S. Chandra Das
Singapore
“There is certainly a limit as to what volunteers can do. These organisations can do with additional funding from the Government. With additional funding, I believe the self-help groups can do much more. Sir, I would like to ask the Minister about the various support and assistance given to the self-help groups in Singapore.”
“Sir, ASEAN has come a long way since its founding. No one can deny that ASEAN as a regional grouping has been a great success. Not only is ASEAN strong in terms of regional grouping, it is also expanding. Vietnam has joined ASEAN in 1995. Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar are expected to join ASEAN before the end of the century.”
“The public will be able to know the actual expenditure incurred. The operators on their part must charge realistic fares, and any increase should be reasonable and commensurate with the level of service provided. In this way, the public will be satisfied and will not feel short-changed.”
“Sir, I would like to ask the Parliamentary Secretary what other measures are being considered by his Ministry. Assoc. Prof. Ho Peng Kee: Sir, other possible measures would include confiscating the handphone, increasing the number of demerit points or, if necessary, making phone driving a specific offence.”
“Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head V of the Main Estimates be reduced by $10 in respect of Code VD 1500. Sir, there are many reasons for the success of Singapore as it stands today. The contribution of the Singapore civil service is an area which should not be underestimated.”
“Sir, I hope the media does not dub RAdm Teo as also "Mr No" from tomorrow. On that note, I withdraw my amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. The sum of $518,536,590 for Head N ordered to stand part of the Main Estimates. The sum of $769,080,900 for Head N ordered to stand part of the Development Estimates. Head L -”
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“Sir, can I ask the Minister when the medical team is expected to return to Singapore?”
“Question No. 1, Sir. The Second Minister for Defence (Dr Yeo Ning Hong) (for the Prime Minister and Minister for Defence): Mr Speaker, Sir, the Government sent a team of 30 SAF officers and men to Saudi Arabia in response to a British request, and with the agreement of the Government of Saudi Arabia. It did so in accordance with UN Security Council Resolution 678. The Resolution requires "all States to provide support for the actions" undertaken to further efforts "to uphold and implement Resolution 660 (1990) and all subsequent relevant resolutions and to restore international peace and security in the area." Our purpose was humanitarian. We expected many casualties when war broke out. The team's mission was to provide medical care for all who needed it, regardless of nationality. Several other countries, including South Korea, Sweden, Norway and Poland, also sent similar medical teams to Saudi Arabia. The team was attached to a British Field Hospital. The British provided all administrative and logistical support. As far as cost is concerned, the estimated cost is $630,000 so far. However, the final cost of the entire mission will only be known after the team has returned.”
“During this period, offenders or would-be offenders could be issued warning notices instead of imposing the fines immediately. This would allow the public to get adjusted to this three-quarter tank rule and also give the authority some leeway to iron out any hitches that may come along. Finally, Sir, I have been told that many motorists, while going through the checkpoint, point to the heads of the Customs officers and say "tiga-suku". While this rule is effectively a "tiga-suku" rule, the Customs officers are stationed there to do a job. The rule is implemented for the collective good of all Singaporeans and not for the Customs officers' personal gain. Therefore, I would like to appeal to our motorists to cooperate with our Customs officers and exercise some restraint. In conclusion, I would like to state that the introduction of the three-quarter tank rule is based on sound grounds. The policy objectives are sound and I am convinced that this is the least that the Government can do in the present circumstances.”
“spirit, wine and beer, is one of the few dutiable items in Singapore. If you bring cigarettes and liquor from anywhere, including Johor Baru, you will have to pay duty. Obviously, the same reasoning could be extended to petrol. To put the criticism in perspective, Singaporeans are angry because the Government has been very lenient in the past. Sir, what are the alternatives to the three-quarter tank rule? In fact, there are not many. One way would be to allow Singapore motorists to leave Singapore without any restriction, and to levy a tax on the petrol they bring back in their tanks. I believe this will be a worse-off situation for all motorists and in fact it will penalise motorists who go to Johor Baru genuinely for other purposes than just filling up their tanks. Sir, while we have to accept this rule, I would like to make two suggestions to the Finance Minister for his consideration. Firstly, I would like to ask the Government to exercise flexibility in implementing this rule. Not all the cars are equipped with fuel gauge that marks the three-quarter tank level. Moreover, the fuel gauge, as the name suggests, is a gauge; it was never intended to be a measuring instrument. As a result, the three-quarter tank mark may not necessarily correspond to the three-quarter tank on certain cars. Therefore, motorists, I believe, should be given the benefit of doubt when borderline cases are involved. I would strongly urge the Finance Minister to ask the Customs officers to refrain from taking photographs of suspected erring motorists. I think this would really carry it too far. Secondly, I would ask the Finance Minister to introduce a trial period, maybe one month, after 4th February.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I rise in support of the Customs (Amendment) Bill introduced by the Minister for Finance. Frankly, many Singaporeans are not happy with what they call the tiga-suku rule or san suku in Hokkien. While some Singaporeans believe that Singapore is a "great" nation and we should behave like one, others feel that this rule is one other "irritant" imposed by the Government. Sir, I can understand their reaction. However, we ought to set aside emotional considerations and look at the problem more objectively. What are the consequences if this new rule is not introduced? The Government has taken great pains to explain them. To summarise: first, it will defeat the policy of encouraging motorists to use unleaded petrol; second, it will make higher petrol taxes less effective in restraining car usage; and third, it will cause significant loss of revenue to the Government. Sir, the introduction of unleaded petrol is necessary, as the Minister for the Environment has explained in this House, to improve our living environment. It will also help us to portray Singapore as a responsible country in the world community. Also, we need to restrain car usage in order to maintain an effective road network. A healthy living environment and a working road network are two major prerequisites necessary to attract international business to Singapore. At the same time, Sir, with the plight of Kuwait in the headlines nearly every day, Singaporeans must understand our vul- nerability. The best help is indeed self-help. We have to take care of ourselves before we can be generous to others. To condone the perpetual draining of Government revenue amounting to millions of dollars a month is unlikely to be a long-term solution. Petrol, like cigarettes.”
“The core values as stated in the White Paper are about the minimum in which all Singaporeans can agree.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, having decided on the set of values to be adopted, the next step is really the question of implementation of a programme to promote these Shared Values. Sir, the White Paper, in the opinion of some, did not deal with this in sufficient depth. While teachers and parents have important roles to play in inculcating the values amongst the young, other organisations and institutions, like the clan associations, ethnic organisations, grassroots organisations and, in particular, the mass media, should be involved in the promotion of these values. There was a suggestion, and a similar suggestion was echoed by Dr Ong Chit Chung, that perhaps a central body or a council be set up to spearhead and coordinate the promotion of these values. If, for some reasons, a council cannot be set up, maybe then the Ministry of Community Development could be appointed to undertake this role. Mr Speaker, Sir, may I suggest that the White Paper, particularly the five Shared Values be accurately translated into three other languages - Chinese, Tamil and Malay. There are some comments as to the correctness of the translation and my colleague, Mrs Yu-Foo Yee Shoon, will later explain the differences in the meanings. I am not competent enough to comment on this. Sir, this is to ensure that the translation is correct and that we are talking about the same thing. If proper translations are not used, we could end up promoting different versions of each value in different languages. Sir, what I have done is to briefly summarise the feedback that we have received on the White Paper. I hope it will be useful in further refining the Shared Values so that the end product will be acceptable to all. As for me, Sir, I fully endorse the principles contained in the White Paper.”
“Similarly, in the case of "Regard for community support for the individual", the two ideas that appear to be captured could be expressed separately as "Respect for the individual" and "Compassion for the underprivileged". Sir, it is, however, on the fourth value, that is "Consensus instead of contention", that much reservation was expressed over its meaning. I think my colleague, Dr Ong Chit Chung, has already touched on this. People are afraid that this value would lead to the suppression or brushing aside of dissenting views. Consensus should not mean that everyone must agree right from the start. On the contrary, it is through debate, arguments, and sometimes contention that consensus could be reached. One participant went on to suggest that it could be phrased as "Consensus through consultation". Sir, since so much reservation has been expressed on the word "contention", I would strongly urge that the Government consider rephrasing this to something more acceptable without deviating from the basic principle. Mr Speaker, Sir, for the fifth value, that is "Racial and religious harmony", some felt that it did not go far enough to promote greater understanding and goodwill between ethnic communities. The word "harmony" simply implies more tolerance which is really not good enough. This value could also be extended to fostering good relations and understanding with neighbouring countries within the context of ASEAN. Mr Speaker, Sir, in additon to the five Shared Values, there were also calls for the inclusion of new values like "Belief in God", "Honest and Efficient Government", "Strive for Excellence", "From Each His Best", and "Commitment to Democracy". Strong arguments were offered for the inclusion of each.”
“Mr Speaker. Sir, the Feedback Unit held a dialogue session last Saturday on this subject. Participants at this session included representatives from ethnic organisations like the Chinese clan associations, MUIS, Taman Bacaan, the Tamil Representatives Council and the Singapore Eurasian Association. There were also concerned citizens from all walks of life. Sir, first of all, some participants felt that there seemed to be little time given to discuss this White Paper. Frankly, there is hardly any time between the day the White Paper was released and the commencement of today's debate. However, Sir, having said that, I am happy to inform Members that there was much support for the idea of a set of Shared Values to be promoted amongst Singaporeans. This, many felt, will help preserve our heritage and gradually evolve a Singaporean identity. The five Shared Values identified are acceptable to most people except for the wordings and the spirit intended in some of them. Sir, for the two values on "Nation before community and society above self" and "Regard and community support for the individual", there is a feeling that these two values slant too heavily towards the society and community. Not enough premium is placed on the individual. People are afraid that these values would lead to a stifling of the individual. While individualism, per se, is not a good value to promote, over-emphasis on the community could lead to a stifling of innovation and creativity, and hence reduce our competitiveness. The line between the two has to be carefully drawn. A few people felt that the first value could be more explicitly phrased as "Love for the Country", if it is loyalty to the nation that we are talking about, instead of its present rather passive form.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, many people I know are quite sceptical about the usefulness of Select Committees in the process of legislation in this House. Sir, they feel that Select Committees are an "eye-wash" in that the Select Committees only look at "full-stops" and "commas". People have the impression that once a Bill has passed its Second Reading, there can be no substantial changes. Sir, in my view, the Select Committee on the Maintenance of Religious Harmony Bill has certainly debunked this misconception. The Report before this House clearly demonstrates the usefulness of Select Committees. I would like to congratulate the Committee for a job well done. I sincerely hope the public will realise the value of Select Committees and therefore be more willing to come forth with their views and suggestions for future Select Committees.”
“Sir, I rise to support the many substantive changes proposed by the Select Committee on the Maintenance of Religious Harmony Bill. I am particularly happy that the Select Committee has recommended these changes in response to views, suggestions and feedback made by concerned members of the public and groups during the Select Committee hearings and at the dialogue sessions organised by the Feedback Unit and other organisations in Singapore. Sir, I am personally glad that the Select Committee has accepted my suggestion made in this House that the "Prohibition Order" be renamed as "Restraining Order". This is indeed a less threatening term and a more accurate reflection of what the order actually does. Sir, the Minister mentioned just now that the Committee also accepted the recommendation made by the Member for Ulu Pandan, Dr Dixie Tan, that the final recommendation of the Presidential Council for Religious Harmony and the order of the Minister be made public. This will definitely reduce the likelihood of abuse of the system in that the Council or the Minister must ensure that the person upon whom the order is slapped, has truly gone out of line. I am also pleased to note that the recommendation originally proposed by the Catholic Church and the Islamic Religious Council that the majority of the members of the Presidential Council be from major religious groups was also accepted by the Select Committee. As religious leaders, they would be in a better position to consider matters put before the Council. Besides these recommendations, the Minister has mentioned a number of other recommendations and inputs that were taken into account by the Select Committee.”
“If the Prime Minister is prepared to serve in this office, then it will be most fortunate for the country and the people.”
“Our achievements that we have made today are attributed to one of the main factors, and that is, we are able to select the best people to serve in the most suitable positions and to give maximum play to their capabilities and achieve the best results. According to an old saying, "to do a job well, we must select the wise and the capable". Not only should we select the wise and the capable, we must select the wisest and the most capable. The Elected President is a very, very important office and we must, all the more, handle this matter in a very serious manner. Mr Speaker, Sir, Prime Minister Lee has great talent, wisdom and a good wealth of experience. He has far-sightedness and good judgment and he is also a very pragmatic person. He has not only been acclaimed by the whole of our country but also great praise from all over the world. He is a world-class political leader. If we look around our political circles, our enterprises and so on, we find that the Prime Minister is the most suitable person to be the Elected President. Mr Speaker, Sir, when the idea of the Elected Presidency was first officially taken up, many people said that this was all tailored for Prime Minister Lee. I feel that we should not brush aside this kind of talk. We should not be influenced by this kind of talk so as to change our consistent policy. We should be prepared to step forward and explain that the Elected Presidency is not tailored for Prime Minister Lee. This institution is being taken up to ensure that our future generation will continue to enjoy stability, social harmony and the rich assets that we have had, in future. We should also indicate that, in the present context of Singapore, the Prime Minister is the best candidate for the Elected Presidency.”
“Recently, the Prime Minister accepted an interview by the Ming Pao Daily of Hong Kong and he indicated that the new generation had its own new problems. And perhaps because of differences in opinion, there is a possibility of some fractionalisation and, therefore, we feel a bit concerned and should be alert to the development of the future. Mr Speaker, Sir, not long ago, two Parliamentary colleagues of mine had queried whether the colour of the uniform of the PAP, which is completely white, should be changed. Although this is just a small matter on the change of colour, it does give me a very great shock. I feel that this is a question of basic principle. Perhaps the PAP's uniform may change in pattern and design, but the spirit can never be changed at all. If we disregard this principle, then what I would worry about is that in future there may be people who want to propose a change to the emblem of the PAP. There may be even people who want to make use of the reserves which we have accumulated through hardship over the past years. According to last year's report of the Ministry of Finance, our reserves have reached over $30 billion. Twenty years ago, we had just a mere $2.5 billion. This is of course a very large and sizeable asset. I believe that our new generation of leaders has the capability to protect this asset. I have confidence in them. I also have confidence that they have the capability to develop further and increase our assets. But what about the future? This is a common area of concern to all of us. In this light, the election of the President is a very important matter.”
“Of course, if one works on the premise that you cannot trust the electorate to vote wisely, then the answer will be different. But I disagree with this. Finally, Sir, I would like to end by asking the First Deputy Prime Minister to elaborate to this House on the make-up of the Presidential Elections Committee. This is an important Committee which will help decide who is qualified to be an Elected President. We must ensure that this will be a fair and objective committee made up of persons who will give all contenders for the office of Elected President a fair hearing. Mr Chin Harn Tong (Aljunied GRC)( In Mandarin): Mr Speaker, Sir, I support the Constitution of the Republic of Singapore (Amendment No. 3) Bill. The concept of an Elected President was first mooted by the Prime Minister in his 1984 National Day Rally speech. Since then, six years have elapsed and both inside and outside this House many people have discussed and debated this issue, and now is the time for the matter to be settled. The first White Paper on the Elected Presidency gave certain powers to the Elected President to safeguard the national assets and the integrity of the public services. This is a very important role which is crucial to the development of Singapore. Now, the powers to be given to the Elected President will be expanded. Apart from supervision over the implementation of the Internal Security Act, they also cover the implementation of the proposed Maintenance of Religious Harmony Bill and the supervision over the work of the CPIB. Therefore, we must be very cautious and careful in selecting the candidate for the Elected President and we must also set very stringent conditions for the candidature.”
“This mechanism can only give effect to the views expressed in the 1988 White Paper, and reaffirmed in the 1990 White Paper, that "The President's exercise of his custodial powers therefore ultimately cannot prevail if both the government and the electorate clearly demonstrate they want to spend the assets". Sir, some people believe that the legislation is inadequate as it does not bar the President from remaining a member of a political party. Let us examine this further and remind ourselves that the President has to be elected. Mr Speaker, Sir, we have all gone through the election process and up to this day - there is no nominated MP here - all of us have been elected and we all know the mammoth task involved in elections in a constituency. Now, let us extrapolate this task to the Presidential Election. If there is not a political party to provide this mechanism, can anyone stand for election as a "one-man show"? It is possible of course. Everything is possible, but I think most improbable. If we now demand that after the Presidential Election, he cuts off ties from the party, will it be a change of substance or form? It is my view that it will be a purely "cosmetic" front. If the Elected President is the man that we expect him to be, a man able to stand in disagreement with the Cabinet, he must be a man of strong convictions. What is it then that will be the best safeguard for this system? An informed and intelligent electorate who will be able to select a Presidential candidate who will be best able to safeguard the national interests. That is the answer. The answer is not in legislation to divorce the Presidency and politics. That will be extremely difficult.”
“What of the role of the Council of Presidential Advisors? It is my contention that the Council of Advisors has a very important role to play. It is to advise and act as a balancing force between the President and the Prime Minister. Under the earlier proposal (the 1988 White Paper), if the President disapproves of the executive's proposed expenditure and this impasse is not resolved, an election either of the President or the Government would be forced. The new proposal is less drastic. There is now a conditional Presidential veto over-ride mechanism in the form of the Council of Presidential Advisors. The Council is now intended to be a check on the Presidential veto power. In the event of a difference between the President and the Prime Minister, it has a "casting vote" or "casting veto". If the Council votes with the President, the Presidential veto carries the day. If not, the Prime Minister can refer the matter to Parliament to be ratified by a two-thirds majority. In this regard, the Council is vested with more powers than was envisaged earlier in 1988. A body with such potential power of influence over events affecting Singapore should be made up of competent, honest and responsible persons accountable to the populace. Other than the safeguard in the form of minimum qualifications for membership, its members should satisfy the litmus test of Parliament's approval. The Chairman of this proposed body should be someone nominated by the President but acceptable to this House. Mr Speaker, Sir, you will recall in the 1988 White Paper, the Chairman is the Vice-President who is elected. The Chairman's tenure of office should also be secured.”
“As the Chairman of the Feedback Unit has said, coming at this time of political transition and being introduced by those who will be subjecting themselves to this system of checks and balances is the best testimony to the credibility of the new team. However, some cynics see this as a slight or mistrust of the new team. This comment, in my view, is most unfair and uncalled for. Mr Speaker, Sir, the first question that I would like to address is how this legislation will affect the system of parliamentary democracy that we have been accustomed to. Under our present system, we have three pillars or institutions of State: Parliament (the legislative arm), Cabinet (the executive arm), and the Judiciary (the Courts). With this legislation, we will introduce a fourth pillar - that of the office of the Elected President with the Council of Presidential Advisors. The Elected President will not be a mere ceremonial figure, but he will have real, but limited, executive powers. However, his role will be a custodian role, that is, he can refuse to give his concurrence to the Prime Minister under certain circumstances. He can refuse to concur or agree, but he cannot be the initiator. This fourth pillar, I believe, will enhance and strengthen our present system, yet not dilute the parliamentary process. Sir, this new White Paper and Bill also extend the President's role to cover the Internal Security Act and the Maintenance of Religious Harmony Bill. Both these legislations are not subject to judicial review, and thus the Elected President will be another check on ministerial powers. Likewise, the powers of the Elected President will extend to the CPIB. This is yet another additional check. I support these additional checks on our system.”
“Sir, there was also a strong request for a national referendum, since the Elected President will be empowered to call for one in the future. Mr Speaker, Sir, I am gratified to note that the First Deputy Prime Minister will be committing this Bill to a Select Committee. The Feedback Unit will encourage as many Singaporeans as possible to make direct representations to this Select Committee as this is an important Bill. Many have got away with the impression that maybe at the Select Committee it will only be looking at the full-stops and the commas. I am sure if substantive contributions can be made, the Select Committee would be quite prepared to make whatever changes that will improve the Bill. Dr Arthur Beng Kian Lam (Fengshan): Mr Speaker, Sir, I agree with the First Deputy Prime Minister that good government is one where there is always a good system of "checks and balances". Checks and balances will indeed be the cliche of this system. This allows the government of the day, duly elected by the people, to function decisively and effectively. However, any government, once it is in power, may abuse its powers. Here is where a system of checks and balances is to be encouraged. This is the more significant in Singapore where we have a unicameral system of Parliament with no Upper House. The fact that we have had clean government to this day does not mean that we should be blinded, and not take steps to put in place a system of "checks and balances". This Bill seeks to do just that. Thus, it is the Elected President who will be entrusted with the duty of protecting the Republic's financial assets and preserving the integrity of the public services. Mr Speaker, Sir, I fully support these principles which will set in place a "two-key safeguard mechanism".”
“It also gives some the impression that the ruling Party, through the Elected President, is trying to prevent an opposition from establishing itself since the potential candidate for the Presidency will be coming from the ruling Party. Hence, pushing the Bill through at this time would be bad for the image of the new generation leaders. Sir, while there were those who did not favour the Bill, I must also say that there were others who supported it and even felt that the Bill did not go far enough. They felt that for the powers of the Elected President to be limited to only withholding assent would neither be here nor there. More specific veto powers could be given in some areas if there is unanimous agreement of the Presidential Council. The President could also be allowed further powers to prevent the Government from suspending elections or re-drawing constituency boundaries for its benefit. Sir, since the Bill introduces a fundamental change to the Constitution, and which will have wide-ranging implications that will bind future generations, many felt that this Bill should be debated very thoroughly in this House. Some members of the legal profession also felt that the Law Society should be invited to comment on this Bill. I have since discussed this with the Minister for Law and he is quite happy to receive representations from the Law Society. I think other professional bodies, like the Society of Accountants and so on, should also be invited specifically, since there are financial implications on this Bill, to give their views on this subject. Some also suggested that maybe the First Deputy Prime Minister should lift the Whip so that Members can vote without restraint.”
“Hence, some people have the opinion, and some felt quite strongly, that this Bill has been designed specifically for the benefit of Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew. It was also felt by some that the criteria for selection would invariably narrow the choice of candidates to those who have been through the top echelons of the establishment. Being from the establishment, it is unlikely that the candidate would stand in opposition to the ruling party. It was felt that there could be candidates from outside the establishment who would have the moral fibre to fill the post and may be able to act as a more effective check on the Government. Sir, a person of great moral conviction would be needed as Elected President to stand up to the present PAP Government. Sir, while the candidate must have the necessary experience and qualification for the job, several members felt that what is more important is that the candidate for Elected President, apart from technical competence, must possess moral courage to stand up against the Government when required. Many felt that the qualifications listed do not spell this out quite clearly. Also, as the President is a symbol of unity for the nation, he must not belong to any political party as this would erode the prestige and respect accorded to the post. Mr Speaker, Sir, some felt that it is unfortunate that this Bill is introduced at a time when the transfer of premiership to Mr Goh Chok Tong is imminent. There were comments that either the new leadership is not confident of itself or that our older leaders have doubts about the capability of the new generation leaders and the electorate. The Bill seems to indicate to some people that, apart from the Prime Minister, there is no one else equally capable of running the country.”
“This could end up in turmoil and political instability and this would affect business confidence which will be detrimental to our economy as a whole. The system proposed is based on the premise that there is a possibility that the electorate will vote in a bad government, hence the Elected President to check on this bad government. On the other hand, some felt that it is also possible, though less likely, that the electorate will vote in a wrong candidate also for an Elected President. The wide-ranging powers vested in him could then gravely damage the system. What could also happen is that the Elected President and the Prime Minister could also collude with each other for mutual benefit. There is a real fear amongst some that in spite of the elaborate process of selection, a wrong candidate can be selected. The criteria to be adopted to shortlist the candidates do not, in their view, generally guarantee that the right candidate will always be selected. Sir, given the wide-ranging powers that the Elected President will be given and the scope they cover, the Elected President in fact will have to be very knowledgeable and experienced in many fields, from law to economics to religion, notwithstanding the fact that he is having an advisory council. This may lead one to wonder whether there will always be a suitable candidate for the post. There is no doubt, many felt, that our Prime Minister, Mr Lee Kuan Yew, will be an ideal candidate. But what about in the longer term? This worried a number of participants. The Chief Justice, some felt, may be an expert in law but his understanding of Supply Bills and for him to apply his judgment correctly would be in doubt when he gets elected as Elected President.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, my own view on this subject had been adequately expressed when I spoke in this House on 11th August 1988 when the subject was debated. I think it would be sufficient for me to restate that the case for a device to protect our reserves is watertight. However, this afternoon, I would like to take this opportunity to speak in my capacity as Chairman of the Feedback Unit and share with you the frank and candid and, at times, passionate views on what a number thought about the proposed changes to the Constitution. Sir, these views were gathered at a dialogue session with a cross-section of members of our population. Amongst them were lawyers, accountants, company directors, teachers, academicians as well as grassroots leaders. Sir, in fact, a number of them expressed reservations about this proposal. Firstly, Sir, I am glad to report that all the people who spoke did not quarrel with the objectives behind the Bill. They do recognise the need to protect our hard-earned reserves and the integrity of the public service. They accept that there should be some form of checks and balances on the ruling government to prevent abuses which are possible. Sir, in the words of one participant, the present Government, which now holds more than 95% of the seats in this House, and to think of checks and balances on its own powers, is indeed very commendable. However, upon examination of some of the specific provisions of the Bill, there is a general feeling that too much power is being invested in the hands of one person. Even though the Elected President cannot initiate executive powers, his veto powers will be enough, in a situation when he disagrees with the Government, to lead to a deadlock in the administration.”
“What they want from the Ministry is for a more fair and reasonable attitude when its officers enforce the various policies and allow them sufficient time to adjust to the various changes.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, Mr Goh Chee Wee has already raised most of the points I wanted to say about the feedback session which we had with the hawker associations, market committees and market representatives. All I want to inform the Minister is that they all, generally, agree and understand the need to maintain a high standard of public hygiene in hawker centres and markets. But some areas where they feel they would require some assistance, basically refer to management of hawker centres. Several hawkers felt that there was a need to streamline the roles of various agencies, like HDB, Town Councils, and the Ministry of the Environment, that have dealings with the hawkers. Some hawkers have come across contradictions amongst the instructions given by these agencies. They also become confused as to which is the right policy or instruction to follow. I would like to stress to the Minister that the hawkers generally call for more regular dialogues between the Ministry and the hawker associations and market committees. This would help to iron out many problems and foster a more conciliatory climate rather than the current confrontational relationship, well illustrated by my colleague, between the two parties. All the hawkers felt that the various policy and regulations will be better accepted by the hawkers if they were properly explained to them, rather than the current harsh approach adopted by the public health inspectors. They too should be educated. Mr Speaker, Sir, I would like to state that generally the hawkers accept and uphold the need to maintain a high standard of public health in the hawker centres. Except for the use of disposable gloves, they have no quarrels with the various other policies adopted.”
“Question No. 2, Sir. BG Lee Hsien Loong (for the First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence): Mr Speaker, Sir, there is no ban on press reports of complaints concerning National Servicemen. The press is free to report on any factual matters concerning National Servicemen, unless of course such information has security implications. Servicemen may not communicate with the press on SAF matters without written permission from the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Defence. This is to maintain security and military discipline. There are existing channels within the SAF for servicemen to lodge complaints. If a serviceman is not satisfied with the outcome, he can seek redress by writing directly to the Armed Forces Council, the highest body in the SAF. The Minister for Defence has also written to inform all MPs of the procedures to follow should they wish to take up with Mindef any cases involving their constituents. Mindef investigates every such complaint thoroughly. If any wrongdoing is found, the culprits will be punished. But if the complaint proves to be unfounded and vexatious, the SAF will take disciplinary action against the serviceman who made it. ROADSIDE TREES (Monitoring of condition) 3. Mr Chin Harn Tong asked the Minister for National Development whether his Ministry has monitored the condition of roadside trees with a view to cutting down old and diseased trees before they are likely to be uprooted in a storm thereby causing injury to people or damage to property.”
“Question No. 1, Sir. The Second Minister for Defence (Services) (BG Lee Hsien Loong) (for the First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence): Mr Speaker, Sir, on behalf of my Minister. The Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) recognises medical certificates and medical reports issued by registered general practitioners and specialists in both Government and private practice. However, to maintain military discipline, the SAF reserves the right to review the medical condition of the servicemen concerned for fitness for military duties. PRESS REPORTS OF COMPLAINTS OF NATIONAL SERVICEMEN (Lifting of ban) The following Question stood in the name of Mr Chiam See Tong - 2. To ask the First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence whether he will consider lifting the ban on press reports of complaints concerning National Servicemen.”
“Here I would like to again congratulate the Minister for taking the trouble to discuss this question in detail with the principals of SAP schools and the heads of junior colleges. I can understand the views of the principals of the SAP schools because they cannot say anything else. I took great pains during this earlier debate to explain that I supported the principle behind SAP schools. I asked for a review in the implementation of the SAP programme in the context of promotion of inter-racial harmony. The Minister, the principals of SAP schools and heads of junior colleges are satisfied that there are enough opportunities for children in SAP schools to mix with children of other races, and that there is no cause for concern. This is their point of view and I respect it, except that I am personally not as optimistic as they are. I sincerely hope that they are all right. However, Sir, I am personally very heartened to note that the Minister has stated that his Ministry will monitor the situation closely and also look at additional ways and means for students in SAP schools to interact with other children in other schools. This, I believe, is a good starting point and this is something we should actively pursue. Finally, I personally do not think it is necessary to take up the Minister's offer to set up SAP schools for students studying Malay and Tamil. This will only aggravate the problem further. To me, what is most important is that all our students, especially the brighter ones, must have opportunities to interact freely and experience similar environments. I would urge the Minister, and particularly his Ministry officials, to apply themselves further to find ways and means to achieve this.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, firstly, I would like to thank the Minister for Education for his statement on the subject of SAP schools. Since the subject was discussed in this House during the debate on the Presidential Address, there has been much discussion on this subject, both inside and outside this House. It is my firm belief that one key area to preserving and enhancing racial harmony and social cohesion must definitely lie in our educational system. It is through our young that we can ensure the maintenance of racial harmony. Towards this end, I welcome the Minister's statement on this subject. Mr Speaker, Sir, during the last debate I raised three specific issues. Firstly, for administrative convenience, a good number of schools have streamed their pupils according to second language taken. I believe this has unwittingly contributed to racial segregation. It is necessary for the Ministry of Education to instruct all schools to discontinue this practice. Pupils in our schools must be streamed according to academic merit and not by choice of second language. I believe if this is done there will be greater interaction amongst the students. The second issue I referred to was the question of some good schools, ie, the popular or better schools, discouraging children enroling in their schools because a particular second language will not be available during curriculum time. I am extremely gratified by the Minister's statement that the Ministry will now try to offer ML2 and TL2 in the better schools during curriculum time. This change will definitely make it easier, particularly for the Malay and Indian children to enrol in the better schools in Singapore. Sir, the third concern which I raised, and the Minister has addressed it, is my concern with SAP schools.”
“Sir, I would like to urge this House to accept Dr Lau Teik Soon's suggestion that this House rejects the amendment proposed by the NCMP. Both Mr Chiam and Dr Lee seem to have very short memories. The question of the Elected President was widely debated. A White Paper was put on and discussed in this House and the Opposition made it an election issue during the last general elections, urging the electorate to deny the PAP two-thirds majority so that a constitutional amendment could not be made. Sir, we all know the election results. The Government has the mandate and I am sure the First Deputy Prime Minister, when introducing the new Bill, will receive further views, maybe even commit it to a Select Committee. But as of now, I think a referendum would, as Dr Lau Teik Soon said, be a waste of not only time but also valuable money.”
“I think the Ministry of Education should apply itself and find ways and means to achieve this. My colleague, Dr Tan Cheng Bock, sometime ago suggested twinning of SAP schools with national schools. We have heard nothing from the Ministry on this subject. Mr Speaker, Sir, I am afraid if something is not done in this direction, we may have a potential problem in our hands at a later date. As I mentioned earlier, the products from the SAP schools will ultimately hold high positions in politics, civil service and business and there could be serious implications in the way Singapore is governed and run. In saying this, let me emphasise once again that I accept the principle behind SAP schools. However, the implementation has to be looked at again from a multi-racial perspective. Sir, education should be used as a tool to foster national consciousness and also multi-racial values in the Singapore context. Educational policies or administrative actions which tend to create racial divisiveness or result in ethnic groups being isolated should be discarded. In this light, I would call upon the Government to review the policy on SAP schools as considerable concern exists within and outside this House on the long term implications of such a policy. In conclusion, let me urge the Government, particularly the new leadership, as my colleague, Mr Lim Boon Heng, has said earlier, to pay some greater attention and see what more can be done to promote and preserve racial harmony and cohesiveness amongst our ethnic communities.”
“Sir, the point I want to make is that whilst the policy of the Government is sound, it is in the implementation that we have gone wrong and as a result, we will now have to pay a price and will continue to pay a price as far as inter-racial relation is concerned, if nothing is done to correct it. Another area which worries not only minority communities but also some educationists, including school principals, is the promotion of SAP schools, both in primary and secondary schools. Mr Speaker, Sir, let me at the outset make it clear that I understand and accept the objectives behind the establishment of SAP schools, ie, to preserve the teaching of Chinese language, and I have no quarrels on this. Whilst we are able to achieve this one objective, ie, the preservation of Chinese language and culture, we are unwittingly paying another price in terms of inter-racial relations. Children in SAP schools will be doing things, playing and studying in a totally Chinese environment with little or no contact with other ethnic groups. Sir, the Minister for Education has stated in this House and I quote: 'As I explained earlier today, we need the SAP schools in Singapore to foster a core of students who will learn Chinese as a first language and subsequently have enough expertise to transmit the language to other generations. As I said, if there is demand from Malay and Indian children to learn ML1 and TL1, we will also make arrangements to make this possible.' Sir, the point I want to make is that it is not necessary, totally unnecessary, to set up SAP schools for Malay and Indian children. All I am saying is some ways must be found for bright students of all races to be in the same environment.”
“This is important for when we become adults, and are senior civil servants, Members of Parliament, or even Cabinet Ministers, this background and practice we have had in school are carried with us. The question is: will this multi-racial perspective and absence of racial consciousness be assured for future decision-makers in Singapore? Far from feeling self-assured about this, I am afraid our school system tends to hinder the continuation of this beneficial approach. Sir, let me explain. Sir, at various dialogue sessions, parents have related to me a number of stories. One particular case is how his daughter in the kindergarten wanted her name changed because other children did not want to play with her. I have also met many Chinese students in junior colleges who have told me that they did not have friends from other ethnic communities during their primary and secondary education. Mr Speaker, Sir, all this, I believe, is the result of decisions taken for administrative convenience. For example, Sir, schools have grouped their students according to second language taken and this has unwittingly contributed to racial segregation. In many cases, pupils were not streamed according to academic merit but more by second language taken. Some principals of good schools discourage Indian children from joining the school by saying that Tamil will not be available as a second subject during school time. This is another example of administrative expedience. This is not the policy of the Ministry, I must make this point clear. It is individual principals of schools who take such policies.”
“Due to the foresight of the first generation leadership, the Government has achieved racial harmony through adherence to multi-racialism in all its policies and programmes. Just to give you a few examples. The Government has allowed Singaporeans as a whole to do their part in the defence of Singapore. The Government has introduced measures to preserve a balanced composition in our housing estates and the Government has even enshrined multi-racialism in this House through the GRC scheme. Sir, this is a record of a Government committed to multi-racialism. Mr Speaker, Sir, what we have achieved so far should be preserved, maintained and improved upon. One key area to preserving and enhancing harmonious inter-ethnic relations and social cohesion must lie in our education system because it is through our young that we can ensure the maintenance of racial harmony. This is one area where I feel the Government can do more. Mr Speaker, Sir, the reason why I am bringing up this particular point is that I have received feedback, particularly from the minority communities, that our children in the schools have become more racially conscious than in the past. It appears that children nowadays have become keenly aware of their racial differences. Mr Speaker, Sir, my generation and the generation of the Ministers in the Frontbench and most of us in this House grew up in an environment where in our classrooms and at recreation, we mixed with Chinese, Malay and Indian friends alongside each other. This interaction makes all of us feel that we are one and we are members of the same society; racial barriers were eroded, and we did not see each other as anything but fellow Singaporeans.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I stand in support of the President's Address at the Opening of the New Session of Parliament. I share the President's confidence that our country's future will be bright and that we will be able to continue to forge ahead so long as we maintain the same spirit and cohesion, not forgetting our vulnerabilities and potential dangers. The action plan outlined by the President will definitely enable our people to enjoy a better quality of life. Mr Speaker, Sir, the Presidential Speech has drawn the nation's attention to the task of binding Singaporeans together, despite differences in race and religion. The Government hopes to achieve this objective by the introduction of a National Ideology through which a set of shared values can be crystallised. Sir, I believe this important factor would ensure our continued success in the preservation of racial harmony and cohesion amongst our various ethnic communities. Mr Speaker, Sir, I applaud the Government's motive in pursuing this objective in the next phase of our nation building. The Government's support for Mendaki and the crystallisation of a set of shared values, so outlined in the President's Address, will strengthen social cohesion and help us to evolve a distinct Singaporean identity. The National Ideology, to be agreed upon by consensus, will give our people a compass with which to steer the future of the nation in the decades ahead. Mr Speaker, Sir, the Government, in particular the first generation leadership, should be congratulated for setting the right conditions for all our ethnic communities to live and progress together in the spirit of peace and harmony.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I am glad to hear the Minister saying that the transferability period of the certificates will be reduced from six months to three months. I am wondering why the Ministry, in spite of the feedback, is not prepared to consider dropping the idea of transferability completely.”
“Question No. 2, Sir. The Minister for Education (Dr Tony Tan Keng Yam): Mr Speaker, Sir, the total student enrolment in the Chinese Studies Department of the National University of Singapore is 1,000 comprising 989 undergraduate and 11 post-graduate students. The teaching staff strength is 22, of whom 15 are Singaporeans. CHINESE LANGUAGE TEACHERS IN PRIMARY AND SECONDARY SCHOOLS (Shortage) The following Question stood in the name of Mr Chiam See Tong - 3. To ask the Minister for Education whether there is a shortage of Chinese language teachers in primary and secondary schools; and, if so, how many more teachers are needed.”
“Sir, I have only two questions for the Acting Minister for Health. Most of the points have already been raised by my other colleagues. Firstly, Sir, with the cost of medical care on the rise, and this will continue to rise, particularly with advances in technology and demand for medical services, I am just wondering whether the Acting Minister for Health can prevail upon his colleague, the Finance Minister, to provide more than 1% of GDP for purposes of health. Sir, we are in a position today where we can definitely spend more than the standard 1% which has been fixed. I think the Acting Minister for Health should work a little harder and try to get this increase above the 1%. Sir, my second question to the Minister now concerns individuals. Whilst Government needs to provide more, I think individuals themselves must bear some of the increase in cost and I would like to ask the Minister whether there are any plans to increase the CPF contributions in the Medisave account.”
“Mr Chairman, I would like to thank the Minister for his very detailed and lengthy answers. I am particularly pleased to note that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will carry out a very creative and flexible foreign policy. On that note, Sir, I beg leave to withdraw the amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. The sum of $66,368,800 for Head O ordered to stand part of the Main Estimates. The sum of $24,673,400 for Head O ordered to stand part of the Development Estimates. 3.33 pm Head J -”
“I am rather surprised that our Opposition Member, as a Singaporean, should have raised such a question with such kind of thinking!”
“He does not qualify to be a member of the Youth Wing. But nevertheless, Sir, let us make this very clear. In fact, we have always felt that some of our Ministers have been more guarded and more conservative in responses to issues raised by our Malaysian friends. Take, for example, a Malaysian Minister openly criticising the Prime Minister of Singapore for being insincere. Our response was a very guarded response. In fact we tried to justify, explain, and for Dr Lee to say that we are not being sensitive to views of our neighbours is rather incorrect. I do not know whether Dr Lee wants us to behave like a vassal state. Are we a vassal state of our neighbours? We are an independent state. It is our own interests that we should protect. Maybe Dr Lee should really re-examine what should be our relations with our neighbours. Mr Peh Chin Hua( In Mandarin): Sir, on this question raised by Dr Lee Siew-Choh and the gentle reply given by the Minister I feel rather disappointed. I feel that Ministers and MPs of the neighbouring country have adopted a certain attitude towards us in relation to such actions as the half-tank rule or the caning of illegal immigrants and so on, giving the impression that we have done wrong in many ways. Where have we gone wrong? Have we gone wrong anywhere? We have been very courteous and friendly to our neighbouring countries. This is what we should do. But if they give us all kinds of fantastic attitude and criticisms, then I think we should reply in like manner. In fact, sometimes I feel like slapping them or give them a left hook, if necessary. Our Ministers should have been more cross and aggressive in response to these neighbours' acrimonious remarks.”
“Sir, sitting down and listening to Dr Lee Siew-Choh, I thought I was listening to some belligerent UMNO Youth member making a statement in this House. An hon. Member: He does not qualify.”
“The GPC would be pleased to hear from the Minister if he has further plans for similar appointments. Sir, during the debate on 16th March 1988, the Government Parliamentary Committee called on the Government for further strengthening of relations with non-traditional countries, both economically and diplomatically. The countries we suggested included the Soviet Union, Eastern Europe, Pacific islands and selected countries in Africa. We felt at that time much more could be done in this respect. The Government Parliamentary Committee notes with some satisfaction that progress has been made in this area, especially culminating with the recent visit of the Soviet Prime Minister to Singapore. Maybe the Minister for Foreign Affairs could enlighten this House on the results of the visit of the Soviet Prime Minister to Singapore. Finally, Sir, I would like to turn to another foreign policy related matter. Over the last two decades, Singapore has been fortunate to achieve economic growth and prosperity. However, as we advance, there will be requests from foreign countries, particularly countries in the Third World, for economic assistance. To my mind, one way of assisting friendly countries is by offering technical assistance in areas where we have developed expertise, areas like port management or airport management. As a country which is expected to reach the status of a developed country by the turn of this decade, we in the Government Parliamentary Committee feel that it is our responsibility to behave as a good world citizen. My colleague, Encik Wan Hussin, will expand on this a little later. I would appreciate it if the Minister could enlighten the House whether his Ministry is paying due attention to this issue and, if so, what steps have been taken in this direction.”
“I would like to ask the Minister whether the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has any concrete plans in this direction. Sir, within the Asia Pacific region, the past year has seen governments giving greater impetus to the prospects of regional economic cooperation. In November last year, Singapore participated in the first meeting of the Ministerial Asia Pacific countries in Canberra. The second Ministerial Meeting is scheduled to be held in Singapore later this year. As it is in Singapore's interest to plug itself into this regional grid, I hope the Government will actively promote and participate in the Asia Pacific economic cooperation. At the same time, the Government should be mindful of protection of ASEAN's interests. ASEAN has served Singapore and the region well for the past two decades. The Government should ensure that participation in APEC will enhance the role and image of ASEAN. At the same time, I would strongly recommend and urge the Government that sufficient resources be allotted to ensure that Asia Pacific economic cooperation becomes an important plank of our foreign policy. Sir, I would like to move on to the question of wider overseas representation. In raising this subject of wider overseas representation, the GPC on Defence and Foreign Affairs fully understands the plight of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in getting suitable people to man our existing diplomatic missions, let alone open new ones. I understand currently we have no Head of Mission in Moscow and the Philippines. Efforts must be made to fill these vacancies urgently. The Parliamentary Committee has been a strong advocate on the appointment of Roving Ambassadors and we are gratified to note that Roving Ambassadors to Nigeria, Ghana and Iran have already been appointed.”
“Sooner or later, the Vietnamese have to accept that the only way to resolve the Cambodian conflict would be to allow the Cambodian people themselves to determine their own future. In this regard, the efforts being undertaken by the permanent members of the Security Council to find an acceptable solution to the problem are laudable. I hope our Government through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will extend its support to these efforts. I also hope the Minister for Foreign Affairs in the course of this debate will inform the House the latest developments on the Cambodian issue. Mr Speaker, Sir, the geopolitical changes that I referred to will also have far-reaching consequences for this region. The increasing attention paid by Western European countries, US and Japan, to rehabilitation of the economies of Eastern Europe presents both problems and opportunities for developing countries. Sir, attracted by the lure of new markets and investment opportunities in Eastern Europe, it is evident the developed countries are diverting their resources to these countries. This inevitably would result in a sharp reduction of investments and technology and expertise hitherto available to the region. Sir, however, on the positive side, the transformation of Eastern European economies from centrally planned to market oriented ones is a welcome development. Countries in the region including Singapore must place themselves in a position through which they can gain further growth and prosperity. I hope our Government, particularly through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, is closely monitoring the situation in Eastern Europe. Our businessmen and traders should be alerted to the prospects and opportunities as a result of the opening up of Eastern Europe.”
“Sir, I beg to move, That the total sum to be allocated for Head O of the Main Estimates be reduced by $100. Sir, within the 12 months of the previous and current Budget debates, the world has witnessed changes in the international and regional scenes. East-West confrontation has been replaced by detente and rapprochement between the superpowers. The ideological division of Europe into Eastern and Western blocs, that has existed for four decades since the end of the Second World War, has rapidly dissolved, with the overthrow of the East European Communist regimes. A call for German re-unification heralds a new political and economic structure for Europe with consequential effects on international power structure. Concerns about "Fortress Europe" have now even changed to "Fortress Germany". Sir, in an increasingly inter-dependent world, these changes will undoubtedly have an impact on regional security and stability. As far as Southeast Asia and ASEAN countries are concerned, the impact of these changes will be particularly felt in the resolution of the decade-old Cambodian conflict. With the Soviet Union increasingly preoccupied with its domestic problems and other issues closer to Europe, Vietnam can no longer count on the support of its ally in the pursuit of its political and territorial ambitions. Hence, several months ago, it unilaterally announced a withdrawal of its troops from Cambodia. Sir, however, in the absence of international verification, this act of withdrawal is highly suspect and I think unacceptable. This is particularly so in the light of recent press reports that Vietnamese troops have once again re-entered the conflict and are actively fighting the Cambodian resistance forces.”
“Sir, may I ask the Minister whether the Ministry has any plans to continue the gifted education programme in the junior colleges?”
“Mr Chairman, I would like to thank the Minister for his very detailed and positive responses to the various queries raised by Members. In particular, I thank him for announcing the appointment of a Committee headed by BG George Yeo to look into ways and means of recognising the contributions of national servicemen. On that note, Sir, I beg leave to withdraw. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.”
“But we generally feel that Government can do much more to recognise the efforts of our boys in uniform. Maybe very simple and yet effective ways to recognise them could be, for example, to give them concessionary fares on our MRT, SBS, and other public transport. It could be easily done especially when the Second Minister for Defence (Policy) is also the Minister for Communications. He happens also to be the Minister in charge of SBC and television. Maybe a separate radio channel for reservists to broadcast programmes of interest and relevance can be considered which will enhance not only the reservists but their families too. Government can also consider upgrading recreational facilities and could even make land available for a SAFRA golf-course. Why can't this be given to our reservists? I think the Government can consider a whole host of items to better recognise the contributions of reservists to Singapore. Sir, apart from the above acts of recognition, Government should also take measures to ensure that reservists who spend 2 1/2 years in national service and continue reservist training do not lose out to women and non-citizens on promotion opportunities, particularly in the public and private sectors. Sir, reservist training will remain a cornerstone of Singapore's security. And the GPC on Defence and Foreign Affairs urges the Government to critically review how it is tackling this problem so that it can really enhance and recognise, to a large extent, not only with material but non-material benefits, the contributions of reservists to nation building.”
“Sir, in raising this subject on Recognition for Reservists, I would like to state that National Service introduced in 1967 has resulted in the building up of a generation of citizen soldiers. Sir, over the years we have witnessed many changes in the Armed Forces, in particular, the enhancement of professionalism and the provision of better career prospects, and the image of the Armed Forces has significantly improved. Unfortunately, the Government Parliamentary Committee on Defence and Foreign Affairs believes that insufficient recognition has been given to our reservists who form the bulk of our fighting force. I must inform the Minister that this feeling of insufficient recognition is widely shared among reservists and their family members. This issue is once again brought into focus following the recent relaxation of our immigration rules. Many reservists feel peeved with this latest development. They feel that they have done their part and are still sharing the burden of paying the price to live and enjoy life in Singapore. However, new immigrants simply walk into Singapore, take plum jobs with our previous contributions or role in full-time National Service or in reservist service, at least. Many reservists are questioning whether their services are really appreciated. Sir, in the opinion of the Government Parliamentary Committee, this problem can only grow, and hence Government must do something to tackle this problem rather quickly. Sir, I must say at this point, the GPC understands clearly why the first-generation immigrants cannot be asked to do National Service or reservist service. We are competing for talents all over the world. And if we put additional condition, we may not be able to attract people. So we understand this problem.”