S. Rajoo
Singapore
“Sir, I am a bit disturbed by the Minister for Law and National Development's reply that he cannot do anything about this "chit" fund. In fact, I am not asking him to look into illegal tontine organisations, but these are companies which are registered under the Companies Ordinance or some other law, and they seem to operate in a way which…”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, thosecompanies which have "chit" funds need not come under the Banking Ordinance or under the Moneylenders Ordinance. Therefore, these companies are registered as limited companies and the directors are not doing business in the best interest of the public.”
“According to the Minister, it seems that even if adequate provision is made in 1968, there is a possibility of a certain number of children being posted to schools very far away from their homes.”
“I understand from the Minister that the priests in various temples are paid various sums of money. For instance, in the Mariamman Temple, the priest is paid $100 per month, and in the Sivan Temple the priest is paid $80 per month, and in the Perumal Temple one priest is paid $150 per month and his assistant is paid $130 per month.”
“My point is: if the Ministry devotes its responsibilities to the appointment of certain members of the Board and does not look into the matter of how the Board is run, there may be so many anomalies arising.”
“A supplementary, Sir, I am not criticising the administration of the Temple Management Committees, but what I understand is that certain letters written to the Temple Management Committee in November 1966 have not even been acknowledged; and if I am not mistaken, even up to date.”
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“Sir, I am a bit disturbed by the Minister for Law and National Development's reply that he cannot do anything about this "chit" fund. In fact, I am not asking him to look into illegal tontine organisations, but these are companies which are registered under the Companies Ordinance or some other law, and they seem to operate in a way which is not in the interest of the public. The public subscribe to these "chit" funds. Say the tontine is for $20 a month. They subscribe to the tontine. They put their savings into these com panies. Finally, after paying for 10 or 12 months, these people are informed by the operator that he is not going to pay back their deposits. This is something which the Government should look into, in order to safeguard the interest of such people. If there is no law at present to control tontine organisations, then the Minister should introduce legislation or amend the law to control them.”
“I have not got anything further to say. But as the Minister for Finance has requested the Minister for Law and National Development to look into the matter, I hope he will do so.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, thosecompanies which have "chit" funds need not come under the Banking Ordinance or under the Moneylenders Ordinance. Therefore, these companies are registered as limited companies and the directors are not doing business in the best interest of the public. I understand that when some of these limited companies were registered, certain banks gave a guarantee to them. When cheques were issued by these companies to their depositors, the same banks returned the cheques dishonoured because of insufficient funds. So I would suggest to the Minister that in the public interest these "chit fund" companies should also be brought under this Finance Companies Bill. 6.45 p.m.”
“I think the Minister has not answered my point, and that is, to include the "chit fund" companies under this Bill. As he has explained just now, these companies come under the category ---”
“We have laws to see that mortgagors do not charge more than 12 per cent on secured loans, but in the case of finance companies, the interest charged is actually more than the interest legally allowed. I hope the Ministry of Finance will look into this problem and standardise the interest charged. The last point I want to raise is with regard to "chit fund" which is publicly known as "tontine". There are a dozen chit fund companies in Singapore which run chit funds and they deal in hundreds of thousands of dollars. They are not doing business on the accumulated capital hoarded by them but on funds collected from the public. 1 do not know whether, under the present Bill before this House, these chit funds can be controlled by the Government. Recently, I heard that some of these companies are unable to repay to the depositors the amounts deposited by them after an agreed maturity period. People who have been convicted of criminal breach of trust and people of not a reputable character are known to be managing such business. I appeal to the Government to bring these chit fund operators under some form of Government control by way of legislation so that the public can be protected. 5.15 p.m.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, it is satisfying to note that the Government has realised the need to control finance companies in the interest of members of the public. We have seen many finance companies and institutions advertise attractive terms and conditions which they claim to be in the best interest of the general public, but can they deny the fact that ultimately it is they themselves which stand to gain more than the general public? Nevertheless, taking into consideration the fact that the finance companies do have a genuine interest in enhancing the financial and economic interest of the public in particular and the State in general, it is the duty of the Government to protect the public from any swindl ing by some finance companies. For instance, before getting a loan on the pledge of a motor-car or an article, some companies do charge "football money" which i's illegal and which will never come out in the accounts. I am not saying that all finance companies charge "football money", but some companies do charge it. By not showing this income in their accounts, they do not pay income tax. The borrowers, in addition to paying the illegal interest, have also to pay more than what the law allows. Will the Government do something to stop this illegal practice? The next point I want to bring up is that finance companies charge 10 or 12 per cent interest on secured loans on hire purchase. This interest is calculated on the original sum lent and is not calculated on the amounts due after payment of instalments. So this so-called ten per cent interest actually works out to more than 18 or 19 per cent.”
“True, like Aden, Malta and Gibraltar, Singapore was once the centre of economic, commercial and military enterprises of the British imperialists. Under the changed political conditions, Singapore cannot continue to be a pillar of British imperialism. Even though Singapore cannot continue to be the political and military centre for the British, the Republic can be an important base for the expansion of British trade and commerce in South-east Asia. British troops may be withdrawn completely from Singapore, but Britain may not be able to find another country which will be as friendly and as co-operative as the Republic. The Government should try to employ the retrenched Singapore citizens in the Base itself after it is converted to civilian use. As a result of the withdrawal of British troops, more land will be available to the Government. I suggest that the Government use the land, for increasing productivity, including agricultural production. The unemployed may be gainfully employed in the land available. In short, the Minister for Finance should be congratulated on presenting not only a realistic Budget but also on discussing frankly the problems facing the nation and enumerating clearly the course of action proposed to he taken by the Government. 4.07 p.m.”
“To meet the situation successfully, the Republic will have to generate an additional $80 million expenditure each year, create 18,000 additional jobs a year to absorb those presently unemployed as well as the Base workers expected to be retrenched, and create a further 25,000 new jobs a year for the youths who will be hunting for jobs. To meet these pressing demands, it is imperative that we should expand the volume of trade and increase the industrial output. The Minister, who has dwelt on the growth of trade with Indonesia, has not mentioned anything about our trade with Malaysia and other neighbouring countries. This creates the impression that we do not have any trade relations with these countries. We must bear in mind that the growth of trade with countries like Indonesia and South Vietnam is due to the prevailing conditions in those countries. We must find ways and means of strengthening our trade relations with our neighbours so that, even under peaceful conditions, our economy will be strong and stable. Although Singapore is a small island with no natural resources, we have a wide sea around us to exploit. With the co-operation of our neighbouring countries, we should strive to do deep-sea fishing and turn our attention to producing and exporting various kinds of sea food. It is heartening to note that plans to expand the Jurong Shipyard with a view to building medium-sized ships are being studied with the help of some Japanese firms. It is true that our economy will get a jolt on account of the British troop withdrawal, especially when we are only in the second year of independence and tussling with the problems of unemployment and productivity.”
“S, troops in South Vietnam was increased, our trade with that country was in the range of $50 million to $60 million per year. In 1965, the value of our trade with South Vietnam rose from $110 million to $256 million. It now stands at $300 million. Five years ago, there were only 10,000 to 15,000 American soldiers in South Vietnam. At the moment, there are nearly 500,000 American soldiers. Today, the American people themselves are demonstrating in front of the White House against the stationing of U.S. troops and direct involvement in the Vietnam war. Under these circumstances, if the American troops withdraw from Vietnam and peace returns, we should bear in mind that our $300 million export boom will be wiped out. I welcome the warning given by the Minister for Finance that the withdrawal of British troops from Singapore in the 1970s will very much affect our economy. It gives consolation to learn that a special unit has been established in the Prime Minister's Department to study plans to put the base to productive use in order to counteract the ill effects of the British withdrawal, like unemployment and economic difficulties. The Minister for Finance has dealt elaborately with the question of unemployment. A count of identity cards has given the figure of unemployed as 43,405. As a result of the withdrawal of British troops, another 12,000 people will lose their jobs. In addition, every year 25,000 youths, after completion of their schooling, will enter the employment market.”
“Sir, from the Budget for 1968 presented by the Hon. Minister for Finance, it is evident that the level of production has gone up and the economy has progressed in many spheres. It is gratifying to note that the G.N.P. has increased by 8 per cent over that for the previous year. The Minister for Finance has given three reasons for the good performance of our economy. They are: first, growth of trade with Indonesia; second, expansion of exports to South Vietnam; third. substantial increase in the flow of capital from Hong Kong. These three reasons are not the direct results of the conditions prevailing in our own country. By a coincidence of circumstances, we may be having today a favourable condition. However, when circumstances change, conditions will cease to favour the growth of our economy and output. For instance, when the present conditions of war in South Vietnam change, we may not be able to maintain the present level of exports to that country. In the same way, when the cultural revolution and labour unrest subside in Hong Kong, the Hong Kong industrialists who have invested in Singapore's industries may pull out their capital and return to that colony. Or they might gradually reduce the production level in Singapore while increasing it in Hong Kong. In such a case, this will adversely affect our industries. Many types of industries have been opened in an effort to increase the Republic's production, but we do not have any raw materials to meet the needs of our factories. We are dependent at all times on foreign countries for the supply of raw materials for the use of our factories. According to the Minister for Finance, five years ago before the number of U.”
“Throughout the ages nations have been split asunder as a result of cultural differences arising from differences in race, religion, language, and so on. Only a few days ago there was a threat of war in an island in the West, and it is clear that the problems there became acute, partly from `the indifference to attempt to integrate the two main racial groups with the different cultures in the' island. We cannot afford such a happening in our island of Singapore, and hence we have to be aware of the need for a common culture to weld our people together into a tightly-knit society. It is important, therefore, that we should not become complacent and slacken our efforts to bring about cultural co-operation and integration. The years ahead, therefore, call for an even more intensive pursuit of our present cultural policy. The Ministry of Culture is making strenuous efforts in the pursuit of these objectives despite shortages of staff and funds, but in the knowledge that we are racing against time. Therefore, in order that there can be no let-up in our activities, the Ministry is doing everything it can in the pursuit of our national objectives.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the Member for Sembawang spoke at length on the policy of the Ministry of Culture. In the short space of time that I have been attached to the Ministry of Culture, I have observed the Ministry carrying out its objectives of keeping our people informed and successfully bringing about cultural integration quietly and without fuss. Considerable changes in cultural revolutions take place in countries from time to time in accordance with the change of time, conditions, and environment which transform a society radically into the new trend and new situation. There are countries which follow `the cultural revolution with violence and strife, and there are countries which follow the cultural changes with guided or no democracy at all. But we in a democratic State can only explain, encourage, and prepare the ground and provide the necessary incentives for a revolution and growth of a national concept of our own. But given our ability in innovation and change, I am sure that in due course a culture, embodying the best characteristics of our heritage and traditions, will emerge. In 1959 when the Ministry of Culture was first set up, there was little cultural amity in Singapore. The various cultural and racial groups tended to look inwards, being proud of their own traditions, and were isolated from one another. Cultural integration seemed hardly a practical idea then. Now, after eight years, it can be said without fear that there has been a definite breaking down of these barriers that stem cultural progress. There is acceptance of the fact that in a multi-racial and multi-lingual society the people must co-operate along cultural lines to forge a national identity and the awareness of belonging to our Republic.”
“According to the Minister, it seems that even if adequate provision is made in 1968, there is a possibility of a certain number of children being posted to schools very far away from their homes. Under such circumstances, will the Minister give an assurance that where the poor parents cannot send their children to distant schools, the Ministry will consider giving a transport bursary to the children?”
“Sir, will the Minister for Foreign Affairs explain whether the ASEAN set-up will lead to a common market arrangement between the member countries?”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, is it true that the Ministry of Culture depends on a certain individual by the name of Jeyadawat to get Tamil books for the National Library?”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, may I know from the Parliamentary Secretary whether replacements have been ordered for those books which were destroyed, or will there be a literature drain if replacements have not been ordered?”
“Yes, Sir. LEGISLATION FOR ADMINISTRATION OF HINDU RELIGIOUS AND CHARITABLE ENDOWMENTS 14. Mr S. Rajoo asked the Minister for Culture and Social Affairs whether and when he will introduce legislation for the specific administration of Hindu religious and charitable endowments.”
“A supplementary, Sir, I am not criticising the administration of the Temple Management Committees, but what I understand is that certain letters written to the Temple Management Committee in November 1966 have not even been acknowledged; and if I am not mistaken, even up to date. If this is the system that exists in the Management Committees and the Minister is still trying to divert his responsibility ---”
“The question is: will the Minister regulate such matters or give directions to the Board on how the management is to be run? I mean, at least in future when he is introducing a Bill, will he look into this matter?”
“My point is: if the Ministry devotes its responsibilities to the appointment of certain members of the Board and does not look into the matter of how the Board is run, there may be so many anomalies arising. So in future could the Minister, when he appoints members to the Board or when he does something, take into consideration what is happening? Otherwise, there will be a lot of inconvenience and dissatisfaction in the community. Just in one instance, I want to say that -”
“I understand from the Minister that the priests in various temples are paid various sums of money. For instance, in the Mariamman Temple, the priest is paid $100 per month, and in the Sivan Temple the priest is paid $80 per month, and in the Perumal Temple one priest is paid $150 per month and his assistant is paid $130 per month. Does the Minister know why such different payments are maintained in different temples? Is he aware that the management of the Sivan Temple at Orchard Road is run on a contract basis and that only one priest is given full control over all matters, and that there are not even any records of -”
“Sir, recommendation (x) for the Council of State reads: `the Council of State shall consider the Bill in public, regulating its own procedure, and within say thirty days of its submission to the Council make a report to Parliament. The report to Parliament shall be accompanied by a copy of the Proceedings before the Council of State. After the Council of State has submitted its report to Parliament or if it fails to do so within the specified thirty days, proceedings in Parliament on the Bill may then continue;'. My point of clarification is this. What happens to that report submitted by the Council after the Bill is considered? What action is Parliament supposed to take on that report?”
“Point of clarification. Mr Speaker: Will the Minister give way?”
“It is page 13, paragraph 46. I consider the proposals mentioned therein are not necessary at all. Parliament has been established by popular vote, and if it is not in a position to protect the people, then the people have the right to change it. So the people who elect their representatives to Parliament should be very careful in their choice. Parliament is based on popular vote, and if we are going to doubt its integrity, then I consider the proposals mentioned in paragraph 46 are not efficient at all. I support paragraphs 47, 48 and 49 of the Report. Secondly, I wish to touch on the Ombudsman. It is page 18, Chapter IV, paragraph 60. At times there may be circumstances in which the people's complaints may not be attended to. In such cases, the people concerned should go to their Members of Parliament and explain things to them if they want to find solutions to their problems. Should this fail, then I say that even the Ombudsman will be a failure. I do not know how much power this Ombudsman will have to find solutions to problems. Will he have more powers than Parliament? In which case, will he have more powers than the Head of State? If he is going to have less powers than the Head of State, then people can always appeal to the Head of State. Will the Ombudsman be of help to the people? We will have to consider all these points. If Parliament, which has been elected on popular vote, is not going to be effective, then I will have to give the same reason that I have given before. The only thing we can do is to improve upon the present system. That will help us a lot.”
“I wish to point out one or two points in the Report. At first, I wish to mention the Council of State.”
“Later they matured in intelligence and founded cities. They developed themselves in various fields. Men progressed in different ways. At first, it was thought that floods, storms and earthquakes were due to God's anger. Now men are beginning to go nearer to the moon. We are not bothered whether the Russians or the Americans are going to land on the moon first. Whoever get there first belong to the same human race, and their victory is a victory for the human race. In the same way, we have to condemn atrocities committed by one human being on another human being. In Vietnam, whether the Vietnamese kill the Americans or the Americans kill the Vietnamese, whoever is the cause of such atrocities should be condemned. What is the thing that has led people along the path of destruction? It is the law practised and the policies adopted by human beings. It is said that man is a creature of habit. Man has to adopt certain principles even in his daily affairs. One should know what time one should get up from bed, what time one should go to the office, and what time one should go back to one's house. Naturally man will adopt these habits. When he does so, he will gradually get into the habit of living together with other people as a community, and finally he will decide that he will do such anti such a thing. This is how man devised laws for himself and started to live according to the law. Rousseau had said that man is born free, but everywhere he is in chains. Therefore, the laws drafted by experts may at times be repressive to the peace of mankind. And when they are repressive, they may be compared to an ass which bites in front and kicks from the back. I am not opposing any passing of laws, but the laws should help to advance mankind.”
“Though men were created on the same basis, because of certain changes in different parts of the world, and because of the geographical divisions due to mountains, jungles, rivers, seas and distances, people who live near to one another are closer to each other, and because such people understand each other better through signs and signals, they have more or less the same living habits. So the human race has been divided into Chinese, Malays, Indians, Europeans, Africans, etc. Mankind did not evolve at the beginning into many races. It is wrong to say that. I can call my Malay and Chinese colleagues as members of the same human race to which I belong. You may be surprised by that. But we may be different because of habits. I come from the southern part of India, where it is very hot. I may be different due to my living habits and speaking a different language. But all of us belong to the same human race. We have differences in appearance, but it is difficult to change immediately. In spite of that, we can always change our habits, languages, and opinions, and when we co-ordinate all these things together, we can become as one race. We have to give time for such changes. As the days go by, history will change. The multi-racial links which we are going to forge now will become stronger in the next two or three generations. Then there will be no place for minorities and majorities. There will be no differences at all. But till that time comes, some protection may be given to the minorities or one section of the people. In this country, if we live in goodwill with one another, the social links will be forged automatically and there will be no necessity for any rules and laws. At the beginning, men live in caves and satisfied their hunger by killing animals for food.”
“According to Darwin's theory, human development took place in stages. It took the shapes of reptiles, birds, animals, and monkeys, and from the monkeys, men finally came out. This is the science of human development. Even those people who say that man was created by God, or Adam and Eve were created by God, the present human race never says for any reason that men came into being with different races or cultures. Therefore, the world in which we live is the world around us, and the people who live in this world are one. We cannot say that you are different from us, I am different from you, and he is different from us. There is no place for such differences. Even the sects created by religion have mentioned God by different names. They never say that your God and my God are different. They have never created such differences. The Christians call the Son of God Jesus. The Muslims have no image of God, but they think that Mohammed was their God's messenger. The Hindus believe that their gods have gone through different incarnations. Like the Christians and Muslims, they also believe in incarnation. They think Siva, Rama and Krishna were different incarnations of God. Buddha and Confucius were human beings and they lived as human beings. On the basis of land, man and religion, all are equal. They are not different. This we can see for ourselves. When we realise that, no one can be differentiated.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I wish to speak in Tamil. (In Tamil) On the 9th August, 1965, Singapore separated from Malaysia and became independent. At that time, in the administration of the welfare of the' people and in the protection of the interests of the minority, a Commission was appointed to look into constitutional matters. There are people of many races in Singapore and it is important that the rights of the minority should be looked into. But the people of the various races should not look after their own interests only. If they look after the interests of the whole' community, then this problem will not arise. If we look into the history of any country of the world, we will see that no country is evolved with one separate race. We can take America, Britain, or Russia as examples. These are countries far from us. There are countries nearer to us, such as Burma, Thailand, Indo-China, Indonesia, and the Philippines, and we can take the histories of these countries as examples. These countries did not have one single race at any one time. The negroes and the whites in America consider themselves as Americans. In New Zealand the Maoris and the immigrant Englishmen consider themselves as New Zealanders. In Australia the natives and the Englishmen who were banished from England as criminals think themselves as Australians. When they think like that, there is no reason why the minority people in Singapore, the Indians and Malays, should not consider themselves as Singaporeans. From the science of geography, we know that the world is a satellite. At the beginning, there was no territory known as America. The Chinese, Indians and Malays did not join their territories and made this world round. There is no history, geography or social science to prove this.”
“In time to come, the intelligentsia will be out of the administrative service and those who are not the elite will be controlling the Government machinery. Sir, under the circumstances, I feel that more time and consideration should be given to certain provisions of this Bill before passing them.”
“Sir, if you are aiming at building an equal democratic socialist society, members of the society will be given equal opportunity in respect of places for Government jobs and finding their own means of living. Assuming that each year there will be about 8,000 to 10,000 youths of call-up age seeking employment, the 10 per cent elite or so will be guaranteed Government jobs in this manner. This period of assuring jobs for those discharged from full-time national service is supported in a pamphlet issued by the Government entitled "National Service and You". I quote from page 21: `No person who has completed his two years' full-time service in the Army need worry about his future, for sufficient numbers of civilian jobs will be reserved for discharged National Servicemen either in Government service, Statutory Boards or large business enterprises to ensure that every one gets a job.' Sir, this may be considered as an incentive to our youths or an inducement to the parents to enrol their sons in army service. But this will be unfair treatment to thousands of other youths who are also eager to seek employment, who are also loyal to this country, and who have equal rights like the 10 per cent elite to be selected for army service and guaranteed Government jobs after their discharge from national service. Sir, qualifications for army service may differ from qualifications for the administrative service. A man with a good physique and even with low qualifications may well qualify for an army job, whereas a man with intelligence but not with a good physique may not be selected for an army job. Sir, the present Government system of guaranteeing jobs will create a farce in our Government machinery.”
“Sir, my contention is that at least they will be free to complete their secondary education before being called up for national service.”
“Therefore, in accordance with these provisions, while he is still at school, he is liable to be called up for registration for national service. Sir, all of us at one time were school boys ourselves. We know what it was like to pass the school final examinations. The Minister's remarks on education recently notwithstanding, this requires concentration of mind and body on ---”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, may I take this opportunity to say a few words on the National Service (Amendment) Bill which is now before the House for its Second Reading? This Bill provides for the conscription of potential manpower of our Island Republic which has been hitherto left untapped. True indeed that during the 140 years of colonial rule and the short-lived Malaysian era, the defence and security of this country was left in the hands of foreigners and our one-time compatriots. Since they were more interested in their own safety and security than in this country, they could not take a real interest and attempt to train our youths to be good soldiers and defenders of this country. After the break from Malaysia on 9th August, 1965, it has become incumbent on our people to take over the responsibility of defence and security of the country. And national service has become a necessity to us. Sir, I support this Bill in full, but I have some doubts about certain provisions which I hope the Minister will clarify for the benefit of the public. Taking into consideration sub-clause (1) of clause 5 and paragraphs (1) (a) and (b) of section 16K of Part VIIB, clause 15, the Minister, by notification in the Gazette, may require a person who has attained such age not being more than 18 months below the minimum age for enrolment in the national service, and such called-up person will render two years' full-time service under subsection (1) of section 16K. Thus the Minister may call up a boy at the age of 16« to enrol for national service and to do actual service between the ages of 18 and 20. On the other hand, this implies that a boy in Primary I at the age of 7, if he passes the annual examinations without fail each year, will at the age of 16 or 16« still be in Secondary IV.”
“A supplementary question, Sir. Can the Minister tell me a little more about the flood alleviation scheme in Bukit Timah? If I am allowed to ask a second supplementary question, can he also say where flats are available for those people who want to move out?”
“Thank you. TAMIL PROGRAMMES OVER RADIO SINGAPURA (Complaints about poor reception) 3. Mr S. V. Lingam asked the Minister for Culture and Social Affairs if he is aware of complaints about the poor quality of reception on the wave-length over which Tamil programmes are now broadcast by Radio Singapura; and, whether he will take steps to have this wavelength altered.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, according to the Women's Charter, we are told that a man can marry only one wife. When people residing in Singapore applied for Singapore citizenship and got it, whether they came from India or China, and when they applied for an entry permit for their wife, who may be in India or China, they declare in the application forms that they are already married and have a wife. Will the Minister inform me how such people can, in those circumstances, get a divorce, thereby allowing them to marry somebody else in Singapore? Mr Wee Toon Boon: Mr Speaker, Sir, this is not within my portfolio. I do not know whether the Minister for Social Affairs can answer it.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, Minister said yesterday in this House that he had plans to build a multi-storey car park at Colombo Court hind the City Hall. We also heard I say that the plans are being thwarted by the residents of that area who have refused to move. Since the development programme is in the best interest of the public, may I ask him to take positive steps to push it through? I would also like to ask him whether he has plans for further multi-storey parks in strategic areas in Singapore such as Clifford Pier or Shenton Way. Sir, commerce and industry is the life-blood of our nation. It is quite necessary that every possible encouragement and facility should be given to the business community in promoting their business and trade. The heart-land of Singapore business lies in Change Alley, Market Street, Cecil Street and Robinson Road. Since the road frontages in these areas have been marked Out with car parking bays, big business firms having stores and godowns and a big turnover of business in these areas are deprived of loading and unloading facilities during office hours. The Multi-storey Car Park in Market Street was anticipated to relieve the parking problem considerably in that area, and although this car park now operates to full capacity, yet the road congestion in the area is not removed. If an immediate solution is not possible at the moment, will the Minister consider reserving the frontages of shops and big business firms for loading and unloading purposes if these firms are prepared to pay the rate under the car park system?”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the Minister has not answered my question.”
“May I ask the Minister for Education whether he has under consideration any plans for building a secondary school in the Farrer Park area? There is a big ground available and it is not profitably used.”
“I would urge the Minister for Education to conduct a survey to find out how many principals and senior assistants of schools have to devote their time to clerical work, and how much of this work could be undertaken by a clerk or an executive officer. I would suggest that all principals of schools should be allowed to teach at least one period a day in the classes. This arrangement will enable them to keep in touch with students and truly assess the progress of the school and the direction it is heading. By keeping in touch with their class-room conditions, they will be in a better position to understand the needs of teachers and the general attitude and outlook of the student body. It is also understood that some of the problems of principals stem from an inequitable distribution of teachers to schools. While some schools have too many teachers, thus enabling the teachers to have too many free periods a day, other schools are not adequately staffed. I would therefore urge the Minister for Education to give serious thought to this matter and revise the system so that principals of schools will be in a position to keep in touch with the students and project much-needed character into the schools.”
“I wish to draw the attention of the Minister for Education to certain inconsistencies in the matter of duties and responsibilities of the principals in primary and secondary schools. As a new nation which is determined to build up an identity and culture of its own and to equip its young to meet the changed conditions, we are all aware that a re-orientation in our thinking and action is important. In this connection, the role of our teachers and principals cannot be over-emphasised. I have come to understand that once a teacher becomes a principal, he tends to lose all contact with the classrooms and his students whom he is supposed to lead and inspire with his leadership. Instead he is bogged down with paper work by the Ministry which tends to reduce him more or less to a chief clerk. 3.15 p.m. It appears that most of the principal's work is to transmit instructions received from the Ministry to teachers and report for frivolous reasons personally to the Ministry. Letters sent by principals to the Ministry often do not receive proper attention or, in certain cases, the principals themselves dare not write a second reminder. In many of the large schools, principals and senior assistants, who are usually highly-paid Division I officers and experienced teachers, have to spend most of their time doing clerical work which could be done by Division III clerical officers. How then can we expect our principals, who are no more than mere transmitting agents, to be positive in their approach, to be creative and inspire those who are under their care?”
“I would like to say that undoubtedly our foreign policy, particularly the recent despatch of a delegation to the United Nations, has enhanced our reputation all over the world. This, of course, is a success of our foreign policy. But, on the other hand, I do not know whether the Minister has noted that in certain respects, we have spoken our minds on justice and righteousness. Some businessmen outside have the suspicion that a country which stresses non-alignment may be swayed from the middle to the left. If that is the case, then Singapore, which is stressing the great importance of industrial development, must take steps to clear up this suspicion. If it still exists, then that will deter some foreign investors from coming to Singapore and make them hesitant in undertaking any enterprise. I do not know whether the Minister has noted this or whether he has heard anything of this nature. That is my point on which I would like some clarification.”
“My suggestion is that by opening up such embassies, we could more effectively communicate with more countries in the East European bloc. I have no doubt this will be practical and even more beneficial to our Republic. In this respect, I am inclined to agree with the view expressed by my colleague, the Member for Ulu Pandan, in yesterday's Budget debate. He correctly said that a trade mission should be set up in the People's Republic of China in view of its market possibilities, in spite of the Finance Minister's statement on the imbalance of trade between Singapore and China. [Mr Speaker in the Chair] 7.47 p.m. But Members will agree that the setting up of a trade mission could well bring about a compromise that this will even up the trade. So our geographical and environmental circumstances will make us aware of who are our friends and who are our enemies. We are at the cross-roads of the East and West, a metaphor used and acknowledged by both the Communists and the Western bloc countries. If we could play host to the East and West and if we could provide a neutral meeting ground for these countries, I should say that our neutral policy will be more fruitful and beneficial, not only to our two million people but also to the 2,000 million people of the world. In short, Singapore can be the Geneva of the East. Sir, I envisage that my suggestion in opening up an embassy in one of the East European countries will expand our scope in trade and new markets for our industrial products. I request the Minister for Foreign Affairs to give consideration to this matter. I support this amendment. Madam Chan Choy Siong(In Mandarin): Mr Speaker, Sir, I have only one point to bring up.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, in the budget allocation for the Foreign Ministry for 1967, an increase of $1,424,580 is voted over the 1966 budget. This House is given to understand that this increase is to facilitate the setting-up of new embassies in other countries, including India and the United Arab Republic. I propose that additional funds should be allocated to the Foreign Ministry. The Member for Bukit Merah has asked why we should speak on a motion to cut down the vote when we want to increase it. I understand that the parliamentary procedure is that we are not allowed to speak on any item in the estimates unless we move a motion to reduce the vote for that item. Sir, I propose that additional funds be given to the Foreign Ministry so that more embassies could be established in East European countries like Yugoslavia, Bulgaria, Rumania and Poland. I am wondering why the foreign Ministry has not made any provision for opening up embassies in these countries - at least a regional embassy - since many of these countries have established trade relations with us. We know our Government's neutral policy in the world power bloc conflict. Our neutral and non-aligned policy is wise and timely. It is no exaggeration to say that our neutral policy has gained more support and more friends in the world comity of nations. While suggesting that we open up an embassy in one of the East European countries, like Poland, I do not seriously intend to impede our non-alignment policy or advocate that we should identify ourselves more with the Communist bloc countries. For that matter, I feel that by setting up embassies in the United Kingdom, Bangkok, Australia and New Zealand, we should not in any way be regarded as being pro-West.”
“I suggest to the Deputy Prime Minister that if these families could not be permitted to come to Singapore on a permanent basis, then at least facilities should be made to allow them to come to Singapore on visit passes. Another point which my colleagues spoke on was deposits. Singapore citizens applying for visit passes either for their wives, children or parents are required to pay a security deposit of $500, in addition to producing a receipt for the return ticket which has been booked with a shipping company. I wish to suggest to the Deputy Prime Minister that once the proper receipt for a booking return ticket with a shipping company is produced, the security deposit of $500 may be waived.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, we all know that the bulk of the citizens of this Republic are made up of immigrants from China and India, who have been here for many generations. Sir, the Republic has now taken measures to distinguish between those who are citizens and those who are non-citizens. The rightful citizen of this country is a citizen by birth, descent or naturalisation, and he is issued with a plastic red identity card. The non-citizen is issued with a blue card. Although the Government has tightened up its Citizenship Rules, in 1957 all immigrants and Commonwealth citizens who wanted to take up Singapore citizenship were given the opportunity to do so. Some progressive-minded people, through long residence and association with this country, were quite ready to identify themselves with the destiny of this country and have taken up Singapore citizenship. These people now possess the red identity cards. Some Singapore citizens of this category, and if I may be a bit personal, some Indian immigrants of this category, for reasons best known to themselves, were not able to associate with their families for more than five years at any one time. It may be that before that period or after, they had got their citizenship. The Immigration Department has now promulgated a rule that any Singapore citizen who is separated from his family for more than five years cannot bring his family into Singapore. In other words, an entry permit will not be given to such families. So in certain cases the families of such persons were allowed to come to Singapore on visit passes for a six-month period. I understand that even this is now being denied them by the Immigration Department. 5.45 p.m.”
“Exports have to be increased so that we will be able to pay for the consumer goods imported for the use of our growing population. Mr Speaker, Sir, the next subject I would like to touch upon is rural development. Although the Minister for Finance in his Budget Speech has laid stress on the importance of industrial and urban development, he has regrettably omitted sufficient mention of rural development schemes. It is unlikely that in the near future all land in Singapore will be utilised for urban development and, hence, of necessity, some land will still be available for rural development schemes, and this aspect of development should be given equal treatment. In the rural areas, our farmers and producers of primary products are working hard to increase output. I feel that encouragement should be given to them to enable them to produce sufficient poultry, livestock, etc, to make appreciable exports. I feel that if sufficient attention and drive is given to rural development and to producers of primary products as has been given to urban development and industry, the output of farmers can be increased considerably for the benefit of Singapore as a whole and of our export trade. Finally, Sir, as a Back-bencher echoing the sentiments of the general public of Singapore, I should like to observe that the present Government is one of the best in South-East Asia. Our people have every confidence in the commitments and sincerity and integrity of the Government. Furthermore, the countries around us also share the same view, which I feel is a great tribute to us. 5.39 p.m.”
“However, I trust that with the establishment of direct trading relations with other countries, as a result of visits of their trade missions to Singapore, and with the possibility of resumption of trade with Indonesia, there will be hope for an expansion of our external trade. Sir, the Budget Statement shows an external reserve of $1,038 million - an increase of $123 million over last year. It also shows an external debit account of $61.75 million - an increase of $2.75 million over last year. With the separation of currency in June next year, though our currency will be supported and issued at par value of our external reserves, with the unfavourable balance of trade and the payment of interest on international loans, there is fear that there may be a considerable depreciation of our external reserves unless proper care is maintained and our external trade and balance of payments are watched very carefully. Sir, Singapore has a population which is nearing two million and more than half of this population comprise young people. In addition, 40,000 children are born every year and about 20,000 are leaving school yearly to look for jobs and swell the ranks of our unemployed every year. Although the efforts of the Minister for Health in advocating family planning are praiseworthy, I wonder to what extent does he really believe that population growth can be controlled by Government effort to push through contraceptives? Sir, bearing in mind our ever-increasing population, we are faced with the attendant problems of providing more houses, more schools and more jobs. These are really domestic problems. But our improved port facilities should be utilised to provide employment opportunities and sources of revenue for our Republic.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I wish to associate myself with the sentiments expressed by my colleagues who have supported the Budget Statement of the Minister for Finance. We see it as the initial budget of a budding nation. Though our nation lacks natural resources, it has the determination and has taken positive steps to develop and protect the interest of our people and the nation. Sir, with the indulgence of the Minister, I wish to speak on a few points in the Budget Statement. It is noted that the annual rate of increase in Gross Domestic Product during the period 1960 to 1965 is only 8.5 per cent, and that in 1965 the gross capital formation increased by 11.8 per cent over 1964, accounting for about 15 per cent of the Gross Domestic Product. It is encouraging to note the frankness of the Minister for Finance in admitting that this falls short of the 17.5 per cent to 20 per cent rate of capital accumulation which is considered necessary for self-sustaining growth in developing countries. However, it is noted from the external trade figures that the re-export of goods has declined from 37.9 per cent in 1964 to 36.2 per cent in 1965. Although it may be argued that a certain percentage of imported goods have to be retained either as raw materials or capital equipment required for new and developing industries, the figures of import valued at $3,017.9 million during the first nine months of this year as compared with exports amounting to only $2,494.6 million are quite disconcerting. They show a definite unfavourable balance of trade, despite an increase of 13.3 per cent in exports over last year. If this trend continues, we shall soon be a nation in debt.”