Sia Khoon Seong
Singapore
“Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head L be reduced by $10 in respect of Code LD 1500 of the Main Estimates. Earlier, I stated that the morale of the teachers is dependent on their conditions of work.”
“For one thing it must be clear to the parents that the Day School is not just another name for a day care centre. Neither does the Day School scheme diminish parental role and responsibility in the moral upbringing of their children. Children can and will do just so much during school hours.”
“I must urge the Ministry of Education to allow as many serving non-graduate teachers as possible, who have the ability and qualifications, to join the degree programme and attain graduate status. Those who have proven their worth in the service more than deserve the opportunity to further themselves.”
“I have not finished. Of course, the underlying reasons for the teaching of Religious Knowledge are always valid since time immemorial - to teach man to be good. After all, our moral education basically wants to achieve that. Since 1959, not just 1982, the underlying reasons for moral education have always been the same.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I want to ask the Minister of State, is it not true that prior to 1982 Religious Knowledge was also an optional subject? Prior to 1982, all along Religious Knowledge was taught as an optional subject. In 1989, we are going back to pre-1982. The mistake in 1982 was to make RK compulsory.”
“With the introduction of caning for traffickers and employers who employ illegal immigrant workers, I am quite sure it will act as a strong deterrent to them from doing so. With the passing of this Bill, employers and traffickers will now find it not worth the while to take risk in employing foreign workers illegally.”
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“(4) That the sum to be allocated for Head T be reduced by the whole sum in respect of item 1210 of Subhead Code TA-01 of the Main Estimates.”
“(2) That the sum to be allocated for Head T be reduced by the whole sum in respect of item 1100 of Subhead Code TA-01 of the Main Estimates.”
“Sir, just now when I said that if the Ministry were to conduct a survey now the results would be different, I was merely trying to drive home the point that circumstances have changed since the last survey was conducted. But I am not at all suggesting that the Ministry should conduct another survey because I think the teachers are quite fed up of having more surveys and more circulars from the Ministry of Education. That is the point that I wanted to make.”
“Sir, I made that comment just as a point for argument. I am not suggesting that -”
“Sir, listening to the Senior Minister of State's reply, enumerating a long list of education programmes that his Ministry is presently carrying out, one cannot help but feel that the Education Ministry is taking on more than what it can chew. Let us hope that there will be no further announcements of any new educational innovations in the immediate future until the Ministry has finished sorting out its various problems in connection with the recent educational policy changes. The Senior Minister of State also mentioned that the survey which his Ministry conducted among teachers sometime ago showed that there was no evidence of low morale in the teaching profession. In fact, that point was brought up by the Member for Serangoon Gardens. I think he seemed to forget that this survey was conducted before the results of the promotion exercise were known and before the English Language Course was organised. So if his Ministry conducts a survey now, his Ministry will be surprised to find that the results will vary considerably from the results of the last survey. An hon. Member: How do you know?”
“Even with much attention and money spent on promoting healthy and constructive staff relations, results are not always the most desirable. This is because personnel management is one of the most difficult and complicated branches of management functions. In Singapore, it is well known that in the public sector, personnel management is often no more than just a matter of shackling the civil servants with the instruction manual regulations, and the filing of personal particulars and records. One must admit that in certain ministries, the filing system of such records is more efficient than the others. What of the human aspect of staff relations? The answer to that is a big "nil" in most public sector establishments. If a competition were to be organised among the public sector establishments and proper standards and desirable norms were applied to determine the award of prizes for promoting and maintaining good and healthy staff relations within their establishments, it will be interesting to find out if any establishment can really make the grade and qualify for any of the first five prizes. But one thing I can confidently predict, and that is, the Education Ministry will qualify for the award of the "wooden spoon" with the greatest ease.”
“Despite all the excuses given by the Education Ministry, I am quite sure that if greater care and imagination had been exercised, half the number of the unsuccessful applicants for transfers could replace some of those transferred but who did not ask for transfer themselves. Let me now come to the question of the last promotion exercise for teachers, a subject which has been touched on so eloquently by previous speakers. There seemed to be a great deal of unhappiness after the results were known. This is partly because there is so much confusion among teachers as to what merits a promotion. It is a pity that the Education Ministry is not able to come forth with certain guidelines and define the criteria or the basis of assessing whether a teacher is suited for promotion or not. Unless this is done, there is going to be even more dissatisfaction after each promotion exercise. Sir, much of the unhappiness and dissatisfaction in the teaching profession stem from the fact that the Education Ministry pays very little attention to the question of promoting and establishing good staff relations and rapport. The Education Ministry has failed to foster stronger links of communication throughout the hierarchy of the Education Service. There are some 18,000 teachers in the employ of the Ministry of Education. This does not include a sizable number of other staff. That makes the Education Ministry easily one of the largest employers in Singapore in terms of the number of staff it has. Sir, employers in the private sector, with staff one-tenth that of the Ministry of Education, not only spend quite a lot of money on personnel management and other related matters, but also ensure that they employ personnel management staff who are trained and are competent in their work.”
“Now the Education Ministry has shifted the blame on the English-medium teachers and herded some 1,000 teachers to a god-forsaken place, the former British School in Portsdown Road, on a six- month course despite the fact that the pre-requisite entry qualifications into teaching are now generally higher. What can the Ministry achieve by organising this course? Nothing. What harm can it do? Plenty. First, it has antagonised the English-medium teachers by implying that they are underqualified. Secondly, the Education Ministry is depleting further the very short supply of specialist English Language teachers in schools to run these courses. Is this not going to make the situation in the secondary schools and junior colleges far worse than at present where there is already an acute shortage of specialist English Language teachers? Let me now come to the question of the annual transfers of teachers. Teachers must be allowed to grow roots in the schools they are posted to if they are to give of their best to their pupils. In the Education Ministry, the problem regarding transfer of teachers has become worse. I realise a certain number of transfers are unavoidable. But I suspect quite a number of transfers are, to a certain extent, due to poor planning and management. In last year's transfer of teachers, 1,001 teachers who did not ask for transfer were transferred. The transfers not only upset the teachers but also dislocated the administration and management of their schools. On the other hand, 873 teachers who asked for transfer were not transferred.”
“They are aimed at making the education system more effective and productive, so to speak, in developing the varying skills of our pupils. These are decisions that appear straightforward and simple on paper. But when they are translated into action in schools, they bring about a host of implementation problems. For example, reliable assessment criteria will have to be worked out and applied in determining who should be promoted to the next higher class or retained. Then there is the problem of contending with the parents of children who are retained, for most parents will not like their children to be retained. Then, in some instances, there is the problem of finding additional classrooms and teachers to look after the additional classes of retained children. Then there is the question of getting the right teachers for the right subjects. It is not enough just to give sufficient number of teachers. Giving the schools the right number of the right subject teachers is important if we want to achieve the best results. If the Education Ministry cannot do it because of financial constraints and other peculiar circumstances, then the Education Ministry should not blame the teachers for anything that goes wrong in the schools. I know the Education Ministry cannot resist the temptation of putting the blame on the teachers. When things go wrong in the Education Ministry, teachers are used as sacrificial lambs to appease the gods. A recent example of this is the English course for teachers. There have been wild claims by some people that the standard of English has gone down in schools. Whether this is true or not is a subject for some serious research and study. Even if it was true, there are so many causes for it.”
“Sir, the education system has gone through a correction course, so to speak, in the past two years when two major policy changes were made, namely, the abolition of automatic promotion and the introduction of the Junior Trainee Scheme for primary VI school leavers. Automatic promotion in the past was very much a case of expediency. To meet the demands of free and universal Primary education and because of the constraints of limited school buildings, financial and human resources, it seemed then that the logical thing to do was to promote every child automatically irrespective of his academic performance. Pupils weak in certain subjects at a certain period of time were not given an extra year to be better prepared for the next higher standard. This accounts, in some measure, for the relatively high failure rate of Primary VI and Secondary IV examinations. With the re-introduction of the retention policy, it is hoped that the failure rate would be reduced considerably. The education system, until recently, was also too much academic-biased. Everything was geared towards the attainment of paper qualifications. Those who did not make it to the secondary schools because they were not academically inclined, but might be good with their hands, were frowned upon by society and left in the lurch. The introduction of the Junior Trainee Scheme therefore should be viewed as a move in the right direction in helping the academically less inclined pupils to prepare them, skill-wise and attitude-wise, for jobs more suited to their abilities. These two changes therefore can be said to be desirable and logical steps in our educational planning and development.”
“I beg leave to withdraw my amendment. Amendment by leave, withdrawn. The following amendment stood in the name of Mr Phey Yew Kok - That the sum to be allocated for Head S be reduced by $10 in respect of Subhead Code SE-01 of the Main Estimates.”
“Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head S be reduced by $10 in respect of item 1210 of Subhead Code SE-01 of the Main Estimates. Sir, the accident rate in Singapore in the past six months remains as high as ever despite the vigorous road safety campaign organised by the Traffic Police last year and the subsequent enforcement of stiffer penalties for road traffic offences. It was reported in some of our local newspapers recently that hell-riders on motor cycles raced on some of our roads, as if they were racing circuits, in defiance of the law and with such impunity. 7.30 p.m. At road junctions where there are traffic lights, street urchins on weekends weave in and out of cars waiting for the green traffic light signal, trying to sell Mah Piu Poh. All these must suggest that the recent road safety campaign and the enactment of stiffer penalties for traffic offences have no effect on certain groups of Singaporeans. They are not only constantly putting their lives in danger but they are also a great menace to the other road users. I would like to ask the Minister whether the Traffic Police is taking steps to deal more effectively than before with the road menace that I have just mentioned. I would also like to ask the Minister whether he is satisfied with the result of the recent road safety campaign, and to what extent have the objectives of the campaign been achieved. The signboards on pedestrian crossing are often placed too inconspicuously, resulting in pedestrians not being able to see them. Will the Traffic Police consider putting them in more conspicuous positions?”
“Sir, in view of the Senior Minister of State's reply, I beg leave to withdraw my amendment. Amendment by leave, withdrawn.”
“Its spaciousness, its efficient services and its various amenities will certainly bring more comfort and convenience to travellers coming to Singapore, and all these help to create in them very favourable first impressions of Singapore. We all know, Sir, satisfied tourists are just as important to us as the millions of dollars we spend on tourist promotion.”
“Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head O be reduced by $10 in respect of item 8103 of Subhead Code OC-OZ of the Development Estimates. Sir, money spent on the development of the new arrival hall at the airport is certainly worth it, considering the comfort and convenience it brings to the weary traveller. Nothing can be more exasperating to a traveller than to find at the end of a long tiring journey, long queues of passengers waiting for their health papers, passports and luggage, to be cleared by the relevant authorities. The new arrival hall at the airport certainly has brought about a smoother and quicker flow of passengers at the different check points, much to the satisfaction of all. The Ministry of Communications has also deviated from its past policy of letting out the shops at the arrival hall on a tender basis. Now only shops, reputable in providing good services and reliable products at reasonable prices, are offered accommodation at the new arrival hall. This is a far-sighted policy by the Ministry of Communications and deserves commendation. This is certainly a positive move aimed at enhancing the image of Singapore internationally as a shopping paradise, an image that is so vital in our tourist promotion. It is important that the Ministry keeps tabs on these shops to ensure that they continue to provide the same services at reasonable prices. There is, however, some complaint about the inadequate taxi service at the new arrival hall. How valid is the complaint? Is the Minister satisfied with the present taxi service there, or is he taking steps to improve the service further? Sir, on the whole, the Ministry of Communications has done a very good job in the planning and the development of the new arrival hall.”
“Sir, I notice that there are still a lot of amendments under the Ministry of Communications. Right now, I am holding the traffic. As I do not want to take "six years" before I say, "i beg leave to withdraw my amendment", I would like to withdraw the amendment now so that I can clear the traffic for the other Members to move their amendments. Amendment by leave, withdrawn.”
“We have to wait till 1985 just to see the tractors and the workmen digging the land and so on. Sir, even in this year's estimates of expenditure, the item "MRT" has completely disappeared. If they keep that item alive, at least we have some hope of seeing a MRT. Even that item has disappeared, and the idea of a MRT might slowly disappear completely from the scene.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I am a little bit disappointed to hear from the Hon. Senior Minister of State that construction work for the MRT will probably begin in the mid-1980s. And there is always the possibility that it might be delayed further. My Friend, the hon. Member for Kim Seng, just remarked that some of us might be too old to get into the mass rapid transit system. It might be too fast for us by the time it is completed. We might be too old and feeble to benefit from this system provided we are still alive by then. Sir, the point is this. At this juncture, there is enough evidence to indicate that as far as the public transport system is concerned, it is inadequate to cater for the commuters. We are now restricting car ownership. Life is miserable for car owners. Many of them will be forced to give up their cars. This is certainly going to increase the number of the travelling public, and this does not take into account the younger generation of Singaporeans coming into the scene. So what do we do from now till the time the MRT is ready? We need the MRT to relieve us of some of our travelling miseries. So why the dragging of feet on this project? The MRT study began in 1972. This is 1978. Six years have elapsed. I quite realise that a project like the MRT has wide ramifications in all respects, financial, in terms of overall national planning, economic development and so forth. There are a lot of engineering factors to take into account, land usage and what have you. But surely no matter how wide these ramifications are and how all these factors have to be taken into account, a period of six years is too long a time. After six years, we still have not even started digging the tunnel.”
“The number of people taking up driving has increased. This has created a grave problem. In Queenstown the roads are cluttered with learner drivers in the evenings, particularly in the vicinity of traffic junctions and roundabouts, obstructing traffic. I do not know why the Jurong Testing Centre has been closed down and people are made to go to Queenstown to take driving tests. The Government should do something about it. I feel that learner drivers should not be asked to drive along certain routes which are used for driving test only. We have to rearrange the routes and time schedules for learner drivers. Thirdly, on the question of taxis. We have to look into this complaint by the public with a serious attitude. In spite of the increase in the number of taxis, members of the public have to wait for a long time and yet they cannot get a taxi. This is particularly serious at the airport where tourists complain that they have to wait for one to two hours before they can get a taxi. I myself have experienced this situation. Increasing the number of taxis may be one of the ways to solve this problem. However, we should also look into the scheduling of taxis, that is, the time the taxis start to ply and the time they get off the roads. It is a strange phenomenon that during the rush hours when people leave for home, it is very difficult to get a taxi. I think the ROV should carry out an in-depth study on this matter. Recently there was a photograph in an English newspaper showing two Japanese tourists squatting on the roadside while waiting for a taxi. This gives a bad impression. I hope the Minister will seriously answer these questions.”
“For the year 1976, the number of motor cars registered, including private cars, station wagons and cars for hire, was 8,266, and the number of cars deregistered in the same year was 14,847. Therefore, there was a reduction of 6,581 vehicles. However, towards the end of 1977 there was an obvious change in the figures. New cars registered last year numbered 15,590 and old cars deregistered numbered 16,099. Therefore, the number of cars taken off the road was 509. If we compare the figures for the two years, the increase in new cars almost doubled that for the earlier year. So, it seems to me that this ARF measure has no significant impact at all in reducing the number of private cars on the road. It merely limits the middle and lower income groups from buying cars. This is not fair. One cannot help being sceptical whether such a measure will limit the growth of cars on the roads. Obviously, the intention behind such a measure is merely to increase revenue. The Minister may say that without such measures the number of private cars might rise still higher. But before there is any improvement in the public transport, before we have an adequate taxi service, and before the Government has a comprehensive alternative for a better transport service, it is not fair to prevent the middle and lower income groups from owning cars. I would ask the Senior Minister of State who is a town planner whether, from the professional point of view of the transport department, such measures are wise. I would like him to answer my question. 5.45 p.m. [Mr Hwang Soo Jin in the Chair] Secondly, the half-yearly provisional driving licence fee has been increased from $10 to $20 with the intention of increasing the revenue and not limiting the number of learner drivers.”
“Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head O be reduced by $10 in respect of item 1100 of Subhead Code OA-01 of the Main Estimates. Browsing through the estimates of expenditure under the Ministry of Communications, I notice that, unlike previous years, there is no provision made for the development of a Mass Rapid Transit System in Singapore. Does this mean that the Government is shelving the idea or is it giving a very low priority to the development. of a MRT System? It is inconceivable that at the end of this century or at the turn of the next century, Singapore can go without a MRT System if it is to keep pace with the need for a much more efficient land communication network to meet changing demands and circumstances. Could the Minister kindly enlighten this House regarding the position today as regards the proposal to develop a MRT System? Mr Ngeow Pack Hua (Boon Lay)( In Mandarin): Sir, I would like to put forward three questions to the Minister for Communications. In this year's budget the Additional Registration Fee (ARF) for private cars has been increased from 100% to 125% and the Preferential Additional Registration Fee (PARF) for all classes of vehicles has also been increased to 125% resulting in an extra revenue of $14.4 million for the Government. We are given to understand by the Government that such a measure is taken not for the sake of collecting more revenue but to prevent the middle and lower income groups from buying more motor cars, thus adding to the congestion on the roads. My first point is this. Ever since the ARF was introduced in 1976, has this measure achieved its object of reducing the number of vehicles on the road?”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, the debate between the Member for Potong Pasir and the Senior Parliamentary Secretary is getting very interesting and it will be well reported in the press. The Member for Potong Pasir has used two words, "toxicology" and "carcinogenic". These words will be reported in the newspapers tomorrow and probably a lot of readers will have difficulty in trying to understand these medical terms. Perhaps the Member would like to put these words in layman's language. But if he cannot, probably I can help him.”
“Sir, in view of the Minister's reply, I beg leave to withdraw. Amendment by leave, withdrawn.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to the allocated for Head K be reduced by $10 in respect of item 8103 of Subhead Code KC-02 of the Development Estimates. Sir, Singapore has one of the best Government Medical Services in this part of the world. Despite the occasional criticisms against our hospital services, the standards of our medical facilities and the treatment of patients are undoubtedly high. It is gratifying to observe that improvements are constantly being made to upgrade the medical facilities and services in our hospitals. There is one such improvement that I will like to specifically mention and commend the Health Minister and his staff thereon, and that is in regard to the renovations made to wards 1 to 4 in the Tan Tock Seng Hospital. These are third class wards and, after renovations, they acquired such a pleasing appearance and pleasant environment. Everything in the ward is so spick and span, so different from the old third class wards. There are even attractively designed window curtains to match the bright and cheerful surroundings. When I recently visited Tan Tock Seng Hospital during one of my constituency tours, for a moment, I could not believe my eyes that the old dirty-looking third class wards could be so transformed. This improvement is worthy of mention and praise, particularly since it is for the benefit of the third class patients. This is certainly an improvement with a social significance. I would like to ask the Health Minister if other third class wards in the Tan Tock Seng Hospital and other hospitals will also be similarly renovated.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I have an amendment standing in my name on the subject of the Tan Tock Seng Hospital. Since the Member for Anson has touched on the Tan Tock Seng Hospital, I wonder whether I can speak at this stage, or shall I wait for my turn? It will save the Minister the trouble of having to answer twice.”
“After all, there are insufficient recreational facilities in Singapore within the reach of their pocket to cater for their recreational needs. How much can Government get out of this additional duty? Is this additional duty really necessary to balance the Budget? The ordinary man must have his share of entertainment and recreation. Due recognition must be given to his right to such entertainment and recreation if we are earnest in what we say about caring, not only for his material well-being, but also his social needs. There is already a duty on admission charges. There is also talk that the cinema-owners are contemplating raising admission charges to cinemas. Increasing further the duty rate on admission charges will only provide them with an excuse to raise the charges at the expense of the cinemagoers. 4.02 p.m.”
“To impose an additional rate of entertainment duty on nightclub entertainment, including strip tease, lewd and sexy shows, is a proposal with which no one can find fault. But to impose an additional duty on admission charges for cultural entertainment, such as stage plays, concerts, music performances and dances, etc. is, I think, to put an unnecessary impediment in the way of the organisers and promoters of such cultural performances. As it is, such people are already finding it hard to stage such performances simply because the cost of staging them is quite high. The prices they fix for admission tickets to such performances have to be related to the costs of the production; as a result, the prices of admission tickets are often too high for the shows to be popular, since they are within the reach of a small circle of Singaporeans, among whom young Singaporeans are not likely to be found. It is often lamented that Singapore is a cultural desert. It is bad enough that the Government has not seen it fit to give greater financial aid for the promotion of such cultural pursuits. Now the Finance Minister wants to impose an unnecessary burden on the enthusiasts, who are doing what they can in promoting the cultural development for the enrichment of our society. The imposition of additional duty on admission to the cinemas is also ill-conceived. We can be quite sure that the cinema-owners, sooner or later, will pass on the additional duty to the cinemagoers, most of whom must surely be our HDB flat dwellers. Cinema-going is surely one pleasant source of recreation - one safe outlet for the great bulk of our flat-dwellers, who at times need to escape from their crowded environment.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, this year's tax measures introduced by the Finance Minister demonstrate that he is capable of inflicting pain, as well as soothing away some of the pain, on the taxpayers. He implements his measures with such artifice that at the end of it he generally gets more cheers than boos for his tax proposals. He has done the unexpected this year by decreasing income tax rates for the benefit of the taxpayers to the tune of $53.9 million. This move certainly makes a lot of sense and brings good cheer to the taxpayers. Making sense and bringing good cheer, I must say, is not one of those things that the Finance Minister often does when it involves the giving away of money. This is clearly illustrated in the Finance Minister's rigid adherence to his ruling on the non-payment of the 13th Month Allowance, even on a prorata basis, to civil servants who retire or to their dependants if they die before the 31st December of each year. Perhaps with the passage of time, the Finance Minister will develop a greater sense of generosity towards such civil servants or their dependants as the case may be, and a more propitious time may yet come when the Finance Minister will relent on this issue. Let us hope that this propitious time is not too far away. Coming back to his tax measures, Mr Speaker, Sir, allow me to make certain observations in regard to the Finance Minister's proposal to increase the rate of entertainment duty. Like the hon. Member for Jalan Kayu, I must point out here, with regret, that no distinction is made between nightclub entertainment on the one hand, and cultural and recreational entertainment, on the other.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, would the Minister be able to say how many teachers from the English stream are in this category, as my union would be interested in helping them?”
“To ask the Minister for Home Affairs and Education (a) how many teachers were transferred in the last three months; (b) how many of those transferred had not asked for transfer themselves and what was the basis of selection of such teachers for transfer; (c) how many of those who had asked for transfer were not transferred; and (d) how many were transferred to schools more than 10 kilometres from their homes. 23.”
“To ask the Minister for Home Affairs and Education whether his Ministry will review its present policy of requiring teachers seeking confirmation of service to pass Malay Standard 1, and whether equivalent qualification in Chinese, Tamil or English will also be deemed acceptable so that a teacher, seeking confirmation, can offer in addition to his first language qualification one of the remaining three languages as the additional language requirement. 22.”
“To ask the Minister for Home Affairs and Education (a) how many teachers were transferred in the last three months; (b) how many of those transferred had not asked for transfer themselves and what was the basis of selection of such teachers for transfer; (c) how many of those who had asked for transfer were not transferred; and (d) how many were transferred to schools more than 10 kilometres from their homes. 41.”
“To ask the Minister for Home Affairs and Education whether his Ministry will review its present policy of requiring teachers seeking confirmation of service to pass Malay Standard I, and whether equivalent qualification in Chinese, Tamil or English will also be deemed acceptable, so that a teacher, seeking confirmation, can offer in addition to his first language qualification one of the remaining three languages as the additional language requirement. 40.”
“Sir, before I withdraw my amendment. I just want to say that although the reply given by the Parliamentary Secretary is that the stretch of road from Moulmein Road to Serangoon Road is well planted with trees, that is no consolation to me because that portion of the road is now under Farrer Park constituency. But since he has given an assurance that the PWD will look into this matter, I am satisfied. I am sure that if they want to do something, something can be done. Nothing is impossible with the Singapore Government and this must also apply to the PWD. I beg leave to withdraw my amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move. That the sum to be allocated for Head O be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead EAA 8105. In moving this amendment. Sir, I am taking the opportunity to inquire from the Minister as to whether the Parks and Recreation Department would look into the possibility of planting shrubs and plants along Balestier Road, not only to break the harshness of the area but also to enhance the pleasantness of the surroundings. As we all know, Balestier Road is one of the main arterial roads in Singapore and situated in one of the most important areas in Singapore. (Interruption] Members may disagree. But if out-of-the way roads are planted with trees and shrubs to enhance the pleasantness of the environment, I do not understand why an important road like Balestier Road should look so barren without any greenery to break the harshness of the area.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move. That the sum to be allocated for Head O be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead AAA 8201. In moving this amendment, I am taking the opportunity to enquire from the Minister as to when the Housing and Development Board will develop Ah Hood Road vicinity. It was some years ago when land was acquired by the HDB after fire gutted some of the huts there. Since then no concrete steps were taken to expedite the development of the area. Residents staying there are not allowed to renovate their present huts. Some of them want early resettlement but were told to wait. The question is. how long do they have to wait? As the Member of Parliament for the area, it is natural that I should want to see, despite some of the criticisms that my fellow Members of Parliament have to say about the designs and qualities of the HDB flats, a nice little housing estate, with pleasant surroundings in the area rather than to see the present dilapidated old huts in such deplorable surroundings. It may be opportune for me at this time to suggest that in the development scheme for the area the Housing and Development Board should take into account two factors: (1) There is already a fairly large scale development of private flats in the adjoining areas. This definitely adds to the population density in and around the area. It is therefore important that sufficient open space and recreational facilities be provided. (2) Because of the very large number of households in the area it is very necessary to build a market there.”
“(10) That the sum to be allocated for Head W be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead AAA 4003. Mr Ng Kah Ting: (11) That the sum to be allocated for Head w be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead CCA 2020.”
“(5) That the sum to be allocated for Head W be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead CEA 1101. (6) That the sum to be allocated for Head W be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead AAA 2420.”
“Well, he said that it should be a wage increase and that it should be paid at the end of the year instead of monthly. That is a deferred monthly wage increase to be paid at the end of the year. My question earlier was, if this was so, then if someone has served seven months in the year, he should be entitled to seven months of that wage increase. That is my question. Sir, unless the Minister said otherwise.”
“The Minister has, in fact, confirmed what I said, but my question has not been answered. As he has agreed with me that this 13th month payment is actually a form of deferred monthly wages -”
“Sir, does the Minister not agree that the 13th month annual wage supplement is a form of deferred monthly wages, as he has stated in Parliament when this was announced? If so, should not the civil servant who retires or dies while in service be entitled to at least part payment of the 13th month annual wage supplement? I would like to also ask the Minister if it is not true that civil servants who have just joined the civil service are entitled to a proportionate amount of the 13th month payment in the first year. If so, is it not only fair and equitable that the same entitlement be extended to retiring civil servants in their last year of service, or to their dependants should they die while in service?”
“Sir, I am aware of that provision. That is why I am asking the Minister whether he will consider removing that stipulation. I am aware that there is a stipulation at present barring these people from enjoying the benefit. My question is, will he consider removing this stipulation?”
“Sir, I wish to ask the Minister if he will consider removing the existing stipulation not to extend the payment of the 13th month annual wage supplement to civil servants who retire before the 31st of December or to their dependants if they die during service, even if the quantum of payment is proportionate to the number of months they have served.”
“But subsequently all these allowances were incorporated into the salaries for principals. Now that the Senior Minister of State is considering giving a post allowance for the principals, that is very fine. Would not the Minister of State also consider some kind of post allowance of a lesser quantum for the senior assistants, because they have to run the afternoon schools themselves? As regards the Sports secretaries, who would want to do the onerous duties of a Sports secretary in a school? I think it is only fair that they should be considered also. The Member for Jurong has mentioned about senior subject-teachers. These were the teachers who had a post allowance before but was subsequently abolished. I want to make it clear that this is the best news that the Senior Minister of State has given us with regard to the post allowance for principals because they hold certain responsibilities. But for purposes of morale for the whole teaching service, there are other categories that he should not forget. It is just like the Government deciding to give the Permanent Secretaries a wage increase and leaving out the Deputy Secretaries and Principal Assistant Secretaries, and so on. This is not good for morale. Could the Minister for Education go just one small step forward, since he has already made a breakthrough in this very difficult matter, and include a few more other deserving cases? After all, he has mentioned that there must be fairness. On the basis of equity and fairness, we should not leave other categories that merit consideration. I am not saying that they should all be paid the same quantum, but of a varied quantum. Some form of recognition is important.”
“In his favourable reply to the point raised by the Member for Jurong and the Member for Jalan Kayu in regard to the post allowance, together with my two colleagues I welcome this positive response. As a trade unionist, naturally I always welcome any increase of salary for anybody, but I would like to seek some clarification and also to make certain comments. His reply is quite vague. Do I take it to mean that this will give the principals a post allowance additional to their present salaries? Let me explain. In 1972 the Education Service went through a restructuring exercise. Many of the principals then had their salaries plus their post allowances incorporated into their present salaries. Do I take it (I mean, this is too good to be true) that in addition to the post allowances that they had before and which had already been incorporated into their present salaries, a post allowance is being considered? If that is so, it is very good. The other point is, if that is so, what about the senior assistants? Let me explain, and this is very important for morale purposes. Before 1972 when the principals were drawing post .allowances, the senior assistants were also fighting for post allowances of a smaller quantum. These senior assistants are not just ordinary teachers. They are, in actual fact, manning a school. Because of a shortage of schools in Singapore, we had to put two schools into one school and call them two-session schools. Actually speaking, each school is composed of two schools of one session each. So there has to be a person who is the senior assistant to run the afternoon school. Prior to 1972 the senior assistants could not even get any kind of recognition for an allowance. They were not asking for the same quantum.”
“Sir, I must say that I am impressed by the Senior Minister of State's reply, not so much for his answers to the questions but his delivery, which was so impressive yet evading some of the answers, and getting away with it. Take, for example, the several questions that I have raised. I will just refer to one of them. I asked how much money did the various secondary schools spend on buying those technical drawing instruments. His answer was. "less than 500 sets." 500 sets gives one the impression that it was not very much, but if you do a little bit of multiplication, each set costing more than $30 --”
“Of course, the move is popular with the parents as it will mean less periods for their children to study and worry about passing the examinations of these subjects. Would the Education Ministry like to be more popular with the parents by setting up a committee like the Shelley Committee to review whether it should also drop woodwork and metalwork from the Secondary I curriculum? Would the Ministry consider setting up a committee to review whether we should reduce the load of extracurricular activities in schools? And lastly, would the Education Ministry also consider setting up a committee to review whether the education system can be less examination-orientated? The Minister may think that I am being frivolous, but I can assure him I am not. The issues that I have just raised are issues of great interest and importance to parents as they can affect their children's welfare and well-being in schools. Before I conclude, may I ask the Minister how much money the various secondary schools had to spend on buying the technical drawing instruments from the Secondary I students, because the announcement came after they had bought the instruments? What do the schools intend to do with these instruments?”
“Sir, on 27th December 1976, just a few days before the current school year commenced on 3rd January, 1977, the Education Ministry announced that Technical Drawing and Basic Electricity would be dropped from the Secondary I curriculum. The number of periods per week would be reduced from 44 to 40 periods per week as a result of that. This, according to the Ministry, would take off some of the learning load from the Secondary I students. No one, least of all me, would disagree with the Education Ministry that, where possible, we should lighten the learning load of our students provided, in so doing, we are in no way sacrificing some of our short as well as long term educational objectives. For several years, Secondary I and Secondary II students were required to do these subjects. At the time when these subjects were introduced, there must have been good reasons why this was done, or are we to be told now that this was not so. If there were good reasons then, are these reasons no more valid today? Who are these men in the Shelley Committee who have come to the conclusion that it is in the best interests of the children that these subjects should be dropped? What is their background? Apart from their technical qualifications and expertise, are they conversant with our overall educational policies and objectives? What is the essence of their findings that made the Education Ministry drop these subjects? Why did the Ministry not release their report so that the validity of their arguments and the basis of their findings could be confirmed as sound by other experts of equal standing? Why is all the secrecy surrounding the Shelley Report?”
“Sir, RTS and the National Theatre Trust occasionally run song-writing competitions. The winning entries are occasionally played over TV Singapore as interludes. This is very commendable. They say songs sometimes cheer our hearts - if they are lively. Some songs make us feel romantic - if they are love songs. Songs also touch our hearts - if they are sad songs. Songs can arouse feelings of patriotism and strengthen our unity as a nation - if the music is stirring and the words express adequately our aspirations and national pride. In other countries, people have national songs or folk songs that unite them. Whether it be in time of war or peace, in the battle field or in the cafes, they sing these songs with such gusto and feeling and feel good after that. In Singapore, because we are a multicultural society with a comparatively short history, we have so far few songs that we can call our very own. As a result, whether it is a group of national servicemen, youth groups of the People's Association or groups of trade unionists, when they sing, they sing songs from other lands that have no significance or relevance to us. These songs may help them let off their steam and exuberance, but they certainly do not stir their hearts and spirit as one united people, as proud Singaporeans. Therefore, song writing competitions should be encouraged. The winning entries should not only be played over TV Singapore as interludes, but also be distributed to schools, national servicemen, youth groups, trade unionists, etc, and all should be encouraged to sing, so that a time will come when all Singaporeans will have in common, Singapore songs to sing.”
“It is imperative that we do not produce a surfeit of highly skilled or specialised personnel and at the same time completely neglect the unskilled or semi-skilled unemployed. For in the end, we may not be able to satisfy the heightened expectations of the highly skilled personnel or the basic desire of the unskilled for any jobs, with the result all of them will be frustrated and demoralised, It is imperative that in our overall manpower planning and development, the unskilled and semi-skilled must be taken into account. In our situation today, this is all the more important, since we must, at one time or the other, resolve the problem of the unusually large number of work permit holders who may pose serious problems in political and social terms in time to come. 4.11 p.m.”