Rohan bin Kamis
Singapore
“With the Administration of Muslim Law Act and its successes, the Government has made meritorious contributions for the betterment of the Muslim community of Singapore which will continue to make progress, strongly upholding the principles of Islam, united with its own identity.”
“Sir, the Minister has not answered my query. Would he do a survey and by positive confirmation ask every resident whether he wants the HDB to continue or whether this body corporate should manage the estates? I think this is fair. The other thing is that the HDB has received 4,215 complaints. Agreed.”
“All in all, Sir, I subscribe to a partial withdrawal at 55, and I am suggesting that a partial withdrawal would be substantial enough for the contributors to carry out their plans and the balance of the CPF savings would be sufficient to cater for their needs after their retirement.”
“Here, the usual Singaporean touch of ingenuity and resourcefulness is required. Maybe the concept need to be repackaged to be more attractive and worthwhile to attract these mothers into our labour force again.”
“Sir, can I clarify this? The point is this. The financial arrangements appear to be one-sided. In other words, when CAAS makes more and more profit, there appears to be no provision whatsoever in the Bill to indicate how these surpluses are to be treated and under what circumstances can these funds be recalled for consolidation into the G…”
“This would also cause hazards to the many people who wanted to cross Telok Blangah Road to either take public transport or to go to Sentosa in front of the World Trade Centre. This situation is especially more serious when the seminar or the exhibition ends and every motorist wants to rush back to continue with his business.”
The complete record
Every one of 221 lines we hold for Rohan bin Kamis, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 4 of 5.
“Sir, maybe the Minister is better at dissolving things than I do. But the parent involved in this particular case was not given the choice, and I am sure any parent concerned about the safety and health of her child would easily pay for that extra bit to make sure that the medicine given can be easily consumed. I am not convinced that giving cyclostyled sheets instructing people how to take their medicine is an example of what a good medical service is. They should either dispense proper medicine in a professional way or they do not give it at all. This is my opinion. I wonder whether the Minister would comment. 6.30 p.m.”
“Mr Goh Chok Tong: Sir, ampicillin in syrup form costs 10 times more than ampicillin in capsules, and if a patient is prepared to pay the price he can get it. There is, therefore, no comparison between ampicillin in capsule form which is dispensed by the Government dispensary with those dispensed by the private clinics because the patients are prepared to pay the higher price for ampicillin in syrup form. There is another reason and, that is, the stability of the mixture. I have been advised by the pharmacists that ampicillin in syrup form is stable in room temperature for only about three days. The parent or the patient would therefore have to come back to the dispensary every three days to collect a fresh supply, and this is inconvenient to the patient or the parent. I agree that it is not reasonable to expect a two-year old baby to swallow capsules and, for the two reasons I have given, the simple procedure is to dissolve the capsules in sugar water. I see no difficulty in dissolving it in sugar water. If there is residue, dissolve it again and he will get the syrup which the baby will enjoy.”
“He further went on to say that: 'When dispensing ampicillin capsules (paediatric) to patients, the staff of SGH Pharmacy were told that for children who could not swallow the capsule, the relative is advised the following instructions [and these instructions are given on cyclostyled sheets].' The instructions read: 'If the child cannot swallow, open one capsule and mix its content with some sugar water in a small cup and give the child the admixture using a spoon. If some powder remains in the cup, repeat the procedure with more sugar water.' This is absolutely unthinkable. I could use a better word, Sir, but it would be unparliamentary. In this particular instance, we expect the worried parent to be an amateur pharmacist by mixing this insoluble ampicillin capsule before giving it to the child. I have never seen anything more ridiculous than this. The Chief Pharmacist went on to say: 'Perhaps the dispensary had inadvertently left out the instruction or did not make it clear when the ampicillin capsule (paediatric) was dispensed. The pharmacist in charge of SGH Pharmacy has been told that henceforth when dispensing ampicillin capsules (paediatric) a cyclostyled sheet containing the above instruction should accompany the product so as to ensure that parents or relatives follow the instruction accordingly.' Sir, I will not give up, but I appeal to the Minister to look into the matter, otherwise all our good medical services done by the doctors and nurses would be completely negated by just an unthinkable act of the pharmaceutical department's staff. This is probably one reason why people think that private doctors dispense better medicine as it is more easily taken than that given by Government doctors.”
“Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head P be reduced by $10 in respect of Subhead PC-01 of the Main Estimates. Sir, in moving this amendment, I am seeking assistance from the Hon. Minister to ensure that our good medical services are not negated by some unthinking act down the line in the hospitals. I am concerned because parents have told me that little children and even babies are given antibiotics, namely, ampicillin 125 mg. in capsules. This is very strange because a private doctor usually gives ampicillin in syrup form for children and babies. With these facts, I consulted several doctors and they themselves, like the Member for Ayer Rajah, mentioned that it was quite strange because, in my opinion, it is harder to get a two-year old baby to swallow a capsule than to get the Minister for Finance to increase the personal income tax relief! Furthermore, this capsule cannot be dissolved in water and it gives a disagreeable odour. Since it cannot be dissolved, it leaves sediments in the water. I have tried to dissolve the capsule in water and since sediments are left behind upon drinking the solu- tion, the dosage, in my opinion, will not be correct. This is what I am concerned about. I have written to the then Minister for Health, who is the Member for Rochore, about this case, and one month later I got a reply from the Chief Pharmacist. Strangely enough, he gave a reason and I quote: 'The reason for using paediatric ampicillin capsule was because commercial paediatric ampicillin in syrup or in freeze dried powder to be reconstituted before dispensing was rather expensive.' I feel that economy should not be used as a reason.”
“Sir, I wish to make two proposals to the Hon. Minister. The first one concerns the 10-year limit for PARF entitlement for private cars and the other concerns CBD labels for taxis. The purpose of the PARF scheme for cars below 10 years old, among other things, is to encourage motorists to replace their cars before the 10-year limit is up. This is supposed to ensure that our roads will have relatively new cars and therefore road-worthy. With the implementation of the car inspection scheme to ensure that all cars on our roads are road-worthy, in my opinion the 10-year limit becomes redundant. Therefore, would the Hon. Minister consider abolishing the 10-year limit for the PARF entitlement? In other words, since the car is road-worthy and if a motorist replaces it, thus not increasing the car population, he should therefore be entitled to the PARF, irrespective of the 10-year limit because this 10-year limit was arbitrarily set. 5.30 p.m. The other point, Sir, is that the CBD concept is proving to be successful. The Member for Alexandra has said that there is an apparent shortage of taxis and that this is more acute in the CBD area during the CBD hours. Would the Hon. Minister also abolish the CBD permit charges for taxis as this would encourage more taxi drivers to ply within the CBD? I am, of course, aware that taxis are granted a concessionary rate for the CBD labels.”
“Sir, the Member for Changi has summarized effectively in Mandarin what I wanted to say. Therefore, it will suffice for me to say that I endorse his sentiments. I would like to state that the postmen are very good people. They do take the trouble to deliver our mail carefully and even when the mail is bulky they do take the trouble to climb up the stairs or take the lift, barring any dogs or what have you, to deliver the mail. But lately delivery of letters and parcels has been delayed. They are being delayed for about three or four days. I wonder why? Maybe we should channel some of the money from the study of the MRT to make a study of the mail system. In this respect, I am tempted to even suggest that the Hon. Minister employs the First Deputy Prime Minister's famous systems engineers to have a look at the system. The risk here is very low because the human contact is negligible. Furthermore, letters and parcels are not vocal and therefore cannot complain. Would the Minister please comment.”
“I would like to seek clarification from the Hon. Minister. I notice that all the concession fares are to be raised, but the particular concession given to the Police and Armed Forces personnel has been withdrawn. There must be good reasons for this. What is the rationale for a total withdrawal of this concession, thus depriving the Police and the Armed Forces personnel of a long enjoyed concessionary rate? Are the conditions now different as compared to the days prior to the withdrawal? The other matter is the feeder services. Many commuters are still not convinced of this bus interchange concept. They do not mind paying the extra 10 cents, and now 15 cents, for the feeder services. But what they mind most is the inconvenience of having to make too many bus changes. On top of that, many feeder services tend to arrive together instead of intervals of five or six minutes. In other words, they bunch up. I am a keen advocate of neighbourliness but not of buses! In this respect, would the Minister please comment? I hope the Minister will ensure that proper time-keeping and administration is done at the bus interchange so that these buses would come along at the stipulated times and therefore minimize the inconvenience to the commuters.”
“Sir, I endorse most of the complaints voiced by my colleagues. Although there have been cases where HDB has done well, I always believe one must always be able to improve as one goes along. In this regard, as the Minister is fully aware, Telok Blangah is a pleasant urban constituency. However, I would like to request the Minister to consider giving more sports and recreational facilities for Telok Blangah. The other matter is something which I cannot understand. What is the rationale for putting aeration slabs in the car parks when the trees are already there. The idea of the aeration slab is to help the trees to grow. Instead it creates a hazard to women with high heels. It is also difficult for motor-cyclists to park their motor cycles as the holes in the aeration slabs are an obstruction. Another matter is that the refuse compounds in the housing estate are badly designed, in my opinion. In collecting the rubbish from the compound and carrying it to the refuse trucks parked outside the compound, the collectors invariably spill the rubbish, thereby dirtying the road and causing a smell nuisance. Would the Minister please comment.”
“Sir, last year I suggested to the Minister to install a slot machine system so that the motorist can walk up to it, put in his coins in exchange for the correct number of labels with an adhesive back, and stick them on to his wind-screen. I understand that system has been tried. Would the Minister inform the House the finding on that system which I think is far superior to this coupon parking system that just shifts the burden from the car park attendant to the motorist.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, in order to encourage closer family ties, could the Minister consider asking the HDB to charge a flat rate for parking on a per entry basis for its car parks during Sundays and public holidays?”
“For speedy clearance, magnetic stripes will be affixed to the coloured disembarkation and embarkation cards of holders of long-term passes like Employment Passes and Work Permit Passes. Screening these pass-holders is done simply by sliding the magnetic stripe through the magnetic stripe unit of the computer terminal. Malaysian social visitors who travel through these checkpoints frequently can avoid completing the white disembarkation and embarkation cards for each entry by applying for Express cards. These cards will also be affixed with magnetic stripes. Holders of Express cards need only present them and their passports to the Immigration Officer for clearance. Their total period of stay in three months will be computed automatically.”
“remove tedious and repetitive manual updating of the blacklist; and 3. reduce the problem of illegal employment in Singapore. With the ever-increasing volume of visitors coming through the checkpoints, 14.5 million people in 1980 compared to 13.5 million in 1979, thorough manual checking cannot continue without long waiting time and gross inaccuracies. Therefore, the system will have computer terminals at all the checking counters. Malaysian visitors will be screened by keying in their identity cards. Screening of these Malaysian short-term social visit pass-holders will result in the computation of their period of stay upon each entry into Singapore. As from 1st June this year, their stay will be restricted to 60 days out of any three-month period. The purpose of this ruling is to prevent Malaysians from working here illegally whilst on a two-week social visit pass. Currently, Malaysians can stay here for long periods by going to Johore Bahru and re-entering through the Woodlands Checkpoint fortnightly. The objective of this scheme is to prevent social visitors from working illegally but, at the same time, not to inconvenience the genuine social visitors from Malaysia. With computerization, these short-term social visit pass-holders will be barred from further entry for a stipulated period if their stay exceeds 60 days during any three-month period, that is, the current month plus the two previous months. Those social visitors who intend to work here will have to apply for Work Permits or Employment Passes. This 60-day rule will not apply to holders of long-term passes, like Work Permits, Employment Passes and three-month Social Visit Passes.”
“But that does not mean that the person named in that certificate was born in Singapore and therefore entitled to be either a citizen of Singapore or a permanent resident of Singapore. It is an adoption birth certificate where you put down the name of parents, and when the child goes to school that certificate is produced to the teacher. May I say that the child concerned, born in Malacca of a parent who is a Malaysian citizen, is not stateless. She is a Malaysian citizen. She is not stateless. The fact that she is also not a permanent resident is because she entered Singapore after the immigration control was implemented. Therefore, we cannot grant her permanent resident status. But the fact that she has already been adopted in Singapore, on compassionate grounds we do not ask her to leave. We have given her, on compassionate grounds a six-monthly renewal social visit pass. 5.45 p.m. In answer to the Member for Telok Blangah about the computerized sub-system for the checkpoints at Woodland, Keppel Railway Station and Changi Control Points, this computerized dub-system is part of the Ministry of Home Affairs' comprehensive plan to computerize its operations. A Systems Study Team formed in July 1980 to examine the areas suitable for computerization has recently submitted a proposal for a computerized Home Affairs system. This is now being studied by the Civil Service Computerization Group. In the meantime, preparation for implementing the Checkpoint sub-system is under way. This is in answer to the Member's query. This sub-system is expected to be operational from 1st June this year. The computerized checking system at the checkpoints will: 1. result in a more secure and accurate, substantially larger blacklist; 2.”
“Sir, in last year's Budget debate, in response to my question the Hon. Minister for Home Affairs told the House about the Immigration Department's plan for computerization. In the Home Affairs Ministry's Addendum to the President's Address, it is mentioned that a computerized sub-system is being installed at the Woodlands, Keppel Railway Station and Changi checkpoints and they will be operational later this year. My questions are: when exactly will this be? What will the sub-system involve? How will commuters be affected? Mr Chua Sian Chin: Sir, first, the Member for Punggol. He wanted to know about laminated cards and the number of forgeries that were found. Since the introduction of laminated identity cards in 1966 to 30th December, 1980, 2,078,337 persons were issued with such identity cards. To-date only 384 persons (i.e. 0.018%) have been detected for forgery of identity cards. All these persons have been prosecuted in court and convicted. Therefore, from the negligible number of forged identity cards detected over a period of 15 years, the forgery of identity cards is not a problem. On the other hand, replacing identity cards from time to time is a costly and labour-intensive undertaking. But what is more important is that it will also inconvenience the vast majority of the population. The Member for Khe Bong was wondering why a person born in Malacca, not a Singapore citizen, was given a birth certificate. Although she was given a birth certificate, she was not given a laminated identity card. May I explain this? We do not issue a birth certificate to a person who is not born in Singapore. That is the normal practice. But if a person born outside has been adopted in Singapore, then it is a birth certificate to signify that adoption has been accepted.”
“Sir, may I have your permission to join in and speak on immigration?”
“Sir, I wish to pose a question to the Hon. Minister. In view of what the Minister for National Development has said about the high standard and quality of our roads, particularly our expressways, would the Hon. Minister for Home Affairs consider it timely to review the speed limits on these expressways?”
“The question is, what steps, and if possible, punitive steps, have been taken to try to prevent this from happening? Last year a courtesy campaign was held for the Ministry of the Environment workers, with the cooperation of the union. Can the people not reciprocate this courtesy by contributing an effort to keep Singapore clean? It is typical not to like rubbish, Sir, so nobody wants to remove it, but when it is removed everybody is happy. In the light of these remarks I wish the Minister could comment.”
“Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head M be reduced by $10 in respect of Subhead MA-01 of the Main Estimates. Sir, we are all aware that we have a clean and green city. Singaporeans, by and large, are proud of this fact. We have even taken it for granted that Singapore must be clean in terms of physical appearance as well as corruption-free. But how many of us are aware that all this is due to the good administration of the Government, in particular the Ministry of the Environment? Usually the first thing that enters one's mind at the sound of the words "Ministry of the Environment", it is hawker's licence. But, Sir, there is more than what meets the eye. How many Singaporeans are aware that, as early as 6.30 every morning, there are workmen already on the streets of Singapore, rain or shine, to clean our streets, our markets and even our sewers? Are they aware that these unsung heroes of Singapore are vigilantly keeping Singapore clean, day-in day-out, seven days a week, 365 days a year? Many Singaporeans do not even give a look at the poor workman chasing after the refuse collection vehicle in the early hours of the morning, lifting the rubbish bins and emptying them as they go along. How many of us appreciate the convenience derived from the honest and hard work put in by these people every day? These people are good people, Sir. I had the privilege to know them. It is most disheartening and disturbing to see a not uncommon sight in Singapore - motorists winding down the windows of their air-conditioned cars and throwing cigarette butts, litter, cigarette packets and the like, on to the street. It pains me, Sir, because I know that these good people from the Ministry of the Environment will have to pick them up early the next morning.”
“Sir, I must thank the Hon. Minister for his reply and I beg leave to withdraw the amendment. Amendment by leave, withdrawn. The sum of $1,842,293,630 for Head N ordered to stand pan of the Main Estimates. The sum of $1,852,981,000 for Head N ordered to stand part of the Development Estimates. Head X -”
“A point of clarification, Mr Speaker, Sir. I am a Member of the Public Accounts Committee. I know the reasons but I am not convinced of them. So I would like the Hon. Minister to hopefully give these reasons in public and in his opinion, whether these reasons are justifiable.”
“I also hope that where the reasons border on purely financial grounds, the Minister would take the necessary steps to persuade them to change their financial minds. I suggest the statutory boards do some soul-searching and seriously consider the very objectives for which they were formed, i.e. to better serve Singaporeans.”
“Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head N be reduced by $10 in respect of Subhead NE-07 of the Main Estimates. Sir, I welcome the announcement by the Finance Ministry that it will commence the multi-revenue collection services (MRCS) on 1st August 1981. This item, I understand, was mooted many years ago by the Public Accounts Committee and has been well received by the Ministry of Finance. This is commendable because this system is aimed at reducing manpower and, more important, it would make it more convenient for the people to pay their bills. However, I am more than just disappointed at the attitude shown by the four statutory boards, namely, the PUB, the HDB, Telecoms and the SBC, which have declined to participate in this scheme. I am not at all sure they have good reasons for not doing so. The reasons may just be good ones, but only as far as the statutory boards are concerned. I am forced to conclude that these statutory boards have not taken into account the convenience and the feeling of the man in the street. I trust the Hon. Minister must have asked for these reasons, and I would therefore appreciate if he would inform this House what these seemingly good reasons are, and in his opinion whether these reasons are justifiable in the light of the objective of this scheme, that is, for the people's convenience. To my mind, and to that of many of my constituents, this refusal by the four statutory boards smacks of a very bad attitude which I commented during the debate on the Presidential Address recently, i.e. the statutory boards are more interested in showing how well they are making money out of the man in the street. They give the impression that they are not interested in making things convenient for the people.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, nowhere in my speech did I mention about a banner or a publication of the 20th anniversary souvenir. I was talking about it in general policy terms. But I remember a Malay saying which says: Siapa makan chili, dia merasa pedas. However, in view of the Senior Minister of State's assurances and lucid answer, I beg leave to withdraw the amendment. Amendment by leave, withdrawn.”
“In this light, would the Hon. Prime Minister in-form the House as to what steps are being taken to recruit and, more importantly, to retain these staff in the community centres? I understand that the remuneration for such important staff in the field is less than adequate. Sir, the very logo of PA signifies the blending of our four major races together to help promote cultural, social and recreational community activities. Language is a subject that touches the hearts of many people and is held especially dear by those who speak it. I realize that in many instances it may be expedient or practical or even economical for PA to produce publications in only two of our four official languages. Since language is such an important aspect of our cultural heritage and is held dear by many, if not all Singaporeans, would it not be better if PA endeavours to produce certain important publications, at least, in all our four official languages? Would it not be better also if some of the major functions organized by PA show this sensitivity by having more than just two official languages used?”
“Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head U be reduced by $10 in respect of Subhead UE-03 of the Main Estimates.* *The same amendment also stood in the name of Dr Lau Teik Soon. Sir, in moving this amendment, I wish to seek clarification and to offer a suggestion. The People's Association (PA) has made a great deal of positive contribution to the promotion of mass participation in cultural, social, educational, youth and other community activities. The community centre is the focal point of many community activities in the constituency. It is said that no matter how wonderful the hardware is, without the "live-ware" or the people, the system will not be effective, let alone efficient. Therefore, no matter how efficient, dynamic and forward-looking the community centre Management Committee members are, without the executive arm, the community centre would not function at the most efficient level. This executive arm is made up of dedicated, unassuming and hardworking Organizing Secretaries or Assistant Organizing Secretaries who are the permanent staff employed by PA. They have to work at odd hours from 2.30 p.m. to 10.30 p.m. with virtually no holidays throughout the year. In addition, they may have to come during certain mornings to participate and assist in any community projects organized by the various committees attached to the community centre. Furthermore, for new generation community centres, in order to serve the residents better, these community centres are open on Sundays and public holidays from 9.30 a.m. to 10.30 p.m. It is, therefore, not uncommon to find that not many people want to work for PA in the community centres. Many community centres are shorthanded or could not find the right complement of staff to man them.”
“But when they and the pensioners approached me in my constituency, I as their MP, am duty-bound to speak out for them. And I speak with conviction because both cases are justifiable. We must correct this situation even if it cost us some money because we value the welfare of our employees and former employees very much and, in the words of the Hon. Minister, "The employers must look after the interests of their staff, and staff must be loyal to their companies." It is now my hope that the Government would review these cases and move on from slogan-shouting to practical implementation. Sir, I support the Budget. 4.35 p.m.”
“While one of the stars in our flag stands for Equality, I feel that equality in terms of medical benefits entitlement for the female civil servants has not been given. I notice that the female civil servants are now enjoying their right to equal pay. However, it is most unfortunate that administratively, the medical benefits entitlement for these ladies have not been up to the mark, that is, the female civil servants' spouses and children are not medically covered as in the case of male civil servants. In such a case, I am sure, Mr Speaker, Sir, many ladies would have some choice words to describe the situation, most of which would be pertaining to items of a zoological nature. I am not for one moment suggesting that the female civil servants should be given any special consideration. What I am saying is that they should be given the equal rights and benefits that they so deserve. In giving medical benefits to the spouse and particularly the children of the female civil servants, it does not at all mean that they should be entitled to double the medical benefits should their husbands be in the civil service too. The ladies in our Civil Service are responsible people who would not take unfair advantage of any such ruling. They will use the medical benefits for their children and their spouses, if they are not working, appropriately. In cases where both the husband and the wife are entitled to extended medical benefits for their children, I am sure they would choose the one which best suits them. I am not and I do not intend to be the champion of women's rights. There are other people better qualified than I. Furthermore, the ladies are fully capable of taking care of themselves.”
“They are the plight of the pensioners and the 'left-out feeling' of the ladies in the civil service with regard to medical benefits for their spouses and children. Plight of Pensioners Now it seems that one cannot afford to retire. We know that we cannot expect inflation to go away; at best we can minimize it. Therefore, many pensioners, especially those who depend on their monthly pension for survival and have no other source of income, are finding great difficulty to make ends meet with the cost of living escalating and the purchasing power of the dollar shrinking each year. I hope that the Government would consider adjusting the monthly pensions to keep in step with at least the Consumer Price Index. This can easily be done by pegging it directly or indirectly proportional to the Consumer Price Index. Only in this way could the pensioners keep up with inflation. Otherwise, with inflation, they would have to be running in order to stay still. Furthermore, we can afford it and this could be one of the sincerest forms of appreciation towards the pensioners who have contributed, in no small measure, their time, their effort and their dedication to help make Singapore what she is today. This will also bring cheer to the civil servants and they will not need to think of having to change their jobs mid-way in their career for the private sector in order to ensure that they will be well taken care of. Medical Benefits for Female Civil Servants In the case of the medical benefits which female civil servants are entitled to, I have a feeling that this is a hang-up from the colonial days when man is Lord and Master of the Home and the woman is treated as part of his property. SBC now features the Singapore flag and its full meaning at the start and end of each day's broadcast.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, it is truly difficult not to congratulate the Hon. Minister for Trade and Industry on what has been generally considered as a good budget. It is yet another balanced but painless budget, especially when we compare this with the budgets of other countries, even the developed countries well-known to us. However, like all honest tax-payers, I would like to see more tax cuts but I must be realistic and be thankful for what we have, especially with the gloomy world economic backdrop. This budget is the result of the people's hard work under the guidance of our good Government. In his budget speech, the Minister commented, and I quote: 'For our society to remain durable the old must take care of the young, and the young the old. The able must support the disabled and the destitute. The employers must look after the interests of their staff, and staff must be loyal to their companies. The Government must work for the people. The people must work with the Government, to bring about a cohesive an,l harmonious society, where our children and our children's children will continue to live, work and play in an ever improving Singapore.' From the above speech, one can conclude that the Minister has mellowed greatly especially when, for the first time as far as I can remember, the Income Tax Department, which is well-known for being able to squeeze blood out of stone, is giving a discount in the form of a 10% rebate. To add to this feeling, I notice that lately the replies from the Income Tax Department in the papers, give the impression that the staff are human after all. For this reason, I would urge that the Government consider favourably two items.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, during the Chinese New Year festivities, I had occasion to visit a Vice-Principal in his home where there was a gathering of something like 20 teachers. They range from Vice-Principals to teachers with at least 15 years' experience. I learned to my surprise, if not my horror, that they were never consulted and they did not know anything about the PSLE T-score. They were actually figuring out with their own ingenuity what the T-score meant. They thought that since there were four subjects and the results were not more than 400, they were total scores. They thought they were right. But when they found out that one of the students had 412, there goes all their deductions. Now, I have spoken to many parents who are just as concerned, particularly those in my constituency of Telok Blangah. They say they are very confused, and I do not blame them.”
“And people wonder why contractors are getting richer and the motoring public are getting poorer. The middleman may turn out to be the Ministry of National Development and, of course, the Ministry of Communications. In this respect, at least, we can learn from Britain where their superb highways are a pleasure to drive on. Bad workmanship and poor supervision are not only evident in our roads. They are also evident in our HDB flats. While I shall be the first to congratulate the HDB for the low-cost housing success, I am afraid I may not be the first and certainly not the last to complain of poor supervision in the building of HDB flats. I am not talking in this instance of finishes which are already poor. What I am referring to is serious water-seepage in the flats after two or more years. Nobody likes his home to be flooded whenever it rains. The HDB apparently gives you a roof over your head but they seem to have forgotten to put up proper walls, I hope the Ministry would take positive and effective steps, no matter how expensive they may be, to put the matter right once and for all. Mr Speaker, Sir, it would not be appropriate if I end without touching on PUB charges. PUB charges are steadily rising. I am sure there are good reasons why this is so. But at the moment they are keeping it a secret. I have shown my concern about rising PUB charges in the last Parliament. It is more disturbing when PUB publishes statements of accounts showing a profit and yet the charges seem to be rising. Singaporeans are pragmatic and thinking people and they would accept an explanation, if properly given. I suggest more effort be given to explain the situation, and I am sure Singaporeans would be sympathetic if the reasons are justifiable. 5.11 p.m.”
“The PWD either enjoys seeing traffic jams or are staffed by people who have land transportation other than the traditional means, I heard whispers that it is not PWD's fault. They have tried to improve our road system by recommending early the building of by-passes, overhead bridges and expressways, but these proposals apparently have been turned down by the Ministry of Finance. Maybe we should learn from the Finance officers how they travel. The opening of expressways now-adays gives an indication that much fire-fighting has been done because it tends to push the traffic jams from one end to the other but not solving it. In addition, the supervision in the building of roads is poor, if not non-existent. It is not uncommon to see a newly opened road becoming bumpity-bump after only several months. These roads have then to be resurfaced.”
“Swimming pools too. Mr Speaker, Sir, I fully support the proposal that our senior citizens should be given special privileges because without their hardwork, conviction and sacrifice made many years ago, we. might not be here debating this point. Most probably, we might have been a people without a country on slow, leaking boats to nowhere. Therefore, I am most disappointed to hear that the Singapore Bus Service is not too keen to grant concessionary rates for bus travel during off-peak periods for our senior citizens, simply because it cuts into their profits. To my mind, concessionary rates should be given to all our senior citizens not only for bus travel but also for admission to all parks, the zoo, and even cinemas. I have got no vested interest in this proposal, Mr Speaker, because it will take quite a little while before I can enjoy this benefit. The Singapore Broadcasting Corporation is improving steadily. I notice that the Singapore Flag with its full meaning is telecast at the beginning and at the end of each day. This is good because many Singaporeans may have forgotten the significance of our national flag. I understand the policy of promoting more Mandarin and less dialects for the Chinese Singaporeans. However, our senior citizens are mainly dialect-speaking and they enjoy very much the current once-a-week dialect-speaking soap opera on TV. We must not take this simple enjoyment off them. In fact, if this is to be done, then no cinemas in Singapore should be allowed to screen any dialect films. Mr Speaker, Sir, I now wish to touch on the Ministry of National Development. It seems that there is a total lack of forward planning in our road system.”
“Therefore, in my opinion, the bigger share of the blame for job-hopping in most cases should fall on the shoulders of management because management should not labour and labour should be well managed. In the Addendum on the Ministry of Labour, I am pleased to note that the Ministry is creating more part-time employment opportunities for housewives to alleviate the labour shortage. This is a good objective. It is not uncommon to find young skilled women give up their jobs when they get married and start having children. When their children have grown, they may find more time for themselves and may decide to start working again but on a part-time basis because they still wish to care for their families. The spare time that they have may prove to be boring for them, and this is counter- productive in terms of skill lost at the mahjong table. Statutory boards have been created by Parliament so that they can better serve the public, but there are indications to show that they have forgotten their primary objectives and instead tend to compete with one another as to which statutory board can make more money, unfortunately, out of members of the public. I firmly believe in profit-centre management but we might be pushing too far if each statutory board or government-owned company wishes to show in their published accounts that they have made more money than the rest because the money ultimately comes from us, the members of the public. This is manifested also by the luxurious tall buildings that each statutory board tries to build or have built. An hon. Member: With swimming pools!”
“I realise that the Government cannot match the rewards of the private sector but although "money is something, it is not everything." Other incentives, including the pride to serve the country and career development plan, as the Member for Ayer Rajah expounded yesterday, should be offered. Another disturbing policy is when certain classes of civil servants with many years of loyal and dedicated service are given less favourable medical benefit in terms of hospitalisation. The policy which caused ward-downgrading for them leaves bitter taste in their mouth, especially after so many years of loyal service. When they need it most, the Government appears to have taken away the benefit which they have been enjoying. It is no wonder that civil servants belonging to this particular category, usually non-graduates, who have given many years of loyal service decide to part company with the civil service. Much has been said and threatening things have been planned to be carried out by the Ministry of Labour to curb job-hopping. I fully support that the bad attitude of job-hopping should be checked effectively and checked quickly. But in the final analysis when we found, based on CPF records, that only 6,600 workers were job- hoppers out of a working population of 1.1 million, it seems that we have tried to kill a fly with a sledge-hammer. Effective but most inefficient. On the other hand, a person who changes job three times in a period of one year may not be a job-hopper. He may be a "post-vaulter". He may be extremely ambitious for all we know or the management of that company which he starts to work for may not be able to give him what he really wanted - a challenge.”
“It appears that much of this confusion regarding our education system can be attributed to the brilliant young men and women who have descended on the Ministry of Education to put matters right. They have been known to be called systems engineers. I have met some of them and I am impressed with their brilliant academic minds, but they tend to forget that human feelings are not like binary digits which can be whisked around in their computers or decision boxes pushed along their systems flowcharts. In short, these high-fliers should learn how to land once in a while and talk to down-to-earth people like the teachers and parents, because this will do them, as well as the system they want to implement, a world of good. This sensitivity to people's feelings, be it the teachers or the parents, must be acquired by these young systems engineers and acquired fast. It will yield greater satisfaction knowing that you have overcome the greatest barrier the human mind could create - resistance to change. With our First Deputy Prime Minister, one of Singapore's finest minds on the job, I cannot forecast anything else but success. Maybe it has to appear to get worse before it gets better. If this is the case, the wait, the anxiety and the confusion would be worthwhile and if carefully explained, Singaporeans, renowned for their pragmatism, will understand and support it. Sir, our public health service, is without a doubt, the finest in this region. But this will not be so for too long if all our fine and experienced doctors and related staff start to leave the public sector and go into private practice. Like Aladdin's lamp, the replacement of new doctors for old is not a sound proposition. We must try our best to retain them.”
“There is a more appropriate time for me to catalogue the many colourful incidents to prove my point. It can be done later during the Budget session, if necessary. Therefore, I am cheered to note that the Ministry, in its Addendum, will be forming a Schools Council in order to promote a two-way communication. It is, however, not clear whether the primary school Principals will be included because they have different situations and face different problems from the secondary schools and junior colleges. Those principals selected to sit on the Schools Council have an unenviable task. They have the responsibility to speak out with all sincerity and conviction, without fear or favour, for the good of our nation as all PAP MPs have done in Parliament and will continue to do so. The Ministry officials, on the other hand, should not use this Schools Council as a rubber stamping device to push through the changes that they feel the schools should have. It would be a sheer waste of everyone's time if the implementation smells of a cosmetic flavour. It has been said that, if you tell someone about a policy to be implemented, you are recognizing his presence, but if you consult him, you are appreciating his intelligence. In this case, the Ministry must pick the brains of these Principals who have got years of teaching experience to our nation's advantage and for the security of our children's future. I am not saying, however, that all teachers are good. I am sure Members of this House could easily pick out the various teachers whom they have come across in the years of their school career whom they cannot forget but want to. On the other hand, I am sure, there are many more teachers whom they will always remember with fond memories.”
“When the parents go to the teachers to seek clarification, the teacher or the Vice-Principal or even the Principal could not be of very much help, not because they do not want to help but because they themselves have been subjected to the many changes and, worse, in many cases they are not informed of these changes either. They must have felt like the "meat in a sandwich" with the parents on one side and the Ministry on the other. This is particularly true with the PSLE results where I notice efforts have been made by the Ministry to clarify the situation but not before the confusion has started. I have always held the teaching profession in high regard, because teachers are a special breed of people who have a great role to play in the moulding of the minds of our young. Therefore, when teachers, dedicated teachers, of 20 or more years of service suddenly decide to resign, I am concerned, deeply concerned. And the parents share this concern too. Why do the teachers call it a day? The Ministry must take a long and hard look into the reasons and remedy the situation quickly in order that our education system will not be affected. Has the Ministry officials seen the condition of the staff common-rooms of some of our schools? It is certainly not a comforting sight. How then can we motivate the teachers if the basic hygiene factors are inadequate? I agree with Herzberg when he said that if people are comfortable they tend to work harder and give of their best. Therefore, in the building of new schools, this hygiene factor, among others, for the teaching profession must be kept in mind. Furthermore, I have read reports and heard complaints about Ministry officials being high-handed, especially to the teachers and even the principals.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I rise to support the Motion to express our thanks to the President for the speech which he delivered on behalf of the Government at the opening of the First Session of this Parliament. May I submit my observations on the various policy statements made by the Ministers in the Addendum to the President's speech. As a Singaporean, I feel a glow of pride when the President said in his speech that: 'Singapore has grown from a fishing village into a modern metropolis because Singaporeans believe in hard work, thrift, honesty and self-reliance. So long as we continue to practise these virtues, the future holds no fear for us.' Mr Speaker, Sir, Singaporeans take great pride in Singapore's achievements. As parents, they are deeply concerned about the future of our country, in particular the future of their children. This is normal. It is a human tendency for parents to ensure that their children get better things than they had when they were at their children's age. Our Government has, for the last 22 years, with the support of the people ensured that the parents' wishes come true as far as it is practicable and in the interest of the nation. Nowadays, if you ask any parents with school-going age children what they think of our education system, the answer, more often than not, would be "There are too many changes! It is so confusing, we do not know what to expect." I can understand their feelings because there have been changes which have been confusing and more can be done to ensure that it is less confusing.”
“Sir, would the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Communications request SBS to consider extending the use of season bus passes for school children during school holidays, because school children still have to go to school during school holidays for their extra-curricular activities?”
“Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head W be reduced by $10 in respect of Subhead Code WD-01 of the Main Estimates. Sir, in moving this amendment, I wish to seek an assurance from the Hon. Minister. Currently about 60% of the population in Singapore live in high-rise flats, and more will be living in high-rise flats in the near future. With this changing scenario, I am sure the Singapore Fire Service must have examined the future needs and have accordingly geared itself to cater for any high-rise fire. Sir, I am not for one moment suggesting that we should have fires. I do not like to have fires just to test the capabilities of our Fire Service. In fact, in this respect, preven- tion is definitely better than cure. Nevertheless, I remember a saying, and I quote: 'Trust in God, but still tie your camels securely outside before going into the mosque to pray.' For this reason, could the Hon. Minister enlighten the House as to the steps that have been, are being and will be taken to gear our Fire Service to meet the new challenges ahead?”
“Sir, I wonder whether the Hon. Minister would be kind enough to give further information on this pilot project as regards its objectives; its success criteria, and whether these success criteria have been met?”
“Sir, I must thank the Hon. Minister for his reply, and I beg leave to withdraw my amendment. Amendment by leave, withdrawn.”
“Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head W be reduced by $10 in respect of Object Group 3310 (a) of Subhead Code WB-02 of the Main Estimates. Sir, the purpose of moving this amendment is to seek information from the Minister. The Majlis Ugama Islam Singapura (MUIS) has done a commendable job, especially the building of new mosques in Singapore. It has been well accepted by Muslim Singaporeans. As with all things in life, particularly so in Singapore, MUIS cannot afford to rest on its laurels. I am sure it has no intention of doing so because it is quietly but surely gearing itself to meet the new demands of the Muslim public in Singapore. With the Hon. Minister in charge, I am sure these new demands must have been included in his forward-looking plans. However, I would like to comment that MUIS should further strengthen its administration as well as public relations quickly. Will the Hon. Minister enlighten this House of the various plans that he may have for MUIS to better serve the Muslim public in Singapore?”
“HDB car parks in my constituency previously had directional arrows painted on the ground. Will the Hon. Minister enlighten the House as to the rationale for removing these directional arrows? Will he consider putting them back should residents request them through the Residents' Committee or the CCC? I notice that on request chairs are provided and power points installed at the void decks of every block of flats for the convenience of authorised users of these void decks. This is much appreciated, and I hope that the Minister would consider speeding up this process.”
“It is well-landscaped and is situated next to Mount Faber. There is a hill facing Blocks 59, 60 and 71 at Telok Blangah Heights, and it could be convened into a park to complement Mount Faber. This hill is popularly known as Mount Washington, and currently a portion of it is badly eroded by the elements and is unsightly. I notice that bird-lovers gather at this part of the hill and hang their bird cages. Furthermore, the water from a stream that runs down this portion of the hill is pretty clear and it is used by many residents to wash their cars. Will the Minister consider converting this portion of Mount Washington into a park to complement Mount Faber, thereby further beautifying the neighbourhood? I suggest that it could include a fitness park, an appropriate corner for bird-lovers to hang their bird cages, and maybe a pond to retain part of the water from this stream for children. Of course, the other parts of the hill should not be tampered with drastically, as the natural environment deserves to be preserved. Can I have the Hon. Minister's favourable reply, please? The other point, Mr Speaker, Sir, is that the HDB has been trying very hard to maintain the flats in Telok Blangah. Generally, they have done a reasonably good job, but I trust that they would further strive to upgrade their standards. I notice that flats are no longer repainted in white. This good practice should continue as it adds colour to the environment. We all know that sometime ago the HDB experimented on closed circuit television in lifts as an approach to better living conditions. Will the Hon. Minister enlighten the House of the progress of this experiment, and when can we expect all lifts to be fitted with closed circuit television?”
“As the Hon. Minister is aware. Telok Blangah is a pleasant urban constituency. Some hon. Members: Hear, hear!”
“Sir, with your permission, may I speak on my other Amendment (4) as well? The Chairman: Yes, if the Minister does not mind.”
“However, with a little more thought and the usual Singaporean touch, I am sure the problems could be overcome.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the rationale of the Urban Redevelopment Authority's introduction of the coupon parking system was explained, though not convincingly, in the various press releases. To my mind, it is just a transfer of the burden of writing of those coupons from the URA to the motorist. I feel that if we need to strive for productivity, this is not a good example of a correct approach. Would the Minister enlighten the House on the progress of the implementation of the coupon parking system to-date? Can this experiment be termed a success? I trust that several systems must have been evaluated before arriving at this current experimental coupon parking system to alleviate our manpower restrictions. May I suggest that the URA examine the feasibility of introducing a system like the one in the United Kingdom, where a motorist drives into a car park, parks his car and goes to the ticket vending machine where he can buy the necessary tickets for the period that he wants to park. By slotting the appropriate amount of coins, he would obtain a corresponding number of tickets, or labels if we wish to call them. These labels indicate the time when parking starts, and the date is also printed. The back of the label is adhesive so that the motorist can stick the label onto the windscreen of his car. Therefore, the motorist does not have to buy the tickets ahead of time, and there is nothing for him to writs or cancel as in the current coupon system. Of course, a sufficient number of car park attendants must be on hand to police the system. I agree that sufficient safeguards may need to be instituted to ensure that the system is appropriately protected against unlawful use by motorists.”