowment Board wishes to commence building a new temple. Before we start building, we have to get suitable men. It is not easy to get suitable men to build a temple.”
“Yes, more than that. I am not a land valuer. The Government should compensate a charitable organisation like the Hindu Endowment Board adequately. This is a charitable organisation and not an individual land owner. The Government should consider paying reasonable compensation for the piece of land at Somerset Road. As an alternative site, the Government has offered a piece of land at Toa Payoh for $8 per square foot. But for the other religious organisations the Government is charging only $4 per square foot. The Hindu Endowment Board is a charitable organisation and is under the Ministry of Social Affairs. It is not a private organisation that the Government can charge $8 or $10 per square foot. The Government should consider charging a reasonable price for the land at Toa Payoh. Sir, I am bringing up this matter because it has not been resolved for a long time. Furthermore, when the Board gets the money, it has to construct a temple there, which may take one year and the cost will be at least $100,000. And the Board has to pay for the land also. It is not land given free by the Government. We are going to pay for the land. Most probably, it will take another year before we have to vacate Somerset Road. I am mentioning this because the Minister for National Development is here. Could the Minister settle this problem of alternative site for the Hindu temple as soon as possible? Sir, I have also received a complaint which was addressed to the Minister and copied to me by a Hindu temple authority at Woodlands which states that the temple has been closed down by the Government without first informing the Social Affairs Ministry. Even though the land belongs to the Government, it is not supposed to close down the temple before the devotees are informed.”
“Thank you, Sir. Regarding the site of the Somerset Road Hindu Temple which has been acquired by the Government, it is true we cannot object because the site is required for development purposes. But the compensation is not sufficient. Why is this so? If that piece of land at Somerset Road is auctioned, it should fetch $30 or $40 per square foot. Some hon. Members: More!”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, yesterday when I spoke I had only a few more lines to go, but according to Standing Orders I was not allowed to continue because of the Moment of Interruption.”
“The locality is very bad for a Hindu temple. As such the site was not accepted and the matter is still in abeyance for quite some time. 8.02 p.m.”
“Since we are placing emphasis on mass participation, what we need is more football pitches because a football pitch if used properly will serve more people and it helps to solve part of our social problems particularly amongst the young. The Farrer Park football pitches are being well utilised every day so much so that when the newly erected lights at the nearby tennis courts are switched on some people take advantage of the bright lights to play football at night. Why should we not light up the football fields too? I am sure it would benefit many office workers to play soccer at night. Perhaps we may succeed not only in letting our young citizens spend their energy wisely but also produce future soccer stars. Sir, badminton seems to be dying a natural death. What is really going on? Why is there such a lack of interest in badminton? Our standard of badminton was very high at the time when it was a very popular game. more popular than soccer, but it has gone down very badly, particularly after the Thomas Cup went to Indonesia. Something must be done to revive this game and other games too. The opening of the Fitness Park is a good move. This Ministry could liaise with the Ministry of Culture to introduce a daily fitness programme over TV to serve a greater part of the population who, for various reasons, may not be able to go to the fitness park. Sir, as the Minister for Social Affairs is also responsible for religious matters, I take this opportunity to ask him about the alternative site at Toa Payoh for the building of a Hindu temple which is at present sited in Somerset Road. This alternative site about 5,000 sq. ft. seems to be too small. It seems that it can accommodate only a chicken coop, and moreover it is next to a big monsoon drain.”
“But then during some of the matches of the Malaysia Cup series, even the police had some problems in controlling the crowd. There were occasions when some mischief makers threw missiles onto the pitch, onto the players and the referee. This I think should be definitely stopped. Cheering and booing is a common thing in sports which is acceptable. But the throwing of missiles onto the field is a very dangerous act and is not healthy in the light of sports promotion, though the fans may show their colours here. But what would be the fate of our innocent players when they go for return games? A typical example is the match against Pahang last year which should be a lesson to our local fans, I also note that some of our mischievous fans boo, pass uncalled remarks and spit at some of the visiting players when they are leaving the stadium. This is, in fact, not healthy. I therefore suggest some sort of strict measures be introduced like banning some of the offenders from entering the stadium for sometime. Sir, the grounds outside the National Stadium still seem unsafe despite my pointing this out a few years ago. Too many accidents have occurred, particularly at night when thousands of people rush out of the stadium after a match and some have to cut across the grounds and open drains. And if accidents should occur at that time, there is the problem of getting medical aid immediately because of the heavy traffic leaving the stadium. Something must be done to cover up the many open drains which are around the stadium. Sir, I notice that 30 squash courts, 70 tennis courts but only three football pitches are provided in the master plan. I wonder why there are only three football pitches. The squash and tennis courts will cater for the affluent members of our population.”
“I know the present Chairman of the Singapore Sports Council and since he took over the administration of the SSC he has got a proper control of the Council. He himself makes it a point to check and attends to all matters pertaining to sports. This is remarkable. But then the SSC has got no control on the individual sports associations which are supposed to give encouragement to their members. The Minister himself is a keen supporter of sports. Sir, you can see him attending many sports functions. He is at the National Stadium to support our national soccer team whenever the team is in action. He too should be praised for the interest shown. However, I hope that he would use his good offices to see that the players are properly treated and that the standard of the game is improved. Sir, the National Stadium is no longer a "white elephant" as it once was. We now regularly hear of the "Kallang Roar" of the soccer fans. Perhaps it is the roar of the capacity crowds which may have produced the cracks in the structure of the Stadium. May I ask what is being done to minimise the danger that these cracks present? There is a craze by most Singaporeans, both male and female, to support our national soccer team in action at the National Stadium. The paying crowd numbering thousands come out in full force to cheer our national team. This is indeed remarkable and because of our local support, our players' performance too is glorifying. However, there is a need to discipline some of our local fans. In the recent World Cup series, the fans played their part very well in cheering the teams. The police has now formed a permanent unit of hundreds of National Servicemen under the charge of the Reserve Unit to control the crowd.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I think the previous Members have spoken regarding allowances. I am going to speak on sports. I spoke about it last year and I am going to speak on sports again this year. We are all agreed that the objective of sports promotion in Singapore is the mass participation of our people in sports. This is more important than producing champions. But then we must at the same time try our best to improve the standard of our sportsmen and sportswomen. This is evidently seen in the selection of the Sportsman and Sportswoman of the Year as it appears that there is no keen competition from the various sports associations for this annual grand title during the last few years. However, I wonder what encouragement and incentives are given by the various sports associations and Government leaders to our stars who represent our State for international meets. I understand that in most cases, very little encouragement and incentives are provided by the sports associations for our players. Many State players from the various sports associations have mentioned that in some instances the officials of the associations do not give proper guidance and moral support which they are supposed to give to the players. I believe the main problem is finance. Besides the Football Association of Singapore which is now more or less financially stable, the other sports associations need adequate financial backing. Perhaps sponsorship by various firms could be a solution. Potential players who represent the State should be given incentives like time-off for more meaningful centralised training, sports aids, monetary incentives, participating in more international meets and even more newspaper publicity for encouragement.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head R be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead AAA 1004. Sir, I know that the Ministry of Science and Technology has got to do a lot of research work before any recommendations are implemented in the field of science and technology in the interest of our Republic. I believe that through the efforts of this Ministry some studies have been done on alternative sources of energy, like solar energy and the monsoon winds, which could in a way be useful to Singapore. May I know what are the findings? Besides this, may I also know what are the other major scientific and technological experiments and studies that have been and are being carried out, and what recommendations have been made so far by this Ministry to the various authorities concerned. Are local personnel given ample opportunities to be trained in research work in foreign countries in the field of science and technology, so that we can fulfil our desire of being the brain centre of this region? Sir, the Department of Scientific Services is, by name an important one and it is managed by a staff of 144 persons. Under the Medicines Act, one of the functions of this department is to provide microbiological testing of pharmaceutical products for the Ministry of Health as well as the private sector. It would appear that this department caters mainly for the Health Ministry. What about its functions to other Ministries? I feel that this Department should also extend its services to the other Ministries.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, the Minister has not answered my question correctly. He has sidetracked the issue. Most probably my picture will not be shown on the TV tonight. Because I always attack the RTS, they never show my face. However, I beg leave to withdraw my amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.”
“Sir, I am not talking about the President's Speech or Parliament sittings. During week days when there are no Parliament sittings. I notice that for the last two programmes although it was fixed for 10 o'clock it did not start until 10.15 or 10.20. I am not objecting to the Parliamentary report.”
“Sir, on a point of clarification. Tamil films are usually shown late in the night. Although the film lasts 2 1/2 hours or 3 hours many parts are being cut. So the full film is not being shown. There are some parts which are cut, e.g. where songs are sung. We are not victimising the other viewers. When a programme is fixed for 10 o'clock it must be shown at 10 o'clock. If it is scheduled for 10.15 then it must be 10.15. But when it is fixed for 10 o'clock it is not shown until 10.20 or 10.30. What is the RTS doing?”