Tay Boon Too
Singapore
“Of course, I am glad to hear that the answer is "No". Sir, I would like to ask, or rather make a suggestion. Can the two languages be given equal exposure time, i.e. 50% for the mother tongue and 50% for English?”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I would just like to request the Senior Minister of State to clarify certain matters in regard to bilingualism. I have already quoted the Prime Minister in my speech just now.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the Minister of State's answer to the question of six- and seven-year primary education seems to be wrong. According to my understanding, the curriculum committee has already revised the six-year syllabus to a seven-year syllabus. For example, there is a textbook graded Book Seven.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I would like to ask a supplementary question. If a student's home environment is not conducive to his learning the language in a particular language stream, under our bilingual policy is it possible for him to learn more in the language in which he is proficient?”
“As a result of this statement the school inspectors in charge of second language teaching are very worried. So they visit all the various Chinese schools, not with the purpose of advising the teachers how to raise the standard of English as the second language but to tell the teachers, "My superior has pulled me up, so I must pull you up…”
“Sir, earlier on the Minister for Education mentioned that the discretion of limited corporal punishment has been given to principals and senior teachers. I do not know whether he realises a situation like this.”
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“Sir, just now the Minister replied to the Member for Anson on the planting of trees by the roadside which entails the employment of workers to look after the trees. Since the Government has to spend so much money on the workers to look after trees and shrubs, I would like to ask the Minister whether he would consider using the money to plant fruit trees instead so that we can enjoy the additional benefit of an income from the fruits. At the same time this income to our country will reduce the expenditure on foreign supplies of fruits. I hope the Minister would consider this suggestion.”
“(In Mandarin): Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I am happy with the reply given by the Minister that he has set up a committee of inquiry. I hope the results of its investigation will be made public. I beg leave to withdraw my amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. The following amendment stood in the name of Mr Cheong Yuen Chee - (4) That the sum to be allocated for Head LH be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead BA 3015.”
“Sir, a person who puts up an unauthorised building knows that he is in the wrong. He can only plead with the authority. He dares not resist the authority. He is not guilty of murder, theft, robbery, or any such crime. On the other hand, we see the enforcement officers going around pulling down the houses. They go in a big group, armed with parangs and axes, and frighten the residents in the whole village and cause resentment among them. The demolition squad sometimes go to the extent of assaulting the residents. Whether or not there is any basis for the allegation, I hope it would be investigated into by the Minister. Of course, we have to uphold law and order. On the other hand, we should see to it that the enforcement officers should also abide by the law. They should not resort to assaulting the people. Sir, I hope the enforcement officers despatched by the Building Control Division could be reeducated so as to re-orientate their attitude towards residents who live in unauthorised houses.”
“This is understandable. What is to be questioned is the manner and way this demolition squad carried out their duty. We are not happy with the discourtesy, rudeness and the ferocity of these enforcement officers. I would like the House to note their undesirable attitude when they carry out their work. Sir, the making of laws in any country must have reference to the social custom of that country. In other words, justice must be tempered with humane feeling. If everyone is law-abiding, there will be universal peace and courts of law will not be needed. They could be moved into the museum. Human nature being what it is, there are people who are prone to commit offence. Sir, for offences of putting up unauthorised structures, even a very strict judge will be lenient to the culprits. In other words, he will temper justice with humane feeling. In demolishing an unauthorised structure, the official must all the more be lenient. Due to extenuating circumstances they were forced to build the unauthorised structures. Maybe, the family is growing, and so they have to enlarge their home. We should adopt a sympathetic attitude towards them. I fully support the principle that these unauthorised structures should be pulled down. But, Sir, I have received a lot of unusual complaints from my constituents. The demolition squad officers sent by the Building Control Division behaved as though they were gangsters. They went and demolished an unauthorised house in my constituency. Of course, I am not voicing their grievances, but I would like the Minister to understand that these civil servants are wrong in adopting a rude attitude. 6.05 p.m. [Mr Deputy Speaker in the Chair] Not all the complaints are perfectly true, but I feel there must be some basis for lodging them.”
“Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head LH be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead DA 1107*. (*The same amendment also stood in the name of Mr Hwang Soo Jin.) Sir, over the last 10 years or so, the Ministry of National Development has achieved outstanding results in housing which has won acclaim from countries all over the world. Although the Ministry has speeded up the work of housing, but because of the increase in our population, there are more and more applicants wanting to purchase or to rent flats, with the result that demand has outstripped supply in housing. We all know that Rome was not built in a day, and it is much less to mention the rebuilding of the central district and the task of improving the living environment of the people. This task is more arduous and of a greater magnitude because we are not able to provide enough flats or houses for the people either for purchase or for rent. Therefore, it is unavoidable that certain sections of the population have to live in the rural areas in old dilapidated attap houses made of plank and zinc. It does not mean that they do not realise the fact that dwellings in the rural areas are not hygienic and can easily catch fire. But in order to have a roof over their heads, they are forced to live in such attap or wooden houses in order to scrape a meagre living. These attap or wooden houses are old and dilapidated. They are unauthorised houses built long ago. 6.00 p.m. I do not mean to say that these attap houses should be allowed to exist. What I am trying to say is that the Building Control Division had erred in the implementation of policy in respect of demolition of these houses. We know that the Building Control Division has to carry out the work of demolition of these houses.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the Minister of State just now said that it is difficult to get school servants. In my meet-the-people sessions, I have come across people who want to apply for the job of school servants. Sir, if the Minister wishes, I can recommend a lot of people to him.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, my proposal is for the conversion of the daily wage of a school crossing patrolman into a monthly salary and for the absorption of the duties of a school crossing patrolman by a school servant of a particular school. The Minister of State has not answered my question.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the Minister for Education said that the Chinese teachers' union wanted those classes organised in order that its members could get a bonus, as I did. It seems that he is challenging me. But I would like to suggest that if he can send teaching staff to a place where there are proper facilities for a second language laboratory, then we will agree to ask our members to take part in such courses.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I have two questions to ask the Minister. First, the Minister has said that the implementation of our bilingualism policy now will not cause any difficulty. Therefore, when he says that there is no problem for the Chinese schools to use English, I hope he could also say the same for the use of Chinese in English schools. The second point is that he has asked us to promote bilingualism. But I recall that the Chinese teachers' union asked the Ministry of Education to make available more teachers and facilities to help its members learn the second language, and so far it has not received any reply.”
“Sir, I have already finished. (in Mandarin) The main point is that after he passes away, the medical benefit is withdrawn! 3.00 p.m.”
“In the case of Government teachers, after their retirement, they will continue to enjoy medical benefits. But the teachers in Government-aided schools do not qualify for free medical benefits after retirement. What is the reason for this difference? Both are doing the same work and living in the same country. This is not to say that the teachers in aided schools are not contented with what have been accorded to them. While a young man, he is strong and healthy and is not likely to suffer from any illness. It is only on occasions that he might have minor ailments like a cold or flu. But when he is old, he may have health problems. Many Government-aided school teachers suffer from ill-health after retirement. The older they are, the more troubles they have. These old people, who have devoted 20 to 30 years of their lives in the Education service of the country suffer a poor fate after retirement. I hope that the Minister concerned will sympathetically consider the plight of the aided-school teachers.”
“I trust, Sir, that from now on the Ministry will be able to use all the four official languages in its correspondence and its circulars to all schools in the four language streams. Sir, during the debate on the President's Address, I had spoken about the retirement age of teachers in Government-aided schools. At that time, perhaps the Minister for Education was not present. But up to now, I have still not received any reply. Now that the Minister is present, I do not know whether he has looked up the relevant copy of the Hansard on this matter so that he can give me a reply. If he has not, may I be permitted to repeat what I said on that occasion, i.e, that all Government-aided school teachers should be given the opportunity to retire at the age of 60 years. I hope the Minister will now give me a reply one way or the other. Mr Speaker, Sir, another point is in respect of schools in the rural areas. Some of them are so small that they do not even have a school clerk. Sometimes the principal himself has to teach and to do the administrative and clerical work. I do not understand why the Ministry cannot provide a clerk for a small rural school, which has the same amount of administrative work as the larger schools. Up to now I have not received any reply. I hope the Minister will be able to give me a reply. I also hope that by tomorrow these schools will be provided with clerks. Finally, I would like to touch on the question of medical benefits for teachers in Government-aided schools. By doing so, I am not saying that they are not contented. We are most grateful indeed to the Ministry for giving us the same medical benefits as the Government teachers. But there is still some difference to a certain extent.”
“Of course, what's done is done. But it is better late than never. I think the Ministry should consider setting up an independent committee on textbooks, so that it will absorb the present employees and staff of the Ministry who are responsible for the publication of textbooks. At the same time, people with specialist knowledge and wide teaching experience can come forward to assist this committee. This committee can, in addition to editing the textbooks for the primary and secondary schools, also review all the textbooks currently in use in the schools. The purpose of the review is to ensure that there are no further cases of errors and also to make an improvement to the textbook, if necessary. We know that the contents if textbooks will affect the spirit and attitude of both the teacher and the pupils, and the wrong textbooks will therefore lead to confusion and misunderstanding. Sir, at this juncture, I would also like to raise a few other points, one of which is in regard to the administration of the Ministry of Education. Although the Ministry is in charge of education in the four language streams, 95 per cent of the correspondence from the Ministry is written in English. I am not raising the question of language. The Government has laid down the policy of multi-lingualism. Why is it that the Ministry of Education, which has so many talented officers, cannot translate official correspondence into the other official languages? Of course, if the correspondence is addressed to English schools it is quite logical and understandable. But the question is this. When correspondence in English is addressed to schools which do not use English as the medium of instruction, then time is wasted by the school staff in understanding it and getting it translated.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, recently a case of errors in translation was found among textbooks approved by the Ministry of Education. Moreover, some of these books were edited in a haphazard manner. As a school teacher, I would like to speak on this point. First, I would like to deal with the textbooks. We all know that irrespective of the teaching method adopted, the textbook remains one of the main tools for teaching and imparting knowledge. The textbook is a medium for teaching and learning. If a textbook is full of errors, the teacher will have to spend a lot of his time reading other books to supplement the material contained in the main textbook. And if it is a textbook edited in a haphazard manner, the teacher will also have to spend a lot of his time teaching without the use of the textbook. In a recent case, we found many translation errors in a textbook. The teacher had to waste his time correcting these errors. At the same time, it demoralises the teacher and the pupils. Some confusion and misunderstanding must result from these translation errors. Sir, these errors have caused untold damage and irreparable harm. To the younger generation, the textbook is a very important medium of knowledge and we should pay serious attention to this matter. On discovery of these translation errors, the Ministry of Education immediately announced that it would take immediate measures to prevent a recurrence of such errors. Sir, in the last few years we have spent large sums of money on education. The expenditure on Education is second only to Defence. Therefore, why is it that the Ministry of Education has still not established a committee for the translation and editing of textbooks? As an educationist, I hope that the Ministry of Education will look into this matter.”
“So pedestrians or bus commuters have to avoid standing near these puddles of water, I want an assurance from the Minister as to whether or not he will give priority to erect bus shelters at the places I have mentioned just now.”
“Sir, the Minister said just now that the procedure for repairs to attap houses and so on has been simplified. I want to find out from the Minister whether the simplified procedure has removed the need for the consent of the owner for repair works to he carried out. Some landlords are very unreasonable and they simply refuse to sign the form for the repairs. They just simply refuse to sign. In some other cases, the landowner may be away from Singapore. So if the tenant were to wait for the landlord to return to sign the form, what will happen to the attap house which is in a state of disrepair? My question is, can the procedure be revised in such a way as to remove the need for the landlord's signature so that repair work can be carried out immediately? Tuan Haji Mohd. Ariff Bin Suradi (Kampung Kembangan)(In Malay): Mr Speaker, Sir, I am interested in the reply given by the Minister in regard to the question raised by the Member for Kim Keat. The Minister has said that the money for bus shelters would have to be spent on a priority basis. He also said that priority was to he given to bus shelters near clinics, hospitals and schools. Sir, I had made a request three years ago for bus shelters near Still Road Clinic, near the Telok Kurau Secondary School, and the Jalan Daud and Jalan Eunos primary schools, but I wonder why they have not been erected. These are places which the Minister has considered to be priorities. 3.30 p.m. Not only that, the roads in these places are also in a state of disrepair. When it rains, the water is splashed by passing vehicles on to bus passengers.”
“What I have in mind is that tenants should be allowed to repair their attap roof with attap material. This is a reasonable request, and the landlords should not be unreasonable. They should not deny the tenants the permission to carry out repairs to their houses because in the first instance the landlords had given their consent to the tenants to build houses on their property. The landlords should he more humane and reasonable. The Government should look after the affairs of the people. It should sympathise with their predicament and try to solve their problems. I wonder whether the suggestion that I am going to make is practicable. I think this sort of application can be referred to the Citizens' Consultative Committee of the respective constituency. Perhaps they can be entrusted with the task of helping these people. The Citizens' Consultative Committee can consider any application for the repair of an attap house because they are in close contact with the people in the locality. They are in a position to know what kind of material is to be used in the building of the house in question. If such a procedure can be devised by the Government, I think it will go a long way towards solving the problem of the rural people. The Government will also get their full support. I do not mean to say that we should supervise the work of the department concerned, for which the Minister is responsible. I have raised this question in this House because I have come across many such instances and have consulted with the department concerned but without any result. Therefore I have raised this matter in this House.”
“An attap hut is built of plank and attap, and therefore gets damaged easily after a period of inclement weather. So from time to time, it needs to be repaired, for which the consent of the landlord will have to be sought. There are many dilapidated huts and houses, with the pillars and beams in a state of near-collapse. However, without getting the sympathetic approval of the landlord, the tenant simply cannot or would not dare repair such a house. Some tenants have approached the Planning Department, or the proper authority, for permission to repair the house, but without any success. In the meantime the holes in the roof are growing bigger, the pillars and beams less firm, and the walls begin to crack. Living in such a structure is not only unhygienic, but also dangerous. While there is prosperity in all fields of economic activity and our standard of living is improving every year, the existence of these dilapidated houses is a blemish to our environment. It is a smear in the rosy picture of our economic progress. So the authorities concerned should try to remedy this situation for the sake of our people, and thereby erase this blemish. 2.45 p.m. Sir, despite the fact that the Housing Board is going all out to build as many flats as possible, many applicants still have to wait for at least three years or more before any flat is allocated to them. Sir, immediate needs cannot be solved by long-term plans or measures. Since landowners do not allow tenants to repair their dilapidated houses, the Government should exercise some flexibility in the control of repairs to houses. Of course, Sir, I do not mean that these tenants should be allowed to rebuild their houses with materials other than the original, so as to change the structure entirely.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, as a Member of Parliament representing a rural constituency, I would like to touch upon the pressing problems of the kampung people. Sir, we are all very glad that over the recent years there have been political and economic stability, commercial and industrial prosperity, as well as an improvement in the standard of living. The Government has one unchanging policy, i.e, to try its best to narrow the gap between the rich and the poor, and to do away with all the slums. According to the results achieved by the Government in the past decade, we are confident that one day our people will be able to enjoy as good a life as possible. In fact, the people in the suburban areas are now enjoying the same standard of living as those in the urban areas. However, there are still some people living in dilapidated attap huts; the whole family is crammed in a dilapidated attap hut. Of course, they also want to save up and move into Housing Board flats so as to enjoy better conditions of living, and where sanitary and other amenities are better. However, the policy of the Housing Board in the allocation of flats is "first come first served". There is no favouritism. Of course, I am not disputing this. However, I must say that in spite of the high building rate of the Housing Board in the past few years - one housing unit every 40 to 50 minutes - there is still a shortage of flats. This means that the supply is less than the demand, and so for the immediate future we cannot meet the housing needs of the people. Under these circumstances, the people in the lower income group have no alternative but to continue to live in dilapidated attap huts, which are like dungeons. This is a fact. Sir, attap huts differ widely from brick and cement houses.”
“Secondly, there are two or three pilgrim brokers who organise these special chartered flights and they exploit the prospective pilgrims for their own interest. I have received many complaints from prospective pilgrims on all kinds of exploitation by these brokers. I quote the Minister again [Hansard Vol. 31, col. 940]: `The Member will be pleased to know that the arrangement for pilgrimage through the establishment of Tabong Haji or the Pilgrimage Fund will include the provision of welfare and health facilities for pilgrims during their sojourn in Mecca, Medina and Jeddah. The Pilgrimage Committee is considering the provision of medical facilities, including the services of a doctor and a nurse for the pilgrims when they are in Mecca. The provision of a welfare officer to look into the welfare aspects of the pilgrims and the services of a reputable pilgrim broker, and matters such as the offering of special gifts and life insurance, etc., are also being looked into.' But to-date, both projects have not been heard of. I am still hoping that the two projects will be implemented. If not, next year I will again raise this matter and will continue to do so until the two projects are implemented.”
“I am not moving, Sir. Tuan Haji Mohd. Ariff(In Malay): Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head 1001 be reduced by the whole sum in respect of subhead 1141. Sir, I would just like to know what progress has been made by the Muslim Religious Council with regard to special chartered flights to Mecca, and the establishment of the Pilgrimage Fund for prospective pilgrims in Singapore. In his reply to my queries last year the Minister said, and I quote Hansard, Vol. 31, col. 939: `I would like to thank the Member for Kampung Kembangan for his interest and concern over the projects that he mentioned, which the Majlis Ugama Islam is actively considering. The Majlis' plan is, of course, intended to help Muslims in their pilgrimage to Mecca.' But, Sir, up to-date the Muslim Religious Council has made no progress with regard to both projects. I read a statement in the press made by the former President of the Muslim Religious Council that the plan for chartered flights had to be cancelled because there was no response from prospective pilgrims. I am ashamed that a statutory body of the Government could not carry out the plan, whereas pilgrim brokers had succeeded in organising special chartered flights for prospective pilgrims in Singapore. Although these pilgrim brokers had succeeded in organising chartered flights to Mecca, I am of the opinion that the question of the welfare of the pilgrims in Singapore with regard to their trips, whether by sea or air, is the responsibility of the Muslim Religious Council of Singapore because it is the body which is supposed to be in charge of the interest and the welfare of the Muslims in Singapore.”
“Division. The House divided: Ayes. 1: Noes, 37; Abstentions, 6; Absent. 21. Ayes Noes Tay Boon Too A. Rahim Ishak Ahmad Mattar Abstentions Ang Kok Peng Baptist, Ivan Abdul Aziz Karim Chai Chong Yii Govindaswamy, P. Chin Ham Tong Ho Kah Leong Ch'ng Jit Koon Ho See Beng Chor Yeok Eng Hwang Soo Jin Conceicao, J. F. Tan Eng Liang Fong Sip Chee Ho Cheng Choon Absent Hon Sui Sen Jek Yeun Thong Ang Nam Piau Lai Tha Chai Barker, E. W. Lee Yiok Seng Chan Chee Seng Lim Kim San Cheong Yuen Chee Mohd. Ariff Bin Suradi Chiang Hai Ding Ng Kah Ting Absent:-cont. Noes:-cont. Chua Sian Chin Ng Yeow Chong Goh Keng Swee Ong Leong Boon Govindasamy, N. Ong Soo Chuan Lee Chiaw Meng Ong Teng Cheong Lee Khoon Choy Phey Yew Kok Lee Kuan Yew Phua Bah Lee Lim Guan Hoo Rahmat Bin Kenap Al-Haj Ong Pang Boon Rodrigo, L. P. Othman Bin Wok Seah Mui Kok Rajaratnam, S. Sha'ari Bin Tadin Selvadurai, P. Sia Kah Hui Tan, Augustine, H. H. Sia Khoon Seong Toh Chin Chye Sim Boon Woo Wong Lin Ken Tang See Chim Ya'acob Bin Mohamed Teong Eng Siong Yong Nyuk Lin Wee Toon Boon Yeo Choo Kok Yeo Toon Chia Yeoh Ghim Seng Question on the amendment accordingly negatived.”
“Sir, I am not satisfied with the answer given by the Minister for the Environment. I would like to call for a Division. Question put, "That the sum to be allocated for Head 0801 be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead 1001."”
“I would like to thank the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for National Development for his answer. My concern is that when these people who live in unnumbered houses write to the department, then they would be considered as dwellers of unauthorised houses and their houses would be pulled down.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the Ministry of the Environment is a new Ministry. The consumers' numbers are available. We can ask the URSC.”
“Sir, the question is not whether you are responsible for giving the house numbers. You can give a special number for the supply of water and electricity. Then with that special number, you will be able to get the bills paid.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, before I withdraw my amendment, I would like to tell the Minister that in 1972 I made an application for a standpipe to be erected at Lorong Tai Seng market, but this was turned down. The crux of the matter is still this. The Minister says that it is difficult to send the water bills to the unnumbered houses. It is a very simple matter. Even though there are no houses in Singapore we may have to build thousands upon thousands of houses for the people. Assuming that there are no numbers, we can still send the bills to the houses. It is as simple as that.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I would like to thank the Member for Bras Basah for his support and assistance in clarifying my question to the Minister. The question I raised was not answered at all. The Minister has not answered my point. My question is: is it possible for water supply to he given to unnumbered houses? In other words, is the PUB prepared to supply water to unnumbered houses? I am not complaining against the removal of stand pipes. I am fully behind the Minister in removing the standpipes, because of the wastage caused. But once the standpipes have been cut off, the PUB must give an alternative water supply to the villagers. The second question I wish to clarify is this. He has said that the CCC and the Member of Parliament for the area have not complained to the Urban and Rural Services Committee. In fact, the URSC informed us that these stand-pipes would be cut off, and I was advised to tell the villagers to apply for an alternative water supply. I asked them to do so, but their applications were turned down. There was a stand-pipe at Lorong Tai Seng market meant for the hawkers to keep their places clean. We brought this up with the URSC and requested for a standpipe to be installed at Lorong Tai Seng, near the market. It was turned down. We did take action on this. My question is not so much about standpipes. My question is: is the Minister prepared to grant water supply to those people living in unnumbered houses? Yes or no? That is all.”
“However, since rural people are in existence, if we do not supply water to them, we can all feel that these unfortunate people who stay in houses without numbers will not be able to live in a hygienic environment. Of course, I do not mean to say that the Government has not done anything. Ever since the present Government came to office, it has done many things. However, we should also remember that in the present circumstances we can still try to solve the problem, if not, the fundamental cause of the ills. The Government can exercise some flexibility and relax its rules and so allow those people who stay in unnumbered houses to install water-pipes in order to solve their problem of drinking water. In this way, the Government is keeping to its policy of giving the people a better environment to live in. This will also promote public health and prevent pollution from worsening. Furthermore, if the Government insists on its hard and fast rule that houses without numbers should not be allowed to install piped water, then our recent efforts in the various campaigns in respect of anti-mosquito, anti-pollution, etc, will be wasted.”
“But for the sake of making a living and because of health, they are willing to save up to pay for the cost of installation of water pipes. However, their applications were turned down because they have no house numbers. Thus they could not get any water supply. As a result, these people have no alternative but to try to get their water supply from their nearest friends or some good samaritans. Even the Minister can appreciate that they cannot live without water. So this puts them in a predicament. They can only get very little water for their daily needs. They pass their days in this way, as though they are living in hell! In the rural areas water is very important because many of them rear domestic livestock and poultry. Poultry animals are not like human beings. They will defecate anywhere and at any time they like. They cannot be taught to go to proper places to do so. In these circumstances how are we going to prevent pollution of the environment? Now our Government has set up a department for the control of environmental pollution. Since some of our people live in such unhygienic environment, how are we going to bring up a new rugged generation? If this situation were to persist for some time, I am sure this will become a burden to the society, and it will also constitute a loss to the country. I believe that Members will also agree with me that in the rural areas, even today there are still many unauthorised attap houses. This is a fact. This is not something that only happens today. You can trace this fact up to the time when Rallies founded Singapore and set up the colonial Government.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head 0801 be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead 1001*. (* The same amendment also stood in the name of Mr Ho Kah Leong.). In the kampung areas there still exist common problems which have to take a considerably long time to solve and with much effort. Therefore, in the present circumstances, I find it necessary to speak up in this House with all earnestness to appeal on behalf of the rural people, hoping that the authorities can sympathise with the difficulties and sufferings of these people and to exercise some flexibility in order to allow them to enjoy a more reasonable and better livelihood and a more hygienic way of living. In this way, I hope it can reduce the loss to the country. By loss, I mean the problem of the drinking water of the poor rural people. We all know that in this world if there is no water, it is tantamount to having no blood in our human body. We know that water is precious, especially in Singapore as it has to depend on a neighbouring country for its water supply. Therefore, water is all the more precious to us. In recent months, we use to hear or see on the television, over the radio and Rediffusion, in public places and in the newspapers, the appeal and advice not to waste water. In fact, even if water is inexhaustible, because it is a primary need for life, we have to treasure it. We should not waste it. In the rural areas, there are still some people staying in attap and wooden houses. Originally they had to depend on public standpipes for their drinking water. However, since many public standpipes have been shut or removed, their water supply was also cut off.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I was speaking on educative travel. The point I want to stress here is that since it has become a matter of policy to encourage educative travel, teachers should be given every opportunity to make use of their annual leave for this purpose. Why should teachers suffer a pay cut while they are on educative travel? Mr Speaker, Sir, it is my hope that since educative travel is being encouraged, as mentioned in the President's address, the officials in the Ministry of Education or the Ministry of Finance will take note of this policy and implement it accordingly, instead of treating this as propaganda material. Sir, we are certainly grateful to the President for making it a Government policy to encourage educative travel among the teachers and students. This will certainly widen their horizon. I fully endorse this policy. As to the details of its implementation, we can discuss them at the proper time. 2.45 p.m.”
“What was most exasperating was that for some reason, the Ministry of Education or the Ministry of Finance cut six days of their pay. Instead of receiving, a grant, the teachers suffered a pay cut. Perhaps the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Finance should get together to find out whether educative travel should be encouraged by allowing full-pay leave [Interruption]. If teachers are sent to Taiwan to learn the Chinese language, it is not a bad idea because they are not allowed to go to mainland China. Mr Speaker: Mr Tay, please continue with what you want to say, instead of arguing with Members.”
“I have taken up the question of the retirement age in order to draw the attention of the Minister for Education to this anomaly so that it can be rectified. I hope to hear from the new Minister for Education, the Minister of State, or the Parliamentary Secretary, declaring that the retiring age for teachers in Singapore would be unified. I am still far away from the age of retirement. Therefore, I am not speaking for my own personal interest, but on behalf of the other teachers. I come under the regulation for retirement at 60. Let us forget these asides which are unnecessary. When I took up this matter I did so in the hope that the memoranda submitted by the Singapore Chinese School Teachers' Association would receive due consideration from the Ministry. The last point I wish to raise concerns educative travel. In the President's address, it was stated that grants from the Education Fund would be given for educative travel to enable teachers and students to see the neighbouring countries. This, of course, is a matter for rejoice because it will be of benefit to our teachers and students. It will be an encouragement to our teachers and students to learn by actual experience instead of by rote. What I fail to under-stand, however, is this. Recently the Singapore Chinese School Teachers' Association sent a team of teachers to' attend the Fifth Asian Conference of the Congress of the World Teaching Profession in Tokyo. The Singapore Chinese School Teachers' Association had to' raise its own funds to pay for the passage. They did not receive a single cent from the Government. At the end of the conference they were invited to tour the neighbouring countries. They therefore spent six extra days overseas.”
“On the contrary, it is giving special treatment to those who are not patriotic and whose loyalty is, in fact, in doubt. You will recall that in 1959 when the present Government first took office with a mandate from the people, it was decided that in order to save our national coffers and our economic resources, there should be a pay cut in the public service. As a result of the pay cut, the teachers suffered. In addition, they had to carry a greater work load. They had to teach in the adult education classes. Teachers in Government-aided schools also suffered the pay cut. When the pay cut order was made, some of the teachers who had no backbone and who were not loyal and patriotic took to their heels and went across the Causeway to offer their services there. In other words, they left the Singapore education service to work elsewhere. Three or four years later, when our national economy took a turn for the better, these people came back to Singapore because the pay cut was restored. However, these people, who left and returned, were classified as teachers employed after 1st July, 1956, and are therefore allowed to carry on teaching happily until they reach the age of 60. Those who did not leave the service then have to retire at 55 under the same regulations. Are we to encourage patriotic feeling by looking after the interests of the determined lot of the teachers who did not take to their heels? Or are we to give better treatment to those who left the service in the face of difficult times? Mr Speaker, Sir, this is a question we have to consider very seriously. We should not allow opportunists to get a better deal.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, when we rose yesterday, I was dealing with a matter concerning the equality between duties and rights. In other words, people working in the same place should be governed by the same rules and regulations. When duties and rights are not properly equated, especially under an enlightened Government like ours, they can be said to be an oversight on the Government's part. For example, on the question of the retirement age for Chinese school teachers, there are two different kinds of ruling. According to the regulations, those who were employed before 1st July, 1956, have to retire at 55 years, while those employed after this date can retire at 60. We feel that this regulation is unreasonable. I wonder why such a regulation should be adopted and why it is still being implemented by the Ministry of Education. I said yesterday that the Singapore Chinese School Teachers' Association had submitted memorandum after memorandum to the Ministry of Education, all of which had been shelved and forgotten. There was no reply to the memoranda submitted so far. Sir, we have made repeated submissions, but they have been simply ignored. This is a matter for regret. It is not my intention to take up so much time of this House in dealing with this small matter. However, I strongly feel that the implementation of the regulations which I have described is causing discontent and dissatisfaction among the teachers in Chinese schools. Mr Speaker, Sir, we have always said that teachers in our Republic should inculcate in our children a sense of national consciousness and patriotism. But the Ministry of Education has not looked after the interests of our patriotic teachers.”
“So I would like to take a little time of the House to elaborate on this matter for the benefit of the Minister of State, in the absence of the Minister. It is also my hope that by airing such grievances here, I will be able to get an explanation for the delay. Mr Speaker, Sir, obligations and privileges must be equal, and rules must have equal application. That is common-sense. But in Government-aided schools, there is this anomaly in this common-sense philosophy, and that is, under the same Government and in the same school, teachers are governed by two different sets of rules.”
“In our memoranda submitted to the Ministry of Education, we have stated our views on how and what to do to improve second language teaching, i.e, the teaching of English in Chinese schools. In this regard, Sir, I would like to express my humble opinion, and that is that the Government should try to ensure that every child is educated first in his own mother tongue, while at the same time learning a second language. Children educated in this way will be much better than those who are educated first in a second language, because they may not know or may know only a little of their own mother tongue. This is, of course, my humble opinion and is subject to the scrutiny of the hon. Members in this House. Mr Speaker, Sir, while still on the subject of education, as a representative of the people as well as the President of the Singapore Chinese School Teachers' Association, I would like to bring to your attention the grievances of the teachers in Singapore. In this particular regard, I have one aspect to concentrate on. For many years in the past, the Chinese School Teachers' Association has taken up the matter with the Ministry of Education. After the fourth Minister has assumed office, I do not know whether the new Minister, or the new Minister of State, or the new Parliamentary Secretary has taken note of their grievances and is prepared to look further into the matter. This has been going on for a long time and is quite beyond the comprehension of many people. Even those teachers who have retired are still grumbling. They go to the extent of saying that they will not "close their eyes even after they have kicked the bucket".”
“If these black sheep in the civil service are allowed to throw their weight about among the people, particularly the rural folk, then after some time the people will have a very bad impression of the civil service and the Government. As a result of this, whatever efficient service that has been given to the people in general will be written off. I therefore appeal to the Minister concerned to deal with those civil servants who are bringing the entire civil service into disrepute. Mr Speaker, Sir, on the question of education, we all know that Singapore is multi-racial and multi-lingual, an international metropolis. The people of Singapore should not only know their mother tongue, but also a second language, particularly when the second language is English. This, Sir, has been the consistent policy of the Government, and is being implemented by the Ministry of Education. Steps are also being taken to improve the methods of teaching in the hope that our next generation will be sufficiently proficient in two languages after completion of their secondary education. Sir, this policy has always received the strong support of the Singapore Chinese School Teachers' Association, of which I happen to be the President. When I read the motion, standing in the name of the Member for Bukit Batok, who is also the Minister of State for Education, I felt rather sad when he made reference to some teachers in his speech. Perhaps it was because he is still in the Nanyang University campus and has not quite realised the actual conditions. But, let me come back to the topic under discussion. The Singapore Chinese School Teachers' Association has always been supporting this policy of the Government. There is no doubt about this.”
“Sir, proper work ethos should be created in our civil service. This was obtained some years ago when we first took office. For some time past, the civil servants had been working very well with the correct attitude and the right spirit. This won them the acclaim of the people. But after a lapse of several years, the old trouble took a relapse. Perhaps this is because in the early stages of our nation building, our Ministers were too occupied with the many problems so that they were not able to devote their attention to this aspect of the civil service, i.e. to maintain a correct attitude towards work and the right spirit to be adopted in the civil service. In view of this, Sir, when reference is made to the restructuring of the civil service salary scales, I feel that the inculcation of the correct attitude towards work should be made at the same time. It is agreed that remuneration must be compatible with the responsibilities of the job in order to attract and retain the right calibre of civil servants. However, at the same time there is a small minority of civil servants who are guilty of very poor service, particularly the plain-clothes Health inspectors, or building inspectors. These people are discourteous and bureaucratic in the performance of their duties, particularly when they deal with the public. They are pompous and throw their weight around especially among those people in the rural areas who are ignorant. I therefore feel that the Government should wield the big axe and take immediate action to chop down these people. We cannot allow the good reputation of the civil service and the Government to be spoilt by a minority of these pompous and discourteous "bad hats" or black sheep.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, on behalf of the people of Paya Lebar, I would like to support the motion in the name of the Member for Bukit Batok. The standard of living of our people in Singapore has increased with the rapid economic development and progress. Although it has only been a short space of eight years since our independence, the people are now enjoying political stability and economic success, thereby posturing us as one of the most fortunate people in the whole of Southeast Asia. While we are making rapid progress in the economic front, we must also realise that there are always two versions of a story. Therefore, while we cannot expect our leaders to catch up immediately with the standard of the advanced countries in the world, we can, however, be assured that with continuing drive and dynamism, together with concerted efforts on the part of the people, we will gradually be able to keep pace with the advanced countries. If we take two steps when the advanced countries take only one, and if we take one year to do what they need to do in two years, then if we can move at this pace we will soon be able to narrow the gap between our own country and the advanced countries. Mr Speaker, Sir, in the Presidential Address, we have been told that the pace of our economic growth is to be maintained and accelerated in the years to come. Only then will we be able to maintain high standards. In the same Address, reference is also made to the salary structure of the civil servants, which will come under review. This, of course, is a matter for rejoice. But I feel that while the terms and conditions of service and remuneration of civil servants are being reviewed, supervision of the civil service and the correction of their attitude to work should go on at the same time.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I am very satisfied with the Minister's answer. I beg leave to withdraw. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. The following amendments stood on the Order Paper Supplement -”
“However, the use of firearms should only be resorted to when they are in very great danger. In a normal situation the Police should not use firearms. 3.15 p.m. There should be justice in the enforcement of law and order. This will promote a close rapport between the Police and the people. We should educate the people to be more friendly towards the Police Force. To accomplish this, I feel that all suspects should be thoroughly interrogated before any action is taken against them. If this is not done, there will be a miscarriage of justice and there will be hostility towards the Police. If suspects are taken to the Police station, and there are sufficient grounds to find them guilty, they should be charged accordingly. I hope the Minister will take note of what I have said so that a close rapport can be established between the Police and the public.”
“However, some members of the public in my constituency have complained to me that people have been wrongly arrested and beaten up by plain-clothes officers. I have carried out investigations into such complaints and have found them to be true. Hence, I would like to say something about this matter. Mr Speaker, Sir, it is said that whenever the Police arrest a suspect, he will first be beaten up to be taught a lesson. Sometimes he has to make a statement under duress. If this kind of approach is used against proven gangsters, I would be the last to object. On the contrary, I feel that more severe punishment should be meted out against such bad elements to stop them from doing bad things. However, the indiscriminate beating-up of suspects can sometimes involve innocent persons. I therefore feel that whenever the Police arrest certain suspects, they should first be interrogated and investigations made. The Police should check their identity to find out whether or not they have any previous criminal records. If they have no records, then investigations should be carried out at the scene of the crime. And if the suspects are found innocent, they should be released. If they are found guilty, they should be duly dealt with. Those who are guilty will not resist arrest, and will submit to punishment. In this way, the innocent will be spared corporal punishment. It is important to see that there is justice in the enforcement of the law. Then the country as a whole will be peaceful. Mr Speaker, Sir, plain-clothes Police officers are charged with the responsibility of safeguarding the peace of the country. They should not only be given privilege to be armed with revolvers but also the privilege to use them in self-defence.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head 1401 be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead 1251. Sir, every family has a law and every nation has a statute of laws. A nation enacts laws in order to maintain order in its society. However, if the enforcement of the law is ineffective, or worse, if the law is abused, there will be disharmony among members of the family and they will lose confidence in the enforcers of the law. If this goes on, the law will be flouted and in the end it will be very difficult to maintain law and order in the society. If I may use a colloquial phrase it is like an entanglement of the strands of jute. Human beings are like social animals. They live together but because of civilisation they have advanced both socially and materially. Therefore, with the rising desire and expectation for progress they have differed in their mental make-up. This, together with the different levels of education that they receive, we find that there are the capable and the incapable, the stupid and the intelligent. Therefore, even in a very simple society, there is bound to be a certain number of people who are evil-doers. Among them there are those who have breached the law once or twice, while there are others who are incorrigible criminals. They break the law in order to achieve their ulterior motives. They try to create trouble and cause chaos. The Government, in order to safeguard the interests of the people, has to set up police stations, and send policemen and other officers in plain-clothes for patrol duties to prevent these evil-doers from breaking the law and to help the people to cope with emergencies.”
“Sir, before I beg leave to withdraw, I wish to say that the Minister for Education mentioned the talk given by another Minister at the University of Singapore. I have more confidence in our Cabinet Ministers than experts. Although I am not very satisfied with the answer, I beg leave to withdraw. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn, The following amendment stood in the names of Messrs J. F. Conceicao and Ng Kah Ting- (4) That the sum to be allocated for Head 0801 be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead 1010.”
“Sir, what I would like to clarify with the Minister is this. I am not opposed to the holding of seminars. What I am saying is that with this short duration of one or two hours only for the seminars, even if you can get the experts to lecture, you cannot make better teachers out of those trained in the old or new teaching methods. The period is so short that you cannot produce any results at all. The next point is this. I have received complaints from my members against the seminar on the teaching of music. The music specialist in the seminar was publicising his own composition of music. That cannot be called a true seminar. On the seminar on physical education, it was a session for the selling of lottery tickets run by Inche Othman Wok. Can this be called a true seminar? I am not opposed to seminars as such. In fact, I am asking for longer sessions for seminars, so that teachers can really learn something. I do not want seminars to be turned into sessions for selling lottery tickets or Toto tickets, or sessions to publicise the compositions of music specialists.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, before I beg leave to withdraw, I would like to point out that the Minister has not answered my question. Is it possible that he is waiting for me to read another text before answering my point? I mentioned earlier that the complainant must furnish his own name and address to facilitate investigations into an allegation. If there is any truth, then action must be taken by the Ministry of Education. But if the allegation is unfounded, I think the complainant himself should be punished for a false complaint. Sir, I have brought this matter up because I feel that if a school is undergoing great reform there will be lots and lots of complaints and counter-complaints. And another related point is that at the time when principals were enjoying the post-allowance, the teachers would make complaints against their principals before their retirement.”
“We live in a democratic country and the people have every right to censure any corrupt officials or to make any constructive criticism against certain aspects of the Government's policy. They are allowed to exercise such rights. However, some of the allegations are groundless and are not based on facts. Some of them are mere frame-ups. Such allegations are usually made in the form of anonymous letters. On receipt of such letters, the department concerned will carry out an investigation and if there is any truth in the allegation, the officer will be punished. If not, then that is the end of the matter. We can imagine the mental torture the alleged officer has to undergo when an investigation is being conducted, and the effect it might have on his reputation. However, the person who makes an untruthful allegation has achieved his purpose, that is, malicious defamation of a certain official, and is allowed to go unpunished. Such procedures in dealing with the complaints will result in the victimisation of these officers. Mr Speaker, Sir, those in the teaching profession are very particular about their good name. When dealing with such complaints, the Ministry of Education should follow a rational procedure. Any letter of complaint which does not bear any real names and addresses should not be dealt with. 6.30 p.m.”
“The subjects taught by them are not the same every year. Sometimes before they are conversant with a certain subject they are asked to attend a seminar. We can imagine the outcome of such a seminar. As for those teachers who come from the small schools, they have to teach many subjects in different classes. Therefore, it is very likely that they will be asked to attend seminars on various subjects. Under such circumstances, it is not possible to expect these teachers to perform their duties well and to benefit from such seminars. Hence, the main objective of the seminars was lost. Mr Speaker, Sir, there is no limit to learning. It is the duty of a teacher to keep himself abreast of the latest trend in his particular field. He must keep himself informed of the latest knowledge. The theory of education cannot be studied in two or three hours, A teacher has to spend a lot of time studying the methods of teaching. Whether or not the methods of teaching are suitable will depend on the specific school in which he teaches. I am of the opinion that the seminars should be well planned. They should be conducted during the long vacation period. They should last at least a few days. The discussions should be held in a systematic manner. The results of the discussions, including the teachers' reactions, should be considered, and any proposals made should be implemented. It is only logical to do so. It is impossible to discuss a subject within three hours at a seminar. To my mind this is only a waste of time and effort. Sir, let me touch on a different problem which has become quite common in Singapore, but which has not been solved. I am referring to the allegations of members of the public against public officers.”