Tony Tan Keng Yam
Singapore
“One of the problems which they have in Britain is that, up to recently, they have no means to stop people coming into Britain and preaching in their mosques messages of hate, jihad and violence. Here, MUIS monitors our mosques very carefully, what is being preached at Friday prayers.”
“Sir, I am not going to enter into a debate about whether the war in Iraq is justified or not. That is another issue. But I would say, Sir, that with all the measures which have been taken over the last three years since 9/11, including the war in Afghanistan, the war in Iraq, the arrest of the Al Qaeda leaders, the detention of the JI lea…”
“Sir, we are extending the CCTV coverage in our bus stations, MRT stations and other places in Singapore where people congregate. It is a part of life now. For example, at our MRT stations, all our CCTV cameras are those where the films are recorded and we can analyse them. Surveillance is one of the effective ways of deterring terrorism.”
“The Muslim community in the UK has contributed to the healing process and has worked hard with the other communities to strengthen the moderate voice of Islam.”
“I would say again, Sir, that what we should do is when you see something which is suspicious, if you see a bag which is left unattended, report to some authority. We will look into it. We have to. And I am glad that we are getting more reports today, be vigilant.”
“It could reach here. We have to live with it. We support the war in Iraq. We believe that it is good for us to join the coalition led by the US against terror. The fight against terror is worldwide. We cannot opt out by not taking part. We are in it. We must continue whatever the difficulties.”
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“Surprising as it may sound, the real problem is that, even up to last year, 1987, our schools and junior colleges could not produce enough students who were able to show, though meeting the NUS admission standards, that they had the ability to cope with the academic requirements of the courses conducted by NUS and NTI and thereby benefit from a university education that is very heavily subsidized, up to 85% by the State. Let me explain in greater detail. There are three points which Members have to consider. The first point is the minimum requirements, the second point is the actual application process and the third point is the level of NUS admission standards. On the first point, Sir, Members must not confuse the NUS standards to qualify for admission with the University's minimum requirements to apply for admission. These are two different matters. The University's minimum requirements are, as the name implies, minimum requirements for a student to be eligible, not to qualify, but to apply for admission. Essentially these minimum requirements to apply for admission are: (1) Two 'A' level passes which are obtained at one and the same examination. (2) A minimum grade of C6 in English at 'O' level, and (3) A minimum grade of D7 in Second Language at 'AO' level. For a student who does not meet the Second Language requirement but who subsequently qualifies for admission because of his good performance in his other subjects, he can still be admitted but he will have to make up the Second Language requirement by passing a special University examination during the course of his studies in the University. Just because a student is eligible to apply for admission, it does not mean that he automatically qualifies for admission.”
“Sir, the topic of admission into the National University of Singapore (NUS) has been touched on by many Members today. This topic has also been included among the subjects dealt with in the Report of the Parliamentary Estimates Committee which was presented to Parliament on 15th February this year. In its Report the Estimates Committee urged the Ministry of Education to review the NUS admission policy and to make funds available to tertiary institutions with a view to providing more opportunities to our citizens to receive tertiary education. Sir, in view of the considerable public interest in this subject, I would like to speak on the matter in some detail. Sir, the worry among parents and students and Members of this House, as expressed by speeches today, seems to be primarily because places in the NUS are determined by manpower projections, able students may, because of the limited number of places that are available, find themselves unable to obtain places in the NUS even though they may have obtained satisfactory grades in the 'A' level examinations. I think this is the crux of the speeches that have been made by the Members this afternoon. Sir, I really wish that the problem was simply an insufficient number of university places because these had been limited by over-conservative manpower projections. If this is so, then it is a management problem and can be resolved without too much difficulty, as we have done by increasing the number of students admitted into the NUS by 50% over the last six years - from 4,370 students in 1982 to 6,530 students last year. Unfortunately, the real problem is more basic and more complicated.”
“They will have to find ways to cut costs and improve their productivity. They must compete not only in price but also in product design and quality. Singapore must work harder to attract new investments. We will have to improve the quality and efficiency of our infrastructure and skilled manpower. If we can do this, our economy will weather this untimely graduation and continue to develop and prosper. paragraph 3 of Annex A (Cols. 603 - 604) Annex B (Cols. 605 - 608) paragraph 3 also of Annex C (Cols. 609 - 610)”
“There are at present 180 PAP kindergartens. 177 are situated in HDB estates and 3 in privately-owned buildings. LOSS OF U.S. GSP BENEFITS 2. Mrs Yu-Foo Yee Shoon asked the Minister for Trade and Industry what are the likely effects of the withdrawal of the Generalised System of Preferences by the United States on the Singapore economy. BG Lee Hsien Loong: In 1987, out of the 3,000 products under the US GSP programme, Singapore exported slightly more than 700 items valued at about S$3.5 bn (US$1.7 billion) to the US. However, 40% of this trade failed to qualify for GSP because of insufficient domestic content, other GSP rules, or administrative reasons. As a result, only S$2.5 billion of our domestic exports to the US actually enjoyed duty-free treatment under the GSP programme. This is about 20% of our exports to the US, and 9% of our total non-oil domestic exports. With an average duty of about 5%, our exporters will have to pay some S$125 million more in duties without the GSP benefits. Graduation of Singapore from the US GSP programme on 2 January 1989 will undoubtedly affect our competitiveness in the US market. Fortunately our major competitors, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Korea will also be graduated at the same time. For items where we are competing mainly with these countries, like radio cassette recorders, toys, motors, computer equipment and telecommunication equipment, the impact will therefore be less severe. A significant proportion of our GSP exports to the US are manufactured by US MNCs here. The removal of the GSP benefits will hurt the competitiveness of industries in the US which depend on these imports as industrial inputs. Loss of GSP benefits will also affect many Singapore industries. Industries can no longer afford to depend solely on GSP markets.”
“It has been formulated after extensive debate and discussion over one year. Even the Opposition has been invited to give his views. The Member for Potong Pasir this morning said that he was not invited, but I have hear a clipping of the Sunday Times, 18th January 1987, with the headlines, "Chiam responds to call for ideas". [handed to Mr Chiam]. He has also said that the Agenda is not acceptable but not because of the contents. He did not comment on the contents itself. He said that the public did not accept the document because they questioned the sincerity of the Government. My question to the Member for Potong Pasir is whether he accepts the contents of the document. Whether his Party accepts the contents of the document. Mr Chiam, would youlike to answer?”
“The Malay community needs to think about this very seriously. If contributions are made in such a manner, it would multiply. This awareness and sacrifice of the Malay community would enable us to go more aggressively into new fields including perhaps one day into construction, medicine, or private hospital administration, which would in itself be in support of the Government policy to make Singapore a regional medical centre. Such a positive exposure I am sure would enable the non-Malay communities to better understand the aspirations and values of the Malay-Muslim community. The year 2000 is only 12 years ahead. The Malay-Muslim community has striven in education through Mendaki, in economy and in commerce. The Malay community must further enhance their awareness and sacrifice in these areas, education and the economy. We must have the spirit and even more necessary we must have a deeper conviction to achieve this success. We cannot have, say, a spirit that is a mile wide but just an inch of conviction. I am sure the Government and the non-Malay communities would always be prepared to assist us. In fact, they have been helping us. Only the awareness and the sacrifice of the Malay community are needed now for the next 12 years. EXEMPTED BUSINESS (Motion) With the consent of Mr Deputy Speaker and the general assent of Members present, Question put, and agreed to. Resolved, "That the proceedings on the item under discussion and the remaining item on the Order Paper today be exempted at this day's sitting from the provisions of Standing Order No. 1." - [Mr Wong Kan Seng]. Dr Arthur Beng Kian Lam (Fengshan): Sir, I rise in support of the motion. Sir, this Agenda for Action sets out the goals and challenges facing us as a nation.”
“If before, Malay Members of Parliament and local organizations called the Malays sacrificing milk and sugar in their coffee just to go to Makkah - and I am sure, God willing, if our children do take part in such a scheme, by having one foot in Makkah, the other would be prevented from going into drugs, and the problem of reducing that 64% could be addressed like other issues - then, I feel in the matter of shares and financial institutions, we require more awareness and sacrifice. Perhaps, this time it would be more than just a cup of bitter coffee, perhaps in terms of some cassette tapes or videotapes. I am not asking for the cash in their pockets. I am asking those who spend their money on cassette tapes or videotapes whether by hire or purchase, to sacrifice some of them. If usually there are 30 in a year, take away four or five for a share in our future. The same for videotapes. If 30 videotapes a year - I heard more than 30 in some cases - take away five, about $60 to be put into shares. I am not asking for cash, but this kind of money. This means we would have at least a share of $5, $10, $20, $50 or even $100. Better still, if some are so full of conscience abd realisation that they are prepared to give a day's salary, a week's salary and even one month's salary,not more than $1,000, to be put into such a scheme. If we just consider $100 per head, on average, take 100,000 of the Malay community in Singapore out of 150,000 workers, before the end of the year the Malay community would have $10 million. If it is $200, $20 million. If on average it is $300 per head, $30 million. And if this practice is continued every year for 12 years, God willing, we would be joining the mainstream of Singapore society more effectively.”
“But like all of us, they must also be courteous, polite. This is important. Because any deficiency in this regard would usually affect the image of the Government. I welcome efforts now being made to ensure that these faults would not occur. While we try our best to reinforce this important value on ourselves and in the civil service, I would like to appeal to the general public to be more understanding because one does not clap with one hand. Courtesy works both ways. It is a two-way street. My final point, as I said earlier, concerns the Malay community and the ideal of a society of excellence, a nation of distinction. Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, finally, specifically on the Malay community. We have never had a government as good as the present. This is a reality, a fact that we should all realize. The Agenda for Action has outlined a programme for several decades ahead involving all the communities of Singapore, including the Malay community. For more than two decades, the Malay community, together with the Government, has been going through the phases of history, through thick and thin within Singapore together with the other communities. The Malay community has long abandoned a nagging and begging mentality. They now prefer action. Mendaki is an example and so is the Kemas Congress and the Danamis proposal. This positive attitude needs to be multiplied if the Malay community wants to participate in the mainstream of the Singapore society.”
“I am also sure that our young people now have a better perception, for example, of the dangers of racialism, of religious fanaticism, of voting according to one's whims and fancies. It is our duty to give them more exposure of all these elements through education, from the schools to the university, through (PA) or People Association, social organisations and the mass media and other channels that we might consider appropriate as a public education, as mentioned earlier by the Minister for Trade and Industry. We must win the hearts of these young people in a wise and rational manner. There must be some form of attraction for them. They are a very important component. The sixth pattern is the civil service. In paragraph 4 of the Introduction, it is emphazied, "It now needs to be implemented with the full weight of the governmental machinery" which I take to mean the civil service. This is, of course, very appropriate because the progress and the smooth administration of a country lies in the combination of three elements - a competent government full of good programmes, a population that appreciates and supports the government's action through mature organizations and a well-organized civil service that works in concert with the planning and aspirations of the government. We have inherited a good and important legacy of the colonial government in the form of the civil service. The wheels of the civil service machinery have been turning in tandem with the government. Improvements after improvements have been made and this need to be continued. They should more seen than heard, whether executing Government policies or attending to customers at the front counters or serving the general public. Like the Government leaders, they need to be efficient and firm.”
“This withdrawal I am sure is welcomed by the world and the United States must really take heed of this. Meanwhile, I am sure trade unions around the world and workers as well must remain wary because the trade unions are still an arena of communist infiltration. Two decades is a long time but not to them. In this modern and sophisticated era, the urban areas are expanding and the rural areas too are getting more sophisticated. Guerilla warfare is not as easy as before. The possibility that this ism would focus more of its efforts on the urban areas is very great. And I am sure the trade unions is still an important target to it. The fifth pattern is mentioned in the Introduction. It refers to the young people and the Government machinery. Allow me to touch on something stated in the Introduction, paragraph 2, relating to the involvement of young people, "..... the Government's intention to reach an accord on the character of the society young people desire, and involve the young in working towards its achievement". This is very appropriate because no society in the world could give its descendants or its young people a future or a world that is certain, according to our tastes or even according to their tastes. At most, this could only be a future possibility. But we could provide or prepare our young people, for their future, education in line with the needs of 10-20 years from now: strong traditional values and the consolidation of belief in these values within a plural society. I am confident they aregetting more sure and they understand better the issue of war, after having gone through national service and our policy total defence.”
“More necessary is that all of us, in particular our workers and our employers, are conscious of the need to work harder to enhance our productivity and ensure that our products have the competitiveness edge in the international arena, especially in the US market. US and the GSP can be likened to an umbrella. But the trouble is that now we have and weare relying upon a leaking umbrella. We hope in future that the United States will not go to the extent of being, as the Malays say "Harapkan pagar, pagar makan padi", i.e. the guardian who preys upon the very people he had been entrusted to protect. Locally or internationally, people want not only political democracy but also economic democracy and social justice, even humanitarianism and morality. This must be emphasized. The United States must be magnanimous in its actions towards the countries that it considers its friends. It must shed its damaging capitalist cloak. It has been said that the capitalist "is like a snake, it moves singly, the most in pairs and keeps only his interest or the interest of the pair." Perhaps they should ponder over what David A. Stockman, the former whiz kid of President Reagan wrote in his book "The Triumph of Politics". This the United States must appreciate, because it has also been said that "Communism moves in a herd and takes care of its own herd only". Now we have seen how the Communists are trying to put on new clothes through 'glasnost' (openness) and 'perestroika' (economic restructuring), which have now become the focus of world attention. They now propose to withdraw from Afghanistan, after having taken the lives of about 30,000 of its own soldiers and one million Afghan freedom fighters.”
“Kadir Jasin of Berita Harian Malaysia on 16th February 1988, this would mean, as the Green Paper says, "Singapore will increasingly be a middle-class society." My question, to the First Deputy Prime Minister, is: does the population distribution policy still adhere to the population profile of Singapore, that is, each constituency reflecting the ethnic proportions of the total, population, ie, having 75% Chinese and the balance made up of the minorities? Could this profile be extended as best as possible down to every block? What about flats which are purchased or sold privately and occupants of one community move out of the area to be replaced by occupants of another community, thereby turning the profile out of proportion? I think this issue needs clarification now. The fourth pattern. This relates to the role of the trade unions. We cannot agree more with the intent of the section on Economic Growth and Progress that workers should improve themselves, which in turn places emphasis on the positive role of the trade unions, through the BEST, WISE and MOST schemes. And I am sure the Member for Potong Pasir appreciates these noble efforts. Many more of our workers are benefitting from this symbiotic relationship. This must be continued because our future lies in how best our people are able to gain education and new technology. The success and self-respect of the country and the society lies in it. Here allow me to express my congratulations to the NTUC for the maturity of their actions recently when they expressed their protest against the United States attitude on the GSP issue. This is necessary.”
“I agree with this view which is in line with the considerations reflected in the four articles below which should be practised by all countries, all societies, and indeed, by all individuals towards ensuring their well-being, that is, (1) a country or a person must be strong but not arrogant; (2) He or the country may be soft but don't think he/it is weak; (3) he/it is generous but not wasteful; (4) and he/it is thrifty but not stingy. This practice would in itself cover many of the aspirations of the people, something in the form of more comprehensive national development and progress, reinforcing the concept of a plural society moving towards a just and prosperous society. This is in accordance with the intent of article 5 of the same section, where the Green Paper says: "Let us do our best to help the slower communities to participate more fully in the mainstream of our national life, be it in the economic, social or political fields." The Government's attention to this community is getting more evident. This community on its part should enhance its participation and increase its sacrifices. At the end of this speech, I would try to touch on something has been circulating within the Malay community in its efforts to join the mainstream of Singapore. The third pattern, population distribution. Under the topic, Home Ownership, articles 17 and 18 give due attention to the success of this scheme and describe the steps taken and assistance given in order that more people of Singapore will be able to own apartments. And if it should happen, say, in the year 2000, we have 90% or 95% home ownership as described by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of National Development to Encik A.”
“The third conclusion is that it gives an assurance to the international community, especially the investors, of our effort to consolidate the country's stability by giving it its particular patterns. Allow me to put across these patterns and, where necessary, to give my comments. The first pattern is the pattern of leadership. A political leadership that ensures continuity and a smooth transfer of leadership for at least two decades from now. These two decades make up a comfortable period of time and an important time-frame for investors and a comfortable one for plans to be carried out well. We congratulate the Old Guards, those who are still in this House and those who are outside this House, for their far-sightedness and their sacrifices that have enabled our self-renewal policy to be implemented smoothly. Congratulations to them. The second pattern is balance. A united community and efforts towards reinforcing this unity, such as the GRC proposal, the town councils, and so on. The unity of this multi-racial society very necessary and we must preserve it in order that there be no thorns in the flesh, stabbing at the heart, ie, our unity, and putting the body, ie, Singapore, into suffering and even death. I am very impressed to find in this Green Paper, under the heading, Nation Building, Topic 1 - Multi-racial, Multi-religious Society and Consensus and Participation, article 9, where it is stated that "the Government can be popular without being populist, firm but not high-handed".”
“And if we continue to improve our schools along the lines suggested by the Member for Bukit Timah, then I think we will see a steady increase in the intake of university students and these students will be admitted without any lowering of academic standards. At the same time, Sir, we must also make sure that our economy continues to grow and to progress, so that the economy continues to expand, more job opportunities will be created, there will be more jobs, there will be better-paying jobs, jobs which can be filled by the graduates from the NUS and from the NTI. It is these aspirations, Sir, a thriving, prosperous economy leading to plentiful job opportunities, a meaningful life for our graduates, for all our students in our schools, this is what the Agenda for Action is all about. 2.55 pm The Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Trade and Industry (Encik Sidek bin Saniff)( In Malay): Mr Deputy Speaker, on scrutinizing the Green Paper presented by the First Deputy Prime Minister and the Minister for Defence, we can make three conclusions as follows. The first conclusion is that it is a solid document, the result of an extraordinary effort involving almost the whole community from all levels, from all categories, in setting out its future. The second conclusion is that it offers a clear avenue towards the goals that we are aiming for, taking into consideration the challenges of the future, including the various obstructive 'humps' that we might have to overcome, in a rational manner and with a rational attitude, whether they be local or international, taking into account also the interests of our neighbours.”
“Our professionals, for example those in medicine or engineering, have no difficulty in meeting the necessary qualifications for admission to the relevant professional institutes in Australia, in England, and in other well-established countries. This is something, Sir, which we should not compromise. Our standards in the NUS are high and deservedly so, and we should not compromise it. I do not think there is any reason why we need to apologize for keeping high standards of the NUS. We must always ensure that thestandards of the NUS are equivalent to the standards of a well-established university of quality in our major competitor countries. Only in that way, Sir, can we do a service to the thousands of students who go through the NUS. To do otherwise is to hold out false hope and, eventually, to do a disservice to them. Now, Sir, what is the responsible way of getting more university graduates? I do not think the responsible way is simply to relax our admission policy and allow more students to go in. The responsible way is, first of all, to have better schools, to improve the standards of education in our primary schools, in our secondary schools and in our junior colleges. With better schools, we will have better quality candidates, and with better quality candidates we can admit more students into the NUS without any deterioration in academic standards. It is because we have improved our schools significantly over the last five or six years that the NUS has been able to increase its intake by 50% from 1982 to 1987, and to do this honestly, responsibly without any lowering of standards.”
“We must make sure that when we admit a child to university, we must be reasonably sure (we cannot guarantee, but we must be reasonably sure) that there will be a demand for his or her services after he or she graduates. I take the point of the Member for Bukit Timah that we should not be too conservative in our manpower projections. I think that point is well meant. We have been in a fortunate position where we have very few or no graduates unemployed. I think this is something which we should always try to preserve. Sir, we should also, Sir, recognize that our economy is developing and changing and so there will be a need for more university graduates in the coming years. And this point will be taken into account in planning our university intake. Now, Sir, the matter of academic standards. Why is it so important? Why should we try so hard to ensure that the standards of our University are not compromised? Standards are important because they are a brand of quality. Every student who comes out from the NUS with an NUS degree shows evidence that he or she has reached a certain standard of academic performance, has gone through a certain rigorous course of instruction. This is something which we have built over the years. And the performance of our graduates, as they move out to fill jobs in the economy over the last two or three decades, has shown that employers can trust the degrees of the NUS. Not only Singaporean employers, but employers like the MNCs, are familiar with what good graduates should be, what graduatesof a quality university should have achieved. And the fact that our graduates have performed well and can fulfil the expectations which they are required to meet, I think speaks well of the high standards of the NUS.”
“I presume this is what was suggested by the Member for Potong Pasir this morning - that we should not worry too much as to whether these students would have jobs after they graduate but that we should open the university so that they can go in, cultivate their minds, and this is the way towards a Society of Excellence. The point, Sir, is this. If we do this, are we doing a service to these students? What will happen to them when they graduate and find that they cannot get enough jobs? Is it better to be an unemployed graduate or to be an unemployed non-University student? I think it makes no difference. When you are unemployed, you are unemployed. I do not think it is a service to allow thousands of students to go through university, spend time, spend money, make an effort and then find, when they graduate, that there is nothing for them to do. I think, Sir, that this is also one reason why students in many of the newly-developing countries have to emigrate and go abroad to find jobs because they find no room to exercise their talents in the countries where they are educated. Therefore, Sir, every responsible country must plan its university graduates in accordance with its manpower requirements. This is not to deny any student the chance to go to university but to ensure that we will not have a situation as has happened in many other countries, where there are thousands of unemployed graduates. You have graduates working as hawkers, waiters, waitresses - jobs which manifestly do not require any university education but which, because these graduates cannot find jobs, they are forced to take on this type of employment. I do not think it makes any sense. And just because they have gone through university, I do not think they will thank us for it.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I have noted that a few Members have commented on the matter of the University's admission policy, just now by the Member for Bukit Timah, this morning by the Member for Potong Pasir, and also recently by our Parliamentary Estimates Committee. I feel, Sir, that it would not be out of place for me to say a few words this afternoon to clarify the Government's stand on this very important matter, a subject which is not only important to Members of this House but also to students in our schools and to the parents. Sir, I wish to state quite clearly and without any equivocation so that there should be no doubt in anyone's mind that it is the policy of the Government to admit to the NUS every student who can qualify for admission and can make it through university. Sir, this has always been our policy. This is our policy today and this will continue to be our policy. It only makes sense. We are a small nation a country of 2(r) million people with no natural resources. It is in our interest and in the interest of the student himself, that we should try and educate every child to the maximum of his or her ability. Every child that we can nurture and groom through university is an asset to himself, to his family and to Singapore. Therefore, Sir, it is, as I said, our Government's policy to try and ensure that as many students as possible can qualify and make it through the NUS. But, Sir, does this mean that we should simply open the gates and allow anyone and every student to enter university?”
“There is no more leftover food lying about, no more soiled crockery on the floor and no more washings within the stalls. Some hawkers are not happy with the use of disposable crockery because it means slightly more operating costs to them. Cleanliness and hygiene may not be foremost in their minds. There is an increasing consumer demand for cleaner eating places. If food centres cannot be kept clean and hygienic, then they may eventually lose out to the cleaner restaurants, eating houses and private food centres. The Ministry is satisfied that the use of disposable crockery is very suited for food centres and the advantages far outweigh the disadvantages. The food centres that are now using disposable crockery will be required to continue to use disposable crockery. The Ministry will also be getting more food centres to use disposable crockery in the near future. BUS AND TAXI FARES (Position upon operation of MRT) 8. Mr Chiam See Tong asked the Minister for Communications and Information whether bus fares and taxi fares will be raised either in anticipation of or on the coming into operation of the Mass Rapid Transit system.”
“The Senior Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for the Environment (Mr Eugene Yap Giau Cheng) (for the Minister for the Environment): Mr Speaker, Sir, I am answering on behalf of my Minister. The Ministry introduced disposable crockery in five food centres in February this year. Since then, another six food centres have also joined in. Disposable crockery was introduced as a means to upgrade the cleanliness and standard of hygiene in our food centres. During the past six months, it has been observed that the 11 food centres using disposable crockery are much cleaner. They are better organized. In the past, before disposable crockery was introduced, it was common to see tables cluttered with soiled dishes and leftover food. A customer wanting to use the table would have to wait patiently for the stallholders to come and remove their respective crockery. It was also common to see stacks of soiled dishes and leftover food placed by the side of the stalls, against some pillar or wall, awaiting collection by the respective stallholders. Then there was the problem of washing. As it was, the stalls were already crowded with all sorts of cooking paraphernalia. Within the confined space, stallholders would have to prepare and cook their food. When they also had to scrap off the leftover food into a bin placed inside the stall and wash dishes within their stalls, it is not difficult to imagine the mess that was created. The crockery could not have been very thoroughly washed. All too often, the floor traps were choked with food scraps and the stalls were wet and dirty. With disposable crockery, we can have a very efficient system of clearing tables. Everything on the table goes straight into the trash bin.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the Member has asked a very important question which is a natural follow-up of his first question and I believe it deserves a careful answer. With your permission, Sir, I would like to read out the answer which I have prepared. The answer to the Member's supplementary question, Sir, is, in principle, yes, provided that the school comes up with a well-conceived plan for the management and for the use of the school's endowment fund. This would be open to other schools as well, not only the independent schools. Let me give you an example. Raffles Institution. The school has informed the Ministry that the majority of parents of RI students and the Old Rafflesians are of the view that Raffles Institution should build up an endowment fund to help defray the cost of improving RI's educational programmes before the school considers changing its present status as a Government school. With an endowment fund, RI would then be in a better position at some future date to decide whether or not to go independent. Consequently, the Old Rafflesians Association and the Raffles Institution School Advisory Committee have decided to take the necessary action to build up an endowment fund. I am happy to inform Members that the Government will support RI's efforts in the same way as for the independent schools. USE OF DISPOSABLE CROCKERY (Progress report) 7. Dr Wong Kwei Cheong asked the Minister for the Environment (a) if he will give a progress report on the pilot project to use disposable crockery in selected hawker centres; (b) whether hawkers will be allowed to revert to the use of normal crockery if the project proves to be unpopular; and (c) when will his Ministry enforce the use of disposable crockery in all hawker centres if it deems the project successful.”
“There will also be a half-subsidy of school fees for pupils from families with a monthly household income of between $800 and $1,200 or a monthly household income per dependent child of between $400 and $600. Pupils can apply for financial assistance at any point in their school career and they will enjoy the assistance throughout their entire school career. They will also be eligible to apply for other assistance schemes. Sir, the independent schools are also setting up their own endowment funds which, among other objectives, will seek to provide financial assistance to needy pupils over and above that which is provided by the Government. The Government will encourage the establishment of these endowment funds by, first, making the donations to the endowment funds tax exempt and, secondly, making a start- up donation of $1 million on a dollar-for-dollar basis to each of the endowment funds. Sir, with the financial assistance provided by the Government and the further assistance to be provided by the endowment funds of the independent schools, there should be no doubt in anyone's mind that admission to the independent schools will be open to all pupils who qualify regardless of their financial circumstances.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the Government has repeatedly explained that the establishment of independent schools will not be solely for the benefit of the children in these schools. The purpose of establishing independent schools is to have role models to enable us to see how the education system can be improved in order to help each pupil to realize his or her full potential. This, Sir, must be our ultimate objective. Independent schools can do many things. They will be able to innovate and introduce creative educational programmes with the minimum of bureaucracy. These innovations can then be extended to other schools. Also, in recruiting principals and teachers in a competitive market, independent schools will also help to set the market value of good principals and good teachers. This in turn will help us to determine what remuneration the Government must offer in order to attract good people to join the teaching service and, just as important, to retain them. In providing quality education for their pupils, independent schools will therefore set high standards which will serve as benchmarks for schools in Singapore. In this way, the benefits of the independent schools can be spread throughout our whole education system. Now, Sir, admission to independent schools will not depend on the financial circumstances of parents or their ability to pay fees. To ensure that bright but needy children who cannot pay the fees are not denied admission to independent schools, the Government has set up a financial assistance scheme for these pupils. The Government will provide the full subsidy of school fees for pupils from families with a monthly household income of $800 or less or with a monthly household income per dependent child of $400 or less.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I think the answer has already been given by my Minister of State. I do not think we should repeat the answer again. ADMISSION TO INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS (Government assistance for needy pupils) 6. Dr Lau Teik Soon asked the Minister for Education how the establishment of independent schools will benefit other schools in Singapore and what measures will be taken to ensure that admission to the independent schools will be available to all children who qualify regardless of the financial circumstances.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, there is no question of limiting the choice of any pupil. If the Member has heard accurately the answer given by the Minister of State to the question from the Member for Eunos, then he would know that what we have done for those Malay children who have not been able to get a place in the school of registration at the first time because of the 25% limit is to offer them a place in a school as close as possible to their school of registration but where the 25% limit has not been reached. But if the parents prefer, as stated by my Minister of State, and provided the school of registration still has vacancies, then the parents can register their child and the child can go to the preferred school of registration. But the choice is up to the parents. As the Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs has already stated, there are sound educational grounds for limiting or lowering the enrolment of Malay Primary 1 children in schools. Where there are concentrations of Malay children, there is a natural tendency for them to gather together and to talk in Malay. I think, Mr Speaker, Sir, what the Member is suggesting will be detrimental to the interest of the Malay community, and particularly to the interest of the Malay children themselves. As he says, this is an educational problem. We are trying to deal with it in an educational way. Where there are other cultural problems, I am sure they will be looked into by my Ministry and by Mendaki with the assistance of the Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs. Much obliged, Mr Speaker, Sir.”
“Sir, may I be allowed to say a few words?”
“The Ministry plans to construct two new secondary schools in Eunos Constituency. The schools, located at Bedok Reservoir Road and Kaki Bukit Avenue 1, are scheduled to be completed in 1993. VICINITY OF BEDOK RESERVOIR (Development PLans) 2. Encik Zulkifli bin Mohammed asked the Minister for National Development what latest plans his Ministry has to develop the immediate vicinity of Bedok Reservoir.”
“(a) Since its establishment, 44 College of Physical Education trainees belonging to the first intake have graduated. Another 62 will be sitting for their final examinations in May this year. (b) Out of the 44 trainees who graduated 37 have joined the Education Service, 14 are in the junior colleges, 5 in secondary schools with pre-university centres and 18 in other secondary schools. Those posted to junior colleges are teaching PE full time. Those in pre-university centres and secondary schools teach PE as their main subject but they also teach an academic subject for which they have also been trained. (c) On the average, about 79% of the teaching time of the PE teachers is in PE. (d) When the new CPE campus is completed by 1989, it is planned to increase the intake to 100 per annum. AMOUNT OF PUBLIC ASSISTANCE IN 1986 3. Mr Chiam See Tong asked the Minister for Community Development what was the amount of public assistance paid out by his Ministry for the year ended 31st December, 1986.”
“We will merely train them for whatever purposes they have to be in later life and I am sure Members will agree with me that this is not what the Ministry of Education should be aiming at.”
“Mathematics. We live in a technological society. Without a knowledge of elementary mathematics, at least for everyone, for boys as well as for girls, no one can get very far in the world today. After mathematics, then at least, Sir, I am sure Members will agree, some knowledge of Science is important and some knowledge of at least one of the humanities - literature, geography, history, because science teaches children about the world, about how things move, how things work. The humanities teach children about people, about human emotions, about human feelings. All these constitute the basic requirements for a well-rounded education and beyond this we must also find room for subjects such as moral education in order to teach children their responsibilities as children and as adults and as citizens. Then, of course, Sir, we do not want our children to be mere bookworms, spending 24 hours on their books. We want them to grow up into healthy adults. We want them to have time to play games, to take part in sports, to develop healthy, rugged bodies. And beyond that, we should also enable them to develop an appreciation for the arts, whether it is painting, dance, music or drama. If we wish to develop or to become a gracious society, if we want to go beyond what we are today, then I think we should not set our sights too low. These requirements, when you put them all together, the Ministry of Education, the principals and the teachers have to juggle them and fit them within the framework of a normal school day. To attempt to include one subject after another without taking out what is already there will, in my view, Sir, lead us to a curriculum which is overloaded and to children who will miss the joy of childhood. We, in fact, will not be giving them an education.”
“In our context in Singapore, this means specifically, first of all, that all children should have a mastery of English, and this is fundamental. English is the language of access to the world's scientific technology. It is the language of business. In an open city like Singapore, without a knowledge of English, our children will be handicapped. If there is one thing where we in Singapore have got an advantage over our competitors in the other NICs, Taiwan, Korea and Hong Kong, it is that our workers in Singapore, by and large, have a facility in English and are able to master new technology much quicker than workers in these other countries. We do not work as hard as them and the fact that foreign companies are willing to come here and invest in Singapore and pay higher wages than for more hardworking workers in these other countries is because the companies here are able to have what they call "quick start-up" and they know our workers here are able to absorb new knowledge quickly. So English is fundamental. Secondly, Sir, a knowledge of the child's mother tongue. This is not to enable him, for example, if he is a Chinese, to be a literary scholar, to be able to recite the classics. But, as the Member for Braddell Heights has said, it is an avenue to the child's own culture. It is a reminder to the child that notwithstanding the necessity for him to know English he is an Asian, he is Chinese, he is Malay or he is Indian, and without a knowledge of his mother tongue it is not possible for him to retain this link to his heritage. So English and mother tongue constitute the two basic tenets of our bilingual policy which, as I have repeatedly said, Government regards as the foundation of our educational policy in Singapore. Beyond these two requirements, what else?”
“Not only do we have to make sure that our children in Singaporegrow up to be responsible adults, conscious of their responsibilities, conscious of the fact that they live in a multi-racial society here and that they have to get on with one another, but we also have to make sure that they grow up to be healthy children, robust and rugged (as the Member for Moulmein said yesterday) for boys, able to shoulder the onerous responsibility of serving their national service and of fulfilling their obligations to the nation and for girls, grow up healthy and intelligent, not only capable of knowing their lessons but also how to build a home, how to look after children and how to fulfil their family responsibilities. When you combine all of these, you have to decide, within a school day, what is it that you want your children to study? The first thing that we have to realize is that we live in a world which is constantly changing, and if we want to prepare our children so that they do not become redundant when they leave school, and so that they will be able to fit into the new Singapore which they will grow up into in, say, 10-15 years' time, we must provide them, first of all, with an education that will enable them to undertake this life-long task of learning which is so important today. This means that we must make sure that fundamentally our curriculum, first of all, is broad-based. It is not possible for us today in 1987 to see what are the jobs, what are the openings, what are the new opportunities that will become available, say, in 1994 or towards the end of the century. If we confine our children to a very narrow area, this will make them inflexible. What we have to do is to give them an education, broadly speaking, in all the major areas but without overloading them.”
“Sir, this debate started with a rather innocent motion from the Member for Ayer Rajah commenting on Science textbooks and on the role of the CDIS. Since then, Sir, it has gone beyond that to involve the intricacies of the Chinese language and the complications of international diplomacy. Perhaps Members will allow me a few minutes to bring the discussion back to more basic levels, and that is, regarding what should be taught, what should be contained in the curriculum in our schools. One of the problems of education is that there is so much to learn today and everyone has got his pet subject which he feels is absolutely necessary to be included in the school syllabus. But the problem is that the mind of any child, no matter how brilliant, is of finite capacity. You cannot keep on stretching it. You cannot, as it were, keep on adding more and more knowledge of the various subjects and expect the child's ability and his capacity to expand indefinitely. This is one of the reasons why there is such concern about the stress on examinations. I believe the Member for Changkat yesterday made the point that there is great stress in our schools and that we should do our best to try and relieve some of the stress. The problem of what is a proper curriculum in our schools is not an easy one to solve. It is much more difficult in a multi-racial, multi-cultural and multi-religious society such as the one we have in Singapore.”
“What we must do, Sir, is to find out from whichever country which will give us a good example of what is right, how best we can foster the conditions, the arrangements, the milieu which will go towards making excellent schools and which will provide as good an education for our children as we can provide in Singapore. This is what the principals have tried to do in visiting schools in Britain and in the United States and coming back and forming their recommendations. So, Sir, it is not our intention to simply copy exactly what is in America or what is in Britain. It is our intention to find out what is the best in America, what is the best in Britain, what is the best in Japan; indeed, from any other country where we can learn useful lessons and then to see how these lessons can be modified and adapted for our use in Singapore. With that, Sir, may I leave it to my Minister of State to reply to the other points. Dr Tay Eng Soon: Mr Chairman, Sir, just to refer to the point made by the Member for Potong Pasir. I think he may have looked up the wrong books. If he had looked up a series of books that we have published for primary school moral education known as the "Good Citizens" series, that series contains many stories as well as lessons on moral education, family relations, and even aspects on democracy that he mentioned. So I recommend him to look up to the more up-to-date materials that we provided.”
“Mr Chairman, Sir, first I would like to respond to some of the points raised by the Member for Telok Blangah when he asked as to why we only looked at British and American schools in considering a model for our education system here since we are a different society in Singapore, we are not as individualistic as the British and this may not be the right system. Sir, perhaps before the Member makes his points, may I suggest to him that he reads the Report first. I will just quote from the first page of the Report, Mr Chairman, Sir, where the principals have put in perspective the framework in which they have set out their recommendations: 'Our recommendations have been made bearing in mind our own social milieu and national priorities. We do not suggest that we try to replicate the schools visited; rather that we be guided by the insights we have gained. We are of the view that we should work towards the conditions and circumstances we have found crucial in achieving excellence in schools. Society and parents must be prepared to make the necesary investment for the benefit of our children.' I think, Sir, if you look at this paragraph carefully you will find that what the principals have in mind was not to try and copy the conditions, the setting, or to bring to Singapore exactly what is happening in America or in Britain. I have made exactly the same point previously - that we cannot simply go and see what is done in other countries, whether it is in Japan, or in America, or in Britain.”
“Sir, there have been many points raised and although we have, as you said, talked about the topic of independent schools since 12.20 pm - it arises from time to time - I want to respond to one important point which was raised by the Member for Braddell Heights. I detect from his comments that there was a worry that the introduction of independent schools may be simply a device or a means for the Government to initiate an all-round rise in school fees across the board. Let me, Sir, assure him that this is not the case. The introduction of independent schools is for the purpose of providing greater diversity of schools in order to provide greater choice for our children and provide a better quality of education for them. It is not, Sir, for the purpose of enabling Government to initiate an increase in school fees across the board and it will not be done.”
“Sir, I think I have touched on the topic of single session schools at some length during the first cut, and I would just like to mention to the Member for Yuhua who has raised this point about fees, that I have already given the assurance that whatever the arrangements for independent schools we will make sure that all bright children will have the opportunity to go to these schools. The Government regards education as an investment. I think that there are fewer things on which Government can spend its money more usefully than in providing a good education for our children. So I do not think, on that point, that she should have any concern. Before I pass on to my Minister of State, if I may, Sir, I would just make one last point. Although I know that there are many merits in the single session school, I was glad to learn from the Member for Queenstown that among these merits is the fact that it will lead to many marriages in our society. That is a new fact that we can take into account.”
“The number which will be admitted to NUS this year and last year is in the region of 4,500 and 5,000 students. So the number has gone up by at least 50%. In terms of percentages, more of our students are now passing their '0' levels and more of our students are going to some form of post-secondary education, either at junior colleges or at our pre-U centres or at our polytechnics. Therefore, the number of students having some form of advanced training after secondary level has gone up at all levels.”
“The answer is yes. In 1979, if I remember correctly, the number admitted to NUS was about 3,000 students every year.”
“Mr Chairman, Sir, the main points will be taken by the Minister of State. I just want to respond to a point from the Member for Potong Pasir. I think what he is asking is: since the Goh Keng Swee Report, are there more students who are going on to university?”
“Sir, I can assure the Member for Moulmein that all these will be given very careful consideration before RI changes its status.”
“Of course, the principal and heads of departments will have their say but the board of governors make it very sure that theirs is the final decision. And if we have a responsible board of governors, I do not think that this will be done lightly. The fourth area, Sir, is when a child has to be expelled from the school for grave misdemeanours. This may be regarded as not of the same magnitude as the other three. But rightly, Sir, the board of governors feels that this is a very traumatic experience both for the child as well as for the parents and therefore they say no child should be expelled or be asked to leave a school without the approval, explicitly, of the board of governors. These are the four major responsibilities of the board of governors of the independent schools overseas. Then, Sir, on the point made by the Member for Moulmein about RI - that we should take our time and not rush into such matters as changing RI into an independent school. I am not known to be a person of reckless disposition. In fact, I think the comment which I have heard about the independent schools is, "Why are we doing things so slowly? We seem to be talking a lot about it. Unlike some other Government initiatives, we are taking our time over this." I think that this is right. Education is a very important process. Whatever experiments we do, at the very least it must affect one cohort, one generation, of students. And I do not think that we should lightly go into education innovation until we have thought the matter out fully and be sure that as best as we can, we are confident that this will be for the benefit of the children, for whose benefit we are now putting through this innovation.”
“Sir, first, I will respond to the point of the Member for Fengshan regarding the responsibilities of the board of governors. During the visits which I made with the principals to the independent schools in Britain and the United States, basically, we found that the board of governors have four responsibilities. The first one which is very important is the appointment of the headmaster or the headmistress, ie, the principal of the school. That, rightly, Sir, they give a lot of attention and a lot of time. The second responsibility is when the school makes a major financial decision, ie, if they want to build a new hall or a new school wing, then obviously the board of governors would have to come into the picture. Or when the school makes a major change from its traditional policies. For example, if it is a boys' school and it is felt that they should now start admitting girls in the Sixth Form, then this would be an area which the board of governors will want to have a say. Then there are two other areas, Sir, which are not of the same magnitude as these two areas but which are also given very great importance by the board of governors. One is when a teacher has to be dismissed or to be asked to leave the school. The system in the independent schools is that the board of governors would have full confidence and trust in the principal to select the teachers because it is felt that this is necessary to enable the principal to build up his own team. But where, for various reasons, the teacher does not work out well and has to be asked to leave the school, then the responsibility is taken not by the principal but by the board of governors.”
“I think this is a point of great emotion for many Members of the House here. I know there are 11 Members of this House who can count on RI as their alma mater. Sir, I do not think that it would be right for us at this stage to take a final decision on how RI should go independent. What we know is that RI is a premier school. RI is a jewel in the educational crown of Singapore. All that we want to do is to make sure that RI retains its leading position among the schools in Singapore. There is now a committee which has been set up comprising old boys, the principal and other people who are concerned for the welfare of RI. I am sure that this committee will take into account the strong views which have been expressed by the Member for Ayer Rajah and the Member for Moulmein. It may not be incompatible for RI to have a high degree of independence and yet remain within the ambit of the Government schools. But I think, Sir, I would prefer that this be left, on reflection, to the committee so that they can come up with the best solution to giving RI the maximum independence and autonomy that is possible and yet retain its leading position among the Government schools in Singapore. If that is possible, Sir, then I can assure the Member for Ayer Rajah and the Member for Moulmein that the Ministry will not stand in the way of the committee. But at all cost, I think the final solution that we take must be to enable RI to progress further and to retain its position as one of our most leading schools in Singapore.”
“So it will take time and I think that it is better that we select our teachers carefully and we train them carefully rather than try and rush into reducing class size within any specified period of time. Now, Sir, on the comment from the Member for Ayer Rajah as to why are we concentrating so much on secondary schools and what about the primary schools. Yes, the primary schools are just as important as the secondary schools. But we have to make a start somewhere. And it is the years from the age of 12 to 16 that are the most formative period of a child. It is there that the child is beginning to form attitudes, is beginning to think about what careers he would want to aim for. These are the years when the child's teachers and the principals have a maximum influence on the child's development. And that is why, for a start, we have to concentrate our efforts on the secondary schools. When we have done that, I promise the Member for Ayer Rajah that we will not forget the primary schools and they will certainly have our attention as well. In these remarks I think I have also covered most of the points of the Member for Potong Pasir except that he says that we have left out two things. One is that I have not mentioned that we have to teach students how to think. Sir, I will send him a copy of my speech which I made to the Harvard Club of Singapore in which he will see that this topic is adequately covered. Secondly, on the point about teaching democracy to students in our schools. I recommend that when he goes back - I know he has children studying in schools - he looks at the Civics textbooks which his children have and he will see that this topic is adequately covered. Finally, Sir, the point about Raffles Institution.”
“And it will be the intention of the Ministry of Education to try and see how we can give our principals as much flexibility and autonomy as possible, consistent with the need to have checks and balances to avoid abuses of authority. So this is an area which we will look into. My own view is that when you are proceeding with these matters, it is better to approach them cautiously, and that is, to relax only when we are sure that such relaxation will be for the good and will not cause abuses. Now, Sir, the matter of class size was brought up by a number of Members here. Yes, like everyone else, we would like to implement this recommendation as quickly as possible and to reduce the class size expeditiously. But it takes time to recruit teachers, it takes time to train teachers. I think one of the problems which we have had in education is this. When we decided to achieve our aim of providing a place in school for every child of school-going age, we had to expedite the training of teachers. That is why we have the normal trained teachers. While I appreciate the feeling of the Members that we should try and expedite this as quickly as possible, I think, Sir, that it is only fair to our children that we should make sure that we recruit the right type of teachers not only with the ability, not only with the technical knowledge, but also with the right attitude. We must have men and women who not only know their subjects but who want to teach, men and women for whom teaching is not only a job but a profession and a commitment, men and women who like to bring up children and see them grow under their charge.”
“Mr Chairman, Sir, first of all, I would like to respond to the point which has been raised by three Members - the Member for Serangoon Gardens, the Member for Braddell Heights and the Member for Kolam Ayer - and that is regarding the financing that will be required to implement the proposals which I have just made. They are right in the sense that this will require additional funds to be provided by the Ministry of Finance. All I can say, Sir, is that the statement which I have just made in reply to Members' comments has been approved by Cabinet, of which the Minister for Finance is a member. So I presume that, as and when funds will be required, funds will flow liberally from the Minister for Finance. If that is not the case, then I presume also that Members of Parliament will remind the Ministry of Finance of its duties to help to provide a good education for our children. And I would look forward to Members' assistance as and when this is required. Secondly, Sir, the proposal from the Member for Serangoon Gardens that we should extend the autonomy for principals to allow them to recruit some of their teachers. Sir, this is a matter which is now being looked at by my Ministry. It is not an accident that in the principals' report, so much emphasis has been given to the leading role of the principal as one of the factors which go to make a good school. Yes, it is necessary in a school to have good teachers, it is necessary to have committed teachers. But it is also essential, vital, to have a leader, someone who can coordinate the teachers, someone who has got a sense of vision, someone who can make his teachers share the sense of vision of what a good education is, someone who can be an inspiration to his teachers or her teachers.”
“The fourth is a Government School - Raffles Institution. These four schools have set up Committees with members drawn from the Boards of Governors or the School Management Committees, School Advisory Committees or Old Boys' Associations to work out plans on how their respective schools can operate more independently of the Ministry of Education than is the case at present. Sir, I think we should not pre-empt these committees but to allow them to work out their plans before we can decide or amend them. The Ministry will work with these four schools in order to help them to implement their plans expeditiously. Sir, I will conclude by saying that improvement in education is necessarily a slow and sometimes a painful process. The Report prepared by the principals who went with me and the discussions which I have had with parents, principals and teachers have given us a new momentum in our quest for excellence in education in Singapore. Sir, we must build on this momentum and we must not be afraid to undertake bold measures to improve our schools. Only then, Sir, can we be sure that our children will be adequately prepared to face the future with confidence. I will now be happy to take any questions which Members will have.”
“This review has been completed and I am happy to announce that with effect from today the transfer of pupils from the Normal stream to the Express stream in our secondary schools can be done as and when, in the judgment of the principals and the teachers, the pupil is ready even if this is not at the end of the year. In order to see how we can further remove restrictions in our schools so that they can perform better and respond more sensitively to the needs of parents and of pupils, the Government will also allow a small number of our well established schools to go independent, if the schools wish to do so. I would like to stress here again that the initiative must come from the schools. In the implementation of independent schools in Singapore, we must however make sure that the following conditions apply: (1) The independent schools must conform to our national education policies and chief among these, Sir, are the maintenance of our bilingual policy and the teaching of moral education. (2) There is proper provision for control and supervision of these schools. (3) A scheme of financial assistance funded, if necessary, by Government must be set in place so that bright children from poor families who qualify for admission to the independent schools will not be prevented from attending these schools simply because they are unable to pay the fees. Sir, these three conditions must be set in place before we can allow independent schools to be set up in Singapore. Since the debate on independent schools started in October last year, about six months ago, four schools have indicated strong interest in going independent. Three of them are aided schools - the Anglo-Chinese School, St Joseph's Institution and Chinese High School.”