Tan Soo Khoon
Singapore
“May I just seek your indulgence and the Ministers for me to raise a little clarification? I raised the point about the absence of a medical officer at Changi Naval Base when the incident at sea happened last year.”
“We all look forward to its people obtaining their legitimate right to democracy and freedom, though I must add here that it should not necessarily be the kind we now see in some other Southeast Asian countries where democracy, unfortunately, has been taken to mean fluctuating between people demonstrating on the streets and the threat of m…”
“The West is unable to accept that it will soon be overtaken by the emergence of Asian powerhouses and fears that it will become irrelevant in an increasingly globalised world it refused to wake up to.”
“They are committed to Singapore and they want to do their National Service, but they just want MINDEF to exercise flexibility when they request for deferments. Mr Speaker, recently, MINDEF granted a deferment of three months to one Mr Stanley Aw to allow him to participate in the Singapore finals of the World Cyber Games.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, this issue of the revenue pooling between the two airlines of Singapore and Malaysia is not a new issue. But can I ask why is it that in this era of competition and trade liberalisation, we are still allowing the two airlines to have this archaic policy of revenue sharing which, in fact, results in higher prices for trave…”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, does the Minister of State believe that it is in the interest oftravellers between the two countries to allow what is essentially a cartel made up of MAS and SIA to exist?”
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“Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head Q be reduced by $10 in respect of Subhead Code QE-01 of the Main Estimates. Sir, since the beginning of this year a total of 70 people have died in accidents on our roads. If the present rate of almost one death a day continues, I shudder at the thought that more than 300 people a year might die on our roads due to pure carelessness or recklessness. What is just as frightening is the claim made recently by the Singapore National Safety Council that one out of every four persons in Singapore will be involved in one way or other in road accidents during the year. I was, therefore, quite pleased to hear the Minister state in this House two days ago in reply to an Oral Question that greater efforts would be made by the Traffic Police to curb the rising trend of road accidents. In the past we have had numerous road safety campaigns, and the Traffic Police has pointed out that when such national road safety campaigns are on, the number of accidents during the period of the campaign has been reduced. Perhaps it would be necessary for us to drive home the message more permanently. In other words, road safety campaigns should be an on-going thing and not held at sporadic intervals. The Minister also mentioned that special attention will now be paid to drivers of pickup vans, buses and lorries. I think this is a good move, although I would like to say that it is long overdue. It is a very common sight in Singapore to see heavy vehicles, including containers, travelling at breath-taking speeds, way beyond the limits permitted for their vehicles. Yet from my observation these drivers of heavy vehicles seem to get away with it.”
“Sir, I certainly look forward to having a meal with the Minister in one of those restaurants which are free of mice darting all over the place. In view of the satisfactory reply given by the Minister, I beg leave to withdraw. Amendment by leave, withdrawn. Mr Ho See Beng (Khe Bong)( In Mandarin): Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head M be reduced by $10 in respect of Subhead Code M B-03 of the Main Estimates. Sir, may I range my remarks over my amendments (4) and (6)?”
“What is most alarming in these cases is that some of the offenders are the better-known restaurants, very posh, very well renovated, and this is in so far as the area where the patrons are seated. But what goes on inside the kitchen, I think it would probably make our stomachs churn. Sir, my specific question to the Minister is: is the Ministry's enforcement unit tackling this problem adequately? In view of the mushrooming of restaurants in recent years, are there sufficient inspectors to go round the restaurants regularly to ensure that these food establishments conform to health regulations, so that incidents of the kind I mentioned earlier are not repeated? Mr Speaker, Sir, I would like to stress that no less than the highest standard of health control and cleanliness in restaurants is essential in view of the fact that more and more Singaporeans are now eating outside their homes. Furthermore, Singapore receives more than two million tourists a year and certainly we would like them to go away with the impression that Singapore is not only a clean city but also clean where eating is concerned.”
“Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head M be reduced by $10 in respect of Subhead Code M B-01 of the Main Estimates. Sir, last year it was reported in the newspapers that scores of patrons of a restaurant somewhere in the Chinatown area came down with food poisoning after attending a wedding dinner at that restaurant. Immediate action was taken by the Ministry of the Environment, and I think the restaurant ceased to function for a while. In another case not too long ago, a well-known restaurant in the Orchard Road area was fined in court for failing to conform to certain health regulations. Sir, my own experience with restaurants is not entirely pleasant. I have seen instances of rats darting about in restaurants and I have even come across cases of food prepared next to toilets. The Acting Minister for Social Affairs (Dr Ahmad Mattar): Why do you go to such restaurants then?”
“I would therefore like to join the Member for Buona Vista in urging the Minister not to delay this matter any longer and to take the necessary steps to amend the relevant legislations. The Chairman: The Member for Khe Bong has an amendment on the same Subhead Code. Would you like to speak now, Mr Ho?”
“Sir, last year, together with the Member for Buona Vista, I raised the same question as to whether the Minister would introduce legislation to amend the Workmen's Compensation Act in order that more people, whose incomes had increased as a result of NWC recommendations over the years, would be covered by the provisions of the Workmen's Compensation Act. I recall that the Minister, in his reply, did say that the Act would be amended soon and that one of the amendments would relate to the ceiling of $750 per month. That was a year ago. I would like to stress that with each passing year and with incomes rising very fast, more and more people are falling outside the scope of the Workmen's Compensation Act and there is, therefore, a deep urgency to deal with this matter as quickly as possible. Sir, I realise that if this ceiling is amended the Workmen's Compensation Act would not be the only piece of legislation involved. Also involved would be the Employment Act which at the moment covers only employees earning $750 and below. There would, of course, be implications on other policies, such as our work permit policy. 2.45 p.m. Sir, in order to reinforce my arguments I would like to quote some figures. According to the Yearbook of Statistics, in 1971 the number of CPF contributors earning $800 a month and above was 17,230. By 1978, this number rose to 120,147. This means a seven-fold increase over that for 1971. If we were to take the period 1972 to 1979, the implementation of NWC recommendations for these seven years resulted in increases of salaries of between 45 and 62%, depending on the grade of the employee.”
“Sir, I seek your permission to speak now so that I need not move my amendment later on.”
“And should the concept of productivity only apply to the accomplishment of tangible things?”
“However, since what is going to be decided here will have important effects on educational direction in the near future, it is of the utmost importance that teachers and educationists manning this Institute should be of the highest calibre, and thus consideration should not only be placed on the academic or professional qualifications of the teachers concerned. Those involved in curriculum development must be people who are deeply involved with grassroots problems together with a vast experience in trying out plausible solutions. We cannot afford people who live in ivory towers. We await further details on this new project. The computerisation of a teacher's performance is also in the offing. That the computer is a useful servant goes without saying, but the inherent danger will emerge if we allow the computer to be our master. What it can produce in terms of response will depend on the way we programme the date. Just what criteria will be evolved to ensure standardization of entry? Just how do we measure effort when so many deviations exist from school to school? If the examination results are going to be the sole criterion of individual effort and dedication of teachers, then Heaven help those who are posted to the "poorer" schools! We can take it that this computerisation scheme will tie in with the next promotional exercise for educational officers. It will be interesting to note what set of criteria is being devised this time to prevent another onslaught of unhappiness and frustration, as evidenced in previous exercises. So much has been said about increasing productivity in this House. I wonder whether any monitoring device has been employed to find out the productivity level of those who were promoted in the previous exercises.”
“We do have a situation where academic results speak volumes for the school, thus helping discriminating parents to opt for these schools for their children. Just what has been done to help dispel the poor image of other schools in terms of better facilities, better "qualified" teachers and better intake of pupils? It can be frustrating for teachers to have to teach the same set of pupils year in year out. These pupils who come mainly from the lower income group often are "latch-key children" with nowhere to go after school. Surely, if the move to establish one-session schools is adopted, these "poorer" schools should be among the very first to benefit from this scheme. These are the pupils who need extra school time, extra attention from their teachers and extra time at remedial work. In catering to the needs of the poorer pupils who are keen to join the VITB because they cannot achieve academically, and have lost complete interest in things academic, something is still lacking. At present, in spite of the expansion there are still limited places for these pupils. The cut-off point is based on the strict criterion of age limit. This rule should be relaxed. At present there appears to be a conflict between catering to industrial needs and school needs. The obvious solution seems to be a further expansion of the VITB department. The establishment of the Curriculum Development Institute of Singapore is a welcome move.”
“Sir, my next point refers to the announcement made by the Deputy Prime Minister and the Minister of Education just two days ago regarding the setting up of the Curriculum Development Institute of Singapore (CDIS). The Deputy Prime Minister has announced what he has termed "a whole new approach" to curriculum development which he hopes to achieve without the constraints of bureaucracy. Although I found his explanation of the weaknesses in the Education Development Division of the Ministry quite interesting, I am not quite certain whether I can share with him his sentiments that the setting up of the CDIS to replace the EDD would solve the problem. What I want to know is whether it is really necessary to set up a separate institute in order to meet the objectives. If bureaucracy, or the constraints of bureaucracy, is the problem, could not the same objectives be achieved by streamlining the work and activities of the EDD? In other words, if bureaucracy is the problem, could he not tackle the problem at source? May I add, Sir, that we certainly know of no better man to tackle bureaucracy than the Deputy Prime Minister himself. Haji Sha'ari bin Tadin (Bedok): Mr Speaker, Sir, thank you for allowing me to speak under this Head. I would like to touch on the question of meritocracy. In view of our limited resources and space, it is an acceptable thing that there should be the promotion of meritocracy within our society. However, I fear a little too much emphasis has been placed on mere quality. Thus, there tends to be a little "lopsidedness" in educational thinking. We have been so saturated with the idea of super-schools and super-pupils that we are often led to believe that "Poorer" schools do not exist.”
“Yes, Sir, and thank you for this opportunity so that I need not move my amendment later on. In March last year, the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education presented his Report on the Ministry of Education to Parliament. This Report was an in-depth study of our education system, its problems and the factors contributing to these problems and it also made specific recommendations. This Report generated much interest both inside and outside this House and after many days of debate, during which even Ministers gave highly critical views, Parliament gave its unanimous support to the revised structure of education which now allows every child to proceed at a pace most suited to his own learning capacity and which will make him as bilingual as possible. At the same time, Parliament also resolved that the Hon. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education give a report on the progress in two to three years. 4.00 p.m. But, Sir, many parents are quite concerned about how things are shaping up with education, especially after having experienced quite a series of changes in our education system prior to the Hon. Deputy Prime Minister taking charge. I therefore thought it pertinent at this point of time to raise a few questions which I hope he can answer. First, what problems has his Ministry encountered in the implementation of the recommendations made in the Report? Secondly, what has been done to overcome these problems? Thirdly, having implemented this Report for one year, what has been achieved so far, and is he satisfied with the achievements? In other words, does he feel that we are going on-course in meeting the objectives of the recommendations in his Report?”
“Anyway, Sir, to cut a long story short we have seen how SBC managed to wrangle another $2,000 from the sponsor, ostensibly to pay the other parties involved, but in the process shamelessly pocketing another $500 for itself - and this was already on top of the substantial sum they got from the sponsor in the first place. Call it shrewdness, if you like, but just think what some people are prepared to put themselves through to make a few miserable dollars. Our administrators could take a lesson from the example of the Welcome supermarkets run by NTUC. Welcome has in the past years kept the prices of essential goods as low as possible. It does not mark its prices unusually high. Yet it has managed to survive competition and it makes enough to cover its administrative costs, leaving still a little return on capital each year, but this is low. Indeed, some of our statutory boards could earn the admiration of our people if they follow the example set by Welcome and get out of this excessive profit-making preoccupation which they seem to have landed themselves in. Sir, I support the motion. 4.03 p.m.”
“Let us take another hard look at the PUB - trading surpluses of $89 million in 1976, $116 million in 1977 and $109 million in 197 8. To be fair to them, they do need profits also to plough back for development, but the PUB could at least have shown more compassion for the lower income group instead of slapping on an increase of such magnitude. At this stage, I would like to ask the Hon. Minister if he would not consider waiving the Government tax on PUB bills. This tax is an unnecessary burden on consumers, even more so with the new rates, and if removed would go a long way in compensating for the rise in rates. So much for the so-called give-away budget. The pain was already inflicted before the goodies were handed out. It reminds one of the parent who gave the child a beating but offered the sweet later to stop the crying. It just occurred to me that things might not be that bad for our people if some of our Government departments, statutory boards or Government-backed organisations think less of making profits and concentrate more on providing the service they were originally set up to perform. It seems to me that those who are in charge of these bodies do become obsessed at times with making excessive and large profits, and the larger these are, the better for these people. There seems to be an unwritten rule that you are a good and efficient fellow if you can make a lot of money, but you are a bum if you turn in red figures. Profitability rather than the ability to provide sound and efficient service to the public, has become the yardstick by which efficiency is measured. Even SBC wants to get in on the game. We have all read in the newspapers the recent quarrel over who to pay what and to whom for the right to telecast live the recent football matches.”
“There is another reason why I do not share the ecstasy of others in calling this year's budget a joyful one. Singaporeans are already quite resigned to the fact that Budget time need not be the only time of the year for the Government to announce new fiscal measures that will hit their pockets, and that what the Government gives away with ons hand during Budget time will usually be taken back with the other hand in between budgets. Only this time there is a difference: the taking was done just before the giving. The Public Utilities Board has already announced its increase in rates - 27% more for electricity and 35% more for gas - the third such increase in less than a year. Singapore Bus Services raised its bus fares on 1st September last year, and according to a newspaper report yesterday, another increase in fares is around the corner. Even the oil companies have been allowed to raise the prices of petroleum and they have already done so twice within three months. Road taxes, registration fees of vehicles, additional registration fees have suddenly been increased hitting the pocket of the poor motorist, without really solving the problem of traffic congestion. Escalating oil prices from the oil-producing countries have always been blamed for many of the increases that are imposed on us. Quite justifiable, I might say, but if you take a hard look at SBS you begin to wonder if their increases in bus fares have not been partly motivated by the guarantee of a 7% dividend they have given to shareholders. In the end, shareholders make the profits because management has given them the commitment, but this is at the expense of a much larger group - the travelling public.”
“OPEC ministers meet again in May, and with that the prospect of another review in the price of oil. The superpowers continue their tussle for political and military supremacy, bringing about turmoil in the Middle East, Africa and Indo-China. Added to these, we have the uncertain outcome of the US Presidential Elections, and the likely policy changes that may come about in the largest industrialised power in the free world. A period of uncertainty, therefore, is ahead of us. Hopefully, Singaporeans in their elation over our good economic performance and the tax rebates, will not be lulled into a false sense of euphoria. The Hon. Minister has given his warnings: we must not squander our tax rebates and we must at all times avoid waste. In other words, we have to continue to tighten our belt. Singaporeans in recent years have unfortunately developed a tendency to spend more than what they really should. Aggressive advertising, wanting to "keep up with the Joneses", rising real incomes, the widespread use of credit cards, have led to many people buying at ease, or at impulse, many goods in excess of what they really need. Some even say that Singapore has already reached the stage of a "throw-away" consumer society like the United States, where rapidly changing fashions dictate that consumer goods be discarded and replaced long before they outlive their durability. But what is taking shape very fast nowadays is the thinking that if one does not buy today, it is going to be more expensive sooner or later, so better buy now. Such fear of imagined price increases is psychological, but it would be one of the biggest obstacles in the efforts of Government in checking inflation. The Minister's warning not to waste our money is, therefore, a timely one.”
“Sir, I congratulate the Hon. Minister for his presentation of the Budget. In the eloquent and concise manner to which we have become accustomed to, he has outlined the salient features of the economy and charted the path we are to take as we march into the eighties. Few would quarrel with the course he has chosen. This year's Budget Statement comes amidst another glowing report of our performance last year. In 1979 our GDP grew by 9.3%, more then what was generally expected. What is even more incredible is that this has been achieved in a year of rising oil prices and higher wages, with inflation kept down to only 4%. Our progress in the last decade has been remarkable. In spite of a major world recession in the mid-seventies brought about by the first oil crisis in 1973 and the practice of protectionism in the leading industrialised countries, our economic growth averaged 9.4% in the last decade. In fact, Singaporeans have never had it so good. Per capita income in 1979 rose to $8,233 compared to only $2,825 at the beginning of the decade. In 1979, there was already one television set to every six persons, and one telephone to every four. These figures are but some of the many indicators of the high standard of living we have achieved. All is well then, or so it seems especially to those who have labelled this year's budget a "joy" budget. I wish they had not done so. It seems that tax deductions are all that matters. Less emphasis has been placed on the Hon. Minister's point that we have the perfect recipe for trouble in the months ahead and the warnings he has sounded. Certainly many Singaporeans, especially those in business and industry expect the first half of 1980 to be good, but beyond that nobody knows.”
“Sir, is the Minister not aware that such a scheme, if implemented, would cause hazards to other road users?”
“Member for Nee Soon when he pointed out that it was beyond his comprehension that 18% of the teachers interviewed said that their morale was low when, on the other hand, 72% of the teachers felt that their status was low, 64% indicated that their principals never discussed their problems; and 74% of the teachers considered their chances of promotion as slim. Sir, I am wondering why the survey was limited only to the teachers in the English stream. Why were only 140 teachers interviewed? Is this sampling size conclusive enough? I think this problem has to be looked into again because if the Study Team claims this finding to be accurate, then I say that it is grossly guilty of sweeping the whole problem under the carpet. Sir, these are some of my own humble observations on the Report. I am in full support of the Motion. I believe the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education deserves our support and if he can satisfy me with some answers to the questions I have raised as well as those which have been raised by other Members, my support will be even more wholehearted. Sir, the task before him is a very difficult one. I speak today not as an educationist, certainly not as a parent, but I speak here as a concerned citizen, concerned about the welfare and future education of the thousands of children into whose hands we will be committing the future of our nation. Somehow and somewhere along the line the rope has come up with a lot of tiny knots and the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education now has to untangle all these knots. As I said, the job is not an easy one and we have only just begun. 3.57 p.m.”
“Provision is therefore made for the bright pupils as well as the slow ones to develop at their own pace. In principle, I support it but I have my own reservations. Sir, are we not equating linguistic ability with academic ability? That is, we say that a pupil who is good in languages is one who will also be good in the learning of contents and the absorption of facts. Is this assumption correct? Granted that the intelligence tests will rescue those who are wrongly streamed but who may actually have the intellectual capability to handle the standard academic course, I am still a bit sceptical about these intelligence tests. What are they? Are they reliable determinants or indicators of a child's intellect, especially at such a young age? Sir, "lateral movements among the three streams will be allowed." Again I am sceptical. On paper it looks fine, but I am wondering how a child in a monolingual stream can ever hope to gain promotion through the extended or normal bilingual stream if, in the first place, he is already deprived of that environment which is conducive to the practice of two languages. The next point is on the Certificate of Secondary Education. I have two specific questions. Is it a common examination, or is it going to be set by each school? The second question is: what will the Certificate of Secondary Education give to the children Are we going to provide them with jobs, or is it just another piece of paper? In other words, is the Government going to give due recognition to the Certificate of Secondary Education? Sir, my last point concerns the morale of school teachers. I share the sentiments expressed by the hon.”
“The Westernised reaction to anything found on the road is even worse. It is finders keepers. Four simple words in a Chinese proverb can tell a lot. To one who knows the Chinese language, the lessons to be learnt from the proverbs are easily communicated and remembered. To do so in another language, like English, would be to lose the subtlety of contrivance, part of that magic and refinement that makes the learning of the proverbs and folklore of the old so interesting. The same goes too for the stories of the Malays and the Indians. The mother tongue is, therefore, most useful in transmitting from a different ethnic and cultural background to our children the values and the beliefs of men and society. Moral education begins at home but the school is the instrument to reinforce it. My second observation concerns Language Exposure Time, the failure to upgrade the standard of Science and Mathematics in Chinese schools and also the failure to upgrade the standard of English. I spoke to some teachers about this to find out why. The Prime Minister suspected that the Chinese-speaking teachers who were not trained to teach in English were probably frequently switching back to Mandarin. This is true to some extent. But what is the reason? I found out from my inquiries that the reason lies with the subjects taught. In Mathematics and Science, the terms used are highly technical and even the English stream students have difficulty in understanding some of the technical terms. What more the Chinese educated? So the starting point in solving this problem probably lies in a modification of the textbooks used. Streaming recognises that the children have different degrees of academic and intellectual abilities.”
“I quote him: 'The principal value of teaching the second language is the imparting of moral values and understanding of cultural traditions.... The greatest value in the teaching and learning of Chinese is in the transmission of the norms of social or moral behaviour.' Sir, I discussed this matter with some parents and I was quite surprised that three of them were not agreeable to this. I found that the reason probably was that those three parents were English educated. Let me give my own observation and I would just like to draw on one example. Filial piety was one of the most admired virtues of ancient China. Other personal virtues like probity, loyalty, sincerity and benevolence provided the means of social conduct. There were laws, just like we have our own laws, to administer and regulate society, but personal morality was the foundation of society. Chinese society was, in the old days, firmly knit together by Confucianism, a great ethical institution that produced strong social cohesion. And if we are to transmit such values through the generations it has to be done in the Chinese language. Let me just quote an example from the ancient Chinese proverbs. Sir, at this stage, I beg your indulgence and that of hon. Members as well, for my Chinese language is not even up to CL2. There is a proverb which says yu gong yi shan ( ).In English, it means "A stupid old man moving a mountain." But to a Chinese educated, he knows at once that this proverb extols the virtues of patience and tolerance. Another proverb, lu bu shi wei ( ). "No one would take into possession anything left on the road." This again connotes honesty. To the English-educated, it does not really mean very much. The translation is one thing.”
“Sir, last year when the Deputy Prime Minister and his team of MINDEF officers moved into the Ministry of Education, many hailed the move. Sir, like the brilliant military strategist of ancient Rome, he came, he saw and, as we all know, he finally conquered. But unlike Julius Caesar who chose to return to Rome, the Deputy Prime Minister stayed on in the domain he invaded and today he rules as the Minister of Education. Sir, the Report by the Deputy Prime Minister and his team of brilliant young analysts is a report on the problems surrounding the education of our children. To be able to probe so deeply, and to allow us to speak without inhibition today on a subject which is so highly sensitive is a credit to the political stability of Singapore. Twenty years ago, or even 15 years ago, it would have been unthinkable and a political suicide for any government in Singapore to discuss with such candour a topic that could so easily arouse passion, stir emotion and incite violence. Therefore, it was with a little regret that I note that the Report was not prefaced with a little more of the past, for to give a deeper insight into those very traumatic and harrowing days of the 1950s and the 1960s would have provided me or at least those of my generation with a better understanding of the background from where many of the present problems arise. Sir, with that, I would like to delve straight into some of the points I wish to raise and some of my own observations on the Report. First of all, moral education. The Prime Minister in his letter to the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education quite rightly expressed some concern about moral education.”
“Sir, unlike his Minister who gave me a highly satisfactory reply to an earlier question, I find the Parliamentary Secretary's answer less satisfactory to me. But, nevertheless, I beg leave, most reluctantly, to withdraw my amendment. Amendment by leave, withdrawn.”
“He also made the remark that it seems that only one man, that is, the Chairman of the Board of Film Censors, decides on what Singaporeans should or should not see. It is not true. We do have an Appeals Committee comprising different people, including the Member for Punggol. The Member for Kolam Ayer made some comments about our news readers. I do not think I can respond in any way. I agree with him. Mr C.V. Devan Nair (Anson): Sir, I am prompted by the reply of the Parliamentary Secretary to ask one question which must intrigue Members of this House as well as members of the public. Is there a keen competition for membership in the Board of Film Censors and on the Appeals Committee? But I would like to make it clear, Sir, that I am not in the running. 4.30 p.m.”
“Wrong people. Dr Ow Chin Hock: Recently, we have set up a Programme Advisory Committee and the two hon. Members are serving on the Committee. This particular entertainment programme was shown to them and all the committee members, including the two principals, a senior officer from the Ministry of Social Affairs and a professor from the University of Singapore who is a sociologist, all agreed that it is too permissive for the viewers here. This is the type of constraint we face. It is not entirely financial. Another constraint we face is the lack of a supporting industry. In Taiwan, Hong Kong or the United States, they have a movie industry; so there is a pool of talent from which they can tap. Here, we have to start from scratch. We have to start our own workshops and train our own performing talents and our own script-writers. Regarding film classification, the hon. Member is concerned about the impact on children. So am I. I have two daughters. The present classification system is quite strict in terms of morally objectionable material. The only complaint from parents is against kung fu films. I do not know, but probably we can ask the film distributors to put out some kind of advice to say that a certain film contains certain violent scenes and parents must use their discretion whether or not their children ought to see such films. There will be no enforcement, but it will be done voluntarily by the film distributors. We can look into this. The hon. Member said that we consulted the wrong persons, I assure the Member that film distributors are not the only category of people we interview. We also talk to others.”
“It also means that undesirable material, like violence that we see so much on our screens, will not be seen by children under a certain age group. It can mean that too. Perhaps the decision that was taken was based on the opinions taken from the wrong people. In this respect I would like to refer to a news report I read last year, in which the Ministry of Culture sought the opinion of cinema owners and distributors as to whether classification of films should be introduced in Singapore. I think this is another instance of administrative lapse on the pan of our civil servants, which the Senior Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Labour raised in this House last week. Naturally, if they ask the people who stand to benefit least from film classification, the answer is no because once they classify the films the size of the audience will be reduced. If there is a film which has too much violence and cannot be seen by children below the age of, say, 18 years old, naturally we get a smaller audience. But if the films are not classified, then it is open to everybody. I think this is an instance where the Ministry of Culture has arrived at a wrong decision by consulting the wrong people. I hope that this matter will be looked into again and that perhaps at some future date the Hon. Minister or the Parliamentary Secretary will tell us that they will review the matter. In the meantime, it looks as if one man, the film censor, will continue to decide what is good for Singaporeans, and what should be seen and what should not be seen by Singaporeans.”
“Sir, I am highly appreciative of the Parliamentary Secretary's concern over my bachelorhood. He was wondering why I was spending my Saturday evenings at home watching TV. Let me assure him that my staying on to watch the late night movie is only a preliminary to my Saturday night entertainment which, I must add, is certainly more entertaining than what we get over RTS, and it continues late into the night, long after RTS has closed down its transmission. It appears to me that maybe it is because the Minister for Finance is sitting here that he is putting the blame on the Ministry of Finance for not giving RTS enough money. I could not help but notice the Minister for Finance listening very attentively to the complaints of the Parliamentary Secretary, and it is my hope that he heard well and in future he will be able to allocate more funds to RTS. After all, I am sure the Minister for Finance needs to be entertained too. Sir, yesterday the Parliamentary Secretary announced that RTS would be converted into a statutory board. When I heard that yesterday I was very hopeful that, with the flexibility that statutory boards have, RTS would be in a better position to present better programmes. But from the defensive reply given by the Parliamentary Secretary, it looks as if Singaporeans can continue to look forward to more boring evenings and weekends. Sir, I am very surprised at the decision taken not to classify films. The Parlia- mentary Secretary seems to be thinking that by classifying films we would unleash a host of highly undesirable films on Singaporeans. I would like to point out that I am not thinking in terms of exhibiting films like Deep Throat On the other hand, classification can mean better films for our people.”
“Sir, an hon. Member has asked me, "What is wrong with that?" Sir, some of them look like vintage to me, and if they had been around as long as RTS has been around, you must agree that 15 years is a long time for a pretty face to remain pretty. I hope something can be done in this direction because a good news reader need not be seen on TV. She can still be heard over the radio. Sir, I now move on to another point. This concerns the Board of Film Censors. The question of the classification of films has been raised in this House on many occasions. In the last few months especially, I have seen many letters written to the press asking when the Ministry of Culture would introduce the classification of films. Most of us know that our film censor is very strict, the scissors are very sharp and very often he cuts out highly entertaining films or entertaining parts of certain films which cannot be screened here. As a result, when we go to the cinemas we are subjected to very sudden changes in the sequence of the film. Sir, I do not wish to go into the merits or demerits of film classification as these points have been raised in this House on many occasions. I remember that last year the reply from the Ministry of Culture was that this matter was being studied and the classification of films would be introduced at the appropriate time. My question to the Minister now is, what will be his decision after the study has been made, and if he intends to introduce film classification?”
“Sometime last year the format for presenting news was changed. It begins to look more lively. But I am just wondering whether RTS could do something with some of our news readers. Some of them are as old as RTS. An hon. Member: What is wrong with that?”
“Not only that, but I would like to point out that although we claim to have colour TV programmes - and we have to pay more now, $54 a year for a colour TV licence - we still get a very good share of black and white programmes. Sometimes I think that the Ministry of Culture is beginning to behave like the Ministry of Finance. Until very recently when the Ministry of Finance gives us something with one hand, it takes it back with the other. Now the RTS gives us colour TV but it takes back something by giving us films without sound. Sir, as the afternoon dragged on, I was entertained to another half hour of lessons on how to play the guitar. Following that, there was another half-hour documentary film featuring some wild animals. Later on in the night, there was the usual "Cultural Diary", telling us who was playing the violin at which concert hall, who was giving a talk at the National Library, and the night ended with a midnight movie which was 27 years old. This film was, in fact, dated 1952. I knew a little because at that time I was already three years old. So much for a so-called entertaining week-end. I must point out that after a long day's work or a long week's work, our people expect some entertaining programmes on TV and not what is dished out on the screen at the moment. We all know, from the results of a survey conducted sometime ago, that Singapore has the highest attendances in cinemas. Given the highly efficient film censors that we seem to have and the types of films that are shown in our cinemas, the fact that our people prefer to go to the cinemas instead of staying home to watch TV must point to a very sad state of affairs with our TV programmes. Another point which I would like to raise with regard to RTS is the presentation of news.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head T be reduced by $10 in respect of Object Group 1100 of Subhead Code TA-01 of the Main Estimates. Mr Speaker, Sir, last week an article in a newspaper in Singapore headlined the question, "Can we live without television?" The article went on to cite an experiment which was conducted in Japan in which a selected group of families were deprived of their television sets for a certain period. The experiment was intended to find out what effects it had on people who were deprived of television for that period. Sir, the results were quite astonishing. Some of the families became hysterical and some broke off from the experiment even when it was only half way through. But, Sir, I am sure that if we were to conduct a similar experiment in Singapore, given the state of affairs in RTS, I do not think we would be worse off. Sir, it seems to me that our television programmes seem to be less and still less entertaining as the years go by. Take, for example, a typical Saturday programme on TV. Last Saturday I had the opportunity to spend the afternoon watching TV. It started off with a feature film in the days of the silent film era. Sir, I do not know in what year this film was made. It must have been 30 or 35 years ago, I was not born yet. Following that film, there was a repeat programme of a soccer match which took place quite sometime back. Sir, may I say that sometimes I get the feeling that "RTS" does not stand for "Radio and Television Singapore" but rather "Repeat Television Singapore", considering the number of repeat television programmes that we get every week.”
“As a result of the very heavy volume of work, these two clerks are overburdened. Long queues of people, sometimes as many as 15 to 20 people, can be seen at the counter, and the service becomes very slow. Therefore, I would like to ask the Minister whether he would also look into increasing the number of staff at the Killiney Road Post Office in the evenings.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head S be reduced by $10 in respect of Subhead Code SE-02 of the Main Estimates. Sir, Singapore is well noted for its highly efficient postal services. The Postal Services Department is to be congratulated for what is probably a most, if not the most, efficient and well-organised network of post offices and postal services. Sir, two post offices, namely, the one located at the Paya Lebar Airport and the other at Killiney Road, have their hours of operation extended into the night. These extended hours of operation, I think, began some years back. The night services at these two post offices have proved to be very beneficial to many people, including office workers who are unable to go to the post office during working hours and also to those businessmen who may have to go to the post offices later in the evenings. I would like to ask the Minister whether, in view of the popularity of the night services at these two post offices, he would consider extending the hours of operation of more post offices, particularly those which are ideally and centrally located in commercial centres, and perhaps in the larger housing estates. My second point refers to the Killiney Road Post Office. Because of its location in a very busy commercial and tourist area, the post office has a very high turnover of mail and business. In the evenings there are only two persons on duty and these two clerks at the counter handle everything. They have to register letters, register parcels, receive messages for telegrams and sell stamps and very soon, according to the Minister of State for Defence, they have to start issuing exit permits for national servicemen.”
“Sir, heavy traffic congestion along Queensway, which leads into Commonwealth Avenue, causes a headache to commuters, especially during the peak hours in the morning and evening. The traffic jam that builds up along Queensway in turn causes a bottleneck along Commonwealth Drive as traffic from Commonwealth Drive is unable to flow smoothly into Queensway. Last year in this House I asked whether the Ministry of National Development had plans to widen Queensway in order to improve the flow of traffic. I was told that work to widen Queensway into a dual three-lane road would commence in 1979. I notice, however, that in the Ministry of National Development's Estimates for Roads Programme no provision has been made for the widening of Queensway. In the light of the answer given to me last year, I would like to ask the Hon. Minister why no provision has been made to widen Queensway this year, and to ask when he intends to widen Queensway.”
“Sir, as the Hon. Minister has touched on the subject of expanding Commonwealth Avenue, which is related to what I intend to raise, may I have your permission to speak?”
“Point of clarification, Sir. I did not raise it.”
“Although in theory he can have a day off later in substitution, it is more the rule than the exception that the substituted day of rest never comes. In fairness to employees in the essential services, the Government should set a stipulation of, say, two weeks during which any time-off owing to an employee should be granted. If a department or statutory board is unable to grant time-off within two weeks, the hours worked should be converted to monetary payment. Otherwise many employees in the essential services will continue to work without rest days or monetary compensation.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, under the Employment Act an employee, when required by his employer to work on his rest day or any public holiday, is paid an extra day's salary at the ordinary rate of pay for a day's work. This is in addition to the ordinary rate of pay for that day. However, this provision does not cover an employee of the Government or of a statutory body if such an employee comes within the definition of any of the essential services as laid down in Pan Ill of the Criminal Law (Temporary Provisions) Act, i.e. employees include those in the gas and electricity services, public health services, postal services, telephone and telecommunications services, and port services. Instead of an extra day's pay, such employees are given a day or part of a day off, as the case may be, in substitution for such work on a rest day, or holiday, or part thereof. Sir, quite often there is a shortage of manpower in many Government departments and statutory bodies. The granting of time-off in lieu of monetary compensation makes the situation more difficult. Some employees in the public sector are known to have accumulated so many hours of leave due to them that they have lost count of them. Needless to say, it becomes an administrative headache for their heads of department too. In one example, three employees of the Public Utilities Board are known to have accumulated over the last three years time off-in-lieu amounting to a total of more than 680 hours. Employees in the essential services, who have to work on their rest days or public holidays have to interrupt what they have probably planned to spend with their families on such days. Their planned leisure and other activities are disrupted.”
“Sir, I do not know whether it was a slip of the tongue on the part of the Minister, but I think it is opportune to ask him now whether he can assure us that there would be no further upward revision of CPF rates.”
“Sir, on the question of the use of CPF funds for the purchase of private houses, the Minister has said that the reason is that private developers are profit-oriented. May I remind him that HUDC flats are built and sold at a profit by the HUDC. If we apply the same reasoning to this question, we can see that his argument cannot be logical. I also wish to add that I want to dissociate myself from the remarks made by the Member for Whampoa when he talked about revising the CPF contribution upwards. Personally, I hope this will not arise as, I think, our CPF rates are high enough already.”
“The income ceiling of $1,500 has been imposed by the HDB on applicants. Those who earn more than $1,500 per month are not allowed to apply for HDB flats and they have to apply for HUDC flats. We all know that the HUDC's waiting list is as long as a four-year wait. This leaves a high proportion of our middle income workers without suitable housing as they are not in a position to purchase private housing and neither can they wait a long time for the HUDC flats. So could the Minister consider this point again?”
“We can, therefore, deduce that the number of contributors earning $750 and above must have been even greater. Sir, this means that a very high percentage of our working population are no more covered by the provisions of the Workmen's Compensation Act. Therefore, I would like to seek the views of the Minister whether he intends to introduce legislation to amend the Act so as to cover our workers adequately. Alternatively, would he consider legislation to compel employers themselves to provide insurance coverage for their staff drawing $750 per month and above? The insurance coverage could provide for the same rate of compensation as that provided for under the Workmen's Compensation Act. Sir, the Act also does not provide compensation for disfigurement on account of burns, and I feel that some form of compensation should be provided. Disfigurement after an accident, especially of the face, hands or any part of the body, brings untold miseries, frustration and helplessness to the person concerned, including his family, and some reasonable compensation could, at least psychologically, relieve his pains and anguish. For example, a badly disfigured female worker would suffer extreme frustration and depression, not to mention loss of prospects of marriage, and we would be assisting her considerably if she could receive sufficient compensation to enable her to engage a good plastic surgeon to rehabilitate her, if she is still not beyond reconstruction or repair. There is another point which I wish to raise and, that is, whether the Minister would again consider the use of CPF funds to purchase houses and flats built by the private developers. This has been raised time and again in this House, but it appears that Members on this side of the House would have to keep on asking.”
“Sir, the Workmen's Compensation Act, 1975, permits a worker to seek compensation from his employer in respect of occupational injury or occupational disease arising out of and in the course of his employment. At present for those drawing $750 per month and above, whose employment is not of a manual nature, and who are not covered by the Workmen's Compensation Act and in the unfortunate event of an accident whilst at work, the only recourse available to him will be the common law, which would mean very long and protracted procedures. Sir, initially the ceiling was $400 per month, but this was raised to $750 per month under an amendment to the Workmen's Compensation Act in 1971. The figure of $750 per month has remained since, and over the last eight years this figure has become highly unrealistic. Let us see what happened between 1971 and the present. Sir, salaries in the public sector, as a result of NWC wage increases, have escalated by at least 28.7%. So officers in the public sector who were then drawing about $535 per month basic, prior to the consolidation of salaries, are now drawing at least $750 per month. These people would, therefore, not be covered by the Workmen's Compensation Act. Sir, according to the Year Book of Statistics, if we are to compare the figures of CPF contributors earning $800 and above for the years 1971 and 1977, we will see a tremendous increase of 556.4%. 4.15 p.m. Sir, in 1971 those earning $800 and above totalled 17,230. In 1977, this figure increased to 65,869. The ceiling figure of $750 was not a point in the Table, but by using the category of $800 and above which appeared in the Year Book of Statistics it reinforces our argument even more.”
“The important thing to us is what we as Singaporeans, subject to the effects of events happening elsewhere and which are beyond our control, can do to brace ourselves for what the Senior Minister of State for Finance has said would be an "uncertain and wintry economic climate." We have to take positive steps to reduce our consumption of energy. A few days ago when the Senior Minister of State for Finance performed on television, he warned of the possibility of higher prices for energy because of the oil shortage and price hike. No rightminded Singaporean will chide him for that. On the contrary, we should be grateful for his warning, and begin to take steps to conserve energy. It was perhaps unfortunate that after the first energy crisis of 1973/74 when Singaporeans were first made conscious of the need to conserve energy, no further serious efforts were made to sustain the drive to reduce consumption. For Singaporeans, the first energy crisis seemed to have gone as fast as it came as few realized that the luxury of switching on electricity at the touch of the fingertips is a luxury that has become too precious to waste. Even as OPEC was announcing their price increase last December, Orchard Road was buried in an orgy of dazzling lights as hotels competed with one another to see which had more and brighter lights during Christmas - indeed a very appalling situation if you consider the amount of precious electricity that must have been wasted during that period.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, last December the world was shocked when the 13-nation OPEC cartel announced a general increase of 14.5% in the price of oil for 1979. OPEC tried to cushion the shock by spreading the increases over four stages throughout the year. Then events moved fast. A political crisis in Iran erupted. In a few short months of incessant political turmoil, export of oil from Iran plunged from 5.5 million barrels a day to nothing. Even if the Iranians should now resume exports, the future is bleak. Iranian oil will cost an incredible US$20 per barrel. But what is made worse is that other countries will now follow Iran's example, and there is a possibility of OPEC announcing another increase beyond the 14.5% it has already set for this year. It is not an un-imaginable situation as oil is always in short supply and many developed countries which need oil badly are prepared to pay any price for oil. The so-called "spot market" has also contributed to the spiralling price of oil. With spot prices reaching dazzling heights of US$30 per barrel as a result of speculation by middlemen, the temptation is there for OPEC countries to join the rampage. The sky appears to be the limit for the price of oil. This will have serious effects on the world economy. Inflation is bound to take its toll on developed as well as developing countries. More US dollars will flow into oil producing countries adding to the vast billions already accumulated by these countries since the last oil crisis. This means a further weakening of the value of the US dollar against other major currencies and will in turn undermine the international monetary system. Very evidently the world is in a critical stage. It is on the brink of falling headlong into its second economic crisis in five years.”
“They should be held at suitable locations befitting the occasion or, alternatively, in the premises or precincts of mosques, because we now have at our disposal new mosques costing millions of dollars to build which are equipped with modern amenities. 2.55 p.m.”
“Acting Minister for Social Affairs and the Muslim Religious Council, Singapore, on their painstaking efforts in bringing to fruition the erection of three mosques in the three new towns at Toa Payoh, Queenstown and Jurong. And I believe that similar efforts are being pushed ahead in other new towns. Support and donations from the Muslim community towards the construction of these mosques by way of CPF deductions or through the Muslim Religious Council are most encouraging. This is a manifestation that mosques are regarded with affection by the Muslims of Singapore and hopefully mosques of improved design and quality will be built in future. Mosques are not only utilised for religious service by Muslims, but they also symbolise that the freedom to practise the Islamic faith in Singapore still prevails. Now that the new mosques have been built, I consider it essential that MUIS lays down guidelines to regulate and ensure that the activities to be conducted in these mosques follow the correct teachings of Islam, as otherwise the sanctity of these houses of God would be sullied. Mosques should not be treated as community halls or community centres. It is incumbent upon Muslims to revere mosques just as it is their obligation to regard with respect and reverence our Prophet Muhammad (Peace be on Him). In this connection, I would urge the Hon. Acting Minister for Social Affairs, himself a Muslim, to prevail upon the Muslim Religious Council and other Muslim organisations to accord proper respect in the course of celebrating the Prophet's Birthday. Muslims in Singapore are disheartened because the Prophet's Birthday celebrations are being held in hotels.”
“But a country cannot depend on a few elites for its survival, nor does the success or failure of education depend on how many elites we have cultivated, but on whether we have generally brought up citizens who are useful and duty-conscious. Maybe the present Government is too investment conscious, equating education to business investment and expecting quick returns. We should focus our sight further and not expecting any results too soon. So should it be with education. There is a saying that it takes a century to cultivate a person. It is difficult to translate the spirit and connotation of the saying. But this goes to show that traditional values and language and culture are inseparable from one another. Of course, we agree to the bilingual policy of the Government and that the students should be proficient in English, but we must also raise their standard in mother tongue adequately. Bilingual education takes time and requires patience and effort. Sir, I support the motion moved by the Member for Serangoon Gardens. 2.50 p.m. Haji Rahmat bin Kenap (Geylang Serai)( In Malay): Mr Speaker, Sir, I support the motion moved by the Member for Serangoon Gardens thanking the President of the Republic of Singapore for his Address delivered at the opening of the Second Session of the Fourth Parliament on 26th December, 1978. In the Addendum on the Ministry of Social Affairs, mention is made regarding the development of mosques undertaken by the Ministry of Social Affairs in conjunction with the Muslim Religious Council (MUIS). In this respect, it would be appropriate for me to congratulate the Hon.”
“Everybody agrees to raise the standard of English in non- English schools, but it is something that cannot be achieved overnight. However, the Government is trying to achieve it in the shortest possible time and by the fastest possible means. Students in the morning session will have to a"end English classes in the afternoon. In announcing this measure, has the Ministry of Education forgotten about its former long-standing policy of paying attention to ECA? After reducing the extra-curricular activities to the minimum, after sometime will we turn back to the importance of ECA? Although the Minister did openly declare that there was no change to the ECA policy, the Ministry has not announced any measures as to how to balance studies with ECA. For example, there was a time when the post of principal did not receive the importance and respect it deserved. Only school inspectors were regarded as true Government officials. Now it is different. In addition to a principal, there is going to be a vice-principal. We agree that in a school, the principal has a position and power, and he should be sufficiently remunerated. But we must also be careful not to create a new type of bureaucracy in the schools. Whatever the changes, the principals and teachers are all educationists. If we delineate the positions of the principal, vice-principal, senior teachers and ordinary teachers too clearly, then the schools will be like other Government departments and the students will be treated as members of the public. Sir, we have been harping on the need for the next elite leadership.”