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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“It may be too early for them to take up a foreign language when the Government has not formulated any definite exposure time for the teaching of the second language even after a long period of research on it. The Education Ministry's Addendum stressed that one of the aims of education is to inculcate Asian values. And the Culture Ministry's Addendum stressed that the aim of Culture is to preserve our traditional values and norms and to provide the cultural ballast for our young people so that these values may not be eroded. Now, traditional values are inseparable from traditional culture which is inseparable from language. Our mother tongue is either Malay, Chinese or Tamil. In order to preserve the traditional values and culture we must preserve and master our mother tongue. To transmit traditional values through English will be as ineffective as to scratch one's foot with the boot on. So it is necessary to reassess our present education philosophy. In our schools, we now have a system of elite education. A group of elite students are gathered together for special attention. Is it good for the developmental objectives of our country? Have we fully considered the consequences of this type of education? The 8% students may have high regard of themselves and there may be bred in them a superiority complex. What about the 92% students and their parents? What would they think? Can we judge the potentials of a child from the results of his primary schooling? A review of our educational policies and measures since independence clearly show us that we have committed the error of pressing too hard for our objectives. This error or ailment still exists today.”
“In less than one year we have seen so many great changes. These many changes have caused parents to be jittery and teachers to "lose their heads". In Singapore now we might have the impression that everything here is stable except education. The education system and teaching methods keep on changing, although the declared aims of education remain unchanged. Today, although bilingualism still remains as our educational aim, its nature is somewhat different. The Addendum talks of how to raise the standard of English of non-English school pupils by the fastest means, which I agree. Although the point has been stressed in the Addendum on Education, there is no mention as to how to strengthen the teaching of mother tongue in English schools. It stressed that equal exposure time will be accorded to pre-primary classes for the two languages for the sake of bilingual proficiency. However, it is silent on how much exposure time will be accorded to the teaching of the mother tongue in higher classes; at best it merely says vaguely that it will be flexible according to individual cases. There is nothing definite about how to balance between studies and E.C.A. In fact, the success of bilingual education depends on the teaching of mother tongue in the English schools. By encouraging the 8% to be proficient in bilingualism in the nine elite schools, is the Government relaxing on the requirement for the rest? If we are unable to achieve proficiency in the teaching of the second language, why do we allow secondary students to learn German, French or Japanese? It would be better for us to allow them to study their mother tongue and English well, instead of a foreign language.”
“Let the different shades of opinion be vigorously voiced so that Backbenchers can play their role and prove to the gentleman from the Straits Times that there is no "lack of fire in the bellies of Parliamentarians." 2.40 p.m. Mr Ngeow Pack Hua (Boon Lay)( In Mandarin): Mr Speaker, Sir, first allow me to support the motion moved by the Member for Serangoon Gardens thanking the President for his speech. I would like to touch on the question of education. "1978", as the Member for Moulmein has also said, "was a year in our educational history with most numerous changes." Since March last year when the Prime Minister appeared twice in the TV forums, many people expected some changes in Education. But very few people expected the changes to be so drastic. First, we saw new students of Nanyang University and University of Singapore together in the joint campus. According to a Government announcement, the purpose of a joint campus is to allow Nantah students to be immersed totally in an English-speaking environment. Then there was the Government announcement of the Pre-primary course, and following this the Prime Minister suddenly announced the appointment of the Deputy Prime Minister to head a group of professionals to study the education system and its changes. Up till today, although the Government has not announced their proposals, obviously, we have seen many drastic changes in education; such as the announcement of the nine elite secondary schools and the sudden announcement of the revised pre-university syllabus. Under this new system, there will gradually be no more pre-university classes in non- English schools. This is also aimed at improving the students' standard of English in an English-speaking environment.”
“But what we are against is the indecent haste with which measures are announced and implemented. Not one of those changes of the year gone by was announced in Parliament. Even stranger was the fact that the Ministry could not have waited to incorporate the last lot of changes in its Addendum to the President's Address. The Ministry will probably say that it could not wait because it wanted to implement the changes in time for the new school year. I suspect the reason is that it wanted the proposed changes to avoid the close scrutiny of Parliamentarians and so chose to hide behind the more comfortable way of issuing press statements. But surely it is better for us to have time - and I say even if we have to wait till next year to implement the changes - let us have the time to carefully ponder over and weigh the decisions that are being made and which would have untold repercussions on the destinies of our young ones in whose hands lie the future of our nation. It would be unfair to label all these changes as experiments as many have, but that is the impression the Ministry of Education has created by its sporadic display of dramatic announcements. Let us stop causing unnecessary anguish to parents and to school children who are today clamouring for a clear picture as to what is going on. Let us stop throwing our young ones into a state of utter confusion. Let the Government come out with its full programme on education. Let someone put the whole picture in its right perspective. Present a white paper if you like, as my Friend, the Member for Kampong Kembangan, has stated. Let it be debated upon inside and outside this House.”
“It expected parents and children to possess the same swiftness that their officials, perched in their lofty nest on top of Kay Siang hill, display in dishing out their edicts. In five short days parents had to make the crucial decision on whether or not they should send their children to the top nine schools. In five short days parents had to make decisions which would affect the destinies and future of their children. And yet these five short days were, in the words of the Hon. Senior Minister of State for Education, "the maximum time we have on our hands." But that is not all. As if to show that it had still not run out of breath, the Ministry of Education kicked off the new year by suddenly announcing the appointments of vice-principals. And, as if to prove a point again, those designated to be vice-principals were informed of their appointment only on the eve of the opening of the new school year. The reason for the late posting, as we are told, was to ensure that those who are being posted as vice-principals would not wash their hands off their old schools during the holidays. So it seems the Ministry cannot even trust those whom they are elevating to positions of greater responsibilities, amongst one of which is to look after the finances of the schools! And look what has happened because of this last-minute flurry. Some schools did not receive the school transfer list when they re-opened on 2nd January; time-tables had to be re-drawn; chaos prevailed as one valuable week in the school year went by in many schools with hardly anything being taught. We do not quarrel with the objective of the Ministry of Education to raise the level of bilingual competence in our school children.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, you will recall that yesterday I was about to turn the heat on when I was guillotined by one of those very sharp and precise cuts for which you are well-famed for not only in this House but also outside this House. Nevertheless, let me assure you I am not deterred and I shall proceed now with my subject most vehemently. Sir, I was lamenting on the lack of enlightenment on the part of some of our Ministers, and I refer right now, in particular, to the Honourable Minister for Education. In the Year of the Horse, his Ministry galloped through the months announcing change after change, causing major upheavals to our educational system, and leaving everyone breathless and asking: what next? First, pre-primary education, then extended primary education, extended pre-university education. Even the Ministry of Defence wanted to get into the picture as their Minister and his officers trooped into the Ministry of Education headquarters last August, ostensibly, as we are told, to look into the education system to cater for the average and slow learners. We do not know what has happened to this team but from the grapevine we hear that the military people have retreated to their own headquarters. Then, as if in a last spurt towards the finishing line before the year was out, the Ministry of Education in December suddenly came out with a series of changes: streaming of pre-university students into 2-year and 3-year courses, creaming the top 8% of primary six school leavers into nine elite schools, Special Assistance Plan, immersion classes - all these in the month of December. It was not enough that the Ministry hurried along its way.”
“These are problems which require serious study, not just on the part of the Government but also of the trade unions. Mr Speaker, Sir, I remember when I first became a Member of this distinguished House exactly two years ago, the President urged us all to vigorously voice the different shades of opinions on matters that affect us. But while Backbenchers have been most vigorous in making their voices heard on various issues, the same cannot be said of the attitudes of some of our Frontbenchers who choose to by-pass the heat that can be turned on in this House by Backbenchers. I remember some months ago the Hon. Minister for Health made known to this House his plans to increase the fees for visits to the Accident and Emergency Departments. Although many may still not agree with him to this day, he at least had the good sense to make his announcement here and generate into motion the ensuing debate on the matter. Unfortunately, not all Ministers possess the same enlightenment as the Hon. Minister for Health now appears to have. 4.30 p.m.”
“In between the lines of such a statement, one can detect the justifiable fears of the Government that the attitudes of our workers constitute a problem which unless tackled immediately may prove detrimental to us. The cynics will laugh that year in and year out we have been telling people to work hard. But it is a reminder that has to be carried out all the time, and even now, with greater intensity if we are not to be in danger of slipping into complacency and take things for granted. Our younger people do not want to work in unpleasant and tough jobs like ship-repairing and construction, so we have foreign workers to do it. We need skilled workers but we have less skilled workers than there ought to be. Rapid growth in the past decade has led to abundant job opportunities, so industries experience high rates of labour turnover, and in such a situation workers do not stay long enough to accumulate skills. These are the pitfalls that face us: a working population whose expectations sometime stretch beyond reality, who do not see the need to learn new skills, who do not know that the learning of skills is a long process that requires patience and which can never be acquired if one thinks in terms of better but short-term monetary rewards that come so easily by job-hopping. How do we promote the correct work ethos? How do we temper expectations? How do we educate our young people to change their present attitudes towards jobs and work? How do we prevent ourselves from falling into the same trap that has engulfed so many of the Western industrialised nations? Above all, how do we assure foreign investors that ours is, and can remain, a hardworking population?”
“Moving on to the Addendum of the Ministry of Finance, it is heartening to note that the Ministry intends to introduce proposals to amend the Companies Act to give better protection to investors. In the past few years a number of people have been brought to court for contravening the provisions of the Companies Act. These cases which are reported in international publications will be detrimental to our efforts to promote Singapore as an international financial centre. There is one particular provision in the Companies Act (1967) which I would like to draw your attention to. Section 107 (1) of the Act provides that every company shall within one month after the date on which a transfer of any of its shares is lodged with the company, complete and have ready for delivery all the appropriate certificates in connection with the transfer. In spite of this provision, some companies listed on the Stock Exchange do not comply with the period of one month. The common grouse amongst investors is that during the time the share certificates are in the hands of company registrars they cannot sell their shares and one can imagine the frustration of shareholders who want to sell when prices are high but they have not got the scrips to deliver. As to why some companies take a long time to effect transfers of shares is beyond my comprehension; one can make all kinds of inferences. But what can be done is to take steps to ensure that this provision in the Companies Act is strictly followed. In its Addendum to the Presidential Address, the Ministry of Labour states that: 'Workers must work hard, accumulate experience and develop skills. Their expectations must be adjusted in relation to the effort put in and the level of their skill and experience.' This is a significant statement.”
“Perhaps it is an opportune moment for a body like the Public Service Commission to do a detailed study on how present procedures could be modified to facilitate identification of bright people in the public service and to provide opportunities for career advancement. This leads me to my second observation, and that is, the President has referred to only the senior officers and the scholars who are completing their period of bond with the Government. Providing for the top talent is one thing, but we must remember that what makes the whole administrative machinery tick efficiently is not just those at the top. There are others in the lower rungs and those who need not be scholarship holders, also with the talent, and just as hardworking, and if one is to think of continued support of able administrators for the political leadership, then any exercise to achieve this must encompass more than senior officers and government scholars. An hon. Member: Hear, hear!”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I rise in support of the Motion standing in the name of the Member for Serangoon Gardens. The President in his Address has stated that there will be "a total revamping of the rewards and salaries of senior officers in the public service." I would like to make two observations. Firstly, while this is a step in the right direction, we have to be aware that money does not buy everything. Providing adequate monetary rewards is only one aspect of the problem. It may not be sufficient to retain the able ones. We have to think of career prospects. Initial salaries for some grades in the public sector can be as good as what is available in the private sector. But promotion in the private sector is rapid, and over a period of time the public servant can lose out to his counterpart in the private sector. And that is the problem - how do we promote faster, how do we give recognition, and along with that to reward amply those who are better, regardless of seniority, so that those who are really able are not attracted to the brighter-lights of the private sector. Providing monetary incentives is one solution but it is an insufficient solution. We have to provide for better prospects of advancement in career for those who opt to remain, and yet we must do so without having to compromise on the high standards that we set for our public servants. Promotion in the public service is based on qualification, experience and merit. More often than not, it is experience that counts. If those who choose to remain prove themselves capable of the demanding tasks that confront them, then they must have opportunities to move up. They must be assured that merit counts as much as, if not more than, experience.”
“Sir, in view of the need to expand our pool of skilled workers, will the Acting Minister assure this House that he will constantly take steps to upgrade the skills of our own citizens?”
“Sir, is the Acting Minister not aware that there are already those permanent residents who possess the skills and qualifications he has just mentioned? Is he also not aware that some of these people have been here for ten years or more but have not received their citizenship and have so far not been able to apply for HDB flats? While the new benefits he has just outlined will no doubt encourage more people to come and take advantage of our work permit scheme, will he not impress upon his colleague, the Minister for Home Affairs, of the need to extend the privileges more liberally than has been done in the past? In particular, he should stress on citizenship to those who are already permanent residents with the skills and qualifications he has just mentioned and who, in fact, have already been contributing positively to our economy for more than ten years.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, under the Work Permit Scheme, work permits have been granted to industrial workers with the necessary skills. Under the new scheme just announced by the Acting Minister non-industrial workers will also qualify. In his reply, the Acting Minister mentioned "non-industrial workers with good academic qualifications." Will the Acting Minister elaborate further what he means by "good academic qualifications"?”
“(8) That the sum to be allocated for Head V be reduced by $10 in respect of Subhead Code VD-02 of the Main Estimates. Mr Ho Kah Leong: (9) That the sum to be allocated for Head V be reduced by $10 in respect of item 1210 of Subhead Code VE-01 of the Main Estimates. The sum of $49,827,160 for Head V ordered to stand part of the Main Estimates. The sum of $8,983,000 for Head V ordered to stand part of the Development Estimates.”
“Sir, the Senior Minister of State has missed my second point which I raised just now, that is, if he would ensure tighter supervision over the HDB workers or conservancy contractors to ensure that the stipulations in the contracts for cleaning and washing are strictly adhered to. Dr Tan Eng Liang: Sir, I would definitely take note of the observations made by both the Member for Alexandra and the Member for Chai Chee. We are all agreed that we want the estates to be kept clean. I will convey the Member for Alexandra's observation to the HDB and request them to tighten up the regulations on maintenance of these common areas which he has referred to.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, may I add a further point to what the Member for Whampoa has just said. What I want to stress is not so much the replacement of old lifts with new lifts as to ensure that the quality of services provided by the maintenance company is of a sufficiently good standard. Obviously, if the service we get is very poor, we may have to replace the lifts aM the time, I do not think the Senior Minister of State is thinking on that line.”
“Secondly, I would like to ask the Senior Minister of State whether he would consider puffing up a notice board along the corridor of Housing Board flats so that any new regulations, instructions or advice to the residents can be put on the notice board. Thus, information can be passed on to the residents in a most effective and cheapest way. Any information can also be put on notice boards of any nearby community centres. In this way the residents will be kept informed. The activities of the community centres can also be reported on the notice boards along the corridors of the flats.”
“Sir, I find the answer given by the Hon. Minister of State not too satisfactory. The incident which I related is not an isolated one. In fact, I said earlier in my speech that breakdowns in lifts are a common feature in the older housing estates and it is occurring very frequently in my constituency. The Senior Minister of State has given us the number of average breakdowns of lifts as 1.25. Of course, if you take into consideration the new lifts in the new estates, I do not expect the new lifts to give any trouble at all. So I do not think that is a fair way of averaging. Mr Ch'ng Jit Koon( In Mandarin): Sir, talking about rentals for the two-room flats, I have already anticipated that the Housing Board would not agree to reduce the rentals. But at the same time I have made a suggestion to convert the old two-room flats into four-room flats for sale to the public. Otherwise this injustice will continue to exist. Mr Teong Eng Siong( In Mandarin): I am generally satisfied with the answer given by the Senior Minister of State. But I would like to raise two more points. He mentioned about the security measures for hawkers at food centres. He says he would consider the possibility of providing the security. It shows that he is taking an interest in the matter. I would like to propose for his consideration the putting up of collapsible iron gate at the entrance to the market. That is to say, when the market closes for business all the collapsible gates should be locked. Generally speaking, a market should have a watchman to look after it. 4.15 p.m.”
“Therefore, those occupying the former type of flats are grumbling, saying that although they are paying a higher rental their flats are not so good, and this is unfair to them. In 1972, I raised this point with the HDB. The HDB said that as there was no precedent for a reduction of rental, my request had to be turned down. In fact, it could be adjusted when the HDB later adjusted the charges for conservancy. However, it was not done and this kind of injustice was allowed to continue. I would like to take this opportunity to remind the authorities concerned to reconsider this matter. If possible, the rental for those emergency flats should be reduced to the same level as that for those flats which were built later. On the other hand, I would suggest that these flats should be convened into four-room flats and sold to the public to solve the problem once and for all. Lastly, with regard to hawkers, those under the Ministry of the Environment are licensed. However, those under the HDB have to sign a tenancy agreement. If there is a change in the policy, the HDB hawkers will have to sign a new contract, for which they have to pay additional stamp fees. For example, in the recent revision of licence fees, the HDB hawkers had to sign a new contract and they had to pay stamp fees ranging from $18 to $26. This is an additional burden on the HDB hawkers. So I would like to ask the Minister to consider issuing them with hawker licences instead.”
“Blocks 1 to 5 emergency flats in Tiong Bahru were put up hastily in the early 1960s, after the big fire in Kampong Tiong Bahru. These are all five-storey flats. There are 130 to 240 units in each block. Apart from 12 units of two-room flats and 24 units of three-room flats in each block, the rest of them are one-room flats. Because these flats were built hastily, the designs were not satisfactory. Ventilation is poor, lighting is inadequate, and it is very congested. Therefore, the residents find it very hot and stuffy. The HDB had earlier said that it was going to improve these flats, and began to experiment with one of the blocks. Work was started but stopped half-way. Since then nothing has been done. I would like to ask the Minister to ascertain from the HDB whether it has a definite plan for the improvement of these emergency flats. There is only one staircase in each block and about 100 to 200 families use this common staircase. It is a great fire hazard. If there is a fire, the consequences would be disastrous. I hope the HDB would take note of this in its programme to improve these flats. Secondly, Blocks 6 to 16 located between Kim Tian Road and Jalan Membina, were built immediately after the emergency block mentioned earlier were built. Among these, nine blocks of two-room flats are rented out to the public. Each flat has an area of 34 square metres and the rubbish chute is located at both ends of each blocks. The rental is $49.50 per month for each flat. However, not far away from these blocks of flats there are three blocks of two-room flats which were built later. Their design is better and their floor area is bigger. Each unit has an area of about 40 square metres. They have got their own rubbish chute. However, the rental is only $40.”
“This so-called lift service which appears to be a lip service has instead resulted in residents suffering inconvenience. For the better part of two months, they had to walk up and down the staircase. Sir, is there no way the HDB can ensure that the lift companies are doing their jobs properly? Are the HDB engineers checking on the work carried out by the lift companies? Finally, what is the policy of the HDB regarding replacing very old lifts with new ones? Obviously some of them have reached a stage where it appears pointless to continue repairing over and over again, and probably it is more economical just to instal a new one. Sir, I want to touch on the cleanliness of common areas. The HDB is supposed to sweep the common areas daily and wash them once a fortnight. I say "suppose" because apparently that is actually all there is to it, a supposition or assumption that sweeping would be done daily and, in the case of washing, fortnightly. Complaints are frequent that the corridors are swept once in a few days, maybe once a week. If one wants to talk about washing, judging from the number of complaints I get, I am inclined to believe that a block of flats is really made clean, spick-and-span, only when the HDB area office knows that the MP is coming around for his door-to-door visits. I therefore wonder if tighter supervision can be effected on HDB workers or the conservancy contractors to ensure that the cleaning and washing stipulations are strictly adhered to. Mr Ch'ng Jit Koon (Tiong Bahru)( In Mandarin): Sir, thank you for giving me the opportunity to speak. First, I would like to touch on the emergency one-room flats mentioned by the Member for Kim Seng.”
“For one whole month it was engaged in major repairs and yet it overlooked the minor details and had to stop the lift for another week. But that is not all. The story has not ended yet. Shortly after, the lift broke down again. This time I was told that it was due to poor workmanship on the part of the lift repairers, as they did not fix the parts properly the last two times they were around. When I queried why there was poor workmanship, I was told that the lift company management was having problems with its workers, and therefore that's it. Sir, I am wondering if this kind of service can actually be called a service at all. This so-called lift service has instead resulted in- An hon. Member: Lip service!”
“Sir, two of the more common complaints received by MPs from constituents living in HDB flats concern the lift services and the cleaning of common areas. Lift breakdowns are a common phenomenon in HDB flats. In the older housing estates, they have become an even more regular feature of high-rise living, as most of the lifts are old and wear and tear have taken their toll. Sometimes vandalism in the lifts has also contributed to the breakdown. Maintenance and repair of HDB lifts are contracted to lift companies. But are the lift companies providing the service in a satisfactory manner? In my constituency, I am always receiving complaints that lifts are not operational even if they have been repaired or serviced over and over again. Let me just give an illustration. There is a block of flats in Stirling Road served by only one lift. Owing to frequent complaints, the lift was turned off at the end of November last year for major repairs. These major repairs included repairing the lift car panels and platform and providing formica lining to the lift. I was told that all this repair work was necessary so that the lift will be safe for residents to use. After almost a month, the work was completed. Less than two weeks later, something happened again and the lift repairers came round once more and this time they found a defective motor bearing. They found a defective motor bearing just two weeks after having spent one whole month running up and down to make sure the lift would be safe for residents to -use. Anyway, Sir, this time they stopped the lift for another week before putting it back into operation. Sir, what kind of service are we getting from this lift company?”
“Sir, I have an amendment on the subject of Housing and Development Board. Can I speak now?”
“It is a question that must be asked now if we consider the mushrooming of Government-owned enterprises over the past 10 years. It is perhaps even more delicate a question if you consider that some of these enterprises are wholly Government-owned while some are joint ventures between the Government and the private sector. Some distinction in the extent of accountability between these two types of Government companieS have to be made. It is a question which, as of the moment, cannot be easily answered, but I hope that some thought will be given to this question. Mr Tan Cheng San rose -”
“Many questions can be asked: Is it not sufficient for Singapore Airport Terminal Services to provide this service? Why allow a port authority to provide airport services? Why allow one Government-owned company to compete with another? Above all, why duplicate your investments? There is no doubt that lines of accountability and I mean effective accountability must be clearly established. This must start with Parliament voting on the capital investment, and debating on the formation of such companies. The auditing of the accounts of such companies by the Auditor-General whose report would supplement those of the commercial auditors would be presented to Parliament for scrutiny by the Public Accounts Committee. Close monitoring of policies and activities and evaluation of performance can then be better achieved. But in ensuring this measure of accountability, caution must be taken that this does not result in rigid control that would strangle the efficiency of such companies. One must remember that a Government-owned company competes with others in a free market economy, and too rigid a control for the purpose of ensuring accountability would only bring it back to the very same situation which by its formation it was trying to avoid, and would tantamount to strangling the life out of it. Somewhere along the line there is a need to strike a balance. Where is the trade-off point where the rules can provide for the accountability of those who have been entrusted with wealth not of their own and who have been empowered to utilise such wealth, without unnecessarily stifling the initiative, enthusiasm and efficiency that are so necessary if at all the results that are desired are in fact to materialise? This is the delicate question which I hope will generate food for thought.”
“For one thing, the commercial auditor is more concerned that accounting procedures are carried out in accordance with accepted accounting principles and standards, the Auditor-General of the country is concerned with matters such as wastage and irregularities. Without having to go into further details regarding these two different types of audit, it would suffice for me to say that a commercial audit of a Government-owned company would certainly be inadequate in providing for even the tiniest measure of accountability. To be fair, Sir, I am sure that our Government-owned companies are accountable to their Ministers-in-charge but the questions are, to what degree are they accountable, and how effective has the accountability been? Does it mean only the presentation of annual financial statements showing healthy profits? Again to be fair, Sir, Ministers have in fact answered questions posed in this House in relation to Government-owned companies. For instance, recently the Honourable Minister for Finance has answered questions on companies such as Sugar Industry of Singapore and Singapore International Airlines but it is clear that he can choose not to do so if the answer required of him entails disclosure of commercial matters that would be useful to competitors. The lines of accountability are therefore vague. Parliament cannot debate on the need to form a company, or the objectives and policy of a company. I cannot help but just reflect on the decision of the Port of Singapore Authority to form Changi International Airport Services to provide ground services at the new Changi Airport. Should not Parliament debate on such a decision while it was in its proposal stage?”
“Statutory boards in Singapore are accountable to Parliament. They are created by Acts of Parliament. Their objectives are debated upon. The line of accountability is clearly established. Each statutory board is answerable to Parliament through its Minister in charge. Their annual reports are tabled in Parliament. Their accounts are audited by the Auditor-General and are scrutinised also by the Public Accounts Committee which is empowered to call up officers and papers of the boards for examination. By this manner of accountability, those who have been delegated the powers to discharge their duties are also required to give explanations as and when required. Where there have been abuses and excesses, the findings are transmitted by the Auditor-General or the Public Accounts Committee to Parliament. But in the case of Government-owned companies, the situation is in contrast. In the first place they are formed by simply registering with the Registrar of Companies. The reasons for forming such companies need not be debated upon; on the contrary the public may not even be aware that such-and-such a company has been formed. Its policies and activities may not even be known. This must be viewed with concern especially when public funds are being used in forming the capital of such companies. Secondly the manner in which such public funds have been used in order to attain the objectives of the company cannot be questioned. The accounts are not audited by the Auditor-General; neither are they presented to Parliament. It is true that they are audited by commercial auditors but audit by commercial auditors and audit by the Auditor-General are two different things.”
“But no doubt the measures in the economic strategy of our Government will enable us to overcome some of the difficulties that lie ahead. One of the principles underlying our democratic system is that those who are given the powers and the authority to discharge their responsibilities are also held accountable for the manner in which such responsibilities are discharged. In our parliamentary system a Minister is empowered with the administration of his Ministry. He is in turn accountable to Parliament for whatever is done by, or in, his Ministry. It has however been recognised by many governments that certain functions cannot be performed efficiently and expediently if these are to be carried out amidst bureaucratic red-tape which is so characteristic of Government departments. Such functions are normally those of a commercial nature such as the provision of air services in competition with other airlines, or of an industrial nature. Or it may be a function involving the Provision of gas and water, or the promotion of sports or certain cultural activities. In all such instances Government has been able to Circumvent administrative rigidity by enshrining these functions in statutory boards or Government-owned enterprises. Of course there are other reasons for doing so, such as the need to identify precisely cost and revenue elements, which may not be easily done in government departments. But while this device may result in efficiency in that the responsibilities can be carried out expediently, the accountability of such institutions remains debateable since they are now invariably removed from the rules and regulations which first bound them but which can no longer be applied to serve as a check on their performance.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I rise in support of the motion standing in the name of the Hon. Minister for Finance. In the past fortnight or so since presenting his Budget for FY 78, the Hon. Minister has received more than his share of bouquets and brickbats. Some have called his Budget a "happy surprise" while others have accused him of taking back with one hand what he dishes out with the other. His is not a job that most of us would envy. He knows he cannot please everyone. The cautious optimism that was reflective in the Minister's Budget statement of last year is again evident this year. He is right when he says that 1978 "may turn out to be a difficult year". Unemployment in developed countries and the tendency towards protectionism are two of the factors that he has pointed out and which would make it more difficult for us to export. Aside from these, there is the problem of unstable currency exchange rates. The US dollar continues to fall and it is now a question of whether or not the US Government will quickly take measures to stop it from collapsing. One can well understand the plight of oil-rich nations who are seeing their dollar reserves dwindling in value day by day. Some of them are already pressing for a revision in the price of oil and are even thinking of abandoning the US dollar in favour of another currency for their oil transactions. An international monetary disorder may just result. The increase in the price of oil, which was tactfully avoided at the end of last year, may just occur in the coming months as those who have been pressing for the increase in price have even greater grounds to do so now. One can well imagine the economic crisis that can come. All this means we face a year of grave uncertainty.”
“Sir, when the Hon. Senior Minister of State says that the financial losses are too sensitive, to be revealed, does he mean that the losses were therefore far from minimal?”
“Sir, I asked the Senior Minister of State whether it was a case of pulling wool over his own eyes. But since he cannot answer that question, I would like to move on to the next supplementary question. The Senior Minister of State seems to have evaded the salient point in this issue in his reply and, that is, as much as it was the job of the British Government to obtain clearance of foreign air space, was it also not the responsibility of SIA to ascertain that its partner in this joint venture was in a position to deliver the goods before signing a 10-year agreement?”
“To ask the Minister for Finance (a) whether the short-lived Concorde service to London by Singapore Airlines has caused undue embarrassment and loss of prestige to SIA; (b) why SIA did not obtain clearance for flying the Concorde over foreign air space before entering into an agreement with British Airways to operate the Concorde; (c) how much money was spent by SIA in Singapore and abroad to publicise its Concorde service to London; and (d) what other financial repercussions are anticipated for SIA as a result of the cancellation of the service. 29.”
“To ask the Minister for Finance (a) whether the short-lived Concorde service to London by Singapore Airlines has caused undue embarrassment and loss of prestige to SIA: (b) why SIA did not obtain clearance for flying the Concorde over foreign air space before entering into an agreement with British Airways to operate the Concorde; (c) how much money was spent by SIA in Singapore and abroad to publicise its Concorde service to London; and (d) what other financial repercussions are anticipated for SIA as a result of the cancellation of the service. 46.”
“Sir, earlier on, in reply to the Member for Anson, he mentioned that he was going to give figures of the seating capacity for the departure lounge. When, quoting the figures, he mentioned more than 1,000 seats as the seating capacity in the transit lounge. What I want to know is whether this figure is for the whole airport or just for the transit lounge, because if I am not wrong, the Member for Anson is more concerned with the seating capacity for people who go to the airport to await arrivals and departures.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, may I be given permission to seek some clarification from the Senior Minister of State?”
“It contains two elements; firstly, one of providing further incentives and, secondly, appreciating past services. It is the latter element that is important for appreciation for past services in itself contains a built-in incentive to an employee to strive harder in the coming year. But just because one chooses not to continue in service or has to opt out of service or because fate has played a cruel hand does not mean that his past services cannot be appreciated. The Government awards the 13th month payment to an employee who enters during the course of the year on a pro rata basis. Cannot this be applied also to those who leave the service in the year? It seems that the fairest solution, therefore, would be to award the 13th month allowance on a pro rata basis. As an example, an employee who retires at the end of September should be paid three-quarters of the 13th month allowance for that year. It seems that the Government has made rules to suit its own pocket: "Pay when you have to pay; avoid payment when you can." No doubt it is a very wise policy to adopt by any government. But cannot we just show some appreciation for those who leave? Cannot we show some compassion for those who die? The Government seems to take the stand that, "Since you are no longer going to be with us,' we are conveniently going to forget what you have done in the past." The regulations were first made when the 13th month allowance was first introduced. Those who made these regulations did not foresee the situations that would arise as a result of rigid interpretation of the rules. But now that many actual cases have appeared that have led to many disputes, caused anguish to some, is it not time for us to make changes to these rules?”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I would like to join the hon. Member for Anson and make some comments on the regulations governing the payment of the 13th month allowance to civil servants and employees in statutory boards. Mr Speaker, Sir, the Member for Anson has gone to great lengths to describe the different situations in which employees find themselves without being awarded the 13th month allowance. He has also taken great pains to describe the situations of families of employees who died in service and who faced the heartless officials of the Government who came calling on them asking for a refund of the 13th month allowance. The regulations also do not favour those who retire from service before 31st December. To take an extreme case, an employee whose birthday falls on 30th December, will therefore reach his retirement age on 30th December. He automatically retires and forfeits his 13th month allowance. He loses it not through any fault of his own but simply because he had the misfortune to be born one day earlier. It also does not favour those who opt for early retirement from service if they tender their resignation before 31st December even though they continue serving up till 31st December. It does not seem fair that a person should be denied his 13th month allowance just because he is simply abiding by regulations governing notice of resignation even if he is still in service up till 31st December. The present regulations obviously leave much to be desired. The 13th month allowance is an incentive for those who are in service to continue being loyal to the Government but it is also an appreciation of service put in by employees during the past year. The 13th month allowance is not a bonus such as that granted by commercial firms, but in essence it operates like one.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, it seems to me that lately people who call 999 to make reports of crime have been asked to identify themselves. I am aware that previously instructions have been given to the telephone operators at HQ not to insist on asking the identity of the caller. But it appears that nowadays they do ask for the caller's identity. Many members of the public have been put off by this. Could not the Hon. Minister therefore insist that the identity of the caller be not asked?”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, with your kind permission can I just ask the Hon. Minister one question?”
“But what sickens me most is the TAS's claim of one day's salary from the widow. Even though the TAS eventually decided to waive the refund of one day's pay, just imagine the shock and the anguish the poor widow must have suffered when she was first asked to pay back the one day's salary. Sir,I can only think of one word to describe the TAS approach to this matter - cruelty. Even if the TAS subsequently decided to waive the refund of one day's salary, the damage has already been done. If it is a question of rules. I urge the Minister to quickly take measures to amend the present rules. It is very sad that insistence on rules being followed to the letter has resulted in very unfortunate situations. It is time that we put the human element into the interpretation of rigid rules and where the rules really tie us down, then change the rules. 5.50 p.m.”
“However, I read only a few days ago the similar case of another statutory body asking back, not just for the 13th month allowance already paid to somebody who died after receiving it, but even the return of one day's pay. This time the culprit is none other than the Telecommunication Authority of Singapore. I hope the TAS is not competing with the HDB and trying to outdo it. But the TAS has today replied to criticisms 14th March, 1977: "When the widow of Enche Sardek bin Arip approached Telecoms (via her relative) that she was unable to repay the sum, the officer in charge of the case assured her that she could take her time to repay the amount. He added that she could make an appeal to Telecoms which will likely consider the case, on sympathetic and compassionate grounds, to waive the refund. Subsequently. Telecoms decided to waive the refund of one day's pay, and initiated a request to the Ministry of Finance to waive the refund of the 13th month allowance. This matter is being considered by the Ministry." Sir, I cannot accept the TAS reply that they have made a request to the Ministry of Finance to waive the refund of the 13th month allowance. Of course, there are rules which have been laid down in the beginning. Perhaps those who drafted the rules never saw the possibilities of such situations but they cannot ask for a refund from somebody who is already dead. They cannot ask from the deceased's widow because, strictly speaking, she did not receive the money. So why persecute the poor widow and her family at a time when they have already enough problems and agony? The TAS says that it has no authority to waive the refund of the 13th month allowance. May I say. Sir, that the TAS in the first place has no right whatsoever to ask for the refund.”
“To achieve more positive results, we should quickly set up permanent exhibition centres in the main European, American and Asian cities where Singapore products could be put on permanent display. Another form of promotion would be for Singapore to participate in all the important trade fairs. But participation in international trade fairs is an expensive thing. The participant has to pay for rental of space which is often very exorbitant, travelling expenses, shipping merchandise to the fair, etc. In other words, it would cost quite a sum for a manufacturer to participate in such fairs and many of our small manufacturers cannot afford to do so. What the Government can do to help would be to have "Made-in-Singapore" stands at all important trade fairs and to rent space out to our participating manufacturers at nominal rates. I am sure that such a policy would attract more of our manufacturers, particularly the small ones, to participate in international trade fairs at a reduced cost. On going through the Estimates, I noticed a small item - excise duty at $15.1 million to be collected from locally refined sugar. I would like to ask the Minister the reason for imposing this excise, and in view of the fact that this excise is being passed on to consumers ultimately and the fact that sugar is a basic necessity, would he not consider abolishing this? My last point relates to a complaint which was raised by me during the debate on the Presidential address on the case of a family asked to return the 13th month allowance already paid to an employee of the HDB who died just before the end of the year. I am glad to read that the HDB has said that there is no legal basis to claim against the family of the deceased and that it will not make a further claim.”
“It is not my purpose to delve into the benefits of life insurance, but I think if we are to encourage people to provide for the beloved ones that they leave behind when they depart from this world or at least to tide them over a difficult period and I think it is not unreasonable for us to encourage people to do so, then some form of immediate attraction to purchase life insurance must be provided for. Raising the limit on relief for life insurance and CPF to $6,000 per year would serve as an incentive for many people who are presently deterred from purchasing life insurance policies. The need to raise this limit is also the more necessary in view of the fact that compulsory contributions to the CPF has been steadily increasing over the past few years, leaving less and less in the amount of relief for insurance premiums. Sir, I welcome the Hon. Minister's call to exporters to develop new markets. Our exporters often face problems of making new contacts. Their potential customers in various markets are already buying from other sources. Customers see no point in buying from a new source unless better terms are available or if they can get something which their present suppliers cannot provide. I am appreciative of the work done by our commercial secretaries abroad and the Department of Trade here in Singapore in promoting Singapore-made goods. But I have found that many contacts introduced to our manufacturers do not materialise into business because there is no follow-up action. Often the initial contact ends up with the sending of samples. No orders follow. The manufacturer loses heart, not realising it takes time to inculcate in the potential customer sufficient faith in the Singapore product and to build a relationship that would materialise in business deals.”
“Sir, although the Budget did not contain rude shocks, it must have come as a slight disappointment to those who hope to gain by way of more tax concessions out of it. Of the four tax concessions granted by the Hon. Minister, only one. that is the raising of the exemption limit on estate duty, has a direct benefit to many people. Sir, I would like to urge the Minister to consider raising, in future, the relief allowed for life insurance premiums and CPF contributions. The total deduction permissible under this category cannot exceed $4,000 at the moment. This has put many people, especially those in the middle-income category who are executives or at middle management levels, at a disadvantage. Their CPF contributions would take up most of the amount allocated, leaving hardly anything left for deductions for insurance premiums. Assuming a person earns a salary of $2,000 per month, and it is becoming quite common nowadays for such people to earn such a salary, CPF contributions will then amount to $3,600 per year. If there are bonuses earned, then CPF contributions could well total $4,000 or more per year, thus taking up the entire amount of relief one is entitled to. The amount of premium one pays for life insurance depends on the capital sum secured on death from such a policy. But I think I would not be wrong in suggesting that a person in such an income group would normally pay around $1,000 a year or more in insurance premiums in order to get a reasonably attractive life insurance policy. Unlike the hon. Member for Jalan Kayu, insurance is not my profession. But I do know enough to believe in insurance and I think Singapore is still far from being an insurance-conscious society.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the public is generally quite happy with the Budget presented by the Hon. Minister for Finance in that it contains no shocks. Coming so soon after the General Elections, the concessions given by the Minister and the absence of new taxes must have come as a pleasant surprise. Only the smokers and drinkers are feeling the pinch this time. But I think the smokers are somewhat confused as to whether the tax increase on tobacco is intended purely as a measure to raise additional revenue or whether the Minister seriously intends this increase to really discourage them from indulging in the habit. I do not think the tax increase which in effect amounts to five cents more per packet of cigarettes will put people off the habit. But if at all the objective is to discourage what is a hazard to health, then I suggest that in future taxation be based on a system whereby taxes are proportionately raised according to the amount of tar content in cigarettes. It has been established that there is a correlation between the amount of tar in cigarettes and the frequency with which diseases of the lung occur. But if the objective of the tax increase is really to increase revenue, then perhaps the Minister should not attempt to sweeten his tax increase with moral camouflage. An hon. Member: Hear, hear!”
“Sir, will the Minister clarify whether the 66% of air time taken up by locally produced programmes include repeat telecast, since inevitably most of the locally produced programmes are repeated within the week?”
“It is this human element that is often sadly missing in our civil service and statutory boards. Abrupt replies to inquiries from members of the public, a straight `no' in the face instead of a proper explanation of the decision implemented, a deliberate display of high-handedness -these are all acts that give the impression, whether rightly or wrongly, that requests are sometimes turned down without a detailed scrutiny of the surrounding circumstances. Those who have forgotten could do well to remember that kindness begets kindness, courtesy imparted means courtesy returned, and a little smile goes a long way. Sir, I support the motion. 5.26 p.m.”
“At the moment, consolidated air cargo services are allowed to bring in cargo to Singapore at low rates but are not allowed to operate similarly out of Singapore. Mr Speaker, Sir, lastly I would like to dwell on a topic which has been raised on many occasions in this Chamber and no doubt would continue to do so. It concerns attitudes adopted by civil servants in dealing with members of the public. More often than not, civil servants, perhaps in their desire to show their efficiency and perhaps to show nice figures to their Ministers at the end of each financial year, follow every rule to the letter, even when unusual and unexpected circumstances do arise that merit special consideration. A story appeared in the Sunday Times last Sunday about the case of a family which was asked by the HDB to return the 13th month allowance already paid to an employee but who had the misfortune to die just a few days before 1976 ended. While it is not my intention to go into the legal aspects of the case, I cannot but agree with the person who wrote the article that there could not be a more glaring example than this of rigid unimaginative adherence to rules and regulations, and of an insensitive, inflexible and mindless bureaucracy. Some hon. Members: Hear, hear!”