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 Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.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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“Why cannot we make use of the Teachers' Training College to produce more qualified teachers? The next question is this. Since a relief teacher is allowed to teach for 10 years or more, cannot consideration be given to convert them into ordinary full-time teachers, so that they will be able to dedicate themselves to teaching without worrying about their tenure of office? (4) Sir, we come to the question of teacher-pupil relationship. There seems to be a barrier between teachers and students in Singapore. That is probably because students and teachers spend only half a day together in schools. There is very little time for them to mix around in a half-day session. Steps should be taken to promote better relationship among teachers, pupils and parents, particularly at the present juncture when we are faced with the problem of some students taking drugs. We cannot blame the schools alone for this, because there is just not enough time for students and teachers to get together. So the society and the Ministry of Education should partly shoulder the blame. I believe that if there is closer and better relationship between teachers and students, a lot of problems can be solved. (5) Sir, we come to the number of pupils for each class. In my view, for a teacher to be in charge of 40 pupils per class is too great a task. Since there is an improvement in our economy, perhaps the Ministry of Education can consider recruiting more teachers in order to reduce the number of students per class. I am sure many of my colleagues here in this House will support me on this. With a reduced number of pupils per class, the teacher will be able to teach better and give more individual attention to the students.”
“So I would like the Minister for Education to look into this problem of sufficiency of second language teachers. (2) The shortage of physical education teachers. We are concentrating our efforts and attention on extramural activities in the schools, but in many cases there is a shortage of PE teachers in schools. This shortage affects the extramural activities, and it also means that teachers who are not interested or not trained in physical education are dragged in to be involved in extra physical education activities. As a result, the standard of physical education does not reach the level expected. So I would like the Minister to consider the possibility of opening holiday-classes for teachers in physical education, both in terms of technique, practice and theory. This may go a long way towards alleviating the shortage of PE teachers. 3.15 p.m. (3) The shortage of full-time teachers. I said just now that there is a shortage of second language teachers and PE teachers. There is also a shortage of full-time teachers. What has happened here? According to people involved in education, there is still a good number of relief teachers in our schools. Some of these relief teachers have been teaching for more than 10 years, but they still remain relief teachers. They are not promoted to the status of full-time teachers. As a result of this, the relief teachers are not able to concentrate and dedicate themselves to their work. They just adopt the attitude of `work today for life today', because they are relief teachers. I think the senior assistants in the various schools understand this problem best because they have to deal with these relief teachers. There is the Teachers' Training College.”
“I have heard several comments from my colleagues. So in fairness to the Ministry of Education, I would like to say something. It cannot be denied that over the past few years there has been a great achievement in education in Singapore. The sum allotted to the Ministry of Education for 1973-74 comes to about $300 million, both for the Main and the Development Estimates. This is to ensure that there is an all-round development in the four language streams and that all school-going children will have good teaching and proper education. Bilingual education is a very realistic and practical approach to a multi-lingual society in Singapore. This is a system which gives equal treatment to the various language streams. What is more important is that under this system our students will become good and rugged citizens. These are the main objectives of education which cannot be denied, but the problem is the administrative officers in the Ministry of Education headquarters and the administration in the schools. Are they capable of implementing these objectives effectively? I have received some complaints from both teachers and parents on this matter. These complaints and criticisms can be classified into four categories: (1) Bilingualism, in principle, is not wrong but in practice, more often than not we come across difficulties in its implementation. This is due to the lack of teachers. As a result of this shortage of qualified teachers, it is difficult to raise the standard of bilingualism, particularly the second language. Students in the Chinese stream find it difficult to follow the teaching of science and mathematics, for which English textbooks are used. That is one of the reasons why bilingualism cannot be effectively implemented.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, with your permission can I speak on amendment (2)* now? * The amendment, standing in the name of Mr Teong Eng Siong, reads as follows: (2) That the sum to be allocated for Head 1501 be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead 1002.”
“Sir, I thank the Minister for giving us a detailed reply. I beg leave to withdraw. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. The following amendments stood on the Order Paper Supplement -”
“Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head 1401 be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead 11*. (* The same amendment also stood in the name of Mr Ho Kah Leong.) Sir, the provision for this subhead is $140,200,000 and this is a loan to the Jurong Town Corporation. The Jurong industrial estate has become famous and is a pride to the nation. Many development projects have been carried out. To me, it does not matter whether the industrial estate is in Sembawang or in Jurong. Sir, I would like to ask the Minister how this huge provision of $140,200,000 is to be utilised. I hope the Minister can give me a detailed answer.”
“Sir, the Minister has said that the provision for the Housing and Development Board should perhaps come under the Ministry of National Development. However, we can easily solve the problem. With regard to the loan provision for the Housing and Development Board, when Members move their amendments on this item they may raise questions relating to the Housing and Development Board, which comes under the Ministry of National Development. But the Minister for Finance will not be able to answer such criticisms because he is only responsible for making loans to the Housing and Development Board. He is not responsible for the detailed working of the Housing and Development Board. In past debates it has been found difficult whether to confine the debate to the Ministry of National Development or to the Ministry of Finance. 7.00 p.m. According to the Minister for Finance, the People's Association is in a different position because the Ministry of Finance does not make any loan to the People's Association. On principle, this should not be different because the Ministry of Finance makes a loan to any department. It is a loan in the account books and it can claim repayment of the loan. I feel that there should be some arrangement between one department and another department. Perhaps this will only involve a change in the name of one department only. But the Minister may have other technical difficulties and may have to consult other departments. However, I am patient enough to wait. Since the Minister has said that my suggestion has some merit, Sir, I beg leave to withdraw my amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.”
“So if provision for such an organisation can be placed under the Ministry of Culture, I would like to have this item, "Loan to the Housing and Development Board", placed under the Ministry of National Development. I hope the Minister will consider my suggestion.”
“Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head 1401 be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead 1021. Sir, this item relates to the Budget Division. It is a new division. I would like to make one suggestion for the consideration of the Minister. In the drafting of the Budget for the various departments, certain provisions are connected with two departments. For example, in making a loan to the Housing and Development Board, the provision is made under the Ministry of Finance vote. Therefore, in the past when the House debated on this item there was some confusion. In other words, the loan provision for the Housing and Development Board was made under the vote for the Ministry of Finance, but when Members spoke on that loan provision and made certain criticisms on the Housing and Development Board, the Minister for Finance turned round and said that this was not within his ambit as the Housing and Development Board came under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of National Development and that such criticisms should be directed to the Ministry of National Development. But there was no such provision under the vote for the Ministry of National Development. Hence, the confusion. In drafting the Budget for next year, I wonder whether it is possible to place this loan provision under the vote for the Ministry of National Development, namely, "Loan to the Housing and Development Board". I do not know whether there will be any administrative difficulties in order to carry out this suggestion. We know that provision for the People's Association is put tinder the Ministry of Culture.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I thank the Minister for his detailed answer to my questions. We know now that the Ministry of Finance has adopted certain measures to control the increases in the prices of commodities, and that the Government is doing something to put a stop to the rising cost of living. I believe this will help the people. With regard to the trade deficit, he said that there was no reason for concern. I am much relieved to receive his assurance. But I feel that to allow the trade deficit to continue is not good in the long run. I hope the Government will do something to see that our trade deficit is decreased. I beg to withdraw my amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. The following amendment stood in the names of Messrs Sia Khoon Seong and Teong Eng Siong: (2) That the sum to be allocated for Head 1401 be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead 1021.”
“The third question is on the decrease of capital investment in the shipbuilding industry. In his Budget statement the Minister revealed that the investments in shipbuilding and shiprepairing dropped from $142.2 million in 1971 to $66.9 million last year. This is quite a substantial reduction. What is the reason for this reduction? Is it because of the non-availability of suitable sites for shipbuilding? I hope the Minister will carry out the necessary investigations and take remedial measures so that our country will become the centre for shipbuilding and shiprepairing in Southeast Asia.”
“In 1971, the deficit was $3,200 million. In 1972, it was $3,400 million. Although the Minister has told us that this trade deficit will be offset by other invisible sources of income, such as services, in the long run, this situation will be abnormal. Of course, this trade deficit is not like cancer. It can be compared to gastric trouble in the stomach which gives a person frequent pain. We must, therefore, try to do our best to remedy the situation. In this respect, I would like to ask the Minister what effective measures are there to reduce our trade deficit. We know that a few years ago we set up INTRACO, a joint venture between the Government and the private sector. Its main object is to assist in the development of trade with Communist countries. The increase in trade with Communist countries will be to our mutual benefit. I would like to know what has been done to promote external trade since the establishment of INTRACO. What progress has been achieved? What is the increase in trade before and after the setting up of INTRACO? Another question I would like to raise is the salary increases for Divisions II, III and IV Government officers. I asked the Minister for Finance this question on 16th of February [Hansard, Vol. 32, col. 401], and he told me that he would consider the recommendations and guidelines of the National Wages Council, and that the Ministry had been doing a restructuring of salary scales for these grades of officers. This shows that this matter is receiving attention. Of course, this is good news to these officers. However, I would like to ask the Minister whether he could give the House more specific details regarding the salary increases for Divisions II, III and IV officers.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head 1401 be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead 1001. Sir, the Ministry of Finance is a very important Ministry. It is responsible for formulating the Government's financial policy. In the last few years, the Ministry of Finance has done a great deal towards the development of our industries and of our external trade. As a result we are now enjoying the fruits of economic prosperity. We have achieved a very high GNP growth rate of 13 per cent last year, and our average per capita income is increasing year by year. In 1971, our per capita income was $3,321 and in 1972 it was $3,687. This is indeed a gratifying achievement. However, the constant upheavals in the international monetary system have affected our economy. For example, there is now inflationary tendencies in our country, resulting in a rising level of prices. This makes life more and more difficult for our people. May I quote some examples? The price of rice used to be 35 cents per kati. Now, it is 55 cents per kati. Chinese cabbage used to sell at 20 cents per kati, but it is now 60 to 80 cents per kati. Sugar, flour, and many other commodities have also shown a tremendous increase in price. There is a general increase in price levels, and this indeed worries everybody. Has the Ministry of Finance any plans to counter this trend? Has the Ministry of Finance carried out the necessary investigations to find out the reason for these rising prices? Are the price increases justifiable? The Ministry should take immediate steps to stop prices from rising any further in order to stabilise the cost of living. Another matter I would like to raise is the question of trade deficits. Our trade deficit has been on the increase over the last few years.”
“Mr Speaker, the reply given by the Minister is very satisfactory. It shows that his department is looking after the welfare of the prisoners. I beg leave to withdraw my amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. The sum of $6,949,150 for Head 1303 ordered to stand part of the Main Estimates. The sum of $966,700 for Head 1303 ordered to stand part of the Development Estimates. Head 1401 -- The following amendment stood in the names of Messrs Sia Khoon Seong, Teong Eng Siong, P. Govindaswamy and Ho Kah Leong (1) That the sum to be allocated for Head 1401 be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead 1001.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I am satisfied with the Minister's reply that the prisoners are given training in the various trades as a rehabilitative process in the prisons. I would like to ask whether the inmates engaged in these various industries are given any allowance for their work. What about their food? Is it satisfactory? Has there been any complaint with regard to the food, such as the food served is not good or that they have not enough to eat? If the Minister would like to organise a tour for Members of Parliament, he should not inform the Prison authorities in advance, so that they will not prepare the food beforehand.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head 1303 be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead 11. Sir, the provision of $266,700 is for the development of the Prison Industries. I think this provision is timely because this will enable the prison inmates to learn a trade so that they can be independent and make a living when they are discharged from the prison, and will not fall into evil ways again. I would like to ask the Minister two questions. Firstly, what sort of courses are being conducted in the Prison Industries and how many instructors are there? Secondly, what kind of products are being produced for the market and what are the proceeds from the Prison Industries?”
“Sir, some of the points given by the Minister in his reply are quite reasonable, but others are not quite so. Anyway, one good point he has made is that his department is constantly reviewing the matter of citizenship and that there is hope that the applications may be favourably considered. But when he brought up other matters, such as housing, these are not reasonable excuses because even if you do not grant citizenship to these applicants, the citizens who are already on the list for housing units will still have to wait for a long time. 5.30 p.m. The Minister has said that applicants with smaller families will be given priority. So in this case, there is no priority for local citizens. This is not a good practice because after the applicants with small families have been given housing units, they can produce more children, and so expand their families. This is not a very good method to adopt. Their families will definitely become bigger because at the moment they practise family planning in order to get priority in the allocation of a flat. Sir, I beg leave to withdraw. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. The sum of $72,981,970 for Head 1301 ordered to stand part of the Main Estimates. The sum of $5,276,560 for Head 1301 ordered to stand part of the Development Estimates. Head 1302 --”
“So giving citizenship to these applicants would not cost us any more economic loss or burden, because all of them have their own proper jobs with good income. They are able to provide for their households. On this question of housing, even if we do not grant citizenship to them, we are still faced with this social problem. In the past years we have been building at the rate of 20,000 units of flats per year. Now we intend to increase the rate to 30,000 units a year, and there are 60,000 people on the waiting list. So if this new lot of citizens is added on to the waiting list for Housing Board flats, it would not affect the priority at all because the Board has a policy of first come first served. So even if they were to wait for their turn, they would not impose any more difficulty on us in respect of housing. So all these matters should not be an excuse for refusing to give citizenship to these applicants. On behalf of the applicants who are not successful, I make an appeal for the relaxation of the restrictions imposed on these applicants because many of them have relatives who are citizens. For instance, we all know that the spouse of an applicant, whether husband or wife, is usually a citizen and the children are citizens. The Minister can look up the Citizenship Regulations. Though these applicants may not be successful so far in their applications for citizenship, however, their husbands or wives, or parents, or children, may be citizens. I would therefore appeal to the Minister to relax the restrictions in respect of applications for citizenship on these grounds in order to alleviate any difficulty on their part.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head 1301 be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead 1701*. (* The same amendment also stood in the names of Messrs P. Govindaswamy and Tuan Haji Mohd. Ariff Bin Suradi.). Sir, the question of citizenship is still a matter of serious importance to many people, and has become a problem to them. Some people have applied for more than three times, and yet their applications have been turned down. Thus it has caused great inconvenience and disappointment to them. At a time when we were faced with economic difficulties, it was quite excusable to restrict the granting of citizenship to applicants. But now that we have greatly improved our economy, we can afford to relax our restrictions and regulations. In my "Meet the People" session every week, I used to receive complaints about applications for citizenship having been turned down. Some complained that they have waited two or three years without any result. I give my full sympathy to all these cases. At this time when our economy is highly developed and we are faced with a shortage of labour, I do not see any valid reason to refuse to relax our regulations on the granting of citizenship. Even with all the attendant problems that go with it, for instance, housing, education, social and medical care, I do not think these are sufficient reasons to justify the refusal of citizenship. Because these problems, if they can be called problems at all, are ever present in our social life; they do not count very much in the granting of citizenship. Many of the applicants for citizenship have stayed in Singapore for quite some time. Most of them have children and even grand-children who are enjoying the rights of citizenship, medical care, education and other things.”
“We know that the majority of drug-takers are youths. Therefore, the anti-drug campaign should be directed against them. We should start our campaign in the schools so that they will recognise the ill-effects of drug-taking. I have two further questions to raise. First, since the setting up of the Central Narcotics Bureau, what sort of work has been done? What new plans are afoot for the elimination of drug addiction? Secondly, how many people have so far been arrested for offences associated with drug-taking? What is the Minister going to do about these people?”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I entirely agree with the Member for Katong with what he has spoken about the problem of drug-taking in Singapore, and the steps which should be taken to combat this menace. We know that a significant number of our youths are taking drugs. In 1971, 200 people were arrested for drug offences. In 1972, 444 people were arrested for drug offences. This shows that there was an increase of more than a hundred per cent from 1971 to 1972. We know that in the United States of America and in many Western countries drug addiction has pervaded all strata of society. In these countries all traditional values have been thrown overboard. If we do not wish to see a similar tragedy in Singapore, we must take action now before the situation reaches the point of no return. Drug addiction among our youths brings with it a number of other problems. Although drug addiction can be caused by poor environment, another contributing factor is the external influence of hippies from abroad. We must tackle this problem very vigorously. We cannot allow this phenomenon to continue, or the end-result will be disastrous. In this House last month I asked the Minister concerned if it was possible to conduct an anti-drug campaign so that everyone in our society, especially parents and teachers, would take action against drug-taking. Just now I heard the Member for Katong say that educational measures should be taken. The schools should do something about drug-taking. I hope the Minister will consider this matter. If for any reason we cannot conduct a nation-wide anti-drug campaign, I wonder whether we can conduct a publicity campaign against drugs in our schools. In this way, at least 50,000 to 60,000 of our students will appreciate the problem and dangers of drug-taking.”
“These group leaders have to travel a few times a week to check on the performance of duties by other members. They have to spend on petrol and transport, but they are not given any transport allowance. This has become a burden to the Vigilante Corps leaders. So I would like the Minister to consider giving them some transport allowance so that they can carry out their duties without being out of pocket. Lastly, I wonder if the Minister will consider recruiting volunteers. As far as I know, there are many people who would like to join the Vigilante Corps so as to be able to contribute something towards the society. I think if we should admit them, we will inculcate a sense of duty among these people.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head 1301 be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead 1601. Sir, the Vigilante Corps has a glorious history. In the face of external confrontation, a group of civilians came forward in response to the call by the Government to take on the job of defending our country and maintaining internal security. The Vigilante Corps was thus formed. At its maximum strength, the number exceeded 10,000. Recently, only a few thousand members of the Vigilante Corps are left. But now that we have the National Service Vigilante Corps, every year a number of new recruits are taken into the Vigilante Corps. After a period of fairly strict training, they become members of the Vigilante Corps. My question is this. To-date, how many of these members are in the National Service Vigilante Corps, and what sort of work have they been doing? My point is that these members should be treated in the same way as the volunteers. In other words, we should send them to various areas for patrol duties, and to assist the Police in the maintenance of law and order. This will enable the members of the Vigilante Corps to gain more experience. Another question I would like to raise is this. The Vigilante Corps is a volunteer organisation. Each member is given only two sets of uniforms. After a year or so, these uniforms become tattered and torn. But the headquarters does not issue them with new uniforms. So when they go out to perform their duties, they have to wear faded uniforms. I would like to ask the Minister if he would consider issuing a new set of uniforms annually to the volunteer members of the Vigilante Corps. Another question I would like to ask is the transport allowance for the group leaders of the Vigilante Corps.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I thank the Minister for his reply. On the question of long hair, he has given a very detailed explanation: that all the departments have been instructed to act against people with long hair. Sir, this goes to show that the Government is going all out to tackle this problem. We are waiting to see the results. I hope the other departments will take more effective action against people with long hair. Sir, I beg leave to withdraw. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, before I withdraw my amendment, there is a question which the Minister has forgotten to answer. This is in regard to the recruitment of policemen. Not many of our male citizens have come forward because many of them have to go for national service. Since the number is small, he has to recruit non-citizens. May I put forward a suggestion? If we have fewer male policemen, can we not recruit more females? In other words, can we not recruit more policewomen to take their place?”
“I hope the Minister will pay attention to this matter. Another matter which I would like the Minister to consider is the question of the recruitment of policemen. According to my understanding, in the recent Police recruitment exercise most of the applicants came from Malaysia. A large number of our local citizens did not come forward to join the Police Force. This is not a good sign. The Police have the important task of maintaining law and order in our country. The Police Force should consist of people who are loyal to our country and faithful to our citizens. They should be in a position to protect the lives and property of our people. Therefore, I am of the opinion that an important establishment, such as the Police Force, should be filled by our local citizens. Now why is it that our local citizens are not interested in joining the Police Force? Is it because the pay of the Police Force is very low? What I know is that the salary scales for the Police Force have been revised to some extent. Is it because the work is too laborious? If it is, I would like the Minister to look into the matter and to take remedial measures. The last point I wish to raise is that if our male citizens do not want to become policemen, I wonder whether we can recruit more women into our Police Force. We have found that recently quite a number of our traffic police are women. I find that they are quite efficient.”
“She told me that she hoped the Government would take action against the practice of keeping long hair, and she even hoped that the Police would cut off the long hair of these youths. I feel that this is a social problem which many parents are facing. Parents usually do not like long hair. It is only the young people who sport long hair as a fashion nowadays. We have also found out that certain Government servants, for example, office boys, are now keeping long hair. They even sport a long heard. This is really too much. Even on the TV recently, in a singing contest programme, many of the participants had long hair down to their shoulders. They also behaved in a wild manner which caused many of us to shake our heads. I remember sometime ago the RTS took strict measures to prohibit people with long hair from taking part in any competition. I do not know why it has relaxed this ruling. Is it because the authorities concerned have forgotten about the Government's policy against long hair? Sir, Singapore is a young and dynamic state. We should therefore maintain a good social vogue and tradition. We should teach our citizens to behave, wear tidy clothes and maintain a good appearance. I would, therefore, like the Minister to take action to prevent any undesirable practice from gaining a strong hold on our young people. I remember the Ministry of Home Affairs had issued an order that all Government servants should give the cold shoulder to any youth with long hair, should he come to a Government department on any matter. People with long hair were placed at the end of the queue. But it seems that this ruling has now been forgotten. The civil servants do not impose this ruling when dealing with members of the public who keep long hair.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head 1301 be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead 1001*. (* The same amendment also stood in the names of Messrs Cheong Yuen Chee and P. Govindaswamy.) Sir, the Ministry of Home Affairs is entrusted with the responsibility of internal security and law and order. The Police Department comes under this Ministry, and therefore it has the duty and responsibility to maintain law and order in our society. In recent years, the Police have improved their efficiency and relationship with the people. This is something which deserves our praise. 3.15 p.m. However, I have a few questions to raise here. In recent years the corrosive influence of Western countries, particularly the hippy sub-culture from abroad, has caused certain undesirable effects on our youths. One of the bad influences is that our young people are now sporting long hair as a fashion. They would grow their hair down to their shoulders. Some of them sport a rather long beard, even though they are very young. They adorn themselves with all kinds of fancy clothes. Their behaviour really poses a social problem. The craze for long hair has become more prevalent in our society. It is now one of the many social problems Government has to face. It is also one of the problems which parents have to face. Sir, let me give an example. I have a friend who has a son between 18 and 19 years of age. This boy keeps very long hair and is causing a lot of worry to his mother, who has a tender heart. She used to give him advice now and again, but without any result. This angered her very much.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I thank the Minister for giving a detailed reply. Although the scale of this Hospital is not very big, but from the explanation given by the Minister, it appears that the facilities are quite extensive. So on behalf of the people of Sembawang constituency, I would like to thank the Minister for the efforts his Ministry is making for Sembawang constituency. Sir, I beg leave to withdraw. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. The sum of $84,165,570 for Head 1202 ordered to stand part of the Main Estimates. The sum of $8,827,500 for Head 1202 ordered to stand part of the Development Estimates. Head 1301 -”
“(2) medical in-patients: (a) observation and investigation of cases referred from Sembawang out-patient dispensary; (b) initial treatment of acute medical cases prior to transfer to Thomson Road General Hospital; (c) care of convalescing medical patients from Thomson Road General Hospital. (3) out-patients and follow-up. The out-patient clinic will provide specialist out-patient services for the area and follow-up services for its discharged patients and patients resident in Sembawang who are presently follow-ups in Thomson Road General Hospital. Such patients require specialist services before transfer to the general out-patient services. (4) dental clinic. The Hospital will have a new two-chair dental clinic for residents in the area. (5) X-ray, laboratory and physiotherapy departments. The X-ray unit and laboratory will serve the casualty unit, specialists out-patient clinic, minor operation theatre, in-patients, and the Sembawang out-patient dispensary. X-ray services may be rendered for mass X-ray of factory workers on request. Physiotherapy services will be available to in-patients, out-patients from Sembawang Out-patient dispensary and residents of the area. I hope what I have just enumerated in detail will gladden the heart of the Member for Sembawang.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head 1202 be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead 14. This provision of $250,000 is for Improvement to Sembawang Hospital-Works and Buildings. Sir, we know that the Government is doing its best in the development of medical facilities, Every year, we spend more than S90 million for the maintenance and further development of various projects in the medical field. Sembawang Hospital used to be a British Hospital. It has now been taken over by the Singapore Government. The people in Sembawang and surrounding areas will be able to receive better medical attention and care. This is praiseworthy indeed. I would like to raise some questions. Firstly, when will these improvements be completed? Secondly, what sort of new facilities will be available? Thirdly, what is the capacity of this new hospital? Mr Chua Sian Chin: Mr Speaker, Sir, regarding the first question, tenders for the renovation of Sembawang Hospital are now under consideration, and work is expected to begin next month and to be completed in September. With regard to the facilities that would be offered to the residents of the area after the renovation has been completed, they are as follows:- (1) surgical in-patient and casualty cases: (a) treatment of minor casualty cases of out-patient, less acute cases of in-patients, and providing first-aid to major cases before transfer to the Thomson Road General Hospital; (b) caters for minor surgeries; and (c) care of post-operative convalescent surgical patients from Thomson Road General Hospital for lying-in before complete discharge.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I thank the Minsiter for the undertaking to give all forms to alleviate their hardship. On this note, I beg leave to withdraw, Sir. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head 1108 be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead 26. Sir, this is an allocation of $900,000 for the improvement of Sembawang Road (10 m.s. to 13 m.s.) and Upper Thomson Road. As a result of this Sembawang Road Improvement, which is in my constituency, some shops will be affected by clearance. So it is a matter of grate concern to me. I would like ot ask the Minster three questions: (1) When will the improvement work commence, and when is it expected to be completed? (2) For those shopkeepers whoare affected, what kind of arrangements in their interest will be made? I hope the Minister concerned will consider the hardship and difficulties of those affected. The best help is to resettle these people before work on imprvement commences, so as to alleviate their hardship and losses. 6.00 p.m.”
“I thank the Minister for his answer, although it is not very clear. I beg leave to withdraw my amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I would like to ask two more questions. First, during the three phases of the construction, how much of the project will be on reclaimed land. Secondly, since the land has been reclaimed recently, will it be dangerous for the construction of the road?”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head 1108 be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead 24. Sir, this is an allocation of $2.5 million for the construction of the Coastal Expressway from Bedok to the City. This is a very good measure for the development of our public road system. With the completion of this Coastal Expressway, I believe that the traffic problems and congestion in the city and rural areas will be relieved. I would like to raise one point of clarification from the Minister concerned. When will work commence on the construction of the Coastal Expressway, and when will it be completed?”
“(8) That the sum to be allocated for Head 1107 be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead 62. (9) That the sum to be allocated for Head 1107 be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead 63. The sum of $18,373,700 for Head 1107 ordered to stand part of the Main Estimates. The sum of $38,335,400 for Head 1107 ordered to stand part of the Development Estimates. Head 1108 - The following amendments stood in the name of Mr P. Govindaswamy - (1) That the sum to be allocated for Head 1108 be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead 1581. (2) That the sum to be allocated for Head 1108 be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead 1911.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I thank the Minister for giving the undertaking to this House, particularly the rural MPs, that he will ask the Minister for Finance for more funds. I hope that with his co-operation, the rural constituencies will be able to get more funds next year for development. On this note, Sir, I beg leave to withdraw my amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. 5.50 p.m.”
“Therefore, we must encourage this kind of co-operation. Finally, I wish to say that the distribution of the vote for the various projects is not appropriate. For instance, the provision for the construction of agricultural and kampung roads is only $750,000. This is insufficient. One of the problems facing the rural areas is the construction of roads and usually the amount provided is inadequate. The vote for the extension of water supply is $1.5 million. Though water supply is very important, I feel that in certain areas, more roads should be constructed. I would like the Minister to pay attention to this. If there is any surplus from the vote for the extension of water supply, I hope it will be used for the building of more roads in the rural areas.”
“The provision for this subhead is actually the same as that for the last financial year. There is no increase. The sum is still $3.25 million. Therefore, I will continue to request the Minister for Law and National Development to appeal to the Minister for Finance to pay more attention to the interests of the rural people and allot more money next year for the various development projects in the rural areas so that the rural people can achieve the same rate of progress and enjoy the same standard of living as those in the urban areas. 5.30 p.m. Sir, since the vote for the rural areas has not been increased, the provision should be utilised to get the maximum benefit. We should also encourage the rural people and national servicemen to do voluntary work or gotong royong the various Government projects so as to reduce expenditure. I will avail myself of this opportunity and mention a gotong royong project that took place on the 10th of March and which was carried out successfully. Two hundred national servicemen from the Seletar and Ayer Rajah Barracks toot part. Hundreds of villagers from Sembawang also responded to this voluntary road project. According to the PWD, the project was scheduled to be completed in four days. But it was completed two days ahead of schedule, thus saving a lot of expenditure for the Government. I would also avail myself of this opportunity to praise the good performance put up by the 200-odd national servicemen from the Ayer Rajah and Seletar Barracks. I must also thank the villagers and the people from the community centres for their help in this project. They have put up a good performance. They have saved Government some money and also contributed a great deal towards the good relationship between the ordinary folks and the soldiers.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head 1107 be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead 32*. (* The same amendment also stood in the names of Messrs Ho Kah Leong and Ng Kah Ting.) The provision under this subhead is for urban and rural services. There is no doubt that the Government has done much in looking after the welfare of the rural people. For many years now the Government has allocated large sums of money for the development of the rural areas by providing facilities such as street lighting, water and electricity supplies and so on. All these facilities have led to improving the lot of the people in the rural areas. However, this does not mean that all the problems pertaining to the rural areas have been solved. There is still plenty of room for improvement. In view of this, I feel that the provision of $3.2 million for this year is obviously not enough. During the past years large sums of money have been allocated for the improvement of the rural areas. For instance, every year the provision of $100,000 to $120,000 was allotted to Sembawang for the extension of public facilities. But this year there is a reduction in the provision, the sum voted being only about $20,000. What can we do with this meagre sum of money? In order that the various construction works in the Sembawang constituency can be carried out successfully, we should increase this provision. I remember that during the Budget debate last year, I made a request that, for the financial year 1973-74, the provision for the rural areas should be increased. The Minister told me then that he would take note of my request. However, after one year it seems that he has forgotten about this matter.”
“Since I will be getting an answer later, I beg leave to withdraw. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.”
“Sir, I only asked the Minister whether he could tell us more about hydroponics, and when will the results of the experiments be made known.”
“The Member for Jurong has also praised the Primary Production Department for what it has done in respect of vegetable farming. I mentioned this in the hope that the Ministry concerned can encourage more farmers to go into vegetable farming in order to reduce the price of vegetables, because I myself buy vegetables often. But the Minister does not buy vegetables himself, and therefore he may not know that the price of vegetables has gone up.”
“Sir, I would like the Minister to listen carefully to what I have to say. He said that it is not necessary for anyone to get a permit to plant orchids. I would like to tell him that the place in question is somewhere near the Sembawang experimental station. This land on which the farmers intend to grow orchids is leased to them on TOLs. When they want to grow orchids on this TOL land, which is also some sort of agricultural land, they were told to apply to the Primary Production Department for a licence to grow orchids. When they wanted to put up a fence, they were also told to apply for a licence. When they made the necessary applications, they were informed that the Primary Production Department might not be likely to give them a licence as the experimental station has a big scheme in mind. So the farmers complained to me, and I went to see the authorities concerned on their behalf. I informed them that since the Primary Production Department had no immediate use of the land then they could perhaps grant them the licence and later withdraw it after they had actually implemented the scheme. So perhaps the Minister was not informed of this, and that is why he does not know about the matter. Actually it is not necessary for the Primary Production Department to issue any licence at all. If it is the case that anybody who wants to grow orchids could go ahead with it, then it is very good. The second point is about the growing of vegetables which I have just referred to. The Primary Production Department has done a lot in respect of vegetable farming and I praise the Department for its efforts. Perhaps the Minister did not listen carefully to what I have said.”
“Formerly a kati of vegetables costs only 20 cents; now it costs 80 cents per kati. It seems that the price of vegetables will continue to rise. This will affect the livelihood of the people. Since the Primary Production Department has done quite well in the rearing of pigs and poultry, I think it should carry out research to find out the best way in which to grow vegetables. It should encourage our farmers to grow vegetables on a big scale, and should give them more land to grow vegetables. If more vegetables are grown locally, their prices will come down to normal. Another point I would like to raise is that I have received many complaints from farmers about the drastic increase in the price of animal feed. It has gone up as much as 100 per cent. This has resulted in higher costs to the farmers, and they therefore suffer a loss of income. Has the Primary Production Department taken steps to help the poultry and pig-rearing farmers by finding out the reason for the increase in the price of animal feed, and whether such a price hike is justified?”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head 1107 be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead 1101*. (* The same amendment also stood in the names of Messrs Sim Boon Woo and P. Govindaswamy.) Sir, the Primary Production Department has done a lot to promote the poultry and pig-rearing industry. To a certain extent it has helped to lower the cost of living and to make poultry and pigs an export commodity. We have been self-sufficient in these two items of production. Recently orchid growing has been encouraged and promoted, and people in the rural areas are now growing orchids and exporting them. In this way, we have been able to earn considerable foreign exchange. However, the cultivation of orchids has given rise to the question of land. I have received complaints from the farmers that the Primary Production Department does not allow them to cultivate orchids around the Sembawang Research Station because the Department itself is carrying out a large scale experiment on orchid growing there. Therefore, the farmers are not allowed to grow orchids around that area. I feel that this is not right. Although the Primary Production Department has other plans too, I feel that before they are implemented, the farmers should be given temporary permits to carry on with their business of orchid growing so that their income will not be affected. When the Department decides to carry out its programme, it will then not be too late to stop the farmers from growing orchids around the station. I also feel that the Primary Production Department should implement a scheme to grow vegetables on a big scale. Most of the vegetables we consume are imported from abroad. The cost of vegetables is rising.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I thank the Parliamentary Secretary for a very clear answer, and I beg leave to withdraw the amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. The sum of $8,369,220 for Head 1002 ordered to stand part of the Main Estimates. The sum of $620,000 for Head 1002 ordered to stand part of the Development Estimates. Head 1003 - The following amendments stood on the Order Paper Supplement:”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head 1002 be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead 11*. (* The same amendment also stood in the name of Mr Ng Kah Ting.) Sir, this is a provision of $620,000 in the Development Estimates for the construction of a Home for Destitute Persons. Under this amendment, I have three simple questions to ask the Minister: (1) What type of people will be housed in the Home for Destitute Persons? Is there any age limit for the people to be admitted? (2) How many people can this Home accommodate? (3) When will the Home be completed, and what facilities will be available?”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the Parliamentary Secretary has given me a detailed reply. I hope the Public Assistance Section will improve on its efficiency. I beg leave to withdraw the amendment, Sir. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.”