Teong Eng Siong
Singapore
“Sir, on a point of order. (In Mandarin) Sir, just now the Minister said that by suggesting the granting of citizenship to these people I would be inviting competition because they would then be allowed to apply for hawker licence and HDB flats. I did not say that.”
“Only two? Mr Chua Sian Chin: Two out of 35 from the Land Divisions and 18 from the Radio Division. I think that is sufficient. If the Member is not aware, may I say that we have asked the Management Services Department of the Ministry of Finance to make a recent study into the adequacy of patrol cars on patrol at any one time.”
“Very often on pay days they crowd into the post office and pack up all the space, and the small number of staff would be kept very busy. According to my understanding, the small post office there will soon be receiving payments for PUB bills for the benefit of the people there. Of course, this will be convenient to the residents there.”
“Sir,I have also noticed that roads built under the gotong royong scheme are much better than those built by the contractors. Even after several years of use, these roads are still good.”
“Sir, in view of the Parliamentary Secretary's satisfactory explanation. I beg leave to withdraw my amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. The sum of $159,839,000 for Head O ordered to stand part of the Main Estimates. The sum of $1,213,685,000 for Head O ordered to stand part of the Development Estimates. Head P -”
“Another problem concerns the many HDB flats in certain areas which have not been taken up after allotment and have been left vacant for a long time. There are many such vacant flats in my constituency, for instance. Marsiling (a part of the Woodlands New Town), and I believe the same is true of other housing estates. Why?”
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“Sir, in view of the Parliamentary Secre tary's explanation, I beg leave to withdraw my amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, although the Parliamentary Secretary has given me a very detailed explanation that many voluntary bodies have done a lot to look after the disabled, I think that their services are not sufficient. I have received complaints from parents of disabled and handicapped children that they had to wait for a long time before their handicapped children could get a place in these institutions. I would like to know whether the Ministry can set up institutions to receive these handicapped persons.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head R be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead BEA 1107. Sir, the Social Welfare Department has done quite a lot for the benefit of the people. It has, for example, been giving public assistance to the poor, set up homes for the aged to look after the old and the destitute, set up creches to look after children. All these are very commendable moves and is evidence of the Government's desire to help the people. However, it seems that facilities in the two homes for the aged are not adequate. They are filled to capacity, and prospective occupants are not able to find a place or have to wait for a long time before they can get a place. I would like to ask the Minister whether he would consider setting up another home for the aged to look after the old and destitute people. Another question I would like to ask is whether the Minister would consider setting up a home to look after those who are disabled so that these unfortunate victims can be looked after by the Government.”
“Can I then speak on film censorship under subhead GAA 1111, Sir?”
“Sir, I think I should be able to talk about film censorship under this subhead.”
“One year has passed, and I wonder whether the Minister has made any progress in regard to the proposal to set up a National Symphony Orchestra. I feel that the existence of a National Symphony Orchestra will add to the prestige of Singapore. That would mean that we would be able to develop a lot of local musical talent. (4) Over the past two years our cultural missions to Australia, Russia and Indonesia were very warmly welcomed. The performances of our cultural missions overseas had helped the people there to understand us better. Cultural exchanges were also promoted at the same time. I would therefore like to ask whether there are any such plans this year to send more cultural missions overseas. I feel that such missions are valuable because they promote better understanding and greater friendship between Singapore and the countries visited.”
“I am referring to the planning of local TV productions. If there is a comprehensive plan, then we can systematically develop local talent in this direction and thereafter there will be no lack of such talent. I hope the Minister will, in the coming year, take positive steps to promote the development of local talent. Very often we hear the Minister stressing the need for healthy cultural activities and the need to inculcate cultural consciousness so as to enrich the life of the people. These are very correct and proper objectives, but what is said is one thing. More important is whether such policies are implemented. It is only when action is taken that we can have results. So I would like to ask the Minister these questions: (1) Has the Minister any concrete plans in the coming year for the promotion of healthy cultural activities? (2) At the moment there are quite a lot of comics and picture books flooding the market and roadside stalls. I notice that such picture books of fantastic stories of demons and fairies are displayed for sale everywhere in Singapore. These take up a lot of time of our young people, particularly those in the primary schools. Instead of learning their lessons, they spend their time reading such fantastic stories and picture books which have very adverse effects on them. So the Department concerned should take immediate action to ban these undesirable picture books and publications so that our children will not be exposed to the "poison". (3) On the question of the establishment of the National Symphony Orchestra, I remember having raised this matter last year. At that time the answer I got was that the idea was good and that it would receive proper consideration.”
“Sir, I endorse the views expressed by the Member for Katong. The Ministry of Culture is the Government's agency responsible for the promotion of the arts and cultural activities. The responsibilities are very great indeed. It is charged with the role of raising the level of arts and culture, inculcation of patriotism and nation-building. It is also responsible for bringing about a colourful cultural life to Singapore, to enrich the material life and spiritual requirements of our people. These are very significant and heavy responsibilities. How much has the Ministry of Culture achieved? Over the past few years the Ministry of Culture has made certain efforts in the promotion of healthy cultural activities. "Music for Everyone" and "Art for Everyone" are examples of their achievement. In regard to the programmes of RTS, undoubtedly there has been considerable achievement and improvement over the years. We have very wholesome programmes from time to time, like "Youth Magazine", "Life in Singapore" and various forums and programmes for children, and also the cartoons. All these programmes are of a recreational and educational nature. But the frequency of such programmes is wanting, and I suggest that more programmes of this type should be broadcast and televised. The next complaint is that locally produced programmes are few and far between. Most of what we have are imported. Why should this be so? Perhaps the Minister will say that it is because we do not have sufficient local talent, and so it is not possible for us to have an abundance of locally produced programmes. If that is the case, I would say that it is not a very difficult problem to solve. The question is whether the Minister has taken positive measure to promote local talents.”
“Sir, just now I heard the Minister say that he would not encourage more people to do hawking because there are already enough hawkers around. According to present regulations the department concerned is permitting those over 40 years old, whose livelihood is difficult and who are receiving public assistance, to be hawkers.”
“As the Member for Bras Basah mentioned just now, they take away the putu mayam or the newspapers, thus causing a great loss to the hawkers concerned. All these hawkers are our citizens. If we do not give them a means to earn a living, they will have to go to the Social Welfare Department and the Government will thus have the additional financial burden of looking after them. So I would like the Government to grant them a means of livelihood and so give them the opportunity to earn a living.”
“Sir, undoubtedly the Government has taken an active part in improving the welfare of hawkers. For instance, in recent years the Government has built a number of hawker centres which provide modern healthy amenities for them to carry out their trade. In previous years a nation-wide registration of all hawkers was carried out and temporary licences were issued so that they could have fixed sites to carry on their trade. Although the Hawkers Department has improved the welfare of licensed hawkers, the unlicensed hawkers how, ever are still facing great difficulties. Those who engage in hawking as a means of livelihood are mainly elderly people. Some of them set up their stalls by the road side selling cigarettes, newspapers or magazines in order to earn a little to help maintain the meagre livelihood of their household. 7.15 p.m. There was a hawker who was selling putu mayam, which is an Indian variety of bee hoon. This putu mayam is very popular among the poorer people because it is very cheap. These putu mayam hawkers usually carry baskets of putu mayam on their heads when they hawk. Newspaper vendors, however, sell newspapers by going from house to house on bicycles. These hawkers are not registered with the Hawkers Department and are therefore not issued with any licences at all. This makes their trade illegal. When spotted by a hawker inspector, they will be issued with a summons. But if they were to stop their trade, they will have no means to earn a livelihood. Sometimes they are served with about five, six or even 10 summonses in a month. In my constituency a few such hawkers have been served with just such a number of summonses per month. Some hawker inspectors even confiscate their goods.”
“He told me that a passenger wanted to go to a shop to buy something and the taxi meter then showed the fare to be $1.80 and as he was supposed to be waiting he was not supposed to switch off the meter. The third charge was that the taxi driver was not sitting inside the taxi while waiting. He was at that time standing by the taxi. There was no need for the Traffic Police to worry about the taxi "flying off". When the taxi driver received such a summons with all these unreasonable charges, he was really flabbergasted. He went at once to the ROV to explain the situation and the officer accepted his explanation to withdraw the summons but he wanted the taxi driver to go to court to have the summons squashed. This means that half a day's earning is lost for the poor taxi driver. These unreasonable charges and summonses are quite numerous. I attribute this to the fact that some of the ROV Traffic Policemen are either not aware of the regulations or they are just deliberately trying to he difficult with the taxi drivers. That being the case I would like to ask the Minister to look into the matter very seriously and to get rid of all the black sheep in the ROV Traffic Police.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I would like to raise a certain problem relating to the taxi drivers. The ROV Traffic Police are very discourteous in their attitude towards taxi drivers, and have always made things difficult for them. They are very rude and always carry out spot-checks on taxis. They do not want to listen to the complaints of the taxi drivers. And while checking the taxis, if they cannot find any fault with the engine, they will say that the taxi is emitting obnoxious smoke and then order the taxi driver to drive his taxi to the ROV compound for a further check there. And only if they cannot find anything wrong with the taxi will they allow the taxi driver to go home. Thus, the taxi drivers have wasted their time and as a result lost their earnings. Is it reasonable to treat the taxi drivers in this way? In the past I have also complained about spot-checking of taxis by the Traffic Police. Taxis have to be inspected and checked every six months if they are to ply on the road. This is to ensure that every taxi on the road is in a sound condition. If the Traffic Police continues to spot check taxis all the time, this is tantamount to creating difficulties for the taxi drivers. We should not allow this to go on. The second point I would like to raise is that the ROV Traffic Police have been unreasonable towards taxi drivers. One taxi driver complained to me one day that he received a summons from the Traffic Police stating that he had committed three traffic offences. One of the charges was that the taxi was parked in a taxi stand. If a taxi is not parked at a taxi stand, where else can it be parked? The second charge was that the taxi driver had switched off his taxi meter.”
“Sir, it is difficult to increase the efficiency of the Postal Services Department because there are only 400 postmen to handle 173 million items of mail. I hope the Minister can ask for more postmen so as to increase the efficiency of the Department. I also agree that we can recruit more postwomen as they are suitable for the job and can serve us more courteously. In any case, I beg leave to withdraw my amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.”
“Could the Minister tell us whether the present postwomen are as efficient and able as the postmen in the sorting and delivering of mail? Is the work of the postwomen as demanding as that of the postmen? Are we not a party to the hazard faced by these girls on the dangerous roads?”
“Among the Division IV employees, the postman's job is the most difficult one. Everyone must remember that. However, I am going to talk about postwomen. It was proudly publicised recently that postwomen are now being employed by the Postal Services Department as part of the reorganisation programme. It has been observed that some of these postwomen look more like school girls in kindergarten uniforms. Recruiting them make us believe that they can take the place of the postmen. But the postman has to carry a 35-pound bag. How can we ask the postwoman to carry a bag of the same weight? For a policewoman, we normally see her standing on duty. But not the postwoman. Sir, I had been working in the Postal Department, and my shoulder level has dropped by half an inch on one side because of carrying the post bag. My tailor also told me that one of my shoulders has dropped a little. So if we ask the postwoman to do the same job, it would be unfair. There are so many jobs in the Postal Department which can be allotted to them. Do not give equal job to the postwomen, but give them equal pay, even if the Postal Services Department has to employ post-women to meet the shortage of postmen. 4.15 p.m. Sir, can the Minister enlighten the House whether any specific requirements are spelt out in respect of height, build and weight when a recruitment is carried out? Is the Minister aware that a number of these postwomen are not able to ride bicycles made available to them because they cannot even reach the bicycle pedal? It was also observed that these girls often hold the peak cap in one hand when delivering mail in the street. This could be because they want to shield their faces from recognition, or because they are embarrassed having to put on the awkward looking peak cap.”
“Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head 0 be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead EAA 1107 (The same amendment also stood in the names of Messrs Ng Kah Ting and P. Govindaswamy). Sir, the Postal Services Department has a very great responsibility as it handles hundreds of thousands of mail for our people, commercial firms and factories. It is responsible for the timely transmission and delivery of mail. Generally speaking, and to be fair, I would say that the Postal Services have improved over the years. But unfortunately, of course, there are still some shortcomings which need to be brought to the attention of the Minister. The shortcomings include the delay or late delivery of letters. In my personal experience sometime ago I had to wait for three days for a Government letter to be delivered to me. Apparently there had been some considerable delay. Delivery of local mail should be effected overnight. So I hope that the Minister will look into this matter and ensure that delays should be minimised, if not entirely avoided. If it is because of traffic congestion or staff problems, I think something can be done to solve them. The next point is that certain postmen have not conducted themselves very well. I have received complaints from my constituents that some postmen simply throw the letters about, instead of putting them into the letter boxes or handing them through the doorway. Very often these letters are thrown on the five-foot way or the corridor, This is a very bad way of delivering letters because the letters would then become soiled or mislaid. I hope the Minister will look into the matter and take remedial action. Mr P. Govindaswamy: Mr Speaker, Sir, I am not going to complain about the postmen because they have a difficult job.”
“Sir, since the Minister has given an explanation, I beg leave to withdraw my amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.”
“Sir, the Minister did not understand me very clearly just now. I said that the view of members of the public was that the progress in reorganisation has been rather slow. They are not dissatisfied. It is just that the progress has been rather slow. Another point I raised was whether the reorganisation has proceeded in accordance with the scheduled programme as given in the White Paper. For example, in the matter of replacement of old vehicles, we still find a lot of old vehicles running on the road. What has happened to the replacement scheme? Is it according to the schedule as provided in the White Paper? I would like to ask the Minister concerned to inform this House whether the reorganisation has been proceeding according to schedule for the three-year period. Further, has the traffic congestion situation improved much?”
“Yes. Sir, I am touching on the policy of the Ministry. I was, talking about the situation after the reorganisation. Of course, the Minister is fully aware of what the position is because there is a committee consisting of Permanent Secretaries from five Ministries who now and then report to the Minister on the progress of the reorganisation. But what I want to say is that the actual progress of the reorganisation has not been very satisfactory. So I would like to ask the Minister whether he has any better measures to improve public transport, and whether the work of reorganisation is going on in accordance with the recommendations of `the White Paper on Reorganisation of Motor Transport Service. There is another question I would like ask the Minister concerning the- setting up of an undergr6und rail system. Last year, the Minister made' a statement in the House about the Mass Rapid Transit system that was going to be introduced in 1980. including the plan for an underground rail system. What progress has been made in respect of this plan, and whether he can give a detailed account to this House.”
“So you find that all the buses are squeezed together in a queue, one after the other, thus causing congestion of all the other vehicles on the road. 2.45 p.m.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head 0 be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead AAA 1003. Sir, the Ministry of Communications has the very onerous task of reorganising our public transport system. The Ministry also has to solve the growing congestion on our roads as well as to streamline our traffic system in line with industrial and commercial developments for the benefit of our people. This is a very important task and I hope the reorganisation of the public transport system will be successful. Sir, I would like to raise three questions. First, it is about the reorganisation of the public transport system, which has already been in operation for two or three years. There has been some progress made but, according to the public, progress has been very slow. The reorganisation includes the introduction of bus lanes, pedestrian walks and the restriction of traffic flow into the CBD. The purpose of these measures is, of course, to improve travel by public transport. Since the reorganisatiop. I would like to know whether there has been any marked or radical improvement. According to what I hear, improvement has been very slight because at peak hours traffic is still very congested. Moreover, we can see buses break down along the road. The buses also emit obnoxious smoke and the condition inside the bus leaves much room for improvement. In regard to bus lanes and the siting of bus stops there are many shortcomings which need to be remedied. And where the road is too narrow, say, Robinson Road, at about 5.00 p.m, everyday the buses are parked along the bus lane by the tens. In the end, the bus lane is turned into a bus terminal where buses are parked.”
“I have listened to the Member for Potong Pasir who raised similar problems. He has said that although there are mandatory provisions, these have not been enforced even up to this day. This is rather surprising. 7.30 p.m.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, following our success in industrialisation, particularly the rapid development of the shipbuilding and building construction industries, there has been a sharp increase in industrial accidents. As a result many skilled workers have lost their lives, thus causing a great loss of our manpower. This has caused a loss not only to our economy but also a hardship to the bereaved families of the workers concerned. Over the past few years, the problem of industrial accidents has engaged the attention of many Members of this House. My colleagues have repeatedly asked the Minister concerned to take steps to prevent industrial accidents. But unfortunately, Sir, day after day, year after year, nothing seems to have been done to improve the situation. On the contrary, the whole situation seems to have deteriorated. For example, last year there was a very serious explosion at the Jurong Shipyard resulting in the loss of 13 lives. This is just one very clear example of the gravity of the situation. I would, therefore, like to ask the Minister concerned whether any effective steps are being contemplated to prevent industrial accidents and to provide safer working environment for our workers. Last year we heard that because of a shortage of Factory Inspectors it was not possible to carry out more frequent inspections in the factories. One year has elapsed. I wonder whether the problem of manpower shortage has been solved, and whether the Ministry concerned has recruited more Factory Inspectors. If after the lapse of one year the number of Factory Inspectors is still the same, then the manpower shortage in the Factory Inspectorate will be even more serious with the increasing number of factories. It will then be impossible to carry out checks.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I would like to take this opportunity to speak on industrial accidents in Singapore. Sir, industrialisation in Singapore has been very successful over the past few years, particularly in the field of shipbuilding and building construction. As a result of this, industrial accidents have been increasing.”
“Sir, it is a very good reply, and I beg leave to withdraw my amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.”
“These skilled work permit holders, in addition to having their marriage applications approved, are also granted three-year work permits and will be immediately eligible for permanent residence upon completion of two or more years of employment in the Republic. In addition, those who have satisfied the residential qualification of 10 years may be granted citizenship. Therefore, it is open to those who desire their marriage to be approved without waiting for the full five years to make every effort to improve or upgrade their skills so as to qualify for a waiving of this requirement. Mr Teong Eng Siong(In Mandarin): Sir, I would like the Minister to clarify further. If a citizen wants to marry a permanent resident who holds a blue identity card, is it necessary for him to get the approval of the Commissioner for Employment?”
“The Member for Sembawang may wish to know that my Ministry has not been unduly restrictive in granting work permits to non-citizen barbers working in Singapore. According to our records, there are about 676 non-citizen barbers on work permit at the end of December 1974. However, to ensure that the applicants have at least the requisite skill in the occupation for which they have applied for, work permits are only granted to those barbers who have passed a practical test conducted by the Adult Education Board. Since the implementation of this testing scheme in November last year, a total of 92 applicants have been referred, of which to-date 81 have passed the test and subsequently granted work permits. The Member for Sembawang may perhaps recall that the primary objective of imposing the marriage restriction scheme was to discourage workers on work permit from marrying early before they are fully adjusted to life in our Republic. With effect from 1st July, 1973, a condition was accordingly imposed requiring all work permit holders, having less than five years of continuous employment in Singapore, to seek the prior approval of the Commissioner for Employment before he or she marries a Singapore citizen. As this scheme has only been implemented one and a half years ago, my Ministry deems it a bit too premature at this juncture to consider reducing the five-year qualification for such cases. Perhaps I should take this opportunity to clarify that the five-year work permit requirement is not the end-all criteria for approving marriage applications. This requirement is waived in respect of skilled work permit holders who are in possession of an acceptable diploma or degree or who have passed a skill evaluation test conducted by the industrial Training Board. 6.30 p.m.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker. Sir, I feel that there is a little bit of male chauvinism in the Member for Bras Basah. Mr Ong Pang Boon: Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, the Member for Sembawang wishes to know whether the Ministry will relax its policy with regard to the issue of work permits to shop assistants, clerks and barbers. If the Member for Sembawang is referring to those shop assistants who are employed in provision shops and groceries, it is admitted that traders may be facing difficulties in engaging and retaining them. The reasons are not far to seek. It is a fact that shop assistants have to work long hours and in poor working conditions. Given the present shortage of skilled manpower in our industries and the emphasis on skill-intensive and high-technology industries in our industrial development strategy, it is of vital importance that the manpower requirement of our industries should first be met. Towards this end the Government has been granting work permits liberally to workers seeking employment in factories and other industrial undertakings. Hence, white-collar jobs and soft jobs in the service sectors, such as clerks, shop assistants, salesmen and salesgirls are given low priority. It is expected that this position would remain for some time to come. Notwithstanding this, the Work Permits Office has granted work permits, though in a limited number, to shop assistants and other white-collar jobs in deserving cases. The Ministry is keeping a close watch over the employment situation of shop assistants and if need be the Ministry is prepared to review the situation. In regard to the employment of barbers, it is a fact that few Singaporeans are interested in taking up such employment.”
“For example, a male citizen came to me one day and told me that he had applied for permission to marry a non-citizen from Malaysia, but was rejected on the ground that his fiancee had been holding a work permit for only three years. This period is two years short of the required period stipulated by the Government. I attempted to persuade him to wait for two more years before marrying. I also told him that young people should not marry too early. I advised him to firmly establish himself first before getting married. But he replied that it would be impossible in his particular case because he was already 31 years old and his fiancee was 26 years old, and that the parents of both parties desired them to marry early. He also said he was quite established, earning quite a handsome income and would be able to raise a family. He told me also that his fiancee was prepared to return the work permit with the undertaking that she would not apply for another work permit. It was on this ground that he asked for permission to marry. But my advice to him was to no avail. I would like to appeal to the Minister to relax the restriction in special cases, or even in general cases, by reducing the five-year period to three years. In this way people in love will be able to get married earlier, and our Minister will be a very popular Minister. Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, another similar case was brought to my attention. The same requirement applies to a blue identity card holder, who is a non-citizen, wanting to marry a citizen. In this particular case, although the person i5 a non-citizen he is a permanent resident holding a blue identity card, and he is still required to apply for permission. I wonder whether this requirement is really necessary.”
“(In Mandarin): Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head N be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead ACA 1111. Sir, I would like to raise two questions under this amendment. The first question relates to the registration of applications for work permits. I have received many complaints from various quarters about the difficulties people encounter in the application for work permits. The people who apply for work permits include barbers, clerks, shop assistants, drivers, waiters or waitresses in restaurants and other catering services. As I understand it, the difficulties encountered by barbers had already been considered by the Singapore Barbers Association. The Association has requested the Ministry to relax the regulations on the issue of work permits in view of the shortage of barbers in Singapore. The younger barbers have already changed jobs. They have found greener pastures elsewhere. The older barbers are dying out. So it is necessary for barber shops to recruit barbers from outside Singapore, otherwise they will have to close shop in no time. Unfortunately, the Work Permits Office does not seem to have taken into account the difficulties encountered by the barber shops. I would like to appeal to the Minister to sympathetically consider the applications for work permits from barbers, so that barber shops in Singapore will be able to solve the present shortage of barbers. Secondly, the question of applications for marriage between non-citizens and citizens. In my Meet-the-People sessions, I receive many complaints from my constituents on this matter.”
“(In Mandarin): Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, members of the CPF are allowed permission to make use of their contribution to buy Housing Board fiats. This scheme was implemented about two years ago. However, such members are not allowed to make use of their contribution to purchase private housing units. Generally speaking, this scheme generally benefits the CPF members by permitting them to make use in advance of whatever savings they have in the CPF to buy Housing Board flats. In this regard, I wish to air certain views. Members of the CPF have deposits in the CPF belonging to them in the same way that we have deposits in the bank. Whatever deposits have been credited in the bank, the depositors are at liberty to make use of whatever money they have in the bank. But in the case of contributions in the CPF, although the money belongs to the members, the Government has imposed certain restrictions on the use of these contributions. One restriction which has been lifted is in respect of purchase of Housing and Development Board flats. But they are not allowed to make use of these contributions, which are actually their money, to buy private housing units. There is, therefore, a certain amount of discrimination. Some members of the CPF may not like to buy HDB flats as they prefer to buy private houses in localities of their own choice. Therefore, I think members of the CPF should be given the liberty to exercise their right on how to use their money in the purchase of houses. I would ask the Minister to consider giving permission to members of the CPF to buy private houses.”
“Sir, the Minister has given a detailed reply, and I am very satisfied with it. I beg leave to withdraw. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.”
“But these youngsters are still of tender age and their physique is not strong enough for heavy labour. So the department concerned should pay attention to this. I would like to ask the Minister concerned what kind of measures the department will take in order to safeguard the interests of these youngsters, and what are the plans to train these youngsters after which they can be employed in factories or commercial establishments so that their welfare may be looked after.”
“Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head N be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead AAA 1003 (The same amendment also stood in the names of Messrs P. Govindaswamy and Ivan Baptist.). Sir, on the 21st February, 1975, the President made his policy speech in this House. In the Addendum on the Ministry of Labour, it is stated that the Ministry will amend the Employment Act to allow young persons between 14 and 16 years of age to work in industrial establishments without the prior approval of the Commissioner for Labour. That means they will be free to be employed in commercial or industrial establishments. This is a good proposal and will enable young persons to take on some light jobs. Sir, in the past few years, we find that more and more youths are roaming about in the streets. It is mainly because they cannot pass the Primary School Leaving Examination and therefore cannot be promoted to higher classes. These youngsters are not willing to be apprenticed in factories. So they while away their time in the streets doing nothing. This situation has given cause for concern to the parents and has also created a kind of social burden to our society. If this situation is not remedied by certain corrective measures and allowed to deteriorate, then in the end the number of delinquent crimes will increase. Therefore, the proposed amendment to the Employment Act by the Ministry of Labour will, I am sure, meet with the general approval of the parents. The training of young persons to enable them to acquire a skill instead of roaming about in the streets, so that they can make a contribution to the economic development of our country, is something that is very good because it will also help them in their future life.”
“Sir, undeniably, our efforts in matters of foreign affairs have reaped considerable success in recent years. Because of our foreign policy of non-alignment, we have now won the general friendship and good relationship with our neighbouring countries. In addition to our original ties of mutual contact with our neighbouring countries in this region, we are now having more ties by setting up bilateral relations with West Asian countries for the promotion of mutual interests. At the moment we are living in a world in which every one is mutually dependent on the other. Therefore, for the sake of survival and in the long-term interests, we must be more careful and active in carrying out our foreign policy to win more friends and to get more benefits. For these reasons, I would like to ask the Minister two questions: (1) What more active foreign policy measures will the Ministry carry out to promote friendly relations with West Asian countries in order to get the benefits of mutual trade. (2) In what countries will our foreign consulates and embassies be established?”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, as the Minister of Defence has explained satisfactorily to my queries and has promised to improve the situation, I beg leave to withdraw my amendment Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. The following amendment stood in the names of Mr Ng Kah Ting and Mr P. Govindaswamy - (2) That the sum to be allocated for Head K be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead BAA 1201.”
“Listening in to more and more marches will heighten the Spirit of our soldiers and boost their morale. In this way our soldiers will feel a sense of pride. Furthermore, I understand that the physical activities like sports and games are quite popular among our soldiers in the camps. Unfortunately there is no systematic training for such sports and games. I would therefore like to propose the setting up of a sports or physical education unit in the Armed Forces for the promotion of physical education among our soldiers. In this way there can be more sportsmen trained for our national teams. Thirdly, there have been quite a lot of complaints about misconduct on the part of our soldiers. I have received complaints that some soldiers misbehaved themselves in public. Some soldiers have been said to have made catcalls to girls, when driving in their army trucks. This is a very serious matter and is a breach of good conduct on the part of the soldiers. This will bring our army into disrepute. Though the number of soldiers guilty of such misconduct may be very small, it will nevertheless affect the good reputation of the great majority. Therefore, I would like the Minister concerned to pay special attention to this complaint of misconduct. Another complaint is that some soldiers, and even officers, keep long hair. Since there is an Action Committee against long hair in Singapore and that people with long hair are to be served last, I think this ruling should be strictly enforced in our Armed Forces. We should not tolerate long hair among our soldiers. Our Senior Parliamentary Secretary in the Defence Ministry has already set a good example by cutting his hair short! So our soldiers and officers should emulate him. There is every reason to stick to the short hair rule.”
“There are other cases of financial difficulties which make it necessary for national servicemen to ask for part-time service instead of full-time service. There are also requests for national service call-up for brothers to be staggered. But all these applications have been rejected. The cases that I have cited are deserving cases because these people come from very poor families and they are faced with great financial (difficulties. So I feel that the Minister concerned should consider their cases more sympathetically and grant their applications for transfer to part-time service. Secondly, there is a need to provide more recreational and cultural activities in the camps. Over the recent years we have such activities in the camps. It is good for the national servicemen and our soldiers to take part in wholesome and cultural activities. This is part and parcel of the build-up of their cultural and spiritual life. I would like to support this kind of activity, as it will provide our soldiers and national servicemen opportunities for recreational and cultural activities. In terms of content perhaps there is still room for improvement. According to my understanding, the songs and the music played during such activities are more of the popular type. No doubt they may be quite pleasing to the ears hut they are not cultural music in the true sense of the word. They are pop music, a crazy type of music, very loud and boisterous and will cause spiritual degradation. So for our soldiers such dissipating type of music should not be encouraged. I would like to propose to the Minister concerned that the cultural and recreational activities provided should contain marches and other healthy songs.”
“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 1002 (The same amendment also stood in the name of Mr P. Govindaswamy). Sir, it cannot be denied that we had a very short time in which to build up a credible defence. But under the enlightened leadership and planning of the Minister concerned, we have made great achievements and success in this regard. The strength of our Armed Forces has been increasing from day to day and they are able to take up the responsibility of defending our country. These are achievements which are not mean by any standard, particularly for a small country like Singapore. We should be proud of such achievements. Although the defence build-up has been on the proper lines and is proceeding smoothly for further development, there are some shortcomings which require our attention. I would like to take this opportunity to bring up three points for the attention of the Minister concerned. 3.15 p.m. Firstly, on the relaxation of part-time national service. I have received complaints that the only son in the family has not been exempted from the national service, particularly when his parents are old or sick and are unable to look after their own business. Under such circumstances the only son is required to look after the small family business which cannot be properly run by the aged or sick parents. But exemption is not normally granted in such cases. Another complaint I have received is from an only son who is required to help his aged parents to rear pigs. He has asked for a change from full-time service to part-time service, but his application was rejected.”
“Sir, if the proposal to remove the age limit cannot be agreed to, perhaps I can make another suggestion, and that is, in respect of those who maintain their aged parents and grandparents. I think a similar tax relief should be considered since the Government is encouraging citizens to have their parents stay with them so that members of the family can be better looked after. These people should he given tax concessions so that they will be better able to maintain their parents. Otherwise, with more taxes taken from them, these people might not be in a better position, or in any position at all, to maintain their parents who may thus suffer. This is one way that the Government can encourage respect for the aged people. Sir, in short, the annual Budget statement is highly commendable. In terms of policy for industrial and commercial development, we can see the determination of and the positive measures taken by our Government to counter recession and to promote economic development, which is the basic spirit of the Budget. The Minister for Finance also predicted that our economy would turn for the better in the latter half of this year. I hope that he is not wrong in his prediction. Sir, apart from the turn for the better in the international situation, another factor that will be required for our development and prosperity is the good quality of our people. Therefore, our people should continue to develop and demonstrate this spirit of diligence and dogged effort and help to implement the wise policies of our Government so that in the coming year we will achieve greater prosperity and progress. Sir, I support the policy of the annual Budget statement. 6.38 p.m.”
“As from the 1976 year of assessment the earned income relief of those beyond 55 years of age will be increased from $1,000 to $2,000, and for those over 60 years their earned income relief will be increased from $1,000 to $3,000. But those who are under 55 will get no further relief at all. Sir, I support these tax concessions in principle. But, as a matter of fact, I doubt whether many people will benefit from these concessions. I think the number will be few and far between. In the public sector, there is the compulsory retirement age of 55 years. Public servants who retire will have no income at all; so how can they benefit from the tax relief on earned income? In the private sector, I feel that the number of such people will also be very small. Again, I think the number of those who benefit from these tax concessions must have been very carefully calculated by the Minister, and the benefits, if I may say so, are more imaginary than real. Since the benefits are more imaginary than real, the loss in revenue is negligible, if at all. Therefore, in my view, these tax concessions should not be subjected to the age qualifications of employees. This is a very reasonable expectation. As a matter of fact, the present personal relief on income is inadequate because it was fixed more than 20 years ago when the value of money was much higher and the prices of commodities were much lower. Compared to the present level, I think prices have gone up a great deal. But the tax relief has remained unchanged. So how can this measure relieve the burden of the salaried class? Therefore, I feel that the wise Minister for Finance should make some wise tax reduction measures.”
“Generally speaking, there should be no complaint against tax increases on tobacco and liquor because they do not affect the people very much. But what is unfortunate is that the Minister for Finance has also increased road tax, and I feel that this is quite unreasonable. For example, for vehicles in the range of 1000 cc to 1600 cc, the increase is about 50%. Vehicles in this range are actually small and medium-sized and they constitute more than 80% of the number of vehicles registered. For vehicles of more than 3000 cc the tax increase is 5 cents per cc, which is only about 15%. Vehicles in the 1000 cc to 1600 cc range are commonly owned by people in the middle income group in the private and public sectors. Their income is not very much. So the Government should sympathize with them and not further aggravate their burden in the face of inflation. Therefore, I would like to appeal to the Minister to avoid increasing the road tax in respect of vehicles in this range. If at all an increase is necessary and inevitable, then it should be reasonable and I would suggest that an increase from 17 cents to 20 cents per cc would be more reasonable than an increase of as much as 50%. As regards luxury vehicles of 3000 cc and above, I feel that the increase is not adequate. As we all know, a person who can afford a car costing $50,000 or more must be a very rich man with a very handsome income. Since he has a big income, he is certainly able and expects to pay higher taxes. So the Minister should actually readjust the tax increase, as it does not appear fair to impose only a nominal increase in this range of luxury cars. Sir, the Minister for Finance also announced two tax concessions. But these concessions are only applicable to people who are 55 years old and above.”
“We have a very modern commercial infrastructure -port facilities, banking, warehousing, insurance and telecommunications. Therefore, the Government should attach great importance to the timber re-export trade and improve the administrative efficiency of the Timber Export Department, so as to make Singapore a centre for timber drying and treating. Another important activity is timber processing, such as manufacturing furniture, wooden doors and windows and other industrial timber products. This industry is flourishing in Taiwan, Korea, Japan and other European countries. So we can take a cue from them and try to catch up. In promoting timber processing and re-exporting we may be faced with some problems, such as the provision of factory sites, capital and technical personnel. In this respect the Government should give certain encouragement and assistance. For example, the Government can provide factory sites near the sea coast for the processing and drying of timber to facilitate the import and export of the commodity. But since a large capital is required, the Government should consider granting a tax holiday for this industry and give whatever financial aids or loans that may be required. As regards technical personnel, if we lack local people perhaps a relaxation of immigration regulations in regard to such people from abroad can be considered. According to estimates there are about 116 sawmills in Singapore and 309 timber exporters, making timber quite a big business. So reactivation of timber industry will not only contribute to the diversification of our economy but also provide jobs for thousands of workers. Sir, let me now turn to the question of tax increases.”
“As a matter of fact, as Singapore is the centre of international transport and communication in South-east Asia there is plenty of scope for further diversification in our economy. For example, in the timber and textile industries, no doubt in the last year these two industries have been adversely affected by international recession. But in 1973 there was a big boom in the timber industry. According to available statistics, in 1973 the export of timber amounted to 1,157 million cubic metres, valued at $305 million. Our main customers were France, South Africa and England. But in 1974 this business dropped by 40%. According to businessmen in the timber trade, apart from the decline in the demand for timber owing to international economic depression, some unscrupulous timber merchants had exported timber of a quality not in accordance with specifications, and this has affected the confidence of international buyers in our timber trade. If that allegation is true I think the Timber Export Department and Forestry Department should be answerable, because it is the business of these two Departments to ensure proper supervision and grading of our timber and to raise the quality of timber as well as to carry out research in this trade. Therefore, if there had been any non-compliance of specifications in this respect, can the reasons be established? Is it because the staff had been negligent in their duties? I hope the Minister concerned will look into the matter. As a matter of fact, our timber re-export trade has a very good future. This is because we are in the centre of South-east Asia, and our neighbours, Malaysia and Indonesia, are timber producing countries.”
“This is because if the private building industry is still in the doldrums it will be a setback to our efforts to diversify our economy. At the same time, all the professional people connected with the building industry will be adversely affected. These people include architects, civil engineers, electrical engineers, surveyors, quantity surveyors and draughts-men. Furthermore, lawyers and accountants as well as valuers who are also in some way connected with the private building industry will also be affected. According to unofficial estimates there are about 5,000 such people in all, and 80% of them are local citizens. These people have received high education in Singapore and some have returned from foreign countries after receiving higher education. Their business and professional practices are closely related to the private building industry. If the private building industry is allowed to continue to decline, they will be adversely affected. Since the Government pays so much emphasis on the elite and the utilization of their skills, it should also pay attention to their livelihood so as to prevent a brain drain overseas. The Minister for Finance has emphasised a need for the diversification of our economic activities. This is a very correct strategy to adopt. Diversification of the economy means that apart from the positive development of industries there is also the need to expand our manufacturing base, particularly in relation to metal and precision engineering, chemical industry, electronic industry and transportation. Furthermore, international trade, shipbuilding and tourism are also our great foreign exchange earners. They are the great pillars of our diversified economic activities.”
“This has enhanced our status as an exporter and has earned us a lot of foreign exchange. In the Development Estimates for the financial year 1975-76, the Housing and Development Board has been granted a loan of $718 million. This loan is meant for public housing. It shows the determination of the Government to speedily promote home-ownership among our people. Undoubtedly this beneficial measure will be warmly welcomed by the people at large. As a matter of fact, this massive public housing scheme will not only accelerate the allocation of housing to thousands of people on the waiting list, but it will also provide jobs for thousands of building construction workers as well as affording better development opportunity for industries and trades related to the building industry. This gives a boost to our economic prosperity and a good counter-recessionary measure. At the same time, the Minister for Finance pointed out that, as compared to 1973 where there was a drop of 15%, the private construction sector showed a further `drop of 11% in 1974. This shows that the private building industry fared very poorly last year and is on the decline. The Government has no doubt taken some remedial action which includes the relaxation on the control of housing loan and permission for aliens to buy flats in buildings of more than six storeys high. But after implementing these measures over the past few months, transactions in the private housing industry do not seem to have picked up very much. In order to help the private building industry to develop and to ensure that this industry will make a better contribution to our national economy, I feel that the Minister for Finance may find it necessary to further relax the control on the purchase of houses by aliens.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, in his Budget statement for the financial year 1975 presented to this House on 3rd March this year, apart from taxes on tobacco, liquor and cars, the Minister for Finance has announced that for the time being there would be no new taxes or increase in taxes. In the face of international economic depression, it is commendable for the Minister for Finance to be able to present to this House a Budget which does not adversely affect our people. In his Economic Survey of Singapore for 1974 the Minister for Finance highlighted the fact that the manufacturing sector had a very good performance, showing a 28% increase in value added, although the real output at constant prices increased by only 2%. The value of production amounted to $3,245 million. Faced with a declining world demand, we were still able to export 54% of our domestic production. This shows that there is a very close link in our international trade with the world at large. It also underlines the good quality of our goods which are known for being good and at the same time cheap and very well accepted internationally. Because of all these factors our external trade continued to grow very substantially last year and the increase amounted to $13,144 million. Compared to 1973 there was an increase of 37%. External trade has always been one of our main lifelines in our economy. In the past we only provided entrepot services without our own production for export. But since a decade ago the Government's industrialisation programme has been in full swing and development in the industrial and manufacturing sectors has been tremendous indeed. We have been able to produce a lot of daily necessities, canned food, machinery, etc.”
“The Ministry of National Development will also build condominium housing in order to meet the needs of the middle-class people. The Ministry of Home Affairs will have full-time national servicemen in the Police Force. The increased manpower of the Police Force will curb the increasing number of crimes and it will also help to maintain law and order more effectively. On the question of hawkers' livelihood, the Government will set up more hawker centres in the coming years to house the temporary hawker licence holders. The Government is going to improve the environment of the people by reducing all kinds of pollution and raising the standard of public hygiene. All these measures will show that the Government is taking all the necessary steps to try its best to promote the interest and livelihood of the people. In a review of the performance of our economy over the last year, the President has said that our economic growth was about 7%.In the wake of world-wide recession and inflation, our achievement is really laudable. As the President has said, this has all been due to the self-discipline, diligence, frugality and the spirit of enterprise of our people. In the coming years we will be faced with possibly even greater challenges. However, with the effort, determination, capability and the wisdom of the Government together with the diligence, effort and self-discipline of our people, I am confident that we will be able to overcome all difficulties and achieve all the various beneficial programmes towards nation building in a more glorious way. Sir, I support this Motion. 2.50 p.m.”
“Sir, I have studied the Addendum on 13 Ministries but I have not been able to find a single item on public construction in the rural areas. I am very much perturbed by this. In the past, the Government has allotted large sums of money for public construction and development in the rural areas, such as the provision of drains, street lights, the construction of roads, electricity for homes and the betterment of the rural environment or the rural dwellers. Although a great part of the rural areas have been improved, there are stilt many areas which need improvement. There are still some kampongs which lack water supply, good roads and other facilities. As a representative of a rural constituency, I would like to speak for these people. I appeal to the authorities concerned to continue to allocate large sums of money to remedy the ills in the rural areas by the provision of public utilities and other facilities so that the rural people will he very grateful for them. Sir, we are happy to note that although the Government has been paying attention to economic development, national construction and the provision of means of livelihood for the people, yet it has not neglected the recreational needs of the people. According to the Addendum on the Ministry of National Development, the Government has undertaken to develop a 300-acre site along the Tanjong Rhu and Bedok sea coast. This area will be developed not only as a holiday resort for our people but also as a tourist resort. Various kinds of amenities will be provided there. Touching on other matters, 1 am glad to note that the Ministry of Social Affairs will take action to curb the unreasonable and high rates of interest charged by the moneylenders in order to safeguard the interest of the poorer people.”