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 Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.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?”
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“Sir, I have something new to say. Sir, I beg to move, That the total sum to be allocated for Head 73 be reduced by $100*. In fact, there should be a larger reduction in the vote because the efficiency of the department is not so good. There are about 22 items of expenditure and the total vote is about $2 million, which is quite a considerable sum of money. We know that the Primary Production Department is responsible for the development of our agriculture and fisheries. The important question is whether it has any plans to develop agriculture or fisheries. On fisheries, we all know that the Member for Jurong has said in this House some time ago that about two-thirds of the fish consumed is imported from abroad, For this we have to spend a big sum of money, amounting to $17 million per year. I would like to ask the Minister in charge of this department some questions relating to fisheries. According to the estimates, there is one item called the Fishing Training Centre. I believe there is no plan to develop this centre, and this will be of no use for the production of more fish for local consumption. We may spend about $2 million every year on fisheries, but how much benefit can we get from this expenditure'? Whatever plans there may be to develop foreshore fishing, jetties, or what not, it seems that all these plans have come to nothing. Therefore, I ask the Minister whether the department has any plans this year to develop our fisheries, that is to say, whether there can be any increase in the production of fish locally. The Minister for Finance has also said that in recent years our agriculture has been declining. So I would like to ask him whether the department has any plans to develop our agriculture.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I hope the Parliamentary Secretary will investigate first whether such a situation exists. Can he do this?”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I rise to speak in support of what the Member for Punggol has said. The pork sellers in the rural areas are faced with a big problem. Because they have to travel a long distance to buy the meat, they have to get up in the early hours of the morning in order to go all the way to Jurong. The Central Abattoir is very busy, and the pork sellers have to wait a long time before they can get a share of the meat. If we can establish a number of small rural abattoirs, it will not be necessary for these pork sellers to travel such a long distance. I hope the Minister will seriously consider this question. The Member for Punggol has also said that after three years we find that this scheme does not work, and even the department itself knows that it does not work. The other question is not that of slaughtering of pigs but the slaughtering of cows. I know that some hawkers who sell beef noodles are not able to obtain a fresh supply of the entrails. Apparently it takes ten hours for the frozen entrails of the cow to be transported from Jurong to the city, and by that time these entrails are not fresh any more. Therefore, they cannot be sold to the public. I hope the Minister will carry out the necessary investigation.”
“Sir, since the Parliamentary Secretary has given me a satisfactory reply, I beg leave to withdraw. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. The sum of $39,822,800 for Head 72 ordered to stand part of the Development Estimates. Head 73 -”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the Parliamentary Secretary has given me a very satisfactory reply. I hope he will be able to carry out what he has promised; for example, to build more shophouses for those shopkeepers who were evacuated. He says that the Government has planned to let those who were affected work in collaboration with one another in the redevelopment, but has the Government laid down any minimum amount of money as capital for this redevelopment?”
“Some of these are located within the central area and others are outside the central area. Unfortunately, due to difficulties of choice and timing, not all cases affected are provided with alternative premises in the preferred areas. In the case of coffee shops, because of planning and design restrictions, the supply of such shops is limited. However, coffee shops affected by priority clearance are allocated shop premises. With the lessons learnt in the pilot urban renewal project, the shortcomings experienced, especially relating to clearance, will be looked into and better solutions found. In future, it is hoped to build more of the required shops to assist in relocation and to minimise the hardship created by urban renewal, which everyone has accepted as being essential for the proper social and economic development of Singapore.”
“This is indeed a very serious problem. In our new Five-Year Plan, I hope the Parliamentary Secretary will consider carefully the question of providing enough shophouses to those affected by urban renewal; for example, grocery and coffee shops, restaurants and so on. If we can increase the building of shophouses in our new Five-year Plan, it will help those who have been affected by the urban renewal programme. The Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Law and National Development (National Development Division) (Mr Ho Cheng Choon): Mr Speaker, Sir, the Government has considered the proposition to offer sites to those shopkeepers affected by urban renewal who could join forces and collectively develop the sites. In fact, Government has already offered and concluded one such transaction with a group of shopkeepers affected in Precinct South III in the area bounded by Upper Hokien Street, South Bridge Road, Upper Cross Street and New Bridge Road. The shopkeepers have formed themselves into a company jointly to redevelop the site offered by the Government. Plans have already been submitted by this group for the site offered by the Government. In addition to this particular case, which is intended as a pilot project to study the possibility of such a mode of relocation, Government is also working out another pilot relocation programme under similar arrangements for another group of shopkeepers affected by resettlement around the area known as Precinct North III bounded by Victoria Street, Arab Street, North Bridge Road and Rochore Road. Another point is that shopkeepers affected by urban renewal are allocated alternative shop premises within the Housing and Development Board estates.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, That the total sum to be allocated for Head 72 be reduced by $100*. (* The same amendment also stood in the name of Mr Sim Boon Woo.) Under this Head 72, I would like to talk about the problems of urban renewal. In the urban renewal programme, we have achieved a lot. The Government has attracted many local as well as foreign investors to participate in our urban renewal projects because it has offered incentives to the developers. However, the rapid development of urban renewal has affected many people. Those who have been badly affected are small businessmen and they do not have the capital to participate in this big-scale development. Therefore, I wish to ask the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Law and National Development whether the Government will take measures to help those who are affected by the urban renewal projects. For example, can he tell us whether he will allot a piece of land to these small merchants to do their business, and let them participate in these development projects so that they will be given the opportunity to continue their business as usual? In this way, our own citizens can participate in our national development. Also because of the rapid development of our urban renewal, more and more people have to be evacuated. But the Housing and Development Board is not able to cater for the needs of those who are affected because it cannot build enough shophouses. Therefore, the demand always exceeds the supply. As far as I know, some of those who were evacuated and whose shophouses were demolished two or three years ago, sometimes even longer, have not been allotted suitable shophouses up to now. How can they continue with their business to earn a living. It is impossible for them to continue living!”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, as the Parliamentary Secretary has given a satisfactory explanation. 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 61 be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead 205. I am pleased to learn that the prisons in Singapore are conducting training courses for the inmates who are serving their sentences. Thus, their time is not wasted whilst they are in prison. They therefore have an opportunity to increase their knowledge in various spheres of life, particularly in the technical field. This will provide them with the opportunity to use their skills to obtain a legitimate means of livelihood when they are discharged. This, in effect, means that they are given the opportunity to make their contribution to the economic well-being of the nation. Mr Speaker, Sir, I would like to raise a number of questions for the Minister in charge to reply. (1) What type of training is being given to the prisoners? (2) What is the revenue that can be derived by the prison authorities every year from the sale of handicraft work, such as baskets and furniture making, undertaken by the prisoners? (3) How are the products of such handicraft marketed, and can members of the public like myself purchase them? It so, where can we buy them? To travel to the prisons in order to make purchases will be shameful as people will have to enter through the prison gate. (4) Are there classes in the prisons teaching academic subjects? I think it is very important that the prisoners increase their knowledge through education so that they can become responsible citizens in the future.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I am very satisfied with the answer given by the Minister for Culture. He has told this House that outside broadcasts have a lot of advantages. Therefore, I beg leave to withdraw. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head 51 be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead 101. Sir, under this subhead the sum to be voted for is $95,000 for the purpose of purchasing T.V. outside broadcasting equipment. In moving this amendment, I do not want to criticise too much, because a few days ago criticism of the T.V. programmes has already been made. All that I want to say now is that we hope that there can be some improvement in our T.V. programmes. In addition, I would like to ask the Minister concerned a few questions for clarification. What kind of work is involved in the so-called T.V. outside broadcasting? Can the T.V., outside broadcasting equipment bring better and more programmes for our viewers? What sort of equipment are we going to buy for T.V. outside broadcasting and from what countries are we buying it?”
“Since the Minister of State has said that the machinery is used to train the students. I beg leave to withdraw. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I would like the Minister of State to make a further clarification. He said a few moments ago that, in using the machinery, the students are not as skilful as the skilled workers. My question is that when the instructors are available, they should repair and maintain the machinery and not allow it to break-down and then put it aside like a pair of old shoes. I wonder whether we have enough repairers to look after this machinery so that we do not have to waste money on this item. Perhaps the Minister of State did not listen to me correctly. I was not referring to the students. My point is that you must have people who know how to repair and maintain the machinery. The institutes should make full use of the machinery available instead of buying a machine and, after a few months when it breaks down, just leaving it there without doing anything to repair it.”
“I would like the Minister to take immediate action to look into this matter and see that the machinery is properly maintained and repaired in case of break-downs. 6.15 p.m.”
“Mr Speaker. Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head 41 be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead 1001*. (* The same amendment also stood in the name of Mr Ng Kah Ting) Mr Speaker, Sir, we know that over the past few years the Government has exerted great efforts in the promotion of technical education. This has been done in keeping with the requirements of our industrialisation policy. Because of this, many technical schools have been built all over Singapore, and technical education has received popular support from the parents who are now prepared to send their children to technical schools and institutes. This is a matter for rejoicing. Sir, the question is whether technical education has been very effective, whether its programme has, in fact, been able to provide the talent required for the various industries as a result of our development. Therefore, I would like the Minister of State to answer five questions: (1) Since the establishment of the vocational institutes and technical schools more than a year ago have there been any statistics taken of the number of students trained, and whether they have been able to find employment? (2) With particular reference to the Singapore Technical Institute, when will it be completed? (3) What facilities are available at present, and which countries supply us with such equipment? (4) Up to the present moment are there adequate technical instructors to cope with the requirements for technical education? (5) I would like to ask the Minister of State this question, and that is whether he is aware that, because of poor maintenance, a lot of new machinery in many technical schools has broken down. That is not all. Nobody is able to do the repairs. This is actually a waste of public funds.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I am happy and satisfied with the Minister's reply. I beg leave to withdraw. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. The sum of $14,588,420 for Head 32 ordered to stand part of the Development Estimates. Head 33 -”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head 32 be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead 302*. (* The same amendment also stood in the name of Mr Ng Kah Ting) Mr Speaker, Sir, I wish to know whether the landing facilities for the Jumbo jets are up to international standards. I also wish to raise the following questions for oral answer by the Minister: (1) When will the terminal building be completed? (2) Will the building be equipped with closed-circuit television and a modern public address system? (3) When will the first Jumbo jet planes land on Singapore soil? (4) How many passengers can the Jumbo jets accommodate?”
“Mr Speaker, I beg leave to withdraw. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. The sum of $100,000,000 for Head 21 ordered to stand part of the Development Estimates. Head 31 -”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, That the total sum to be allocated for Head 21 be reduced by $100. In moving this amendment, I wish to raise a few questions for answer by the Minister concerned. (1) How is this money to be spent? Is it for the purchase of land or any other purpose? (2) Is this expenditure going to offset the economic losses caused by the British pull-out? (3) Are further donations being received towards the National Defence Fund? What is the total amount of contributions to date?”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I am very satisfied with the Minister's reply and I beg leave to withdraw. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. The sum of $3,300,020 for Head 11 ordered to stand part of the Development Estimates. Head 21 -”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head 11 be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead 301* (*The same amendment also stood in the name of Dr Augustine Tan.) Sir, the University of Singapore is considered to be one of the best institutions of higher learning. It is responsible for the training of professionals required for the country. Therefore, the expenditure to be voted for is justified. However, I wish to ask the Minister the following questions: Firstly, when will the construction of the building be completed? Secondly, how will the furniture and equipment and land be acquired with $10 under each item? Are there any plans to proceed with the purchase of furniture and equipment and the acquisition of land?”
“Sir, I am happy with the Minister's reply and I beg leave to withdraw. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.”
“After his discharge from the British Armed Forces, he was sent back to Malaysia, and his family was left alone in Singapore. At the moment he is still shuttling back and forth to have his visitor's pass stamped every fortnight. I wonder whether the Minister for Home Affairs will give sympathetic consideration to such cases.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, under this subhead I would like to ask the Minister one or two questions. The Member for Telok Blangah has raised some questions, and I share his sympathy for the people affected. I would like to ask the Minister in what circumstances an application for permanent stay can be approved. As the Member for Telok Blangah has pointed out, if the husband is a Singapore citizen and the wife is from Malaysia and there is a marriage certificate to prove their relationship, and also there is proof that their children are born in Singapore, in such a case the Immigration authorities would normally give her only three to six months stay in Singapore instead of permanent residence. I have received complaints that last year they were granted a stay here for as long as a year, but this year they have reduced the one year's stay to six months, with a provision of renewal of their pass. This causes the people concerned unnecessary inconvenience, because the husband would definitely have to shoulder his responsibility in looking after his own family, including his wife. This is not a point which our own Government should worry about. The question of giving such a person permanent stay here is a reasonable matter to consider. I therefore ask the Minister what are the conditions to be satisfied before an application is approved for permanent stay. Mr Cheong Yuen Chee: Sir, I would like to support the comments made by the Member for Telok Blangah. I myself have come across a very tragic case. A man had worked in a British hospital here for 16 years and had settled down here. He married a Singapore citizen, had two children who were born in Singapore, and bought a Housing and Development Board flat.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I wish to raise some questions relating to the Vigilante Corps. As far as we know, they had a glorious history a few years ago when we were confronted with the problem of internal security. In fact, many people responded to the call of the Government by joining the Vigilante Corps and played their part well in helping the police to preserve law and order and maintain public security. In this respect, we must express our appreciation to the volunteers who took part in the Vigilante Corps activities. However, as far as I know, the number of volunteers has diminished greatly in the last year or so. At the beginning there were 10,000 volunteers in the Vigilante Corps. In the last few years the number has gone down to 2,000 or 3,000 volunteers. I would like to know the reason for the decrease in the number of volunteers in the Vigilante Corps. Is it because of the question of training, or because we do not give them enough allowance? However, we know that the number of national servicemen serving in the Vigilante Corps at the moment exceeds 10,000. This is quite a large figure. National servicemen serving in the Vigilante Corps have to undergo six months' basic training. After that, they have to undergo training once or twice a week. This is quite adequate. My question is this. Have these national servicemen been detailed for patrol duty so far? And have they carried out their duties in the same manner as the volunteers who were sent out in the old days on patrol and to assume guard duties in various places? If they have been sent out, what kind of duties have they been performing? Has their performance been satisfactory? I would like to know whether the people who have undergone the training can perform their duties well.”
“I have also received many complaints from people that the telephone operators in Police headquarters are arrogant and discourteous and that their working efficiency is low. Sometimes a call is unanswered for a long time. Some members of the public are wondering if the operators are "playing the fool." I hope the Minister will carry out an investigation and adopt the necessary remedial measures.”
“In order to do this, our police force will have to show that they are the friends of the people. They must maintain a friendly attitude towards the people. Mr Speaker, Sir, we do not lack people with public spirit in our society. For example, people who serve on the management committees of community centres are often public spirited. They are willing to devote their time to community work and try their best to help solve the problems of the people. They are willing to assume these duties for the benefit of the people. Therefore, the police force must adopt a co-operative attitude towards the people because only in this way can they expect to carry out their work more efficiently. I think concrete steps should be taken to improve the co-operation between the police and the people. For example, some time ago, meetings were held between the police and the people in order to break down the barrier that existed between them. I think meetings of this kind are very useful and should be held regularly. For instance, "Unity Week" organised by the police and the public will help to consolidate and strengthen the links between the police and the people. Through the unity and co-operation of the public, the police will be able to work better for the welfare and benefit of our people. Another point relates to the telephone operators in Police headquarters. It is very difficult to put calls through at Police headquarters. Some Members raised this point last year. The Minister replied that he would investigate and take steps to improve the situation. However, after a lapse of one year, it is still very difficult to put calls through at Police headquarters. I do not know the reason for this. I hope the Minister will carry out an immediate investigation into this matter.”
“If you want to find out, go to the police station." So he followed the inspector to the police station to find out the reason for the arrest of his two assistants. 5.45 p.m. On arriving at the police station the inspector asked some police constables to drive him away. The hawker was very angry then and protested against this course of action. He told the inspector not to create unnecessary trouble. It was only then that the inspector realised that he was at fault himself and released the hawker's two assistants because they were innocent. Mr Speaker, Sir, from this incident we can see that there is plenty of room for improvement in the way police personnel carry out their duties. I would like to raise some other points. The police should at all times be courteous to members of the public. If they are rough and discourteous, they will leave an unfavourable image amongst members of the public. In time to come a feeling of antagonism will be created between the police and the people. Another point concerns the way in which police investigations are carried out. These investigations are not thorough. The police are often careless and sometimes arrest the wrong persons. This has resulted in members of the public losing confidence in the way police personnel carry out their duties. I would urge the Minister to instruct the police force to carry out their duties properly and to assist our people in solving their problems and not to create unnecessary trouble and worries for them. Mr Speaker, Sir, in order to reduce the incidence of crime and to preserve law and order, we must not only improve the discipline and working efficiency of the police force, but we must also seek to obtain maximum co-operation from the people.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head 1401 be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead 1001*. (* The amendment also stood in the names of Messrs. N. Govindasamy and Ng Yeow Chong) Sir, the Ministry of Home Affairs is a new Ministry. It plays quite an important role in the Government. Under this amendment, I would like to bring up two questions. The first is in regard to the way in which police personnel carry out their duties. The second is in regard to the arrogance shown by the police telephone operators in Police headquarters. In the last few years our Government has tried its best to promote co-operation between the police and the people in order to eradicate the image of the police being bullies and oppressors of the people. Now that we are an independent and sovereign republic, the police should be the friends of the people, and the protector of life and property. Therefore, it follows that they must adopt a proper attitude in performing their services to the people. However, I have received complaints from certain people. Let me quote an example. There was a hawker in my constituency who, because he was willing to devote some of his time to community centre work, was nominated to be the secretary of the Management Committee of the community centre. At the same time, he was also a committee member of the Citizens' Consultative Committee. Naturally he is a law-abiding citizen. One evening about a month ago when he was working at his stall with his two assistants, a police inspector suddenly arrived on the scene saying that he wanted to arrest his two assistants. The hawker was very surprised and asked him for the reason for the arrest. Unexpectedly the police inspector roughly said, "Do not talk too much.”
“In view of the detailed explanation given by the Minister and my hope that he will take practical measures to carry out his suggestions, I beg leave to withdraw. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.”
“Sir, before I withdraw my amendment, I would like the Minister to clarify two points. Last night when he replied to my questions, he admitted that the prices of daily necessities were actually on the increase. He also did not agree that a loaf of bread should be increased by five cents. He thought that actually there should be only a one-cent increase. I would like to ask him what measures he will take to check this spate of price increases. The second point is that his reply rather conflicts with that given by his Minister of State. Yesterday his Minister of State said that the Government would try its best to help promote the setting up of a consumers' association in order to protect the interest of the consumers, whereas the Minister himself was not too keen to help set it up. Who is actually right? I would like the Minister or his Minister of State to clarify.”
“I asked a question just now, but the Minister appears not to have clearly understood it. It is about the establishment of a consumers' association. I requested the Ministry of Finance to take steps to assist in the formation of a consumers' association, and the Minister of State for Finance himself mentioned this possibility. I think this is definitely a very good thing to do. We would like to set up a consumers' association to stabilise the prices of our goods. I did ask the Ministry of Finance to assist in its formation and administration.”
“I also wish to suggest to the Minister that he should set up a Price Control Committee. Although he may say that he is not prepared to do so, I would like him to reconsider my suggestion, because I think a Price Control Committee is very essential. This committee can be charged with the duty of not only collecting data on prices, but also determining whether or not certain increases in prices are justified. The committee can also deal with merchants who increase their prices unreasonably. In fact, the price of daily necessities does not depend on supply and demand only. Sometimes it is due to personal manipulation and other extraneous circumstances. For instance, a few weeks ago when Parliament was about to sit to debate the present budget, certain irresponsible merchants spread rumours among the people that certain goods would be taxed and that certain tinned foodstuffs would also be taxed. Even Ovaltine and rice would be further taxed. All these rumours caused fluctuations in the market prices, especially the prices of daily necessities. Some irresponsible merchants made use of this opportunity to increase the prices of certain goods. If we can set up a Price Control Committee to control the prices of daily necessities and to supervise the market, the prices of daily necessities will be more stable. Our people will be able to live a more stable life and they will not be subject to the fluctuations in market prices. I hope the Minister will consider my suggestion.”
“I am just enumerating these few items to enable the Minister and his Parliamentary Secretary to understand the situation better. Perhaps the Ministry of Finance has not been very careful in compiling the data. It may well be that it has gathered the data from hearsay and, as a result, it is not well informed. The increases in prices have a great influence on our people, especially those in the lower income group. Take, for instance, an employee working in a small office earning a monthly salary of $200 and with many mouths to feed. His livelihood will be made very difficult as a result of these increases in prices. Out of the $200, he will have to spend $40 on house rent, and in addition he will have to spend money on education, food and other items of daily necessities. How is he going to make ends meet? What is the reason for the increase in prices in recent months? We should find out the real reason so that we can deal with this problem. I hope the Minister will not take a cannot-careless attitude. On the contrary, he should take positive steps to remedy the situation by curbing the increase in prices. I agree with the Minister of State for Finance when he suggested that we should form a Consumers' Association. A Consumers' Association, comprising people of the middle and lower classes, can see to it that the merchants and traders will not overcharge the prices of goods. In this way, the consumers can bargain with the traders and maintain the prices of goods at a reasonable level. I appreciate the suggestion and I hope the Ministry of Finance will take steps to assist in the formation of a Consumers' Association. For instance, the Ministry of Finance can be of great assistance in the field of administration.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head 1301 be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead 1001*. (* The same amendment also stood in the name of Mr N. Govindasamy) Mr Speaker, Sir, in our budget for the next financial year there is no increase in taxation or the imposition of new taxation. This is a very judicious financial policy, because it will not impose any additional burden on our people. This shows that our Government is looking after the livelihood of our people. However, we should not overlook the fact that there has been a general rise in the prices of various goods recently. This has greatly affected the livelihood of the people in the middle and lower income groups. In order to get the facts to substantiate my argument, I have personally made inquiries into the increase in prices of daily necessities. Let me quote the prices of the items obtaining in the past and compare them with those obtaining in January 1971. We all know there are several items of daily necessities. Although the price of rice has not gone up, the price of bread has recently been increased. Bread can be a substitute for rice. First of all, let me mention the price of oil. Formerly, cooking oil cost $3.80 a tin. Now it is $4.20 a tin. Salt now costs 15 cents more. Bean sauce now costs 90 cents per bottle. Formerly it was 80 cents per bottle. One tin of condensed milk cost 40 cents before. Now it is 45 cents per tin. A five-katty tin of biscuits formerly cost $3.00. Now it costs $3.30 per tin. Lean meat cost $2.50 per katty before. Now it is $3.30 per katty. There are also other imported goods, for example, frozen beef, which formerly cost $2.60 per katty. Now it costs $4.40 per katty. This is quite a considerable rise.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I think the Minister is sincere in his reply to my question. However, there is another point on which I wish to seek clarification. This concerns the difficulties in the application procedure. The Minister says that I have exaggerated the case. I do not think I have exaggerated in the slightest degree, because what I know has been gathered from complaints by many people who have, in fact, gone through this cumbersome procedure. What I have said is based on facts, and nothing else. Since the Minister has given serious consideration to my question and has assured the House that his Parliamentary Secretary will now be responsible for the Chief Building Surveyor's Department and that every problem can he referred to him, I beg leave to withdraw my amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. The sum of $819,150 for Head 1110 ordered to stand part of the Estimates. Head 1202 -”
“As a result, they violated them. The Minister has said that one must look at these cases sympathetically, and that after one or two fines have been imposed, these offenders should not be fined any further. However, some of them have been fined more than three times. They still receive a fine thereafter. I hope the Minister will pay attention to this matter. He has already said in this House that he will consider these cases sympathetically. I hope he will instruct his Ministry to do so.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I would like the Minister to clarify two points. First, he has mentioned just now that the building inspectors will help the applicants to fill in the forms. As far as I know, they have not assisted the people from the rural areas to do that. These forms are in English, and because these people do not know English, they do not know how to fill in the forms. If the building inspectors had assisted them, I think this problem would have been solved. But since the Minister says that they do help, I hope that they will from now on actually assist them in filling up the forms. In regard to repairs and renovations of old houses, these houses are in many respects in a dilapidated condition. All that the occupier wants to do is to replace some of the old parts of the building with new ones. They are not reconstructing the whole building. They want to renovate the building on the existing site. If the Minister says that this work does not require the approval of the landlord, I say that this is not so. In fact, the building inspectors often make it difficult for the applicants. Sometimes they kick them about like a ball from here to there. I think the Minister is not aware of this fact. I hope he will pay attention to this matter. This is a great inconvenience to the people in the rural areas. 6.00 p.m. As a representative of the people in the rural areas, we have often encountered problems of this nature. I have the opportunity to understand these problems more clearly. I am speaking very slowly now. I hope the Minister can understand me. The other point is this. Some houses which are more, than three years old do not have any building plans. At the time when the builders first constructed their houses, they were not aware of the building laws.”
“This will impose a very heavy financial burden on them. I hope the Minister will consider the plight of these rural people and help them solve their problems.”
“However, the plans have been submitted to the Ministry of Health, and we can proceed only after the Ministry of Health has given its approval." But that will take another two or three weeks. However, at long last they are granted a temporary licence to carry out repairs or renovations. 5.45 p.m. All these delays here and there cause the applicants to go to and from more than ten times altogether. This is not the way to do things. I hope the Minister will consider simplifying the application procedure and assigning one or two officers to assist the applicant to fill in application forms for permission to carry out house repairs, and what is more important, to ensure that there are facilities to enable them to complete all the necessary procedure in one visit. This will save them a lot of precious time, which they can usefully spend on working in the farms. Sir, if the Building Survey Division is willing to help the rural people, it should be a very easy matter now because all the depart-. ments of the Ministry of National Development are housed in the same building. So it should not be too difficult to co-ordinate the procedure of applications and to instruct the departments concerned to liaise with one another. The third point I would like to raise refers to illegal structures which are more than three years old. In the past certain people in the rural areas constructed houses in violation of the building laws. This was because they did not quite understand these laws. So in respect of these dwellings which are more than three years old, I hope the department concerned will consider the position sympathetically, otherwise summonses will be issued to them every six months, and the fines will increase with each summons.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I regret the Parliamentary Secretary interrupted me for no reason at all. Let me continue. After filling in the form the applicants have to purchase the maps. They have to wait for another week before they receive them. Together with the property tax receipts and the receipts for the land rents, they have to submit the two maps. After another two or three weeks, another letter will be sent by the Ministry of National Development asking for details of the renovation, whether it is going to be a complete renovation or, reconstruction, or merely involve the changing of the roof or walls. The applicants have to draw two sketches giving the specifications of the length and breadth of the existing house. Of course, they have no choice but to abide by the procedure. A few days later, the housing inspector or building inspector -- I hope the Parliamentary Secretary is satisfied with this term now - will arrive and check whether the house is according to the specifications. This is stage one of the application procedure. The applicants will have to wait patiently. After a month or so, they go and ask the building inspector what progress has been made. The reply is, "Hey, how can you expect us to work so quickly? We are very busy. Come back in two weeks' time." Two weeks later, the answer will be, "The application has been submitted to the Planning Department." The same old story - "Come back in two or three weeks' time." After the two or three weeks are up, the applicants again make inquiries. The answer now is, "Come back next week." At least this is good news. One week later, they go back and ask. The reply this time is, "Ah! The Ministry of National Development has approved your application.”
“Mr Speaker. Sir, I think the Parliamentary Secretary is saying an unnecessary thing. It is up to the Speaker to tell me what to do. Is the Parliamentary Secretary the Speaker?”
“To purchase these two maps the person has to fill in another form. What gives these applicants a considerable headache is that they must supply the mukim and the lot number for the area in which the house is situated. Most of these people in the rural area are not familiar with these mukims and lot numbers. They have to consult the Di-Niu (building inspectors), and, more often than not, they cannot help. So the applicants are advised to refer to the landlord. After filling in the form --”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head 1110 be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead 1001*. (* The same amendment also stood in the name of Mr Sim Boon Woo) Under this subhead I would like to refer to the deterioration in the efficiency of the Building Survey Division. I have received many complaints from people in my constituency that there has been an excessive delay in their applications to repair their houses. Let me quote an example. In my constituency, a certain person applied for permission to repair his attap hut. This hut is in an advanced state of dilapidation, and if repairs are not carried out immediately, it will not be safe to live in that hut. His application was submitted a long time, but he has so far received no reply. This goes to show that the efficiency of the Building Survey Division has deteriorated very badly. I hope the Minister will order investigations to be carried out and instruct the division to raise their efficiency. I hope he will ask them to speed up the processing of applications to repair houses. Next, I would like to talk about the cumbersome procedure in dealing with applications. As far as I know, it is as follows. In the first place the applicant must go to the Ministry of National Development and inform the building inspector (Di-Niu) that he would like to repair his house. The building inspector will give him a form and ask him to go back and fill it. After filling it, it will have to be returned to the Ministry of National Development. A month later the person will receive a letter asking him to submit his property tax receipts, land rent receipts and two maps. These two maps are to be purchased from the Ministry of National Development.”
“Mr Speaker. Sir, the Minister has not listened to me carefully. I would like to raise again two questions which he has not answered. First, has he any plans for the development of agriculture on our off-shore islands? Second has he any plans for deep-sea fishing?”
“In view of the shortage of land, is there any plan to develop agriculture in our off-shore islands, and is there any plan for deep-sea fishing?”
“In order to ensure the development and viability of our agriculture, I feel that the existing agricultural areas should be preserved for agricultural purposes. There should be no more acquisition of such land for other kinds of development. In order to solve the acute problem of land shortage, the then Minister for Finance last year during the budget debate proposed flatted farming as a method for rearing poultry. However, I do not know whether the Primary Production Department has made any study of this proposal. If so, what progress has been made on flatted poultry farming? Mr Speaker, Sir, the land allotted to farmers now is barely sufficient for agricultural purposes. One acre of land allotted to a farmer is too small a size for the development of agriculture. Therefore, the farmers affected by land acquisition should be allotted a bigger area of land so that they can carry on with their farming, whether poultry or vegetable farming, and in this way they can contribute to our national income. The Primary Production Department has been allotted huge sums of money to carry out experiments and research projects. This is, of course, a good policy in principle, because it indirectly helps our farmers. However, the question is whether the results of the research and experiments will benefit every farmer and, if it does, to what extent? I would also like to raise the question of the erection of chicken sheds. If a farmer puts up a chicken shed of a size in excess of the dimensions originally approved, no mercy will be shown to him. The shed will be immediately demolished, I hope that in future some sympathy will be shown to such cases. The authorities should not be too rigid about the measurements. The next question I wish to ask is this.”
“Sir, I am in full sympathy with the Member for Jurong who has spoken of the problems of the farmers. The farming industry in Singapore forms quite an important sector of our economy. At a time when our agricultural produce brings in an income of about $200 million, their contribution to our economy cannot be overlooked or underestimated. Sir, what assistance has the Government given to our farmers? Speaking dispassionately, over the past few years the Government has done quite a great deal for them through the Primary Production Department. The department teaches them how to improve their farming techniques, how to vaccinate their livestock, and other such things. At the same time, the department has also been conducting experiments, and the results of these experiments are made available to the farmers so that they will know how to breed their livestock. As a result of all these improvements, our agricultural produce has increased. But this does not mean that we have done enough for the farmers, or that we have done all that is needed to be done to help them. On the contrary, Sir, the Minister for Finance has pointed out in his budget statement a few days ago that our agricultural industry is now faced with many great problems. He has also said that over the past few years there has been an apparent decline in agriculture, if that is the case, I must appeal to the Ministry concerned to take early steps to try to solve the problem. 4.30 p.m. Mr Speaker, Sir, in my view, there are two problems facing agriculture. First, there is the shortage of land. As we know, consequent on the acquisition of land for industrial purposes, urban renewal and housing development, arable land is diminishing in area.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head 1002 be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead 1001*. (* The same amendment also stood in the name of Dr Augustine H. H. Tan.) Sir, the Social Welfare Department is a welfare institution which looks after the needs of the poor and unemployed people. Every year the Government sets aside a few million dollars for the welfare of people who require and deserve assistance. In my opinion, this measure is noteworthy and praiseworthy. But there are certain matters about the department which are not satisfactory. In fact, I have received several genuine complaints about the department. For example, the rates of public assistance have been reduced. In the past, the amount of public assistance given to the head of a family was $21 per month. The complaint I have received is that this sum has been reduced to $16 per month. I wonder whether this is true. If it is true, has the reduction been made with good reasons? Sir, $21 per month is already a meagre sum. It is not adequate to maintain the existence of an individual particularly at a time when the cost of living is rising. So a reduction of this sum to $16 will make life even more difficult. Therefore, we should not only refrain from reducing the rate of public assistance but instead give consideration to increasing it, in view of the present circumstances, in order to enable the recipients of public assistance to pull along. I would like the Minister to explain and also to look into the matter.”