S. Vasoo
Singapore
“I would like to ask DPM whether the public as well as the Government-linked companies would be looking at some ways in which jobs could be created to absorb some of the older workers. In the longer term, I think job creation will become an issue, especially when many of the industries in the manufacturing sector are going to hollow out.”
“Our recruitment has been excellent over this past period and our attrition has been relatively low. But I am realistic enough to know that it is not just because of the Ministry of Education, the economy has helped a lot. I believe that I have answered most of the questions posed by Members.”
“Can I ask the Minister of State, when he claims that the LRT is of world-class standards, but the Member for Sembawang is complaining that there are so many frequent breakdowns, what world-class standard are we talking about?”
“May I ask the Minister whether the viewpoints of the commuters and the private bus operators will be solicited in his review? Mr Yeo Cheow Tong: Sir, we are in touch with the private bus operators and we would definitely take the views of the public into consideration in the context of the overall framework of the public transport system.”
“It would be the last resort, as the Minister has put it, to institutionalise persons because, by institutionalising them, one breaks them up from the family, and family dynamics are disrupted. Therefore, it is very important to ensure that we have other means of rehabilitating young persons and juveniles within a community setting.”
“All the time, we emphasise on marriage as a partnership. We also accept, as one of our core values, the family as a basic unit. It is, therefore, desirable that the wording, at the beginning of this Bill, should reinforce this value. Under clause 13, the Minister will have powers to exclude certain classes of persons.”
The complete record
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“Mr Speaker, Sir, thank you for allowing me to join in the debate. I would like to support the motion standing in the name of the Member for Tanglin. Sir, I am pleased that the Government is further committed to improve the life of all Singaporeans. However, this commitment must be translated into concrete terms such as better housing, education, health and security. The benefits must continue to reach most of the sectors of our population. If these benefits are realised, then the bond between the people and the Government will be strengthened. Sir, in the last few years, some policies, particularly on health, housing and education which have immediate and longer term impact on the life of most Singaporeans, have been reviewed and changed. These changes are directed to make the provision of public sector services more efficient and more cost effective. They have also emphasised on market pricing of public social service provisions. Sir, in principle, it is a good idea, provided the prices keep in tandem with the rise in income level. However, I feel that we are rushing too quickly towards market pricing which does have consequences for the average working class. The average working class people may find that it is difficult to catch up with the rising cost in the various services that are provided. Sir, they may face difficulties in having access to basic social services which have been a cornerstone in strengthening family life in particular, and our nation building in general. Sir, if basic social services become increasingly less affordable and burdensome to the working class families, they will feel left out of the mainstream of our social and economic life. Consequently, this may make them and their children realise that they have no stake in our society.”
“We will be able to encourage more professional men and women of standing to be involved. This will add colour and provide a bridge between different viewpoints. Therefore, a consensus can be forged in this whole process. Sir, with regard to the Select Committee's recommendations, I suggest that the following points be considered. Sir, as I see it, in order to maintain the non-partisan nature of the NMP scheme, may I propose that the selection of NMPs be undertaken by Parliamentarians as a whole through a selection process or a secret ballot. This is important because it will be an endorsement of the House for the selection of an NMP. This is necessary, Sir, because Parliamentarians represent various constituencies and constituents, and therefore their endorsement, I would think, would be essentially necessary to provide the credibility for the NMPs to be represented in this House. Sir, the other point that I would like to raise is NMPs should not be nominated from amongst people who are members of political parties. They should not be involved in party politics. If they do, then I think it becomes less credible because they will then take a partisan viewpoint. In this respect, I should think that they should maintain their neutrality and their non-aligned viewpoints, and to provide the real input that is necessary to the House. Sir, the other question that I would like to ask the First Deputy Prime Minister is whether professional groups and associations will be allowed some ways in which they could select their potential candidates to be considered for NMPs. Sir, in conclusion, I see that the NMP scheme is an innovative scheme. It will promote wider representation. It is not a positive step to provide an additional conduit for more viewpoints to find expression.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, thank you for allowing me to speak. Sir, I see the NMP scheme as a political innovation. We should not treat the scheme with despise. I feel that we should give it a try. Unlike the Member for Potong Pasir and the NCMP, Dr Lee Siew-Choh, they have said that it is a regressive step. But I feel that we do not know how it will work and we should in fact give a bold try to this new innovation in the context of Singapore. Sir, the taste of the fruit is by eating it and unless we take it we do not know what it is. Sir, I support the Select Committee's recommendations for a number of reasons. The NMP scheme will provide a forum for non-partisan viewpoints. It encourages a non-alignment in terms of views and this should be encouraged. We must not forget that there are a lot of people who do not like to engage in party politics or adversarial politics in Singapore. But this does not mean that people do not have viewpoints or ideas. They simply think that politics is not for them. They would like to be allowed to pursue their livelihood without being hampered. Sir, this silent majority needs to be represented. Their viewpoints must find expression. And I see that the nominated MP scheme will allow for expression of non-partisan ideas and viewpoints. I do not see how the status of Parliament would drop by introducing the nominated MP scheme. I think it will improve the quality of the debate because it will bring fresh faces, new ideas, and new debates to this House. I cannot agree with Mr Chiam or Dr Lee in terms of their viewpoints that it is a regressive step. In fact, I see it is a progressive step forward. The scheme, as I see it, will enrich our discussion and allow more ideas to be brought into this House.”
“Maybe a transplant, if possible. Would he do the surgery very soon and not postpone? Sir, Government should in fact increase the allocation of funds to health care. I would like to urge the Government to review this and I like to restate that 1.1% expenditure of our GDP on health is rather meagre and small, and I think there is a case to increase this. Finally, Sir, it is necessary to ensure that the services of medical consultants are actually available to C class patients. I would like to find out from the Acting Minister how much time do these medical specialists provide consultations to C class patients.”
“Second, the low income group will delay in seeking hospital treatment until their health condition becomes worse and this is the case because people with less income will protract in seeking admission. This will mean that it will cost more to treat conditions which become more complicated. Third, we have beautiful and good restructured hospitals, but these are likely to become less accessible to those who cannot afford. Sir, we must take steps at this stage to avoid various problems from happening. The first step I like to suggest is to set aside 10% of beds in all restructured hospitals for C class patients. In this respect, I would like to find out from the Acting Minister what percentage of C class beds would be set aside in all restructured hospitals. Sir, the other step that we can take is to implement C class beds in Singapore General Hospital before the end of 1990. The Singapore General Hospital has a long past history in having C class beds. Therefore, I see no necessity for the Acting Minister to delay implementing it. He should in fact do a radical surgery to reinstate C class wards in Singapore General Hospital.”
“Sir, I would like to register my concern about accessibility of health care to the working class, particularly the lower income group. The increasing cost of health care is a hot topic of discussion amongst members of the public. Many are concerned about the steep increase in ward charges. Those in the lower income group are becoming more worried that health care will become less affordable. Sir, their worry is real. The Class C inpatient average bill size has increased significantly. In 1980, Class C inpatient average bill size was $46 in Government hospitals and $57 in Singapore General Hospital. In 1986, Class C inpatient average bill was $157 in Government hospitals and $178 in Singapore General Hospital. As can be seen, Class C bill size has increased about three times over the past period of six years. Sir, in the 1990s when all hospitals are restructured, the Class C average bill size is likely to go up significantly. And this will be the case because there will be less Class C wards in the various hospitals. This will certainly create a burden to people in the lower income group in terms of their need for health care. It is important to note that as at 1988, 19% of them have Medisave balances below $5,000. Such low Medisave balances can be wiped out by just one hospitalisation in the Singapore General Hospital. This is indeed a grave concern that eventually people will have less Medisave balances available to meet their health needs. Sir, given the small Medisave balances among the lower income group, we must be aware of the likely consequences that may arise. First, without the retention of C class wards in all restructured hospitals, we will in future see an increasing number of people defaulting on payments of hospital charges.”
“Sir, I would like to thank the Minister for the reply. I feel that even with the software but without very good hardware, you cannot attract people to use the facilities. On that note, I would like to withdraw the amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.”
“Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head J be reduced by $10 in respect of Code JJ 3100 of the Main Estimates. Sir, the building facilities of old community centres in old housing estates are not attractive and modern enough. Most of these community centres have utilised the quota of Government grant provided. I would like to know what plans are being made to assist in upgrading these old community centres.”
“Sir, I would like to thank the Minister of State for her elaborate reply. We have moved a step forward for both Government and voluntary organisations in solving the community problems. I think this is a good direction and I beg leave to withdraw my amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.”
“Most voluntary and community organisations could be encouraged to establish these services. However, they find it difficult to do so without grants from Government to meet the operational costs. In view that the demand for community-based programmes for the aged will become more urgent in the near future, I would like to ask the Minister what steps are being taken by the Ministry to encourage and develop more community-based programmes to help families that may likely face problems in caring for the aged. Sir, on the area of grants for child-care services, I take note that there is an increasing number of latchkey children that are known to be left alone unsupervised in some of the lower income house- holds. Most of our child-care services cater for children below the age of six years. However, there is a growing demand for care and supervision of children between 6 and 11 years old. Working mothers, particularly those who work in factories, will find before and after school care programmes most helpful. Sir, are there plans by the Ministry to encourage the development of such a service and what assistance will be extended to organisations to start such a service to cope with the problems of latchkey children.”
“Life will be increasingly difficult for destitute families, especially Government services, such as health, education and public utilities are restructured and privatised. If no concrete help is extend to this group, particularly their children, they will unlikely be able to break out from their poverty trap. There is, therefore, a case for some support measures to help these families. These families should not be assisted through welfare handouts which will lead to long-term dependency. The measures should consist of programmes to upgrade the skills of the families and to improve the educational achievements of the children. In this respect, I would like to ask the Minister what plans are being made by the Ministry to assist destitute families more specifically. Sir, turning to the development of community-based programmes for the aged. I note that about 8.3% of our population consists of the aged who are 60 years and above. In absolute numbers, there are about 230,000 aged persons and most of them are living in our older public housing estates. Whilst most families are able to provide care and support for the aged, there is a growing number of families requiring assistance to meet the needs of the aged sick and the problem is likely to become more acute because of the increasing number of old people who are likely to be subjected to various physical and other health related problems. Sir, the need is therefore quite urgent and we should try and see what we can do to try and provide supportive services for the aged sick. Therefore, as I see it, there is a need for setting up more community service programmes, such as home-help, day-care and rehabilitation for this group of aged sick.”
“Sir, we should pay close attention to the problems of destitute families. This is because there are large numbers of children in these families who have potentials that we can develop. I feel that some close attention could be given so that the potentials of these children could be enhanced in order that some of these families can break out from the poverty cycle. Sir, any provisions directed to help these families will be in the long term interest to try and reduce the problems faced by destitute families. The social health of the community is reflected by our capacity to care and though it is necessary that these families should help themselves many of them are unable to help themselves unless help is rendered. Sir, it is estimated that there are 39,000 households in chronic hardship. They consist mainly of widows, single parents, and families suffering from chronic sickness. The per capita income of these families is less than $125 a month. It is indeed difficult for these families to try and meet the minimum household needs. All these households have young children who are our nation's resources. The children of these households have potentials to be developed provided we can organise various social assistance schemes to assist them. In this respect, I am pleased that the Government is intending to implement the dollar-for-dollar contribution to help voluntary organisations to develop programmes to assist these families. I hope that all grassroots organisations that intend to undertake this programme will be considered and supported. Sir, as we make further economic progress, the standard and cost of living will increase and these destitute families will likely lag behind.”
“Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head J be reduced by $10 in respect of Code JD 1500 of the Main Estimates. Sir, I have three cuts under this amendment. Can I take them one after the other?”
“Sir, I beg leave to withdraw my amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.”
“Sir, can I ask a supplementary question? I observe that in the older housing estates, the old find it increasing less mobile because there are no lifts in the five-storey housing blocks. I would request the Minister whether he will consider installing lifts, as part of this upgrading programme, in the five-storey blocks to help the old to be more mobile.”
“To let the people manage their own lives and living conditions is good, but when you allow the free market mechanism to determine the prices, the Minister should see that the HDB also bears some social and civic responsibilities to the community. With market mechanism in operation, civic and charitable organizations are concerned when a certain site or a void deck of HDB estates is used for a public purpose the rental will be affected. Here, I would like to appeal to the Minister, when developing new towns, responsibilities to the community should not be forgotten, by allowing the void decks and other sites to be used by civic and charitable organisations like Home Service Centre, Senior Citizens' Club, Education Centre, RC and creches, etc and to provide facilities and services for the requirements and community needs of the residents. In other words, sites for both old and new organizations at low rentals to enable them to continue providing services and facilities to the residents. I hope the Minister can give this matter serious consideration.”
“Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head T be reduced by $10 in respect of Code TI 5200 of the Development Estimates. Sir, there is a need for a more comprehensive plan to upgrade old housing estates. If we take a survey of housing estates in district 3 to district 12, we will find that the housing estate environment has deteriorated quite a fair bit. Firstly, the young have left these estates, leaving the old behind. Many of these properties have deteriorated in terms of external facades. The facilities in these estates are also poor and have not been upgraded. I feel that in the longer term many of these old public housing estates will not be able to retain the young. There is an urgency to address this problem because younger residents do not find the facilities in these estates attractive. Secondly, the population in these old estates has also aged and the facilities in these estates have not become user-friendly to the old. There is a need to re-look at these old estates to see how facilities could be improved. What I want to ask the Minister is what plans are being made to improve the facilities of the old estates and whether he would deploy resources immediately to address some of the problems and to make these estates more attractive to the young to stay on. Mrs Yu-Foo Yee Shoon (Yuhua)( In Mandarin): Sir, the Housing and Development Board has achieved its objective of providing houses for all who require accommodation. The HDB has been transferring some of its duties and functions to town councils to enable the people to manage their own housing estates.”
“It may be necessary to review the subsidy. Sir, I will now turn to health. In looking at the budget allocated to health, I see that the budget is meagre. The need to keep our population healthy has been con- stantly touched upon. In recent years, there has been increasing public concern about the cost and improvements to the health care service. However, the budgetary provisions in the last five years have not reflected our interest to make health care cost remain accessible and affordable. Our expenditure on health care is only about 1.1% of our GDP. This is really meagre compared to other countries. Government expenditure on health as a percentage of GDP is 4.9% in Japan, 6.7% in France, 6.3% in Germany, 5.3% in the United Kingdom, and 5.4% in Switzerland. I am not suggesting that we should follow the GDP expenditure for health in these countries, but I strongly feel that there is a case for us to review the allocation of expenditure to health in our budget. Sir, we could afford a bit more in terms of allocating funds to health care. As we have accumulated surplus in the last few years, there is a need to review this aspect of expenditure. With that note, I would like to support the Minister's motion. ADJOURNMENT OF DEBATE With the consent of Mr Speaker and the general assent of Members present, Question put, and agreed to. Resolved, That the debate be now adjourned. - [Mr Wong Kang Seng].”
“Sir, the budget attempts to address the serious problem of procreation by introducing further procreation incentives. However, it appears rather half-hearted and measured in giving out incentives to promote procreation. Sir, if we are to deal with this issue more effectively, we need to provide higher tax rebate for mothers in the late twenties and early thirties. It may work better to revise the special tax rebate for mothers. Mothers who give birth to a second child before 31 years should be given $10,000; before the age of 30 years, $15,000; before the age of 29 years, $20,000; and before the age of 26 years, $25,000. Sir, the tax rebate alone does not solve the problem of the care of their children. It would be necessary to consider two other issues, namely, the need to reinstate maternity leave, and I feel that maternity leave is in fact tremendously important for the third birth. This issue will have to be re-studied so that it will ease the burden of mothers who have subsequent births. Sir, the second issue that we have to look at is tax incentives for operators of childcare centres at work-place and in the community. In order to encourage more childcare centres to be set up, it is important to provide tax set-off for capital cost spread over a period of five years to employers and the private childcare operators. Unless there are tax set-off and tax incentives, there may be little growth in terms of services for child care. It is in fact a burden and a high cost for operators to run childcare services. I think there is a need to review such incentives given. At the same time, Sir, it is also necessary to review the childcare subsidy of $100 to mothers in view of the increase of childcare cost through inflation. This subsidy has not changed over time.”
“Thank you, Mr Speaker, Sir, for allowing me to join in the debate. Sir, I shall be precise, not because the budget has an impact on me but most of the points that I would be raising had in fact been covered by my parliamentary colleagues. Sir, I must thank the Minister for Finance for having introduced a budget which is commendable and appears reasonable. This budget is widely supported by the business circle. However, for the large number of ordinary working persons, they tend to feel that the budget has little impact. Why, Sir, is there little impact? They feel that they have earlier contributed to revenue through increases imposed by the various Ministries. Whilst this approach takes the heat off the budget there is a danger of lack of coordination among Ministries. This itself may generate inter-Ministry competition and rivalry which may in the longer term lead to lack of coordination and impose different strains on the individual who have to pay higher charges during the year. Sir, there is certainly a good case for Ministries not to implement increase in charges or fees almost one after another. This is important because the threshold for the individual taxpayer having to be able to manage and cope with it may be reduced. Sir, there is a need to observe this because we may burden the individuals with average incomes and we may generate and cause inflation. Sir, the man-in-the-street is beginning to feel that the prices of goods and services are increasing rather rapidly to their liking. In this respect, I would like to ask the Minister whether any steps are being taken to ensure that inflation is being controlled. I hope that we do not create a run-away inflation by our various increases. This is important because it may affect the average working class.”
“I would like to ask the Minister three questions, Sir. The Minister has talked about a lot of deterrents and disincentives. Would the Minister consider some road tax rebates for people who use the roads less? From the takings that he has got from the tenders, would he give rebates to the existing car owners? Secondly, in the event there is cartel, what intervention does the Government have to ensure that there is no cartel formation in the tendering system? Thirdly, since there is a significant drop in the number of motorcycles registered, I am suggesting whether the one-third premium on open entitlement could be reduced significantly, in the light that many motorcyclist are low income earners.”
“Sir, in view that there is an urgency for the lower-income group to use medical services in the Singapore General Hospital, would the Minister consider introducing class C wards by the end of this year.”
“Sir, this is an improvement obviously. I would like to ask the Minister whether he is aware that there is increasing difficulty of the lower-income group to use SGH medical services. I would want to find out whether he would be prepared to introduce class C wards in the Singapore General Hospital.”
“To treat them equally and without discrimination, we should keep in contact with all the eligious organisations in our consti- tuency. If we reject without exception all invitations by various religious organisations, then this will result in our becoming estranged from our people, thus giving them the impression that we are cutting ourselves off from the masses and being intolerant to those who profess a religion different from ours. When a Member of Parliament attends these religious activities ---”
“Yet, this has not changed the secular outlook of the Government. He also pointed out that Ministers and Members of Parliament, irrespective of their own religious beliefs, should adopt a secular attitute in dealing with their constituents, because these constituents come from different religious backgrounds or may have no religious belief. Yet, there are some people among us who feel that we should keep an equal distance from all religions or religious activities, that is, avoid attending activities organised by any religious organisation. I do not agree with this. First, this will be very unfair to our Malay Members of Parliament because, to them, it is very difficult to separate race from religion. Furthermore, as Members of Parliament, of whatever religion, must rise above religion to be close to our people. We must treat all religions equally without discrimination and to take care of all religious organisations in our constituency. When a religious organisation in our constituency invites us to its function, it is doing so out of respect for our status in the constituency. If a Member of Parliament, for reason of his own religious belief, refuses to attend the functions of these religious organisations, including religious functions, then this will mean that he is being influenced by his own religious belief into being prejudiced against the other religions. I respect the choice of every individual Member of Parliament. But, I hope that they know and understand the consequences of their choice. To treat all religions equally and without discrimination does not mean to reject without exception all invitations to attend various religious activities.”
“The views of religious leaders on such topics such as multinationals, foreign workers, distribution of wealth, population policy, etc. may not be as incisive as those of the sociologists, economists or demographers. They can, at most, look at these topics from the educational or moral point of view. However, there is one thing that the religious leaders must note, that is, in view of the influence they have on their followers, they must be cautious when they express their views. Very often, it would depend on his capacity, the venue, the choice of words and the starting points under which he makes his statement. As a matter of fact, they could make representation to the relevant department on certain matters in their capacity as citizens. They could even request to have a dialogue session with the Government Parliamentary Committees or Ministers to express their own stand or views. What the Bill seeks to prevent is the action by persons who may try to make use of their religious organizations to mobilise their followers and to organise the so-called "social action" to exert pressure on the Government to give way on some policies. Different religious groups may have entirely different views on a given issue. If they all seek to exert pressure on the Government using the same method, then this will not only bring about a confrontation with the Government but also friction among the various religions. Finally, I wish to raise a relatively sensitive matter, one which touches on the relationship between Ministers, Members of Parliament and the religious organisations. The Prime Minister, on 13th December 1988, observed that the last three General Elections had brought into Parliament more Members of Parliament who have religious beliefs.”
“With regard to the first issue, our democratic system has provided us with the proper channel to participate in or to be involved in politics. One does not need to influence politics through religious means. At a General Election, when the voter casts his vote, he is exercising his political rights as a voter and not as a religious follower. Similarly, a candidate participates in politics as a citizen of Singapore and not as a member of any religious group. Nobody knows to what extent a voter is being influenced by his own religious belief when he casts his vote for the candidate of his choice. Likewise, nobody knows whether a candidate standing in the general election is doing so because he wants to serve the nation or because he is inspired by God, or for any other reason. However, if anyone makes use of religion to appeal to the voters for support and to influence the election results, then, obviously, he is using religion to interfere with politics. By so doing, he will certainly arouse strong objection from other religious organisations with counter-action. This will not only undermine our religious harmony but also bring about political instability. To get involved in politics through religion is not appropriate in our pluralistic and secular society. As for the second issue, I do not think we are in a position to give a definition for "Politics" which is acceptable to everybody. I do not believe that this Bill seeks to deprive any religious leader of his right to express his own views on any social, economic or even political issue. In fact, any Singaporean, irrespective of his religion, or non-religious status, can freely express his views on any policy or current affairs by writing to the press.”
“The Minister has to have regard to any such recommendation of the Council, but he is not bound by the recommendation of the Council. This arrangement is perhaps consistent with the Governments' position that the Government must claim ultimate political autority from the Constitution, and not from any divine sanction or the will of Heaven. However, on the other hand, if the Minister frequently disregards the recommendation of the Council, then it would diminish the influence of the Council on the various religious bodies and its authority on religious matters. This cannot be the original intention for the establishment of the Presidential Council for Religious Harmony. The Minister should also be objective and fair in making the decision before issuing the Prohibition Order. If he successively issues Prohibition Orders against perhaps from a particular religious group, he will have to face queries from his Cabinet colleagues, criticisms from Members of Parliament and finally sanction of the people. Therefore, I do not believe that the power given to the Minister is absolute. If the Minister abuses his power, the whole Government may have to pay a very high political price for it. The issue that religion and politics should be strictly separated has aroused some heated arguments. These arguments were generated because the followers of some religions believe that the faith encompasses all aspects of life, and that it is impossible to separate religious from political behaviour. Another contentions issue is the definition of "Politics". Religious bodies and religious leaders are concerned that when they express their views on social and moral issues, they may be construed as having interfered with politics.”
“For those who have no intention to undermine our religious harmony or to indulge in political activities under the guise of religions, there is really nothing to worry about. Another major feature in this Bill is the formal establishment of a Presidential Council for Religious Harmony. It comprises representatives of the major religions. The Government has also accepted the suggestion to include grassroots leaders and other prominent lay persons who are respected and well-known in society in the Council. I believe these non-religious councillors can represent the viewpoints of those who do not have any religion. For example, they may recommend to the Council to request the religious leaders to restrain their own followers from slandering and rejecting traditional etiquette and custom which would affect harmony among members of the family. It is pointed out in the White Paper that the Council can play a valuable role in moderating relatins between religious groups. At the same time, it can recommend to the Government on how best to deal with sensitive religious issues. From this perspective, it would appear that the two functions assigned to the Council under Clause 4 of this Bill are too narrow and passive. The Council should have the right to take the initiative to make recommendations to the Minister with regard to inter-religious relationship, the scope in which religions can carry out their activities, and the code of conduct for the preaching of religious beliefs, etc. In other words, the Council can play a more active part in the maintenance of religious harmony. As far as the Prohibition Order is concerned, the Council can only make its recommendation.”
“Some people feel that our existing laws are adequate to deal with the religious fanatics and people who undermine our religious harmony, for example, the Penal Code, Sedition Act or the Internal Security Act. However, these laws may be too severe or they cannot speedily prevent any conduct capable of undermining our religious harmony. Also in the course of judicial proceedings, the offender may make use of the opportunity to carry out propagation or to incite emotion, thereby worsening the situation. For this reason, we must have a new legislation which gives the Government the power to effectively and speedily, yet not too harshly, check the conduct of those who attempt to undermine our religious harmony. The Minister is given the power to issue a Prohibition Order to stop a person from repeating his action or activity which could do harm to our religious harmony. Fourteen days before the Minister issues the Prohibition Order, he must notify the person concerned and also the leader of the religious body to which he belongs, so that he will have a chance to explain or to make representation. In addition, the Minister must also inform the proposed Presidential Council could give their views within the same time limits. For any legislation to be effective, there must be some restrictive measures and punitive provisions. However, in this Bill, when the power is given to the Minister to issue a Prohibition Order, it is more regulatory than punitive in nature. As far as this Bill is concerned, it is limited in both its objective and its power. It does not impose any restriction on anybody's freedom of religion. Neither does it prevent any religious body from propagating its beliefs.”
“No doubt, the zealous missionaries are acting out of good intention, for example, showing the way to Heaven for critically-ill patients, and giving spiritual support to students who have failed their examinations. Yet, to the person or persons concerned, and to members of their families, these preachers are taking advantage of the situation and adding more disturbance to their misery. Some of these preachers condemn other people's religions in an attempt to convert them. Of course, such method of proselytization would be strongly objected by the other religious organisations which will then retaliate in self-defence, thereby causing inter-religious conflicts. The Annex to the White Paper on the Maintenance of Religious Harmony, has given such alarming examples. Therefore, we have to do something in anticipation and prepare ourselves for the rainy days, so that our religious organisations will continue co-exist peacefully, and that the religious leaders would restrain their respective followers to abide by the principles of mutual respect and mutual tolerance. This is why the Government has to introduce this Bill at this stage. It is said that a single spark can start a prairie fire. We cannot wait until the spirit of religious harmony is undermined and the various religious organisations are placed in a situation in which they are as incompatible as fire and water, before we discuss how to deal with the situation. By that time, the structure of our society would be undermined; there will be political instability and the nation would be disintegrated. It would be too late for us to remedy the situation. The situations in Lebanon, Punjab and Sri Lanka, etc. are very good examples for us to learn our lessons from.”
“However, when we debate this Bill, I hope we will concentrate more on its spirit and its objective rather than merely on its clauses and definitions. All Singaporeans, including leaders of the opposition parties, accept the objective of this Bill, ie, to ensure that there is religious harmony here. In a pluralistic society like Singapore, religious harmony and racial harmony are closely linked. This spirit of harmonious co-existence is not only an ideal but one of the basic conditions for nation building. There is no doubt that religion has contributed greatly to our society. Religion satisfies the spiritual needs of the believers and serves as their moral guide. Religion has undertaken educational, social and charitable works and this contribution should not go unrecognised. That religion could co-exist in Singapore in peaceful harmony is no doubt due to the Government's neutral policy in which the various religious bodies are treated fairly and equally. At the same time, the fact that the various religious organisations have exercised mutual respect and tolerance has also contributed to our religious harmony. However, in recent years, there seems to be changes to the situation. There is a trend of religious revivalism in many parts of the world. There are also many incidents of inter-religious riots and even wars in many countries. Such external factors have increased the possibility of friction among our religious groups. Some over-zealous believers have adopted a dominant and exclusive position, rejecting other religions and practising aggressive proselytization.”
“It is likely to grow if we do not bring to consciousness this problem and take steps to check some of these unhealthy trends. Sir, we need to monitor these activities carefully to see if these are healthy. All we need are some fanatics to throw a spanner in our works. If this happens, it will be disastrous for all of us. Our society will be fractured. It will never be able to heal the wounds of religious conflicts. Sir, with regard to the Bill, I have a few concerns to address. One is the issue of the definitions of the Bill, which have been brought up by various Members, as to be vague. I feel that there is a need to arbitrate judiciously in terms of the interpretational problems arising out of those definitions. It is essential to have a judicial committee perhaps to review some of the problems that arise as a result of this difficulty in interpretation. Secondly, Sir, the other concern which has been expressed is that in the event there are conflicts between the Minister and the Presidential Council over religious harmony, one has to ask whether if the prohibition order has to be imposed, whose view would prevail? We cannot predict that such situations cannot arise. In the event that it does, who would arbitrate in this matter? I feel that there is a need to set up a Presidential Review Committee which can deal with such problems. Sir, aside from these concerns, I am in full support of this Bill because I feel that it will ensure the long term safeguard for our social security and the stability of our society. Dr Ow Chin Hock (Leng Kee)( In Mandarin): Mr Speaker, Sir, first of all, I must declare that I do not have any religious belief but I do have close connection with the Catholic religion. I support this Bill.”
“Sir, I support the Maintenance of Religious Harmony Bill as it will provide us opportunity to take preventive action against individuals or groups who are out to exploit religious issues to cause social disharmony in our society. I must say that it is a Bill which will help to maintain our social well-being, especially in a multi-racial and religious society like ours. Sir, there are many lessons which we can draw from various places where religious passions have flared, resulting in unending human miseries and loss of lives. Recent events in many places have shown how grim the problems can be. Surely we would not like this to happen in Singapore. And if it does happen it will be very difficult for us to put things back together again. This, I think, every thinking and rational Singaporean will have to work to see that we ensure there is religious harmony, mutual respect and mutual tolerance among our people. Sir, I hope that during our lifetime and our children's lifetime, such religious conflicts do not happen. It would be a sad day for all of us if we do not take steps to prevent this. Therefore, we need to bring more awareness among our citizens, particularly the young and the old, the need to have mutual respect and religious tolerance. Perhaps we need to inculcate into our young and also through our efforts in public housing to bring people of various religious persuasions to integrate and to socialise and to understand one another. The enacting of the Bill would provide one of the realistic solutions. Sir, I am concerned about recent increase in religious fervour in Singapore. I have myself witnessed, as a parliamentarian in my own constituency, some of the issues and problems that have arisen and this I must say is a real problem.”
“Thank you, Mr Speaker, Sir, for allowing me to join the debate. Sir, we have religious harmony for some time. We hope that this will last forever. Will it? I am not sure of this. Mr Chiam thinks that it will, but he will probably also join me to think that it may not be possible for us to forecast what it is going to be like. Sir, we cannot take for granted that this will last. There is no guarantee unless all Singaporeans of various religious persuasions work towards the maintenance of religious harmony. Though this is difficult, we have to attempt to try and get them to work together. Religious differences are like time bombs. All we need are a few irresponsible fanatics to light the fuse to create religious discord. It is these irrational people that we must take actions against triggering religious tensions and conflicts. Sir, you and I and many of my parliamentary colleagues have experienced two racial riots when we were young. These were started by religious fanatics and subversives. There were many untold miseries that we have all experienced and we know of and they are all very grim situations that we have all had some exposure to. We have suffered gravely by these setbacks which left much bitterness that took a long time to resolve. I remembered my peace loving neighbours saying that they felt that it should never have happened, but it did. Mr Chiam hopes that religious harmony would continue, but would it? I think it is a basic question that we will all have to ask ourselves. These are things of the past that I cannot easily forget. Therefore, I would like to urge all Singaporeans to see the Bill as a safeguard for our long term societal stability.”
“Sir, is the Minister not aware that the number of motorcycles has in fact decreased and what is the rationale for such a steep increase in registration fee from $5 to $1,005 for motorcycles?”
“People could be allowed to record their mileage and after a while they could be assessed at ROV when they send their cars for inspection. If they are using less mileage, give them a rebate. That could probably be one incentive that we could explore. I suggest that these incentive schemes be looked into critically so that we need not have to introduce the quota system at this stage we should examine whether these are feasible steps to curb road usage. Sir, I urge the Government not to accept the proposal to introduce the car quota system until it is assessed that our car usage measures have proved to be really ineffective. We still have a lead time to first try out other recommendations proposed by the Committee. So I hope that the Government would study the proposal on the quota system seriously before it is introduced. 4.04 pm”
“Sir, we have been rated to have the best transportation system in the world. Road congestion is still tolerable. Until its implications are fully studied, there is no serious urgency to implement the quota system. We must first implement as many measures as possible to reduce car usage. We can introduce measures such as providing more car parks around MRT stations with parking rebates. This has not been fully explored and I think that in many new towns, we can provide car parks with a better rebate system. We may also introduce a step increase in road tax for cars over 10 years. This would be one solution to get old cars off the road. People who tend to keep older cars for a longer period of time would be deterred. this could reduce frequent breakdowns and congestions on our roads. Further increase in parking charges in the city area could be looked into because the charges are still not high enough to deter people from getting into the CBD areas. Sir, there are two other immediate measures which I think may produce results and these need to be explored. We have been talking, discussing and implementing schemes which are centered on disincentives. Why do we not talk of incentive schemes? I wish to propose that rebate on road tax be considered for people who prefer not to drive into the CBD area, or if they drive less into the CBD area. A rebate system could be considered and worked out. Before the ERP is introduced, one could possibly look at road tax rebate system. We could always look at tamper-proof mileage meter. The Government has introduced a law regarding half-tank rule. The Government could perhaps try to look at tamper-proof mileage meter. Most cars are inspected at the ROV once in three years.”
“Sir, the car quota proposal will create a number of problems. Firstly, there will be serious price distortions in the market for new and used cars. Black marketing and excessive profiteering will arise as competition for licence to purchase new cars increases. Both buyers and sellers of new cars will not be subjected to rational market behaviour. Members have suggested that the market is going to be corrected by rational behaviour. But I think in this issue, the market is never rational at all to some extent by pricing. Because there are a lot of reasons why people want to acquire cars. And unless we can appreciate these desires, it is really not possible through rational policies to deal with some of these desires. Secondly, the hopes of young professionals to acquire cars for transportation will be dashed. They will have to pay more for owning a car in future. They will feel that they are discriminated. In the long run, they will be frustrated as their middle class aspirations to some extent is dampened. Thirdly, people will tend to keep their cars longer as future car prices are likely to be very high. And we may see an increase in the number of older cars on the road. As a result, the overall car population will increase and road congestions will remain a problem. Fourthly, the quota will certainly penalise the new entrants into the car ownership as it is seen as less equitable. Unless an equitable system of balloting is devised, new entrants into car ownership will have to pay a high premium. May I suggest, Sir, the HDB style of balloting system be implemented in this case. This is because everybody who needs a car would get an access. This will be an equitable approach to working out a solution for those who really need a car.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I support most of the recommendations proposed by the Select Committee on Road Transportation Policy. However, I am not really persuaded by the arguments put forward by my parliamentary colleagues who have advocated the car quota system. I am not convinced for a number of reasons. Firstly, we must not forget that there are about 35% of our population who are between 18 years and below 35. And with rising aspirations and increasing affluence, this group of people are likely to assert demand on the car market. Hence, the car system will be overheated and prices are likely to be exorbitant. Sir, the quota system aims at how we can control car population growth. The quota syatem limits the number of cars to be made available on the road. It does not in a way solve the problems of usage and congestion. You may control the number of cars but by rampant driving around and other factors affecting, it will generate congestions too. So to think of the quota as a mere solution to wht whole problem may not be realistic. What one should look at is the implementation of immediate measures and whether we have exhausted all possible measures in term of curbing road usage and relieve road congestions. Sir, I am not in support of this proposal to implement the car quota system. This proposal may on the surface appear attractive but it does not solve the car usage problem. The quota system sticks out like a sore thumb. It produces more negative consequences rather than relieve congestions on our roads. The proposal will make some happy and many frustrated in meeting one's need for a car. It does not make sense as it would set us back. We will be attacking the symptom rather than the cause of increasing congestions of our roads.”
“Sir, may I ask the Acting Minister whether there are plans to implement more supportive health care services in housing estates where there are a growing number of senior citizens and aged sick?”
“Before, we used to hear only of small-time addicts and traffickers, but now Colombia has shown us the proportions of crime at its worst. So it would be only prudent to take a close look at this. Particularly this decision is not made just by the judges but by the House, by Parliament, by people with thorough knowledge of the problem, who put the interests of the country, especially our children, at the highest level of importance. 6.05 pm”
“It is not out of capriciousness that I make this suggestion to do something harsh. Really, I make this suggestion with sorrow, with sadness in my heart. And it is simply because I love our kids, our young people, and I sympathise with their parents. If we take what Baey Lian Peck and the doctor, I think it is right that we look into this at its proper perspective. My suggestion is, three years from now, if there is no convincing change in the situation, I propose that the first-time addicts, if found guilty, should be caned and I say this very reluctantly. I think it is better to see the scars on his back than to let the addict turn to trafficking, to be caught, and have the scars on his neck, ie, for him to go to the gallows. If this could be throughly studied, I am confident parents would be more careful, teachers would always try to spread the message in school and the children themselves would always be aware of this aspect, and their awareness, their cautiousness, would be far greater than before. To those who might say that they are not criminals for us to cane them, I think, our Minister is himself a lawyer. He knows well enough, that there are hundreds, even thousands of acts that are now deemed as criminal that a hundred or a hundred and fifty years ago were not. This is because we have jurists who interpret the law according to time and circumstances. We have the tradition of legal men who exercise their minds, people like Dicey, Fitzgerald Lord Denning, Diplock, Scarmen, people who adapt the law changing to circumstances. Why? Because time and the society are ever-changing, and, thus, the desires and expectations of society also change. Society is no longer as simple as it was before. The Society has become more complex.”
“That is the view of a volunteer and a doctor. I now quote the President of SANA, Baey Lian Peck. Baey Lian Peck spoke of how tough it is for the addict to free himself from the shackles of addiction. He said, I quote: 'Once addicted, it is very difficult for an addict to give up drugs, no matter how hard he himself wants to.' Mr Deputy Speaker, in view of these two quotations and in view of the 2,165 relapse cases and in view of the 10-30% addicts who turn traffickers, I would like to appeal, as I have said earlier, that the Ministry monitor the situation for the next three years. If, having put these measures into effect, we do not see the expected results, I appeal that my suggestion be considered seriously. Three years from now, if things get really bad, please take my suggestion. I have often heard people saying we should cane our young people only if they commit a second or subsequent offence. The Minister is a man of law, and I remember once a judge said: "If I do not punish this young man as he deserves, today it might be theft, the next time it will be robbery and eventually he will be facing the gallows." That is why I ask that this idea be considered. I look at the drug problem like a house with a leaking roof. Water leaks into the house and collects on the floor below. We try all sorts of things to clear the water on the floor, but what is most important is the roof, perhaps we ought to change it, from attap roof to zinc, from zinc to tile. Because if we only look at the problem down below, and just get a machine that can clear the water in one minute, but fail to repair the leaking roof, the best of machines will not serve any purpose. With due respect to Dr lee, I am not inhumane.”
“I would like to know whether these guidelines will be drawn up by the Ministry so that the officers who are administering corporal punishment will be able at least to administer this judiciously. The Senior Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Education (Encik Sidek bin Saniff)( In Malay): Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I rise to welcome the measures proposed today, which show how serious the Government is in addressing this problem. I would like at the same time to congratu- late the Ministry, which has been intensifying its efforts. I am sure the people of Singapore feel that these latest efforts including the initiatives of the Ministry's Political Secretary, are sound and positive. Mr Deputy Speaker, I have been told that this year, there are 505 new addicts, which is a reduction of 12% from the figure for the same period last year. However, I note also that there are 2,165 relapse cases. In view of what is happening in Colombia, where addiction has led to trafficking which has in turn led to crime, I feel the measures to be taken are very appropriate. But now I would like to ask the Minister to seriously consider some plans for the next three years, some form of monitoring to ensure that this problem would not deteriorate into something much bigger. Before I go on, I would like to quote the words of Dr Ong Teck Hong, Senior Lecturer in Psychology and a volunteer in SANA. I quote this from Mirror of 1st October 1989, volume 25, No. 19. He said: 'Drug abusers are generally escapists. They are ill-equipped to tackle problems, have a low threshold of frustration and are emotionally and easily anxious. They differ from non-abusers also in plural self-concept and the possession of a greater tendency to seek pleasure and to take risks'.”
“I feel that side by side with this approach, if we have a strong programme directed at helping drug addicts in ensuring that they do not relapse, we will be able to do more justice in that area. I see that there is a need to strengthen this aspect of services. I hope that the Ministry will take a more directed action in terms of strengthening the rehabilitation programmes. I would like to ask the Minister what efforts and attempts would be made to strengthen the drug rehabilitation and supervision programmes. Sir, discharged drug addicts need a closer supervision. There is a need to strengthen our supervisory and rehabilitative services so that there lapses can be reduced. In the light that we are taking harsher sentence on second and subsequent offences, I am concerned about the manh younger drug addicts who are undergoing supervision. Care should be exercised so that we do not unnecessarily criminalise the very young. I hope that the Ministry will be able to decide very objectively as to whether the younger drug addicts, particularly those who are below 21 are not unnecessarily criminalised through subsequent sentences. Sir, the other area that I would like to seek clarification is that the provision for corporal punishment in the rehabilitation centres. Corporal punishment is appropriate if we are going to deal with drug addicts who are causing tremendous diswelfare within these outfits. They become destructive and they work against the whole drug rehabilitation efforts. However, the administration of such punishment poses difficulties. It is therefore important that proper guidelines are drawn up for implementing corporal punishment in the various drug rehabilitation centres.”
“Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker, for allowing me to join in the debate. Sir, I support the Bill. The amendments are timely in the sense that the drug situation in the region, particularly drug trafficking and abuse, is becoming worse. We need to take preventive action, particularly because many of our vulnerable young are victims of drug traffickers. If we make a survey of many countries where there are liberal programmes for dealing with drug abuse and drug enforcement, we will realise that many of their programmes have failed. The results are not very positive. The drug abuse situation has in fact worsened in many of these places. I must say that in the Singapore context the drug abuse situation is well under control. Perhaps, we can do better. Sir, the question is, should we let traffickers off? Many drug traffickers live on the miseries of many young people. They break many lives. They destroy their future. Should we condone the actions of drug traffickers? I feel that taking very positive and deterrent measures against drug traffickers will in a way help to reduce demand. In the Singapore context, drug trafficking is directed at creating demand. If we do not attempt to deal with the drug traffickers and take deterrent action against them, I think we would not be able to solve the problem. Therefore, deterrent sentence is essential to deal with the drug abuse problem and drug trafficking in Singapore. Sir, the enforcement programmes that we have launched does help to curb drug abuse. It is also essential to look at how we can strengthen our drug rehabilitation and supervision programmes.”
“Sir, to give credibility to the nominated MP scheme, it is very important that they are selected by a Committee which should comprise some noted community leaders and personalities. This will prevent the public to view the nominated MPs as mere mouth pieces of PAP MPs and Government. So in this whole selection process, if we have some notable community leaders to sit in the selection of the nominated MP scheme, then I think it will add credibility to the people who are selected. In conclusion, I see that the nominated MP scheme is a new innovation in our parliamentary democracy. Its success is left to be seen. There has been much concern expressed in this House that such a scheme derides parliamentary democracy. Are we sure that this is going to be the case? No one can say that this is going to be so. I feel that we should give this scheme a try. It depends on how well it will be supported by our people and the response from non-partisan members or groups in our community. With these reservations, Sir, I support the Bill.”
“In these two dimensional viewpoints, we should ask whether these two dimensional perspectives and dialogue are adequate. Some people feel that it is too one-sided a viewpoint. Sir, with the nominated MP scheme, there will be a third dimension to our parliamentary debates. The public would certainly like to look forward to this. I hope that it will bring, in the process of time, more important viewpoints and suggestions to this House to enrich our discussions. I hope too, Sir, in this whole process, the general public will be able to see that our PAP MPs are equally concerned as the nominated MPs in discussing matters of public concern. Sir, in implementing the nominated MP scheme, we must ensure that they do not become lame duck MPs. It is therefore important that various professional, business, social and civic groups are given the opportunity to participate in nominating their preferred candidates. If possible, if they can be allowed to take part in selecting their candidates, it provides the credibility and the authenticity in terms of the people that can surface from amongst these different groups. The selection of the nominated MPs should be done as openly as possible. Sir, the nominated MPs are non-partisan members. Since they are not elected, they cannot be accountable to the people, but to this House. It is therefore not logical for them to be allowed to vote on any Bills except money and constitutional matters, in the sense that they can vote on all other matters except these two Bills. The fact that they are going to be non-partisan, then I feel that it is logical that they should not participate in voting. It will be more appropriate for them to not to be allowed to vote on various Bills.”
“First, there is an increasing number of Singaporeans, who because of our Asian cultural orientation, do not engage in partisan politics. We must recognise that a lot of people do not want to take sides, but have useful opinions and viewpoints to offer. If they have useful viewpoints to offer, then all these useful viewpoints need to be captured. There is a need for a forum to capture such useful viewpoints. The nominated MP scheme would provide such a forum. A forum for this sector of the population would be useful. The nominated MP scheme would provide non-partisan viewpoints to be expressed. Some people may find it more comfortable to use this channel to articulate their opinion. Sir, this is a reality of Singapore's politics. It would be futile for us not to recognise this. I must say that in the course of our discussions we will obviously find that this is the case. Second, there are many interest groups such as professionals, women, workers, businesses and community groups, which are seeking for opportunities for their views to be articulated. These interest groups are on the rise and there is a need to provide a voice for them. We cannot deny that in many sectors there are various interest groups and we should not be oblivious to this. Many of these interest groups do in a way generate viewpoints, participate in various political process directly or indirectly. The nominated MP scheme may provide such groups an avenue for representing their interests. A wider variety of opinions would enrich our parliamentary discussions. The third value of the nominated MP scheme would be that at the moment we have two dimensional viewpoints in our parliamentary debates, namely, one from the Government perspective and the other from the opposition perspective.”