Teong Eng Siong
Singapore
“Sir, on a point of order. (In Mandarin) Sir, just now the Minister said that by suggesting the granting of citizenship to these people I would be inviting competition because they would then be allowed to apply for hawker licence and HDB flats. I did not say that.”
“Only two? Mr Chua Sian Chin: Two out of 35 from the Land Divisions and 18 from the Radio Division. I think that is sufficient. If the Member is not aware, may I say that we have asked the Management Services Department of the Ministry of Finance to make a recent study into the adequacy of patrol cars on patrol at any one time.”
“Very often on pay days they crowd into the post office and pack up all the space, and the small number of staff would be kept very busy. According to my understanding, the small post office there will soon be receiving payments for PUB bills for the benefit of the people there. Of course, this will be convenient to the residents there.”
“Sir,I have also noticed that roads built under the gotong royong scheme are much better than those built by the contractors. Even after several years of use, these roads are still good.”
“Sir, in view of the Parliamentary Secretary's satisfactory explanation. I beg leave to withdraw my amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. The sum of $159,839,000 for Head O ordered to stand part of the Main Estimates. The sum of $1,213,685,000 for Head O ordered to stand part of the Development Estimates. Head P -”
“Another problem concerns the many HDB flats in certain areas which have not been taken up after allotment and have been left vacant for a long time. There are many such vacant flats in my constituency, for instance. Marsiling (a part of the Woodlands New Town), and I believe the same is true of other housing estates. Why?”
The complete record
Every one of 1,282 lines we hold for Teong Eng Siong, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 10 of 26.
“He is not the Minister concerned with this subject, but I can excuse him for attempting an answer. I beg leave to withdraw. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. The sum of $1,526,670 for Head 0301 ordered to stand part of the Main Estimates. The sum of $17,445,000 for Head 0301 ordered to stand part of the Development Estimates. Head 0401 --”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head 0301 be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead 11. Sir, it cannot be denied that since its inception the Ministry of Science and Technology has done a great deal for Singapore under the enlightened and qualified Minister, who is now attending a scientific conference in Tokyo. In regard to research in science, he has made great contributions. This is very commendable. Sir, the contribution to the Science Centre Board for 1973-74 is only $4.5 million, an increase of $0.5 million over 1972-73. This means that the work of the Science Centre Board has increased. I would like to ask a few questions about the work done and to be done by the Board: (1) Since the establishment of the Science Centre Board, what work has been done in connection with scientific research and science? (2) What plans in hand are to be implemented, and whether such plans will promote the interest of the people in science? (3) Will such plans help in the dissemination of scientific knowledge? 3.15 p.m.”
“Sir, may I ask the Minister what is the selling price of each unit of flat?”
“As long as our people march forward together and co-operate with the Government, hard work with a high degree of discipline, I am convinced that 1973 will prove to be a prosperous year, and we will be able to raise the standard of living of our people in all fields. Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to support wholeheartedly this Motion. 5.40 p.m.”
“As a result of rapid development in the shipbuilding and ship-repairing industry over the last few years, we have become a centre for this industry in South-east Asia. We must try our best to maintain this superiority. But why is there a reduction of investments in the shipbuilding industry? We must try our best to find remedial measures. As far as I know, one of the reasons for the reduction of investments in the shipbuilding industry is the scarcity of suitable sites for shipyards. If that is the case, we should open up more tracts of land for the construction of shipyards. I know that in Naval Base in the Sembawang constituency, there is a big tract of land suitable for building shipyards. We must immediately open up this piece of land and other suitable pieces of land so that more people will come and invest in our shipbuilding industry. Last year, we have also satisfactorily developed tourism. 780,000 tourists visited Singapore last year, enabling us to earn foreign exchange amounting to $400 million. In order to attract more tourists to come to our country, we should spend more money on developing tourist resorts. We must encourage more cultural and art activities among our multi-racial society, because all these are attractions to the tourist. The Tourist Promotion Board should lay out better plans so that we can become a great tourist centre in South-east Asia. All in all, the new Budget is a healthy and progressive one. Owing to its many good measures, it will certainly ensure that the rate of economic development will be maintained and will progress further.”
“No doubt the land provided for these hawker centres fetches a very high price, but for the sake of improving the welfare and livelihood of these hawkers, it is worthwhile to pay this price. The Government is also going to spend $5 million for the construction of hawker centres and markets in the next financial year. This is indeed good news. I am sure the hawkers will be able to carry on their trade in better and healthier surroundings. Sir, the Government is also going to spend $37 million for the development of education. This is absolutely necessary. As a result of rapid development, industries have sprung up resulting in a shortage of skilled and semi-skilled workers. At the moment, the main concern of foreign investors is not whether the labour force is stable but with the availability of skilled and semi-skilled labour. In order to solve this problem, the Government should allocate this amount to carry out a full-scale technical education development programme to train a large number of artisans and unskilled people so that they will be equipped with the necessary skills. The Minister has mentioned various schemes, such as overseas training schemes, joint training schemes and apprentice schemes. Naturally all these are very good measures. But in order to obtain optimum results, emphasis must be given to the practical aspects, i.e, on-the-job training, by sending apprentices to work in factory sites so that when they eventually take up a job, they will be fully trained. Mr Speaker, Sir, the Minister for Finance also mentioned that for last year there is a reduction in the investment figure for the shipbuilding industry. This is something which we should take note of.”
“Last year, during the debate on the President's Speech and also on the Budget, I had made similar requests. I am afraid that my requests had not obtained any results. I shall therefore again call upon the Minister to reconsider these requests. Mr Speaker, Sir, in the Budget Estimates, we note that although the Ministry of the Environment is a relatively new Ministry, it has been allocated $36 million. This shows the importance of the Ministry, whose main task is to prevent water and environmental pollution. Singapore is an industrialised country. We must not make the same mistake which other industrialised countries have made by polluting the environment. It is therefore absolutely necessary that the Government allocate a large sum of money for anti-pollution measures. Sir, the Government intends to raise the building target from 20,000 to 30,000 housing units per year. There is a crying need for more houses and fiats. We know that there are 60,000 to 70,000 people on the waiting list for Housing Board flats. If we continue to build Housing Board fiats at the rate of 20,000 per year, then these unfortunate people will have to wait for at least two or more years. The fact that the Government is going to build more flats per year will mean a reduction in the waiting time between the application and the allocation of flats. This is indeed a measure most welcome by our people. Mr Speaker, Sir, it cannot be denied that our Government has looked after the interests and welfare of the lower income groups. We have built many hawker centres. All these hawker centres are suitably situated and are provided with modern sanitation.”
“I recall that towards the end of last year the Prime Minister, during a visit to the European countries, called upon those countries to regard Singapore as a great centre for international trade. Obviously, the prospects are excellent. Sir, one thing that deserves mention here is the new tax relief for the support of aged parents. It is an extremely wise measure. Although the relief of $300 per annum per dependant is not much, it is a symbolic gesture. I do hope that the amount will be increased from year to year. The significance of this concession is very important. It goes to show that the Government has given heed to the views and opinions of the people of our country. When this news was announced, it won the wide acclaim of people from all walks of life. Moreover, there are several other measures for tax concession. For example, for those with handicapped children above the age of 16 years, the relief will allow these unfortunate ones to enjoy more warmth in the family. The relaxation of the limit on premiums for life insurance policies will benefit many people in the middle income groups. The reduction of stamp duties on marine insurance is another example of these wise measures. As a representative of the people in a rural constituency, I am naturally concerned about their welfare. I notice that the provision for urban and rural services this year amounts to $3,250,000, which is exactly the same as that for last year. There is no increase. I think this amount is not sufficient. There are many rural areas which have yet to be improved in respect of roads, drains, street lighting, water and electricity supplies. All this requires a great deal of money. I hope that the Minister concerned will consider allocating a greater amount for public works in the rural areas.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, may I, on behalf of the constituents in Sembawang, express our support for the Budget statement given by the Minister for Finance on the 26th February, 1973. It is gratifying to note that, as was the case last year, there are no new taxes. Furthermore, there is a surplus of $20 million. This is evident that our country has continued to enjoy prosperity and stability. We managed to achieve a growth rate of 13 per cent, despite the complete rundown of British armed forces and the consequent reduction of military expenditure. What are the reasons for this? To my mind, there are several reasons. Firstly, we have a capable and dynamic Government, actively pursuing and implementing wise and effective economic policies, such as a full-scale industrialisation programme. Secondly, the political stability and social peace that prevail in our country have done a great deal to strengthen the faith of foreign investors in our country. Thirdly, the diligence of our people. Fourthly, the sincere co-operation between labour and management, resulting in industrial peace, has raised our industrial production. As regards external trade, a record level of $15,680 million was achieved last year, representing an increase of $1,645 million, which is a very substantial amount. This reflects the important role that our country plays in international trade. Although many countries are attempting at direct trading, this is obviously not an easy task because they lack good docks, godowns and other harbour facilities required for international trade. More important, they lack efficient administration and workers with a high degree of social discipline. It can be expected that in the next 10 years we will become a great centre for international trade.”
“Mr Ho See Beng (Bras Basah)(In Mandarin): Mr Speaker, Sir, what the Parliamentary Secretary had said just now, relating to the establishment of more creches, is very good. I give my whole support to this Bill. But on the one hand, he has said that he wants better facilities in these creches, and on the other hand he has said that the expenditure should not be too high. We cannot have both, of course. If we can achieve one objective, it is already good enough. So I hope that when the Bill is put into effect, the Government would not interfere with those private creches whose fees are high but they are able to provide better facilities.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the introduction of this Bill is very timely. Basically, this is another example of our Government's good measures in looking after our young citizens. Although the Social Welfare Department has already been running some creches for the care of children of working women, most of them are situated in the city areas. Children of working women living in the kampungs are therefore not being looked after. Sir, in the process of rapid industrialisation, we need more and more creches because many factories need more female workers. Married women are therefore encouraged to come out of the kitchen to join the production team so as to take part in the industrialisation programme. This is not to encourage them to rebel against their husbands, but to enhance their social and economic position. Moreover, this will help to increase our national production and economic progress. Therefore, this is a wise measure on the part of the Government. But most housewives are faced with the problem of caring for their children in their absence, and there is also the difficulty of getting "baby amahs". Similarly, many women who are occupied in other fields of work, including teachers, also need to put their children in creches so that they can devote more time to their work. Therefore, on the implementation of this Bill, I hope that the Minister will consider setting up more creches in more areas, particularly in industrial and private residential areas, including Jurong and Sembawang constituencies, because this will help housewives to join in the industrialisation programme, and to reduce the dependence on "baby amahs".”
“This anti-drug campaign should be conducted in the various constituencies in order to bring home the lessons of the harm and ill-effects of drugs. In this way parents will be more aware of the dangers and they will be able to face the problem properly. Secondly, I would like to suggest that the Minister should pay special attention to the youth in our country. The Ministry of Health and the relevant departments, for example, the Police Force, should establish more contacts with the people in our society. Contacts between the Police and the people on a wider scale will help the Police to be "in the society", so that they will know where the drug addicts are and where the drugs are to be found. This will help reduce the phenomenon of drug addiction. This, I think, is a better and a more positive measure of dealing with the problem. Mr Speaker, Sir, we are a young nation. Sixty per cent of our population are below the age of 21. We should therefore take special steps and pay more attention to the problems of youth in our society. We should protect them from all evil influences. If we are concerned with their problems, we can help them to become a more rugged, strong and firm generation, so that they can contribute towards our nation building.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I support this Bill. The introduction of this Bill, I believe, will be supported by people from all walks of life. It cannot be denied that our society is facing the problem of drug addiction. There is a small number of people who indulges in this drug abuse. These drug addicts live an unrealistic life and do not engage in any form of production. They day-dream all day long, and become useless. This will not only incur displeasure and cause worry to their parents but will also pose a serious problem to our society. The reasons for drug addiction are many and varied. Some drug addicts have been easily influenced by their social environment and their friends. Some of them have been influenced by tourists from abroad, who have brought these drugs with them. For example, some hippies have been known to have done this. We must therefore take steps to prevent them from entering our country. The Minister emphasised just now that the Government is taking a serious view of this matter and is empowering Immigration officials to prohibit the entry of any person whom they suspect to be drug traffickers. If hippies from abroad are allowed to come in to spread the use of drugs, it will have serious effects on our society or will cause serious repercussions in our country. In order to eliminate this problem, I think it is necessary not only to introduce the various measures as provided in this Bill but also to deal with it in a two-fold manner. Firstly, I would suggest to the Minister that every year we should hold an anti-drug campaign on a big scale, similar to what he has done for the Ministry of Health, i.e, the Keep Singapore Clean campaign.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I would like to ask the Minister for Finance two questions regarding the salary increases for senior officers. In this Chinese New Year season, this is good news. These are substantial increases for senior officers, particularly the Superscale officers. It is my hope, however, that with these increases their efficiency will also increase for the betterment of the country. I would like to take this opportunity to ask the Minister whether he is prepared to consider raising the salaries of Divisions II, III and IV employees, or whether there will be any kind of adjustment in their salaries so as to ensure that their livelihood will be improved accordingly. I would also like to know how much expenditure will be incurred for these proposed increases in salaries.”
“Provided our people have this high sense of national consciousness and patriotism, I believe all the nefarious designs of ambitious elements and people with ulterior motives will fail disastrously. Sir, I support this amendment Bill. 3.06 p.m.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the introduction of the Constitution (Amendment) (Protection of the Sovereignty of the Republic of Singapore) Bill is in keeping with the policy speech made by the President in this House. It is an important step forward. That the Government is able to introduce this Bill speedily in this House proves that the Government is attaching great importance to it as it involves the protection of our rights and the rights of our future generations to survive. It is also meant to preserve our sovereignty and independence. Sir, our country is a small island with limited space and a very short history. Our geographical position is at the centre of Southeast Asia and is most strategically situated. Therefore, our position has very often roused the attention and interest of world powers. Because of our great achievements and all round development together with the raising of the living standards of our people in recent years, many elements with ulterior motives and insidious intentions have been trying to resort to various means to destroy our existence and sovereignty. Therefore, this amendment Bill is very necessary. The introduction of the Bill is mainly for the purpose of providing that if there is any proposal to amend our Constitution affecting our sovereignty, then such proposal should be supported by at least two-thirds of our electorate at a national referendum before it can be passed or effected in this way, the intrigues and ulterior motives of foreign elements and ambitious people may be thwarted. Sir, in addition to the express provisions in the Constitution, I feel that there is another important measure that we should adopt. We should actively and effectively inculcate in the minds of our people a sense of national consciousness and patriotism.”
“Sir, I wish to ask the Minister about the case of twins. For example, twins were born to the family of the Member for Changi. How would the case of twins apply to these measures?”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I would like to ask the Minister three questions. The Statement given by the Minister contains many figures and terms. Many Members of Parliament, and I believe some Ministers too, are confused by such figures and terms. I would like to know whether the small consumers will pay less after the introduction of these new tariffs. If they have to pay more, then it will not be beneficial to them. It will be a greater burden to them. Secondly, since our generators produce enough supply of electricity, we should encourage consumers to use more electricity so that more revenue can be collected by the PUB. In this way, with more revenue, I believe it is not necessary for the PUB to introduce these new consolidated tariffs. The third question is this. With this new tariff, I would like to know whether the PUB will also introduce a uniform tariff for water.”
“All these deserve the utmost consideration by our people because they are worthy causes. Irrespective of race or religion, we should unite and march forward in our common aim to build a more prosperous and a better Singapore so that our people can have a better life.”
“We have to study this in detail. From my point of view, I think "good quality" should include the following: diligence, honesty, knowledge, sense of responsibility, social discipline, a sense of fair play, helpfulness, and a willingness to help others. In addition, we must not forget that we must be well-behaved and be polite and courteous when dealing with people. In this connection, I think the Government is aware that some people keep long hair and grow a beard. They put on such fantastic attire that it is difficult to distinguish whether they are men or women. The Government should, through the process of education and other measures, put a stop to this. In the President's Address to Parliament, mention is made of the necessity of keeping our families small so that the next generation will be well looked after. Our apprenticeship schemes will meet the needs of our industries. There is also a need to promote cultural activities and to build more parks and recreation grounds, so that our people will enjoy a more pleasant and richer life. Our workers are encouraged to raise their productivity so that their wages can go up in stages and so achieve a higher standard of living. Undoubtedly all these measures are correct and constructive. For the benefit of our future and for the benefit of the people, we must support all these wise policies with all our strength. All in all, the President's Address ushers in a more constructive era. In the next five years, we are going to have a greater number of satellite towns, with more modern industrial and business centres, a greater number of more sophisticated and progressive industries, a better communications system, and a cleaner and greener environment.”
“However, this practice has now been stopped by the Primary Production Department, thus causing a drop in the price of pigs. I would like to appeal to the Minister concerned to look into this matter. Mr Speaker, Sir, in the Addendum to the President's Speech on the Ministry of Defence, it was mentioned that "the urgency over our defence build-up has lessened as we now have some defence capability." This is indeed gratifying because it shows that we now have a firm foundation in our task of nation building and defence build-up. This means that we can review our policy on national service. The aim of this review is to economise on the use of our manpower. I refer to two aspects. The first is that we should enforce stricter para military training in our secondary schools. Under this arrangement, the training could be done after school hours or during school holidays. Instructors should be drawn from the regular armed forces. If we can do this, we can then shorten the time for national service. At the present moment, physical education teachers also give instruction in military training. It is not possible to get good results if we use physical education teachers for this purpose. The second point relates to part-time national service. We should relax our policy in this regard to exempt those who are physically weak or those who have to solve their financial difficulties, and this will also help to reduce the shortage of labour. Now, I would like to touch on the quality of our people. We know that we have to raise the quality of our people. We would like to see our citizens achieve a higher level of education so that they have the ability to earn a better living for themselves. This is a fundamental problem. But what do we understand by "good quality" of our people?”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the President also touched on the possibility of spreading prosperity from the urban to the rural areas. As a Member of Parliament representing a rural area, I firmly support this wise policy. I feel that with the adoption of this policy, the people in the rural areas, like the people in the urban areas, will enjoy the fruits of prosperity engendered by the buoyant economy. It cannot be denied that since the PAP came to power, we have spent millions of dollars in construction work, and on the various projects to provide better roads, drains, street lamps, and electricity for the rural people. Their living conditions have thus improved. However, this does not mean that all the problems in the rural areas have been solved. As a matter of fact, many M.P.s, including myself, who represent the rural areas, still feel that there are many problems yet to be solved. For example, the problem of better roads, street lights, and water supply still exists in many areas. In view of this. I would like to suggest that for our next Budget, more funds should be allocated for the development of rural areas, so that the rural people can enjoy a higher standard of living arising from our developing economy. Since our economy is booming, it is not difficult for the Government to allocate more funds for the rural areas. I would like to bring up another matter, i.e, the price of pigs in the rural areas. We, the rural M.P.s, have met members of the Livestock Association, and have discussed this problem with them. We then adopted certain measures to solve some of the problems of the livestock farmers. At one time, the farmers were allowed to slaughter their pigs on Mondays.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, on behalf of the people of my constituency, I thank the President for delivering his Address on the 12th of this month. It is doubtless that the policies outlined in the Address signify a new era in the history of our nation building. It has set out many important tasks for us to perform so that in future we will strive for a more just, more reasonable and richer society. The President also pointed to certain unhealthy trends existing in Western countries. For example, a section of the population would be enjoying the fruits of the hard labour of others. In other words, their attitude is not to do any work hut to reap the benefits of the labour of their fellowmen. Such wrong mentalities have brought great harm to these countries. Mr Speaker, Sir, if there are people in Singapore who harbour this thinking, we should correct them by criticising their faults. Otherwise they will be a hindrance to our task of nation building. However, we are glad that the majority of our people have the good quality to work hard. They realise that they must work hard to improve themselves. They do not believe in luck. We have been able to solve most of our problems because of these excellent qualities. We have overcome the difficulties in our programme of construction and nation building, and we have been able to steer our nation from rough and troubled waters to calm seas. We have progressed all round and our economy is booming. All this is due to the hard work and the spirit of self-reliance of our people. In order to further advance the work of nation building and to reap more fruits of our labour, we should set higher ideals and urge our youths to he more self-reliant, so that they can make a greater contribution to the task of nation building.”
“Sir, I thank the Parliamentary Secretary for his very detailed reply, and I beg leave to withdraw my amendment, Amendment by leave, withdrawn. The sum of $3,979.090 for Head 101 ordered to stand part of the Development Estimates.”
“Mr Sneaker, Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head 101 be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead 202. Sir, this provision is for the purchase of equipment for the Civil Defence Organisation. I would like the Parliamentary Secretary to explain what kind of equipment is required for the Organisation.”
“Sir, I thank the Parliamentary Secretary for his reply and I beg leave to withdraw my amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head 101 be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead 201. Sir, I would like to take this opportunity to praise the Vigilante Corps. The Vigilante Corps has played an important part in helping to maintain law and order in our country. As time goes on, the V.C., will become a more disciplined organisation. It has been able to provide various services to our people. The provision for this subhead is $109,580 for the construction of stores at the training centres. I would like the Minister to inform the House, firstly, whether the Vigilante Corps has a lot of equipment and other items which require the construction of stores. What are these items which are to be stored? Secondly, when will the construction of the stores be completed?”
“Sir, I thank the Minister for his reply, and I beg leave to withdraw. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. The following amendment stood in the names of Messrs Ng Kah Ting and Sim Boon Woo - (6)That the sum to be allocated for Head 91 he reduced by $10 in respect of subhead 201.”
“But if there are at present more than 10,000 people on the waiting list, after five years there will be more than 100,000 people which means that every applicant will have to wait for more than two years before he can be allotted a flat for rent. So I hope the Minister can consider increasing the percentage of flats for rent to 40 per cent.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, a while ago, the Minister said that if people cannot afford to pay the high rentals for Housing and Development Board shop premises, he does not understand how they can afford to buy them. I would like to tell the Minister that this is a long-term investment plan. They can try to get a larger sum of money as a deposit. If the property belongs to them they do not have to pay the high rental. So the instalment payment will be less than the payment for rental of the shop premises. Then they will be able to tide over and continue to do their business on a long-term investment basis. Regarding the survey, the Minister said that the result was "no". I wonder whether this was based on the response after the survey, or whether the "no" came direct from him. I hope the Minister will be able to clarify these points. As regards his mention that there is a problem between selling Housing Board premises to our citizens and non-citizens, some kind of adjustment can be made. Of course, we should look after our own citizens first and give them the priority of buying these premises. After the non-citizens have got their citizenship, they may then be qualified to buy Housing Board shop premises. On another point, the Minister said that the Housing and Development Board has decided to allot 20 per cent of flats for rent. I think it is not enough because I have information that there are more than 10,000 people on the waiting list to rent flats. In other words, 20 per cent of the new two-room and three-room flats would number about 4,000 units.”
“Are these shop tenants willing to buy over the shop premises constructed by the Housing and Development Board? (3) Now that we are engaged in the Second Five-Year Development Plan, 20,000 units of flats will be built this year. There are many people on the waiting list for flats, and they are rather worried because fewer and fewer flats are being released for rental. If they want to buy flats, they must have some money in the Central Provident Fund before they can register. And since the lower income group do not have sufficient C.P.F. deposits at their disposal, they are not in a position to buy. So we should consider continuing renting out flats to people in the lower income group. I would like the Minister to give serious consideration to these suggestions.”
“Sir, under this subhead we can see that the vote is for the Housing and Development Board. The Board has undeniably contributed much and has achieved very good results in public housing. At the moment there are half a million people staying in the flats built by the Housing and Development Board. Because of this we have successfully resolved the problem of housing shortage. On the other hand, a few years ago, we started the home-ownership scheme under which we sold the flats to people of the lower and middle income groups to enable them to possess their own houses. This is a laudable project. I would like to raise three questions which I hope to get a reply from the Minister. (1) Where will the project be sited? I-low is the amount allocated under this vote going to be used and in what areas? Other than the building of housing estates, will the Housing and Development Board also be interested in building shopping complexes and hawker centres? (2) I have received certain complaints from shop tenants that the rentals are too high. They would like to request the Government to consider selling the shop premises to the present tenants on hire-purchase terms. At the moment we have the home- ownership scheme for the dwellers, and I think perhaps we can also consider extending this scheme to tenants of Housing Board shop premises. This will help to resolve their problem of high rentals and also help them to maintain their business. I remember I raised this question last year in this House, and the Minister replied that he would convey my suggestion to the Housing and Development Board to carry out a survey to find out the response of the shop tenants. I would like to ask the Minister now what was the result of the survey and how good was the response.”
“But the distance between the kitchens of two blocks of such flats now under construction will be 35 feet, which should be considered as standard. A distance of more than 35 feet will, I think add to the cost of construction. Dr Augustine H. H. Tan (Whampoa): Mr Speaker, Sir, will the Minister for Finance consider lowering the rate of interest which is charged on that portion of the loan to the Jurong Town Corporation used for the building of social and recreational facilities? I am told that the admission fees for the Bird Park are as high as they are because of the exorbitant rate of interest, which is about 7X per cent, charged by the Ministry of Finance for their loan. If we add the fact that property tax is payable on the properties, then the charges to the public for the use of such facilities must necessarily be high.”
“Some trees are slow-growing and, therefore, the Member's impression that they are not thriving is not correct. With regard to refuse from the residential flats in Jurong Town, I understand that refuse is collected by the Jurong Town conservancy contractor every day and deposited in the various bin centres set up by the Ministry of Health. As far as I know, the Public Health Department of the Ministry of Health regularly clear the bins every day. They have checked on this. Perhaps sometimes unusually large amounts of refuse may be accumulated after the daily clearing, arid this could have given the impression that the refuse is not collected daily. With regard to the complaint about the design of the flats and that the blocks of flats are too close to one another, the position is as follows. The distance between each 10-storey block is 90 feet and between each 5-storey block is 50 feet, when the flats are facing one another. This ratio is the same as for Queenstown and Toa Payoh housing estates. In the design of the special type of staggered-blocks of 4-room flats, the .Jurong Town Corporation thought that the hack of the block of flats should face the back of the other block of fiats and, therefore, you have the kitchens of one block facing those of another block. But the front of each block of flats. which face the opposite direction, would have a vast open area so that the sitting room and the main bedroom will not face those of another flat, thus affording greater privacy for the tenants. The distance between the kitchens in the rear of two blocks of flats in the first experimental stage is 22� feet. This was necessitated by the small site available and the necessity to provide ample open space for car parking areas.”
“However, I would say that as the Minister for Finance -this is not necessarily the attitude I took when I was in charge of Jurong development - the amounts which have been provided for sports complexes, swimming pools, playgrounds, parks, Jurong Bird Park, and so on, are more than adequate for the purposes. In fact, I am not quite sure whether the amounts provided, in relation to other constituencies, are not excessive. Having listened to the recent debate on the provision for overhead bridges and other amenities for Sembawang, I think that $4.3 million for Jurong Park is certainly ample. I have also taken note of the comment of the Member for Jurong on the health of the trees and grasses. I am not responsible for this and other details of Jurong housekeeping - my responsibility being confined to giving directions to the Jurong Town Corporation on matters affecting policy. I am sure he is more keenly interested and, therefore, he would have a greater knowledge of the details of Jurong development. However. I am prepared to pass on his comments to the Jurong Town Corporation for their consideration. 1 have been given to understand, however, that some of his comments are not necessarily correct. The Parks and Recreation Unit of the Jurong Town Corporation is continuing to provide from its nursery enough trees for planting especially in the housing areas and in open spaces, in addition to the roadside planting carried out by the Trees and Parks Unit of the Public Works Department. In 1971 the number of trees planted by the Jurong Town Corporation is 14,800, and the number of shrubs 74,900. This is considerably heavy planting. As for the statement that the trees are growing older but not bigger, I think this is merely an impression.”
“However, perhaps I may summarise the details as follows: The Corporation will spend $50 million on land acquisition and resettlement this year. The main items are $24.9 million for 1,197 acres in Jurong Town; $17.4 million for 64 acres in Kallang Basin, and $7.2 million for 311 acres for resettlement purposes. The Corporation will spend $70.5 million on development projects this year. The details are as follows: Jurong Other Town Estates $ million $million Land developement projctes 18.9 4.9 Jurong port 2.0 - Standard terraced factory buildings 2.3 1.5 Warehouses 1.3 - Flatted factory buildings 8.2 - Canteen and hawker pitches 4.2 0.05 Housing 23.3 3.0 Jurong Park 4.3 - Sports complex 1.3 - Jurong pier and restaurant 0.08 - Improvements to social amendities 4.2 - Jurong Town Hall 3.0 - The Corporation is expected to finance from its own resources an estimated $40.5 million of the total development expenditure of $120.5 million. The balance of $80 million required by the Corporation to finance its development expenditure would, therefore, have to be provided by Government in the form of loans, and this is the provision which has been entered under Head 91, subhead 001, of the Development Estimates. In answer to the Member for Jurong's questions, the amounts which have been provided for Jurong Park $4.3 million; .Jurong pier and restaurant $80,000, improvements to social amenities $4.2 million, will be sufficient proof that we have provided considerable sums for improvement of environmental conditions. The allocation of funds is always a matter of judgment.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, let me first pay a tribute to the Government for its brilliant success in industrialisation. Before industrialisation was embarked upon, our country was faced with a very grave unemployment problem. However, as a result of rapid industrialisation in this country over the past five or six years, we have been able to solve our unemployment problem. The number of people working in the factories is now more than 100,000. This is a great success by any standard, and I would like to express my admiration to the Jurong Town Corporation. Jurong is not only an industrial estate, but is also a place with many tourist attractions. For example, there is the Jurong Bird Park with beautiful gardens and various other tourist attractions. There are also playgrounds and recreational parks for our local citizens. The Member for Jurong will observe that there are certain areas which could be developed. He should bring them to the attention of the Government, because he is the Member for Jurong. I would like to ask the Minister to tell this House how is it that this provision will be used for industrialisation? What projects are in the offing to promote further industrialisation in Jurong? The Minister for Finance (Mr Hon Sui Sen): Mr Speaker, Sir, first, I would like to give the Member some information on the Development Expenditure of Jurong Town Corporation for 1972-73. The total amount to be spent will be $120.5 million, made up of $50 million for land acquisition and resettlement and $70.5 million for development projects. The details of the Development Expenditure have been published in the Government Gazette of 17th December, last year.”
“But the Government has been encouraging people to install their own water-pipes and there has been a decrease in the number of public standpipes. The provision of $1.5 million for the extension of water supply is insufficient and I hope that the Minister will consider increasing this amount. During a dry spell, perhaps the Minister of State for Finance may remember, the Government had to arrange for water wagons and lorries to supply water to the people in Chua Chu Kang and other rural constituencies. But in Sembawang, we are lucky because we can dig wells and the area is not too dry. So we are more fortunate. I hope the Minister will consider increasing the provision for the extension of water supply.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I fully agree with my colleagues who have spoken on rural services. They are representatives of the people from the rural areas. This year a provision of $3.25 million is made for urban and rural services, and I appreciate that the Government has made a bigger provision than for last year. However, I agree with the Member for Jurong when he said that this increased provision is still not sufficient for many of the projects in the rural areas. For example, there is a very urgent need to provide for more rural roads. Although many applications have been made, not many roads have been constructed. The excuse given is that there is not enough provision. This shows that more provision is needed for the construction of roads in the rural areas. I would like to raise two points. First, the provision for the construction of roads is only $750,000. It seems to me that this sum is too small. There are many roads in my constituency which are yet to be constructed. Of course, there are also other areas like Jurong, Punggol and Chua Chu Kang (which is the constituency of the Minister of State for Finance), Nee Soon, Changi, Bukit Panjang, Jalan Kayu, etc. If we were to distribute the provision among these various constituencies, then the sum for each constituency will be very small and it will not be sufficient. Since we have a surplus budget this year, I think we can well afford to provide a few million dollars more for rural development. So I would ask the Minister concerned to consider increasing this provision. 3.00 p.m. The second point relates to the supply of water, which is a very important matter. In the past, we had many public standpipes.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I must thank the Minister deeply for this plan. Of course, this park is not for the use of people of Sembawang alone. It is also meant to be a tourist resort. I beg leave to withdraw. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. The sum of $9,142,400 for Head 74 ordered to stand part of the Development Estimates. Head 75 - Tuan Haji Mohd. Ariff Bin Suradi (Kampong Kembangan)(In Malay): Mr Speaker, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head 75 be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead 102. Sir, with the exception of Lengkong Tiga. Kampong Pachitan area and in Kampong Eunos, all roads in the eastern sector of Jalan Eunos have been made up under section 19 of the Local Government Integration Act. The conditions of these roads are similar to any other public roads. I believe the Minister can imagine the speed with which traffic moves along these roads. When motorists reach the junctions of these roads, they are in a hurry to cross the road. They do not know who should give way. This is because of the lack of traffic signs at these road junctions. The only exception is the road junction at Jalan Senang and Jalan Lapang. The traffic sign was put up only a few weeks ago. In fact, I have appealed to the Traffic Police to provide more traffic signs, but the answer I have received is that the provision allocated for this purpose has already been spent. Therefore, with this new provision of $100,000 for the financial year 1972-73, can the Minister give an assurance that traffic signs will be installed at all these road junctions?”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head 74 be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead 212. The provision of $4 million under this subhead is for the development and improvement of parks and open spaces. In recent years the Government has launched intensive programmes to build more parks and to beautify our open spaces so that more recreational facilities will be provided for our people. These programmes are praiseworthy. For this year, Sir, a provision of $4 million is allocated for the development of parks and open spaces. I am sure this development plan will be warmly appreciated by the people. However, I wish to ask the Minister one question. Is there any plan to build a seaside park in Sembawang? There should be a plan to provide recreational facilities for the people living in Sembawang. Moreover, the seaside park can become one of the tourist resorts in Singapore. We will be killing two birds with one stone.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head 73 be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead 902. Mr Speaker, Sir, there is a provision of $100,000 under this subhead for the acquisition of land. I would like to ask the Minister two questions. First, is there any plan to acquire land in specific areas? Secondly, for what development purposes is land acquisition necessary?”
“Sir, I merely want to raise one question under this subhead. I feel that the vote of $6,100 for this year for Intensive Farm Improvement Schemes is too meagre. I want to know how the money is to be spent in this regard. 6.00 p.m.”
“Sir, can the Minister say whether the motor repair shops affected by clearance will be given priority of place at the centralised motor workshop complex at Sin Ming Road?”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, in view of the detailed explanation, I beg leave to withdraw. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.”
“Sir, I wish to ask another question. What are we going to do with the illegal immigrants? Are we going to deport them after locking them up for some time?”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head 61 be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead 203. This vote of $45,000 is for the building of a Cellular Block, Female Prison at Changi. Can the Minister please answer five questions which I am going to ask him? They are: (1) Has any training been provided for the inmates in this Female Prison? (2) Does the training include any handicraft work? This kind of training will enable the female inmates to earn a living when they leave the prison. (3) Are the inmates given any allowances for attending training courses? (4) How do we sell the handicraft work of the inmates? (5) How many female inmates are there in this prison, and how many of them are illegal immigrants?”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I thank the Minister for his reply, but I would like to tell him that all the nine community centres in my constituency are fully utilised. For example, during the day, every centre conducts kindergarten classes, and during the night, cooking and sewing classes are conducted in these centres. I would like to make a request for yet another community centre on a new site in Sembawang. I hope the Minister will consider my request. I beg leave to withdraw my amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. The sum of $370,000 for Head 52 ordered to stand part of the Development Estimates. 4.45 p.m. Head 61 -”
“I would like to lodge a protest against the Minister. I have only brought forward the views of the people from my constituency. There is a real need for more community centres in my constituency, because I have toured my constituency and the people there have made such requests to me. Perhaps the Minister has got his information from the wrong sources, and I would like the Minister to rescind his order to reduce the number of community centres in my constituency. This is tantamount to a threat on his part. If he withdraws his threat, then I will withdraw my amendment. But he should reply to some of my questions first.”
“Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head 52 be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead 201. Sir, this vote of $150,000 is for rural community centres. I would like to take this opportunity to praise the People's Association for promoting the various activities in community centres. I would also like to thank the management committees of the community centres for devoting their time and effort in promoting many useful kinds of activities. Mr Speaker, Sir, in all we have about 190 community centres, including those in the rural areas. However, the provision of $150,000 for this financial year is inadequate to meet the needs of the rural community. Therefore, I would like the Minister to ask for more money from the Minister for Finance. Although there are nine community centres in my constituency, I still think they are not enough because the rural community is spread over a very wide area. But in town, the area is very small and one or two community centres will serve the purpose. For example, there are 15 community centres in Chua Chu Kang constituency, which is six more than my constituency. There are also 15 community centres in Jurong. However, I still think there should be more community centres for Chua Chu Kang and Jurong constituencies, because more and more people are shifting in to these rural areas. Therefore, we should build more community centres for the rural areas. I would like to ask the Minister whether he has any plans to build a rural-type community centre for Sembawang out of this vote. There are two villages in my constituency with a population of about 500 families. They have asked for the provision of a community centre.”