Rahmat bin Kenap
Singapore
“To ask the Minister for National Development whether the Housing and Development Board will consider the early resettlement of those illiterate residents, who have been living for many years in a house now affected by redevelopment but whose addresses on their identity cards remain unchanged or have been changed recently although the stre…”
“To ask the Minister for Social Affairs whether there is sufficient manpower for the ambulances as, when an ambulance attends a call from a flat resident, usually only one attendant goes up to the flat and the sick person is carried down on a canvas sheet instead of on a proper stretcher. 34.”
“To ask the Minister for National Development whether farmers affected by redevelopment can be offered hawker stalls in lieu of compensation for loss of their farms if they are willing to accept them and whether such cases will be given priority. Annex A (Cols. 375 - 376)”
“If the officers of the Building Control Division had taken action because they were pressurised by one party, and if the incident I have narrated is true, there is indeed cause for shame on the part of the Government. This line of action should not have been initiated by civil servants in the first place.”
“Besides resettling hawkers who are affected by development projects, I hope consultation between the Hawkers Department and the Member of Parliament for the constituency could be held as and when necessary to complement efforts to resolve the hawker problem and at the same time upgrade the standard of the market.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, two or three years ago, I received a bill from the PUB and if I am not mistaken, the amount was around $30. Subsequently, I lost this bill. Then I wrote to the PUB for a copy of the bill.”
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“To ask the Minister for National Development whether farmers affected by redevelopment can be offered hawker stalls in lieu of compensation for loss of their farms if they are willing to accept them and whether such cases will be given priority. Annex A (Cols. 375 - 376)”
“To ask the Minister for National Development whether the Housing and Development Board will consider the early resettlement of those illiterate residents, who have been living for many years in a house now affected by redevelopment but whose addresses on their identity cards remain unchanged or have been changed recently although the street name had long ago been changed, as there has been a long delay in dealing with such cases. 36.”
“To ask the Minister for Social Affairs whether there is sufficient manpower for the ambulances as, when an ambulance attends a call from a flat resident, usually only one attendant goes up to the flat and the sick person is carried down on a canvas sheet instead of on a proper stretcher. 34.”
“Sir, I am satisfied with the reply given by the Senior Minister of State. I beg leave to withdraw. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head O be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead DDA 1101*. (* The same amendment also stood in the name of Mr Ngeow Pack Hua). Mr Speaker, Sir, I am certain that the kampong folks in the rural areas are not against the implementation of rural development projects of the Government if such projects benefit them. The development projects carried out by the Government in Geylang Serai are progressing smoothly because every Singapore citizen so affected has been rehoused in HDB flats, and similarly displaced shopkeepers are offered HDB shops. There are a number of mosques and suraus which are also affected by these development projects; like the ones at Jalan Alsagoff, Jalan Mydin, Lorong Engku Aman and a Madrasah (that is, a religious school) at Jalan Pasir. A source of regret to me is that to-date the Government has not as yet offered alternative sites so that these religious structures could be rebuilt. And possibly many more mosques and suraus will be affected by these development projects in due course of time. I hope that the relevant Ministry will consider allocating a sufficiently large piece of land for the erection of a composite mosque building in Geylang Serai area to incorporate the mosques and suraus as well as the Madrasah affected by the development projects. The proposed mosque will benefit the entire Muslim community, particularly those living in Geyland Serai and residents in the surrounding areas.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg leave to withdraw my amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.”
“If the officers of the Building Control Division had taken action because they were pressurised by one party, and if the incident I have narrated is true, there is indeed cause for shame on the part of the Government. This line of action should not have been initiated by civil servants in the first place. Government officials are expected to render assistance as best as they can to the poor people', who are often exploited and oppressed by haughty and arrogant landlords. This is not an uncommon feature in our country.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head O be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead BDA 1101*. (* The same amendment also stood in the names of Messrs Ahmad Haleem, Lee Yiok Seng and Ng Kah Ting) There are some officers in the Building Control Division who adopt repressive measures and a biased attitude in carrying out their duties. This has occurred in Geylang Serai constituency. Let me illustrate to this House a case in point, hoping that it will merit the attention of the Minister concerned. A constituent of mine started a small electrical shop for the repair of refrigerators. He duly registered his business in 1970 and possessed a business licence. He took up residence at his place of business in 1960 and his business was flourishing. Previously he had never received any complaints either from the landlord or from officers of the Building Control Division. However, after mid-1976 officers from the Building Control Division called at his shop and handed him some forms for his completion. There was a space in the form requiring the signature of the landlord. But the landlord refused to pen his signature. Just because the landlord refused to put his signature, the small shop in question was considered illegal as it had not obtained the prior approval of the landlord to corroborate it. But all these years the shop had never been considered unauthorised or illegal. Was action initiated as a result of an instigation received by officers of the Building Control Division? As far as I know, there was a misunderstanding between the landlord and the shop proprietor.”
“Sir, I beg leave to withdraw my amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. 8.00 p.m.”
“Besides resettling hawkers who are affected by development projects, I hope consultation between the Hawkers Department and the Member of Parliament for the constituency could be held as and when necessary to complement efforts to resolve the hawker problem and at the same time upgrade the standard of the market.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head U be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead BGA 1101*. (*The same amendment also stood in the names of Messrs P Govindaswamy, Ahmad Haleem, Lee Yiok Seng, Ng Kah Ting, Haji Sha'ari bin Tadin and Dr Ong Leong Boon.) Sir, Geylang Serai area will soon have a market. The construction of this market will be completed shortly and it is located at Haig Road. Since a market is a vital necessity for the everyday life of all strata of society, it is therefore imperative that the Hawkers Department organise the layout in a proper manner. It is possible that in this particular market there will be stalls selling fish, vegetables, meat, piece goods and also food stalls. In other words, this will be a multipurpose market. 7.00 p.m. My only wish is that no friction and suspicion will arise between Muslims and non-Muslims. Therefore, may I ask whether provision will be made to sell pork in this market. If so, I seek the assurance of the Hawkers Department that the pork stalls will not be sited within close proximity of the beef and mutton stalls. The same goes for cooked food stalls. The allocation of Muslim cooked food stalls and non-Muslim cooked food stalls must strike a balance to reflect the local conditions and distribution of population within the area. In this way, it will attract customers and tourists who would like to frequent Geylang Serai. The residents of Geylang Serai who live on a scanty livelihood should be given the opportunity to do business in this market.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, two or three years ago, I received a bill from the PUB and if I am not mistaken, the amount was around $30. Subsequently, I lost this bill. Then I wrote to the PUB for a copy of the bill. One week later I received a reply from the PUB sending me a different duplicate bill asking me to make payment for two months' consumption. This shows that the meter readers are not discharging their duties satisfactorily. If the meter readers are not discharging their duties conscientiously, what is the reason for this?”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, just now the Hon. Minister said that some relaxation was accorded to holders of Singapore blue identity cards whose houses were affected by resettlement schemes and that they would be allowed to rent HDB flats on condition that one of their children was a holder of the Singapore pink identity card. I would like to ask whether, if the children are minors, but born in Singapore, this aspect could be given consideration?”
“Can the Government not give special consideration to clearance families that I have cited? Although the number of families is small, we must nevertheless show justice to these people whose living conditions have been adversely affected in consequence of Government policies. Sir, I support the Motion of Thanks moved by the Member for Ulu Pandan. 3.54 p.m.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I wish to associate myself with my colleagues in supporting the Motion of Thanks to the President for his speech delivered at the opening of the First Session of the Fourth Parliament. On the policy speech, I wish to dwell on the subject of redevelopment projects carried out by the Government which affect many kampongs. I am convinced that the Government's intention is extremely good because it affords an opportunity to a great majority of people in Singapore to own their own homes. However, there is a minority group of people in Singapore who are deprived of this opportunity on the ground that they hold Singapore blue identity cards. Although they claim birth in Singapore, as stated on their identity cards, however, they are unable to produce documentary evidence as they have lost their birth certificates and neither can they remember their birth dates. This is one of the reasons why they have failed to obtain extracts from the Registry of Births. Subsequently, they were advised to apply for citizenship. Unfortunately, amongst them there are people who have waited three to four years for approval and yet their applications have not been approved, even until the time when their dwelling houses are affected by Government redevelopment projects. They have inherited these houses from their parents, and they have been in physical occupation from time immemorial. Upon acquisition by Government for redevelopment they were paid ex gratia compensation only but they were not offered alternative accommodation. May I ask: where are these families going to stay? Can we just sit tight and see these people made homeless? They were born in Singapore and they have no other country to go to where they can take up permanent residence.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, as regards Malay artistes and those from the Muslim community, their costumes should not be compared with those artistes who are non-Muslims. So I would like to suggest to the Minister concerned that the costumes used by the Malay artistes should be decided by the Malay TV officials themselves. This would obviate any misunderstanding among the Muslim community. I hope the Minister will take note of this,”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, can the Minister take steps to correct the costumes of the Malay TV artistes? Most of the lady artistes are scantily dressed? Some of them are almost half-naked, looking as if they are feeling uncomfortably hot, although the studio is cool as it is airconditioned. The way they are dressed seems to suggest that they are feeling very hot. The impression is that if they are dressed from the waist down, then the upper half is bare. If the upper half is dressed then the lower half is very scantily covered. If we allow this sort of thing to go on, it means that in future we could be seeing obscene programmes. All this would lower the quality and standard of the Malay TV shows. I hope the Minister will take note of this matter.”
“Sir, I hope the Government will consider giving alternative accommodation to people whose houses are affected by redevelopment plans. Or they should at least be given assistance. I beg leave to withdraw my amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.”
“It will be very surprising if it happens. On humanitarian grounds, the Government should not shirk its responsibility towards the permanent residents holding blue identity cards if their houses are affected by re-development projects. It is the responsibility of the Government to find alternative accommodation for these people because they have nowhere else to go. The Government should consider this matter on humanitarian grounds so that justice can be upheld.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head LG be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead AA 2730. Sir, it is most regrettable to learn that in the implementation of the recent redevelopment plan by Government, the Member of Parliament for the constituency concerned was not consulted in respect of the resettlement scheme. No notices of eviction were also given to the residents affected. As in the case of urban renewal in Kampung Ubi last year, the Member of Parliament for that constituency was not consulted. This has caused confusion, and has created the impression that the work has no system at all. What is most regrettable is that the residents affected by the resettlement are holders of Singapore blue identity cards and they have been staying there for many years. They own these houses and, therefore, they have not been offered Housing Board flats. Some of these blue identity card holders were born in Singapore. Because they lost their birth certificates and they cannot remember the dates of their birth, they were given blue identity cards by the Government. These people do not have alternative accommodation in Singapore, and the notice of resettlement compels them to leave but the Government does not offer them any alternative accommodation. This has caused confusion among the residents. I would like to ask this question. If these people are not given the right to alternative accommodation in Singapore, what about letting them live on rafts in Singapore territorial waters? Will they be given permission to live in rafts in Singapore waters? If this happens, more tourists will come to Singapore to see our citizens living on rafts in Singapore waters, a way of life that is permitted by the Singapore Government.”
“Sir, I support the proposal by the Member for Sembawang. In view of the present situation where prices of food have increased sharply, there is a wide gap between the haves and the have-nots. The poor people are experiencing hardship under the pressures of inflation. They are now in a sorry condition and they need public assistance. They are suffering in silence. Yet the Government has not considered whether or not to increase the public assistance. The workers have so far received two salary increases, first, the 9 per cent wage supplement as recommended by the NWC and, second, the $25 interim wage supplement. But what about the people who depend on public assistance from the Social Welfare Department? Should they also not be given an increase in public assistance?”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, can I speak on my amendment on Head KB, subhead AD 1201*? * The amendment reads as follows: (3) That the sum to be allocated for Head KB be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead AD 1201.”
“I beg leave to withdraw my amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. The sum of $2,663,690 for Head 1402 ordered to stand part of the Estimates.”
“Sir, there were instances when officials of the Immigration Office did not reply to letters. Those people who were affected did refer their cases to me, and I have letters in my hand to show that their letters have not been replied. I hope the Minister will also reply to my question regarding the cutting of long hair at the Woodlands checkpoint.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I read in today's newspaper about an article in the Readers' column that the latrine in the Geylang market is dirty. The writer has suggested that I should survey this market and take action accordingly. I wish to inform this House that the Geylang Serai market is in the Kampong Ubi constituency. It is not in the Geylang Serai constituency. This has been so ever since the 1968 general elections. If I remember correctly, before the Member for Kampong Ubi went to the Philippines as Singapore's Ambassador he did suggest to the Ministry concerned that the Geylang Serai market should have its name changed to Kampong Ubi market. However, the matter has so far not yet been resolved by the authorities concerned. All complaints in respect of this market have been directed to me because the market is known as the Geylang Serai market. Will the Minister explain why this matter has not been resolved?”
“Sir, in view of the explanation by the Minister concerned, 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 1203 be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead 1201. Sir, Alsagoff Estate, which includes Geylang Serai, Kampong Ubi and Kampong Kembangan, is a low-lying area and often the drains get clogged and the water stagnated, so that it does not flow. This may be the result of the failure on the part of the Public Health Department officials to carry out their duties properly. Sometimes the residents themselves clean the drains because they do not wish to see the dirty and smelly drains. Workers from the Public Health Department do the cleansing work from time to time. But this is unsatisfactory because the number of workers engaged in such work is insufficient and time is also limited. I wish to suggest that more anti-malarial oil he pumped into the stagnant water as it is one of the ways to reduce mosquito breeding in the area. I believe if this problem is looked into and resolved, mosquito breeding will be greatly reduced, thus providing a better health environment for the residents there.”
“Mr Govindasamy, Sir, I rise to support the motion moved by the Prime Minister. The election of Dr Benjamin Henry Sheares to the high office of President is indeed appropriate. Dr Sheares will no doubt prove himself a capable person to carry out the functions and duties of Head of State, for not only is he a person of high academic eminence and attainment, but he is also a person with wide experience, a record of service to the public, and has close links with the people. There is no doubt that with such a background and experience as he possesses, he will be able to discharge the duties entrusted to him as Head of State of the Republic of Singapore with poise and grace. Sir, I beg to support the motion. 3.00 p.m.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, can the Parliamentary Secretary clarify why the pre-university classes in the Malay stream are for Arts and not for Science?”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, can the Parliamentary Secretary give the number of officers transferred, please?”
“Sir, I am satisfied with the Minister's explanation, and I beg leave to withdraw my amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.”
“I suggest that the Minister for Social Affairs give guidance and assistance to the Majlis so that it can discharge its duties and responsibilities for the well-being of the Muslims in Singapore and also the Muslim religion.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head 1101 be reduced by the whole sum in respect of subhead 1141. Mr Speaker, Sir, with the establishment of the Majlis Ugama Islam in Singapore, Muslims in the Republic hope that it will be able to safeguard and administer all matters connected with the Muslims. In general, they expect the Majlis to safeguard their interests and to protect the laws of Islam. They are grateful that, with the establishment of the Majlis, the collection of tithes has been centralised. All collections of tithes have been distributed to those Muslims who are entitled to them under the laws of Islam. The Majlis can play its role not only by way of enforcing the laws of Islam but also by helping those Muslims who are in need of assistance. For example, it can increase the number of scholarships now being given to Muslim students whose parents are poor and are not able to support their children's education. If we study their cases, we will find that many Muslim students are not able to carry on with their education because their parents are not able to support them even though they can study. This is where the Majlis can help. I also understand that the Majlis is not yet in a position to take on the responsibility of looking after pilgrimages. As a pilgrimage to Mecca is one of the five tenets of Islam, it is hoped that the Majlis will consider this matter. A pilgrimage to Mecca requires a lot of money by way of fares to and fro, and I, therefore, suggest that the Majlis establish a Pilgrimage Fund to assist Muslims in the lower income group. They can deposit their money in this fund, and in this way many more Muslims will be able to go on a pilgrimage from time to time.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, will the Minister consider changing this system and, instead, issue forms to the parents of the students so that the required particulars can be filled in by them? This will ensure that the documents are not lost.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I oppose the Abortion Bill. Although abortion is not forced on those who are against it, nevertheless when this Bill becomes law, it will automatically encourage and also give an opportunity to those who seek to satisfy their lust to abuse this Bill. Is this not a shameful act? Abortion on the foetus, which is life, is tantamount to killing. For this reason, Islam forbids abortion. Sir, it is not logical to have the Abortion Bill because family planning can be a success if Government improve on the methods. If this Bill is not successfully carried out, has the Government plans to introduce another Bill to kill new-born babies? If this happens, what will be the devastation that will befall human beings? Sir, I oppose this Bill. 4.12 p.m.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I rise to oppose the Abortion Bill because it is conducive to the moral degradation of our women folk and encourages members of the public to indulge in licentiousness and adultery. I understand that the family planning scheme at present being carried out is already opening the way for our unmarried girls and widows to commit fornication since they believe they can avoid becoming pregnant by means of family planning contraceptive aids now readily available. If this Bill is passed and if they become pregnant through the failure of contraceptive aids, then they can resort to abortion without difficulty. Do we really wish to involve ourselves and be a party to such a state of affairs? In all earnestness, we ought to be on guard against anything that may impair the good name of the Republic. But instead here we are trying to push through this Bill which, if passed, will only encourage all manner of despicable practices. The religion of Islam prohibits abortion as an act that is contrary to the will of God. It is a cardinal and unforgivable sin because it is regarded as being tantamount to killing, even if the foetus has not yet assumed human form. Abortion is a despicable act. Besides, it serves to encourage fornication and adultery and leads to moral degradation, thereby tarnishing the good name of our Republic. Mr Speaker, Sir, I oppose this Bill. 5.09 p.m.”
“Sir, I am satisfied with the Minister's explanation and I beg leave to withdraw. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. The sum of $36,331,480 for Head I 303~ ordered to stand part of the Estimatds. The Chairman: The remaining heads of expenditure in respect of which no amendment stands on the Order Paper Supplement are Heads 0102, 0103, 0104, 0105, 0107, 0108, 0302, 0402, 0404, 0407, 0602, 0802, 0804, 1202, 1203, 1205, 1206, 1211 and 1212. Question, "That the sums stated for those heads of expenditure which appear in the last column of the Abstract of Estimated Expenditure on pages 53 and 54 of Paper Cmd. 27 of 1968 stand part of the Estimates of Expenditure for the financial year 1st January, 1969, to 31st March, 1970," put, and agreed to. Question, "That the sum of $892,503,120 shall be supplied to the Government under the heads of expend iture for the public services shown in the Estimates of Expenditure for the financial year 1st January, 1969, to 31st March, 1970, contained in Paper Cmd. 27 of 1968," put, and agreed to. Resolution to be reported. Thereupon Mr Speaker left the Chair of the Committee and took the Chair of the House.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, That the total sum to be allocated for Head 1303 be reduced by $l00*. * The same amendment also stood in the name of Madam Chan Choy Siong. Mr Speaker, Sir, I will speak briefly. Singapore is a young country. Because of her beauty, progress and cleanliness, she has succeeded in attracting tourists. Nevertheless, there are some shortcomings in the rural areas. A few months ago the Health Ministry organised a "Keep Singapore Clean" campaign. It received an overwhelming response and full co- operation from the masses. This proves that cleanliness is accepted by the people as an every-day responsibility. Hence the success of the "Keep Singapore Clean" campaign. However, a state of cleanliness cannot be achieved if we depend solely on members of the public to maintain it. The staff of the Cleansing Department have failed to discharge their duty on the grounds that there is a shortage of garbage vans and manpower. As a result, many places have not been thoroughly cleaned. Rubbish heaps have not been removed. It is, therefore, unfair to charge the people with neglecting to observe cleanliness when, in fact, the machinery for keeping Singapore clean originates with the Health Department. The Ministry for Health has seen fit to prosecute and fine only members of the public for failure to maintain cleanliness. But it has not taken action against the staff of the Health Ministry for their negligence and sluggishness in the execution of their duties. Mr Speaker, Sir, this is equivalent to the Malay saying, "A crab instructing its young to walk straight." I hope the Minister for Health will note this and take remedial measures to improve the existing state of affairs in the Health Department Madam Chan Choy Siong: I am not speaking. 7.45 p.m.”
“Sir, with the assurance of the Minister for Health that he is prepared to receive all complaints, I beg leave to withdraw. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. The sum of $58,472,820 for Head 1302 ordered to stand part of the Estimates. Head 1303 -”
“This is about one-third of the female mortality rate. The situation is very serious. We do not know what steps the Ministry of Health is taking to remedy the situation, especially against womb cancer. In the case of tuberculosis, there is a semi-Government body, S.A.T.A., which provides facilities for the prevention and treatment of T.B. At the moment, there may be a cancer centre but the services rendered are slow. No prophylactic measures have been taken to prevent the occurrence of cancer. I suggest that a cancer preventive centre be set up in Kandang Kerbau Hospital so that people suspected of having cancer or even people who do not have the disease may go there for examination. According to medical science cancer is curable in the early stages. I hope the Minister will set up such a centre in Kandang Kerbau Hospital. I know that the doctors in this hospital agree with me on this point, but, according to them, it may well be that the Minister did not set up this centre because of lack of finances. Next, I wish to speak on the services rendered by Kandang Kerbau Hospital. Many pregnant mothers who went there found that there were not enough beds for them in the wards. Very often they had to sleep in beds along the corridor after their delivery. It would be several days before they could get beds in the wards. This is a very dangerous situation, because after delivery a mother may suffer an ailment caused by being exposed to the unfavourable elements. If there is no special care for these women after they have given birth, their health may be impaired and even their lives may be endangered. I do not know whether the Minister has any plans to remedy the situation. I hope he will give an answer.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, That the total sum to be allocated for Head 1302 be reduced by $l00*. * The same amendment also stood in the name of Madam Choy Chan Siong. Sir, hospitals and- clinics are supposed to provide facilities and services to people who require medical treatment. But I regret to say that these facilities and services are often not available to the people. As a result of the discourtesy and arrogant attitude of the nurses and other members of the staff - they sometimes utter unbecoming words - people who can afford it prefer to go to private clinics or private hospitals. They cannot stand the discourtesy and arro gant attitude of the nurses and other members of the staff in Government hospitals and clinics. I would like to cite the case of a mother who took her child to a Government clinic for medical treatment. Unfortunately for her, she had forgotten to bring the child's birth certificate when she went to the clinic. She was scolded by the nurse who attended to her. The nurse uttered these unkind words to her, "Why have you forgotten to bring the birth certificate, whereas you do not forget to `manufacture' children?" This, Mr Speaker, Sir, was most disgraceful as the hospital staff are Government servants. This was embarrassing to the mother, although both were women. Such incidents have also occurred at Kandang Kerbau Hospital. I hope the-Minister will take steps to improve the situation and see that such incidents are not repeated. Madam Chan Choy Siong(In Mandarin): I would like to raise two points regarding Kandang Kerbau Hospital. We all know that in the past a good percentage of the mortality rate was due to tuberculosis, but now in most cases people -die of cancer. Many women have died of womb cancer.”
“Mr Speaker. Sir, it seems that my queries have not been answered by the Minister. Mr Ch'ng Jit Koon(In Mandarin): Mr Speaker, Sir, I do not mean to steal the limelight from the Member for Sembawang on the question of culture. There is a lack of advertisements for locally-produced goods on television. This is contrary to the Government's policy of promoting local industries, imposing tariffs on imported goods, and encouraging our people to buy locally-made goods. There is still a lack of advertisements on locally-made goods; and because of this, the people may not have confidence in them. The best means of publicising the policy to the people is to advertise extensively on television. At the moment, I should say such advertisements are very few and I do not know whether the Minister has any explanation for this.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, as we know, radio and television are the media of communication between the Government and the people. They are also forms of entertainment. In addition, they are useful guides to our people. In view of the fact that our country is in the process of nation building, every citizen must strive towards achieving this aim. Radio and television can play an important role in this respect. They can put on programmes which contain plays and concerts which aim at nation building. There are few Malay programmes on television. Moreover, translations from non-Malay films are few and far between. The national language is encouraged by the Government. Every citizen should learn to use it. It is, therefore, wise for films to be translated into the national language and increase the showing of such films on T.V. I hope the Ministry will consider my suggestions and improve the radio and television programmes in this respect.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I am not satisfied with the reply of the Parliamentary Secretary that his Ministry is looking after this matter. If, as the Parliamentary Secretary says, the matter has been looked into very strictly, why is it that articles in the weekly Mingguan Malaysia contain obscene pictures? I have with me here pictures in this paper of men and women in compromising positions? I bring this up for the information of Members. It I may quote here ---”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, why has the Ministry of Culture so far allowed obscene articles to be printed in the Mingguan Malaysia which is published weekly when these articles are detrimental to the minds and morals of our youths? I have received complaints from the residents of Geylang Serai, some of whom have come to me with cuttings from the newspaper. I have with me here newspaper cuttings from issues for over six months.”
“The Labour Ministry should not only introduce or amend labour laws but it must also be prepared to protect the workers from being victimised by unscrupulous employers. We have come across cases of workers who had to work more than 44 hours per week without being paid overtime; also cases of arbitrary dismissals of workers at the whim of employers. I hope this Bill will be able to overcome all these difficulties and ensure the security of the workers in the years ahead. 3.36 p.m.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, Singapore is not an agricultural country and has no natural resources. It is an industrial and trading centre. Therefore, the people should consider what future is in store for them. It follows that plans to provide for the future and ensure the country's prosperity should be our common responsibility. The labour laws, too, need careful review because this will affect the future of our people and that of the nation. A great majority of the population of Singapore comprises the labour force. Labour unrest means the people's unrest, and the people's unrest means a threat to the nation's prosperity in the future. Every piece of labour legislation should be carefully examined in its proper perspective and the trade union movement, that is, the National Trades Union Congress, should be consulted. We do not wish to see labour disputes in our country, as had happened before the P.A.P. assumed office. We need to ensure good relationship between labour and management which will result in increased productivity and prosperity for the country. The Government plays the role of an intermediary and steps should be taken to create an atmosphere of confidence in both parties. The Employment Bill has generated a heated debate not only within the House but also outside by the trade union movement. We realise that all workers will wonder what their fate will be as they will be affected in one way or other by the Bill. Perhaps they may be adversely affected. There are groups of workers whose interests have never been looked after and who have been exploited by their employers in the past. Such workers may benefit as a result of this Bill, because previously they had to work more than 44 hours a week.”
“If they leave Singapore for Malaysia, they will not be accepted there and will be ineligible for the rights enjoyed by Malaysian citizens. Their applications for Malaysian citizenship will similarly be rejected by the Malaysian Government. Mr Speaker, Sir, if these unfortunate people cannot make a living either in Singapore or Malaysia, where else can they go to earn an honest living? Unable to maintain their families, they might, in desperation, take to crime and steal and rob. Who then will be blamed? It is also possible that these people might commit suicide rather than see their families suffer. Such a thing did happen and it was reported in the Straits Times of 25th June, 1968, at page 6 and on 26th June, 1968, at page 5. This should be food for thought for us all and make us ponder on whether we should allow such a state of affairs to continue or whether we should do something about it. Such people and their families must also live like other Singapore citizens. Certainly it is not their wish to see the lot of their children becoming worse off in the future. It makes little sense to us, the people of Singapore, to be proud of our prosperity when there are, in our midst, those who are crying because of hunger as they have not yet been recognised as citizens of Singapore. Only time will tell when they will be consigned to the grave. I hope the Government will consider this problem sympathetically and relax the regulations in order that these people may obtain employment. Alternatively, the Government should provide facilities to enable them to surmount their difficulties and establish citizenship.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, although Singapore has only recently achieved her independence, we can take pride in her prosperity and in her people in spite of her lack of natural resources. While the citizens of Singapore are enjoying prosperity, there are, in their midst, people who are suffering because of the uncertainty of their citizenship status. They cannot be regarded as Malaysian citizens because they are holders of Singapore blue identity cards in which their country of birth is stated as Singapore. They cannot be regarded as Singapore citizens as their citizenship status has not been recognised by the Singapore Government because they cannot produce their birth certificates. They have either lost them or are unable to establish exactly their dates of birth. Their efforts to trace their dates of birth in the Registry of Births were in vain because their dates of birth were forgotten. In other cases the name of the child was not recorded at the time of reporting the birth of that child. Only the names of parents were registered. For these reasons, officials at the Registry of Births were unable to issue Extracts of Certificates of Birth and they advised these people to apply for Singapore citizenship. Unfortunately, when these people applied for Singapore citizenship, they had to wait for as long as two years or more without any reply forthcoming. In order to obtain employment in Singapore, Singapore citizenship is necessary, or the applicant for a job must be in possession of a Certificate of Birth in Singapore. What then will be the fate of these people and their families if the issue of citizenship papers is further delayed? They are, thus, deprived of the benefits enjoyed by other Singapore citizens.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I support this Bill. With the passage of this Bill in Parliament, we will be able to control effectively the advertising of certain medicines in newspapers and other publications. Mr Speaker, Sir, if we go through the pages of the Malay newspapers, we find ridiculous advertisements of medicines which claim to be able to turn an old man into a young man and an old lady into a virgin. How is this possible? I have read an advertisement in a Malay newspaper not long ago about a certain medicine which claims to be able to increase the sexual potency of men. It claimed that if a male person took that medicine, he would be like an elephant who had gone wild. If this claim is correctly made, I feel that such a medicine is very dangerous. If every male person in Singapore were to take this medicine, what would happen to our female population? I have also come across an advertisement in a newspaper about a certain kind of medicine called Ma'jun which is supposed to turn old ladies into virgins. If this claim is justified and all our female population were to take this medicine, what would happen to our male population? However, these medicines are not as effective as they are claimed to be. On the contrary, they affect the health of those people who take them. I feel that the newspapers and other publications which print these advertisements do so purely with a profit motive and without consideration for the welfare of members of the public. Therefore, I support this Bill. 6.40 p.m.”