S. V. Lingam
Singapore
“Sir, originally I did not intend to speak, but after hearing some of the Members who spoke, I just wish to say a few words. When the P.A.P. came to power in 1959, it introduced the Women's Charter Bill. Now we have the Labour (Amendment) Bill in front of us, enabling women workers to work round the clock.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head 11 be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead l0l*. * The same amendment also stood in the name of Mr Ng Yeow Chong. I am taking my other amendment also, Sir, i.e., amendment No. (4)++, together.”
“Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head 64 be reduced by $10 in respect of item (006) of subhead 201. Sir, I also intend to take my amendments Nos. (2)* and (3)+ together. * Amendment No. (2), reads as follows: That the sum to be allocated for Head 64 be reduced by $10 in respect of item (007) of subhead 201.”
“Sir, items (006) and (007) of subhead 201 and item (001) of subhead 205 relate to my constituency. While welcoming the expansion and widening of the roads in question, I wish to know whether any houses or buildings are affected by these schemes. Can the Minister give me detailed information on this?”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head 0801 be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead 3012*. * The same amendment also stood in the name of Mr Ng Yeow Chong. Sir, we are asked to approve a sum of $300,000 for this item. Is the Government going to organise a trade fair in Singapore during 1968?”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head 0801 be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead 3023. Sir, I want to know to whom these scholarships are paid and why they are named "Malaysia Scholarships". Can the name be changed to, say, "Singapore Scholarships" or something like that?”
The complete record
Every one of 134 lines we hold for S. V. Lingam, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 1 of 3.
“Sir, originally I did not intend to speak, but after hearing some of the Members who spoke, I just wish to say a few words. When the P.A.P. came to power in 1959, it introduced the Women's Charter Bill. Now we have the Labour (Amendment) Bill in front of us, enabling women workers to work round the clock. May I know when Government will introduce an Act for men to safeguard themselves? 3.21 p.m.”
“I beg leave to withdraw. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.”
“Sir, items (006) and (007) of subhead 201 and item (001) of subhead 205 relate to my constituency. While welcoming the expansion and widening of the roads in question, I wish to know whether any houses or buildings are affected by these schemes. Can the Minister give me detailed information on this?”
“Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head 64 be reduced by $10 in respect of item (006) of subhead 201. Sir, I also intend to take my amendments Nos. (2)* and (3)+ together. * Amendment No. (2), reads as follows: That the sum to be allocated for Head 64 be reduced by $10 in respect of item (007) of subhead 201. + Amendment No. (3), reads as follows: That the sum to be allocated for Head 64 be reduced by $10 in respect of item (001) of subhead 205.”
“I am withdrawing, Sir. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.”
“I have come across a lot of open spaces in the Housing and Development Board estates, such as Queenstown, Kallang, Tanjong Rhu, and Macpherson. Some of these open spaces can be turned into better use for the children as well as adults.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head 40 be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead 103.* * The same amendment also stood in the names of Inche Mohd. Ariff bin Suradi and Mr. Bernard Rodrigues. Sir, like the Member for Mountbatten, I also wish to crave your indulgence to say a few words on the Housing Board. The main point I wish to raise under this head is about the one-room flats. In a block, the passage-way between the units opposite to each other is very narrow. Added to this difficulty, the doors of the unit opposite to each other are in the same line. Because of this, when the dwellers of the opposite units keep their doors open, one can see what is happening in the other house. This reduces the privacy of these flat dwellers. Can the Minister remedy this defect by changing the design of future blocks? My second point is about the home ownership plan. I understand that some of the present tenants have been given the option of buying the flats in which they live now. Since the Board is asking them to buy the flats all of a sudden, they may not be in a position to raise enough money for a down-payment, though they would be happy to buy the flat. So I request the Minister to waive the down-payment and extend the period of loan in such cases. My third point is that there are many housing estates without community centres, and it seems that there will be none in certain cases. Will the Minister consider providing the residents of such estates with a community hall or a similar facility so that they can get together? Incidentally, I wish to point out that there are very few amenities for the children living in those estates.”
“I beg leave to withdraw. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head 11 be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead l0l*. * The same amendment also stood in the name of Mr Ng Yeow Chong. I am taking my other amendment also, Sir, i.e., amendment No. (4)++, together. I wish to raise one or two points under this Head and that is about a community centre in Macpherson Housing Estate. A site has been ++ Amendment No. (4) reads as follows: That the sum to be allocated for Head 11 be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead 201. recommended to erect a community centre in this vicinity. I wish to emphasise that at least 50,000 people are living of this estate. I hope the Minister, instead of saying that there are no funds available, will do his best to put up a community centre in Macpherson Housing Estate which will serve the people of this area.”
“This is a good place. Everyone wants to come here. To have imposed a ban on pigs at the time would have meant that infected pigs would have been smuggled in. We therefore did not impose a ban in order to keep an eye on the pigs across the Causeway. And when we discovered a lorry load of pigs - pigs that were actually suffering from the disease - we had to impose a ban, which we did. But I can assure you that the swine fever in Singapore has not been caused by any neglect in the Primary Production Department. In fact, the officials of the Department should be praised for the preventive measures that they have taken since. It was difficult explaining to the farmers the necessity for vaccination, and at first they could not be convinced. They were only convinced after the disease reached their farms. But officials of the Department had been working overtime on Saturdays and Sundays not only in vaccinating the pigs but also in explaining the disease and its results and effects to the farmers. The Member for Sembawang, dealing with car parks, complains that parking places are all over the town - or is it all over the island? If it is all over the island, perhaps he will tell me whether there are any in Sembawang. Mr Teong Eng Siong rose and spoke in Mandarin.”
“I can assure the Member for Delta that the officials of my Ministry were not afraid of the Barisan Sosialis. Either we have urban renewal or we do not. In the process of urban renewal, people must be inconvenienced. Shopkeepers have to move out. Residents have to move out. We cannot satisfy everybody. Otherwise we will never evict the occupiers and, in fact, it takes a very, very long time before complete vacant possession of any property is obtained. Shopkeepers, as the Member for Delta has pointed out, pay cheaper rents than the shops they occupy in Housing Board accommodation. They always grumble. But this tender system appears to be the fairest system and the best way to get at an economic rent. When tenders are called for, there are no allegations of corruption. The Government is already subsidising, and subsidising heavily, Housing Board flats. What you are asking the Government now to do is also to subsidise businesses. This I am afraid my Ministry will not recommend to the Minister for Finance. The Member for Sembawang blames the Primary Production Department of the Ministry of National Development for the outbreak of swine fever in Singapore. He says this was due to the neglect of the Department particularly in not taking preventive measures. I have stated in this House before and I will state it again. The swine fever spread from Thailand to the north of Malaya. From northern Malaya it made its way down to Kuala Lumpur, then into Johore Bahru, and then across the Causeway into Singapore. It did not start here. It came in. What could we do? Prevent pigs from conhing into Singapore! We could have imposed a ban but then there would have been smuggling of pigs. All sorts of things are smuggled into Singa pore, not only pigs but human beings too.”
“The information that I have got only two days ago is that 100 pigs were slaughtered and not at the period when there was swine fever. Mr Barker: If 3,000 pigs were slaughtered before the swine fever, I cannot understand why suddenly the abattoirs cannot cope with the same number of pigs that were slaughtered before. The Member for Aljunied says that he only got this information two days ago. I have not even heard about it. I suggest he send my Ministry the facts and probably ask me another question in Parliament so that I will be in a better position to reply. As regards the other four Members, we heard two election speeches and two complaints. Both the Member for Delta and the Member for Sembawang had occasion to praise the Government's efforts at urban renewal. But they raised complaints about resettlement and enhanced rentals for Housing Board shops. I hope both Members will realise that it is not possible to satisfy everyone's needs. To give you an example, when Queenstown was first built, no one wanted to go there. Now everyone wants to go to Queenstown. Of course, you cannot get there because the flats are occupied. At the moment, few are happy to go to Toa Payoh. Tenants are very choosy. They not only want the particular area, but they also want a particular floor, not too high, not too low. Sometimes they want the corner flat. As far as is possible, we accommodate them. But someone has to go to the top, someone to the bottom, someone in the middle. I am surprised to hear the Member for Delta saying that resettlement went well until a year or so ago when resettlement officials adopted a different attitude. They were rather harsh and demanding, she alleges. And perhaps she says it is because there is no Opposition that these things are happening.”
“Sir, I have only one point to bring to the notice of the Minister. I was told that the number -of pigs slaughtered at the new Jurong central abattoir is not satisfactory. For example, I understand that in one hour at the present abattoir in French Road they slaughter about 100 pigs, whereas at Jurong they only slaughter about ten for the same length of time. If this is true, will the Minister make a statement and, at the same time, consider changing the mechanised system into a manual system as at present? Mr Ho Kah Leong(In Mandarin): Sir, I have a point to ask the Minister. In his answer to the previous question, he said that it was a good thing that it rained, because our reservoirs are now full. But when it rains, certain things happen. For the past few days we have seen that after a heavy rain many places have been flooded, whether in the rural or city area, and also in the new housing estates. For example, in Queenstown Estate, whenever it rains, the Queensway Circus is flooded. We know that the flood water causes a lot of inconvenience to the people. This is especially so -after classes when the students find it difficult to go home. At the same time, we see that the places which have been flooded are the scenes of many obstructions. After each flood the Government will lose a lot of money in repairing -roads which have been damaged by the floods. I wish to ask whether the Minister has an island-wide anti-flood project in mind.”
“I beg leave to withdraw. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. The sum of $16,190,720 for Head 1002 ordered to stand part of the Estimates. [Mr Speaker in the Chair] 4.00 p.m. Head 1003 - Madam Chan Choy Siong(In Mandarin): Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head 1003 be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead 1101. As early as 1959, the Government announced that it would be building as many creches as possible in order to reduce the burden of working class women so that they could concentrate on their jobs. However, up to now only a few creches have been built. Another point is that the staff at these creches should change their attitude. The reason is that I have been told by many parents, whose children are in these creches, that the people in charge are very proud and the treatment they give to the little children leaves much to be desired. This attitude is not suitable to our custom and environment, because what they learn is from the Western countries. Many of our customs are not practised in these creches. As a result, from the Asian point of view, this causes a great deal of inconvenience. I wish the Minister can pay some attention to this matter. I would also like to know whether creches will be established in other areas, especially the industrial areas, e.g., the Jurong industrial site.”
“Does the Minister sincerely believe that the poor people can really afford this? Of course, if every citizen draws the same salary as the Director of Broadcasting, we do not need this campaign at all.”
“Sir, I beg to move, That the total sum to be allocated for Head 1002 be reduced by $100*. * The same amendment also stood in the names of Mr Chow Chiok Hock and Madam Chan Choy Siong. Sir, under this head, I shall touch only on a few points. The first is the "Eat more wheat" campaign organised by the Broadcasting Division. While I congratulate Radio and T.V. Singapura on their efforts in this campaign, I am disturbed to note the apparent ignorance on the part of the civil servants in appreciating the thinking behind the Government's intention in this matter. To whom are we to beam this campaign? To the rich or to the poor? I have seen film shorts and heard announcements on T.V. and over the radio. Members will agree that the campaign seems to be directed at the rich who ironically are already consumers of wheat and who could afford to pay for rice at ten times its present price. In the last campaign listeners and viewers were urged to participate in this campaign and to submit a recipe, say, for breakfast at a cost of not more than $3 for four persons. A few days ago I heard the same announcement of the second "Eat more wheat" campaign. This time members of the public are asked to prepare a breakfast for $2. You will agree with me, Sir, that we never spend that much money for breakfast. In fact, $3 or, for that matter, $2 is what some working family spend for the whole day's meals for the family. I am not criticising the campaign. But I am not happy at the way it is being handled. For instance, pau. Do you know how much we have to spend on the meat, chicken, prawns, eggs, etc. before we can make a pau? Do we really have to exhort the poor people to save more money by eating wheat and then mislead them into spending several times more on meat?”
“Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head 1002 be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead 1383. Sir, this concerns "Property Master". I just want to know what are the properties looked after by this Master, and what are his duties. 3.45 p.m.”
“I am not moving. The following amendment stood in the name of Madam Chan Choy Siong - That the sum to be allocated for Head 1002 be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead 1221. Madam Chan Choy Siong: I am not moving.”
“Sir, I beg leave to withdraw the amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head 0801 be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead 3023. Sir, I want to know to whom these scholarships are paid and why they are named "Malaysia Scholarships". Can the name be changed to, say, "Singapore Scholarships" or something like that?”
“Sir, I beg leave to withdraw. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head 0801 be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead 3012*. * The same amendment also stood in the name of Mr Ng Yeow Chong. Sir, we are asked to approve a sum of $300,000 for this item. Is the Government going to organise a trade fair in Singapore during 1968? Or is the sum asked for to send delegations overseas to attend exhibitions organised by other countries?”
“Madam Chan Choy Siong: (8) That the total sum to be allocated for Head 0703 be reduced by $100. The sum of $26,608,350 for Head 0703 ordered to stand part of the Estimates. Head 0801 -”
“I beg leave to withdraw the amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head 0703 be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead 1281. We have a quarantine station here and all deck and other passengers who are suspected of having epidemic diseases are detained here. But I am told that the conditions of the station are not very good. It seems that the inmates face threats from insects like centipedes, etc. Moreover, I have heard complaints about the pots and utensils given to the inmates for cooking facilities during their stay in the station. If these complaints are true, I am sure the Minister will take steps to remedy them. Another point I would like to submit for the Minister's consideration is this. Is it possible not to detain deck passengers unless they are suspected of having diseases? Sir, all passengers from foreign countries who come by boat or aircraft should have their health certificates. This being so, I can see no reason why they should be isolated for three days. I do not know whether the Minister is aware that certain deck passengers who come to Singapore disembark at Penang, because there is no quarantine in Penang, and these passengers arrive in Singapore even before the saloon passengers of the same ship disembark at Singapore. Sir, if the intention of detaining deck passengers is to prevent diseases from spreading, I think it is being defeated for the reasons I have stated earlier. In view of the above, can the Minister consider abolishing the quarantine detention of deck passengers who are not suspected of having any epidemic diseases? This will save them from undergoing unnecessary difficulties and expenses. 4.00 p.m.”
“I have an amendment here and guillotine time is approaching.”
“Sir, I wanted to know from the Minister the purpose of opening this Commission. I did not say that I am objecting to its opening at Johore Bahru.”
“I beg to withdraw, Sir. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.”
“Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head 0401 be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead 3004. Sir, members of the People's Defence Force are now given about 3« months' holiday. They are to report for duty on or about 15th March, 1968. I understand that the reason for such a long vacation is that arrangements are being made for a reorganisation of the P.D.F. Sir, I welcome such a reorganisation and I am sure that, like me, Members of the House will be very happy to know the details of the proposed reorganisation. Can the Minister give an elaborate account of it? Next, Sir, I understand that after the reorganisation, volunteers will be called for training only twice a month and not twice a week as at present. At a time when the Government want our people, especially the young people, to be rugged and tough, does the Minister think that training given twice a month will make them acquire the quality needed? Will training given twice a month make a man a good soldier? I hope the Minister will give a satisfactory answer.”
“Sir, I beg leave to withdraw. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.”
“Mr Speaker. Sir, I move, That the sum to be allocated for Head 0401 be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead 2133. Sir, a few schools in my constituency need the services of school crossing patrols. Can the Minister explain the procedure to get these services?”
“Sir, I beg leave to withdraw. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head 0401 be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead 2120. Sir, can the Minister explain to whom these leave passages and rail fares are given? Also, why is there an increase of about $55,000?”
“Sir, I beg leave to withdraw. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.”
“Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head 0401 be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead 2103. Sir, will the Minister inform the House what is the use of this sum of money and who benefits from it? Mr Lim Kim San: Sir, this is a provision to meet the cost of free education for the Commissioner's rank and file cadets, a scheme which was started in 1953 to prepare suitably qualified members of the rank and file for promotion to the inspectorate by providing a course of instruction leading to the Cambridge School Certificate Examination after five years' study. This scheme was fundamentally designed to increase the number of Malay officers in the Force in order to maintain a fair balance in the inspectorate in proportion to the existing racial ratio in the rank and file, The total annual graduateship is not to exceed 50 and the Cadets are entitled to free education, books and fees for the Cambridge School Certificate Examination. The provision for the current year is $27,920 and for 1968 the provision is $25,000.”
“Sir, I beg leave to withdraw. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.”
“I hope in the following year the Marine Department will take the necessary steps to see that vessels are dressed up. In addition, I would suggest that the department make arrangements with masters of boats to have their sirens blown at a particular time. Sir, I have come across a certain Government building flying our national flag at half-mast! Of course, no one would have done it deliberately, but I would request the Minister to issue circulars to all departments that they take care to see that their flags are properly hoisted. This may be a small matter but it is in respect of such matters that we can instil a sense of national pride in our people. 5.30 p.m. Sir, we are not spending a small amount on our National Day celebration. With a large sum and careful planning we can succeed in two aims; first, celebrating our National Day grandly; second, cultivating a sense of national pride among our people.”
“Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head 0401 be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead 2018. Sir, when I spoke on this Head last year, I asked for an explanation why certain Government buildings such as the General Post Office, etc, were not decorated during National Day. The previous Minister of Defence told this House that he saw no merit in decorating Government offices on National Day as the day would be a public holiday. He further stated that the policy of the Government with regard to last year's National Day was to move away from the decoration of Government offices to the decoration of the town and to brighten up the main streets and thoroughfares where people live. Sir, I am still unable to understand the logic of that argument. It is true that the public may not be visiting Government offices on business, but I am sure the Minister will agree with me when I say that most of our citizens will be away from their homes in holiday mood, and they may be around the Padang and Government offices at Empress Place. Sir, I say that it is necessary to decorate these buildings. These are sights which will impress the people and inculcate in them a sense of national pride and the children will find it difficult to forget the decorations and the reason for them. Thus the young and old will have a sense of national pride instilled in them. The Government normally request the public and organisations to decorate their homes and buildings. The Ministry of Education directs all schools to decorate their buildings. It is for the same reason that I request the Minister to direct all Government departments to decorate their buildings. Last year, Sir, I think the boats in our waters were not dressed up as expected.”
“Sir, in spite of many difficulties, the management committees of community centres in various constituencies are trying their best to provide free tea, cigarettes, etc, to members of the Vigilante Corps. But they have their limits. They have many other expenses. In spite of all these difficulties in my constituency, I am happy to announce that the management committee has, with the help of MacPherson South C.C.C. Section Committee, opened a Vigilante Corps Post last month. Sir, may I take this opportunity to say that we have about 35 women V.C, members in our constituency? They all joined very recently and are now undergoing training. In order to encourage more men and women to join the Vigilante Corps, I request the Minister to look into the question of providing them with the facilities I have mentioned earlier.”
“Sir, our Vigilante Corps is now established with statutory provisions and the members are now treated more or less like regular police personnel in many respects. This is to be appreciated, Sir, but we should not forget that they are all volunteers except for those members who are required to do national service. When we consider the powers given to them, I think the facilities given to them are not enough if we are to be proud of their services. We should also see that they are sufficiently compensated though they are not benefited financially. For example, let us take medical facilities. The Minister, in winding up the debate on the Vigilante Corps Bill, stated that arrangements could be made to get free medical services for members of the Vigilante Corps from private doctors, I do not know how far this has materialised. If not, I do not think it will be a burden on the Government to give free medical attention to them at Government hospitals and clinics. My second point is that members of the Vigilante Corps do not have sufficient uniforms. Again, I wish to stress that they are volunteers. They are civic-minded and they want to serve their country during their spare time, So we should not tax them. Connected with uniforms is the question of laundry expenses. As a uniformed service, the Vigilante Corps has to look smart. At least some sort of allowance should be given to cover such incidental expenses. I wish to point out what the Minister promised during the debate on the Bill. He said that he would look into the matter. So far nothing has happened and I hope he will give an explanation.”
“But after we took over the government in 1959, both the public and the police have realised that they are friends. This has resulted in the public coming forward to give information to the police and thus giving them their co-operation. So when we praise the police today, the civic-minded public also have a share in it. Of course, Sir, some of our hon. Members may have genuine grouses against the police. But, as I have said earlier, if we think of the difficult conditions under which they work, I am sure we will learn to appreciate them instead of condemning them. We should offer suggestions to help improve their lot. Finally, Sir, I have a remark to make under this Head. I see on page 122 of the Estimates and at the top of page 123, two headings, namely, "Gurkha Contingent" and "Malay, Indian and Chinese Contingent". I think these are left-overs of the colonial rule. Here I can see some reason for a separate Gurkha Contingent. But there is no justification for a Malay, Indian and Chinese Contingent. When we say "police" they are Singaporeans. At this time when we are talking about abolishing associations under clan names, the Government as an example, should abolish such headings. Sir, can the Minister please consider this?”
“Sir, in the past, just as at present, we have heard many hon. Members speaking on our police force. But most of the speakers have always attacked them. But my views are different. One may say that a police officer is a government servant and so he is expected to serve the public, like any other civil servant. I do not deny that, but I am of the opinion that a policeman runs more risk than any other civil servant for the pay he receives. A policeman on patrol duty may enjoy a ride in a Holden car or may be walking through the slums in the early hours of the morning. But whether they travel in vehicles or go by foot, they are subject to risks of stone throwing and attacks from gangsters and anti-national elements. It is here that they risk their lives. Sir, we in Singapore have faced many difficult periods during which the police had worked round the clock, sacrificing their off days and vacation leave. They even had no time to look after their families. In many cases, they have prevented crimes and illegal activities instead of waiting for such things to happen and then stopping them. Their motto is that prevention is better than cure. When there were disturbances in some countries in this part of the world due to the devaluation of Sterling which resulted in the devaluation of the old Malayan currency, there were rumours that the anti-national elements would make use of this opportunity to create unrest here. But I think due to the precautionary measures taken by the police, nothing happened here. Before criticising the police, we should understand the difficult conditions under which they work. One of their many problems is to get co-operation from the public. During the colonial days, the police were treated with either contempt or fear.”
“Sir, I beg leave to withdraw. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir,I beg to move, That the sum to he allocated for Head 0401 be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead 1281. The point I wish to raise here is of a technical nature. I understand that the Registrar of Societies has no powers to query the accounts of a registered society. It seems that the accounts of a society is a matter to be settled among the members of the society concerned. Sir, in reply to my Motion on the adjournment on "Undesirable activities of certain foreign-orientated organisations in Singapore", the Minister of Defence said -and I am quoting Hansard Volume 26, No, 3 dated 8th September, 1967, col. 242, third paragraph: 'With regard to the other point that the hon. Member has raised, the alleged misuse of funds will have to be left to the members of the organisation themselves, .'. This being so, if a group in a society is able to get the support of the majority of the members, then that group may be able to do anything with the funds of the society. If such a thing happens, I think it would be of no use for the members in the minority to take up the matter with the relevant authorities. Can the Minister look into this matter with a view to amending the Societies Act, and giving powers to the Registrar to look into the accounts of a society at least when he receives a complaint from a member of that society?”
“I withdraw the amendment, Sir. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head 0309 he reduced by $10 in respect of subhead 3007. Sir, I see from the Estimates that a token sum of $10 was approved in 1967 for the item "Mechanization of licensing and collection procedures". But there is no vote to be found for 1968. Has the idea of this system been shelved? If so, why? Tuan Haji Yaacob(In Malay): Mr Speaker, Sir, this department had, in fact, proposed that there should be a computer for the mechanization of licensing and collection procedures, but it was not considered necessary to have this provision next year because this job is being taken care of by the Ministry of Finance.”
“Sir, I beg leave to withdraw. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. The sum of $14,126,510 for Head 0308 ordered to stand part of the Estimates. Head 0307 -”
“Yes. Sir, I am only seeking clarification on the two sub-heads. I want to know what these payments are, to whom they are paid, and why the wayleave payments are increased threefold?”
“Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head 0308 be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead 1036. Sir, here I wish to get your consent to move my amendment No. (4)* on subhead 2021 as well. * Amendment No. (4) reads as follows: That the sum to be allocated for Head 0308 be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead 2021.”
“I assure the Deputy Prime Minister that I will do that. Sir, I beg leave to withdraw the amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.”