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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“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, That Parliament approves the financial policy of the Government for the financial year 1st April, 1985 to 31st March, 1986. Section I The Annual Economic Survey (Cols. 513 - 804), which reports on the performance of our economy in 1984, has already been distributed to Members and the details have been widely reported in the Press. My colleague, the Minister for Trade and Industry, has also commented this morning on our economic performance. I, therefore, do not intend to go over the same ground. Instead I should like to take the opportunity in this Budget Statement to look further afield, to try and discern what will be the state of our economy in 1985 and over the next four to five years. What are the economic problems which will loom large? Where are the opportunities that we can exploit? What economic strategy should we adopt in order to enable us to continue our fast rate of economic growth and improve the quality of life of our people. Before we can chart our course for the future, we must first take stock of our present situation. The outlook for 1985 at this point of time is not as rosy as for last year. Our economic growth this year is likely to be lower than the 8.2% recorded in 1984. But growth there will be and we should not let a temporary slackness in business blind us to the very considerable progress we have made in the last five years. The Economy in 1980-84 Notwithstanding the prolonged world recession in 1980-82, the most severe the world has experienced since the Second World War, the last five years have been years of exceptional prosperity for Singapore and for Singaporeans. Singapore's gross national product (GNP) grew at an average rate of 8.5% per annum in real terms in the period 1980-84.”
“Resolved, "That this Parliament, pursuant to section 7 of the Civil List and Pension Act (Chapter 52) resolves that the schedule to that Act be varied by deleting the figures "$407,000", "$36,400", "$1,868,400", "$354,900" and $39,900" in the second column and substituting the figures "$478,300", "$39,000", "$2,123,700", "$388,900" and "$29,600", respectively." ANNUAL BUDGET STATEMENT 3.17 pm”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move the motion standing in my name under item No. 5* in the Order Paper. *The motion reads as follows: That this Parliament, pursuant to section 7 of the Civil List and Pension Act (Chapter 52) resolves that the schedule to that Act be varied by deleting the figures "$407,000", "$36,400", "$1,868,400", "$354,900" and "$39,900" in the second column and substituting the figures "$478,300", "$39,000", "$2,123,700", "$388,900" and "$29,600", respectively. Sir, it is proposed to increase the provisions for the Privy Purse and Salaries of personal staff to $478,300 and $2,123,700 respectively. The higher provisions are to cater for normal increases in manpower costs. It is also necessary to increase allocation for Entertainment marginally by $2,600 because of the higher estimated cost of the National Day Reception. A sum of $388,900 is required to meet Expenses of the lstana household. This is an increase of $34,000 and is due to higher expenditure on public utilities. These increases are partly offset by a reduction in allocation for Special services from $39,900 to $29,600. The drop in allocation is because of a reduction in provision for replacement of equipment. Sir, it is, therefore, necessary to vary the provisions in the Schedule to the Civil List as follows:- for "the Privy Purse" from $407,000 to $478,300; for "Entertainment allowance" from $36,400 to $39,000; for "Salaries of personal staff" from $1,868,400 to $2,123,700; for "Expenses of household" from $354,900 to $388,900; and for "Special services" from $39,900 to $29,600. Sir, I beg to move. Question put, and agreed to.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, "That Parliament doth agree with the Committee on the said resolution." Question put and agreed to. Resolution accordingly agreed to. TERUMBU PESEK (Reclamation) 12.30 pm”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to report that the Committee of Supply have come to a certain resolution. Resolution reported - "That the sum of $36,728,500 shall be supplied to the Government under the heads of expenditure for the public services shown in the First Supplementary Main Estimates of Expenditure for the financial year 1st April, 1984 to 31st March, 1985, contained in Paper Cmd. 3 of 1985."”
“The best evidence we have that we have done well is the way the people reacted with blind rage to any suggestion to defer the CPF withdrawal age. If most of us were poor, having $5,000 or $10,000 in our accounts, I doubt whether we would be that angry. It is because we have got funds in our CPF and we want to enjoy our funds in the CPF after 55 that we get so angry when there is any talk about postponing this withdrawal age to after 55. Here, the Member for Potong Pasir has taken advantage of this suggestion that CPF withdrawal age be deferred. He has exploited this by arguing that this is one indication that CPF does not have enough funds to pay the people, and I believe he has come up with a series of calculations which, frankly, I did not bother to study very closely because we have seen what he has done with the calculations for HDB flats. The best proof which I can offer to Members here, that CPF has more than enough funds to pay back the depositors, is the fact that we are going to liberalize the use of CPF funds. In other words, we are looking into ways whereby CPF depositors can withdraw their funds to buy perhaps a second or third residential property and to secure investments like commercial and industrial properties. If we do not have enough funds to pay back, it will not be possible for us to think of liberalizing the use of CPF funds. We do not have to go into figures. Just liberalize the use of CPF funds for secure investments and then at any time anyone who wants to withdraw his CPF funds to invest in these safe and sound properties, they will be allowed to do so.”
“I would emphasize that more than 50% of our people earn more than $600 per month, and there are not many countries in the world that have achieved that. And even if they earn less than $600 a month, $400-$500 a month, remember that we are doing better than one billion Chinese in, mainland China or that we are doing much better than 600-700 million Indians in India. I have an aunt. She is a widow. She runs a stall in a school tuckshop. She has just been allocated a flat in Bukit Batok. The cleaning lady in the Ministry of Defence drives her own car. I was surprised to see her driving her own car one evening when I was going home at around 6.00 pm. Yes, there are many people who earn less than $600 per month but in Singapore, and I believe nowhere else, can they own their own homes, a 3-room or 4-room flat, provided they show enterprise and provided they are prudent in their ways. These two ladies are not exceptional. The cleaning lady in Mindef is also a widow. Their cases are not exceptional. It is common in Singapore that a person who sells satay or runs a stall in a market is able to afford to own his own home. Just two days ago, the Member for Yuhua told us that when the Japanese visited her at her home, a 5-room flat, the Japanese visitor remarked, "You must be a millionaire." Maybe her delicate looks created the impression that she is a millionaire. But a home of that nature, a 5-room flat in Japan, would cost over a million dollars. The next time when anyone of you who owns a 4- or 5-room flat feels rather poor, we will send a Japanese visitor to your home. I think he will cheer you up. He will make you feel that you are indeed a millionaire.”
“Let me just give you one example of the constraints which we face. All of us know that land in Singapore is limited - 618 sq km with a population of 2.5 million today. In 20 years' time, there will be 3 million people. By the year 2030 we hope that the population will stabilize at about 3.3 million to 3.5 million people. The population grows but the capacity for land area to grow will become limited in future. The Minister for National Development has told us that there are not many sizable parcels of land left in Singapore for us to build new towns, maybe two areas, Punggol and Seletar, and that is it. Where do we find large parcels of land to build new towns? So we face very real constraints in finding land for us to build roads, homes, parks, facilities for recreation and other uses for land. But it is right that we should aim to make Singapore a 100% home-ownership society. It is right that we should place emphasis on finding ways to help the lower income group, the 15-20% people, who are now stuck in their rental flats, to own their own homes. We must give them a stake in our society. We must help them to share in our general prosperity. Singaporeans do well. We want all Singaporeans to do well. But from the speeches of Members, I feel that some of them think that we have not done enough for the common people. The statistics that were quoted very often were that, roughly, about 50% of our population still earn below $600 per month. We apologise for that and we urge ourselves to do more. We must do more. But have we done well or have we not done well at this stage? It depends on how we look at a half bottle of brandy; a sober man will say that the bottle is half-full, but to a drunkard it is half-empty.”
“Learning the mother tongue is not merely learning a second language. Learning your mother tongue means being exposed to your culture, knowing your historical roots, knowing what made us what we are today. This cannot be achieved if a student does not learn the mother tongue as his second language but chooses another language. By all means, if a child has an aptitude for languages, he can learn English and his mother tongue and he can learn another of our official languages as a third language. I encourage this. In fact, the Ministry of Education is presently studying whether there is a demand from students to study another of our official languages as a third language. If there is demand, we will provide the necessary facilities. But it must be a third language after English and the mother tongue. As the Minister for Education, I do not consider it desirable that students should choose other than the language of their ethnic group as their second language. The First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence (Mr Goh Chok Tong): Mr Speaker, Sir, Members of Parliament have given my colleagues and I a very long shopping list. I am not sure whether we can find all the goods they want and deliver them to Members of Parliament. It is not like going into a supermarket where you can find the goods which Members want on the shelves, buy them and then distribute them to the people. I hope Members are not expecting immediate results from the new Cabinet, and I hope they will understand that the goals which we have set out in our Presidential Address will take quite some time to deliver and, more importantly, it will require the cooperation of Members and the people outside this House. The demands placed on my colleagues and I are heavy.”
“But these are problems which we will solve with time, with the understanding of the parents and with the cooperation of Members in this House. But the problems by themselves do not invalidate the correctness of the basic approach, that is, because children have unequal abilities we cannot have a rigid education system. Our system must be flexible enough to accommodate children of varying abilities and no child should be regarded as a failure simply because he or she cannot get 5 'O' levels. Every child can grow up to be a decent, upright citizen, capable of earning his or her own living, capable of looking the world in the eye, of standing on his own feet. I have faith in our children. I have confidence that we can smooth out the wrinkles in our education system and I hope, Sir, that in four to five years' time when the Members in this House debate our education system, they will be able to do so with a sense of pride and not with a sense of apprehension. Before I finish, a word about the second Language and the importance of bilingualism in our education system. The Member for Ulu Pandan has suggested that for the Second Language, students should not be compelled to study the language of their ethnic group but that they should be free to cboose from any of the four official languages. The reasons for this suggestion are, firstly, that where the home language does not coincide with their ethnic group, students will find it easier to pick up the language of his choice than that of his ethnic group. Secondly, students with a special aptitude for language could end up learning three languages, the mother tongue at home, a different one at school and English. Sir, I do not agree with the Member for Ulu Pandan on this point.”
“They will do well under any education system. But what I am concerned with, what the Ministry of Education is concerned with, is with the lower 50% of below average or average pupils. How do we help them to go through school so that they will be able to get a useful education, so that they will not lose confidence in themselves, so that they will not leave school feeling that they are failures? Puning children into various streams, so that they can learn at their own pace, simply recognizes the fact that those who are clever can learn fast, and those who are not so clever can also learn but at a slower pace. Streaming is not a new concept. It existed from the time when all of us were school children. The cleverest pupils were put into the A class, those who were not-so-clever into the B or the C class, right down to the G and H classes which, not surprisingly, were the despair of teachers in those days. Sir, it is unrealistic to pretend that differences in ability among children do not exist. I say that it is not only unrealistic; it is cruel to pretend that these differences do not exist and to condemn generations of students to fruitless years at school when they learn nothing. I know there are many worries concerning the present system of streaming - whether the streaming procedures at Primary 3 and at PSLE are accurate, whether parents are given a sufficient say in the education of their children, particularly in the early years, why students in the ordinary stream at secondary school cannot go on to Secondary 5N, unless they pass their Secondary 4N examination with creditable results. These are problems. They exist, I do not deny that.”
“But the fact remains, Sir, that in whatever skill, whatever field of knowledge, there will be children who are able to learn faster, there will be others who can only learn at a slower pace. Whether this is due to their being the fortunate beneficiary of desirable genes, or whether this is due to their home environment or to their parental encouragement, this is another issue. But if we recognize that not all children are equally clever and we force all our children to go through a system of education which is designed for the above average child, what is the result? The result must be large numbers of dropouts. These are children who find themselves unable to keep up with the rest of their colleagues. They are not able to follow what is going on in class. They become discouraged. They begin to lose interest in their studies, and eventually they drop out from school. This is what we have, under the old education system. As much as 29% of our school children dropped out at the primary school stage and 36% at the secondary school stage. Those of you who have had occasion to deal with our national servicemen, whether as parents or professionals, or if you have visited some of our army camps, the visible result is seen in the former Hokkien platoons comprising young men of 18-19 years old. They have gone through 10 years of education under the old system and have left school without knowing either English or Mandarin. For many of them, it would have been the same if they had never been to school. I am not particularly worried about the top 10% of our students, those who are in the special stream, studying ELl and CL1 at first language level, or even the 50% of our pupils who are of above average ability. These pupils, by and large, can look after themselves.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, time is short and we are running a very tight schedule. So I shall be very brief in my remarks. Comments from backbenchers on the economy, I will discuss during the Budget debates. Comments on the Ministry of Health have a-I ready been dealt with by my Minister of State. On education, I would like to touch on only two points. The first is streaming, and the second is on the Second Language. Sir, several backbenchers (the Member for Chong Boon, the Member for Bo Wen, the Member for Changkat and, of course, my old friend, the Member for Moulmein) have spoken on the subject of streaming and the consequences which streaming have for our children. It is not my intention today to produce a mass of statistics in order to try and convince Members that the policy of the Ministry of Education is absolutely correct or that our new education system is perfect. All I want to do this afternoon is to return to the basics and draw Members' aftention to two fundamental points: (1) All children are not equally endowed, intellectually. (2) The system of education which we had in the past - six years of primary school, four years of secondary school and, for those who go on to University, twofthree years of Junior College or Pre-University - this system can only be comfortably pursued by the child who is of above average ability. That all children are not of equal intelligence and ability is, not surprisingly, an unpalatable fact to many parents. All parents believe that their child is as bright and as able as any other child. And, provided the parents do not over-pressure their children, it is good that they should think so.”
“Maj Fong Sip Chee asked the Minister for Communications and Information, Second Minister for Defence and Second Minister for National Development (1) does a defendant taxi driver under disciplinary inquiry have the right to question a complainant and, if so, how many such taxi drivers have been given the opportunity to exercise the right; (2) how many cases were heard in the absence of the complainants; (3) if he is satisfied that, in the circumstances, the disciplinary body is not playing the roles of 'prosecution and jury'; (4) if he will agree that the present disciplinary procedure is incongruous to the principle of natural justice; and (5) if he will therefore review the procedure so as to ensure that a taxi driver who has been accused by a tourist of having committed any breach of the licensing conditions, shall have the right of a full and proper defence, including the right to question the complainant.”
“Maj Fong Sip Chee asked the Minister for Communications and Information, Second Minister for Defence and Second Minister for National Development (1) the number of complaints the Registry of Vehicles has received from tourists against Singapore's taxi drivers for the years 1981 to 1984; (2) how many of these resulted in disciplinary actions taken against the allegedly defaulting taxi drivers and the nature and severity of the penalties meted out; and (3) what is the name of the disciplinary body and who are its members. Dr Yeo Ning Hong: The ROV does not have a complete breakdown of complaints and disciplinary actions taken against errant taxi drivers resulting from tourist complaints as all complaints are treated in the same way. The breakdown of the action taken are as follows: Voca- tional Counselled Licence (Impl- No. of Suspended Voca- emented Public Compo- (From 2 tional since Complaints Written sition Court weeks to Licence Feb 83 Year Received Warning Fine Action 3 months) Revoked only) 1981 1,240 406 69 23 346 2 - 1982 1,357 619 46 22 398 18 - 1983 1,223 444 179 14 133 15 672 1984 1,349 335 98 5 123 11 801 The Registrar of Vehicles is empowered to take these disciplinary actions against taxi drivers under the Road Traffic Act. Thorough investigations are carried out by ROV officers under the supervision of the Senior Assistant Registrar of Vehicles. There is also provision for appeals against the action to be made to the Minister. TAXI DRIVERS' RIGHT OF DEFENCE AGAINST DISCIPLINARY ACTION 12.”
“The answers are as follows: (1) The ordinary stream (now called the Normal Course) as conceived in the "Report on the Ministry of Education 1978", was to assist less able students to complete secondary education with a useful qualification. The Certificate of Secondary Education (CSE), now known as the General Certificate of Education, Normal Level (GCE 'N" Level) was recommended for three reasons: - "to provide students who could not succeed at the GCE 'O' Level with a lower qualification", - "to provide average and below average students guidance on the number and choice of subjects for GCE 'O' Level Examination", and - "to provide the average and below average students exposure to a common examination in order to reduce examination shock at the GCE 'O' Level Examination a year later." The criteria for promotion to Secondary 5 'N' are being reviewed by the Ministry, taking into account the experience of the first batch of the Normal Course students who are now in Secondary 5 'N'. (2) The Ministry of Education has been monitoring the implementation of the New Education System and has given periodic reports to Parliament since 1980. With the establishment of the Schools Council in 1981, detailed progress reports have also been made every month to the teaching profession and the public. Members of Parliament can also receive copies of these reports on application to the Ministry. DISCIPLINARY ACTION AGAINST TAXI DRIVERS 11.”
“Maj Fong Sip Chee asked the Minister for Finance, Minister for Education and Minister for Health (1) that in view of the fact that the Education Report (Paper Misc 3 of 1979), adopted by Parliament on 30 March 1979, did contain an understanding that a pass in N4, or the CSE (now known as 'N' Level) would suffice to gain promotion to N5 which would lead to the GCE 'O' Level, will he therefore agree that the new stipulation that a certain standard beyond a pass in the 'N' Level examinations is required for promotion to N5, is a breach of the understanding; and (2) if he will, in accordance with the Parliamentary Resolution of 30 March 1979, accord due respect to Parliament by reporting back to Parliament on all the aspects in the implementation of the Report.”
“The answers to the question are as follows: (1) Public funds expended in the setting up of the Social Development Unit was $46,997. (2) 1,200 people have participated in the Unit's activities. (3) The type and number of activities and their costs are as follows:- Computer Awareness Courses (16 Nos) - $ 53,824.00 Personal Development Workshops (5 Nos) - $176,186.72 Tours (4 Nos) - fully paid by participants (4) To date, fees paid to various concerns for make-up and social graces courses amount to $29,391.00. (5) These courses are not suitable for study at the University. (6) It is too early to evaluate the success of the Unit's activities. EDUCATION PRIORITY FOR CHILDREN OF GRADUATE MOTHERS 9. Maj Fong Sip Chee asked the Minister for Finance, Minister for Education and Minister for Health if he will inform the House of (1) the number of children who have been admitted under the priority scheme for third child born of graduate mothers; (2) the breakdown figures of all Primary 1 cohorts admitted according to the new priority ratings; and (3) the number of graduate mothers who gave birth to their third child in the year 1984. Dr Tony Tan Keng Yam: The answers are as follows: (1) The number of children who were admitted under the priority scheme for graduate mothers with at least three children was 157. (2) The figures are given in the attached (see Appendix IV) (Cols. 355 - 356). Appendix IV - 1984 REGISTRATION STATISTICS BY PHASES (Cols. 355 - 356) (3) The number of graduate mothers who gave birth to their third child in 1984 was 129. 1979 EDUCATION REPORT (Implementation) 10.”
“The list of companies is attached (see Appendix III) (Cols. 349 - 354). Appendix III - LIST OF GOVERNMENT-OWNED COMPANIES (Cols. 349 - 354) SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT UNIT 8. Maj Fong Sip Chee asked the Minister for Finance, Minister for Education and Minister for Health (1) how much public funds have been expended in the setting up of the Social Development Unit; (2) how many people have participated in the Unit's activities; (3) the type and number of activities so far organized and the amount of money expended; (4) the amount of fees paid or other forms of payment made to instructors or lecturers on subjects such as make-up and social graces; (5) if he considers the contents of these instructions are of such import, will he not therefore introduce these as subjects of study in the university so as to tackle the problem at source; and (6) does the Unit conduct any follow-up action to monitor the success rate, and if so, what is the rate of success and, if not, will the Unit be disbanded in due course.”
“The answers are as follows: (1) & (2) The list of companies is attached (see Appendix II) (Cols. 345 - 348). Appendix II - LIST OF GOVERNMENT-OWNED COMPANIES (Cols. 345 - 348) (3) Most of the companies were established during the first 15 years of our drive for accelerated growth. The private sector did not then have either the resources or the confidence to venture into areas of economic activity provided by the government. Foreign investors occasionally wanted government as a partner. Since the mid-1970s, government investment in commerce and industry has been curtailed as the private sector is now capable of spearheading economic growth. (4) During the last five years, four government-owned and related companies were wound up due to poor business. The estimated total loss by government was $4 million. (5) It is government's declared intention to divest itself of as many of its investments in the economy as possible consistent with the need to safeguard national interests. SHAREHOLDING BY GOVERNMENT AND STATUTORY BOARDS 7. Mr J.B. Jeyaretnam asked the Minister for Finance, Minister for Education and Minister for Health if he will list all companies in Singapore and abroad in which the Government or a statutory board holds shares, either directly or indirectly, the extent of the shareholding in each company, and the nature of the business of each company.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the answer is very simple: I do not propose to take any further measures. NATIONAL MARITIME BOARD (Employment of Singapore seamen) 2. Mr J.B. Jeyaretnam asked the Minister for Communications and Information, Second Minister for Defence and Second Minister for National Development how many Singapore seamen are registered with the National Maritime Board and of that number how many of them were employed on ships as at the 1st February 1985. The Minister for Communications and Information, Second Minister for Defence and Second Minister for National Development (Dr Yeo Ning Hong): Mr Speaker, Sir, as of the 1 February 1985, the total number of seamen on the active register of the National Maritime Board was 4,292. The inactive register of those who informed the Board that they do not wish or are not available presently for sea employment has another 977 names. 2,287 seamen are employed at sea.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, Members of Parliament should be very careful before they say anything. I think the Member would have a difficult time when he goes home tonight. [Laughter] But to be more serious, if private companies would take on some of the activities of the SDU, if they would do so, then I can see that nothing but good can come from it.”
“Sir, I strongly resent the allegation from the Member for Whampoa. The Director of the SDU is a most upright Christian, with extremely high moral values. Such an allegation from the Member is totally unworthy of him.”
“Our officers are not pandas. The activities of the SDU have been conducted discreetly, and I think that is good. But I will inform hon. Members that those officers who have taken part in the SDU's activities have expressed their appreciation for these courses. Some of them are perhaps too shy, some of them are inhibited from making the first approach, particularly in a society like Singapore where it is not considered right for a woman to approach a man. If that is the case, and that is the problem, Government must see what it can do to resolve this problem. So I ask all hon. Members: be of good heart, we will get results eventually.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I would first inform the Member for Queenstown that it is not a hardship but a pleasure to answer his question. By all means, feel free to ask questions. This is what we are here for. And it is right that through questions from Backbenchers, the public should be informed of what the Government is doing and why the Government is undertaking these activities? He has quoted a Chinese proverb. The equivalent of that is the English proverb, "You can bring a horse to the water but you cannot make him drink", if he does not want to. But I am not so pessimistic. I believe that here in Singapore we are still culturally an Asian society and that, by and large, men and women, whether they are graduates or whether they are non-graduates, are not inherently predisposed to singlehood. By circumstances of their education, their work environment, they may not have been presented with the opportunities to find the right partners, and I see nothing wrong in this case for the Government, or even for private sector companies, to extend a helping hand where this is needed. After all, this is what Government is for. If they do not want to get married, then there is nothing we can do. If the officer is a confirmed bachelor, as the Member for Alexandra at one time was, but he has seen the error of his ways, or a confirmed spinster, then there is nothing we can do. I fully agree with the Member for Queenstown. But we are a persevering society, we should not give up so easily. From time to time I see on television various attempts in China and in America to try and get pandas to mate. They put a male panda and a female panda together, provide them with a nice attractive surrounding, bamboo leaves or whatever it is that turns pandas on, and hope that something will happen.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I shall convey that excellent suggestion from the Member for Whampoa to the Social Development Unit's Director. Mr Jek Yeun Thong (Queenstown): A supplementary question, Sir. I know it is a misfortune for the Minister to have to answer this question. But since he is paid to answer it, and I am paid to ask it, may I have the privilege of asking this supplementary question? Has the Minister ever heard of this Chinese proverb, or rather a Cantonese one, which says that if a cow does not want to drink water, it is not possible to press its head down? In this instance, where the cow refuses to mate, which I suppose is a much more complicated act than just drinking water, is the Minister not just wasting his time and our money in doing the impossible?”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, there seems to be a confusion between the two Gohs in Parliament - one past and one present. Notwithstanding that, you cannot force people to marry. It is not possible. But you can create conditions, the environment, the opportunities for single young men and women to get together and hopefully through their meetings, create interpersonal relationships, whether these are on courses or cruises, they will find that life is not complete without marriage which is an honourable institution and deserves the support of this House. If through that means, the Government can bring some happiness into the lives of our graduate officers, either men or women, then I do not see why we should not do so. The reason why the SDU's activities have been, for the time being, limited to graduates is because that is where the problem is. Non-graduates seem to get along very well. They find their own partners and well to the good. Graduate women, particularly, in our society, because of our cultural mores whereby they find they are reluctant to marry men who are not their educational superiors or at least at their own level, may require some assistance. I think that we should help them. Whether they marry graduates, whether they marry non-graduates, that is their own personal choice. But I do hope that whatever it is, they do marry.”
“Sir, the Unit has only been in operation since the beginning of last year. I know that in Singapore we are an impatient society but love must take time to bloom. I have already said that the objectives of the Unit are long-term. I have no doubt that through the activities organized by the Social Development Unit appropriate results will be forthcoming in due course. Please be patient.”
“All those who go on cruises bear the full cost. All those who go on courses organized by the Social Development Unit bear a substantial part of the cost, but where there is a training element in the courses, I think it is entirely right of the Unit to defray part of the expenditure for these courses.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the activities which have been organized for the participants of the Social Development Unit are of many types. They include, for example, personal effectiveness workshops, to help the participants to become more confident socially as well as in their work. They include also courses to make them more aware of computers, the potentialities of how computers can help in their working lives. They also include cruises which have been organized by the Social Development Unit through the agency of various travel agencies but for which the costs have been borne entirely by the participants.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I have already explained that the Government does not indulge in expenditure which is not within its authorized limits and which has not been approved by Parliament. This expenditure has, as with all other Government expenditure, been authorized by Parliament as part of Government's overall programme.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the expenditure of the Government is spelt out in the Government's Budget which I shall be presenting on Friday. On that occasion, the Member for Anson, as with all other Members of Parliament, will be free to question the Government on any item of expenditure which they care to ask.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the total amount that has been spent by the Social Development Unit on its activities as at 15th February, 1985, was $294,411.72. The Unit's objectives are long-term: (i) To create an awareness of the problem of the high incidence of singlehood among our graduate women; and (ii) To bring about a change of attitude towards marriage in our younger single officers. Some progress has been made towards these objectives. More single officers are participating in the activities organized by the Unit. These officers are prepared to pay the cost of participation which varies from 15% to 100% of full costs depending on whether the activity is a training programme or an organized tour. The single officers are also more open in discussing marriage and their choice of partners. Through attending the activities organized by the Social Development Unit, these single officers have come to terms with what they want from life and more are deciding that marriage should be part of their lives.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, with regard to the first question, I have complete confidence that the reputation of the Income Tax Department is such that it would deter companies from undertaking the type of practice suggested by the Member for Whampoa. With regard to the promotion of entirely new companies, I would point out that we already have a very generous range of tax incentives to encourage the incorporation of new companies in Singapore. Question put, and agreed to. Bill accordingly read a Second time and committed to a Committee of the whole House. The House immediately resolved itself into a Committee on the Bill. - [Dr Tony Tan Keng Yam]. Bill considered in Committee; reported without amendment; read a Third time and passed. MERCHANT SHIPPING (AMENDMENT) BILL Order for Second Reading read. 3.13 pm”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, "That the Bill be now read a Second time." The Bill proposes to amend the Economic Expansion Incentives (Relief from Income Tax) Act to effect the investment allowance scheme announced in the 1984 Budget Statement, to encourage local companies to invest in new technology projects. Sir, many of the established local companies have accumulated substantial reserves through investing in traditional industries. With rising wages and increasingly stiff international competition, the local companies will have to diversify into new industries and services to maintain their growth. Some have already done so. For instance, National Iron and Steel Mills and Wearnes Brothers have gone into computer equipment; Fraser and Neave into using biotechnology methods to cultivate mushrooms; and ACMA into personal computers, However, these are few and far between. New technology industries are inherently more risky. Incentives must therefore be given to encourage our local investors to venture into new frontiers of technological advancement and help to broaden our technological base. The Bill creates a new Part, Part VID on "Investments in New Technology Companies" to deal with the incentive scheme for investments in new technology companies. Under the proposed scheme, a local company which invests in an approved new technology project can deduct its share of losses in the project against its other income, subject to a maximum of 50% of its equity investment. A company is defined as a local company if 50% or more of its equity is owned by Singapore citizens or permanent residents. The deduction will only be granted if the new project does not make any cumulative profit during the first three years. Sir, I beg to move. Question proposed.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the object is to enhance the rate of death gratuity in the event of a civil servant dying in harness. The object is not to make a strict equivalence. Question put, and agreed to. Bill accordingly read a Second time and committed a Committee of the whole House. The House immediately resolved itself into a Committee on the Bill. - [Dr Tony Tan Keng Yam]. Bill considered in Committee; reported without amendment; read a Third time and passed. ECONOMIC EXPANSION INCENTIVES (RELIEF FROM INCOME TAX) (AMENDMENT NO. 2) BILL Order for Second Reading read. 3.05 pm”
“Sir, there is no discrepancy. The 13th month payment is not pensionable.”
“However, in the Pensions Act pension benefits are reckoned in terms of annual and not monthly pensionable emoluments. Hence in the Bill the 10% formula has to be expressed as "1/120 of one year's pensionable emoluments" for each complete month of service. Sir, I take this opportunity to inform the House of a consequential amendment to the -retirement gratuity. If improvement is made only to the death gratuity, there will be the anomaly of a person being worth more when he is dead than when he is alive since the proposed death gratuity based on the 10% formula will always be greater than the commuted pension gratuity, which is the retirement gratuity. To rectify the anomaly, the retirement gratuity should also be based on the 10% formula. The Pensions Regulations, 1956, will therefore be amended accordingly. The retirement gratuity is, in fact, an advance against future monthly pension. At present, this gratuity is a lump sum payment equivalent to one-quarter of full pension for 12 1/2 years. The monthly pension is accordingly reduced to three-quarters of full pension for the first 12 1/2 years after retirement. After 12 1/2 years full pension will be paid. If the retirement gratuity is now enhanced by the 10% formula, the monthly pension for the first 12 1/2 years after retirement will consequently be reduced because of the increase in the sum advanced. The amendment to the Pensions Regulaions, 1956, will take effect on the same date as the Pensions (Amendment) Bill, 1984. Sir, I beg to move. Question proposed.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, 'That the Bill be now read a Second time." At present, the eligible dependants of a pensionable officer are granted a death gratuity in the event of his death. The death gratuity amounts to: (i) one year's last-drawn salary; or (ii) the commuted pension gratuity, if this is greater. The commuted pension gratuity is equivalent to the retirement gratuity the officer would have received had he retired instead on the date of his death. The Government feels that the quantum of death gratuity for pensionable officers needs to be enhanced in view of the current difference in the rate of employer's CPF contribution between pensionable and non-pensionable officers. The employer's rate of CPF contribution for pensionable officers is 15% whereas it is 25% for non-pensionable officers. At least for death benefits there should be some parity between pensionable and non-pensionable officers. It is thus proposed to pay to the dependants of a pensionable officer who dies in harness a gratuity based on 10% of his last-drawn monthly salary for each month of service, as 10% is the current difference in the employer's rate of CPF contribution between the pensionable and non-pensionable officers. For convenience, the proposed method of computing gratuity will be referred to as the "10% formula". The gratuity shall be subject to a maximum of three years' salary. It shall also, as at present, be no less than one year's salary. Clause 2 of the Pensions (Amendment) Bill, 1984, provides for the death gratuity to be computed as proposed. Pension benefits computed based on the 10% formula amount to 1/10 of one month's salary for each complete month of service.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the acquisition by Keppel Shipyard of the shares in Straits Steamship was, as I have said, a commercial transaction which was done by a publicly-listed company taking over another publicly-listed company, and as such I see no need to make a statement. IMMIGRATION (AMENDMENT) BILL Order for Second Reading read. 2.40 pm”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I have no statement to make on a purely commercial transaction which has already been fully reported in the press.”
“Many of them launched activities which were related to their main line of business or specialisation. Those companies have by and large done well. A few companies may have strained the definition of related activities. Those companies are now being curbed and all companies have been reminded that they should not stray too far from their core businesses. I wish to assure the Member that the Ministry of Finance takes a close interest in the affairs of government companies. Every quarter I chair a meeting of senior government officials which reviews, in some detail, the performance and major activities of government companies. Reports on the progress of the companies are submitted to Cabinet regularly. In addition, I make it a point to visit periodically the major companies which are owned or controlled by government. With the above steps I am satisfied that there is adequate supervision over the diversification activities of government-owned or government-controlled companies. It would, however, not be desirable, in my view, to hobble government companies to such an extent that the managements are inhibited from making normal commercial decisions without reference to the Ministry of Finance. 1984 PILGRIMAGE 12. Mr M.K.A. Jabbar asked the Minister for Social Affairs (a) how many Singaporeans went on the Haj in 1984 through arrangements by the Majlis Ugama Islam Singapura; and (b) whether there were any problems encountered by them and how were they resolved.”
“The 1980 census highlighted the fact that an alarmingly large number of better educated ladies remain unmarried. The factors contributing to this trend are:- (i) The cultural attitude amongst the local men who prefer to marry women with educationally lower qualification. (ii) The preference amongst the tertiary educated women to marry men who are better educated or at least of the same educational level. The Government's policy on equal educational opportunities for both male and female has unwittingly brought about the high incidence of singlehood amongst our graduate women. As a responsible Government, it has to try to correct this trend. The Social Development Unit was formed in January 1984 mainly to act as a catalyst, to start public thinking and discussion on the subject and to provide opportunities for single men and women to interact socially. Three training workshops and eight computer courses have been run and expenditure to date is about $200,000. Thus far, 700 persons have benefitted from the activities organised by the Social Development Unit. CONTROL OVER DIVERSIFICATION OF GOVERNMENT COMPANIES 11. Mr Hwang Soo Jin asked the Minister for Finance and Minister for Trade and Industry what steps are being taken by the Government to strengthen control over the diversification activities of government-owned or government-controlled companies. Dr Tony Tan Keng Yam: Most of the companies, which are owned or controlled by government, were set up in the 1960s and early 1970s. The companies were established principally to satisfy economic policy objectives prevailing at the time. Every dynamic enterprise makes appropriate responses to changes in external conditions. Government companies are no exception.”
“Sir, for the benefit of the Member, I would say that the second amendment Bill which I introduced today deals with a subject which is quite different from the present subject. It would have been possible for me to hold up the second amendment Bill until next year so that I would not have given the Member cause for concern or to be upset today. But I felt it was unwise to do so and that, as and when the amendments are ready, they should be presented to Parliament. And I see no reason for holding up any amendment just to make sure that it gives the appearance that we have thought out everything. But I would assure the Member that we will, of course, try and incorporate and be as expeditious as possible in presenting the necessary amendments to Parliament. And certainly, Sir, it is not my intention to waste Parliament's time or the time of Members unnecessarily. Mr Tang See Chim: Mr Speaker, Sir, on the Minister's assurance that he would do so, I withdraw my objection. I pursued the argument just now because he said he could not assure Parliament that he would not do the same thing the next time. Question put, and agreed to. Bill accordingly read a Second time and committed to a Committee of the whole House. The House immediately resolved itself into a Committee on the Bill. - [Dr Tony Tan Keng Yam]. Bill considered in Committee; reported without amendment; read a Third time and passed. RECLAMATION AT PUNGGOL 3.47 pm”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I am afraid the answer is a very simple one. We were unable to get all the amendments ready in time to enable all the amendments to be incorporated in this present Bill and, rather than wait until we were able to finalize all the amendments, we decided to proceed with the amendments which have been finalized and agreed with the Attorney-General's Chambers. I regret that it was not possible to have a neater arrangement.”
“This amendment will encourage non-manufacturing companies, such as hotels and shopping complexes, to invest in plant and equipment that will reduce their potable water consumption. Sir, the opportunity is also being taken to make certain technical amendments to the principal Act. Section 20 of the principal Act is being amended to change the base year for calculating expansion incentives. Currently, a company which qualifies for expansion incentives enjoys tax exemption on the additional profits it makes after the expansion. The reference used is the company's profit for the accounting year during which the expanded capacity comes on stream or the preceding accounting year. The amendment allows the average profit for the three years preceding the expansion to be used as the reference. Section 46A of the principal Act is also being amended to broaden the definition of "fixed capital expenditure" for the purpose of investment allowances to include expenditure incurred on the acquisition of any know-how or patent rights. Sir, I beg to move. Question proposed.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, "That the Bill be now read a Second time." It is proposed under the Bill to amend the Economic Expansion Incentives (Relief from Income Tax) Act to effect the following economic policies which were announced in the 1983 Budget Statement. (i) Extension of various incentives provided under the Act to non-manufactured products and services; and (ii) Extension of the investment allowance incentive to non-manufacturing companies for their water conservation projects. Sir, the Economic Expansion Incentives Act applies at present to only the manufacturing industry. We have in recent years been actively promoting activities like engineering and consultancy services, industrial design, biotechnology projects and computer services. These have been identified as areas of future economic growth. The Bill creates two new Parts - Part IIA and Part IIIA - to extend pioneer status tax relief and expansion incentives to cover the knowledge-intensive activities which we would like to encourage. The following activities will qualify for incentives under these new Parts: (i) any engineering or technical services including laboratory, consultancy and research and development activities; (ii) computer-based information and other computer related services; (iii) the development or production of any industrial design; and (iv) such other services as the Minister may prescribe. Investment allowance for water conservation projects is currently restricted only to manufacturing companies. The amendment to section 46B of the principal Act extends the incentive for investment allowances to a company which proposes to carry out a project for the purpose of reducing its consumption of potable water.”
“The number of companies that were liquidated each quarter from the third quarter of 1983 to the second quarter of 1984 is as follows: _______________________________________________________________ 1983 1984 Total Sector 3Q 4Q 1Q 2Q _______________________________________________________________ TOTAL 63 61 75 44 243 Manufacturing 15 7 11 6 39 Trade 26 26 37 19 108 Transport and Communications 10 8 6 7 31 Financial and Business Services 4 6 5 5 20 Construction 3 3 4 2 12 Others 5 11 12 5 33 _______________________________________________________________ WORK PERMITS IN 1983-84 2. Dr Toh Chin Chye asked the Minister for Labour and Second Minister for Law and Home Affairs the number of work permits granted/renewed and the number cancelled each quarter from the third quarter of 1983 to the second quarter of 1984 in (i) the manufacturing industry; (ii) the trade industry; (iii) the transport and communications sector; (iv) the financial and business services; (v) the construction industry; and (vi) other services.”
“The two constituent associations of the RAS have hence proposed to the Government to amend the RAS Act to restructure the Management Committee. The membership of the Committee will remain at 15. The members from the industry will be elected by members of the Association to represent all classes of the rubber trade, irrespective of their status as SICCRA or RTAS members. There will be provision for nomination of members from outside the trade, including the Government. Such representation will ensure that cross-sectional interests of the trade will be taken into account and will facilitate the Association's efforts to develop the rubber market. The Bill before the House therefore seeks to effect the recommendations of the Rubber Association of Singapore. The Bill also introduces minor consequential amendments relating to the restructuring of the Association's Management Committee. Sir, I beg to move. Bill accordingly read a Second time and committed to a Committee of the whole House. The House immediately resolved itself into a Committee on the Bill. - (Dr Tony Tan Kong Yam). Bill considered in Committee; reported without amendment; read a Third time and passed. EMPLOYMENT (AMENDMENT) BILL Order for Second Reading read. 6.31 pm”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, "That the Bill be now read a Second time.' The Rubber Association of Singapore (RAS) was established in 1965 with the task of regulating transactions in the Singapore rubber market. Its responsibilities were inherited from its original sponsors, ie the Rubber Trade Association of Singapore (RTAS) and the Singapore Chamber of Commerce Rubber Association (SICCRA). At the request of the RAS, the Rubber Association of Singapore (incorporation) Act was enacted by Parliament in 1967 to provide for the incorporation of the RAS as a corporate body and to enable it to levy a cess on rubber exports to pay for the costs of promoting and regulating the rubber trade. Under the Act, the policy and decision-making authority is vested in the Management Committee of the Association which comprises seven members from the Rubber Trade Association of Singapore (RTAS) and seven from the Singapore Chamber of Commerce Rubber Association (SICCRA). The Committee also has a representative from the Government. During the last 16 years, the Management Committee has been successful in its regulatory role. It has satisfactorily and speedily settled most disputes within the rubber trade. In the periods of volatile rubber prices as well as in the depressed market conditions, such as the recent ons, there has been no major collapse of any firm in Singapore. The few defaults that have occurred have been efficiently handled by the Management Committee with minimum disruption to the market. In the light of changing circumstances, the RAS now finds that the present structure of the Committee is no longer adequate to most the needs of the industry.”