Tan Eng Liang
Singapore
“Sir, in the light of Government's emphasis on road safety and the strong measures indicated by the Hon. Minister, I would draw the Minister's attention to the conviction in court of a school bus driver who caused the death of two students in my constituency. He was sentenced to eight months' imprisonment.”
“Furthermore, the concessions in personal income tax rates effective from Year of Assessment 1978 have benefitted most taxpayers in the higher income group. I, therefore, do not see any justification to warrant a revision of the $4,000 limit allowable for purposes of tax deduction.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I am not in a position to debate with the hon. Member whether or not the 5% increase given in 1974 was adequate. But if he feels that the situation now warrants another increase, perhaps we can have a look at the position. Dr Augustine Tan: Mr Speaker, Sir, just as a matter of interest, what would the Hon.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to report that the Committee of Supply have come to a certain resolution. Resolution reported - "That the sum of $250,000,000 shall be supplied to the Government under the head of expenditure for the public services shown in the First Supplementary Development Estimates of Expenditure for the financial year 1st Apri…”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the Consumer Price Index at constant prices in 1972 was taken as 100. In 1973 it was 117.7. In 1974 it went up to 144. That was the period when the ex-gratia allowance was given. In 1975 it was almost the same, 147.7. In 1976 it was 144.9. In 1977 it was 149.5.”
“ADJOURNMENT Resolved, "That Parliament do now adjourn sine die." - [Mr E.W. Barker]. Adjourned accordingly sine die at Twenty-six minutes past Four o'clock p.m.”
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“A special campaign to apprehend speeding drivers is also being planned. The Vehicle Inspection Unit will be further strengthened to ensure that minimum safety standards are complied with. Mr Speaker, Sir, disciplinary action has been taken against 698 drivers for careless driving, from January to September this year. Of these, 592 were reprimanded, 102 suspended and four dismissed. In general, first offenders, in cases involving minor accidents, are given written warnings. Stiffer penalties are imposed for repeated offences. followed by dismissals. TAXI DRIVERS AT SINGAPORE AIRPORT (Work-stoppage incident) 11. Mr Yeo Choo Kok asked the Minister for National Development and Communications (a) if he will throw some light on the recently reported incident of certain, taxi drivers refusing to pick up passengers and of stopping other taxi drivers from picking up passengers at the Singapore Airport; and (b) what steps his Ministry will take to ensure that passengers at the Airport will not encounter any transportation problems resulting from similar incidents in the future.”
“56% of the accidents were due to the fault of SBS drivers. Steps have been taken to cut down the accident rate. A Training Department was set up in SBS in 1976 to improve the driving standards of bus drivers. Newly recruited drivers must undergo a minimum two-week practical-cum-theoretical familiarisation course which offers instruction in accident prevention, defensive driving and good driving habits. Intensive refresher courses are also conducted for drivers with poor driving records. To-date, 334 drivers have attended these courses. An Accident Investigation Unit was also set up in SBS in April this year to investigate the causes of accidents involving SBS buses. The Unit co-ordinates with the Training Department in identifying the training requirements of drivers. The performances of bus crews are constantly being checked by field supervisors, ticket inspectors and timekeepers. Disciplinary measures are taken against erring drivers. These measures could be in the form of warnings, suspension from duties or dismissals, depending on the gravity of the accidents involved. On the more constructive side, SBS implements a productivity incentive scheme whereby good drivers are rewarded $1.50 per day whilst bad drivers are singled out for re-training with loss of incentive allowance. To emphasize the need for safety consciousness, safety driving seminars are occasionally c0nducted in conjunction with SILO. SBS is also imposing stricter standards of repair and preventive maintenance to ensure that accidents caused by mechanical faults are prevented. SBS has plans to extend its present two-week familiarisation course to provide a further week of on-the-job training under the close supervision of good and experienced drivers.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the pricing of religious sites in Toa Payoh and other estates is based on public tender. There is no uniform rate for all the religious communities as under the tender system the sites are usually allocated to the highest tenderers. In cases where religious buildings are required to be cleared for development purpose, a single site is made available to accommodate several resettlement cases combined together, for example, temples or mosques. Under exceptional circumstances, a vacant site is offered to a religious institution to build. In these special cases, prices of land will be determined by the land valuer, in accordance with the prevailing market values at the time of offer and the locality of the site. SBS BUS ACCIDENTS (Particulars) 10. Mr Yeo Choo Kok asked the Minister for National Development and Communications, since 1st January, 1977, (a) how many Singapore Bus Service buses were involved in accidents; (b) what steps are being considered to improve the performance of SBS bus drivers for the better safety of other road users and bus passengers; and (c) how many SBS drivers have been reprimanded or dismissed for careless driving. The Minister for Culture and Senior Minister of State for Communications (Mr Ong Teng Cheong) (for the Minister for National Development and Communications): Mr Speaker, Sir, from January to September this year, SBS was involved in a total of 3,648 accidents. These accidents included minor accidents such as falls or injuries sustained by commuters while boarding or alighting buses. This worked out to an average of 412 accidents per month. An analysis of available detailed statistics for the months of June to August this year showed that 78% of the accidents were minor, 22% were major and 0.4% were fatal.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the ruling on balloting of new Home Ownership flats requires applicants who have rejected three offers to re-register if they still wish to purchase HDB flats. The ruling was introduced recently to check the frequent light-hearted rejections of completed flats in the new estates by applicants on the waiting list. The proposed payment of a service charge to retain their priorities would not help in achieving these objectives. The new ruling does not apply to rental applicants because most of them are in the lower income group and the percentage of rejections for rental flats is very low. TOA PAYOH ESTATE (Pricing of land for religious institutions) 9. Mr P. Govindaswamy asked the Minister for National Development and Communications (a) what are the criteria for the pricing of land offered to the various religious communities in Toa Payoh Estate; and (b) whether there is any uniform rate for all the religious communities, and, if not, what are the rates that have been fixed and offered to them.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, these blocks of buildings in St. Michael's Estate are six storeys high and are made up of 1-room self-contained and 2-room flats which have been converted from Emergency 1-room flats. They have not been designed to provide lifts, and to do so now would present the architects and engineers with very complicated structural problems. The Housing and Development Board, however, will sympathetically consider the requests of families with old people who wish to transfer from the higher floors to the lower floors to eliminate the need for old people to climb stairs HOUSING BOARD FLATS REGISTER (Retention of priority after rejections) 8. Mr Yeo Choo Kok asked the Minister for National Development and Communications whether the Housing and Development Board will allow applicants for rental or purchase of HDB flats to remain on the register and still retain their priority after they have thrice rejected flats offered to them, on payment of a service charge for subsequent offers and rejections.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, my Ministry's objective is to demolish vacated premises speedily; however, it is not always possible to achieve this. Occupants of affected premises usually do not all move out at the same time. Since piecemeal demolition is not practical and poses safety hazards to remaining occupants in a block of partially vacated premises, it is often not possible to proceed with the immediate removal of these empty structures. Even after premises have been totally vacated, it is often necessary to await the disconnection of overhead cables for utilities before the structures could be demolished. To expedite clearance, demolition of simple timber structures is presently done by the PWD using departmental labour. Where specialist demolition contractors have to be employed to remove concrete structures, tenders are timed to proceed as soon as buildings are ready for demolition. Where vacated structures cannot be immediately demolished, the Police are requested to provide more frequent patrols. ST. MICHAEL'S ESTATE (Installation of lifts) 7. Dr Augustine H.H. Tan asked the Minister for National Development and Communications if he will ascertain from the Housing and Development Board whether and when the Board will install lifts in Blocks 14, 15, 16 and 17 of St. Michael's Estate.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, there is no plan to construct a pedestrian overhead bridge across Jalan Bukit Merah in front of the town centre. Pedestrians could use the crossings provided with traffic signals at the junction of Jalan Bukit Merah/Henderson Road. Pedestrians further away could make use of traffic gaps created by the traffic signals to cross the road. DEMOLITION OF VACATED PREMISES UNDER CLEARANCE SCHEMES 6. Encik Mansor Haji Sukaimi asked the Minister for National Development and Communications whether he will consider and state what steps will be taken to ensure that empty premises vacated by persons affected by development programmes will be demolished speedily.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, in answer to the first part of the question it is the policy of the Board to gradually provide communal TV antennas to old housing estates, including the Tiong Bahru Pre-War Estate. As there are about 78,000 units of flats without this facility, it will take the Board at least three years to complete the exercise of installing the communal TV antennas. In answer to (b), out of 43 blocks of flats in the Kampong Tiong Bahru Estate, 12 blocks have already been installed with communal TV antennas. In answer to (c), the remaining blocks of flats in the Kampong Tiong Bahru Estate will be provided with such antennas within the next 12 to 18 months. BEDOK NEW TOWN (Re-routing of Bus Service No. 135) 15. Haji Sha'ari bin Tadin asked the Minister for National Development and Communications if he will request the Singapore Bus Service Limited to consider re- routing present Service No. 135 to include Bedok South Avenue, Marine Parade and Joo Chiat Road so as to provide a link between Toa Payoh New Town, Marine Parade Estate and Bedok New Town.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, under present circumstances it would not be possible to consider allowing an applicant to include his or her spouse, fiancee or fiance who is a non-citizen as joint applicant or owner of a HDB flat. However, this rule is waived in the case of a non-citizen who is a permanent resident of Singapore. TIONG BAHRU PRE-WAR ESTATE (Installation of communal TV antennas) 14. Mr Ch'ng Jit Koon asked the Minister for National Development and Communications if he will ascertain from the Housing and Development Board (a) whether the Board has any plan to install communal TV antennas in those flats at Tiong Bahru Pre-war Estate; (b) how many blocks of flats situated in Kampong Tiong Bahru Estate in the Tiong Bahru Constituency have been installed with communal TV antennas; and (c) when the remaining blocks of flats there will be provided with such antennas.”
“Mr Cheong Yuen Chee asked the Minister for National Development and Communications whether he will consider allowing a citizen to include his or her non-citizen spouse or fiancee/fiance as a joint applicant or owner of a Housing and Development Board flat so that either party can use his or her Central Provident Fund contributions to purchase a flat.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the Housing and Development Board operates two granite quarries at Pulau Ubin and Mandai. There are another 23 licensed granite quarries owned by private companies. HDB's building contractors can obtain up to 25% of their aggregate supplies from the private quarries. HOUSING AND DEVELOPMENT BOARD (Appointment of Estates Officers as Commissioners for Oaths) 12. Mr Cheong Yuen Chee asked the Minister for National Development and Communications whether he will request the Housing and Development Board to recommend the appointment of estates officers in both the Sales and Lettings and Applications Sections as Commissioners for Oaths for the convenience of the applicants who, at present, have to make their declarations elsewhere. Dr Tan Eng Liang (for the Minister for National Development and Communications): Mr Speaker, Sir, the Board sells more than 3,000 properties and lets out over a thousand properties per month. Statutory declarations are required in most cases to confirm the information supplied in the application forms and also to re-affirm further information, for example, ownership of private property, before the collection of keys. Owing to the large volume of statutory declarations involved, the post of Commissioner for Oaths must necessarily be filled by a full-time officer. The Board will request the Registrar of the Supreme Court to post a Commissioner for Oaths to the Sales and Lettings Section. JOINT APPLICATION FOR HDB FLAT (Inclusion of non-citizens) 13.”
“Sir, we have had cases of resettlement referred to us by Members of Parliament, for example, those involving fishing and farming activities and loss of livelihood. If the hon. Member is interested, I can send him more detailed information relevant to his enquiry. GRANITE QUARRIES (Ownership) 11. Mr Teo Chong Tee asked the Minister for National Development and Communications (a) how many granite quarries are owned by the Housing and Development Board and how many are owned by private companies; and (b) what is the percentage allowed to the private companies to supply granite to contractors for HDB projects.”
“Sir, I have indicated that this is directly under the Hawkers' Coordinating and Licensing Committee of the Ministry of the Environment, chaired by its Senior Parliamentary Secretary. It is agreed that, all things being equal, priority of allocation should be given and I can convey this to the Chairman concerned.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, priority of allocation of hawker stalls in markets and food centres, including those managed by the Housing and Development Board, is given to licensed street hawkers, resettlement cases and hardship cases irrespective of whether or not they are residents of HDB estates. In hardship cases, including the unemployed, recommendations of Members of Parliament are taken into consideration. The Hawkers' Co-ordinating and Licensing Committee of the Ministry of the Environment is responsible for the allocation. In centres where there are sufficient vacant stalls, applicants who are genuine hardship cases are allotted stalls in markets and food centres which are near their homes. However, where the number of vacant stalls is insufficient, the stalls will be balloted.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, according to our present programme, there is no plan to build more public housing in the Thomson Constituency within the next five years. VACANT HAWKER STALLS (Priority of allocation for needy applicants) 10. Mr Ho See Beng asked the Minister for National Development and Communications, in view of the high demand for hawker stalls in markets and food centres controlled by the Housing and Development Board, whether the Board will consider giving priority allocation of the available vacant hawker stalls to jobless and needy applicants who are local residents of HDB housing estates.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, fishermen who are engaged in fishing activities and are dependent on inshore fishing for a livelihood are eligible for inshore fishing licences. A site along the coast has been designated to allow the Punggol fishermen affected by resettlement to keep their fishing boats and other equipment. Some fishermen have already made use of the site. Others who wish to make use of the site may apply to the Primary Production Department for the necessary assistance. NEW HDB FLATS IN THOMSON CONSTITUENCY 9. Mr Ang Nam Piau asked the Minister for National Development and Communications whether the Housing and Development Board has any plan to build new flats in Thomson Constituency within the next five years.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, a pair of bus stops and bus lay-bys along Jalan Toa Payoh adjacent to the Jalan Tenteram Hawker Centre is scheduled to be constructed during the current financial year. INSHORE FISHERMEN IN PUNGGOL (Continuance of livelihood) 8. Mr Ng Kah Ting asked the Minister for National Development and Communications (a) whether he is aware that there are many inshore fishermen in Punggol who have been unable to obtain fishing licences and if he will be more liberal in the granting of such licences; and (b) whether he will allow those fishermen, affected by land acquisition at Punggol and now living in Housing and Development Board estates, to keep their fishing boats and other equipment in a designated place along the coast for such purpose so as to enable them to continue their livelihood.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, it is proposed to widen Queensway into a dual 3-lane road. Work is scheduled to commence in 1979 subject to funds being made available. JALAN TOA PAYOH (Provision of bus shelters) 7. Dr Augustine H.H. Tan asked the Minister for National Development and Communications whether and when bus shelters will be provided along the stretch of Jalan Toa Payoh adjacent to the Jalan Tenteram Hawker Centre.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the group of islands situated to the south of Sentosa is planned for public recreational development. The islands situated immediately to the south of Jurong Industrial Estate are earmarked for industrial development particularly for petro- chemical and related industries. The islands to the south of Pulau Bukom will also be developed for industrial projects except for Pulau Hantu Besar and Pulau Jong which are planned for public recreational development. With the exception of Pulau Ubin and Pulau Tekong, the islands situated to the north will be used mainly for recreation. Coney Island is in an advanced stage of development for recreational use. With regard to Pulau Ubin and Pulau Tekong, their long term use is under study. In the interim, the rural/agricultural activities on these islands will continue. QUEENSWAY (Road widening) 6. Mr Tan Soo Khoon asked the Minister for National Development and Communications what plans there are to widen Queensway so as to ease the flow of traffic and when such plans will be implemented.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, footpaths will be provided along Keppel Road as it is widened. Tenders have been called for widening the stretch between Anson Road and PSA Gate 3. There will be footpaths on both sides of the above stretch and a bus shelter near Low Hill Road. Widening of Keppel Road between PSA Gate 3 and Lower Delta Road Extension is scheduled for implementation in 1980. OFFSHORE ISLANDS (Development for industry and public recreation) 5. Mr Ang Nam Piau asked the Minister for National Development and Communications whether and what plans there are to develop the remaining undeveloped offshore islands for industry and public recreation.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the sports complex at Bedok New Town will be constructed in various phases. Tenders for the construction of the swimming complex, running track, sports field and indoor stadium will be called during 1978 and 1979. The facilities are scheduled for completion by 1980 and 1981. KEPPEL ROAD (Footpaths and bus shelter) 4. Mr P. Govindaswamy asked the Minister for National Development and Communications if his Ministry will consider the construction of footpaths along Keppel Road, in view of danger to pedestrians from the fast-moving traffic along that road, as well as the erection of a bus shelter near the shipping office of the Port of Singapore Authority.”
“Mr Teo Chong Tee asked the Minister for Law and the Environment whether a market will be built within the Somapah Road/Upper Changi Road area in the near future as all the licensed hawkers currently in the open-air market at Somapah Road/Upper Changi Road will be resited soon at the new markets in Bedok New Town Neighbourhoods 2 and 3.”
“The TAS is monitoring this matter closely to reduce the number of faults and improve the quality of service. The present automatic STD system is convenient, efficient and cheaper for subscribers who want to make calls to Peninsular Malaysia. Without this automatic STD system, the manually operated service will not be in a position to handle the volume of telephone traffic to Peninsular Malaysia. The manually operated service is generally inefficient, uneconomical and requires more manpower. To eliminate wrong charging in the STD system, the TAS is investigating the use of sophisticated computer switching equipment which can print out all the details of STD calls, such as the destination of call, the called party number, date of call and duration of call. However, the deterrent factor of this equipment is its high cost. The TAS is also looking into the practicality of providing trunk-barring facilities to subscribers who do not want STD facilities. The TAS has been cautious in considering the offer of such an option because it results in the inefficient use of the automatic STD equipment and may overload the manual trunk service. If this happens, the manual service will deteriorate. To sustain an acceptable grade of service, the cost of providing the manual service will increase; and this additional cost would have to be passed on to the public, a situation which we would want to avert. SOMAPAH ROAD/UPPER CHANGI ROAD (Building of market) 11.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, there are altogether 447 units of vacant two-room flats in HDB housing estates as at June 1977. These units have been offered to resettlement families who are given priority in their applications for flats. Those units not taken up by the resettlement families will then be allocated to the one-room tenants who have applied for transfer and the public applicants on our waiting list. There are 20 to 30 two-room units which have been vacant for two to three months as at June 1977. These are usually the units which have been rejected by three or four applicants in succession. SUBSCRIBER TRUNK DIALLING SYSTEM (Complaints) 10. Mr Tan Soo Khoon asked the Minister for National Development and Communications whether he is aware of the numerous complaints by telephone subscribers of wrong charging over the Subscriber Trunk Dialling (STD) system and if he will request the Telecommunication Authority of Singapore (i) to review the STD system and rectify any faults: and (ii) to allow subscribers the choice of whether or not they wish to be provided with the STD facility. The Senior Minister of State for Communications (Mr Ong Teng Cheong) (for the Minister for National Development and Communications): Mr Speaker, Sir, a total of 190,000 subscribers use the Subscriber Trunk Dialling (STD) system, 40,000 of whom are regular users. Each month the Telecommunication Authority of Singapore has to go through 275,000 exchange lines to bill users of the STD. Of these, there are on the average about 20 cases of wrong charging mainly due to human error. The error rate is therefore only 0.007%. In all these cases, the subscribers' bills are subsequently corrected accordingly.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, a total of 71 one-room tenants in Khe Bong Constituency have registered for transfer to two-room flats during the past year ending April 1977. Of these, 41 have been successful in their applications. Most of the outstanding transfer applications have been registered only recently in March 1977 or after, and are still being processed. All tenants living in their flats for more than two years are eligible to apply for a transfer and, therefore, no tenant who applies for transfer has been rejected if he has stayed in his flat for more than two years. UNOCCUPIED TWO-ROOM FLATS (Particulars) 9. Mr Ho See Beng asked the Minister for National Development and Communications if he will give the figures of unoccupied two-room flats in all the Housing and Development Board housing estates: and how long such flats have been left vacant and the reason for not letting them out to applicants who are urgently in need of larger accommodation due to congestion.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, in letting out commercial premises, the Housing and Development Board rules apply equally to all its tenants, whether it is a large limited company or a small limited company incorporated with limited liability under the Companies Act. The point here is that in the case of a limited company, the company is a separate legal entity from that of its shareholders. The incorporated company's entity remains unchanged, even though there is a change of shareholders. A change in the shareholders of a limited company therefore does not, in law, require an assignment of the tenancy where the tenancy is in the name of the company. It is otherwise in the case of a sole proprietorship or a partnership company. A change of the sole proprietor or substantial changes of the partners can amount to a change of the managements of these companies which may require a new tenancy agreement and a review of the current rental. TRANSFERS TO TWO-ROOM FLATS IN KHE BONG (Particulars) 8. Mr Ho See Beng asked the Minister for National Development and Communications whether he will inform the House (a) how many one-room flat dwellers have applied for transfer to two-room flats in the 12 months ending April 1977 in Khe Bong Constituency; (b) how many have been successful in their applications; and (c) how many applications have been rejected and what are the reasons therefor.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the plot of land in question previously had a septic tank located within it. The septic tank has since been demolished and the area is now landscaped. From the planning viewpoint, there is no objection to convert this lot into a car park provided access is obtained via the existing access to the market off Serangoon Garden Way. In view of its critical location in relation to Serangoon Garden Circus, a new access to the site either from Serangoon Garden Way or Chartwell Drive is not desirable. There is presently no plan to develop the vacant land. However, the PWD will undertake a further study into the feasibility of using it as a car park. HOUSING BOARD SHOP PREMISES (Tenancy assignments for companies/partnerships) 7. Mr Ho See Beng asked the Minister for National Development and Communications whether public limited corporations having branches for business in Housing and Development Board housing estates are subject to increase in rent if there have been changes/increases in the shareholders of such corporations.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, an overhead pedestrian bridge across Lorong Chuan near its junction with Lorong Kinchir is not recommended as pedestrian movement is light. Instead, we will consider installing a pedestrian signal there to allow pedestrians to cross the road safely. SERANGOON GARDEN WAY (Development of vacant land) 6. Dr Lau Teik Soon asked the Minister for National Development and Communications whether there is any plan to develop the plot of vacant land, viz. Lot No. 266-2384 in Mukim XVIII, which is adjacent to the Serangoon Garden Market, and if not, whether it can be converted into a car park.”
“Changi residents will then be able to reach the new market in this neighbourhood with one convenient bus transfer. In view of this. the SBS does not intend to introduce more services to ply between Upper Changi Road and Bedok New Town Neighbourhoods II and III. TELEPHONE FACILITIES FOR PULAU UBIN AND PULAU TEKONG 20. Mr Teo Chong Tee asked the Minister for National Development and Communications (a) what measures have been taken so far by the Telecommunication Authority of Singapore to provide telephone facilities for the residents of Pulau Ubin and Pulau Tekong; and (b) when the telephone facilities will be made available for public and private use.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, it is not advisable to allow the tenants to partition off a part of the common corridor as this would make the exterior of the building look irregular and unsightly and may in some instances affect the structure of the building. The Ministry may agree to allow a doorway to be built in the walls between the two flats provided that the structure of the building is not affected, and subject to the condition that the families undertake to rectify the alterations when they vacate or sell their flats. BUS SERVICES BETWEEN UPPER CHANGI ROAD AND BEDOK NEW TOWN 19. Mr Teo Chong Tee asked the Minister for National Development and Communications whether the Singapore Bus Service will introduce more services to ply between Upper Changi Road and Bedok New Town Neighbourhood II and III where two new markets will be ready shortly to house the licensed street hawkers resettled from Changi Constituency so as to enable the residents of Changi to travel conveniently for their marketing. The Senior Minister of State for Communications (Mr Ong Teng Cheong) (for the Minister for National Development and Communications): Mr Speaker, Sir, there are at present two SBS services, namely, Service 1 and Service 2 connecting Upper Changi and Bedok New Town. These two services have a combined frequency of 22 buses per hour during the morning and afternoon rush hours. Residents of Changi can easily take either one of these services to New Upper Changi Road in Bedok New Town. The market in Neighbourhood II is within convenient walking distance from this road. A new feeder bus service will be introduced to serve Neighbourhood III of Bedok New Town as soon as the roads are ready.”
“Mr Phey Yew Kok asked the Minister for National Development and Communications, in view of his recent announcement that the Housing and Development Board will allocate flats to parents and their grown-up children in as close proximity as possible, whether the Board will, as an additional inducement, consider allowing two such families - (a) which have been allocated the corner unit and the adjoining unit in a slab block to partition off a portion of their common corridor on the same principle as a portion of the corridor which is annexed to an improved corner unit; or (b) which have been allocated any two adjoining units to make a doorway in the wall between the units. if the proposed alteration can be made without weakening the structural support or marring the aesthetic appearance of the flats and if the families undertake to rectify the alteration when they vacate or sell their flats.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the hon. Member is extremely persistent. The question of the existing tender system for HDB shop premises was raised by the hon. Member at the last Parliamentary Session. My reply then was and is still the same - that the present tender system provides a means for gauging the market rental of shophouses in the locality as well as attracting only shops which have sound management and can cater to the needs of the area. It should also be noted that the majority of shopkeepers are operating successfully in HDB estates under the present system. Mr Teong Eng Siong (Sembawang)( In Mandarin): Mr Speaker, Sir, on 22nd March this year the Minister of State said that he would improve the tender system. But after four months, there still seems to have been no improvement. Dr Tan Eng Liang: Mr Speaker, Sir, if I remember correctly, in my reply to the hon. Member at the last Parliamentary Session I did say that we were monitoring the situation. We are still monitoring it and we are quite happy with the present system. HOUSING AND DEVELOPMENT BOARD (Partitioning off a common corridor and building a doorway) 18.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, tenants/owners of HDB flats are not allowed to use their flats for conducting business as the flats are solely designed and intended for residential use. The question as to whether private houses will be allowed to be used as offices for business and other purposes depends on the following factors: - (1) Master Plan zoning. (2) Environmental character of the locality. (3) Nature and scale of the proposed use. (4) Compatibility of the use within the building block. (5) Current policy affecting the use or the area, and (6) Traffic problem. The above factors are all taken into consideration when evaluating applications for change of use of residential houses. Generally, change of use from private dwelling house to office or other commercial purposes is disallowed. HOUSING AND DEVELOPMENT BOARD (Tender system for shop premises) 17. Mr Teong Eng Siong asked the Minister for National Development and Communications whether and what steps have been taken for the improvement of the existing tender system for Housing and Development Board shop premises and when the improved system will be implemented.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I am highly honoured to be called "Senior Minister". Let me correct the Member. I am just a Senior Minister of State. However, I have been told that the HDB will be submitting a paper but, like all Government machinery, perhaps it will take a few months. HOUSING AND DEVELOPMENT BOARD/ BUILDING CONTROL DIVISION (Use of HDB fiats and private houses for business) 16. Mr Tan Cheng San asked the Minister for National Development and Communications (a) whether the Housing and Development Board allows tenants/owners to use their HDB flats as offices to conduct business and, if so, how many flats are being used for business purposes and what are the terms; and (b) if the HDB allows its flats to be used for business purposes, whether the Building Control Division will allow private houses to be used as offices for business and other purposes.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the question of allowing owners or lessees of HDB flats to purchase commercial property for conducting their own businesses without having to surrender their HDB flats, is presently being considered by my Ministry. A decision will be made after carefully examining all the factors and implications.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, if it does not mar the external appearance, then it will agree. HOUSING AND DEVELOPMENT BOARD (Purchase of commercial property by flat owners or lessees) 15. Dr Ang Kok Peng asked the Minister for National Development and Communications whether he will consider introducing legislation to amend subsection (1) of section 48A of the Housing and Development Act to allow an owner or lessee of a Housing and Development Board flat to purchase a commercial property solely for conducting his/her own business without having to surrender his/her HDB flat, provided that the value of such commercial property does not exceed a certain sum to be fixed by the Board.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I am aware that the Board does not allow alterations which affect the external appearance of the building. The Board has to do this to control the general appearance of the building so that the visual environment of our housing estates, supplemented by other landscaping efforts, will be as pleasant and tidy as possible. Among the controls exercised are those on signboards and positioning of window air-conditioned units. The Board also has to ensure that alterations or additions carried out by flat owners do not cause any structural damage to the buildings. Such controls should not be interpreted as interference. Window design is an integrated part of the building design. If left to individuals, each person will have a distinctive preference for window types and designs. This will result in irregularity and untidiness of the building as a whole and will mar its external appearance.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, to satisfy the hon. Member with a good answer, I suggest that he let me go back and check so that I can give him a correct interpretation of what the word "assignment" means. HOUSING AND DEVELOPMENT BOARD (Control of renovation to flats) 14. Mr Ho See Beng asked the Minister for National Development and Communications whether he is aware that owners of Housing and Development Board flats have no right at all to renovate even the windows of their premises, and what is the justification for the interference.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the shop referred to by the hon. Member was originally let out 4 1/2 years ago in October 1972. Recently, it was discovered that the tenant formed a private limited company with many shareholders. This constitutes an assignment of the tenancy. In accordance with the Board's policy, such assignment can be allowed subject to increase in the rental to the prevailing market level. Such increase is normal practice in transactions such as this. Obviously the 'old' rental is no longer applicable and the prevailing market rental must apply to the changed tenancy. The proposed new rental is based on recent letting of similar shops in the vicinity and is considered reasonable.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, under current policy owners of private properties are not eligible to buy HDB flats. Those who wish to do so must dispose of their private properties and can only submit an application 30 months after such disposal. Public housing is subsidised and is meant for people who do not own property. The hon. Member's suggestion is not equitable as it would allow the property owner to take advantage of subsidised housing for his personal gain. However, there is a provision under section 41(7) of the Housing and Development Act which empowers the Board to grant exemption from section 41 to deserving cases on grounds of hardship. There is, therefore, no need to introduce amending legislation. HOUSING AND DEVELOPMENT BOARD (Shop rent increase on assignment of tenancy) 13. Mr Ho See Beng asked the Minister for National Development and Communications whether he is aware that notice of a 100 per cent increase in rent has been served on a private limited company in a Housing and Development Board estate because of an increase in the number of shareholders in that company, and what is the rationale behind the increase.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the Development Control Division has given approval to quite a number of applications for change of use in the Jalan Kayu area in recent years. The hon. Member can be assured that applications for change of use of shops in Jalan Kayu will be favourably considered if they can fit in with the Master Plan zoning and other planning considerations, e.g. scale and nature of the use, compatibility of the use within the building block or the surrounding area. HOUSING AND DEVELOPMENT BOARD (Purchase of flats by private property owners) 12. Mr Ang Nam Piau asked the Minister for National Development and Communications if he will consider introducing legislation to amend section 41(l) of the Housing and Development Act to allow citizens to purchase Housing and Development Board flats immediately after the disposal of their own dwelling-house due to financial difficulties.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, work on the construction of the rural centre at Lorong Mekola in the Jalan Kayu Constituency will commence in mid-June, 1977. A total of 282 units of flats will be built. The Centre will have two eating houses and eight shops which will cater for the trades related to farming activities. JALAN KAYU (Applications for change of use of shops) 11. Mr Hwang Soo Jin asked the Minister for National Development and Communications whether, in view of the fact that many shops have closed down on account of poor business at Jalan Kayu, he will direct the relevant departments concerned to be rather more flexible in considering applications for change of use.”
“Sir, I have mentioned that there is a lot of construction activity in the public sector. For example, the Airport development is another area of intensive construction activity and there are other public sector projects. Here, it is a matter of demand and supply. For example, if a skilled worker in the private sector is so spoilt as to demand very high wages for a particular type of building construction work, then I think it would be unrealistic if he expects to get the same rate of wages in a public sector project. What I am trying to assure the hon. Member is that as far as skilled manpower is concerned, the demand is there. JALAN KAYU CONSTITUENCY (Construction of rural centre at Lorong Mekola) 10. Mr Hwang Soo Jin asked the Minister for National Development and Communications (a) whether the work on the construction of the rural centre at Lorong Mekola in Jalan Kayu constituency has commenced; (b) how many units of flats will there be; and (c) if he will give an assurance that no shophouses will be constructed at the centre in view of the fact that there is already an excess of shophouses at nearby Jalan Kayu and the shopping centre at Seletar Road.”
“In fact, this could be an opportunity to improve the quality of the finishes of the HDB flats because skilled labourers are still in great demand in the public sector.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, in the earlier stages of encouraging construction activity, the Ministry of National Development has given certain forms of incentives, such as property tax concessions and so on. But the very fact that the hon. Member has asked about the construction industry being in its doldrums at this moment must have indicated to him that there are offices, residential properties and commercial facilities left vacant. Hence, the private developers will know when to come into the market and whether it is time to go into additional activities. As far as we are concerned, if the Member is talking of incentives of a financial nature, such as concessions on property tax, income tax, and so on, then I suppose this matter can be referred to the Ministry of Finance for consideration. Attempts have been made by my Ministry to grant some form of incentives but this has been turned down by the Ministry of Finance. The hon. Member is probably aware that in this House some hon. Members have asked if CPF contributions could be used for the purchase of private residential properties and this has been turned down by the Ministry of Finance. I am not so sure what other forms of incentives that the Member has in mind, but if he has any idea of what these can be, we will be very happy to receive his suggestions and convey them to the relevant Ministry to see whether they can be agreed to. As to his second question on the losing of skilled manpower, particularly in the construction industry, the hon. Member is aware that, as far as the public sector is concerned, i.e. the HDB and HUDC, there is rio slack in the building construction activity.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the general world economic condition is largely responsible for the decline in private sector construction activity. Demand for more residential and commercial facilities can only increase through renewed business confidence and economic growth. Therefore, so long as there is doubt about the world economic recovery, it would be difficult to stimulate private sector construction to pre-recession levels. Nevertheless, my Ministry is continuing to encourage and assist private developers. There will be further sale of sites by the Urban Redevelopment Authority for commercial, residential, hotel and industrial developments. Processing of plans submitted by developers have been streamlined to reduce delays. Developers can now submit an outline application and obtain quick in- principle approval.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, a total of 209 pig farms have been allotted land at the Punggol and Jalan Kayu areas. Of these, 137 farms were allotted land under Phase I of the development scheme in Punggol while 72 of these will be resettled under Phase II of the programme at Jalan Kayu. It is estimated that the land at Jalan Kayu will accommodate another 20 odd farms in addition to the 31 farms which have been allowed to remain in the area. The lands at Jalan Kayu and Punggol are zoned for agricultural use. Prior to their development for intensive pig farming, there were altogether 211 farms and 1700 rural squatters. The farms which are being resettled in the area are the larger and more efficient farms which are better managed with modern husbandry practices and improved sanitation. They are required to provide proper waste management facilities on the farms which will control waste discharge. In addition to the 50,000 metres network of internal drainage, the Sungei Tongkang Pechah at Jalan Kayu is currently being improved at a cost of $1.1 million for effective discharge of farm waste from the area. Where appropriate, buffer zones will also be created to screen off the pig farms from the nearby residential area. PRIVATE SECTOR CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY (Measures to stimulate) 9. Mr Ivan Baptist asked the Minister for National Development and Communications whether his Ministry will be taking measures to stimulate the building construction industry in the private sector which is declining.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, there were 2,926 farms within the Kranji Catchment area keeping a total of 217,000 pigs. 640 of these farms rear more than 100 pigs each, giving a total number of 178,045 pigs or 82% of the total pig population in Kranji. Farms with more than 100 pigs each were given the option to be resettled in Punggol while the smaller farms were required to phase out pig-rearing and to convert into other non-pollutive forms of farming. Since July, 1975, 114 of the larger farms have been resettled in Punggol. A recent count showed that the pig population in Kranji has been reduced by almost 50% to 111,000. Another 15 farms will be resettled in Punggol during the next few months while the remaining farms have been given six months' grace period from April 1977 to dispose of all their pigs in their farms and cease pig-rearing altogether. PIG REARING IN JALAN KAYU (Number of applications and effect on environment) 8. Mr Hwang Soo Jin asked the Minister for National Development and Communications (a) how many applications have been received from pig farmers to move into Jalan Kayu; and (b) what steps are being taken to ensure that the developing of large scale pig rearing in Jalan Kayu and Punggol will not have an undesirable effect on the environment at nearby residential estates.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, as Singapore has limited land available for agriculture, we are dependent on foreign imports for a wide range of agricultural produce. We import 100% of our rice requirement, 75% of fish, 78% of all vegetables and over 90% of fruits consumed. Raw ingredients used for the manufacture of pig and poultry feed are also imported. The joint enterprise between Singapore and Thailand will promote import of Thai agricultural produce into Singapore and export of fertiliser, agriculture insecticide and farm machineries from Singapore to Thailand. It is also proposed to establish a joint venture livestock farm in Thailand. It is envisaged that the farm will initially produce cattle for export to Singapore. Pigs will also be produced for export to other markets, but when there is a shortage of pigs in Singapore we can also import pigs from the farm. The joint enterprise should therefore not affect the livelihood of our farmers but will make available to Singapore a wider range of agricultural produce including animal feed ingredients required by our pig and poultry farms, as well as stabilising prices of meats in Singapore. RESETTLEMENT OF PIG FARMERS FROM KRANJI TO PUNGGOL (Steps to expedite) 7. Mr Ivan Baptist asked the Minister for National Development and Communications what steps are being taken to expedite the resettlement of pig farmers from Kranji to Punggol so that the water in Kranji reservoir can be fit for human consumption without incurring too much expenditure for purification.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, it is acknowledged that the Kangkar fish market handles something like 9,600 tons of fish in 1976, representing 15% of the fish consumed in Singapore. I have indicated previously that the Primary Production Department has actually drawn up a plan to expand and develop this market but due to the requirement to widen and lengthen Upper Serangoon Road this plan was aborted. I assure the hon. Member that the department has now drawn up a new plan with the hope to resite this market to another locality further up the coast in the vicinity of Punggol.”