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 Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.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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“If any contractor is guilty of any failure to comply with the specifications, we must see to it that he does not do it again. Thirdly, I endorse the views expressed by the Member for Jurong on gotong royong. I think the work done by the gotong royong people is much better than that of the contractors. They use materials provided by the Government. These are genuine and up to specifi cations. If the work costs, say, $20,000 if it is done by a contractor, it will only cost about $10,000 if it is done by the gotong royong people. The roads-too have greater durability. Therefore,, we have no reason not to encourage gotong royong.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, undoubtedly a great deal of construction work has been undertaken in the rural areas. This has had a marked improvement in the appearance of the rural areas. In spite of an increase in defence expenditure, about $2 million has been allocated for rural development. A sum of $12 million has also been allocated for the supply of electricity to the rural areas in the next few years. We should be proud of this scheme. However, I feel that the work in the rural areas is not progressing fast enough. 4.15 p.m. Generally speaking, it takes about a year or more before work can be started on any scheme approved by the U.R.S.C. I think some improvement should be made in this regard. If the Ministry will note the administrative inefficiency or causes of delay, and take action to remedy it, I think work could be started earlier. The second point is in relation to the rural roads. For some reason, roads in the rural areas are not as durable as those in other areas. For example, in my area, after a period of eight years we find a lot of potholes in the roads. It is probably because the roads were not properly made up, or it may be that the contractors did not carry out their work well and the materials were not according to specifications. I think Members of Parliament in the rural areas have received a great many complaints in this connection. The situation is rather serious because public funds are involved. We must see to it that the contractors undertaking road construction and road repairs in the rural areas carry out their work with materials that are according to specifications. All the Members of Parliament in the rural areas have their eyes wide open and you cannot bluff them, especially when complaints are forthcoming from the country folk.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I wish to raise one point under this subhead, and that is the car park at the People's Park. In my view, it is not proper to collect parking fees at night at the People's Park because car owners already have to pay parking fees during the day. I feel that parking fees should not be collected during the night. For example, if the Minister wishes to buy something at the People's Park, he has to pay a fee for a parking lot. I think this will be a great inconvenience to him. Therefore, he should consider exempting car owners from paying parking fees at night.”
“r Speaker, Sir, I am not satisfied with the reply of the Parliamentary Secretary. Perhaps he has not investigated those applications for the reconstruction of houses which were refused permission. I hope he will give me a satisfactory answer that he will look into the matter again.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I shall speak briefly about the creches. They were only set up after the People's Action Party came to power. Their establishment is in line with our policy of democratic socialism to look after the poorer people, and those who are working can leave their children in the creches. I have two points to raise on this matter. Firstly, the creches are not widespread because they are situated in the urban areas only. I would like to ask the Parliamentary Secretary whether the Government plans to build creches in the rural areas. There are many women folk in the rural areas who go to work, and their children lack their personal attention. If the Government can build creches in the rural areas, they will be helping the people because they can send their children there when they go to work. The second point is that I have received complaints about the food served in the creches. In recent years, the food has been reduced in quantity. This will adversely affect the health of the children. I hope the Minister will look into this.”
“V, are showing too much unhealthy programmes which are romantic and erotic and which have deleterious types of music? How are we to foster a patriotic type of culture with these programmes? They are not a dynamic force for our people. On the contrary, they have an intoxicating and narcotic effect which will damage the morals of our people. The people will be put to sleep and will not be awake to the requirements of nation building. We have now 200,000 radio and television listeners. The Ministry of Culture has a very heavy responsibility in promoting culture in the course of our nation building. Many of our youths are undergoing military training. We should have more robust, healthy and rugged youths taking part in our nation building. How are we going to make our young generation a robust and rugged society if they are being shown the James Bond type of films, especially films which are erotic, peculiar and fantastic, and contain violence, romance and sex? How are we going to cultivate and instil in them a sense of patriotism and social consciousness? I feel that the radio and television programmes should be changed. There should be more healthy and educational programmes. There should be better types of programmes which contain forums, debates and talks. I do not know what the Minister for Culture has in view. I would like to ask him whether our T.V, is going to organise and show films on youth forums and organise radio forums and shows which will enable our social and political leaders and those in educational circles to give talks. These programmes would benefit our people.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head 1001 be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead 1001. During the past one year, the Ministry of Culture has done much to promote cultural activities. For instance, there are more and more films of local plays and dramas. Many educative films are shown on television. Although these films are supplied by the Ministry of Education, television comes under the Ministry of Culture. So the credit should also go to the Ministry of Culture. Such TV programmes as "Youth Forum" and "It's Happening in Singapore" are beneficial to the people as a whole. There are other programmes, such as forums by students, artists, etc., which are of educational value. But there are also some T.V, and radio programmes which are not "healthy". For instance, the radio programmes consist of too much pop music and odious songs such as, "My Dear Ones", "My Sisters" and other endearing and romantic terms. These unhealthy themes are deleterious to our youths. Sir, we know that good and educative programmes are conducive to nation building because they can encourage our people to build a better and brighter future. On the other hand, the narcotic and erotic type of programmes will have a contrary effect on the people. I will quote what the Minister for Culture said at a function of Nanyang University as reported by the Sin Chew Jit Poh on 11th December, 1968: 'Our culture should be a patriotic culture. It should be a dynamic force to enable the people to have a strong sense of patriotism and to be devoted to the country at all times.' 5.45 p.m. Sir, I think you will agree with me that this is a very correct cultural policy. But the question is, how are we going to promote this sort of culture if our radio and T.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I agree very much with what has been said by the Member for Kampong Kapor. Sometimes I myself have rung up the Ministry of Defence. Almost half an hour would elapse before I could get the call through. I hope the Minister will expedite action to improve the position.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg leave to withdraw my amendment because the Minister has assured me that he will take steps to look into this matter. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I do not agree with what the Minister has said, because if there are complaints there must be problems involved. If problems arise, the Minister must try to solve them. We can always reduce the number of youths to be registered from 400 to 300 per day and the time for waiting will be shortened. It is only natural that parents accompany their children to the registration centre. Even the Minister will accompany his son to the centre for registration. Mr Lim Kim San: The translation of the Member's speech did not come through quite well. However, I have already indicated that we will try to make those parents who are at present accompanying their children to the registration centre as comfortable as possible. But it is my considered opinion that very soon there will be no more parents accompanying their children there. I can assure the Member for Sembawang that when my son is conscripted, his mother will not accompany him to the registration centre.”
“Sir, regarding this point, the parents who accompanied their children to the registration centre found that the officials did not like them to go near the office because there were too many people in the office. The parents were not given places to sit and wait. In other words, the attitude of the officials is that parents are not welcome to the centre. Perhaps there is insufficient space because every day 400 youths have to be registered and including the parents who accompany their children, it will come to 700 or 800 persons. I would therefore like the Minister to look into this matter and, if possible, to improve the situation by providing facilities for the parents to wait for their children.”
“At the moment, they are all standing around. I hope the Minister can consider my points.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head [1901 be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead 1251. Sir, our implementation of national service has been quite successful. It is mainly due to the support and cooperation of our people because they know that patriotism and defence of the country are their bounden duties. But I wish to raise certain complaints about the Central Manpower Base. I have recently received complaints from parents who complained that the efficiency of this office was very poor. They also said that the officials of this office adopted a bad attitude towards their work. For instance, conscripts who went to register at the office had to wait from 8 a.m, to 12 noon before they were called up for actual registration. This is undeniably too long a time to expect the boys to get registered. I would like the Minister to urge the office to improve the system of registration, if there is no time, then another day should be allotted to the youths to be registered. Another point is about parents accompanying their children to get registered. We all know that women are very concerned with their children. National service was introduced only recently in Singapore. Before this, the people did not know what national service was all about. When they went to the office, the officials there did not welcome them. This kind of attitude is not right. I feel that the people need co-operation from the officers concerned so that they may have a favourable impression of national service, our Government, our political institutions, and our country as well. I feel that when parents bring their children along to get registered at the National Service Office, they should be well treated. A waiting room should be provided for them.”
“Constitutionally speaking, he ought to be released within 24 hours if he is not charged before the court. My question to the Minister also did reveal that in a number of cases where detention was made under the Criminal Law (Temporary Provisions) Ordinance, such persons were subsequently charged before the court. 8.00 p.m.”
“I remember I raised a question on the People's Defence Force. Everyone of the members of this force received only one set of uniform. Even at the moment they have only one set of uniform. The second point is that they are not given a transport allowance, whereas Vigilante Corps members do receive it. Mr Rodrigo: Mr Speaker, Sir, I wish to draw the attention of the Minister to a trend that is perhaps relevant to this subject. I am not making an allegation or accusation of any sort, because I do understand that it will be largely conjecture on my part. The Minister is quite aware of the fact that there is written into our Constitution a provision that an accused who is apprehended or arrested can be detained for only 24 hours in a police station, after which he must be brought before the court except for certain exceptional circumstances, for instance, when an accused is arrested on a Saturday. At the same time, we have detention laws in our country. These detention laws are exceptional laws, because they empower the authorities to detain a person apprehended without trial. I did submit a question to the Minister to answer in respect of the number of detentions. I found that a substantial number of persons who were detained under the detention laws were subsequently charged before the court. The Minister is aware that if the police authorities proceed under the detention laws, they would be empowered to detain the persons apprehended beyond 24 hours. Of course, if this tendency is real, then there is an evasion of an important constitu tional protection. By making use of the detention laws, the police authorities would be able to detain the apprehended person for more than 24 hours and then subsequently have him charged before the court.”
“Sir, I beg leave to withdraw. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. The following amendment stood in the name of Madam Chan Choy Siong - That the total sum to be allocated for Head 0801 be reduced by $100. Madam Chan Choy Siong: I am not moving. The sum of $294,310 for Head 0801 ordered to stand part of the Estimates. Head 0803 -”
“According to unofficial statistics, there are about 15,000 to 20,000 taxi-drivers but there are only 4,000 taxis. Will the Minister consider issuing more licences in order to solve the unemployment problem? I would also point out that the administration of public transport is in a mess. For instance, the Registry of Vehicles is responsible for the control of vehicles while the police deals with pirate taxis. Other matters relating to public transport are under the charge of other offices. The Car Parks Division has marked out parking lots along many roads and, as a result, the roads have become narrower. On the one hand, the Transport Advisory Board is trying to widen the roads to ease the traffic problem, but, on the other hand, the Car Parks Division is making the roads narrower. I would therefore suggest that all matters of public transport should come under one Ministry, that is, the Ministry of Communications. In this way, we can improve public transport, reduce the number of car accidents and also safeguard the lives of our people.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head 0801 be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead 1001. The Ministry of Communications is a newly established Ministry. On the one hand, this shows that the Government is placing great importance on the development of communications. On the other hand, it signifies that there are more communication problems to be faced. Under the able leadership of the Minister, the Ministry of Communications has started a series of new measures. For instance, the one way traffic system has been implemented many of the busy roads, and at cross-roads, pedestrian crossings have been marked out. A Transport Advisory Board has also been set up to advise on problems relating to transportation, and two advisers from the United Kingdom have been invited to Singapore to give assistance and make their recommendations. These measures undertaken by the Ministry are encouraging. However, there are still many car accidents on the road. According to the police, 290 persons were killed as a result of car accidents during the first 11 months of this year. On the question of public transportation, there are two aspects. Firstly, there is a shortage of public service vehicles, and secondly, the problem of heavy traffic. I think our capable Minister will be able to solve these problems and thereby improve our public transport system. I understand that the two experts from the United Kingdom have recommended that public transport in Singapore should be nationalised. I do not know whether the Minister has considered this suggestion. At the same time, I wish to know the work done so far by the Transport Advisory Board. I would now like to raise a question on the shortage of taxis.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the Minister has left two points unanswered: first, with regard to the flag-raising ceremony and, second, with regard to school uniforms. I hope the Minister will reply to these points.”
“A standard uniform will ensure that students from primary schools will not have to make new clothes for school going when they are promoted to secondary school. Otherwise the financial burden on their parents will increase. At the same time, some aesthetic consideration should be given in the design ing of the uniforms. A standard uniform system will solve the problem of what students should wear when they take part in mass drill at the National Day celebration.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I wish to raise four points under this item. Firstly, I wish to draw the attention of the House to the complaints of parents who are in receipt of public assistance. Students of these parents were informed not very long ago that they would have to pay half the "Miscellaneous" fees when, in fact, they did not have to do so in the past. The "Miscellaneous" fee was $1 for a primary student and $2 for a secondary student. In the past, children of parents who were in receipt of public assistance were exempted from payment of these fees. As far as I know, these people are very poor and the amount of public assistance given is small. Therefore, they should continue to be exempted from payment of these fees. I hope the Minister will give sympathetic consideration to this matter. The second point is in respect of the transfers of students which will take place next year. I hope the officials in the Ministry of Education will make proper arrangements for the transfer of students from one school to another. Students should not be posted to schools very far from their homes, otherwise this would result in a greater financial burden on their parents. Third, I wish to refer to the flag-raising ceremony in the morning and in the afternoon which is being performed in the schools. I have noticed over a period of two years that in some schools the students do not take this ceremony seriously. Probably this is due to the failure of the teachers to explain to the students the significance of the flag-raising ceremony. I hope the Ministry officials will look into this matter. Fourth, I wonder whether the Minister for Education will consider introducing a uniform of standard pattern for students of primary and secondary schools.”
“There is an expected increase in the number of teachers and, because of this, there may be a surplus of teachers in some schools. What will become of this surplus of teachers? Some of them are quite old. Will they be retired prematurely? Sir, in some aided-schools, the number of students is decreasing, thereby resulting in the transfer of some teachers to other schools. Is there any policy governing such transfers? Is it on the last-come-first- go basis? To my knowledge, this policy is not being followed. The transfers are being done at the dis cretion of the principals who, if they like the faces of some teachers, retain them. Some teachers are transferred because they are not liked by the principals. Mr Yeoh Ghim Seng (Joo Chiat): Sir, I wish to appeal to the Minister for Education to abolish the Saturday classes for the English stream. As far as I can make out, the school children go to Saturday classes about twice a month for reasons unknown to me. They deserve our sympathy. I cannot somehow get the impression that the children profit in any way by going to Saturday classes. Sending poor children to Saturday classes is an item of considerable expense to poor parents and it is also a waste of time not only to the school children but also to the teachers.”
“Sir, in my view, the vote allocated to the Ministry of Education is substantial and adequate. Even with the increase in defence expenditure amounting to $375 million, the Ministry of Education still ranks second in total expenditure. This means that we are paying equal attention to education and are able to train our youths for various jobs. This is the proper course that we should take. There are very few countries in Asia which have a high rate of literacy. We have almost wiped out illiteracy amongst our population. In 1960, we switched our attention to technical education and we are also aiming at turning out people who are rugged and patriotic. In this respect, I wish to raise several points. Firstly, I wish to talk on technical education. Most of the Secondary I and II students will come under the technical education scheme. But, as far as I know, there are not enough teachers who are able to teach technical subjects. I do not know how the Minister for Education proposes to deal with the shortage of technical teachers. Secondly, some 50 to 60 Government-aided schools in the Chinese stream will be using English as the medium of instruction in Mathematics and science subjects. What arrangements will be made for the teachers required in this respect? Are the existing teachers competent to teach their students in the second language all of a sudden? There may not be any problem for Primary I and II. But from Primary III onwards, I think the teachers should be retrained for the purpose, and such retraining should start immediately so that they will be able to teach the higher classes. The next point concerns the use of English in the teaching of Mathematics and Science in Chinese Government-aided schools.”
“Sir, we have received many complaints from the people on this problem and I would like to inform the Minister of some of their hardships and complaints. [Laughter] This is not a laughing matter. Many applications for citizenship have been rejected without sufficient reasons being given. I can give an example to prove this. There is a woman who is an owner of a small shop. She has been running this shop for more than 20 years and her sons were born in this country. They have graduated from Nanyang University and are now working as teachers, When this woman applied for citizenship, her application was rejected. According to the Minister, only those people who can make contributions to our economy will have their applications approved. In fact, this woman has made a contribution to our economy. Therefore, her application should be considered and approved by the Minister. Another example is that of a father whose children are all citizens, except one son who was born outside Singapore. When he applied for citizenship for this son, he was informed that his son was a minor because he had not attained 21 years of age. He submitted the application when his son was 19 years old, but until now the application has not been approved. This is very unreasonable. Therefore, I agree with what the Member for Delta has said that an advisory committee should he set up to help solve the problems of applicants for citizenship.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I am not satisfied with the explanation given by the Parliamentary Secretary. I have received many complaints regarding this matter from the people. They have gone through stresses and strains caused by the officials and something should be done about it. The people have spent a lot of money and time trying to remedy the situation caused by the officials' bad handling of the matter. They have gone through a lot of unnecessary trouble. I agree that it is fair and reasonable to continue to charge a rate of $6 a year after repairs have been carried out to attap houses, but I think the Government should follow the principle by carrying out the job. However, although I have said I am not satisfied with the explanation of the Parliamentary Secretary, I beg leave to withdraw the amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. The following amendment stood in the name of Mr P. Govindaswamy - (5) That the sum to be allocated for Head 0406 be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead 1191.”
“The officials would treat them as plank or wooden houses. This is not reasonable because when a house is in a dilapidated condition it has to be repaired. Without repairs how can people go on living in dilapidated attap houses?”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head 0406 be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead 1101. Sir, this concerns the over-taxation of properties in the rural areas. The Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Finance told us just now that the Gov ernment practises socialism, that is, the rich people should pay more tax and the poor people should pay less tax. The officials of the department concerned should understand this principle. Many people in the rural areas have complained to me that the taxes they pay to the Government are far too high. Let me quote an example. A house with four rooms is assessed at $1,000 a year and 16 per cent of this is $160. So the owner has to pay more than $10 monthly. Compare this rate of assessment with that of a three-room Housing and Development Board flat, which is about $13 to $14 per month. I think the officials in the department have not been very careful when assessing the values of these houses in the rural areas. They merely make arbitrary assessments. As a result, inconvenience is caused to the people who have to run around looking for Members of Parliament to write letters for them requesting for a reduction in the assessment. Some of these requests were acceded to, but only after repeated attempts had been made. I hope the officials in the department will understand the principle of taxation of our Government. When dealing with poor people in the rural areas, they should be more considerate and understanding. It is provided that the owner of an attap house has to pay $6 a year, but some of these attap houses have crumbling roofs and walls due to old age and therefore in need of repairs and renovations. But after renovation these houses were no longer treated as attap houses.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, before I withdraw my amendment, I must thank the Finance Minister for having given us such a detailed reply. I agree with his suggestion to form a consumers' association. I suppose he can become the first president of the association! I beg leave to withdraw. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. 4.15 p.m.”
“I have here some samples of match-boxes. They have an elephant as a trade mark. 3.45 p.m. One match-box is produced abroad and the other is produced locally. There are ten small match-boxes in a packet. A local packet of match-boxes, each containing 48 matches, costs 50 cents. An imported packet of match-boxes, each containing 62 matches, costs 60 -cents. The locally-produced match-boxes are not taxed, whereas there is a tariff on imported match-boxes. This means that the people are cheated in the price of locally-produced match-boxes. That is why some people buy cheaper matchboxes and goods that are made in China. Therefore, Mr Speaker, Sir, a committee should be set up to look into the prices of various goods, especially those produced locally, with a view to imposing some sort of control over them. How can we expect to encourage the people to buy local goods which are more expensive than imported goods?”
“I hope that members of the committee will also include representatives from the Citizens' Con sultative Committees so that they may present their recommendations to the Minister after having duly considered the various problems connected with this subject. Mr Speaker, Sir, when the pound .sterling was devalued, the expectation was that it should not have affected the prices of our goods, but because of the procedure in exchange, merchants were able to make profits out of it. In the end, goods which cost 15 cents were charged at 20 cents because the merchants said that it was difficult to give an additional three cents change. Thus, the prices of goods were increased. To people with a good income, this does not present any problem, but those in the lower income group would have to bear the added burden. Before the Minister for Finance announced the Budget for the ensuing financial year, he did mention that Singapore would not have a painless Budget in the coming financial year. Because of this, the people were worried and there were rumours that taxes would be levied on refrigerators, television sets, etc. In order to avoid paying additional taxes, the people rushed to buy these goods so that the Government might incur the losses in the end. I think the Trade Division has not been properly controlled. That is why such an incident has happened. Therefore, a committee is very necessary to resolve problems concerning the prices of goods. Another point to which the Minister for Finance should pay attention is this. I have found out that many of our local goods are more expensive than the imported goods. Being produced locally, the goods are exempted from certain taxes and therefore they should be cheaper. I can give a very simple example.”
“I hope the authorities concerned will remind the people to change notes or coins in the old currency before 16th January, 1969, in order to avoid any losses. The third point concerns the question of unemployment. According to information supplied by the Ministry of Labour, the unemployment figure now stands at 60,000. After the British military withdrawal, it will be between 20,000 and 30,000. Since our Minister for Finance is an expert in economics, I think he can think of a solution to resolve this problem, such as by developing the agricultural areas, the opening up of available land for this purpose and the building of fish ponds. Another problem touches on the question of imports exceeding exports. I think we are all worried about this. There are also currency problems besetting other countries, such as the French currency crisis and the pressure on the American dollar. These problems are mainly due to the imbalance of trade. At the moment, we have a deficit of $960 million, although our total trade amounts to $6,720 million. If we have a deficit running into hundreds of millions of dollars, it may in the end lead to a currency crisis. I hope the Minister will think of a solution to resolve this problem. Madam Chan Choy Siong (Delta)(In Mandarin): Mr Speaker, Sir, I would like to touch upon the matters which have already been mentioned by the Member for Sembawang just now, one of which being the increase in the prices of goods. I support the Member for Sembawang on this matter because the prices of goods have been fluctuating according to the economic situation. In order to resolve this problem, a com mittee should be set up to look into the prices of goods.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head 0401 be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead 1001*. *The same amendment also stood in the name of Madam Chan Choy Siong. Undoubtedly, the Ministry of Finance has played a very important part in the building of our country. For instance, the Ministry has formulated two industrial projects which have attracted many foreign investors to set up factories here and thereby create more employ ment opportunities for our workers. The stability of our currency has also been maintained, and our people have confidence in it. This contributes to social stability and economic well-being. At yesterday's sitting, the Member for River Valley and other Members spoke about the increased cost of living. I think this question needs our special attention because in the past few years there have been many changes in the prices of goods. I would ask the Minister whether he will set up a Prices Committee comprising Members of Parliament who can represent the people of the various constituencies, because they are in close contact with them and know the prices of goods very well, and officials from the Ministry of Finance as well as representatives from industrial and commercial circles. The Committee can gather material and data on the prices of goods. Thus, on the one hand, the Committee can prevent an increase in the prices of goods and, on the other hand, it can give information on the cost of living and the prices of various goods and also think of a method to impose control on prices. The next point I wish to deal with is currency. The old currencies will no longer be used with effect from 16th January, 1969.”
“No. I was just talking. HOUSES ON RENTED LAND (Approval of plans for major repairs) 8. Mr Tay Boon Too asked the Minister for Law and National Development if he will take steps whereby owners of houses, which are on rented land and which are in a dilapidated condition, may obtain the approval of the Chief Building Surveyor of their plans to carry out major repairs which may amount to reconstruction of their houses without having to obtain the permission of the landowner.”
“I am quite satisfied with the Minister's reply because the development”
“In my view, the people have already shown that they understand the significance of defence and have given the Government positive support by responding to the call for National Service and the National Defence Fund. Therefore, if anybody should say that it is a wrong policy to establish our own defence, then they are, in my view, either short sighted or have some axe to grind. We should not endorse this pessimistic capitulation. Sir, from next year, great emphasis will be placed on technical and vocational education. This will mean a great reform in our educational system. This reform is undoubtedly necessary because only then will we be able to meet the increasing demand for technical per sonnel in industrial expansion. Although some restrictions have been imposed on the expenditure for health and social services, we have enough resources to look after the welfare of the people. Sir, in short, the Budget can be described as rational and fine. It is based on sound principles, and also at a time when our country is undergoing changes, it does not increase the burden of the people. At the same time, it has also created a better atmosphere for economic expansion and to attract foreign investment. Our people have every reason to expect that 1969 will be a better year. Sir, I fully support the Budget of the Government. 4.55 p.m.”
“We can see that Singapore is rapidly becoming an important industrial country in this region. It is also noteworthy that we have an even more rapid expansion in our ship- building industry. This new industry not only earns a great deal of foreign exchange for our country, but also provides many employment opportunities for our people. We have already converted the Sembawang Naval ease into a shipbuilding yard capable of absorbing over 3.000 ex-civilian employees from the British establishment. This is a clear indication of the Will and capacity of the Government. As the Member for Sembawang, I wish to congratulate the Government on its success in converting the Naval Base to civilian use. Mr Speaker, Sir, the defence expenditure for next year comes to $337.5 million, which is more than 33 per cent of our total expenditure of about $1,024.89 million. In spite of this, there has been no substantial increase in the taxes, and for this, we must pay a tribute to our Minister for Finance. In fact, we need only have about $117.3 million in cash to pay for all this expenditure. The sum of $156.3 million for the purchase of military equipment is on credit terms and we can also obtain a sum of $63.9 million from the United Kingdom Defence Aid funds. But I would like to ask the Minister for Finance about the �50 million of aid promised by the British Government. I hope the Minister can give more details on this matter. As Singapore is a newly independent country, it is necessary for us to establish a suitable defence system, because without it there will be no security. What is the reaction of our people to this important problem?”
“To impose taxes on imported garments is, therefore, not wise since the Minister can obtain revenue from other sources, such as increased taxes on expensive liquor, cosmetics and other luxury goods. There is another point which I do not understand. Why does the Minister not impose taxes on garments made of fur? In my opinion, these garments should be taxed because it is only the wealthy people who can afford to buy them, and it is right that they should make some contribution to our defence. Mr Speaker, Sir, it is gratifying to note that notwithstanding the substantial increase in defence expenditure, no cut has been made in the expenditure on rural development for which the sum of $2,215,000 has been allocated. This shows the Government's concern for the welfare of the rural people. This is in keeping with our Party's objective of establishing a more just and equal society and it is therefore praiseworthy. The next point I wish to deal with is our economic growth. I will quote some figures given by the Minister for Finance. He said that our economic growth is still in good shape. For example, in terms of total investment, we have $606 million, which is an increase of 17 per cent. In the first nine months of this year the total trade figure was $6,720 million, representing an increase of 14.5 per cent. In the first six months of this year there were 174 pioneer firms in production, an increase of 47 firms over last year. We have a total fixed investment of $436 million, an increase of 19 per cent, and in terms of total industrial production we have $472 million, which is an increase of64 per cent. These pioneer industries employ 18,780 workers, an increase of 5,380 over last year. At the same time, 56 new factories are being constructed.”
“They will pay about $1 a month in tax. Forty-three per cent are consumers whose bills exceed $20; they are well-to-do. They have radio and television sets, refrigerators and other modern appliances. Therefore, it is not unreasonable to ask them to make some contribution to our defence expenditure. As regards the tax on telephone bills, the poor people will not be affected. Only wealthy people can afford to install telephones in their houses. Therefore, it is not unreasonable to ask them to pay $27 additional tax a year. As for users of business telephones, it is within their means to pay $37.50 per line per year. It is questionable whether a tax should be levied on imported made-up garments, because most of these imported garments are bought by the lower income group. They are not only cheaper than the locally- manufactured garments, but they are also of good quality. As they are cheap, they should not be taxed. As the Government has levied a 15 per cent import duty on made-up garments, their prices have increased, and this is an added burden on the poor people. Although the Minister has said that we are manufacturing enough for local consumption, from the consumers' point of view, however, they prefer to buy clothing which is not only cheap but also of good quality. There are two reasons why these imported goods are welcomed by the consumers. Firstly, they are cheap and, secondly, they are of good quality and durable. Therefore, if we want our people to use locally-manufactured goods, our manufacturers must raise the standard of their goods and their prices should not be higher than those of the imported goods. Only then can we make locally-manufactured goods attractive to our consumers.”
“Sir, that will be the main theme of my speech. But such rumours were very widespread. However, on the 3rd of this month, the mystery surrounding such rumours was lifted, for on that day the Minister for Finance announced seven tax proposals. They include a tax on P.U.B, bills, a small duty on liquid petroleum gas, a tax on telephone bills and a tax on made-up garments. There will also be changes in three old taxes, namely, a new basis to value a motor vehicle on which the additional registration fee is levied; the revision of stamp duties; and the levy of a fee of two per cent for motor vehicles on transfer of ownership. These tax proposals are mild in nature. They have been able to usher in a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to our people. For these measures, we thank the Minister for Finance. His Budget Statement was well received by people from all walks of life. Although defence expenditure will reach the enormous sum of $337 million, the revenue from new taxes will be $35 million, about 10 per cent of defence expenditure. That is why the people praise the Government for its intelligent and prudent tax proposals. These new taxes are quite fair and in accord with the tenets of democratic socialism. For example, the 10 per cent levy on P.U.B, bills will not affect the lower income group. Under this tax proposal, those whose bills fall between $10 and $20 a month will have to pay five per cent. Those whose bills exceed $20 will have to pay the full rate of 10 per cent. Those whose bills are under $10 are not affected at all. There are about 58,000 consumers whose bills do not exceed $10, which is 25 per cent of the total. The number of consumers whose bills fall between $10 and $20 is 73,000, which is 32 per cent of the total.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, a few months ago the Minister for Finance gave a warning that the Budget for next year would no longer be a painless one. When the warning was given, people from all walks of life were uneasy and anxious. Not only were there fluctuations on the Stock Exchange, but there were also many rumours that taxes would be increased. Some said that the licence fees for radio and television would be increased by a hundred per cent. Others said that driving licence fees would be increased two-fold and that duties on petroleum, tobacco and liquor, and road tax would be increased. Even the duty on daily necessities such as soap, toothpaste”
“Sir, this kind of policy should be praised and commended, but can the Parliamentary Secretary assure us that this same policy will be pursued next year?”
“Mr Speaker, Sir,I will submit particulars of my allegations to the relevant Ministry. CIVIL SERVANTS RESIGNING AFTER SPECIALISED TRAINING ABROAD (Wastage of public funds) 6. Mr L. P. Rodrigo asked the Minister for Finance what measures are in force to prevent a waste of public funds by the resignation of a civil servant who has been sent abroad for further or specialised training at considerable public expense.”
“Sir, members of the public who wished to apply for a certain thing wrote to the departments concerned but the letters were said to have been mislaid. Was this not the negligence of the officers concerned? There are instances where squatters were affected by resettlement. When they applied for resettlement, they were asked to obtain other information. Was this not a case of trying to make matters difficult for the public'?”
“The Minister in charge of Toto may argue that the purpose of Toto is to raise funds for the building of a national sports complex. That, I agree, is a good and proper objective, but the necessary funds should not be raised by means of gambling. I am sure there are better ways of raising the money needed for the building of this national sports complex. If donations for this worthy cause are allowed to be deductible from income tax, I am sure wealthy people, capitalists and commercial firms will donate. So I think we should rely on other means to raise the necessary funds for the completion of the national sports complex, it is improper to rely on Toto for this purpose. I agree with the view of the Member for Delta that Toto should be discontinued. 6.24 p.m.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I am in agreement with the views expressed by the Member for Delta on Toto. I have discussed the subject of Toto with many people and they think that its evils outweigh its advantages. There are four reasons why I support the Member for Delta. First, Toto will affect many families, especially housewives, in the lower income group. They may make use of their market-money and pocket-money and even the savings of their children to indulge in Toto. This will result in a lack of nutritional food for the children, and this is tantamount to maltreating them. Second, the workers will be affected as they will throw away their money on Toto and their take-home pay will be less. They will not be able to make proper use of their wages to help their families. Third, Toto is a bad influence on children and students. Whole families gather before their television sets to see whether the numbers that are drawn have been correctly guessed by them. To teach the people to get something for nothing is wrong and this is very damaging to the spiritual and moral values of the people. Therefore, this is contrary to the policy of building a rugged nation. Fourth, Toto will encourage the cultivation of bad traits in our society. It may even pervade institutions of learning. I remember the Ministry of Education passed a circular forbidding teachers to indulge in Toto. If this trend is allowed to continue, more and more people will not stick to their jobs and they will become gamblers. Mr Speaker. Sir,I am not in any way exaggerating what I have said, because an evil thing, starting in a small way, can grow bigger and bigger. Even cancer starts from the clotting of a tiny cell.”
“Another important aspect is the co-operation of the general masses. It is only when they understand the importance of maintaining hygienic conditions anti comply with health regulations - that is, by not throwing rubbish on to open spaces and into the drains - that we can effectively maintain a high level of public health. Towards this end, the Ministry of Health has decided to launch a nation-wide health campaign in October. This is a very appropriate measure. At the present moment, the most pressing problem is how to destroy mosquitoes and flies. As we know, the reason for the breeding and multiplication of mosquitoes and flies is the existence of stagnant water and the choking of drains. There are two factors which have brought about this situation. First, the inefficiency of the Public Cleansing Department. Second, the indiscriminate throwing of litter by some people. If this is so, we must apply allopathic treatment to hit the nail on its head. First, we must remedy the inefficiency in the Public Cleansing Department. It must maintain its work of steadily and efficiently clearing the drains. Second, we must educate our people to abide by the health regulations and instil in them a sense of civic consciousness. And all this with a view to impressing the tourists, because the first impression of the tourists is the health condition of our people. With regard to hawkers, they must be persuaded to clear their own rubbish after their business is over. In this respect, we hope the hawkers' organisations will come forward and persuade their members to comply with the health regulations. This will very soon make Singapore the cleanest and most beautiful garden city in Southeast Asia in the true sense of the word. In this way, we will have a better reputation in the world.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, as I understand it, the main purpose of the Bill is to destroy harmful insects so as to safeguard the health of our people and thus make Singapore the cleanest city in Asia. I think the introduction of this Bill has a particular significance to the Minister for Health. Only a few days after he took over the reins of office, there occurred several cases of cholera in Singapore. Of course, according to investigations made later, it was discovered that the disease was brought into Singapore from outside. In any case, the occurrence of this disease indicated that, on the one hand, the health of the public was endangered and, on the other, it posed a challenge to our young and energetic Minister for Health to show whether he had the ability to deal with this matter. [Mr Speaker in the Chair] 6.57 p.m. The result showed that our young and energetic Minister for Health had the capacity to deal with this matter, although he is suffering from a cold today! When the cases of cholera came to light, he immediately launched a counter offensive by implementing new health regulations. A nation-wide health campaign was launched. With the full co-operation of all the people of this country, we have officially declared war on all harmful insects. We are determined to exterminate them entirely. The definition of "disease-bearing insect" in this Bill is very extensive. In addition to mosquitoes and flies, it also includes the eggs, larvae and pupae of such insects. The Bill is quite meticulous and thorough. Its aim is to eradicate all sources of harmful insects. No doubt this is praiseworthy. But the question is whether its aims can be achieved. This depends on whether the department charged with the carrying out of this work can do its work efficiently.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I feel that what the Member for Delta has proposed is not quite proper, because today both men and women have equal rights. Both have contributed towards nation building. Therefore, we must not claim special rights or privileges for either women or men. I feel that the proposition by the Member for Delta is not appropriate at the present juncture. I suggest that if there is a Women's Day, there should also be a Men's Day.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I feel that the Holidays (Amendment) Bill introduced by the Minister for Law and National Development is just and fair to all sectional interests or groups. The Member for Delta has suggested the inclusion of another holiday - Women's Day - saying that women are in a less advantageous position. They are really looking down upon themselves. If that is agreed, we can also suggest a Men's Day. Madam Chan Choy Siong(In Mandarin): Mr Speaker, Sir, I remember that in 1957 when the women members of the People's Action Party raised this suggestion for a Women's Day, the Member for Sembawang supported it.”
“The present era is not the time for employers to increase their wealth at the expense of the workers. The employers should treat the employees fairly and, at the same time, the employees should work harder. It is only in this way that we can contribute to our economic development. I support this Bill for all these reasons. 4.29 p.m.”