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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“Services such as those offered by private employment agencies in filtering or screening out unsuitable or inappropriate applicants should be provided by the Ministry. Or are we just concentrating on the training of more persons with better academic qualifications or with highly specialised skills and catering for the interest of such persons only? Is there an overall national manpower planning and development programme? Even if there is, is it effectively and efficiently co-ordinated and centrally directed? Or do we just leave the various ministries and institutions to go on in their separate and merry ways? At the present moment, one gets the impression that each institution of higher learning has its own idea of what courses it should provide, without any due consideration to our overall national manpower requirements. The Economic Development Board runs its own technical training programmes together with certain multi-national companies. Then there is the Industrial Training Board with a separate set of objectives and priorities. Soon the Education Ministry will introduce its own Junior Apprenticeship Training Scheme. Even the MINDEF joins in this multiplicity of training schemes. I would, therefore. like to enquire how many of these training schemes are being duplicated and, therefore, causing an unnecessary wastage of training resources, and whether we are producing too many of one kind and too little of another kind. It seems to be a matter of irrefutable, logical and grave importance that, in a small island like Singapore where human power is the only resource, we should have a comprehensive and properly co-ordinated manpower planning and development programme.”
“According to my union source, a few years ago even one local hotel went as far as retrenching the older female employees under some pretext and later recruited younger girls to fill the jobs left vacant as the result of the retrenchment. So at once, all those hardworking mothers, who are able to be house-keepers in a hotel and who wish to supplement their family income by working, will find themselves out of luck if they wish to seek the simple job of house-keeper in a hotel, although they may be much more efficient in view of their long experience in their own homes. Even Government establishments are guilty of adopting such a choosy attitude. At one time, to be a car-park attendant, whose job is only a simple thing like issuing a receipt, an applicant had to possess, at least a Secondary 2 qualification and be between 18 and 25 years old. Luckily, through the efforts of the Ministry of Labour, this excessive stipulation has been removed. Now one needs only to have a Primary 6 qualification and may even be over 30 years of age to be a car-park attendant. I can go on listing examples to show that employers have become choosy. In view of the ease in employing certain categories of foreign workers because of our present policy on the issue of work permits, employers can continue to be choosy. But what happens to many of the Singaporeans, who are less endowed, either physically or academically? Are they to remain forever at a disadvantage? I seriously doubt that we are doing enough or as much as we can to help the unemployed who are unskilled and semiskilled to get jobs. Obviously, something more is needed than just registering their names in the Employment Register of the Labour Ministry in the hope that employers will offer them jobs.”
“If they are given some form of formal training to equip them with the skills required for modern industry, they will do very well because they have gone through the hard times of the fifties and will therefore be willing to work assiduously for a living. It is very easy to dismiss them and say that they are underqualified, but they were qualified at a time when Singapore needed them. And they are now with us. Something, therefore, has to be done to equip them with skills to find employment especially as industry is crying for more skilled and dedicated workers. Mr Speaker, Sir, it is not that these unfortunate persons are being choosy, but that the emphasis has been placed on the new worker with a higher academic standard. It is not to say that we do not need workers of higher educational standards, but there is also a need and a place for these older workers. Employers of certain establishments have imposed unduly high or exacting requirements of applicants in respect of qualifications or personal appearance, or both. Let me illustrate this with examples. Take the case of the hotel establishments in their recruitment of staff. The girls they recruit must not only possess certain minimum academic qualifications but they must also be tall and have a winsome smile, long pretty hair, and be able to charm the customers. In fact, they must have all the attributes to induce the male customers to return to the warm and friendly atmosphere of the respective hotel establishments. Even for the job of house-keeping similar attributes, but only at a slightly lower level, are also expected of the applicants.”
“True, some unemployed deservedly bear the blame for rejecting jobs offered to them. But there are also those who do not get any offer of jobs. These are the persons that factories and companies will reject outright in their labour recruitment. These are persons who are above the age of 40 years and who may be illiterate. Mr Speaker, Sir, there are a large number of workers who constituted part of the workforce 20 or more years ago. These persons came into the employment market in an era where there was little industrialisation in Singapore and when the requirements were the artisan or the semi-skilled worker. They were the products of our educational system at that time and for various social and economic reasons they had to leave school at an early age and take up employment either as apprentices or as unskilled labour. The demand for skilled workers at that point of time was very limited and so they had no alternative but to go to work at a very young age. In addition, there was practically no opportunity for them to pursue higher education because they came from poor families and at that time there was little free education or scholarships to enable them to pursue higher skills. Their technical or academic qualifications, therefore, were very low but they fulfilled the need at that time. In the last 17 years, as Singapore industrialised, new skills were required and the tendency is that higher standards of academic performance are required from applicants aspiring to train in the skills required for our industry, especially higher technology industries. Therefore, this large pool of workers are unable to find employment, although many of them are quite efficient.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the effectiveness and soundness of the Finance Minister's overall economic policies and planning as set out in the Budget Estimates for the coming fiscal year is clear. The economic programme for the next fiscal year, after all, is an extension of the Economic Strategy Programme for the 1970's, announced by him in this House some five years ago. The past five years is now part of history, but it is a history that bears eloquent testimony to the correctness and soundness of our approaches in economic planning and development. We have withstood the ravages of severe world economic crises, and our GNP indicators show a modest economic growth, despite those crises. I have noticed, however, that although more and more emphasis is correctly being given to our manpower development programmes for the training of our younger workers to gain more specialised skills, no mention is made of any attempt to tap and develop the fairly large reservoir of the unskilled and semi-skilled labour force in Singapore. Attempts were made in the past to tap the substantial women labour force in the housing estates, etc., but I wonder how successful these attempts have been. There are thousands of unemployed Singaporeans still on the Employment Register, and in addition, there are thousands of others not on the Labour Ministry's Employment Register. All of them, whether officially registered as unemployed or not, are actively and desperately seeking jobs so that they can maintain their families. Putting the blame on the job-seekers and accusing them of being choosy may be a convenient and neat way of dismissing any discussion on a troublesome issue; but we have still to live with the problem of the unemployed in our midst.”
“May I ask the hon. Minister for Foreign Affairs what brought about the voluminous confessions of Mr G. Raman in such a short time?”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, a supplementary question. It appears that Mr G. Raman has been involved in subversive activities for quite some time. Generally speaking, communist activists are believed to be disciplined adults.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, on a point of clarification. The Minister of State has just elaborated on the many specialised committees. I want to find, out whether, as a result of so many committees, each working under its terms of reference, there is not the danger that some of the decisions made would have a very narrow perspective and not in relation to the overall policy direction? Is this not a weakness if the decisions are ad hoc decisions in the sense that they only deal with certain aspects of policy and not the overall policy? The decisions of these committees may have ramifications which may affect the overall policy direction of the Ministry of Education. Is this system not a weakness in itself? Is there not a co ordinating body to over-view all the decisions before any of these committees are allowed to go ahead with whatever terms of reference they have been entrusted? Is this not the cause of all the problems?”
“Perhaps it is not just the future policies and actions of Government that should be carried out in moderation and circumspection. The Government should also review its past policies and actions to ascertain, with the benefit of hindsight, whether some of these policies and actions can in fact be carried out with more circumspection and moderation. Take the case of the Area Licensing Scheme. Will the scheme not achieve the same purpose and objectives if cars are allowed to enter the restricted zone at 9.45 a.m. or 10.00 a.m. instead of 10.15 a.m. as at present? Can we not achieve the same degree of success in family planning, if we do not insist that Catholic schools take in children on the basis of priority for those with one of their parents sterilized, as this is causing unhappiness and is a matter of religious conscience for 100,000-odd Catholics in Singapore? Cannot the Government be a little more liberal in granting citizenship to the more deserving, I emphasise, more deserving, cases of blue identity card holders? Whether we like it or not, they are either the sons or daughters, fathers or mothers of our citizens, and they have nowhere else to go. We allow them to stay. We even allow them to be considered as part of the family unit when applying for HDB flats. Giving them the citizenship in many of these cases is not going to impose an additional national burden on the Republic's resources. They are, in fact, part of the national burden that we are now carrying. There are no doubts that, in the issues such as I have mentioned, the Government can easily and profitably review its past policies and actions to take off some of the unnecessary bitterness of the pills we must take for our nation's health and for our individual health. 4.07 p.m. Mr Ong Soo Chuan rose -”
“Is it to achieve our objective of a multi-lingual society? Or is it to raise the academic standards of undergraduates? I really do not know, But what I do know is that this is going to impose an additional and unnecessary strain on the future Pre-University students. By imposing this requirement of proficiency in two languages, how is it going to help our future Pre-University students to succeed better in their special fields of university studies? Does the Government not realise that a simple statement like that from the Education Ministry is already causing such a widespread anxiety among parents with children aspiring for further studies in 1979 and thereafter? The parents are naturally concerned over this recent announcement as it affects their children's chances of securing a place not only in the Pre-University classes but also, eventually, in the Singapore society. Is this acting with circumspection and moderation? It may be too extreme to dismiss it as a rash and an ill-conceived action, but the element of consultation and public debate on the matter is conspicuously missing. The greatest service that the Education authorities can do for education perhaps is not to come out every now and then with some startling new ideas which may cause more harm than good. Instead, the authorities should concentrate on testing every new scheme more carefully and thoroughly over a period of years. Mr Speaker, Sir, there have been several policy decisions in the past where the raison d'etre is sound. But their implementation might sometimes have caused unnecessary hardship to those affected by them. This was largely due to the over-zealousness and the lack of experience of those in charge of implementing the policy decisions.”
“My point is that in relation to the commodities such as those I referred to, Singaporeans are not only not subsidised by the Government but are also heavily penalised by the Government for their consumption or use of those commodities. Whatever may have been the reason for the Government to do this, the net effect is that all this additional tax burden is passed on by the manufacturers, businessmen and shopkeepers to the final consumers, most of whom are workers. The President stated in his address that the PAP won in all the 69 constituencies with the highest percentage of votes cast in the six last general elections. He went on to say that this vote of confidence imposes a heavy responsibility on the Ministers to act fairly but firmly, and that the Government will exercise its authority with circumspection and moderation. This is most welcome. As it is, life can never be too easy for the two million-odd Singaporeans because of the political and socio-economic circumstances we are in. We must sometimes have tough policies to see us through if we want to survive, prosper and progress as a nation. There are no easy solutions to the problems and challenges ahead of us. This is what Singaporeans have been told and what Singaporeans have accepted. But sometimes we are asked to swallow pills that are unnecessarily bitter; at least, that is the impression created. People do not expect the pills to be sugar-coated, but neither do they want them to be more bitter than is necessary. Take the case of the recent announcement by the Education Ministry that in 1979, students entering Pre-University classes must have attained certain standards in their first and second languages. I do not know what earthly purpose can this move serve.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I rise in support of the Motion standing in the name of the hon. Member for Ulu Pandan. The President's speech has re-asserted the Government's position that, other than education, medical treatment and housing, nothing else will be subsidised by the Government. This position has been well understood and largely accepted by the vast majority of Singaporeans, otherwise the present Government would not have been returned to office with the highest percentage of votes cast in the last six general elections. But what many people cannot understand and have cause to grumble about is why they are sometimes made to pay over and above the economic cost of certain commodities. Take, for example, the price of petrol. When oil prices were increased by the OPEC countries in recent years, oil companies in Singapore made two adjustments to the retail prices of petrol. The Government also at the same time increased its duty on petrol correspondingly. Was this not imposing an additional financial burden on the consumers? Another example is the tax surcharge on the consumption of PUB utilities if the total amount exceeds $30 per month. The rates have already been revised by the PUB in line with the additional cost it must incur from increases in the price of oil. People can accept the fact that their consumption of petrol and PUB utilities cannot be subsidised, and they must be prepared to pay for' the periodical increases in the costs of these commodities. But what they find it a little difficult to swallow is having to pay additional taxes over and above the increases in economic costs that they have to pay.”
“Yes, a meaningful consultation, as the Member for Bukit Ho Swee has kindly helped me with the correct word.”
“This reflects the lack of consideration of what unions can do in these matters. This is an accepted practice in more advanced countries when there are organisations, especially if they represent members of interested groups. They are the best' representatives with whom one can consult. One can seek the views of the teachers' unions because through their organisation, experience and the feedback which they get from their members, they have a wealth of ideas which one can tap and fruitfully engage in discussions with them so that better decisions can be made in regard to many matters that will come up before the Ministry for consideration. Not to recognise the role of consultation that the teachers' unions can play is to ignore a very important channel of communication. It proves my point that very little consideration is given to the implementation of ideas. I do not know why there is a reluctance to accept the unions with open arms in matters like this. Is it because they are afraid that the unions are able to show up their faults and, therefore, as far as possible, it is better to keep them out? It is good public relations to consult. However, besides the declaration of intent, in actual practice there is no consultation. I saw the Senior Minister of State nod his head when I asked whether there is such an organisation for consultation. I say this is also another eyewash. How would you organise 20,000 teachers effectively, solicit their opinion, and make them understand the rationale behind some of the education policies? How would the Education Ministry get this done with 20,000 teachers if it intends to have a proper and effective consultation?”
“Yes. I wish to further crucify him, Recently, the present Minister for Education - - you will notice. Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, that I have used the word "present" because of the frequent changes in the appointment of Minister for Education, and this clarification will indicate which Minister I am referring to the present Minister for Education made an announcement recently to the effect that principals and teachers will be consulted before new policies are formulated. I think the intention behind such an announcement is commendable. But what I am afraid of is this: how do we implement a good intention when we have 20,000 teachers? I think the fault with the Ministry of Education is not because there is a lack of good ideas, but very often the fault is that these ideas are not properly implemented. They are so badly implemented that even though they are good ideas, in the end they have resulted in a lot of ill-effects. Coming back to the point about consulting principals and teachers. I just want to say this. It is no use making a public declaration of intent. More important is, how will the Ministry of Education impose this policy on 20,000 teachers and principals? Is it the intention of the Ministry to call them up in groups and discuss the issues with them from time to time? Is there an organisation or machinery in which there are capable officers who are able to lead the discussions. A discussion must be a two-way affair. I feel that this is an idea which has not been given very careful consideration in its implementation. This is the impression I get just now when the Senior Minister of State, in replying to the Member for Jurong on the question of consulting unions, said that it need not necessarily end up with consulting the unions.”
“Sir, before I Come to the point which I wish to make, I would like to compliment the Senior Minister of State for having so valiantly stood up and defended the education policies that were formulated in the last decade or so, but which he has had no part in their formulation. I feel somewhat sorry for him in that today we have to crucify him for the misdeeds for which he is not responsible. Having said that, Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I wish to -”
“Sir, in the restructured education system, as announced by the ex-Minister for Education, I think the fundamental feature of that system is that children in Primary VI need not have to sit for the PSLE, The question now asked by parents and teachers is this: with the recent announcement by the present Minister for Education, are we going to introduce or reintroduce the Primary VI School Leaving Examination?”
“But what remains still is the hullabaloo arising out of the restructured education system. Instructions to principals and teachers concerning steps to be taken to implement the restructured education system have not been withdrawn, although the Education Ministry now adopts a completely new set of ideas. Ministry officials when contacted by the principals for guidance are bewildered and are not sure which is the latest "fad" in the educational policies. In the midst of these confusions, not to mention the entire efforts put in by teachers and principals over the implementation of the restructured education system going up in smoke, how in the name of fairness can we point an accusing finger at principals and teachers for the misdeeds originated and perpetuated by the Education Ministry itself? For goodness sake, can the Hon. Minister or his Senior Minister of State inform this House whether the policy regarding the restructured education system and what it entails are thrown overboard or are still operative, in the light of the recent announcement by the present Minister for Home Affairs and Education that primary education will now extend up to a maximum of nine years for the slow learner with no automatic promotions? 3.15 p.m.”
“Changes in our educational policies must be few and gradual as the educational process is a long-term one. Time and care in nurturing the new ideas are important elements that will determine whether the new ideas will blossom or wither. But when changes were made and then retracted at some future time, they not only reflect the haphazard manner in which some of these changes were made, but also caused so much confusion among school principals and teachers as to what the educational policy-makers really want, apart from causing a dislocation of existing educational programmes in our schools. In determining educational changes, one cannot be as fickle as a vain woman in her dressing room, changing her mind now and then about what she ought to wear for a party. A case in point of this fickleness in policy adjustments is the recent announcement by the present Minister for Home Affairs and Education that primary education will now be extended up to a maximum of nine years for a slow learner and that automatic promotion in primary schools will now cease. This announcement represents a total reversal of the announcement made by the ex-Minister for Education (who is now the Minister for Science and Technology) in 1 975 concerning the restructured education system. Following the ex-Education Minister's announcement on the restructured education system last year, the whole Ministry was geared to prepare for the implementation of the restructured education system. Evaluation and assessment courses for teachers and meetings of principals were arranged to work out the details to implement the ``brainchild'' of the ex-Education Minister. It now appears that with the changing of the Education Minister, there also goes the "brainchild" of the ox-Education Minister.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, education has always been a subject of interest both within and without this House. This is to be expected considering the fact that in our society so much depends on the proper development and utilization of our human resources. Criticisms on our educational system as well as on our educational standards have been galore. No doubt, these criticisms have been made with good intentions, but unfortunately quite a lot of them have been misdirected against the teachers, maligning them for so many of the ills in our educational system. Teachers have been made convenient whipping boys for any failings in our educational endeavours. This can only engender a feeling of malaise and dejection among teachers, especially when so many of our criticisms on our failings have been misdirected against the teaching profession. It is time we stopped making scapegoats out of the teachers whenever something goes wrong in our educational system. It is about time we directed our volleys of criticisms at the right places where the sins of commission and omission in education have been committed. I am referring to the source where many of the ills of the educational system originated. This is where many of the "bright" ideas were conceived and then turned into educational Policies which must be implemented at all costs. Changes in our educational policy are desirable as we must keep up with the times and new demands, provided such changes are made after very careful consideration of the impact and the implications these changes would have in the total context of our educational, policy In some instance, corrective measures will have to he taken in order to reduce any ill effects resulting from any shift of our educational policies.”
“That happened two years ago. The land had already been acquired sometime earlier. I am waiting patiently for the Housing Board to resettle these people. The land is there for the HDB to put up a nice, small housing estate in Ah Hood Road which is in my constituency. I think my patience is running out. Apart from the tact that, as a Member of Parliament. I would like to see a better environment in my constituency. I think the residents there are also getting a little impatient. They have come to me very regularly in my meet-the-people sessions seeking my assistance to be rehoused because of the appalling conditions under which they live at present. Some of my fellow Members here have complained about the conditions of the one-room flats and so on. If they were to come to my constituency and take a look at the slum conditiors under which my constituents live, they would realise that their constituents are living in a paradise. Let me say in seriousness that two years is already long enough. They should be given top priority because, as somebody has suggested, there might be a temptation for someone from among the constituents to make a bonfire and as a result everybody will be able to move out. But unfortunately this is against the law.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir,I crave your indulgence because judging from the comments made by many Members seeking attention from the Housing Board for better amenities and the manner in which the Minister of State has answered on the priorities for the different claims. I thought I might as well take this opportunity, in seriousness, to stake the claims on behalf of my residents who are aspiring to become Housing Board flat tenants. They have got the right simply because they are living in the slums. They were the victims of a fire some two years ago. I do not know whether it was their misfortune that the fire was quickly put out by the Fire Brigade, with the result that they were allowed to remain in their old houses. Only those people whose huts were gutted were rehoused in Housing Board flats. I was not joking when I said it was a misfortune for them. On the day when the fire occurred, the victims came to the community centre to get immediate relief. No life was lost. In fact, there was a little look of, shall I say, happiness among them because they were going to be housed in beautiful Housing Board flats nearby. However, a constituent in that area came to me showing more frustration than the others who were directly affected by the fire because his hut was not gutted. He asked me in a very frLstrated manner why he was not registered by the Social Welfare team for the allocation of a flat,”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, in moving the amendment for this subhead, I was prompted by the same concern shown by the Member for Jalan Kayu over the question as to whether, since the reorganisation of the old Employment Exchange into the Employment Service, there is an increase in its effectiveness in providing service to those seeking jobs. At a time when we had almost full employment, it was not of great concern as to whether the Employment Service was effective or not because the workers could easily find jobs. But in view of recent times where, as a result of the economic recession, more and more people are retrenched and there is the projection that there may be a possible increase of retrenchments in the future, I think the effectiveness of the Employment Service is a matter of concern to us because we must assist in whatever way we can to help the job seekers. Because of that, Sir, I just want to take this opportunity to ask the Minister concerned to inform this House as to whether he is satisfied that improvements have been made with regard to providing this service to those seeking jobs. 3.30 p.m.”
“Sir, in view of the heat that has been generated oven the debate on this subhead and the need for us to cool down for the rest of the subjects, and in view of the detailed and satisfactory reply given by the Senior Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Labour, I beg leave to withdraw. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.”
“- but I notice that the Senior Parliamentary Secretary wants to answer. I will give way. I will withdraw the amendment later.”
“Members who have shown considerable excitement over this matter - Mr Fong Sip Chee rose -”
“Sir, when I made my comments on this topic, it was intended more to stir up a hornets' nest among certain groups of the employers. But I did not quite realise that these comments could stir up a hornets' nest in this House, resulting in a lot of contributions. On the point mentioned by the Senior Parliamentary Secretary over the need for workers to be conscious of safety measures and so forth. I think that is accepted by the NTUC. But unfortunately many of these workers who suffer injuries or death as a result of industrial accidents were not organised under any union of the NTUC, like the construction workers. We have considerable difficulty in getting them organised. We did not get much sympathy and assistance from the Ministry of Labour to get them organised. So there is a limited capacity in which we could sort of inculcate safety consciousness among the workers and that is only effective in as far as it is within the ranks of those workers that we have organised. But many accidents occur in places quite beyond our jurisdiction. This is the difficulty. On the point raised by the Member for Boon Teck supported by the Members for Kim Seng and Bukit Ho Swee, the Senior Parliamentary Secretary has given a reply. On that matter, I am afraid it is also beyond him. I do not know whether pursuing the subject would bring about a fruitful conclusion, because I notice that the Minister for Labour and the Minister for Finance, including their colleague the Minister for Communications, are all listening intently. Maybe they are taking note of this to influence other Cabinet colleagues to consider this matter. Sir, in view of the time factor, I am just wondering whether I can have your permission or the permission of Hon.”
“I hope the 1975 statistics relating to industrial accidents is prompting the Ministry to initiate not only self-regulatory systems but also more scientific and systematic programmes to develop early warning methods of anticipating and preventing occurrences of accidents.”
“Unfortunately, this nonchalant attitude towards the sacredness of life of the workers as shown by some of the unscrupulous employers is also prevalent among a handful of senior civil servants in change of economic planning and development. They are very conscious of financial cost factor in any economic activity. Occupational and safety measures are only to be maintained at their absolute minimum level to save cost. To them the human cost is less important because, according to them, the human price we must pay for economic development is unavoidable, little realising that the economic losses due to accidents can be higher than the amount spent on additional safety measures. Such economic losses are in the form of workmen's compensation, medical costs, loss in productivity, etc. It is all the more important that both the Labour Ministry and the NTUC must relentlessly pursue occupational health and safety programmes to curb unnecessary deaths and maiming. It is heartening to note that this is being done. I must compliment the Senior Parliamentary Secretary (Labour) for his fearless attacks against employers, both in the public and private sectors, for not taking adequate safety measures to protect workers at their workplaces. In December 1975 regulations were introduced by the Labour Ministry to govern the effective running of Joint Safety Committees. This year on 1st March regulations governing safety officers were introduced. Equally important is the need for the Ministry of Labour to draw up programmes to ensure safer working environment to complement the new regulations that were recently introduced.”
“Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head N be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead AlA 1109*. * The same amendment also stood in the name of Mr P. Govindaswamy. Industrial accidents resulting in death or permanent disabilities to workmen have occurred too frequently in our island Republic in the last few years of our industrial expansion. It is a sad fact of life that the victims of such accidents invariably come from the low income group. It is not difficult to imagine the heart pangs and anguish such tragedies bring to the families of such victims and themselves, if they escape death only to become permanent cripples. Added to these are the mental agonies and anxieties regarding the future of their families. The plight of the families of such victims not only deserves our compassion and sympathy but also constantly reminds us of the need for accident prevention in workplaces through adequate occupational health and safety measures. This is a matter of paramount importance and concern for the Government, the employers and the trade unions in their common pursuit of workers' welfare and security. Surely some of these accidents could have been prevented if greater care had been exercised by all concerned in safety measures. Sad to say, some employers, particularly those who are contractors, are just not treating their workers as human beings. It is made to appear to them that the life of their workers is no more sacred than the life of a dog. They are more concerned with the raking of profits, of more and more profits. More safety measures mean cutting down the margin of their profits.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir,I, therefore submit, the challenge that is really before the Government in the course of the next decade when we must, as a nation, sail through many violent political and economic storms, is whether the Government will be able to mobilise its forces and make use of all available avenues like the schools and other educational institutions, the community centres, the media of radio and television, to inculcate in the population, particularly the younger generation of Singaporeans, the sense of political and economic realism and quick reflexes in response to any political and economic changes. This challenge. Mr Speaker, Sir, is as crucial to the long-term well-being of Singaporeans as the need to intensify our national efforts to create more and better jobs through economic growth and development.”
“What I am wondering is whether our obsession with criticising the internal policies and actions of Government over a period of years has not numbed us to the sense of the dangers that lie before us as a nation of both the political and economic fronts. Singaporeans may find some difficulty in relating their personal problems and frustrations to the more serious regional and global political and economic events that inevitably will have more far reaching implications for us, and in making the necessary adjustment to accept sacrifices for the long-term interests of our country and ourselves and our fellow citizens. We have in the past risen to the occasion and have met far more difficult challenges previously as a community and as a nation. The older generations of Singaporeans know what hardship means because they had personally experienced hardships in their lifetime. But today, we have a younger generation of Singaporeans, who have grown up during a period of comparatively good times and have become accustomed to a pampered life without knowing what is real hardship. The comparatively easy life that they have led up to now has insulated them from the harsh realities of life.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I rise in support of the motion standing in the name of the Minister for Finance. The Hon. Finance Minister has struck a sombre note in his Budget Statement laid before this House on 1st March 1976. Recent political events and trends in and around our region, coupled with world-wide economic problems and difficulties, are beginning to make even more difficult our national efforts to promote and advance the welfare and well-being of every Singaporean. There can already be discerned warning signs of political and economic storms ahead of us. We can either wither in the face of the storms or survive, depending on how much political will, courage and national cohesion we can harness from amongst the 2.2 million Singaporeans. But first we have to shake off the euphoria that has lulled the senses of the Singaporeans because of the past few years of relative affluence and prosperity. During the past few years, not a single day has passed without our hearing or reading the newspaper columns about complaints and grumblings about the bus service, increases in road taxes, inadequate personal reliefs in income tax, and a host of other grievances. Grumbling by Singaporeans over personal inconveniences and discomforts has grown from a national past-time to a national obsession. I' am not saying that some of these complaints are not valid. I am not saying that the Government, in what it conceives as national interests over the years, has not been obliged to adopt unpleasant policies and measures which give rise to individual and sectional complaints from the public.”
“They must enjoy rights and privileges, responsibilities and obligations, no more and no less than any group or organisation of adult people. Trade unions, political parties and other organisations in our State come under the ambit of either the Trade Unions Act or the Societies Act. Therefore, the intention behind this Bill is to bring the Students' Union within the ambit of the Societies Act. It should not be seen as placing unusual restrictions on the students' body but should be regarded as placing the students' body on the same footing as other organisations in the Republic. As a matter of fact, the Singapore Polytechnic Students' Union is registered under the Societies Act. The People's Action Party, as any other political party in Singapore, is registered under the Societies Act. The fact that the PAP is the ruling party today clearly shows that organisations, including political parties, registered under the Societies Act, are not necessarily hampered or restricted in carrying out their functions and objectives fully. So for all the activities of the Students' Union, other than political activities, there is virtually of no consequence now that the Students' Union has come under the ambit of the Societies Act, particularly when the Minister has now made it known that he intends to exempt the Students' Union and its constituent bodies, except the Political Club, from the provisions of the Societies Act. What it amounts to in the end is that foreign students enjoying the hospitality of the Singapore Government and taking advantage of the facilities paid for by the people of Singapore will henceforth not be allowed to meddle in the political affairs of our Republic, as some of them had done so far. What is wrong with that, Mr Speaker, Sir? 5,08 p.m.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the Hon. Minister for Home Affairs and Education is not going to be popular with some of the more union-active students of the University of Singapore for moving this Bill, particularly with reference to the provisions relating to the Students' Union. This is a small occupational hazard that he sometimes faces as a Government Minister in discharging his duties for the good and well-being of the whole community. Perhaps the Minister in this instance can take some comfort in the thought that the Member for Katong, the Member for Boon Teck and I will also probably come in for some pointed criticisms by the Students' Union leaders for speaking in support of this Bill. The proposal to bring the Students' Union within the ambit of the Societies Act has certainly generated quite some synthetic anger among some members of the Union. The Bill is misconstrued as being deliberately repressive. They see the Bill as an act to end their very special and privileged position to engage in unrestricted activities, particularly in the political field and taking refuge in the sanctuary of the University campus and under the cloak of the oft-quoted but misunderstood concept of academic freedom. It is a healthy sign, Mr Speaker, Sir, to see some of our students showing interest in the political and social affairs of our island Republic. I only hope that their interest is genuine and abiding and does not vanish as soon as they leave the University and secure good jobs. It is important that we do not treat our University students as young, immature and irresponsible adolescents. They should be treated as adults. Their Union should be accorded the status of an organisation for adults, no more and no less equal than any organisation for adults.”
“Sir, the Minister has not answered one of my questions and that is, will he consider extending the courses that I mentioned to serving teachers without the HSC or the GCE `A' level? Because in his announcement it was stated that teachers must possess those qualifications before they could be invited to these courses.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, on Teachers' Day last year, the Minister for Education announced that his Ministry was planning a staff development scheme to provide teachers with opportunities for academic and professional advancement. According to him, initially, courses leading to the advanced stage of the Certificate of Education would be conducted by the Institute of Education. At a later stage there would be courses leading to the Bacheior of Education degree. These courses would be open to serving teachers with HSC or GCE `A' level. My question to the Minister is: have the plans been finalised and, if so, when will these courses be run? I wish also to find out from the Minister whether he will consider extending these courses to serving teachers without the HSC or the GCE `A' level.”
“Judging from all these desirable features, one can hardly find fault with the rationale and objective behind these changes. So it must be the concern of everybody - Ministry officials, Members of Parliament, members of the public, parents and teachers - to give all their support to ensure that these objectives are attained. I must, however, express my reservation at this juncture as to whether the Ministry of Education is able to gear itself to meet these challenges ahead. Judging from past experience, I think they have not got a commendable record in terms of performance to give us the kind of confidence. But we must not give up hope simply because too much is at stake. Perhaps we give them a chance and we will do what we can to see how we can help them to achieve this objective. So if I appear to be very much in favour of these changes, that has got nothing to do with the fact that I like the very charming smile of the Education Minister. They are certainly very desirable objectives which all of us must assist to achieve. I think the Member for Katong has brought up some very interesting points as regards the requirements and demands of teachers, training and retraining facilities, etc. I therefore do not wish to repeat what he has said, except to say that I completely agree with him. With those remarks, Deputy Speaker, Sir, I think I have had my say although it was quite difficult for me not to repeat certain points which have already been raised by other Members.”
“Therefore, we have removed a feature which condemns a child, rightly or wrongly, by denying him an opportunity to continue with his education after primary school if he fails his primary six entrance examination. With this restructured education system an examination is no longer needed to determine whether a child should or should not proceed to secondary school. I think this is extremely desirable and in the interests of the children. There exists a prejudice against blue-collar work and a preference for white-collar work. The result is that certain prejudices are created against certain types of jobs. Recent developments in our country as an independent nation, where we have developed into a modern society, have given us the opportunity to reflect that no matter what sort of job a person performs he has a role to play and there is an importance to it, irrespective of whether it is a white-collar or a blue-collar job. Everybody has a role to play. We must have doctors, lawyers, clerks, teachers, blue-collar workers, etc. We must encourage parents not to show any prejudice against certain jobs in preference for others. With this restructured system, which caters for the children's future secondary education in the aptitude they are most suited for, either for academically-inclined subjects leading to the university, or technically-inclined subjects leading to polytechnic, or craft-inclined subjects leading to vocational training, we will ultimately have a well balanced all round development of our manpower resources in terms of the different strata in our whole manpower requirements. We will have skilled and trained people in all strata of our society.”
“Even under the old system, where there had been many subjects for children to learn, 11 years were considered a desirable period for completion of the primary and secondary education; what more then if they have got more to learn now? It is only logical to conclude that a 10-year period would not be a desirable period. That is the reason why in the past few years there have been complaints from parents particularly about the pressure put on their children in the schools. So an extension of another year helps to relieve that pressure. This feature in itself demonstrates that this is for the good of the children. The second feature of the recent restructured education scheme is the removal of the Primary VI entrance examination (PSLE) as a means to determine whether a child could continue with secondary education. I think many of us have heard of complaints and are quite aware of this problem of examination phobia, where everything is geared towards examination. A child is measured by the examination results. The system is a very imperfect one. A child is condemned for life if he fails his Primary VI entrance examination. Any teacher will know that passing or failing this entrance examination is no foolproof criterion in determining whether a child is capable of continuing his education or not. Not only was there anxiety on the part of parents and children over this entrance examination in the previous system which caused a lot of cramming of studies and private tuition but it also made schooling a very unpleasant experience for the children. By removing this requirement, education should become an interesting experience in school.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, as the sixth under this subhead I am somewhat at a disadvantage for the simple reason that whatever I want to been very eloquently and put across by hon. Members spoken before me. But I feel nonetheless say something on this restructured education scheme because it has aroused considerable interest both from within and is House. I think that, of all the changes in the educational policy that have taken place past decade or so, the recent have been the most sensible they are oriented towards the well-being and interest; unlike previous changes which were tailored the political, social, economic manpower objectives. The recent are not geared to meet such objectives but more to cater to the well-the child in school. Two features of these changes demonstrate this. One is that schooling has been extended to 11 years in both primary and secondary levels instead of 10 years. In fact, all of us in this House were brought up under the 11-year education system. It was only a decade or so ago that the 11-year education system was reduced to 10 years, and I suspect that at that time the reason for the reduction of one year's schooling was purely economic: the Government wanted to save money. I could see no other reason for the reduction of schooling from 11 to 10 years except this economic reason. And the price paid for that reduction was that children were put under heavier pressure to cope with a certain amount of knowledge to be acquired both in primary and secondary schools. As Members will know, in recent years because of economic and political developments, new requirements have come into the picture. More objectives are pumped into the education system, and more knowledge for the children to acquire.”
“Sir, in view of the fact that the discussion between the Minister and I ends in complete accord, I beg leave to withdraw the amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. The following amendment stood in the name of Mr J. F. Conceicao - (4) That the sum to be allocated for Head V be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead BBA 1109.”
“In that case, I will not withdraw my amendment for the moment.”
“I am not complaining. The question is we must always improve. If things work satisfactorily, we must always aim for the better. That must be the objective. While generally the situation is satisfactory, there is much room for improvement. For a start, probably this could he one area where he could look into. Having said that, I do not know whether my colleague wants to raise any other matters.”
“Sir, the reason for the Finance Minister to think that there existed in the last few years good industrial relations probably stems from the fact that there has been an absence of angry speeches, strike notices and industrial action on the part of the civil service unions. But this has got nothing to do with the speed and effectiveness that the grievances of the public employees have been settled. This is due largely to very responsible and reasonable attitude of trade union leaders whose patience seems to be inexhaustible in so far as staff relations affecting the kind of unsatisfactory attention from the Government is concerned. The Minister mentioned that there are a few such qualified officers. I am not quarrelling with the fact that there are a few competent civil servants. But he must not forget that there are so many thousands of public employees. I believe the number of the monthly and daily-rated employees exceeds 50,000. With three or four competent officers that the Minister has mentioned, how can they hope to solve so many problems that occur in the different places of work? The three or four officers that the Minister has in Fullerton Building is not all that sufficient. Competent officers must be present in the various Ministries, and not only that but they must also be present in the different sections of the Ministries because they have got a very big staff. So I say that it is generally accepted that a sufficiency of good personnel officers is an important prerequisite for good industrial relations in the civil service. My plea to the Minister is that what he has at present is not enough. He must increase the number. Probably his colleague, the Minister for Education, would need some extra qualified and competent personnel officers.”
“Perhaps in the Budget Estimates for next year we could see an additional column showing the actual number of persons working in each Department, and not just the establishment requirement alone. My second comment is this. If the Minister for Finance could just turn to page 93 of the Main and Development Estimates, he would notice that in respect of the salary of the Minister for Science and Technology the wage mentioned against this item is $7,000 per mensem but the appropriation for FY 75 is only $42,000. Sir, it neither adds nor multiplies. If the wage is $7,000 per mensem, then the annual appropriation should be $84,000 and not $42.000. Sir, I know, and you know, that only part of the Minister's wages is paid by the Government. But the point is that the Main and Development Estimates as a public document does not let everybody know that the Minister receives only part of his wages from the Government. I would have thought that a footnote at the bottom of the page or somewhere appropriate could be inserted to explain the difference.”
“Should not the Government do something so that problems can be solved more effectively and discontent in the civil service minimised? I would like to know from the Minister whether there are such plans afoot and whether there is going to be a change in its approach in dealing with staff problems. The present relationship seems to be that of master and servant. If they do not like them, they have to leave. There is no question of treating the officers with due respect. I do not think this is the intention of the political leadership. But sometimes because of an inadequate machinery and the lack of competent officers it can result in this sort of situation. Mr N. Govindasamy: Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I would like to commend the Ministry of Finance for the improvement it has made to the format of the Main and Development Estimates year after year. However, I would like to make two comments in respect of the Estimates as presented this year. My first comment is that information on the staff establishment does not reflect the true position or the state of affairs in respect of personnel in the Government service. The second column in the Estimates gives the number of posts for the previous year. The third column gives the provision of personnel for the coming year. What is perhaps needed is another column next to tile establishment requirement, stating the actual staffing position. For example, for this year it is stated that for FY 74 the Budget Division was supposed to have 159 Division I officers, but it is not known how many were actually employed. But as I understand it, every one of the Ministers who spoke before the Minister for Finance seemed to be talking about staff shortages in their Ministries.”
“So we have the staff officer who understands what is written in the Instruction Manual, but very often fails to understand the significance and the spirit of certain sections in the Instruction Manual. Like the incompetent fortune teller, the incompetent staff officer gives his answer each time by referring to the Instruction Manual as his guide and authority. This must surely lead to a lot of unhappiness because the problems which are brought up are very often human problems, and they must be attended to with regard to human feelings in order to remove the grievances. Using the Instruction Manual as the only means of dealing with the problems does not produce that kind of effect. So we find problems after problems coming up in the civil service which are badly attended to and this has resulted in greater frustration. That is why we hear in this House not only this year but also for many years previously that there are frustrations and grievances in the civil service. We also hear that it is not so much the quantum of pay that matters. Money is not the important factor. There must be job satisfaction. I think one of the causes of job discontent is the lack of attention and the lack of care on the part of Government not only in constituting a proper grievance machinery to solve staff problems but also in employing and training people to deal with such problems. It is necessary to train officers adequately to deal with such problems in a more qualified manner. My question to the Minister is this does the Government consider that attention to staff problems is of vital importance in ensuring an efficient civil service? If so, is it not true that the Government is not doing enough to ensure that the officers who man the grievance machinery are competent enough?”
“Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head V be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead BAA 1105*. (*The same amendment also stood in the name of Mr N. Govindasamy.). Sir, the Government, as an employer, employs the largest number of workers. So the spate of daily staff problems and grievances in such a large service must surely be innumerable. It requires very little commonsense to understand that a properly constituted machinery where grievances could be aired and problems attended to is a vital prerequisite to good industrial relationship between the Government as an employer and its employees. But one gets the impression that in certain departments this machinery is non-existent, and where it exists one sometimes gets the impression that the officers in charge, who are called staff officers or by some other designation, do not seem to be competent enough to deal with stall problems. A competent industrial relations officer must be one who possesses understanding and be able to temper decisions with a human touch. One gets the impression that the only qualification all these officers have is their ability to quote relevant, and sometimes also irrelevant, sections of the Instruction Manual in dealing with staff problems. A visit to a staff officer reminds one of a visit to a fortune teller. It is not that I myself have visited a fortune teller. But from what I have observed, the authority of the fortune teller on the roadside is the book of oracle. If you consult him, he will use the book of oracle to tell your fortune. While he understands what is written in the book of oracle, very often he cannot grasp the significance of the text in that book.”
“I hope the Minister will reconsider this matter sympathetically. Even though it may be too late for some civil ser vants who have already retired, there is no harm because the decision could have retrospective effect, and this will make everybody happy.”