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 Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.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 the drivers are not good or not careful, many people could be killed. Dr Goh Keng Swee: Mr Speaker, Sir, may I reply very briefly to the Member for Sembawang? If a lad at the age of 18 has no feelings of patriotism when he joins the Army. then it is quite impossible within two years to instil in him any such decent feelings. Therefore, we make no attempt to do so. I think the Member for Sembawang should remember what Lenin said, because he is the master in transforming man's mind. He said if you want to make him a good Communist, you must start on him at the age of six years. As for young men being reluctant to become national service soldiers and not realising the importance of that. I am afraid there is very little choice. If they do not turn up when they are called for national service, then they go to gaol. As for national servicemen having clean living before they join the Army and developing bad habits after that, well, maybe that might have happened. But it is more likely that the parents are not aware what children they have. Reservists are given make-up pay. If there is any inconvenience to the employers, then they can make an application for a deferment of reservist training. As I have said previously in this House, this was fully considered and applications are allowed when a case is made. Now, about good officers and bad officers. The Member for Sembawang has said that an officer who insists that his men are clean and tidy and shine their boots, and so on, is a bad officer. In my view, he is a good officer. Good officers are seldom liked by soldiers. But they are respected and they are obeyed, and you therefore get a good fighting unit.”
“Whoever was to be blamed, the fact remains that this incident took place and it must have been due to some serious cause. What was the cause? Was it because of the incompetent leadership of the officer, or because of his abuse of power, or was it because of the ferocity or viciousness of the soldier concerned? I do not know. I believe all officers should learn something from this incident. I have also heard the reservists talking about life in the camp. They talked about certain officers who impressed them very much, and they have learned something useful from such officers. At the same time, they also talked about the bad behaviour of some officers who used to lose their temper and find fault without any rhyme or reason, and accused them for not polishing their shoes well and dressing properly. The soldiers had to put up with the bossiness of such officers. The leadership of such officers is comparatively less effective. We should not only inculcate patriotism and national consciousness among the rank and file but we should also see that the leadership qualities of the officers are raised so that our national servicemen may be moulded into a good army. Fifthly, many of my colleagues have touched on the numerous traffic accidents involving SAF drivers. There was an accident the day before yesterday. A military truck first knocked down a car and then a lamp post, before it finally crashed into a garden and rammed into another car in the garden. Such an accident is more thrilling and exciting than what we have seen in the films. I would like the Minister to inquire into the cause for the frequent occurrence of such accidents. More care should be taken in selecting the drivers and training them properly.”
“I have received complaints from some parents that the requirement of reservists to undergo one month's training every year has caused great inconvenience to those who are employed or in business, because they had to leave their job or business as there were no adequate substitutes to fill their posts. In order to help these reservists to solve their problems, I would urge the Minister to consider reducing the period of re-training, say, from one month to one week. I do not know what the Minister would think of this suggestion. Fourthly. I would like to touch on the question of raising the leadership qualities of the officers. At the beginning of this year at an Officers' seminar the Minister emphasised that the officers should take on more responsibilities. This was reported in page 3 of the S/n Chew Jit Poh of 23rd January, 1976. The Minister pointed out that as officers they should adopt practical methods to solve various problems and should not pass the buck. The Minister also disclosed that a system is being set up in the Ministry of Defence to evaluate as well as promote the leadership capabilities of the officers and their ability to carry out duties. I fully agree with the Minister in this constructive measure. Only in this way can we be assured that the leadership qualities of the officers will constantly be raised. The officers should exert their authority in leadership and show off an image to be looked upon with respect by the rank and file. In order to achieve this objective the officers should not be capable only of giving orders to their subordinates but should try to be looked upon with esteem by their subordinates. However, a tragic incident occurred in the past in which a soldier killed his superior officer.”
“In addition to military training and learning of discipline, I do not know whether such patriotism and national consciousness form part of their training. Are these values being consistently taught to our national servicemen as part of their training or as a kind of indoctrination? However, from what I have understood up till now, the only two activities are recreation and sports which are popular in the military camps. With regard to subjects like ideological training, I wonder whether such relevant topics are taught to our national servicemen. This is important because it will nurture their patriotism and boost their morale. I have heard criticisms levelled against our national servicemen that they are reluctant to undergo military training and that they are eager to be discharged from the national service. If that is the case, it means that the SAF has not done well in the field of education and that our national servicemen have not realised the significance of national service. I, therefore, hope that the SAF will give due regard to this aspect of their work. The second question is that some national servicemen have been indulging in undesirable habits. I have received such complaints from parents and I have also knowledge of certain cases. It appears that certain boys who had good clean habits before their enlistment quickly took to drinking and smoking as soon as they were drafted into the national service, to the great disappointment of their parents. I hope the Minister would order the SAF to ban drinking and smoking among the national servicemen in the barracks so that they would keep their good and clean habits in and out of the cam PS, Thirdly. I wish to refer to the possible reduction of the period of training for the reservists.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, "That the sum to be allocated for Head K be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead AAA 1105. Sir, I notice that the vote for the Ministry of Defence this year is $650 million, an increase of $10 million over that for last year. Defence takes up the second largest share of expenditure of the whole Government Budget. There is no doubt that it is necessary to allocate a large sum of money for our defence, because we must build up our defence on a sounder and more secure footing. All the basic facilities should be adequate and sophisticated enough to ensure that our defence credibility is satisfactory. In view of this I would like to put forward certain complaints about certain defects which exist in the daily administration in the Singapore Armed Forces so that the Minister could take measures to rectify the shortcomings. Before I do so. I would like to congratulate the Minister on the fact that. over the past year from my contacts with members of the public. I have found that national servicemen and their parents are generally quite satisfied with life in the SAF camps. The bad behaviour of some members of the SAF, for example, whistling at girls on the roadside, has lessened. There were very few such complaints against national servicemen. There is a marked improvement in their discipline. However. I have some questions to ask: The first question relates to what has been done to promote and strengthen the national consciousness and patriotism of our national servicemen. This is an important aspect of our objective because Singapore is a newly independent country. After a decade of independence we have to see that such patriotism and national consciousness are inculcated in our national servicemen.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, in the case of those people who are studying in Singapore, may I ask whether their school leaving certificates. PUB bills, and medical certificates can be accepted as documentary evidence?”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I support this amendment Bill. Although the Constituency Sports Association in my constituency was formed two years ago under the Societies Act, I believe that this amendment Bill will simplify the procedures involved in establishing the Constituency Sports Clubs and sports organisations. I believe this will contribute more effectively towards inter-constituency sports activities. As the Minister has pointed out, this measure would avoid the problem of having to present annual reports and statements of account and to conduct an annual election of office bearers. We know that many officials of the Constituency Sports Associations are also members of Citizens' Consultative Committees and that a number of other officials also belong to other organisations. They are all attached to the Constituency Sports Associations on a part-time basis and they cannot devote too much time to the Associations' activities. Therefore, a simplification of procedures would enable these people to carry out their task more easily. Furthermore, under the amendment Bill, Constituency Sports Associations will be exempted from paying income tax. The funds available would therefore be greater. I believe that this amendment Bill will promote sports more effectively so that our policy of "sports-for-all" will be carried out on a wider scale. Sir, I support this amendment Bill.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I support this amendment Bill. This Bill will look after the interests of our workers better. It is a judicious measure because there is provision for employers to continue to pay their employees more than what is normally paid so long as they do not go against certain restrictions contained in the Act. Sir, this situation is just like what happened in the past. In those days it was the traditional practice of commercial establishments to give extra bonuses to their employees if they had made large profits in the financial year under review. Therefore, if employers want to give their employees more bonuses than normally provided, we should afford them this privilege. In fact, the Minister mentioned in his speech that, provided the employers do not go against the restrictions contained in the Act, they are allowed to give the employees extra bonuses. In this way we can give our workers more benefits, and I certainly will lend my full support to the Bill because it will not only promote better relationship between labour and capital but it also will encourage the workers to work harder to increase productivity. So this is a very good measure. Although there are certain provisions, generally speaking we should support those which are beneficial to the workers. As regards the provision for the training of our young people, this is also a very good measure because our young people will become a new force in our industrial development. From being semi-skilled workers at the end of their training, they will finally become skilled workers able to contribute to our national economy. I feel sure that all parents and guardians will welcome this Bill which provides for the training of young people. 3.24 p.m.”
“Sir, I have only a very short supplementary question. What is the cause of this problem, and has the Ministry of Education made any investigation into it? Why are the pupils found illiterate after leaving school? Furthermore, is it because the teachers are not performing their duties well, or is it because of short-comings in our society or for any other reason? I suggest the Ministry of Education should look into this problem.”
“Sir, I think it is better to say a few words here. It is about the guidance given by the staff of the Economic Development Board on the proposal to set up a textile industry here. If such an enquiry is made to the staff of the EDB, they would say that there are too many textile factories here. The investor would then say, "Please give me the kind of guidance as to what type of industry would be welcome here." The reply would be: "You can make your own assessment as to whether or not there is an international market, and then we will approve your plan." As a matter of fact the staff of the EDB should give guidance as to what types of industry would be more favourably received here, together with certain useful hints. If the applicant has taken several months to draw up a proposed plan and it is not accepted in the end, he will be wasting his time in addition to incurring great inconvenience.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, let me give an example for the information and reference of the Minister.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I fully support this Bill which seeks to provide greater and better tax relief incentives to certain types of industries which help to promote our industrialisation programme. In view of the world economic recession and the fact that its effects are still being felt, and that the Government is trying its best to revive our economic activity, the Economic Development Board has more important tasks to perform. Foreign investments in Singapore have decreased this year, amounting to only one-third of that of last year. This shows that our economic position has been affected. The Economic Development Board, therefore, has the immediate .and urgent task of attracting more foreign investment into Singapore so as to promote our economy and industrialisation programme, thus creating more jobs for our people. In this respect, I would like to raise certain Un-favourable comments on the Economic Development Board for the information of the Minister. I have received certain complaints from foreign investors who wish to invest in Singapore. One complaint is that an applicant normally has to wait for half a year to one year before he receives any reply. This delay in replying will discourage foreign' investors from investing in our local industries. Another complaint is that the staff in the relevant department have not been giving good advice or direction to foreign investors. Perhaps it is due to the lack of commercial knowledge on the part of the public servants concerned. If that is the case, we should train them properly so that they can better handle inquiries from foreign investors. This is a very important aspect of our effort at economic development. Sir, I support this Bill.”
“Sir, if the land area measures 10,000 sq.ft. and there are 20 housing units on it, then if this piece of land is subdivided into 20 parts, it will be wasted. If certain owners do not want to rebuild their flats on this piece of land and if you subdivide this land into 20 lots, it will be a waste.”
“Sir, the Minister has said that the land which is developed by condominium housing belongs to the owners of the houses or flats on this property. My question is: if a block of flats has to be pulled down and rebuilt, what happens if certain owners of the flats are unable to rebuild, although they still have their share of the land? What is the position of such flat owners?”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I would like the Minister to clarify a few points. The Bill provides that condominium land is common property. In other words, it is land commonly owned by the owners of the houses. However, if the buildings in this condominium estate have to be rebuilt, will this condominium land still belong to the owners of the housing units? In other words, if there is rebuilding on this site and if the owner of a flat on this condominium property is unable to carry out the rebuilding of his flat, what will happen to him?”
“I hope the Minister will look into this matter.”
“Let me quote an example. In a certain worksite, certain parts of the land have subsided because of the piling work, causing potholes here and there. One day a Public Health Inspector visited this worksite to carry out an inspection. He saw these potholes and told the foreman whether or not he was aware that it was an offence to leave such potholes in the worksite. The foreman was surprised and asked the Inspector, "What law have I broken?" The Inspector replied, "You have allowed mosquitoes to breed in such potholes." The foreman was even more surprised and asked him, "There are no mosquitoes in these potholes. There is no water in them." The Inspector said, "Stupid. These potholes will collect water when it rains, and therefore mosquitoes , will breed in them. Do you not understand this? Therefore, you must fill them up." The foreman replied that whenever there was piling work there would inevitably be potholes. Nevertheless the Inspector told him to fill up the potholes, otherwise he would issue a summons. The foreman was helpless. The Inspectors from the Public Health Division should not be arrogant. They should be impartial in their attitude so as to gain the cooperation of the people in helping to maintain a healthy environment. I would like to bring up another matter to the Minister. In my constituency there is a big swampy land along 14 m.s. This swampy land has all along been used as a rubbish dump by people in the surrounding areas. Because of the narrowness of the watercourse, dirty water cannot flow out into the big river, thus causing the water to stagnate. Residents there often complain of mosquito breeding in that place. Now that we have this Bill, the authorities will be in a better position to cope with public health and the environment of the people.”
“Sir, I support this Bill. This Bill is designed to control the pollution of water and to maintain the cleanliness of the drainage and sewerage systems. This Bill has much to do with my constituency because Sembawang is bounded by the sea. Hence the Bill will preserve the cleanliness of the watercourses in my constituency so that we will have a cleaner and healthier living environment. We know that the Government is allocating millions of dollars every year for the construction of drainage and sewerage systems. Hence many roads have been dug for the purpose, thus causing obstruction to traffic. But for the long-term interest of the country, such inconveniences should be put up with. All along the Government has been paying great attention to public health. In the past few years there have been several nation-wide campaigns to promote public cleanliness and public health. However, recently there was an epidemic of conjunctivitis. We have also heard of outbreaks of typhoid and other diseases. All these diseases were brought about because of the unhealthy environment and the spreading of germs. Therefore, the Public Health Division should be more concerned with the maintenance of a hygienic environment. I have also received complaints that there has been an increase in the number of cases of mosquito breeding, particularly on vacant plots of land. This brings about all kinds of diseases to the people. So Health Inspectors should be more effective in their work. We used to see them spraying insecticides on certain places. However, this practice seems to have stopped and this could be the reason for the increased breeding of mosquitoes. Some people have complained that the Inspectors from the Public Health Division are very arrogant and fault-finding.”
“Mr Speaker, the answer given by the Minister is very satisfactory. On behalf of my constituents, I would like to thank the Minister.”
“So it would be proper for the PWD to widen the roads instead of planting trees along the sides, which worsens the traffic congestion. Planting trees at random without proper or advance planning is a sheer waste of public money because tree planting costs a lot of money. One tree can cost several hundred dollars if a contractor were to do it. This is a waste of public funds and is not justified. So I would urge the Minister to give careful consideration in advance before planting any more trees. Another matter relates to a strange complaint which I have received. This is the case of a private landowner who wanted to develop his land, but there stood in the way a big tree several decades old. The developer applied for permission to cut it down. The authorities concerned said that the tree could not be cut down because it is under the protection of the law. The landowner feels that there is no reason for the authorities to deny him permission to fell the tree which stands in his own private land. I therefore hope that the Minister will look into this complaint too.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I support the Bill, the purpose of which is to promote the planting and protection of trees and flowers in order to make Singapore a garden city. Over the past few years the Government has observed one day in the year as the national "Tree Planting Day" to encourage people to plant more trees and shrubs in order to beautify our environment in the concept of a Garden City. Sir, the people in my constituency have been supporting this campaign every year. On "Tree Planting Day" hundreds of people of different races would turn up voluntarily to take part in tree planting. Thus they have not only shown enthusiasm in their support of the annual Tree Planting Day, but they have also in their daily life been actively promoting this concept by planting trees and shrubs on empty plots around their shophouses or houses to beautify and uplift the environment. Sir, the Parks and Recreation Division under the Ministry of National Development has contributed a lot towards achieving the objective of beautifying our environment. For instance, the stretch of land along the east coast from Tanjong Rhu to Bedok is being developed into a public seaside park. This is being developed into a first class public resort of international standard even for tourists. But as regards tree planting at other places there are certain shortcomings. For instance, along Bras Basah Road and Robinson Road the PWD has planted trees along that side of the road which originally was a pedestrian walk. I think this is not quite right because the roads are already quite narrow and in view of the traffic congestion along these roads, the demand for road space is very urgent.”
“Point of clarification, Sir,I disagree with the Minister's statement that my suggestion is not practical. Every school has its own uniform for its students. The ratio of students to teachers is in the region of 30: 1. The number of teachers is very small. So it is not too difficult if we ask the teachers to put on their own uniforms. And if the Ministry can allocate funds for uniforms, it will be more welcome.”
“Point of clarification, Sir,I would like to correct one point. When I quoted the case of long hair, I was referring to the Singapore Polytechnic. The Minister talked about the problem of what is long hair and what is not. I think we should have a standard, and the Minister's hair-length is a good standard to follow.”
“Since doctors and nurses wear uniforms why not make teachers wear uniforms? Uniforms will not only be pleasant to look at but they also give a dignified appearance to the teaching profession. Sir, the next point is that in the Polytechnic there are students who keep long hair. They even attend classes in slippers. What manner of behaviour is this? I would like the Minister to immediately look into this matter and take steps to rectify this situation.”
“Sir, under this amendment, I would like to ask the Minister two questions. One, would the Minister consider building an auditorium for the Naval Base Secondary School? According to my understanding, this school has more than 2,000 students. It is a school of considerable size, but what is surprising is that it has no school hall at all. This is very regrettable. We know that the Ministry of Education is promoting extramural activities and encouraging students to take part in uniformed group activities, such as school band, dancing, singing, choir, and so on. In this way, the extramural activities of the students can be enriched. But, unfortunately, the Naval Base Secondary School has no school hall. The teachers responsible for dancing and singing are not able to conduct such activities in a proper place. It is also impossible for the school to hold any performances or shows in the school itself. I would therefore like to ask whether the Minister has any plans to build a school hail for the Naval Base Secondary School. My next point is that I have heard some remarks from teachers and members of the public and parents to the effect that something is wrong with our secondary schools. To be more specific, Sir, it has been noticed that many secondary school students are sporting long hair. This is a very bad impression. Some teachers themselves are not behaving in the proper manner. Some female teachers like to wear very colourful or thin and revealing dresses. In the case of some male teachers, they attire themselves in mod fashion. These teachers are not setting a good example to the students. I would therefore like to ask the Minister concerned to consider the suggestion of requiring the teachers in secondary schools to put on uniforms.”
“(In Mandarin): Sir, in view of the explanation given by the Minister, I beg leave to withdraw. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. 7.00 p.m.”
“Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head V be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead AAA 1105. Sir, in the past one week many Members have criticised against undesirable attitudes of civil servants. Such criticisms are well-intentioned and constructive in nature. The purpose is to help the civil servants to carry out their duty more efficiently. In moving this amendment, I do not seek to criticise their attitude. I would like to fight for the benefits of the civil servants. Since the civil servants are serving the country and the people loyally and faithfully, their welfare should be looked after by the Government. I would like to lodge a complaint to the Minister regarding their Municipal Provident Fund contributions. I understand that on 26th November, 1974, the Ministry of Finance issued a circular to the effect that up to 31-12-74 members of the MPF could opt for conversion to the Central Provident Fund scheme. Most of the civil servants opted for the CPF scheme. Under this scheme, the members' contributions will be credited into their accounts in the POSB. These contributions in the POSB will then earn interest as from 1st January, 1975. However, the Ministry of Finance has not yet paid their MPF contributions into their POSB accounts. I wonder when will their monies be paid into their respective POSB accounts. I hope that this matter of conversion and the payment of monies into their POSB accounts could be expedited. As a result of the delay in crediting their POSB accounts, many civil servants have lost a large sum of interest. I would also like to ask the Minister whether their contributions will earn interest as from 1-1-75.”
“Sir, I thank the Minister for his explanation and I beg leave to withdraw the amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.”
“Oddly enough, this office only deals with non-dutiable goods. For dutiable goods one has to go to the main Customs Office to pay the duty. Therefore, many industrialists find it troublesome and inconvenient to do so, particularly so in view of the traffic problem. Since there is a Customs Branch Office in Jurong, it should be given the power to levy taxes on dutiable goods as well. There are about 500 to 600 factories in Jurong and this Customs Office in Jurong should provide such services for their convenience. Mr Ang Nam Piau (Thomson): Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I suppose it is our Government's policy to recruit preferably Singapore citizens, wherever possible, into our civil service. In this connection, I would like to ask the Minister for Finance the following questions: 1. What is the total number of Divisions I and II officers in the civil service as at the end of February 1975? 2. How many of these officers are non-Singapore citizens? 3. What steps, if any, are taken or will be taken by the Government to grant Singapore citizenship to non-Singapore citizens officers? 4. Will the Minister for Finance set a target date for the civil service to be completely staffed by Singapore citizens?”
“This has been a vexing problem to them because the Land Office has adopted delaying tactics in considering their applications. It invariably happens that when a buyer and seller have entered into an agreement and after payment is made, the Land Office then informs the buyer that his application has been rejected. Thus, he will have to engage a lawyer to get a refund of his money. This is another depressing effect on the confidence of foreign investors to invest and reside here. I hope the Minister will take measures to remedy this situation, Finally, I would like to put forward three questions to the Minister. Firstly, how is the Finance Ministry going to encourage and subsidise our export trade? What kind of industrial or commercial enterprises will benefit from such subsidies? Secondly, will there be a further relaxation on the supply of money in order to encourage and stimulate our economy, in particular, the construction industry? Thirdly, on 17th March, 1975, when I took part in the Budget debate I mentioned about some difficulties faced by the timber industry. One of the reasons given was that the Timber Export Industry Board was not efficient. The Minister then answered that he would take note of this. I do not know whether an investigation has since been carried out or not. I also mentioned the great need to promote our timber export and wood-processing industry. Since the Minister has once again emphasised the need for diversification of our economy, he should pay more attention to this industry and ensure that plans are being made to develop this particular industry which has great profit potential. I would like to ask the Minister another question. I wonder whether he knows anything about the Customs Branch Office in Jurong.”
“7 million is in respect of loans to the business community for their development, which is very good. I would like to know what kind of business enterprises will benefit from these loans and what contribution will they make towards our economic development, and how many jobs will be created for our people. Sir, although the Finance Ministry has spared no effort to stimulate our economy and to attract foreign investment, according to the business circle, there was a big drop in foreign investment last year. What are the reasons for this drop? One of the main reasons may be due to the world recessionary trends. However, apart from this, we also have to take a closer look at our investment policy to see whether there are any shortcomings. If there are, we must take steps to remedy them in order to consolidate our economy. The consensus of the business community is that there have been some shortcomings in the Economic Development Board's policies. These act as an impediment to foreign investment. For example, no proper guidance has been given to the would-be investors. They have not been told of the kind of industries suitable to promote in Singapore. In addition, there has been undue delay in processing the applications. It takes at least a year to process an application. Sometimes there is a delay of two to three years before it is approved, and during this period the investors do not know what to do. This has become a wet blanket over the enthusiasm of would-be investors. If we are to continue to attract foreign investment, something must be done to remedy such a situation. Sir, another complaint relates to the difficulties faced by foreign investors in the purchase of residential properties.”
“Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head V be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead AAA l004*. (*The same amendment also stood in the names of Messrs Ang Nam Piau, L. P.Rodrigo and P. Govindaswamy.). Sir, when the Minister for Finance delivered his Budget speech on 3rd March, 1975, he emphasised the need to introduce various measures to counter economic recession. However, in implementing these measures we have to keep them in line with our long term policies. We have to make use of our current slack period to prepare for a complete economic recovery. Sir, this shows that the Government has made judicious and adequate preparation to meet the present economic recession. Sir, in fact, we have seen that in order to counter and mitigate the impact of recessionary trends on our business community, the Government has started to readjust and formulate new economic policies in the last quarter of 1974. These include the setting up of the Economic Activation Committee to formulate new policies and strategies for economic development, the reorganisation of the Economic Development Board to enhance its efficiency, the setting of an Export Council to help businessmen to find new markets abroad for our manufactured goods, and the setting up of a Foreign Exchange Markets Committee to raise the effectiveness of our financial institutions as well as measures to relax credit squeeze and the partial lifting of restrictions on the purchase of properties by foreign investors. All these measures are aimed at stimulating economic activity in our country. They are all very excellent measures. The provision for the current year for the Ministry of Finance is $707 million, representing 40% increase over last year. Out of this sum $281.”
“In view of the Minister's very clear answer, I beg leave to withdraw my amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.”
“Sir, I am very glad to hear from the Minister that the number of applications approved has been increasing from year to year. I know there has been some progress made in the processing of applications for citizenship. But what about those who have been rejected? There are about 6,000 to 7,000 rejected applications over the years. I wonder whether the Ministry concerned will give more sympathetic consideration henceforth.”
“I would, therefore, ask the Minister to give special consideration to cases of this nature.”
“I would like to give one example of this case for the careful consideration of the Minister. In this particular case, the applicant is an expert in ballet dancing. He is a permanent resident of Singapore. He went overseas after completing his secondary education. He obtained a diploma from a school in London and is a member of the London Institute of Choreography. He has also participated in various international performances and returned to Singapore in 1972 in the hope of contributing what he has learnt. 5.30 p.m. During his stay in Singapore for three years, he participated in charitable performances in the National Theatre and conducted ballet classes in the various community centres to develop talents. In considering the granting of citizenship to people who make an economic contribution to Singapore, we must also consider those who make artistic or cultural contributions to Singapore. It is only in this way that talents in the cultural field will be able to develop in Singapore. This particular artiste I mentioned has applied for citizenship two years ago but his application is still under consideration. I would therefore ask the Minister to look into this matter. There are also cases of old people who have applied for citizenship. They have grown-up children who are quite successful in their business. One such applicant has a son who is a medical specialist working in the General Hospital. This applicant has waited for two years but the only reply he received was that his application has been turned down. Surely there is no harm in granting citizenship to this applicant because all his children are now independent and in a position to support and maintain him. So granting citizenship to him will not add to the economic burden of our State.”
“Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head U be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead HAA 1111*. (*The same amendment also stood in the name of Mr P. Govindaswamy.). Sir, the problem of citizenship is still one that bedevils many people in Singapore. In my constituency during my Meet-the-People sessions every week, I receive a lot of complaints from various people about the delay in dealing with such applications over the past few years. Many of them have waited for many a year and some of them have repeatedly made applications without success. They are very worried and concerned. Sir, I have analysed their circumstances, their family backgrounds, their income, their occupations and the number of people in their families. From what I have gathered, these applicants generally have an income of at least $400 per month. Their occupations range from workers and technicians in the shipbuilding industry to hawkers, taxi drivers and other occupations. Most of the other members in their families are local citizens, or they have children born in Singapore and who are citizens of Singapore. There may be exceptional cases where one or two members of the family are non-citizens. Many of them pay income tax and they contribute a great deal towards our country. Therefore, we should give sympathetic consideration to citizenship applications from such people so that they will be able to make greater contributions to Singapore. Sir, the Minister has said repeatedly in this House that those who contribute to our country in one way or other will be given consideration for citizenship. I endorse this view, it is, therefore, my hope that the Minister will consider granting citizenship to those who contribute to the arts in Singapore.”
“Sir, I beg leave to withdraw the amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.”
“Sir, the Parliamentary Secretary has only given us an account of the rates of allowances. He has not replied to my question as to whether the allowances will be increased.”
“This is why his allowance is not enough. If a VC member could work more hours or take up other jobs, he would be given more allowance. So I hope the Ministry concerned can increase the allowance to VC members in order to raise their morale.”
“Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head U be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead EAA 1111. Sir, over the past year the Vigilante Corps has shown good performance. Since the organisation of the Community Security Force, the VC has made an even better contribution to the community. The most important function of the VC is to perform beat patrols in HDB estates, kampung areas, and other areas that need such patrols. This greatly contributes to the maintenance of security and the suppression of crime. Therefore, this performance receives the praise of all the people. Sir, the Vigilante Corps has a glorious history behind it. Members of the Corps have sacrificed much time and effort in the task of maintaining security in the community and the maintenance of law and order. On the introduction of national service the VC membership increased with the addition of volunteers so that the number of regular VC personnel could be reduced. However, there are still thousands of volunteer VC members on patrol beats maintaining security and law and order in the community. They have contributed their time and effort in the service of our country. All this effort is worth our praise. However, I would like to raise the matter of allowances paid to VC members. According to the present scheme, the allowance is too little. A VC member gets 60 cents for an hour's service and a leader 85 cents per hour. This is very insignificant. Everything has in-creased in price. In the past, the bus fare was 5 cents to 20 cents per trip, but now it is at least 20 cents. Laundry was 20 cents to 50 cents per piece, but now it is at least 50 cents. When a member turns up for duty, he spends on petrol or bus fares. If he takes snacks or drinks it comes up to $3 or $4 per night.”
“Sir, I would like to ask the Minister to clarify the matter of replacement of old identity cards with new laminated ones. Just now he told the House that the old identity card was invalidated after 31st January. 1967. I would like to ask him this. TI local people who had lived abroad and were not aware of this regulation were to return after that date, would the Ministry concerned consider their cases sympathetically?”
“The reply was that she had to wait for some time. This shows that there is an acute shortage of police personnel in that area. I remember that a few years ago therewas the Lee Soo Ann Committee Report on the salaries of the Police rank and file. I understand certain recommendations in this Report had been implemented. However, up till now certain posts in the Police Force have still not been filled. Why is this so? I would like to ask the Minister what remedial measures he intends to take. In the President's speech it was mentioned that full-time national service would be introduced for the Police Force in order to relieve the manpower shortage in the Police rank and file. I would like to ask when will this proposal be implemented. There is another question regarding the ranks in the Police Force. I understand the authorities concerned have set up a committee to look into the structure of the ranks of Inspectors and to make recommendations. However, after a considerable lapse of time, there has been no follow-up of that review. I would like to ask the Minister when will the recommendations of the committee be implemented. Why have they not been put into effect? I would like to know the reasons. Several posts have also not been filled up till now. I would like to ask why these posts are still vacant. Is it because the pay is so low that people do not like to apply for these posts?”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, und ably better relations have been established between the Police and the people in the past year. This is because of efforts of the Ministry of Home All in many ways, for instance, the holding of the Annual Police Week and opening of police stations to enable members of the public to see for themselves how the Police work. This should go a long way towards promoting operation and understanding between the people and the Police. However, there are complaints of courtesy and haughtiness among Pc officers. Taxi drivers have complained that certain policemen in patrol cars across their taxis. Sir, this practice not good. There is a speed limit many areas and a police officer should know how to abide by the regulations He drives faster than the speed limit. in order to catch up with a taxi driver only to threaten the taxi driver with the attitude "Do you know who I am?" This is very undesirable. I hope the Minister will take note of this incorrect attitude of the Police officers and take necessary measures to rectify it. It is another matter regarding the shortage of policemen. In one of my Meet-the-People sessions, a female resident in my constituency came to see me. She told me that her husband had gone amok and wanted to beat the children. Her husband had been treated at the Woodbridge Hospital on a few occasions previously but was released only recently. She, therefore, asked me to help her by giving this matter urgent attention in order to avoid any accidents. I telephoned the Chong Pang Police Station and the officer who received the call replied, "Sorry, Sir. At the moment there is only one policeman here. We cannot help you." I asked whether he could send a patrol car to the complainant's home to help her out.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I am grateful to the Member for Telok Blangah for moving this amendment. I share the sentiments expressed by him because with the expansion of Sembawang Shipyard, and other industrial projects the existing road is too narrow and it is not able to cope with the traffic during the peak hours in the morning or in the evening, resulting in congestion. The Member for Serangoon Gardens and the Member for Telok Blangah live in my constituency. They personally experience such traffic congestion when they go to work in the morning and return in the evening. The traffic congestion has become more and more serious. I would also like to support the suggestion put forward by the Member for Telok Blangah to widen he road in order to cope with tile traffic.”
“(In Mandarin): Sir, I would like to thank the Parliamentary Secretary for his explanation. I beg leave to withdraw the amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.”
“I would like the Minister to take note of malpractices among the contractors and see that the roads built by the contractors are strictly supervised. 3.45 p.m. Secondly, we find that the roads built by the national servicemen last longer than those built by the contractors. This goes to show that the roads built by national servicemen and villagers are more durable, and every cent spent is worth it. Moreover, the expenditure incurred is lower, and is therefore cheaper than roads built by contractors. If we allow the national servicemen to carry out road construction, then we can save half of the expenditure because the other half goes to the wages of the labourers. So I would like to ask the Minister to encourage more national servicemen to engage in road construction. Firstly, they are more lasting and, secondly, we can save money.”
“Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head S be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead CAA 8104. Mr Speaker, Sir, this amendment refers to the Urban and Rural Services Committee. The Urban and Rural Services Committee has achieved quite a lot in the past few years. It has provided a lot of services and amenities for the rural people and has also helped in the development of the rural areas. Many roads, street lights, drains and water supply have been provided in the rural areas. ,All these have brought benefits and convenience to the rural people. However, in the last one or two years the allocation for Urban and Rural Services has been reduced drastically. For the current year the provision is increased by about $200,000 only. This is insufficient to meet the demands of the rural areas. In the past few years many roads in the rural areas have been metalled, streets lights installed, drains constructed and water supplied. But only half of the rural areas has been provided with these amenities. The other half of the rural areas still lacks these modern facilities. The Government should allocate more funds for development work to be carried out in the second half of the rural areas. I would like to ask two further questions. Firstly, we find that many roads in the rural areas deteriorate very fast. In other words, many potholes appear on the surface of the roads in, I think, less than six months after construction. Is it because the authorities concerned have not exercised strict supervision on the contractors engaged in building the roads? Do the contractors indulge in malpractices when building roads? It is a waste of public funds.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I do not wish to join in the argument on the use of this term.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I would like to take this opportunity to speak on the problems of pig farmers. In the past, the Primary Production Department did quite a great deal for the pig and poultry farmers. For example, the Primary Production Department provided inoculations for the chickens in order to develop the poultry industry. But I understand that this service has stopped recently. I do not know the reason. I feel that inoculation of chickens should continue to be provided to help our poultry farmers. Moreover, the Department should also continue to provide assistance in methods of increasing production and higher egg yields so as to meet local consumption needs. I would like to ask two questions in this regard. Firstly, the pig farmers in Chua Chu Kang are being resettled in Punggol. The process of resettlement will certainly affect the production of pigs. During the transitional period the supply of live pigs to the market will also be affected. In the circumstances I would therefore like to ask the Minister what effective steps are being taken by the Primary Production Department to ensure an adequate supply of pigs in the market during this transitional period'? I would also like to know what steps are being taken to ensure that the price of pork is stabilised in the process. Secondly, Sir, according to my understanding, last year the Primary Production Department planned to set up an enterprise for pig farming in the Central Experimental Station in Sembawang. Now that a year has passed, I would like to know what progress has been made. Can the Minister enlighten this House as to when will this enterprise for pig farming be operational and when will it be able to supply the market?”