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 Amendment by leave, withdrawn.”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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“No, Sir, I want to say that the Factory Inspectorate and the contractors should not gang up. That assurance must be given by the Ministry, otherwise the poor workers will suffer. If the Inspectorate and the contractors gang up, the workers cannot get compensation.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, in the Memorandum on the Budget Estimates I observe that there has been an increase of 10 posts in the Factory Inspectorate for the purpose of setting up a new Shipbuilding and Repairing Inspections Section. In the past, I spoke a great deal about safety consciousness in the factories, construction sites and the number of avoidable accidents that took place daily at these places. I like to commend, of course, the increase in the number of posts for the Shipbuilding and Repairing Inspections Section. What about having more inspectors for the factories and construction sites? Too many accidents happen at these places. Whatever has been reported to the Police or the Labour Ministry may only be a fraction compared to the real number of accidents which go unreported, Regular inspections of factories for safety measures, particularly construction sites, or violation of safety rules would help to reduce the number of accidents on human lives. Sometimes a commission of inquiry has to be set up, such as the one on the recent accident at the construction site of the Singapore Maritime Centre. In addition to this, the Factory lnspectorate should also hold regular campaigns and exhibitions in connection with safety measures so that the workers would be constantly reminded of the safety rules to be followed. Otherwise, we may continue `to lose valuable labour.”
“Sir, what is the difference between a factory and a tailor? A tailor makes shirts and trousers and sells them. A factory produces goods and sells them. Contractors come to the tailor's shop to get 100 suits for a ship's crew but the tailor cannot make the suits. So why do we not give the tailor work permits? I applied for a work permit for a tailoress, but it was turned down many times. So the tailor shop had to close down because it could not get enough help to run the shop.”
“Sir, there are many teachers who. because of the problem of domestic servants have to resign from their jobs. We are losing teachers, and some of them have high qualifications. But since they do not have domestic servants, they have to resign in order to look after the families. Will the Minister consider issuing work permits to domestic servants, because Singaporeans do not want to become domestic servants? Therefore. I hope the Minister will consider issuing work permits to foreigners who wish to become domestic servants.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the Minister of State can reply to all the questions raised under the Head "Senior Minister". Mr Hwang Soo Jin: Before the Minister of State proceeds to talk about ASEAN, I would like to take him back to Hanoi. He has referred to the relationship or the absence of relationship with Hanoi. Can he please inform this . House whether there is consensus among the ASEAN members as to what steps should be taken to establish a dialogue so that the misunderstanding which he has mentioned could be clarified?”
“What are our embassies in these countries doing to make sure that there is an improvement in trade? Sir, sometime ago our Foreign Minister led a successful delegation to China. May I know what is the outcome of this particular mission? Have we in any way developed a two-way trade with China? Or has it been one way most of the time? We have created special port facilities for ships from China. Obviously we are importing a lot of Chinese goods either for local consumption or for re-export. What has been China's response towards Singapore-made goods, and have we been successful in selling our products to them? 6.00 p.m.”
“Mr Speaker. Sir, during the past few weeks much has been said about ASEAN. I must congratulate our officials in leaving a very good impression of Singapore at the recent ASEAN Summit Conference at Bali. With this important meeting we seem to have developed closer ties in many respects with our neighbours. It is noticed in the Estimates that provisions of $231,500 and $2,500,000 have been allocated for contributions to the ASEAN Central Secretariat in Jakarta and the ASEAN Fund respectively. May I know what role Singapore will play in this ASEAN Secretariat? Sir. provision has also been made for ASEAN training awards. I wonder how many Singaporeans so far have benefitted from these ASEAN training awards. Under this item, what courses are being made available for this year for ASEAN people? Next, I would like to know what is the basis of posting our civil servants to our embassies abroad. How long after being attached to the Ministry are they posted to our embassies? To-date how many of them are still waiting to be posted overseas? I raise this question because I gather that a number of our civil servants have resigned from this Ministry because of delays in their postings abroad. From the Budget Statement I gather that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is also one of the Ministries that is short of Division I officers. How does this shortage affect our attempt to open missions or embassies in foreign countries. Does this shortage in any way affect our overseas missions for purposes of trade? May I also ask how successful have we been in all our delegations that have gone overseas? I note that our trade with Japan, the USA and the European countries has declined during the past few years.”
“Sir, in view of the Minister's reply, I beg leave to withdraw my amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.”
“Sir, the Changi military hospital has been taken over by the Government, and the Alexandra Hospital has also been taken over by the Government.”
“Sir, I wonder why the Changi Hospital cannot manage with such emergency cases. I hope the Minister will see that ample facilities and expertise are made available at this hospital as many housing estates are coming up in the outskirts of this locality. Therefore, a fully equipped hospital is necessary to serve the people living in that area.”
“Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head L be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead BHA 1111. Sir, I wonder how Changi Hospital is being managed. Recently a motorcyclist who was travelling along Upper Changi Road met with a serious accident. It is believed that a motor car which was coming from the opposite direction overtook a moving bus and collided head-on into this poor motorcyclist. The motorcyclist was very badly injured in the left leg and lost a right knee cap. After the accident, the driver of the car abandoned his vehicle and fled. A number of people gathered to see the injured boy who appealed for help, but none gave him a helping hand. Fortunately a few off-duty workers who were travelling along that road saw the plight of this poor boy. They took the initiative to take the boy up to the Changi Hospital. This is where the comedy begins. The hospital authorities at Changi did not treat the injured boy simply because the hospital did not have the necessary facilities and expertise to treat his injuries. He was then taken back by the off-duty workers to the scene of the accident and left to lie there. In the meantime, an ambulance had gone to the scene of the accident and left, Another ambulance had to be summoned by some people to come and fetch the injured boy to the Singapore General Hospital for immediate attention, Three hours had elapsed before a major operation was performed. What is important is that the authorities at Changi Hospital should have taken immediate steps to send the boy in their own ambulance to the nearest hospital that has got the facilities to treat the boy, instead of leaving him to the off-duty workers who then decided to take him back to the scene of the accident.”
“If the Minister were to go to a hospital without prior notice, he will then find out what is actually happening there. But if he were to ring up the Director of Medical Services and say that he would be coming to see the hospitals, then everything will be put right. He must make a surprise check in order to find out what is going on in the hospitals. However, Sir, I beg leave to withdraw my amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.”
“Sir, I am very sympathetic towards nurses.”
“m, shift but was told to go back at 10 am, and to come back again for the night shift beginning at 9 p.m. She was not compensated for the extra hours that she had put in, although she was promised. Some of them are told to do odd jobs in the presence of visitors, thus degrading them or embarrassing them. Sir, these are some of the complaints. There are many other complaints but I do not want to mention them here. However, I trust the Minister will see that the nurses in the hospitals are treated well by their superiors and not bullied, so that the patients will not suffer because of their frustration. Sir, I believe a survey of all registered nurses and midwives will be carried out by the Ministry very soon. The information is collected for the future planning of nursing manpower in hospitals and outpatient clinics in Singapore. I wonder what will be the outcome of this survey but let us hope, that we can have better terms of service for our nursing staff.”
“Sir, in view of the Minister's explanation. I beg leave to withdraw the amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. Mr P. Govindaswamy: Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head L be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead AAA 1105*. (* The same amendment also stood in the name of Dr Ong Leong Boon.) Sir, quite often we hear of reports that some nurses in hospitals have been rude to patients. There are also allegations that some of them seem to order patients around, especially those in `C' class wards. On the other hand, what makes the nurses behave in this manner? Well, to some extent, it could be that they themselves are not treated in a proper manner by their superiors. So, under provocation, with no peace of mind but with pressure of work, the poor nurses may at times show their frustration towards the patients. I have also received complaints from nurses in the General Hospitals that some of the Hospital Sisters and Matrons do not show any tact. They scold, shout or even ill-treat the nurses in the presence of visitors. As there is a drastic shortage of staff, the nurses are overworked. They have to do more than their daily assignments, and their meal-times are very irregular. At times, the nurses have to work longer than their normal working hours because the handing over of duties to the next shift is not efficient. There have been occasions when the duty roster was changed, causing inconvenience. A nurse turned up for the early shift according to the roster. After working for a few hours a last-minute change was made and she was told to go back and to report again for the late shift for that day. In other words, the nurse reported for the 7 am, to 2 p.”
“Something must be done to make our General Hospital more efficient. Next, outpatient charges had been raised from $2 to $3. and now it is $4. I wonder whether this is reasonable? There are times when medicines bought from private dispensaries or sin seh shops which cost less seem to be more effective than those given in the hospitals. Why is this so? I suggest that treatment in the hospitals should at least be worth the cost the people have to pay. Nobody wants to be sick. Sickness may befall on a person at any moment. $4 may be a nominal charge to those who are earning a very high income, But $4 can go a long way to those in the lower income group. Furthermore, after the first visit in which a patient has to pay $4 he may be required to return for a further check-up. Each time he returns for a check-up, he has to pay $4 and it goes on until he is completely cured. No doubt there is such a thing as a waiver of charges. But how often is this given? How willing are the hospital authorities to grant a waiver of charges to certain patients? It is quite pathetic to see people suffering because they are unable to pay their hospital charges. For instance, recently an old lady who fractured her leg had to go for an X-ray and was warded. She had to pay for medical treatment, ward charges and a few other charges. The bill came to quite an amount, so much so her children withdrew her from the hospital and did not send her back, simply because they could not afford to pay for the treatment any further. Moreover, the poor old lady had to be transferred from one daughter's house to another, never given a proper treatment, because her children could not afford to pay it. Can the Minister reduce the medical charges for the poor?”
“Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head L be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead AAA 1003. Sir, I notice that in the Budget Estimates, provision has been made for certain improvements in nearly every hospital. May I know what improvements are going to be carried out in these hospitals, and how could these improvements be felt when there is an acute shortage of medical personnel at the moment? Sir, there is a shortage of doctors in many hospitals, and as a result doctors are overworked. At times this affects the necessary attention of many emergency cases, resulting in poor treatment of patients. If I may just quote a recent case. A school van carrying children from the Serangoon Kindergarten was sending the children home in Paya Lebar. It skidded along Bartley Road and the children were badly hurt. Two ambulances arrived around noon and sent the children to the Toa Payoh Hospital. At Toa Payoh Hospital the children were not given immediate attention. The badly injured children were given first aid treatment only, while the other children with bad facial cuts. bruises, and one with a torn lip were not given attention. They were left to be attended by an anaesthetist from the Singapore General Hospital. This medical officer did not arrive till late in the evening. Finally at 6.30 p.m, one of the parents became worried and went to look for a surgeon at a nearby hospital, namely, the Mount Alvernia Hospital. The child was rushed to the hospital and an emergency operation was conducted to stitch the torn lip. By that time it was too late as the tissues of the torn lip had dried up and stitching was difficult. This clearly shows that experienced personnel and equipment are not readily available for emergency cases.”
“Sir, I have here a cutting from yesterday's Straits Times which says. "Runaway truck crashes into garden, hits car". Regarding the hair cut. I think most probably they wear wigs. Otherwise, after a haircut, how could they still have long hair?”
“How are they going to control their subordinates? It is time a check was made on all these recruits. 3.30 p.m.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, in regard to the Ministry of Defence I would like to raise three questions. Firstly, the high accident rate incurred by drivers and mobile riders was a matter of great concern in the SAF sometime ago. Every possible step was taken to raise driving standards. To promote offence-free driving, an outright bonus of $50 was given to drivers/riders in full-time service who completed at least 2.500 miles of offence-free driving within a three-month period. May I know how this incentive has improved the standard at driving in the Army? To-date how many instructors have qualified for this bonus? Secondly. Sir, some students who come from not-so-well-off families have been granted scholarships by foreign countries. These scholarships are not easily obtained. But then after getting it, their parents find it difficult to send them abroad because of the minimum $30,000 deposit required as a guarantee that the student will return to do national service. How are these poor people going to raise such a big sum of money? It is not easy to raise it, and because of this some of these students have to forgo their scholarships. I know of one instance where the number of scholarships granted per year by a foreign country to local students has been reduced because of this requirement. May I suggest to the Minister to relax this requirement for the poor students. Thirdly, Sir, the Government has put emphasis on rules about long hair and pinched-up caps among our recruits. Yet it seems to be a common practice among some national servicemen particularly those attached to the Police Force, to keep long hair and even put on tiny caps over their big heads. Even some of the senior officers are sporting long hair, both in the Army and the Police Force.”
“On a point of clarification. He is a Member and not a Minister.”
“Mr Speaker. Sir, it is noted that an Establishment Unit has been set up in the Prime Minister's Office to coordinate the career development of all Division I officers in the whole Civil Service. This Unit has, as its main function, to look and fill the void left by promising officers in the 30-45 age group. In addition to this, the Unit has also to look into the career development and training, postings, transfers and secondments, and administration of the merit increment scheme. Sir, I wonder why this Unit is only interested in Division I officers. What about the promising, able and experienced officers in the other Divisions? They too should also be taken care of by this Unit. Some of them may not have university degrees, but then they may be excellent innovators. I also believe that the merit increment scheme is only meant for Division I officers. Here again, what about officers in the other Divisions who have performed well in their duties? Will they also not be considered for this merit increment?”
“I am not surprised if some of our repenting delinquents say that if they had not been spoilt by their teachers and their parents they would not be in their present predicament. Mr Speaker. Sir, if we are not to accept this blame, I urge that we should educate our children for the sake of education and not for the sake of giving in to these different pressures. Sir, we seem to be losing our international trade to a certain extent. Many ships do not call in Singapore as before. Steps must be taken to ensure that more ships call at our Port, Finally, I wish to support this "soft budget" that has been presented by the Minister for Finance. 5.35 p.m.”
“On the contrary, I have the highest respect for the Minister for Education and all his predecessors for they have been subjected to pressures such as population increase, economic survival, social advancement, and even parental interference, So the schools were run not to provide an education for our children and to prepare them for a meaningful and rich life, but to provide them with sophisticated technical training in order to enable them to excel in the modern rat race. The result is that those who succeed in this mad scramble, which starts from the primary schools, become human robots while those who do not make the grade become social misfits. Mr Speaker, Sir, I sympathize with the Minister for Education and all his predecessors, but I believe that unless we can provide our young children in primary and secondary schools with a better educational foundation, and not just a technical foundation, the values of loyalty, integrity and honesty will have to be sacrificed in the long run. We shall then have a heartless society operating under the law of the jungle. One contributing factor to this deteriorating condition is the removal of the cane from the teacher. I understand that in some schools if the teacher were to touch a child, she should be prepared for a long complaint from the parent, probably with a demand from the Ministry for an explanation. Under such conditions no conscientious teacher could give of her best to her students. The authority and dignity of the teacher should be quickly restored and the student should be taught to accept his position in the school, in the home arid in the society. The only way to achieve this is to teach him discipline.”
“I hope that this anomaly could be corrected, so that some people who cannot afford the luxury of new cars but nevertheless need cars for earning a livelihood may retain their old cars. Besides, not every car owner need to drive his car into town. There are many people living in the rural districts who do not drive their cars into town more than once a week. Removing their cars do not help very much in reducing the number of cars going into the Central Business District. Besides, forcing the removal of old cars from the road by a surcharge hits not only the car owners but also other people indirectly, i.e, those in the motor-repair shops, the spare parts shops, the tyre shops, the battery shops, the secondhand car dealers, the spray-painters, the upholstery makers and all those connected with the maintenance of motor cars. Sir, the second point I wish to stress is the ugly tendency found in various departments in Singapore. We seem to be introducing taxes or bills in various forms; in small, small quantities. But let me quote one maxim. Little drops of water make a mighty ocean. The taxpayer feels the pinch, bit by bit, and his earnings seem to be slowly dwindling. He sees his savings and his earning power dwindling as the years go by. Steps must be taken to see that this does not continue. The third point I wish to comment on is the education system. For many years our education policy has been changing, and changing so rapidly and so drastically that the school principals are frustrated, the teachers are confused, and the students confounded, I am not saying that running the Ministry of Education is an easy job.”
“It was announced that the increases in road tax for motor cars was not to get more revenue but to reduce the number of cars on the road, especially old cars that often break down on the road. I wish to point out that the condition of a car does not necessarily depend on its age. It depends on how much it has been used and how well it has been maintained. To say that all cars over 10 years old are not road-worthy and therefore should be discouraged from running on the road is to presume that only old cars break down on the road. In fact, new cars of all makes, including the luxurious Mercedes Benz, are often seen stalled along the road-side, with their bonnets lifted up. If the intention is to reduce the number of cars on the road, then the Registrar of Vehicles should be instructed to assess each owner's need for the car before allowing it to be registered. This is not a new idea. It was done in many countries, including Singapore, just after the Second World War when the demand for cars exceeded the supply and priorities had to be laid down. Alternatively, if the intention is to enhance road safety by ensuring that all cars on the road are roadworthy, then the Registrar of Vehicles should be instructed to have all cars above 10 years old to be inspected annually. Imposing a surcharge does not make the car any safer. In fact, it makes the car less safe because owners will have less money to spend on maintenance. The irony is that old drivers are certified fit by a medical examination and not by paying a surcharge on their driving licences, but old cars can be accepted as road-worthy not by an inspection but by paying a surcharge.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, despite the increasing cost of services and materials, the Minister for Finance was able to present a "soft budget" with a tax increase only for cigarettes. For this, everyone in Singapore must rejoice and congratulate him. We have again a "soft budget" that will not affect a great part of our population. We have gone through a rough period caused by inflation and many parts of the world have suffered from inflation too, But we in Singapore, through the able leadership of the Minister for Finance, and above all an excellent and able Government, have conquered inflation and have been able to control the cost of living to such an extent that we have this present "soft budget". We have had a very low growth rate. Although there were promises made about an upturn in the economies of many of the industrial countries towards the latter part of 1975, this growth did not really take place. Fortunately for Singapore we are seeing a certain growth rate taking place, but very slowly. The introduction of a number of tax concessions in the Budget Statement is an excellent move. It is a move that will no doubt benefit the commercial sector directly. But indirectly it will benefit Singapore more, for we look forward to a healthy commercial sector in Singapore to produce a healthy and strong Singapore financially. It is my hope that more concessions of a similar nature could be introduced so that we will be able to earn more foreign exchange, more interest from the industrial countries, and after all this will benefit our country in return. However, there are several matters which I wish to draw the attention of the House.”
“Fortunately, during the trial the accused admitted that he had put the drug in her bowl of soup without her knowledge, and the magistrate therefore acquitted the girl. If the accused had denied this fact, she could also have been jailed, though innocent. Another case involved a foreign architect who was fined by a magistrate's court after he was found guilty of possession of drugs in his flat. He denied that he had taken drugs or had allowed any guest to do so in his flat because of his status. He claimed that social parties had been held in his premises before it was raided and that drugs could have been left there by his guests, some of whom had overstayed on different occasions before he left Singapore for a short visit abroad. Sir, these two cases leave room for doubt. The accused could be guilty or innocent. Therefore, when the death sentence is introduced, care must be taken to see that innocent people are not convicted. Genuine drug pedlars could fix innocent people by placing drugs in their possession without their knowledge and then tip off the Central Narcotics Bureau for an investigation. Arid if a victim is unable to prove his innocence, he is in for trouble. Sir, I support this Bill for the sake of discipline in the country.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I rise in support of this Bill on the misuse of drugs where the maximum penalty for this offence carries a death sentence. The Bill is being introduced at a very timely and apt moment when drug offences in the Republic have increased greatly in the last few months. It has become a common offence. If this lucrative business of drug trafficking is not nipped in the bud, our Republic may be accused of being a distribution centre of drugs in this region. This will affect the good name of our Republic. In recent months there has been an increasing number of unauthorised trafficking of drugs in the Republic, and press reports confirm that more offenders have been brought' to book. One way of stopping this trade from spreading is to impose the death sentence. This will give second thoughts to anyone indulging in this unauthorised trade. Sir, although I support this Bill, I would like to state that a situation may arise where as a result of surprise checks by officers of the Narcotics Bureau, innocent people without their knowledge may he found in possession of drugs. These innocent victims may have been fixed, and this might even cost them their lives. So the question of benefit of the doubt should be carefully considered. Let me cite a few instances. Recently, I came across an article in the press that an apprentice in an electronics firm was charged and convicted to a jail sentence for possession of heroin. The accused was also reported to have put drops of heroin in his fiancee's bowl of mutton soup without her knowledge in order to get her sexually aroused. She was also nabbed by the narcotics officers.”
“Sir, that is what I want. A directive must be given to every principal that if any boy wants a transfer his parents can go to the Ministry of Education. DROPOUTS FROM ENGLISH SCHOOLS 13. Mr Tay Boon Too asked the Minister for Home Affairs and Education what plans the Ministry of Education has in regard to the problem of the large number of dropouts from English schools who become virtually illiterate some years after leaving school.”
“Sir, if parents were to go to the school for a transfer, the principal will say, "No vacancy". The Ministry of Education, therefore, has to direct the principal to take in the student because he has changed his address.”
“Sir, that is not my duty. It is the duty of the Minister for Home Affairs to check this up. I am not going to check this up. I am only informing the Minister of what I have heard. PRIMARY AND SECONDARY SCHOOLS (Transfers of students) 12. Mr P. Govindaswamy asked the Minister for Home Affairs and Education how many primary and secondary school students have been allowed transfer to another school, because of shifting of homes, since 2nd January, 1975, and how many applications for such transfer are still pending; and if his Ministry will undertake, at the request of parents, to arrange for such transfers, especially of students in the lower primary classes, instead of the parents having themselves to look for places for their children in the new school as at present.”
“Sir, the identity cards are like the ones we have now. But there is no name or photograph on the identity card. These identity cards are sent across the Island and then the photograph, name and address of the illegal holder are put on to enable him to come here.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I do not know whether it is true or not that some blank identity cards have been put in a bag and sent across the Island. I would like to ask the Minister whether the identity cards are safely kept in the National Registration Office.”
“Sir, may I know whether the figures given in the list are correct? According to the list, the daily average number of outpatient attendances is 210 for the Toa Payoh Hospital and 1,023 for the Singapore General Hospital. I would like to know whether the figure of 210 attendances for the Toa Payoh Hospital is correct or not.”
“Sir, I would like to clarify two or three points. The first point is that the Minister mentioned that there are many applications for the post of teachers. But may I ask the Minister why there are 300 resignations? The second point is about foreign students. I would like to know how this money which is collected from the foreign students is being used. I am not objecting to the collection of this money. The money collected must be utilised for a very good purpose. The next point is that we must stop the practice of asking students to collect donations and the Minister has promised he would look into this. I hope that whatever the Minister says here is implemented. 4.30 p.m.”
“Sir, how far has the posting of teachers and' students nearest their homes been carried out? I still notice that a great number of teachers and students are put in~ schools quite a distance away from their homes. Can the Minister look into the matter? Finally, I will I would like to know when results of the recent teachers exercise be known? I hope greater number of them will be, thus causing lesser dissatisfaction. Teachers are very important in education of children. Their importance is next to the parents. If the teachers not properly educated, they not produce good students. If the re well educated they will be of benefit to the students. 3.15 p.m.”
“These private schools are not in the least subsidised. Yet any student who wants to gain entry into these private schools has to pay to the Education Fund before he is allowed to continue his studies. I feel this is ethically wrong. We do not subsidise private schools. Why do we collect money from students who are studying in private schools? If it is the case with Government schools, it is understandable. Sir, I understand that some school children are given fund raising cards for donations to the school fund just before the school holidays. They are instructed to collect as much as possible. When the school reopens these cards are handed back to the teachers. Some children who have not collected the targeted amount are given back the cards and instructed to continue to collect up to the required amount. I wonder why these students are asked to collect up to a certain expected amount. This might induce the children to do something irregular for fear of being harassed by the teachers. At this point let me ask why GCE "A" level in Commerce course is not allowed to be conducted in private schools. This course is only done in a Government school. There are certain schools capable of conducting such a course, and I feel that some of them may produce better results than the Government schools. Furthermore, on the subject of courses, let me also ask why is a restriction imposed on teachers who wish to do a course on their own? To give an example, if a teacher in the academic stream wants to do a technical course, permission is refused. The result is that the teacher is frustrated. Why must we restrict teachers who are keen to improve themselves and who will be of benefit to our education system later on?”
“What is being done to fill these vacancies? 340 vacancies are being filled by relief teachers, some of whom come today and disappear tomorrow. They are not teachers in the real sense of the word. They are merely filling the gap. How can we have a good education system if 340 vacancies are filled by relief teachers? This is a very sad state of affairs. In the past the Institute of Education, formerly known as the Teachers' Training College, used to recruit teachers by the hundreds and produce teachers by the hundreds too. Unfortunately, after the TTC was renamed the Institute of Education, it has become another white elephant. Many accommodation units in the former College are as good as haunted. Many teachers have been transferred or opted out. There are a few of them left. To make matters worse, students who intend to take up teaching as a profession have to pay. Now, give us the answer in one breath who really wants to become a teacher today, with all the headaches and pressure of work? The stresses and strains are not really worth the money they get for their training. Even the courses organised by the Institute of Education have to be paid for by the teachers. No wonder we have 340 vacancies! 301 resignations had taken place in the last two years. What has been done to recruit more teachers to fill the vacancies? 340 vacancies means 340 teachers less. May I at this stage ask what is the purpose of the Education Fund? A lot of money is collected from the foreign students studying in schools or colleges in Singapore. If these funds are used for the good of the Singapore citizens, then I say the fund has its purpose. Unfortunately I do not understand why a large sum of money is collected from students who study in private or commercial schools.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the Education Ministry is a very interesting Ministry as far as Singapore is concerned. It seems to be undergoing changes every so often that the result is chaos, confusion and puzzlement to everyone. Even those in the Ministry are confused as to what they are supposed to do. Worse, in schools the policy changes so often that principals and staff do not know exactly what is really required. What is the future of education in Singapore? May I ask whether these changes or restructuring are really necessary. Can we not implement them in stages and with great patience? The policy directives from the Education Ministry are issued so rapidly that before one directive can be carried out effectively a new one is issued. We seem to make use of the present generation of students and teachers as guinea pigs. I do not know whether this restructuring is a wise move because the changes have been so rapid that we will not be able to see the results until the students leave the secondary schools. And by that time probably they will not know what hell they have gone through. Let us be a bit more patient and give it a little more thought. I am not saying that the changes are bad. I am not saying that the policies are bad. The policy of bilingualism is extremely good. It is necessary for Singapore's survival. Carry on by all means, but do so in stages. The Ministry should not just issue directives and instruct the principals to put them into practice overnight. Sir, I notice that there are 125 vacancies for English teachers in primary schools and 215 in the secondary schools in the English stream as at 1st March, 1975. This gives a figure of 340, which, I must say, is very high. To make matters worse, I notice there were 301 resignations within a period of 14 months.”
“It would appear that the amounts in these bills fluctuate on the high side, thus creating some diffidence in the public view and also anxiety in that they are always paying an increasing amount. When the matter is brought to the authorities concerned, the officials scratch their heads and make adjustments in the following month's bill. Why should there be such discrepancies? Can the PUB recruit more meter readers to read the meters monthly so that an accurate assessment can be made rather than make an estimate which is usually faulty? In certain areas there are also inadequate meter readers to cope with the work. 6.15 p.m.”
“What is the Minister's stand on the subject of the 13th month payment? When this allowance was introduced, it was made clear that a periodical review would be made in order to improve the situation. Will it be maintained or will an increase be given? I would also like to know how many civil servants have been given merit increments last year. I hope the Minister will grant more merit increments to deserving and loyal civil servants. This merit increment will help a great deal to retain civil servants who are needed and it will also he an incentive for others to get increments. Sir, since my complaint last year on the filling up of income tax forms there is a slight change in the tax form for this year. There is now a section for inclusion of a claim for tax relief for aged parents. However, I still say that the tax form can be further modified for easy completion. One way would be the "ticking" method. I hope the Minister will look into it and improve it in the coming year. The "Save Water" and "Save Energy" campaigns have been going on for some time. This was especially evident during the energy crisis. All kinds of steps were introduced to curb power consumption. Of late it would appear that there is a slackening of vigilance and a certain amount of complacency. A hue and cry is made only when someone steps on our toes. Why can we not maintain strict vigilance over the need to cultivate the saving habit? It will be good for the country and the economy as a whole. Something is wrong with the way PUB bills are drawn up. There are far too many cases of persons being overcharged and suffering losses when adjustments are made in the charges. Is the computer working properly or does it require a little bit of oiling?”
“However, in almost ail the Post Office Savings Bank branches, the sharing of premises is noticeable - the officer in charge of the Post Office acting as Branch Manager of the Bank. Depositors of the Post Office Savings Bank have been told quite a number of times that funds kept in such branches are not sufficient to meet the immediate demands, even though the computerised system was introduced. Can the Minister explain why the POSB cannot keep sufficient funds of its own to help the depositors so that they need not be driven away from time to time? If necessary, post a security guard at the office. How is our national shipping line faring at present against other shipping lines? Is there any move to make it compulsory for our exports to be carried on our national shipping line? What is the Government doing to promote Singapore-made goods in other countries? INTRACO seems to have receded from the public eye, and what role is this company playing today? Sir, consumer supermarkets have been opened to check the rising prices of goods. It is to the credit of the Government to introduce them. In spite of my complaint last year that prices in some supermarkets were not as competitive as those in the private sector, they still sell many items at S to 15 cents more than what the private dealers sell. Can something be done to improve the situation? Though prices may be going clown, the Government must maintain and squeeze the private dealers out, especially those who are not fair in their prices, by lowering the prices at the supermarkets. Sir, I would also request that before any price increase of essential foodstuff is allowed, the Minister should first check the stock in order that the consumers or the merchants do not lose in any way.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, the chit fund companies have closed down for quite some time. A small sum of money was supposed to have been paid out to the subscribers in various stages. It appears that only one or two payments have been made so far. There are many people involved in the two major chit fund companies and they are still waiting for the second payment of their dividends. However, there is no news about this. The rate of making payment is rather slow. It is believed that the cost of administration will eventually exceed the actual amount to be paid out. Can something be done about this? Sir, in the last one year, bank rates on fixed deposits and saving accounts had fluctuated several times. At one stage the rates increased by 2%. Then subsequently they began to drop. Though this may be good for investment, there is a danger that money would be withdrawn, as is being done now, and invested in illegal ventures such as illegal tontines, lotteries, unauthorised chit funds, etc. Although for general investment purposes the reduction in rates is a good trend, can the Minister do something to prevent the rates from fluctuating? The leave allowance given to civil servants appears to have been fixed according to grades, and an increase is given only on promotion to a higher grade. Can the Minister revise the scheme and introduce some form of sliding scale for payment of leave allowances? This is requested only in the interest of a more faithful civil service. Sir, the Post Office Savings Bank has advertised in no small way that its branches are spread throughout the Republic for the convenience of the general public and that a number of them have since been computerised, and the final objective is to introduce this system to all its branches.”
“During the national registration exercise it was revealed that there were many people who claimed birth in Singapore but on investigation were found not to be born here. With regard to the granting of citizenship to a person who is the sole remaining non-citizen in a family, the Government is prepared to sympathetically consider the application of such a person provided he will not become a burden to the State. In fact, quite a number of such applicants have already been granted citizenship, if the Member has any particular applicant in mind, he is invited to supply the details to my Ministry so that the case will be looked into.”
“It is true that some applications may take a long while before a decision is given. These applications come from applicants who have not met the minimum requirements for citizenship but who may later qualify. Such applications are reviewed regularly. If an applicant has to wait for a long time it is because he has taken a long time to meet all the requirements. Once a decision on the application is made, the applicant is notified immediately. Therefore, as long as an applicant has not received a decision there is hope. In recent years good news exceeded bad news, as evidenced by the following statistics: Citizenship Applications from all Categories Approved % Refused % Decisions taken 1972 3168 65.7 1654 34.3 4822 1973 5055 82.1 1104 17.9 6159 1974 3989 93.9 259 6.1 4248 In other words, through the years the number of approvals has been going up. This should gladden the heart of the Member for Sembawang. In answer to the Member's second point, it has been and still is the Government's policy to consider favourably applications from persons who are able to contribute to the economic, social and cultural progress of the country. I do not know the two cases that he has mentioned. If he could write to me, then I will investigate them. With regard to the Member for Anson, he raised the problem of persons who claim birth in Singapore but have no documentary proof. This problem was discussed in Parliament on 17th March, 1972. The present position remains basically the same as in 1972. We cannot waive the citizenship regula tions for these persons because a waiver will immediately encourage applications from all sorts of people, all of them professing birth in Singapore. The crux of the matter is documentary proof.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, after the separation of Singapore from Malaysia, a large number of people became stateless through no fault of their own. These people are permanent residents of Singapore. They have no country to go to. They have lived all their lives in Singapore, and the only thing that is missing is documentary proof. Because of this, they are not granted citizenship. They are not considered citizens, and therefore they lose all the privileges accorded to citizens. During the national registration in 1967, some of these people could not produce proper documents to support their case and consequently they were given blue identity cards, which automatically means that they are non-citizens. What is the plight of these people? To date many of them still find difficulty as they are not granted citizenship of their country. Sir, there is a case where every member of the family is a citizen of Singapore, except for one poor member whose documentary proof was mislaid by his parents during the war. Thus he became a non-citizen. He had applied for citizenship quite sometime ago but he has not received any reply to his application. Can the Minister explain what is the present stand in the granting of citizenship for cases of this nature? There are also people who have the necessary requirements and are paying income tax but are not considered for citizenship. May I ask why they are not considered for citizenship? Mr Chua Sian Chin: Sir, may I first reply to the Member for Sembawang? The Government must be strict and careful in granting citizenship. Citizenship is something which must be regarded with great value. However, the policy on citizenship is reviewed regularly. All applications are attended to without delay, but they must take their turn in the queue.”
“In the meantime, the parents went back home disappointed and explained the matter to the boy's uncle. On the strength of the boy's restricted passport which was given earlier the uncle went to see the Assistant Controller of Immigration to explain the case. The Assistant Controller, on seeing the restricted passport that the boy is a citizen by birth, directed his officer to approve the issue of an international passport. However, the official told the boy's uncle that the original application form was missing and requested him to fill up a fresh application and to collect the passport on a certain day. On the day in question when he went to collect the passport, the official was not there. But there was another person dealing with the case. Again the same problem arose, and this disgusted gentleman had to refer the matter to the Assistant Controller. Finally the passport was approved and given to him. Sir, I want to know why should all these unnecessary problems exist at this counter. Such inconsiderate and ignorant behaviour on the part of the officer at the counter should not be tolerated because many tourists and visitors go to this department. It would give a very poor image of Singapore and their opinion would be that the department is not functioning properly.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, Singapore happens to be at the junction of international traffic, so much so that even illegal immigrants think that Singapore is a haven for them. Having come here illegally, and finally, finding themselves financially destitute, they end up by committing crimes. May I ask what active measures are being taken to prevent entry of illegal immigrants into Singapore? A few may be caught, but I am sure that many got away scot-free. I will not be surprised if I am told that many of the robberies, thefts, etc, were committed by these illegal immigrants out of desperation. What steps are being taken to tighten up our security measures to prevent entry of these illegal immigrants? Sir, the Immigration Office at Empress Place seems to be perpetually congested. There seems to be no order. People do not queue up and there is confusion. It is time this department was reorganised so that there will be a proper system in dealing with members of the public. I have received complaints that some of the officials who deal with members of the public do not seem to understand the policy governing the issue of passports. To quote an instance, there was a boy who was born in Singapore. His parents are non-citizens. He is studying in a school in Singapore. Recently, the boy's parents wanted to take him abroad to see his aged grandparents. When his parents applied for an international passport for this boy, the Immigration Official told them that the application for the international passport was rejected. The reason is that his parents are non-citizens and, therefore, he cannot automatically become a citizen. They were advised by the official that they should obtain a certificate of status for the boy, which would take some time for it to be granted.”
“Is there any plan by the Police Department to buy more motor cycles so that more traffic policemen will be available when needed at all times of the day? Sometimes in congested areas we cannot see any traffic constables. They have all disappeared. Nowadays, the only time policemen and women are seen is often during peak-hour periods or when there is a road safety campaign. That is the time they come out in full force. Outside those hours they are very elusive. They are never seen on the road. The traffic lights along the stretch of road from Orchard Road right up to Collyer Quay are supposed to be synchronised. May I ask how many roads have traffic lights synchronised in such a way that they ensure a smooth flow of traffic? Quite often motorists have to stop at every traffic light, because they are not synchronised and thereby traffic jams occur, or the traffic is unable to flow easily and smoothly. Furthermore, to make matters worse the duration of the amber light of many traffic lights is so short that many motorists are caught unawares. In certain cases accidents have resulted simply because the amber light went off so fast that the red light seems to be instantly on. And the green light for the other direction is lighted at the same time. I feel that a few seconds' duration should be given for all the red lights to stay on before changing into green light for the other direction of traffic; and not an immediate change.”