Wan Soon Bee
Singapore
“I would like to thank the Minister of State for the answer, although I am not satisfied with what he has said because these are standard answers which have been given to us year after year. However, I still beg leave to withdraw the amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.”
“Sir, since 1992, selected old HDB flats have been undergoing upgrading through the Main Upgrading and the Interim Upgrading programmes. These programmes are highly popular with the residents since they have brought about new facilities and amenities in the precinct as well as an enhancement in the value of the flat in this resale market.”
“Hence, I would like to ask the Minister whether the foods introduced into the Singapore market are safe and for large-scale consumption, and whether tests have been carried out to ensure that these GM foods would not bring ill health or allergy or even trigger long-term side effects as a result of prolonged continuous consumption.”
“Sir, with the Government actively pursuing its policy to attract more foreign talents and workers, I would like to ask the Minister if there are any plans in place to accommodate this influx of foreigners. Will there be a surge in demand for housing that will distort the housing market?”
“Features which may have high aesthetic value but are hardly used when completed are really unnecessary. Such duplication and under usage is not cost effective. Besides they have a serious impact on the long term maintenance cost.”
“This has significant advantage over the options of downgrading to a smaller flat or queuing for a rental flat after selling off the existing flat or buying a studio apartment as all these three options require a re-location. Currently, reverse mortgages exist only for private properties but not for HDB flats.”
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“Mr Speaker, Sir, may I also clarify before the Minister answers? I am not suggesting that the HDB gives a contract covering all the flats to the contractors. And if only 3% of the flats are with defects, he is going to award the whole contract to the contractors, I think that is very unwise. I suggest that the HDB keep a team of workers to repair these defects.”
“The HDB thinks so, and I personally agree that it would be rather unwise to extend another six months and to allow the contractors to charge several thousand dollars more. Also, if we extend it for another six months, there is no guarantee that the defects will not occur in the 19th month.' I do not agree that the HDB need to spend a few thousand dollars more for each flat, if it has defects, when the warranty period is extended for just six months. I do agree with the Hon. Minister that there is no guarantee that the defects will not occur in the 19th month. But I am sure the Hon. Minister will agree with me that when the warranty period is extended to two years, the probability of the defects appearing after the 24th month would be greatly reduced. The Senior Minister of State for National Development on 22nd March, 1977, in his answer to a query on the same question, said [Vol. 36, col. 1491]: 'Whether or not the major defect is due to structure or poor workmanship, and if it occurs within a certain guarantee period it will be the responsibility of the HDB to rectify; but if it exceeds that period then I think it is the owner-occupier's responsibility. This is applicable to both private and public sectors.' I think we cannot compare the HDB and the private developers. The objectives are very different. The objective of the private sector is to make a profit whereas the HDB's objective is to provide housing for our citizens. In view of the above, I hope the Hon. Minister would consider seriously extending the warranty period to two years.”
“Sir, I would like to ask the Minister for National Development to consider extending the guarantee period of HDB flats from one year to two years. I have made this request because many flat owners are very unhappy about the many defects, such as leakages in sanitary pipings, warping of timber doors and windows, cracked floors and walls appearing after the one year guarantee period. 4.30 p.m. Many Members in this House have already made the same request before and they have not been successful. But I am not discouraged. I feel that the request is fair because the defects are due to poor workmanship and poor building materials; the defects normally appear after one year and the flat owners are from the lower and lower middle income groups. Since the HDB has subsidized so much per flat, $34,779 in the case of a 3-room flat, why make these flat owners unhappy just for a few hundred dollars more? We are only talking about 10% of the total number of flats sold per year. I know that the defect liability period has already been extended once, from six months to 12 months with effect from 1st January, 1972. But the 12-month period has been proved to be insufficient. Many other Members in this House had also requested the Minister for National Development last year on 23rd March, 1981, to extend the guarantee period. The Member for Changi brought up the same question about the warranty period. The Minister for National Development's answer was [Vol. 40, col. 1060]: '. . if we are going to extend the maintenance period to more than one year, even perhaps for as short a period as six months more, I think for each flat we will have to pay several thousand dollars more.”
“I do hope that the Department will study future requests more carefully, taking into consideration all the important factors so that deserving cases are not rejected unnecessarily. Finally, I hope the Hon. Minister will also look into my request once again, and I hope to have more luck this time.”
“Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head T be reduced by $10 in respect of Subhead TC-01 Object Group 1210 of the Main Estimates. Sir, when I first visited Neighbourhood 6 and Neighbourhood 7 of West Coast constituency in early 1981, there were requests from the residents for an overhead bridge across West Coast Road, which separates Neighbourhood 6 and Neighbourhood 7 into two distinct areas. I was told there were a few fatal accidents in that area. The HDB Area Officer in charge of the estate was also convinced that an overhead bridge was necessary. He informed me that an earlier proposal sent by him to PWD was rejected on the ground that the traffic volume was insufficient. After considering all the factors, I felt that an overhead bridge was justifiable. I made another request to the PWD and the standard answer was given. Sir, in Neighbourhood 7 there are 31 blocks of flats and Neighbourhood 6, 9 blocks of flats, with a total population of about 20,000. There is a market-cum-hawker centre in Neighbourhood 7 and most of the shops are also located in Neighbourhood 7. Having failed to get an overhead bridge, I downgraded my request to a pedestrian crossing and the request was similarly rejected. I was rather amazed at the bureaucratic and inflexible attitude of the Department concerned. The only reason for the rejection was that the traffic volume was insufficient. They seem to have forgotten to take into consideration other factors such as the number of pedestrians crossing the road, the environmental factor in that area, the type of traffic and the road condition. I do agree that there must be guidelines but complete inflexibility certainly is not in the interest of the citizens.”
“Sir, I am just a little bit concerned after hearing what the Member for Anson has said. I think our Minister without Portfolio has been rather kind to him when he said that the Member is more concerned about the form than the substance. From my point of view, it appears to me that either he does not really understand the meaning of industrial peace and orderly conduct of industrial relations and cooperation between labour and management or he has the habit to mislead the people, and in this case, he is trying to mislead the workers so that he can create confusion in the interest of the opposition party because only in those circumstances there is a hope that they may emerge the victor. 4.30 p.m. But I am confident that our workers are not so stupid as to believe what he has said. They have seen the results of the legislation passed and the raising of the standard of living over the years. They will not be so easily misled by him just because of his opportunity to say what he wants in this House.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I think the Hon. Minister has forgotten about sick leave benefits. I would like him to comment on this.”
“In fact, it may be one of the reasons explaining why some of the employees are prone to job-hopping as they have to wait for 10 years before they would be entitled to 14 days' annual leave. This particular section which was introduced in 1968 should therefore be amended to allow for flexibility so that those who have served for more than one year of service can enjoy better than seven days' annual leave as currently stipulated by the Act. My suggestion is that those who have completed three years of service should be given eight days' annual leave. For five years of service, 10 days, and for seven years of service, 12 days. I believe this will provide additional motivation for employees to continue working in a company and be loyal to the company. Sir, my third suggestion is the lifting of the frozen quantum on annual wage supplement (AWS) or bonus under section 47 of the Employment Act. Under this particular section, the union is restricted from bargaining on AWS or bonus beyond the frozen quantum which is usually one month's salary. Although employers are now allowed to pay their employees bonus or AWS up to three months' salary at their own discretion, without having to seek the approval from the Minister for Finance, such a restriction should be lifted and it should be negotiable. Perhaps a limit of three months' salary as AWS or bonus can be set. Employers who wish to pay more than the three months' limit can be allowed to do so at their own discretion. Sir, I believe now is the right time to review the labour legislation to update and streamline antiquated provisions, remove anomalies and ambiguities in order to make it conducive for the promotion of harmonious industrial relations and further economic growth.”
“Under section 43 of the Employment Act, an employee will only be entitled to sick leave benefit after he has served his employer for not less than 12 months. This provision is far too stringent in our present context and should be amended. In my view, sick leave benefit should be provided when an employee is confirmed in his employment, which is usually three months in the case of blue-collar workers. For those employees whose probationary period is more than three months, they should be given such benefits after they have served their employers for not less than six months, irrespective of whether they have completed their probationary period. I would, therefore, strongly recommend that the Labour Ministry seriously consider the amendment of this particular provision so that our workers do not have to wait for one year before they can enjoy this benefit. Sir, my next suggestion is regarding the annual leave entitlement. Sir, the benefits as stipulated in the Employment Act for the annual leave entitlement should be reviewed as it is no longer realistic in view of our current economic situation. In accordance with section 42 of the Employment Act, an employee shall be entitled to paid leave of only seven days for every 12 months of continuous service if he is serving for a period of less than 10 years. For those who have served the company for a period of 10 years or more, he shall been titled to 14 days' annual leave. Such a wide differentiation, in my view, is too rigid and is not in line with our current efforts to promote loyalty, company welfarism and good employer-employee relations.”
“Sir, may I have your permission to join in this debate. Sir, laws are accepted rules to govern the orderly conduct of people living and working in a society. Industrial laws are, in that sense, rules governing the employer-employee relations. Sir, in Singapore, we have good industrial laws. That is why we are able to maintain industrial peace and create a favourable industrial climate. We have gained the confidence of the investors all over the world. These investors have committed billions of dollars in Singapore. We have benefited. We are now more prosperous. Our people are now enjoying a higher standard of living. But if we want to continue to progress and prosper, we must strive even harder. We must actively promote better industrial relations. So we must continue to have good industrial laws. But, Sir, as I have mentioned earlier in this House, circumstances have changed. The trade union movement and the workers are now more mature and responsible. The employers are also more enlightened. Today our objective is not just trying to maintain industrial peace. We are now actively promoting cooperation between labour and management. We want to motivate our workers to achieve higher productivity. Sir, having said that, I would like to repeat what I have already said in this House, and, that is, it is necessary to amend or enact industrial laws to reflect changes in the character or circumstances of employer-employee relations. 5.45 p.m. Sir, going through the industrial laws, I find quite a few provisions which I feel should be amended if our efforts are not to be stifled. I hope the Hon. Minister for Labour would take note of my suggestions and consider them carefully. Sir, my first suggestion is regarding sick leave benefit.”
“At times, workers could be concerned and upset because they may not have properly understood the spirit of the legislation. They may also be misled by cynics and mischievous elements. Thus, it is of utmost importance that any new legislation or amendment which concerns the interests of the workers is written in an easy-to-understand language and explained clearly by the Government. And I am confident that the NTUC and the workers will respond positively to amendments to the legislation. They will cooperate with the Government and employers to ensure the continued prosperity of our country. On that note, Mr Speaker, Sir, I give my full support to the motion moved by the Hon. Minister for Trade and Industry. 3.47 p.m.”
“It is certainly necessary to amend industrial legislation to reflect changes in the character and circumstance of employer-employee relations. I would urge the Government to review the industrial legislation and make the necessary amendments, Amendments should be made in such a way as to promote better industrial relations, based on mutual trust and respect. The interest and the basic rights of the workers must be safeguarded. As no legislation is perfect and as it is also subject to abuse, the Government should review it constantly and also administer the legislation firmly and fairly. The NTUC will always monitor closely the implementation of the legislation to ensure that the employers do not abuse their prerogatives. It will not hesitate to take any employer to task if necessary. This has always been done. NTUC and the workers realize that the interests of both the workers and the employers lie in cooperation and not confrontation. Managements' interest and workers' interests are intertwined. The trade union movement can be strong only when enterprises are doing well and the nation is prosperous, and that enterprises can do well only when the workers' interests are adequately taken care of. The NTUC and the workers are reasonable and responsible. They are not short-sighted. They are not fighting for narrow sectional interests or for short-term interest. They fully realize that in a country like ours, we either prosper together or we go down the drain together. The NTUC and the workers also want industrial peace, but it must be industrial peace with justice. So legislation must be such that the interests of the workers are protected. And what is even more important is that the legislation must be seen to be protecting their interests.”
“In 1968 only 125,618 workers were registered as union members, many of them book members, but in 1981 the figure was over 240,000 paying members. It goes to show that trade unions also benefit when workers are better off. The unions have now emerged much stronger. Our country would not have prospered and the standard of living of our workers would not have reached the present high level if the trade union movement and the workers had been suppressed. Some people would like to appear to be champions for the workers. They talk about the rights of the workers but they conveniently forget the obligations of the workers. Only when there is a balance between rights and obligations will the system work. Besides slogan-shouting, these people have done nothing else to help the workers. Unfortunately, slogan-shouting alone would not help the workers to raise their standard of living. By misleading the workers about their rights, these people are actually jeopardizing their future. Singapore workers have every reason to be proud of their contribution to the success of Singapore which includes, not least of all, their whole-hearted response to the call of the Government to scrap certain features in the then industrial legislation which were likely to frighten off foreign investors. It is accepted by workers that the present good fortune that they and their dependants are now enjoying is due to the Government's response to the needs of workers. Over the years the trade union movement has become even more matured and responsible. Today, the trade union has gone to the extent of initiating and promoting good labour-management relations. Circumstances have changed. As a result, some of the legislations have outlived their usefulness while others are ridiculous in the present context.”
“If it is objected that the figures for Government revenue and Government expenditure are, at the most, only indirect indications of the economic situation at any given time, then references can also be made to the data on the GNP and the Industrial Production for Singapore during that period, In 1968 the GNP for Singapore amounted to $4,402.2 million while in 1981 the GNP increased to $26,389 million. Similarly, the Industrial Production increased from $2,806.2 million in 1968 to $36,937 million in 1981. After adjusting these figures for inflation, the increases are substantial and most impressive. They clearly show that the economic development of Singapore took a giant stride forward during the 13 years between 1968 and 1981. The economic boom enjoyed by Singapore naturally benefits the workers as well. It is unnecessary to refer to increases in wage levels since it is obvious to everyone in Singapore that there have been huge wage increases during the past several years. What is more important from the point of view of workers and their dependants is the availability of jobs for them. In 1968 the employment rate was 7.3% as compared to the unemployment rate of 2.9% for 1981. What is even more significant and not revealed by such unemployment statistics is that there are more jobs available in Singapore right now than can be filled up by Singaporeans. The good fortune enjoyed by Singapore workers can be reflected again in the level of social amenities enjoyed by the workers, particularly housing. In 1968 only 29% of the population were housed in HDB flats but in 1981 the percentage increased to 70%. It is no coincidence that the good fortune enjoyed by workers during the past 13 years is also reflected in trade union membership increases during that period.”
“Nevertheless, the workers themselves, led by NTUC, took the stand that in giving up past advantages gained through collective bargaining, they would obtain better future employment prospects for themselves and their dependants. The workers and their trade union leaders understood and accepted the need to amend the industrial legislation as was done in 1968. More importantly, they had full trust in the assurance of the Government that the legislation would result in long-term benefits. The trust of the workers has been borne out by the success of Singapore since 1968. The effect on industrial peace was gratifying. Less than 7000 man-days were lost, on an average in each year from 1968 to 1974. There were only seven strikes in the three years following the enactment. In 1961, there were 116 strikes leading to a loss of 410,889 man-days. Even after the communist grip on labour unions was broken in 1963, Singapore lost some 35,000 to 45,000 man-days each year through strikes. Perhaps it is difficult for younger Singaporeans to imagine the situation that confronted Singapore workers in 1968 when Singapore's future appeared totally bleak. To understand why the Government enacted legislation to attract foreign investment, it is necessary to see the 1968 situation in its proper perspective. Data on Government revenue and expenditure highlight the differences between 1968 and the present period. In 1968 Government revenue totalled $857 million and Government expenditure $787.6 million. In 1981 Government revenue totalled $7,888.0 million and Government expenditure $7,582.0 million. In the intervening period of 13 years Government revenue and Government expenditure have increased more than nine-fold.”
“The unemployment position in 1965-1968 was as follows:- Persons Unemployed as Year Unemployed % of Labour Force 1965 48,000 8.7 1966 51,000 8.9 1967 49,000 8.7 1968 46,000 7.3 The problem of unemployment was further aggravated in 1968 by the decision of the United Kingdom to withdraw the British Armed Forces by the end of 1971. The withdrawal had the immediate effect of putting 21,000 citizens, directly employed by the British, out of job. In addition, thousands of citizens who were earning a livelihood by providing services to the British bases, such as domestic servants, taxi drivers, shopkeepers, restaurant workers, were also badly affected. From the Household Sample Survey of 1966, there were altogether 52,000 persons unemployed. Added to these were an estimated 25,000 school leavers who entered the labour market annually. The withdrawal of the British Armed Forces was seen to have a potentially adverse recessionary effect on the economy, as they spent US$188 million annually, constituting 14% of the Gross Domestic Product. At that time the Government realized that Singapore's future survival depended not on her traditional entrepot trade but on rapid industrialization. It also recognized that labour stability was the prerequisite to a successful industrialization programme. Faced with these economic realities, the Government had to devise a means of striking a balance between labour and management. It was against such a backdrop that the two pieces of legislation were introduced to create a favourable investment climate for industrialization. Of course, the 1968 industrial legislation was seen by some as a rather bitter pill for Singapore workers to swallow.”
“The NTUC realizes the need to help its members who have missed the opportunity to obtain a basic education. It has now come out with a comprehensive education programme known as NTUC BEST (NTUC Basic Education for Skills Training). But we are limited in our financial and manpower resources. I hope the Skills Development Council will give us maximum support to carry our project through. We have a hard-working population and a workforce which is able and willing to accept and adapt to changes. To ensure success in any economic development programme, good industrial relations is essential. We are fortunate to have an intelligent and responsible trade union movement. The quality of our union leaders was clearly demonstrated in August 1968 when two major pieces of legislation were introduced in Parliament, the Employment Act and the Industrial Relations (Amendment) Act. The Employment Act replaced three former Ordinances relating to employment and working con- ditions. It abolished certain discriminatory practices, rationalized pay structure by doing away with certain abuses of overtime, and also protected young industries from being compelled to provide excessive retrenchment benefits which would have stunted their development. The Industrial Relations (Amendment) Act removed some ambiguities regarding the jurisdiction of management and trade unions which had long been a source of friction. The Act placed certain subjects clearly within the prerogative of management, such as the promotion of employees, their transfer, recruitment, retrenchment and assignment of tasks. These subjects were held to be outside the range of labour-management negotiations. In the 1960s the greatest problem faced by the Government was mass unemployment.”
“alone the number of people unemployed has exceeded the three million mark. This is a huge figure. It is much more than the total population of our country. As the Hon. Minister said in his Budget Statement, we are fortunate to be located in an area rich in natural resources. There is political stability. And it is also one of the growth areas in the world today. All these factors are favourable conditions for growth and they have certainly contributed to our success. However, I believe that a more important factor has been the sound economic policy which our Government has adopted over the years. In the seventies, we built up a diversified economic base and in 1979 we embarked on our economic restructuring. We have made the right move. Our efforts have produced encouraging results. We are more competitive now and our high technology and high value-added products are less prone to protectionism. Both the Government and the NTUC are fully aware that to succeed in our economic restructuring programme, it is imperative to upgrade the skills of our workers and to increase productivity. A lot of effort has been put in to achieve these objectives. The Skills Development Fund is one of the schemes created to assist companies to upgrade the skills of their workers. But to-date only managerial staffs, professionals, skilled workers and, at best, semi-skilled workers have benefited from the grants. The workers at the lowest rungs have been neglected. More should be done for this group of workers. There are many workers who do not even possess the minimum requirement stipulated by the Vocational and Industrial Training Board (VITB) for training in any skill. I hope the VITB and the Institute of Continuing Occupational Development will look into the matter.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, last year, in his Budget Statement the Hon. Minister for Trade and Industry warned Singaporeans about the difficult times ahead in spite of the fact that our economy grew by 10.2%. In 1981, our economy has grown by 9.9%, just 0.3% short of 1980's performance. In his Budget Statement for this year the Hon. Minister for Trade and Industry has repeated the warning for Singaporeans of the difficult times ahead. At a time when most countries are confronted with low growth or recession, the high economic growth achieved by our country would certainly be envied by many developed and the developing countries. With such a sterling performance in our economic growth during the last few years, it would appear to many Singaporeans that our Government is always crying "wolf". Unfortunately, it is not so. Through the press reports and other media, the hon. Members in this House must be well-informed of the economic troubles the world has been going through since the first oil crisis in 1973. The common features in most countries have been slow growth, recession, high unemployment and high inflation. Just before the world was able to adjust to the high cost of energy, in 1979 the second oil shock came. This has certainly plunged the world economy into deeper troubles. Indeed, 1981 has been a very difficult year for the world economy. And the prospects for 1982 do not appear to be any better. Most of the Western industrialized countries are suffering from low or negative growth. The unemployment situation in the OECD countries has almost reached the crisis level. At present, in all the OECD countries, more than 25 million people are unemployed. This is equivalent to about 7 1/4% of their total workforce. In the U.K.”
“Sir, I fully agree with what the Member for Serangoon Gardens has said. The decision on the MRT really is whether we need the system rather than wait for the technological breakthrough. Here I would like the Hon. Minister to clarify whether the breakthrough that he has mentioned is in view or it is just a hope. I would also like to know if, in three to five years' time when we are making our final decision there is another technological breakthrough are we then going to delay again just to benefit from the breakthrough?”
“Sir, the question of anti-social behaviour is one of the problems. The other problem is that there are no toilets in the void decks. I wonder if the Minister will consider building some toilets in the void decks?”
“But once after the lifts are repaired following upon a complaint by the MP, they will get out of order again in a day or two. The Ministry of National Development should seek a permanent solution to this problem. A person who buys a HDB flat enjoys the privilege for some time. He can then re-sell the flat at a profit to another person who needs the flat urgently. The buyer who had registered for a flat three years earlier when the price was low now has to pay more for the flat. Perhaps the Ministry of National Development can find a more reasonable solution to this problem. This is my humble appeal. A child can be treated by a private doctor for $6 to $8 at a private hospital or clinic. But the fee charged at the Government Emergency Unit is $10. The Government should take into consideration the plight of the poor and reduce the fees so that everyone can benefit. The Singapore Broadcasting Corporation produces and broadcasts programmes that are modern and equal to foreign ones. This is praiseworthy. But in the Tamil news bulletin at times there is no relationship between the film shown and the news that is being read. There is no connection at all between what is read and the pictures shown. The Minister concerned should see that such confusion is avoided. Mr Speaker, Sir, I conclude my speech by wishing all the best to our Republic, and I also wish to thank the President for his speech. 4.52 p.m.”
“The way our country is ruled, to strive with pride, reminds me of a verse in the famous Thirukkural. It says, "Caution, education and courage are the three essentials for rulers". Mr Speaker, Sir, while endeavouring to speak in this Chamber within the limits of Standing Orders, I may make some minor procedural mistakes here and there. But I assure you that I will make every effort to correct myself. While we are debating on this motion, I wish to bring certain points to the attention of this august Chamber. We can encourage foreigners to buy commercial land in our Republic, according to our policy, and let them benefit by it. But if we allow foreigners to buy residential property, then in due course they will be controlling all the residential properties and our people may have to pay very much more. I, therefore, hope the Ministry of National Development will review this matter. As far as I know, the NTUC encourages, through its affiliates, the collection of contributions towards the Singapore Labour Foundation. But nothing is collected from non-unionised workers. Since the non-unionised workers are also benefiting from the fund, the Ministry of Labour should see that the employers come forward to collect money from them and pay towards the fund either directly or through the unions. Otherwise, the members of unions affiliated to the NTUC, who have the national interest at heart, will be discouraged. I hope the Ministry of Labour will take note of this and review the matter. The lifts in some of the old HDB blocks in my constituency do not function properly. The residents had complained to the former MP before and they also complain to me now when I make home visits.”
“With regard to the Primary 6 streaming, I find the process may be fraught with dangers. The PSLE consists of four subjects, namely, first language, second language, science and mathematics. Double weightage is given to both the languages, thus making science and mathematics rather irrelevant. As a result, those pupils who may be potential technicians, engineers or even scientists will have the misfortune to be streamed into the 5-year normal course and even within the express course, they may be streamed into schools with lesser facilities and be among pupils who are weak in science and mathematics. This, I am afraid, may demoralize some, while others may not find the opportunities to develop their full potential. Therefore, I suggest that more thought should be given to the criteria used in streaming. My third point is on moral education. With due respect to Dr R. Balhatchet, whose moral education program me is being experimented at Bukit Merah School, I feel that this subject should not be taught through the medium of a set of rules but rather in the form of short stories and filmlets with moral values. This method will make moral eduction more interesting and allow the children to absorb moral values unconsciously. 4.47 p.m. Mr M.K.A. Jabbar (Radin Mas)( In Tamil): Mr Speaker, Sir, I am proud to speak in my mother tongue for the first time in this House. I support the Motion moved by the Member for Mountbatten. Our Republic is the best example of a multi-racial country and it has attained fame as one. Singapore is being governed without any fear or favour. Hence, though we do not have any natural resources, we are not bothered about poverty. We do not have any troubles from enemies either.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I rise in support of the Motion moved by the Member for Mountbatten to express our thanks to the President for the Speech he delivered on behalf of the Government. I am sure you heard the President request in the course of his speech that Parliament must mirror the views, the hopes and doubts and fears of Singaporeans. The more thoroughly Government policies are understood, the better the chances of successful implementation. Acceptance by, and cooperation with, a knowledgeable people of the policies of Government, is the way to success. This is the objective of the Government. Members will best help in achieving this objective by speaking out their views. In helping to achieve this objective, I wish to bring up three burning questions of the day. The first is bilingualism. I am more than convinced that bilingualism is an absolute necessity in our multi-racial society. Of prime importance to us is, of course, the English language, the medium of our vital commercial, financial and industrial lives. Equally important is the mother tongue or a second language that nurtures us with the rich cultural heritage of our forefathers. The latest statistics show that we have made considerable progress in bilingualism. This effort should not be relaxed, if anything, it should be intensified. The second burning question of the day is streaming that has aroused much interest, controversy and anxiety of parents and the public. The object of streaming pupils according to ability is to enable them to be taught at the most suitable pace. This objective is most commendable. However, I agree with the Member for Yio Chu Kang who mentioned yesterday that streaming of pupils in Primary 3 may be premature.”