Teo Chong Tee
Singapore
“Sir, may I be allowed to express my heartfelt thanks to the Ministers for Communications, especially Dr Yeo Ning Hong and Mr Mah Bow Tan, and all the various transport authorities, for finally agreeing to bring the MRT extension line to Changi Airport after nine long years. [Applause].”
“Sir, may I ask the Senior Minister of State for Education whether he is aware that there is a growing population in Simei Estate, in particular, and there are a lot of young children who are now in our PCF kindergarten education centres? So we see a need for a primary school to be built within the Simei Housing Estate.”
“Having heard the Minister of State's reply, I have got a supplementary question. Why is the extension line not planned to go beyond the passenger terminals to the airline cargo complexes and engineering complexes where there are several thousand workers who are also dependent on public transport?”
“In view of the above circumstances, may I request the Minister to, firstly, consider reviewing the rules on the forfeiture of the security bond to protect the interest of the Singaporean employers and, secondly, consider allowing Singaporean employers whose maid has run away to employ another maid without delay while they search for the m…”
“Given the emotive element of this issue, it would be helpful if Singaporeans are informed of its progress from time to time and the approximate time-frame for the implementation of the committee's recommendation. Sir, I would appreciate it if the Minister would consider this suggestion.”
“Sir, I thank the Minister for his reply and beg leave to withdraw my amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. The sum of $51,364,070 for Head S ordered to stand part of the Main Estimates. The sum of $257,500 for Head S ordered to stand part of the Development Estimates.”
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“Why did the Ministry of Culture not obtain more facilities and recruit more staff and train them to cope with the increasing workload of censorship. If possible, video tapes submitted for censorship should be cleared by the Board of Film Censors within the shortest possible time so as to save the people a lot of frustration. In view of the seriousness of these problems, I hope the Ministry of Culture will act fast before irreparable harm is done to our society.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, thank you for allowing me to speak on this subhead. I would like to support my colleague, the Member for Alexandra, when he spoke on the video tape As Singapore becomes a more affluent society, more people can now afford to own video cassette recorders. As a result, video tape entertainment has become very popular in recent years. To meet the increasing demand for imported pre-recorded video cassettes, many video tape libraries have sprung up all over the island. The increasing popularity of video tape entertainment has brought about serious problems for the Board of Film Censors. They are caught with their pants down when imported pre-recorded video tapes begin to flood the video tape market in Singapore. With their limited manpower and equipment, they are not able to cope with the sudden increase in workload, as more and more of these imported video tapes are submitted for censorship. Consequently, video tapes which have been submitted often take a very long time to be cleared. As the situation gets out of control, many people cash in by taking advantage of the situation. Almost overnight, numerous video tape libraries came into existence. It is common knowledge that these libraries are now flooding the video tape entertainment market with uncensored video tapes, some of which are pornographic and undesirable. If the present situation is allowed to continue, it will definitely have an undesirable effect on our population, especially the young. Of late, Sir, the situation has become worse and the Police has to step in and seize all undesirable video tapes from several video tape libraries recently. This, however, is not an effective solution to the present problems.”
“Sir, I think the Hon. Minister is more than kind to agree to an immediate revision of the rates upwards, I am sure those constituents who are due to be resettled will be very happy to hear that. On this note, I beg leave to withdraw my amendment. Amendment by leave, withdrawn.”
“Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head T be reduced by $10 in respect of Subhead TG-02 of the Main Estimates.* *The same amendment also stood in the name of Encik Saidi Shariff. Sir, the Housing and Development Board made a survey of Lorong Dangai and found that this place was suitable for a sand quarry. A resettlement exercise was carried out by the HDB and approximately 20 families were hurriedly resettled elsewhere. In the process, many of those affected, who were pig-farmers, had to get rid of their pigs at a cheap price. They were then "uprooted" and later resettled in an entirely different environment. Sir, resettlement has become a way of life in Singapore and people who are affected have accepted the fact that it is their duty as loyal citizens to make sacrifices for the country's redevelopment. If not, Singapore would not have been what she is today. However, Sir, months have gone by and nothing has so far materialized at Lorong Dangai. What happens to the proposed HDB sand quarry? Has HDB finally found out that there is no sand in this place? If that is so, then the survey conducted by some HDB so-called "experts" was not correct. This obviously must have caused my constituents a great deal of inconvenience. Perhaps the Hon. Minister could enlighten me on this. Sir, the compensation rate for resettlement cases cannot catch up with the rising cost of HDB flats. Would the Hon. Minister review the compensation rate to meet with the present situation? This will help to relieve the hardship faced by the people who are resettled into HDB flats. 5.15 p.m.”
“Even if there is only one lamp, its brightness will prevent such offences from taking place. Even during the daytime some of the lamps in the corridors should be lighted so that such offences can be prevented . I hope the Minister will look into this problem. The problem of the lifts has been there for a long time, and therefore the Minister should look into it in this financial year. If something can be done, the people in Radin Mas will be grateful.”
“Minister has given an assurance that he will tackle the problems arising out of the low water pressure in the top floors of the older blocks, as quickly as possible. I hope that he can also give an assurance now that he will be expeditious in tackling the problems of the other defects in the older blocks in my constituency. 4.00 p.m. Mr M.K.A. Jabbar (Radin Mas)( In Tamil): Mr Speaker, Sir, this is the third time that I am speaking in this House regarding the problem of lifts. Every week I meet the people in my constituency. I visit their homes. Yesterday morning, I visited my constituents and the majority of them complained to me about the Housing Board flats, mainly the problem of the lifts. Women and children are mainly inconvenienced because the lifts are not functioning properly. Since these lifts are too old, the Minister would look into the possibility of replacing them. As the people are paying conservancy charges, the Government should look after their interests. When I look at the condition of the lifts, personally I do agree with them that the lifts are in a bad shape. I was also told that this problem existed for more than two years in Radin Mas. This is the third time I am asking the Hon. Minister about the lifts. The people in my constituency are fed up and the women and children are inconvenienced by the poor condition of the lifts. Secondly, people in the lower income group are also suffering. Both the husband and wife go to work, leaving behind the children and the old folk. When only the old folk and children are at home, mischievous people come and indulge in various anti-social activities, such as theft, because the corridors are not properly lit. We should not give such people an opportunity to commit offences.”
“In fact, what the cleaners do is just to throw water and sweep it down the staircase; no attempt is made to scrub them. Garbage bin chutes are not properly cleaned too. Mr Speaker, Sir, all these multiple complaints are common among HDB flat-dwellers. I am sure they are often brought to MPs' attention when MPs make their constituency tours. I have come across them myself when I visit my constituents in Bedok North. Usually, it is only after the M P's intervention that the HDB would take quick remedial action. Mr Speaker, Sir, why must this be so? I urge the Hon. Minister for National Development to seriously look into these problems of HDB flat dwellers. Sir, the next topic I want to touch upon on HDB is the sale of flats by owners. In this regard, the HDB requires the owners to pay $600 cash as registration fee if they intend to sell their flat on their own and 5% of the sale price after the deal is concluded. If they sell their flat to the HDB, then the registration fee is $200. The HDB's charge of a $600 registration fee is too steep for many people wishing to dispose of their flats to purchase larger ones, especially when these people have not yet sold their flats and received payment. Can the HDB not consider lowering the registration fee from $600 to a standard rate of $200? What is the rationale behind this inconsistency? After all, the HDB will be reaping in 5% of the sale price when the flat is sold. Encik Othman bin Haron Eusofe (Geylang Serai): Mr Speaker, Sir, I have also filed an amendment to this Subhead because I wanted to make some complaints against the HDB, particularly those which have been made by the residents occupying the older blocks in the estate in my constituency. On Friday, the Hon.”
“When one steps into a flat, it becomes immediately apparent that the finishing is poor - from floor to ceiling. Is the delay in the HDB's response to complaints about defects due to a shortage of contractors for repair work? If that is the case, there should be proper supervision of the construction of flats. This would break the crux of the twin problem of having to rectify a large number of defects and the slow response to flat owners' calls for repair work. Another solution to the problem of poor finishing in HDB flats is to provide standard fittings, such as terrazzo flooring, with different colour schemes for different blocks so as to give the flat applicants a choice. Other standard fittings would be window grilles, tiling for the kitchen, bathroom floors, walls, and so on. The flat owners could pay for all this from their CPF and this would benefit the less well-off. A desirable by-product of this is that each block would have a character of its own, and thus would be entirely in keeping with the HDB's efforts at decorating the external walls to enliven HDB estates and to give each estate some sense of architectural identity. Should the HDB decide to provide standard fittings, it would enjoy economies of scale which could be passed on to flat-owners. Finally, the HDB should also seriously consider extending the warranty period so that any defects could be rectified without affecting the flat-dwellers' finances. Another major cause of dissatisfaction among flat-owners is that, although conservancy charges have been raised, there is no noticeable improvement in the condition of HDB blocks. The lifts are just as dirty and foul-smelling and the corridors and staircases are not being cleaned often enough.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I would like to add on to what my colleague, the Member for Alexandra, has just said about defects in HDB flats. Singapore is justifiably proud of the speed of its public housing construction and this is something that many countries talk about. However, the HDB is now facing the problem that is a concomitant of speed in many areas of human endeavour - lack of quality. After people have moved into HDB flats, they have lots of complaints about defects such as water seepage through walls, cracked walls and leaking pipes. Since approximately 70% of Singaporeans are now HDB flat dwellers, lack of quality finishing is a problem affecting a sizable proportion of the people. In view of the fact that the HDB is competing with private housing developers in a tight labour market, we can expect a further deterioration in the standard of finishing in HDB flats. My question to the HDB is whether it has any plans to prevent this from happening. The warranty period for HDB flats is one year, but often the defects become evident only after the warranty period has expired. The flat owners must get the repairs done and pay for these themselves. Are HDB flats built to last only one year without defects? The root of the problem appears to be a lack of proper supervision of building contractors. When contacted for repairs and maintenance, it takes the HDB an unconscionably long period of time to get the defects rectified, by which time the warranty period may have expired and the poor flat owner will have to foot the repair bill and eventually become even poorer. Such a situation affects primarily those who cannot afford to do up their flats extensively before they move in.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the answer from the Minister appears to be quite satisfactory. In view of this, I beg leave to withdraw my amendment. Amendment by leave, withdrawn. Mr Yeo Toon Chia (Ang Mo Kio)( In Mandarin): Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head T be reduced by $10 in respect of Subhead TC-04 Project 8106 of the Development Estimates. Sir, Ang Mo Kio New Town is a beautiful and impressive new town. The residents in the new town are generally happy with the environment. But in terms of safety facilities, I think there is room for immediate improvement. Public safety calls for immediate action. For example, in the town and commercial centre where there are crowds and crowds of people, thousands of students in schools in the town, and the crowds at the markets and in the hawker centres, there is a need to build overhead pedestrian bridges in this new town for the safety of the people. This is, indeed, a very urgent task. Sir, in a beautiful housing estate, it is very essential that the residents are able to move about in safety and in peace. A few days ago, the Minister for Home Affairs said in this House that there was a gradual reduction in crime rates in the HDB estates over the last few years. I think this is mainly because there is more opportunity of employment and also because of the improved design and construction of the HDB flats. On this point, I would like to thank the designers and architects of the HDB. I would like to thank them on behalf of the residents of my constituency. At the same time, I hope the Minister concerned would take a serious look into the overall safety of the pedestrians in Ang Mo Kio New Town and to take prompt action to build overhead bridges at busy pedestrian crossing sites to reduce accidents.”
“The situation is made even more intolerable by the fact that the two lanes debouch into the very busy Chai Chee Bus Terminus and Bedok Interchange and are consequently choked up with buses not only from the SBS but also the buses transporting children to and from schools and workers to and from their factories. True, work is now under way to convert the central road divider, replete with grass and trees, into an additional lane or two to cope with the increased traffic load. The PWD had the foresight to leave room for future expansion when they laid the road some years ago. But with hindsight, the PWD must by now have realised that their foresight is actually a severe case of short-sightedness. When they planned the original road they must have known about the HDB's plans for a new town to house around 300,000 people, not to mention Chai Chee Estates and Changi. Sir, I am referring to Bedok New Town. What then was the logic of having only two lanes in each direction? The bottleneck situation arose three years ago when people moved into Bedok in large numbers. All these examples bespeak of poor planning and insufficient coordination between the various Governmental bodies - PWD, HDB. Sir, I wonder who pays for all these consequences. No wonder the Hon. Minister for Trade and Industry refused to grant more reliefs in personal income tax. With proper planning a lot of the taxpayers' money could have been saved and the travelling public would have been spared much inconvenience and time wasted in traffic snarls, not to mention acute frustration and tension. Sir, I call upon the relevant authorities to coordinate their activities more closely in order to avoid further social costs in terms of time, money and inconvenience.”
“Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head T be reduced by $10 in respect of Subhead TC-02 of the Main Estimates. Sir, I wish to commend the Public Works Department for doing a good job in constructing the Pan-Island Expressway. This is what I call a well thought-out project. However, my regret is that not all road-building projects are so well planned as to take into account both present and future needs of road-users. I am thinking particularly of two main arterial roads in the eastern part of the island, namely, the East Coast Parkway and the sections of Sims Avenue East and New Upper Changi Road leading into Chai Chee housing estates and Bedok New Town. The East Coast Parkway was planned to take the traffic between Changi and the City and vice-versa. It was originally conceived and executed as a dual carriageway with a large road-divider running along the middle. Now, the stretch of road-divider which is beautifully planted with trees, shrubs and grass is being dug up in order to provide a third lane to cope with the heavier traffic load and thus causing congestion and inconvenience to motorists in the process. Fortunately, part of it has been completed. The stretch of road leading into Bedok New Town and Chai Chee Estates, i.e. the sections of Sims Avenue East and New Upper Changi Road at the junction with Siglap Road, is a classic example of a bottleneck caused by insufficient planning by the road builders. The four lanes of Sims Avenue East flow into the two lanes of New Upper Changi Road to serve not only the thousands of residents of Bedok New Town and Chai Chee Estates but the whole of Changi as well.”
“Sir, if the boat operators are allowed to carry more than 12 passengers in each boat, will it cost the boat operators extra money to apply for the licence to carry more passengers?”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I am suggesting here that the parking authorities introduce certain visitors' parking lots for people who are there on short visits. If these visitors' parking lots are introduced, motorists can park at these lots for short calls and perhaps the enforcement officers could keep an eye on just these visitors' parking lots so that any vehicle found parked longer than five or 10 minutes, they can then issue a notice.”
“Sir, I wonder whether five minutes is sufficient for a driver to park his car at a parking lot, wait for the lift to go up to one of the floors, and then finally comes down. When he comes down, of course, he finds that he has already got a notice on his car for parking without a parking coupon. I think this is not fair to the motorists. I wonder whether the Hon. Minister could persuade the HDB parking authorities to have more attendants around to issue these notices to extend the grace period from five minutes to 10, or maybe 15 minutes.”
“Minister of Education will be presenting the next Budget, I trust that he will take into consideration the high cost of providing schooling, transportation and other expenses incurred in raising children. I fully endorse what the Member for Nee Soon said in his speech yesterday concerning the payment of the second-tier wage increase. In the first place, there is doubt about the effectiveness of the basic NWC payment as this has led to a general increase in the price of basic commodities and services, such as hawker food and transportation. The second-tier has, as its stated objective, the raising of morale of above-average workers. It does not seem to have the intended effect. On the contrary, it may even demoralize the better workers for two reasons: first, employers have difficulty in accurately assessing employees for the second-tier payment and, secondly, the better workers are not sufficiently rewarded because even mediocre employees are given the same payment. I am firmly of the opinion that employers can award the best performers with better monetary incentives such as merit increments and bonuses. Sir, I support the Budget. 4.47 p.m.”
“Minister reported in his Budget Statement that the Inland Revenue Department is studying the possibility of presumptive taxation for all those who do not keep proper accounts. Now, while this may be an effective measure to draw tax evaders into the income tax net, there is the possibility that many small-time hawkers may be taxed beyond their means to pay. I suggest that the IRD look into this very carefully to avoid doing injustice to those whose incomes fall below the average for their category. The Hon. Minister for Trade and Industry should seriously consider increasing the income tax relief for aged parents in the light of the Government's stated policy of encouraging people to take care of their old folk by providing, at the very least, accommodation in their own homes. This tax relief will alleviate the financial burden of those who fulfil the basic filial and social obligation to look after their own parents. The present tax relief of $750 for each parent is hardly sufficient in these times of high prices. Tied up with this, the tax relief for children should also be increased as today the expenses incurred in raising children have reached the level where many people are faced with the prospect of having to make sacrifices even to the extent of neglecting their own parents' welfare. Since Singaporeans have been successful in planning their families and keeping them small, the Government should provide more assistance to those who are struggling to bring up a better-fed, betterhoused, better-educated and better-looked-after generation of young Singaporeans by increasing substantially the tax relief for the first two children. As the Hon.”
“Minister for Trade and Industry for having taken pains to formulate a relatively painless budget. May I commend him on his wise and humane decision to increase the earned income relief for handicapped persons from $1,000 to $2,000. As we grow into a more actively caring and sharing society, any step taken in the interests of the aged and handicapped is most welcome. With Singapore's growing affluence, the Government and people of Singapore should concentrate more effort on making this society a more livable place for the disadvantaged. The Hon. Minister's decision to raise the exemption ceiling for estate duty on residential properties from $200,000 to $600,000 is a timely one. The escalating cost of housing development in Singapore due to the rising costs of labour and materials has grossly inflated the value of residential houses. If the inheritors of owner-occupied houses purchased years ago at much lower prices have no intention to sell their residences and move house, they will not enjoy any benefit despite the astronomical values of property existing today. To them, their property is a home to live in and not a source of income or profit. As such, the higher ceiling for exemption of estate duty is a relief to them as they may then not be faced with the dilemma of having to sell their house to pay the estate duty. The Hon. Minister is to be commended for showing concern over the tax burden shouldered especially by salaried workers. His proposal to revise the tax rates in 1982 and to provide for a tax rebate of 10% in the current Year of Assessment is welcomed by many taxpayers who have all along provided the Government with a large part of its revenue for the provision of public services. The Hon.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I would like to make some comments on the highly satisfactory performance of the Singapore economy in 1 980. The double-digit rate of growth of over 10%, the first since the oil crisis of 1973-74, is due in no small measure to the wise policies of the Government and the support and cooperation of the unions and workers. To have achieved such a high growth rate in the face of a world economic recession and inflation, high fuel prices, and restrictive trade practices, speaks well of the Government's policy to shift the economy into higher gear by a judicious mix of higher wages and fiscal incentives. This has resulted in a rationalization of business enterprises, statutory boards and the Civil Service. Higher wages, tax incentives and streamlining of organizations - all these have achieved the desired objective of higher labour productivity - a growth of 5% which is double that for the previous year. However, the long-term objective of a restructured economy in which science and technology will be employed in the manufacture of sophisticated high value-added products has, as its premise, the upgrading of skills - technical, managerial and professional, together with the concomitant upgrading of wage and salary levels. Thus the improvement of skills will be the hallmark of Singapore's development strategy for the next 10 years. Singapore is now poised for the launching of its economy into the select group of industrial nations in the West and Japan, and all the necessary conditions for this economic take-off are present - a newly re-elected Government enjoying the full support of the people, cooperation between Government, unions and the public and private sectors, and an intelligent and hardworking people. Sir, I now wish to pay tribute to the Hon.”
“For example, in my Constituency there were about 210 public assistance recipients in 1979, and in 1980 the number was drastically reduced to about 90. Maybe the Director of Social Welfare is too strict in carrying out this exercise. May I ask what steps has the Hon. Minister taken to ensure that fair judgment is given to each and every case?”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, despite the Hon. Minister's assurance that the Public Assistance allowance is not withdrawn unless the recipient has adequate alternative means of support, I still receive a large number of appeals from constituents who complain about the stoppage of public assistance allowance. I am sure many of my colleagues in this House face the same problems with their constituents. Some hon. Members: Yes.”
“If the objective of encouraging senior citizens to travel more frequently is achieved, the revenue of the SBS could increase. What does it cost to provide this concession during the off-peak periods? Practically nothing as most buses are not fully occupied outside the peak periods. I hope that the SBS will reconsider its original objectives of providing an efficient and inexpensive bus service to the travelling public. 4.27 p.m.”
“Is this not an indication that the SBS is maximising its profits at the expense of the travelling public? The SBS is even looking for other ways and means to further increase its profits. It has introduced bus interchanges in order to improve its services. By setting up bus inter- changes, the SBS could have reduced its operating costs because its bus routes are not duplicated. But this cost-saving is certainly not passed on to bus commuters. On the contrary, bus commuters have to bear the inconvenience as they now have to take two or even three buses to a destination instead of one bus and at a higher cost. So how does the introduction of bus interchanges benefit the travelling public? Is this not another means by which the SBS increases its profits? If the SBS is sincere in wanting to provide an efficient bus service to bus commuters, it should have introduced free transfers at the bus interchanges. With free transfer facilities, bus commuters will be able to travel to their final destination on a single fare although they have to change buses. The fact that the SBS is placing more importance on profits is also evident in its response to the recent call by the Hon. Minister for National Development for the SBS to offer concession to our senior citizens. The SBS's response to the call, as expected, is negative. The concession for travel in the SBS buses, if extended to our senior citizens, will not only show that we care for them but also encourage them to travel more frequently and to socialise. Unfortunately, the SBS does not feel that it has a part to play in caring for our senior citizens. I wonder whether the SBS has looked into the economics of providing concession to our senior citizens?”
“By using the principles behind the method rather than the method itself, we should be able to avoid cultural conflicts. Sir, the next point I wish to touch on is public transportation. The Addendum on the Ministry of Communications states that buses will be deployed more efficiently to give better service. As we all know, the SBS (Singapore Bus Service) will be the mainstay of the Republic's public transport system pending the introduction of the Mass Rapid Transit System. The SBS has existed for a number of years and yet today there are still numerous complaints from the general travelling public against the bus services it provides. Obviously, the SBS has not been providing a satisfactory service to meet the demand of the thousands of commuters from all over the island who must travel daily to their schools and their places of employment, either their offices, factories or worksites. In fact, the SBS started off with an objective which was to provide the general travelling public with an efficient bus service. However, there are indications to show that the SBS has wandered off course as it seems it is more interested in making huge profits than providing an efficient bus service. The SBS is in a sound position to profiteer because of its monopolistic power. The increase in operating costs brought about by the escalating fuel and labour costs provides the SBS with a golden opportunity to maximise its profits. Under the guise of earning sufficient profits to expand and improve its services, the SBS has increased bus fares steadily. Although the SBS has often complained that it will be in the red because of increasing operating costs, its profits nevertheless have increased at a faster rate.”
“This has put us in the difficult position of being both the government and the opposition. That the people of Singapore have overwhelmingly voted in the People's Action Party in all 75 constituencies is testimony enough that the PAP has not only done this successfully but has also done it well. The massive support and trust given by the people to the People's Action Party shows that our integrity has never been in doubt. Although we are a one-party Parliament, Members of Parliament are sensitive to the views and attitudes of the people we represent. As Backbenchers, we will continue to exercise our right to criticise and supervise the work of the Government and to present the views of our constituents so as to serve the people and the Nation with dedication. We are working hard at increasing the political awareness of our people. Confidence in the Government is no justification for political apathy. To do so would be to the detriment of Singapore and ultimately to oneself. Especially in difficult and turbulent times like these, the participation of our citizens in the economic as well as the political process of the country is vital to the survival of the nation. Right now, some of the industrial nations of the West and Japan serve as models on which we are fashioning our economy. But in doing so, there is the danger that we would at the same time incorporate into our society some elements of their culture which might be alien to ours. At times like these we could well do without these unnecessary cultural conflicts. It is, therefore, important for the Government, managements, trade unions and the people of Singapore not to go over-board in copying the methods of other successful nations. The rule to guide us should be 'the Principle rather than the method'.”
“The administrators of the Skills Development Fund (SDF) should bear this in mind when they evaluate applications for financial assistance from the Skills Development Fund. The Government should also consider using the SDF to promote research and development. In this context, Research and Development activity should not be construed to mean only research into developing new products but should also include research into developing safer and more efficient ways of manufacturing a product or providing a service. Sir, improving our defence capability is the second of the major task we face. While it is essential that reservists are made to accept that, if Singapore is attacked, the defence of Singapore would be the responsibility of every citizen, it is equally important that the regulars in the Singapore Armed Forces are made to realise that the real strength of the SAF lies in the reserves. Citizens, whether regular or reservist, should think of themselves as members of the Singapore Armed Forces first and regulars or reservists second. The fact that a regular is committed to the SAF should not automatically confer upon him superiority over a reservist. There would be situations which a regular has experienced but not a reservist, and vice-versa. As such, the aim should be to have the skills of a reservist complement those of a regular so that the SAF, and thus Singapore, would be the ultimate beneficiary. In fact, our goat should be to make the distinction between a regular and a reservist less obvious. Our third major task is one in which we have made the most progress, I refer to what has been often referred to as our process of self-renewal in the political leadership. We have been a one-party Parliament for some years now.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I rise in support of the Motion moved by the Member for Mountbatten expressing our thanks to the President for his Speech delivered at the opening of the First Session of this Parliament. In his Address, the President defined for us three major tasks that we have to address ourselves to for the next few years. First, as an industrial society, ours is still very much like a rough diamond. To realise its full potential, there is a great need to have it carefully cut and properly polished. Given our rather scant agricultural and almost nonexistent mineral resources, the only cutting we can do would be of wasteful and inefficient work practices and industrial processes; the only polishing we can do would be of the skills of our work force. The current emphasis on productivity is a step in the right direction but it is essential that the momentum now being generated is maintained. If we are to have the world as our markets, increased productivity must be a way of life. To achieve this a conducive work environment must be created. High staff turnover rates will not help improve productivity - in fact the converse holds! It is necessary for us to foster a society in which every employee is totally loyal to his employer and the employer acknowledges and reciprocates such loyalty from his employee. While legislation may be of some help, the best approach to cultivating such employer-employee commitment would be through social pressure. This is what we should aim to achieve. Developing the skills of our labour force is also important. However, it must be remembered that not all skills can be acquired from formal courses and that many equally important skills are acquired through on-the-job training and informal courses.”
“To ask the Minister for Health if his Ministry will consider setting up a unit at the new Changi International Airport to render emergency medical treatment to passengers on arrival, prior to departure or in transit, a service which is presently not available at the Paya Lebar International Airport.”
“Sir, may I ask the Hon. Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Communications whether he would further request the SBS to look into other measures to lighten the burden of these bus commuters who not only suffer from the inconvenience of having to change two or more buses for a single trip but also have to pay a high cost in bus fares as a result of the several changes which they have to make for a single trip?”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, may I ask the Hon. Minister whether the Public Utilities Board will provide any technical assistance should another private contractor decide to take over the project?”
“Sir, during the Chinese festive season every year, community leaders and charitable organisations in almost every constituency organise Welfare Day for the aged and the needy people who are recipients of financial aid from the Social Welfare Department. On such an occasion, food hampers and ang pows donated generously by the public-spirited and social-minded constituents are distributed to these needy people. In the light of these circumstances, would the Hon. Minister also be kind enough to consider granting an annual bonus payment as an extra financial aid to these needy people during the yearly Chinese festive season?”
“I personally feel that it is an excellent facility, but I regret that I have to point out the HDB's highhanded manner of compelling tenants in the older estates to use the communal TV antenna. It is understandable if these TV antennae are installed in new fiats and new tenants moving in have to make use of them. In the older flats, most of the tenants have already installed their own antennae, some of them expensively, and yet the HDB sent out circulars asking tenants to remove their TV antennae within 14 days or else the antennae will be removed by the Board without further notice. Consequently, the tenants have wasted their money installing their own TV antennae and now they have to incur extra expenses to remove them as required by HDB, besides having to pay for the use of the communal TV antenna. I must say that the charge for the use of the communal antenna is reasonable but the principle is not correct. May I suggest that for tenants who have already installed their own TV antennae, they should be permitted to use the communal TV antenna without any charge for one year at least because it is no fault of the tenants. It is just that the HDB had not thought of this communal TV antenna system earlier. The HDB had become wiser recently. But should the HDB become wiser at other people's expense?”
“Thus, such applicants have to wait for a longer period for their flats. May I request the HDB to expedite the allocation of flats to these people. There have been cases where people who have registered themselves to purchase flats in the area of their choice are told later to transfer their choice of flats to other areas because the applicants are not likely to got flats in the location of their choice in the near future. In the first place, how could the HDB accept such applications if it is known that the applicants could not get fiats in a location they have registered for? The HDB should have known in advance the number of flats in each zone to meet the demand of applicants. If the number of flats in a zone is not adequate to meet the popular demand of normal applications as a result of the priority needs of resettlement cases, then the HDB should have advised these applicants to opt for flats in other zones when making their applications, and not to accept them first and then advise them later to effect transfers. This practice has disappointed many applicants. In view of this prevailing problem, will the Hon. Minister revise the system on acceptance of applications so as to reduce the unnecessary disappointment to applicants? Now that the Hon. Minister has publicly announced that the price of HDB flats will be increased very shortly, I hope the HDB will not deliberately slow down the allocation of fiats to applicants who would probably be forced to pay a higher price when the new price is implemented later. Sir, the next topic I would like to touch on is the communal TV antenna installed by the HDB. It is good that the HDB started installing communal TV antenna.”
“Thank you. Sir. Sir, resettlement in Singapore has become the order of the day. People are being shifted from one place to another in order to make way for redevelopment. Today, the people have come to accept as a fact that the transformation of Singapore is one of the essential ingredients of our progress. A complete change to a new way of life in an entirely different atmosphere and environment is something which they have also come to accept. More and more people are living in HDB flats, and they do so out of their own choice or as a result of resettlement. As far as resettlement is concerned, the priority allocation of HDB flats to most applicants is processed reasonably fast because the HDB wants them to quit the acquired site as quickly as possible. But in some instances, before the resettlement victims have been allocated flats by the HDB, they are already issued with a Quit Notice by the Resettlement Department, requiring them to vacate the site within a specified period. This is grossly unfair to them as it causes them undue worries because the HDB has not finalised the allocation of flats to them. 5.30 p.m. This is either an administrative short-coming of the HDB because there is a lock of proper cooperation and coordination between the two departments, or is it just a more formality practised by the Resettlement Department to worry the resettlement victims? Perhaps the Hon. Minister could clarity such a practice. In the case of normal applications for flats, the applicants have to wait for as long as three years, maybe longer, to got their flats in locations of their choice. It is known that the priority allocation of flats to resettlement victims has undoubtedly slowed down the allocation of flats to applicants not affected by resettlement.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, with your permission, may I speak on this amendment so that I do not have to speak on my amendment No. (5) since the subject of HDB has been touched upon?”
“The dispute over a small sum of money has also cast unfavourable publicity on the SBC and has unnecessarily projected a bad image among the foreign teams. In order to clear the doubt whether the SBC has begun to lose its bearings less than two months after its establishment to take over the functions of the Broadcasting Department (RTS), would the Hon. Minister enlighten this House the cause of such an embarrassing event for SBC, and what measures are being taken to prevent such a recurrence in the future?”
“Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head J be reduced by $10 in respect of Object Group 3110 of Subhead Code JD-01 of the Main Estimates. Sir, the Singapore Broadcasting Corporation was established mainly to improve the production of good quality programmes in the public interest. It can already be seen that the Corporation is gradually heading in the right direction in achieving this objective. Generally, a slight improvement has been observed so far. For this, the SBC has my compliments. Since it has become a statutory body, free from any administrative and financial constraints, and with financial backing from the Government, it is imperative that the Corporation develop into a reputable organisation, less profit-oriented and at the same time capable of continuing to improve and upgrade its qualitative services in the interest of its viewers. Under no circumstances should it become a commercialised operation at the expense of good quality programmes as well as at the expense of the community as a whole. But the recent open dispute on royalty fees among the three organisations, namely, the Football Association of Singapore, the Singapore Sports Council and the Singapore Broadcasting Corporation over the issue of live telecast of the pre-Olympic soccer matches has somewhat tarnished the good reputation of the SBC. As a consequence, it has created for itself an adverse impression of being a profiteering organisation, having acted contrary to its main objectives. The attitude adopted by the SBC has cast doubts in the minds of many Singaporeans who are left to wonder whether the SBC practises what it preaches, in so far as the interest of the viewing public is concerned.”
“In fact, several accidents have already happened and many parents are expressing more and more concern about the fast-growing rate of accidents in which innocent young school-going children are killed. But what can these parents do as they have to rely on these drivers to ferry their children to and from schools because the public transport is still not as efficient as expected? Sir, the main reason for these drivers rushing from one school to another is not just to ensure that the children report at the schools punctually but also to ensure that their next round of earnings from picking up office-going commuters is not lost. This unhealthy state of affairs brought about by some of these drivers at the expense of the children's safety undoubtedly causes much concern among parents and other road-users. Would the Hon. Minister inform this House what enforcement measures are being taken or will be taken to correct such malpractices in the light of more accidents in which young innocent school-going children have lost their lives?”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, in recent years more and more kindergarten children and primary school pupils depend on school buses for transport to and from schools. As such, the lives of thousands of these little delicate children are left in the hands of the school bus operators. For the safety and comfort of these school-going children, many school bus drivers do take the trouble to ensure that these unaccompanied children travel to and from schools safely and comfortably. There are even some drivers who personally accompany these children across the roads either to the school premises or to their homes. This, I must say, is a job well-done by drivers who have the children's safety and comfort at heart when driving them to and from schools. But there are some school bus operators who could not care less for the children's safety, let alone comfort. Such bus operators have been seen to blatantly flout the law. It is not an uncommon sight today to see some school buses overcrowded with children, as if they are packed like sardines in a can. Worse still, the speed limit is not observed by these drivers. As a result of the excessive load of these little children, these drivers tend to drive beyond the restricted speed limit in order that the children could reach the various schools in time. Obviously, the more children these drivers have, the more they earn, otherwise they may not earn enough to pay for the fuel price increases. But they do not realise that their prime responsibility is to ensure the safety of these children who are left in their care. So not only are the lives of the children in their custody endangered but also those of other road users. Should an accident happen to any one of these vehicles, it will be disastrous.”
“In this instance, not only should the Postal Service upgrade its standard of performance in the delivery of local mail but also improve its mode of operation. May I ask the Hon. Minister whether he could enlighten this House on the causes of this slow delivery in local mail in recent years? May I also ask the Hon. Minister whether he would consider implementing the mail delivery service on Sundays as well as public holidays to speed up the mail delivery service? Perhaps a shift system could also be considered.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, our Postal Services Department is one of the most efficient Government departments in Singapore, but one particular area which is causing concern is the mail delivery service. It is appalling to see that the mail delivery service in Singapore is fast getting from bad to worse. Letters posted locally normally take one day or even at the latest two days to reach the addressee in Singapore after the date of posting, but in recent years, this service seems to have deteriorated. The lapse in such a service is causing much concern to Singaporeans. Nowadays, ordinary local mail takes as much as three days, maybe more, to reach the addressees. During festive seasons, the mail delivery service deteriorates still further as normal mail takes as much as four days to reach the addressee. This unduly long delay in the delivery of mail does not speak well of our Postal Service which serves only a small population of approximately 2.4 million people in a small island of approximately 572 sq. km in area. The delay causes inconvenience to the people. Sir, the introduction of the special mail services, such as LUM, speedpost and express services, for the rapid transmission of mail is an excellent facility provided to serve the public. But does this mean that Singaporeans are compelled to make use of these facilities in order to ensure that their mail reach the addressees promptly? If this special service is introduced at the expense of the ordinary local mail delivery service, then it is sad to say that we are not conforming to our Government's aim to increase productivity, whereby not only have we to upgrade the skills of our general workers but also their efficiency and standard of performance in all fields.”
“Sir, I refer to applicants whose identity cards have shown their place of birth as "Singapore (no proof)". These are the applicants who cannot show documentary proof of birth in Singapore, and as a result their applications are rejected or are put under consideration.”
“Regarding citizenship applications which are still under consideration, there may be some hope for some applicants to get their citizenship, but the unusually long time taken by the authority to process their applications needs to be reviewed. These applicants have continuously been residing in Singapore for more than ten years and they have been engaged in stable employment drawing earnings which can soundly maintain their families but not economically active to the extent of having to pay income tax. They have very strong family roots in which members of their immediate families are Singapore citizens, some of whom even have national commitments. These applicants are still waiting for their citizenship applications to be approved. Are all these evidences inadequate to support their applications for citizenship? If they are not inadequate, why are their applications not processed and expedited? Will the Hon. Minister enlighten this House whether there is a change in the policy of granting citizenship, especially to those who have been ascertained by the authority to be an asset and not a liability to Singapore?”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the Hon. Minister for Home Affairs has frequently informed this House that grant of citizenship is not a right but a privilege and every case is treated on its own merit. Will the Hon. Minister kindly inform this House (a) whether the criteria for approving citizenship applications have been revised, (b) if he could provide figures showing the number of applications which have been approved and rejected over the last three years i.e. 1977, 1978 and 1979, and (c) the number of applications which are still under consideration as at 31st December 1979. In my experiences at my meet-the-people sessions, I have regularly come across many people whose citizenship applications have been repeatedly rejected without any reasons being given. Immediately, after each rejection, the applicant is advised to submit a fresh application, but unfortunately the application is again not successful. What is the rationale for the Registry of Citizens to invite new applications again from the same applicant whose earlier applications have been turned down? After all, the new applications will again be rejected. Is the authority from the Registry of Citizens not giving false hope to such applicants whose applications will again be rejected? These applicants will continue to be deprived of the privilege without knowing the reasons for their inability to qualify for Singapore citizenship. Perhaps they may only know that they are the victims of unforeseen circumstances such as their inability to show sufficient documentary proof that Singapore is their birth-place. I sincerely request the relevant authority to be more sympathetic towards those applicants who can show evidence that they are not going to be a liability to the country.”
“Sir, traffic accidents are not an uncommon sight on Singapore roads today. I note with much concern that at least one precious life is lost a day as a result of a road accident. When an accident occurs, the first reaction of the public is to telephone the Police and, where people are injured, to call for the ambulance as quickly as possible. But the quick reaction of the public does not meet with a quick response from the Accidents Investigation Section of the Traffic Police Division. More often, the Police wants to know over the telephone whether or not anyone has been injured or killed. Once the information is passed, anyone concerned expects the Police investigating personnel to arrive at the scene as quickly as they can, but this is not so. They normally arrive later than expected. As the accident vehicles are not allowed to be removed from the road without the permission of the Police, they will meanwhile cause obstruction to other moving traffic; thus causing traffic congestion along the stretch of road where the accident has occurred. The late arrival of the Police investigation team at the scene of the accident, as observed by the general public, is a lapse in efficiency of the Accidents Investigation Branch of the Traffic Police Division. Could the Hon. Minister for Home Affairs give his assurance that such deficiency will be corrected immediately?”
“Sir, since the subject of road accidents has been touched upon, may I also speak now, as I have an amendment on the same subject?”
“Minister give his assurance that the service in patient care would be carefully monitored to ensure that the standard of service is maintained as high as possible under the circumstances?”
“As the creation of the new Class B2 ward further divides the number of existing classes, it is feared that the general services in Class C, which have not been satisfactory for some years, will further deteriorate. The shortage of doctors and other medical personnel caused by their continuing and unrelenting resignations is said to have contributed towards the unsatisfactory standard of service, especially those provided at Class C wards where patients feel that the least attention is given to them by doctors. If the present situation has already caused dissatisfaction among patients who complain about the slow and unsatisfactory service as well as inadequate attention by doctors, I wonder how the doctors and medical officers could further cope up with the workload created by the additional Class B2 ward without reducing the extent of service rendered at the existing Class B and Class C wards. Many patients feel that they are usually prematurely discharged. In some cases, patients have to be readmitted because of incomplete treatment. With the existing shortage, doctors and medical officers are obviously overworked. However, in most Class C wards, doctors are still not able to cope up with the patient demand for service. I have read with concern that more specialist doctors are resigning from Government and University services to go into private practice because their employment with the Government is unchallenging besides the poor salary and unsatisfactory working environment which they have been complaining about. This, of course, includes the hon. Member for Kim Seng. Do these resignations not have a further effect on the standard of service? Does the Hon. Minister not expect a further drop in the standard of service in patient care? Would the Hon.”
“Thank you, Sir. Sir, the Hon. Minister for Health announced in Parliament recently that hospital and outpatient clinic charges would be increased and a new intermediate Class B2 introduced mainly to bridge the gap now existing between the B class wards and the C class wards. According to the Hon. Minister, the increases which will take effect from 1st April 1980 are necessary because of the high cost of maintaining hospitals as a consequence of salary increases, National Wages Council awards and also price increases for goods purchased by the hospitals. Sir, I do not disagree with some of the increases in hospital charges which I consider nominal for those patients who can afford to pay or those whose medical expenses incurred at A and B classes are paid for by their employers. But the greatest effect on patients in the C class wards, who will be hard-hit by these increases, will be the new surgical operation fee of $30 and the attendance fee at the hospital specialist out-patient clinics which will be raised from $4 to $10. Patients in C class wards will find these increases quite substantial as they usually come from the lower income section of the population. Perhaps the Hon. Minister for Health could review the matter before these new changes are implemented from next month. The price increase in essential services has generally become an accepted fact in our way of life, provided the services render.ed are worth the money paid. What the Hon. Minister did not mention in his Ministerial Statement delivered in this House on 5th March was the kind of improved services that hospitals were going to provide for the patients as a result of the increases in hospital charges.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, since you have allowed me to speak now, may I also touch on my amendment, so that I need not move it later?”