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.”
The complete record
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“Otherwise our industries are handicapped to compete even in our own markets and our efforts to motivate our industries to better qualitative heights will be negated. We all know of examples of products where the quality is suspect. Many of these are imported products. While we do insist, under the Licence of Manufacture Act, that our local manufacturers comply with certain requirements, including specifications of quantity, performance, quality, etc., on their products, most imported products do not have to comply with this. To be fair to our manufacturers, we must insist on proper and informative labelling of some of these imported products. As a Government, if nothing is done, we may be accused by our local manufacturers of maintaining double standards. The more honest traders and manufacturers are put in a difficult position as they have to decide whether to lower the quality and hence the price to join in this free-for-all. In the end the consumer suffers. Our industrialisation programme will also be affected in the long run. I can cite numerous other examples, like electrical appliances, paints, toys and toilet paper, etc. Certain authorities can require local manufacturers to strictly comply with safety requirements, but only the PUB has the power under the old City Council legislation to check on imported electrical products. For various reasons, this enforcement function has been neglected by the PUB. Although there has been talk about amending the outdated legislation over the last five years, nothing has happened. Perhaps the PUB may not be the most appropriate agency now for the enforcement of the electrical safety requirement. Locally manufactured paints are required to meet certain specifications.”
“In addition, there is, however, a need now for the Government to extend protection to include more than food products and appliances for the following reasons. The Singapore consumer lives in a consumer paradise and can purchase products from the four corners of the globe in any of our shops and departmental stores. He also leads a hazardous life each day he uses certain products and is liable to be cheated when he makes a particular purchase. For, apart from the regulations governing food, drugs and medicines, almost any other consumer product can be freely imported and sold to the Singapore public. It is unfortunate that we do not have statistics on the injuries or deaths resulting from the use of "hazardous" consumer products. If the Government firmly believes that our consumers need to be protected, then the Government must initiate appropriate action to protect the public from the daily hazards of using questionable consumer products and from being cheated. Our buying public is not sophisticated enough or technically competent to differentiate trade marks, quality and misleading specifications. All that most consumers can understand are the differences in prices. The public must therefore be helped where they cannot fully protect themselves. This can be achieved through enacting a new Act to regulate the importation and sale of a wide variety of consumer products, including household products and toys not covered under existing laws. Such an Act will also encourage and motivate our industries to produce better quality products. On the other hand, while we encourage our industries to improve their technology and upgrade quality and to manufacture products for local and overseas markets, we must at the same time ensure that imported products are equally reliable.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I support the Government's financial policy for the financial year 1974-75 as outlined in the Annual Budget Statement. However, I would like to comment on the policy and its implementation in three particular areas. They are: - (1) Government's role in consumer protection; (2) Faster development of supporting industries; and (3) Development of teachers in the institutions of higher learning and technical officers of public institutions. While it is true that there is very little Singapore can do about rising prices caused mainly by external factors, the Government can take steps to ensure that this state of affairs is not further aggravated by unscrupulous manipulators and profiteers. I note that the Government has already taken some positive measures to combat rising prices. The setting up of consumer co-operatives, the lifting of tariffs on some imported products, the campaign to educate the public to refrain from hoarding and the public warning given yesterday to traders and manufacturers against profiteering and hoarding, are some of the measures taken by the Government to protect the consumers. While these measures hope to check spiralling prices, they are by themselves not sufficient. I submit that the Government can and must do more to protect the consumers from profiteers and hazards. I am aware that the Government has enacted the Sale of Food Act which, among other things, prohibits the sale or use of articles dangerous to health and prevent deception and fraud arising out of the sale of food. The Act also requires labelling to be informative and ethical and covers not only food products, but also appliances intended for use in food preparation. This Act should be more vigorously enforced, including imported products.”
“I am not moving, Sir. Mr Ho Kah Leong(In Mandarin): Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head 1401 be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead 47. This provision is for Housing Scheme for Public Officers. I would like to ask the Minister concerned a very simple question. Are teachers and employees in Government-aided schools entitled to the benefits of this housing scheme?”
“Sir, while the Housing and Development Board flats cater for the lower income group, there is a particular group in my constituency where this housing scheme does not apply. I refer, Sir, to the middle income group. At the moment the combined family income of all applicants for Housing Board flats must not exceed $1,500 per month. In the debate on the Budget statement last week, many Members in this House spoke of the rising cost of living and the speculative rise in prices of private houses and flats. Since it is now simply impossible for the middle income group to keep pace with the spiralling prices, I would like to suggest and plead that the Housing and Development Board should begin to cater for the middle income group. The ceiling of $1,500 per month total family income should therefore be raised. This will certainly add on to the waiting list of 60,000 applicants, and the period of waiting will probably be longer than two years for many applicants. But I am sure those applicants in the middle income group would not mind the long wait so long as they know that finally they will be able to own a flat.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, can I be permitted to raise a very small point in regard to the Housing and Development Board policy? I was thinking of raising it under Head 1401, Ministry of Finance, but I believe it may be more appropriate to mention it under this Head? The Chairman: Yes.”
“Tuan Haji Mohd. Ariff Bin Suradi: (6) That the sum to be allocated for Head 1001 be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead 2027. The amendments stood on the Order Paper Supplement as follows:”
“On top of that, putting him in charge of promotion, research, training and so on, is, I think, humanly impossible. There have been a few complaints from sportsmen to the effect that, on arriving at the medical unit, they asked for the medical officer and were told that he was entertaining or that he was showing somebody around. For the good and efficient functioning of the Sports Medicine Unit, and since the Minister has correctly stated that the medical officer is the only specialist on sports medicine, then he should be strictly confined to this area of work.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I would like to thank the Minister for Social Affairs for clearing away some of my erroneous statements. But I would like to comment, in particular, on the football incident. As I said, I read in the newspapers about this incident and I would have thought that the person in charge of the FAS, who is also an official of the NSPB, should have, without any hesitation, clarified this point straightaway in the press. I keep saying that I read it in the newspapers. In fact, the sporting public has read about this incident and came to the conclusion as was reported in the newspapers. May I suggest that the NSPB or the FAS should correct this erroneous statement in the press immediately. I would also like to take this opportunity of making a suggestion on the publicity for the SEAP Games. My personal view is that up to now the publicity is extremely limited. One only sees the SEAP Games advertisement on the back of buses of one bus company out of the three bus companies, and also stickers on some official cars. Since so much effort has been put in by the various sub-committees to make the Games a success, may I suggest that without due and forceful publicity, the Games may not be a success. Perhaps the SIA, like other international airlines elsewhere when organising international games, can publicise the Games by flying the SEAP Games flag on its daily flights as part of its campaign to attract more tourists. I would also like to suggest that it is not the intention of our exercise here to criticise unfairly the administration of the NSPB. I share the view that the NSPB officials may be under undue strain and pressure. Sir, to give you a simple illustration, the very fact that one medical officer is made to take charge of two units is burdensome.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I merely wish to clarify the stand of those few Members of Parliament who spoke earlier. They were only trying to constructively criticise the NSPB. We would like to assure the Member for Stamford that each of us in our own field could easily demonstrate the particular sporting organisation that we are attached to as to how to run a particular sports association. I, for one, would like to assure him that, as far as positive contribution is concerned, I can suggest many ways of running a particular game or a few sports. I think it has been misunderstood. The intention here is to show cause as to why the NSPB should be reorganised and in what areas. I have only given, in my particular case, a few examples showing why it is not completely in order. Therefore, I am obviously putting forward criticisms which I hope are constructive. It is understood that whatever little good that you have done, the public will appreciate. So let me, on behalf of those who merely take the stand, say here that we are trying to tell what is wrong with NSPB. As to positive contributions, certain Members are associated with certain sports, and so on, and I think they will work on their own particular area. There is something basically wrong with NSPB in its major role to promote all forms of sports. I think what we have all tried to say was that it was biased. It was also unnecessarily lacking in efficiency in certain areas as pointed out by some of us. I think it was not meant to be a balanced statement. It is obviously an unbalanced statement to pin-point the areas which need improvement.”
“Therefore, I hope the NSPB will, in addition to organising sports at inter-constituency level, also provide facilities for the training of talented youths. For instance, there should be facilities for the training of soccer, swimming, badminton, etc. 3.00 p.m.”
“Ariff Bin Suradi (Kampung Kembangan)(In Malay): Mr Speaker, Sir, the suggestion made by the National Sports Promotion Board to organise inter-constituency soccer tournament with the object of promoting sports and scouting talent in sports is a good one. This will increase the standard of soccer in Singapore, which seems to be on the decline. But, Sir, you will be disheartened to learn that at this moment only 16 constituencies have organised sports clubs which have since been registered. Nine clubs are under consideration for registration, but the rest have not submitted their applications for registration. Although the effort of the NSPB is a good one, nevertheless more than 50 per cent of the constituencies have not yet made any applications for registration. I believe there must be some reason why the constituencies have not responded to the call. The NSPB has so far only made suggestions, but it has made no real contribution whatsoever. For instance, in some constituencies like Kampung Kembangan, there are no facilities for the training of badminton, especially those with talent. The open badminton courts in the community centres are not suitable for players with talent. These players need to be trained in indoor courts because badminton competitions, whether national or international, are played in indoor courts. But I think the NSPB can at least make a useful contribution by organising group training in badminton, and also other sports like soccer, for players who show promise. Although the NSPB is biased towards soccer, nevertheless, in my constituency there is not a single football field in which to play soccer. The public is prohibited from using the school playing fields for any sports activities.”
“Another point, Mr Speaker, Sir, that I would like to raise concerns the indiscriminate promotion of inter-constituency games, which was also previously mentioned by the other Members. While the good objective of such promotion is welcomed by all, proper and efficient planning should be exercised. The NSPB should not get involved in organising age-group games. This group of students is well catered for by the schools themselves. Hence, this exercise by NSPB is a duplication of effort and taxes the young students to maximum capacity. Our national need is to look after the school leavers and to provide healthy sporting activities for their well-being. The Board can therefore spend its time more profitably if it seriously looks into this problem. From the above few observations, Sir, it appears that the administration of the NSPB is indeed lacking in efficiency. There is completely no co-ordination and rapport among the various sections and there appears to be also a lack of experienced officials. I would therefore suggest that the whole administration of the NSPB he thoroughly reorganised. It is heartening to note that the Board has received much financial aid from the commercial sector, and that for 1971 alone the Board received a grant of $400,000 from Singapore Pools (Private) Ltd. These contributions and grants from well-wishers are meant to promote sports in general and not to be so biasly confined to certain sports. Perhaps the Finance Committee of the NSPB should spend more time looking into a fairer way of apportioning funds, and should meet more regularly to effect better control of expenditure and funds. Tuan Haji Mohd.”
“The team had made about eight trips abroad during the past year, although the Association has little money. I was told that seven officials accompanied the team of only 17 footballers to participate in the King's Cup tournament at Thailand. Of these seven officials, five were paid for by the NSPB. I heard also from the Sports Parade programme last Friday that the National Soccer Team will make an extensive tour of Australia sometime in October/November this year after the SEAP Games. This is arranged as an incentive or reward to perform well in the coming Games. I would therefore suggest that NSPB should look into the probability of arranging such trips or "rewards" for other games, which 1 am sure may perform much better than the soccer team in the coming SEAP Games! In this connection, some officials of the NSPB have seized every opportunity to travel abroad for no apparent good reason. Selection of officials to lead and travel with certain national teams is seldom based on merit and necessity. I would therefore suggest that available public funds must be spent wisely and fairly. Allow me now, Sir, to shift the scene back to Sports House - the headquarters of the NSPB. The Medical Unit, I understand, consists of a well-equipped Sports Medical Department as well as a Physiotherapy sub-unit. I would also like to know how much money was spent to set up this Unit? How many cases were treated for 1972, and whether any research papers were produced to help our various coaches and athletes? I was also told that the medical officer spends much more time trying to promote sports than conducting research in sports medicine. In addition, the physiotherapist has resigned due to the lack of work.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the Member for Sembawang has initiated some observation on the role of the National Sports Promotion Board. I would like to add some of my own observations. Sir, the National Sports Promotion Board was officially formed on 1st February, 1971, with the primary objective of promoting all sports in the Republic. Besides encouraging, developing and promoting sports for competition and recreational purposes, the Board is also supposed to foster research and studies in sports, physical education and to train instructors. However, I regret to suggest that since its inception the Board has not achieved its prime objective. Many in the sporting fields have observed and complained that the NSPB has been obviously biased towards soccer. In this respect, I would like to ask the Minister for Social Affairs how much money the NSPB has spent in promoting soccer as compared to the other sports. I was surprised to learn from many members of the sporting public that the NSPB is often referred to as the "National Soccer Promotion Board." Despite this partial approach in favour of' the Football Association of Singapore, the standard of soccer in our Republic has still some way to go, as told to me by many a previous expert. Another interesting feature is that a scratch team is often called the Singapore Selection team or the Singapore Invitation team. It was only about a fortnight ago that I read in the newspapers that a few players from the paying spectators were requested, just before the match began, to represent Singapore in a soccer match against a foreign team. I think the Republic's name should be treated with greater respect. The soccer team also appears to be the privileged national team in regard to overseas travelling.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, since I will be speaking on the National Sports Promotion Board under subhead 2027 of Head 1001, for which I have an amendment* , may I be allowed to speak now? If so, I will withdraw my amendment when it comes up. * The amendment, standing in the names of Dr Tan Eng Liang and Tuan Haji Mohd. Ariff Bin Suradi, reads as follows: (6) That the sum to be allocated for Head 1001 be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead 2027.”
“What music and culture is to the society, research is to our scientists and engineers. I hope the Government will not overlook this important aspect and the needs of the very important sector of our society. Mr Speaker, Sir, I would also like to comment on the salary scale of the technical officers who, to my mind, have been overlooked. This important class of technicians is in great demand nowadays. While we are building up our Industrial Training Board and our technical colleges, we have a greater need for this category of people, since more of them are required as teachers and instructors. The present salary scale of 5465-1030 per month will not be able to keep good and experienced staff in the technical institutes and in our schools. In industry such people are employed as supervisors, and they are given a much better salary scale. I would therefore like to suggest to Government that a more realistic salary scale be implemented and that the scheme of merit increments should also be applied to this grade of technical officers. The last point I would like to comment on, Sir, is merely to echo the sentiments of most Members of Parliament in this House and the public at large. This is in regard to the tax relief for taxpayers who support dependent parents and grandparents. While this tax relief is most welcome by all, the amount of tax deduction of $300 per dependant is indeed on the low side. In addition, the relief should be given irrespective of whether or not the parents are staying with the taxpayer, provided genuine proof of support is given. 2.53 p.m.”
“I understand that not more than 322 officers are affected, which is a very small figure compared to the approximate 50,000 civil servants we have in Singapore. In line with the Government's thinking, we should not pay too much attention to material wealth, and that we should pay more attention to culture, paintings, music, etc. I would like to suggest that, in order to retain some of our more promising technical and scientific officers in the public sector and in the universities, statutory boards and the technical institutes, more funds should be provided for equipment and research in order to provide job satisfaction to this category of important personnel. To start with, I would like to suggest that maybe we should put aside for this purpose a sum of $2 million which is only half of the $4 million set aside for the increased salaries of the 322 officers. This $2 million will give added incentives and job satisfaction to the few thousands who are manning and performing yeomen's services in the universities, technical institutes and the technical divisions of the public sector. A man, especially an educated person, needs money to live, but given a sufficient salary he also needs something to live for. I am aware that there is a provision of $120,000 under the Ministry of Science and Technology for applied research. There is also a similar provision of $100,000 under the Ministry of Health. But these amounts are insufficient to enable a proper and intensive research to be conducted. I would like to suggest, for the consideration of the Government, that this sum of $2 million be added to the research grant of the Ministry of Science and Technology for equipment and research, and that this grant be given more readily to those research workers in the public sector.”
“Even then these export figures of local industries are confined to only a few industries, like shipbuilding and repairing, textiles, food and veneer products. The other local industries show a much slower rate of growth. If the Government intends to stimulate the growth of local industries, a great deal has still to be done to assist them to broaden their base and to diversify. One of the more important factors is to encourage a higher growth of exports. I therefore feel that special consideration should be given to local manufacturers at this stage of their development. One way is to give a double tax deduction concession. I appreciate that no blanket concession can be given. I would therefore like to suggest that the Treasury or the Income Tax Department should work closely with those concerned to work out the criteria, so as to avoid abuse by individuals. But because of a few individuals who may abuse this privilege, there is no excuse to penalise all the others. The types of expenditure which should be considered for double taxation relief are those which are normally incurred, i.e, travelling and hotel expenses, freight for exhibits, construction cost of display stands and participation fees in trade fairs and entertainment supported by receipts, subject to certain limits. I am confident that officers from the Income Tax Department will know how to draw up criteria to avoid abuse and, if need be, I would even venture to suggest that a realistic limit be set for such double tax deduction concession. Sir, I would also like to commend the Government for the recent increases in the salaries of top civil servants.”
“Nevertheless, these increases in terms of costs will make our products less competitive and, if they are for the local market, manufacturers will have no choice but to pass these increases on to the consumers, thereby causing inflation. As I see it, this is a vicious cycle. Some of the increases, which I have mentioned above, are completely outside the control of the Government, but the other increases, such as in land rentals, in assessed land values, in additional cost of anti-pollution measures, and in the revision of rates for public utilities, can and should be controlled and coordinated if we are to maintain or even increase our rate of industrialisation. I would therefore like to urge the Government to seriously look into the matter before the activities of our manufacturing sector are affected. Mr Speaker, Sir, another point I would like to raise concerns assistance to local industries to increase their exports. In June last year, at the annual dinner of the Singapore Manufacturers' Association, the Minister for Finance indicated that he would be prepared to consider granting income tax concession to locally-owned firms for participating in approved trade fairs, exhibitions, and trade missions, and which are not already enjoying export incentives or other incentives. I am therefore a bit disappointed that no statement to this effect is made in his Budget Speech. Although our exports of industrial products have grown substantially over the last 10 years, they are mainly due to the exports of multi-national companies, with the electronic and petroleum industries accounting for 53.8 per cent of the total industrial export in 1970. This shows that our locally-owned industries accounted for only 46.2 per cent or less than half of the total industrial export.”
“I would, therefore, like to suggest to the Minister to look into some of these factors which, in fact, are causing hardship to some of the existing industries, and which may have also deterred would-be investors from coming to Singapore. In addition, the high increase in production cost has either deterred the expansion programme of many manufacturers or has driven some of them to transfer their operations and or expansion to neighbouring countries. Some of these factors are: (1) Increasing cost of raw materials (2) Increase in freight charges (3) Revision of PSA tariffs (4) Revision of PUB electricity tariffs (5) Revision of the water rates and the introduction of the block system of charging (6) Additional cost of anti-pollution measures (7) Increase in land rentals, leading to increase in assessments (8) Increase in assessed land values leading to higher assessments (9) Increase in workmen's compensation premium, resulting from the higher compensation payable, and (10) Increase in CPF contributions. There is justification for some of these increases, for example, the increase in CPF contributions. But I think it is the duty of the Government, if we are to encourage the growth of industries in Singapore, to exercise better control over some of the other increases. While we are trying to compete in an extremely competitive world market, it may not be possible for many manufacturers, especially the local industries, to bear all these increased costs within such a short space of time. Obviously it is very difficult to determine the extent of these increases in real terms of costs, or how they will directly affect the cost of production of the various industries.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I must congratulate the hon. Minister for Finance for his pain-less Budget. It was a Budget which was quite rightly described by a newspaper as one "with a heart". As one who comes from the manufacturing sector, I note with concern the fact that earnings from the manufacturing sector as measured by the GDP have declined in 1972 to only 20.1 per cent as against 25 per cent in 1971 and 27.5 per cent in 1970. I also note from the Minister's statement that the manufacturing investment commitments fell sharply from $716 million in 1971 to $252 million last year. While it is accepted that this drop may be due in part to investment commitments of the petroleum refining industry as well as the shipbuilding and repairing yards, this alone could not account for the big drop in investment. Sir, I am glad to note that the Minister has mentioned in his statement that the future of Singapore is correlated to its being considered an ideal off-shore manufacturing base for multi-nationals and their subsidiaries, and that special efforts will be made to attract more investment to come to Singapore. While paying attention to attracting more investment to come to Singapore, it is also necessary to make a study of the possible causes of this decline in investment and manufacturing earnings. While we like to encourage new multi-national firms to come to Singapore, we must not overlook the existing ones, especially the local industries that are now established in the Republic. In the past year, manufacturers in Singapore have been faced with increased costs in many areas. There were taxation and other increases which may have directly and sharply increased the manufacturing and production costs. These may have contributed to the decline in manufacturing earnings.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I would just like to enquire about the appointment of the number of analysts. I was just wondering whether the Ministry concerned has its own facilities to carry out microbiological and chemical analyses. If it has, will it then not be a duplication of facilities in the other Government departments, like the Chemistry Department or the Bacteriology Department?”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, will the Minister for Social Affairs consider establishing some co-ordination between the Fire Brigade and the PUB, for example, to ensure that sufficient water pressure is given in all outbreaks of fire?”
“Sir, I shall be happy to supply the Minister with the necessary information. 2.46 p.m. BILLS INTRODUCED CONSTITUTION (AMENDMENT) (PRESIDENTIAL COUNCIL FOR MINORITY RIGHTS) BILL "to amend the Constitution of Singapore", presented by the Minister for Law and National Development (Mr E. W. Barker); read the First time, to be read a Second time on the next available sitting of Parliament, and to be printed. TRADE UNIONS (AMENDMENT) BILL "to amend the Trade Unions Act (Chapter 129 of the Revised Edition)", presented for the Minister for Labour by the Minister of State for Labour (Mr Sia Kah Hui); read the First time, to be read a Second time on the next available sitting of Parliament, and to be printed. ROAD TRAFFIC (AMENDMENT) BILL "to amend the Road Traffic Act (Chapter 92 of the Revised Edition)", presented by the Minister for Communications (Mr Yong Nyuk Lin); read the First time, to be read a Second time on the next available sitting of Parliament, and to be printed. ARMS AND EXPLOSIVES (AMENDMENT) BILL "to amend the Arms and Explosives Act (Chapter 238 of the Revised Edition)", presented by the Minister for Health and Home Affairs (Mr Chua Sian Chin); read the First time, to be read a Second time on the next available sitting of Parliament, and to be printed. MISUSE OF DRUGS BILL "to provide for the control of dangerous or otherwise harmful drugs and for purposes connected therewith and to repeal the Dangerous Drugs Act (Chapter 151) and the Drugs (Prevention of Misuse) Act (Chapter 154)", presented by Mr Chua Sian Chin; read the First time, to be read a Second time on the next available sitting of Parliament, and to be printed. CONSTITUTION (AMENDMENT) BILL Order for Second Reading read. 2.50 p.m.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, as pointed out by the Member for Moulmein, there is some confusion in the interpretation as to whether or not the general recommendations of the National Wages Council should I only cover those whose salaries are below $750. There are many employers, both in the Singapore Manufactures Association and the Singapore Employers Federation, who queried the interpretation of the recommendations of the National Wages Council, but there is no clarification from anybody. It has been implied initially that since this is an amendment to the Employment Act, which covers employees whose salaries are up to $750, some employers take the view that it is not applicable to employees whose salaries are above $750. Other employers who are more generous perhaps feel that what you give to the lower grades should be extended to those in the higher grades. But the difficulty from the employers' point of view is that if you stretch it above $750, where do you draw the line? Is it above $750 up to $2,000, or what? I would therefore like to seek the good offices of the Minister for Labour for some guidance to the employers on this matter, because at the moment there is definitely - I would not say confusion- but a misunderstanding of where the line should he drawn, as has been queried by the Singapore Manufacturers Association itself.”
“Relieved from routine inspection duties, these officers will also have more time to probe into and help solve, whenever possible, genuine difficulties encountered by both employers and employees. Mr Speaker, Sir, the Ministry of Labour has a very difficult task to perform. We must always ensure that a "happy medium" between the workers and employers is maintained or face an explosive build-up which will ultimately rock our existing industrial stability on which our economic progress is founded. Whatever the odds and however unpleasant the task may be, we will do whatever has to be done firmly but fairly, without fear or favour. 3.37 p.m.”
“We have also re-introduced in this Session of Parliament a new Factories Bill which will give more powers to the Minister and the Chief Inspector of Factories to deal with recalcitrant employers and employees alike. It is important to always remember that we in Singapore value the welfare, health and safety of our workers. The socialist philosophy of the PAP does not permit us to achieve economic advancement by sacrificing the workers. Sacrifices must and will be made; but they must come from all, including the employers. Our workers must never be subjected to the same indignities, inhuman conditions and exploitations which characterize the Industrial Revolutions of the West. For these reasons, we will continue to expand the Labour and Factory Inspectorates of the Ministry to ensure that the standards of welfare, safety and health enshrined in our Labour laws are respected and enforced. In fact, these two Inspectorates have already stepped up their inspections of work-places. During the period from 8th September to 21st October this year they successfully prosecuted 69 employers for infringements of the Labour laws. In the next few years, priority will be given to the inspections of those establishments that have not been visited in their life span. The majority of these establishments are small and non-unionised organisations with high infringement and non-compliance rate, either because of exploitation by employers or ignorance of the law. A Special Unit of experienced officers will also be established within the Labour Inspectorate to crack down on difficult and elusive employers.”
“Although the necessary enabling legislations have yet to be promulgated, I am glad to note that, true to the spirit of tripartism, the employers, the trade unions and the Government have agreed on 23rd May this year that negotiations on the recommendations could commence without waiting for legislative amendments. To-date, 17 trade unions have concluded negotiations with 199 establishments providing for increased wages for some 38,000 workers. More workers will benefit from the recommendations when negotiations between their unions and their employers are concluded. This figure, however, does not include those non-unionised workers, many of whom, I am informed, have also been given wage increases by their employers. As long as the employers are fair and responsible and the trade unions do not make excessive and unreasonable demands, the future promises better living for all. Mr Speaker, Sir, increasing the wages of the workers alone will not help to bring about gracious living and higher quality of life. At the same time, we must also provide the workers with what is sometimes referred to as the "psychic income". By this, I mean we should provide them with a clean and safe working environment which will give them a sense of personal pride and satisfaction in their jobs. Only then can we urge them to give of their best. The Government will, therefore, ever be watchful and vigilant against those employers who neglect the welfare of their workers for their own selfish ends. We will impose yet higher standards of welfare, safety and health in the workplaces through more stringent and effective enforcement of the Factories Act and other safety regulations.”
“Another urgent task of the Board is to help those labour-intensive firms to modernise and mechanise. In the present tight labour market, these firms are finding it increasingly difficult in recruiting and retaining workers as they are unable to pay competitive wage rates and other terms and conditions of service. Unless they are modernised and mechanised soon, they will be left far behind by the wheel of progress and may have to close down. This is a serious matter to which more attention should be given. The National Productivity Board will establish a Low Cost Automation Unit to help these firms to mechanise. The Unit will advise on the application of inexpensive standard pieces of equipment to achieve mechanisation, previously done manually. The aim is to reduce human effort, (either physical or mental, required for each unit of production in order to increase productivity. It is an intermediate stage between simple mechanisation and complete automation. I would urge labour-intensive firms to make extensive use of the Unit for their town well-being and survival. To sustain and accelerate our present pace of economic development, we have no option but to continue to pursue our policy of industrial peace with justice. This calls for an orderly and equitable distribution of the additional wealth created by the joint efforts of the tripartite partners. The National Wages Council has recommended, and the Government has accepted, a wage increase of 8 per cent for this year.”
“More important, we must train and upgrade the skills of our own workers not only to meet the needs of our industrialisation programme but also to raise their standard of living through increased efficiency and productivity, and hence higher wages. This task calls for the joint effort of Government, the employers and the trade unions. The Government will do its part mainly through the Industrial Training Board to be set up soon. The Board will undertake and co-ordinate all aspects of industrial training, including apprenticeship schemes as well as-on-the-job and off-the-job training. It, will also regulate and control such training schemes to ensure that the training given is of a high standard and relevant to the needs of our industries. In this way, a growing pool of technically skilled personnel will be made available to effectively meet the demands of an increasingly industrialised economy. To keep abreast with the changing times, it is necessary for our employers to adopt modern and scientific management techniques. The National Productivity Board will act as a catalyst in this regard. By conducting seminars, workshops and training courses, and providing consultancy services, the National Productivity Board will also help to raise the quality of management, particularly in its relationship with, and efficient use of, workers. The Board will not cater exclusively to the larger industries and organisations. Every effort will be made to ensure that small and medium-sized establishments can also benefit from its services. As the management of these small and medium-sized establishments are mostly Chinese-educated, the Board has recruited some Nantah graduates so that its consultancy, training and other services can also be beneficially utilised by them.”
“Therefore, I would like to suggest that a more effective consultative machinery be established. 3.26 p.m. The Minister of State for Labour (Mr Sia Kah Hui): Mr Speaker, Sir, in supporting the motion moved by the hon. Member for Bukit Batok, thanking the President for his thought-provoking Address, I take the opportunity to elaborate on some of the points mentioned concerning the Ministry of Labour. As indicated in the Addendum to the Address, we will allow industries or enterprises with high technology or higher skill content, and the prospects of more sophisticated manufacture, to recruit labour on work permits liberally. This is to ensure that the growth of our industries will not be hampered through lack of manpower. The Government is now working on a new scheme which will enable work permits to be issued readily and more expeditiously to what we consider to be "priority industries". A list of such industries will be drawn up and the scheme will be carefully implemented through greater co-operation and co-ordination between the Economic Development Board and the Labour Ministry. We will also inform employers of the scheme so as to facilitate them in the recruitment of foreign workers. In other words, everything possible will be done to ensure that our industries as well as those to be set up will have the requisite number of workers with the right type of qualities needed by them. Would-be investors, therefore, need not have unnecessary fears about difficulties in recruitment. In the long run, however, we should not depend too much upon the immigrant workers to meet our labour requirements.”
“The developer's obligations here are, therefore, strictly contractual and the only remedy available to the owners of the flats in case of default of the developer is to institute a civil suit in court. This usually takes a long time, as we all know. This is clearly an unsatisfactory state of affairs, as in the case of Far East Mansions for instance. I feel that the public have been inconvenienced to a great extent and measures ought to be taken by the Government to rectify the position. I would suggest that the statutory provisions of a Management Corporation be made to apply to developers so that any default of these statutory obligations to manage and keep in a state of good repair the common property and the common areas of the flatted building will result in the developer liable to a fine in the court. This calls for an amendment to the Land Titles (Strata) Act, and I feel that this may act as a deterrent to the housing developer who, very often after the erection and disposal of the flatted building to the members of the public, neglect to keep the common areas in a state of good repair and condition. The last point I would like to touch on, Sir, is our aims to create more satisfying and better paid jobs in Singapore. In this area, there is much to be done in upgrading the skills of our workers, although the Ministry of Education and the tertiary institutions have' been expanded. This alone is insufficient, as the institutions can do no more than provide basic training. In order to achieve higher technology and better skills to make Singapore into a service centre, there is a need to have better cooperation and understanding between those who work in the Government departments and those in the private sector.”
“The statutory provision which governs the administration and maintenance of common areas of flatted buildings is the Land Titles (Strata) Act (Cap. 277) which came into force on the 15th of May, 1968. Part IV of this Act provides for the setting up of a corporate body called the "Management Corporation" for every flatted building. The Management Corporation is administered by a Council selected from and by the owners of flats in the flatted building. Section 19 of the Act sets Out the duties and obligations of the Management Corporation among which it is the duty of the Management Corporation to manage and properly maintain the common property and the common areas of the flatted building, and to keep the same in good and serviceable repair. Section 29 of the Act provides that if the Management Corporation is in default of its obligations under Section 19, then the Management Corporation and every member of its Council shall be liable to a fine not exceeding $500. To-date, many flatted buildings in Singapore have yet to set up effective Management Corporations. The main reason appears to be that it is rather idealistic and sometimes impracticable to expect flat owners to undertake the responsibility of initiating the formation of the Council. Perhaps a separate department for the implementation of Part IV of the Land Titles (Strata) Act should be established by the Government. The interim measures adopted so far are for the developer of the flatted building to undertake, prior to the setting up of the Management Corporation, responsibility for the upkeep and maintenance of the common areas. The undertaking is incorporated usually in the Agreements for Sale and Purchase between each buyer of the flat and the developer.”
“Perhaps a more realistic way to help solve and ease this problem immediately is the conservation and better utilisation of existing selected manpower. This can be done by allowing to reduce the annual leave with financial compensation. Sir, it is usually the experienced senior civil servants who are most needed on important jobs. Simultaneously, they are the same staff who are eligible for the most annual leave by virtue of their seniority and their length of service. Consequently, some senior staff have been accumulating their leave to an unhealthy level. Much discontent would result if some of their annual leave are forfeited. This conflicting state of affairs can be alleviated for the better by compensating for shortening leave, if required. In the public sector, senior staff are eligible for 33, or 39, or 42 days' annual leave a year, depending on seniority and length of service, in comparison with leave entitlement in the private sector of 14 or 21 days. In trying to equate the terms of service in the public sector to those in the private sector, this simple fact is often overlooked. Therefore, in the re-examination of service conditions as mentioned in the addendum to the President's Address (Ministry of Finance) for senior civil servants, I would like to suggest that the reduction of annual leave for selected staff in exchange for financial compensation should be studied. The recent unsatisfactory situation as regards general maintenance of Far East Mansion in my constituency has brought home the point of another social problem in Singapore. I therefore feel that the House ought to re-examine the problem of the administration and maintenance of the common property and common area of flatted buildings.”
“I would therefore like to suggest that the new Ministry of the Environment should issue some general guidelines so that the officers of this Ministry could implement the policy in the true spirit of the legislation rather than to the letter, for after all people who are earnest and sincere in wanting to help Government implement its policies should not be penalised. But, on the other hand, we must also have a mechanism, or machinery, to identify those who pay lip service and constantly flout the law for self-interest and benefits. I am sure that the concerned members of the public would like to know some clear-cut statements from this Ministry concerning the relevant implementations. Otherwise it can drive away a number of new industries which ironically the other Ministries may be trying very hard to promote. Moreover, some existing industries feel reluctant to expand as there is uncertainty regarding the enforcement of the environment laws. The introduction of legislation to fight pollution is obviously a step in the right direction. However, there must be flexibility in its enforcement as antipollution equipment is very expensive and this may cause a strain on the finances of some small manufacturing firms. The next point I would like to comment, Sir, concerns the easing of manpower shortage. Singapore is presently facing an acute shortage of manpower, especially in the higher levels. These high-calibred and experienced personnel cannot be created overnight, but need to be nurtured over many years. One of the ways to help solve this problem is the relaxation of immigration policies. But this has its limitations, among the most obvious being the need for adjustment to a new environment, the lack of dedication and the danger of importing people of dubious talents.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I would like to add my support to the motion by the hon. Member for Bukit Batok. The President's address contains many good, guidelines and policies which the Government will implement over the next five years. I feel that every citizen should assist the Government to achieve these objectives in the coming years. The important stress on quality is well accepted by all concerned, and we welcome the formation of the Ministry of the Environment for preserving and striving towards a better environment for Singapore. While it is accepted that this Ministry has an important function to perform, we also have to recognise some of the difficulties that it will face with regard to staffing and the lack of many experienced personnel in implementing some of these policies. In our eagerness to preserve the environment, we must ensure that unnecessary hardship is not placed upon innocent people. Mr Speaker, Sir, the setting up of the Ministry of the Environment is being received with some mixed feelings by some members of the public. There is a fear by this hesitant group that the over-enthusiasm in the implementation of some of these policies without proper knowledge and study can cause extreme hardship to some industries, especially the local small industries. I would like to add that some local industries over the past year have been quite apprehensive of what the Government actually intends to do with regard to pollution control problems, as there is no clear-cut guideline on what should or should not be done.”
“Sir, the Minister has not answered my query regarding the priority of the Housing and Development Board point system.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the Minister for Health has mentioned that from August 1973, the priority point system for Housing Board flats for those with more than two children will be lowered. I was just wondering how would the priority be affected, for those who already have three or more children and who are already on the waiting list.”
“Sir, the efforts of certain Ministries in respect of the Addendum have trickled in over the last few days, and some Ministries have yet to submit their efforts. As a new Member of Parliament, I would like to have more time to study all these addenda. May I, therefore, move that Parliament adjourn for one week.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, on a point of clarification. I was just wondering why 1st December is the date for the implementation of the new tariff. I was thinking that perhaps 1st January. 1973, or the period January 1973, would be a better date to implement. The second point is whether, in the review of the old tariff, through the interim tariff, and on to the new tariff which took three years of study, consumers were represented or consulted in the process.”