Yeo Toon Chia
Singapore
“Sir, is it not possible for the Ministry to work with the grassroots leaders to provide some health care service for the senior citizens, especially for those over 65 years old? I know that the polyclinics provide the normal check-ups but the time wasted in queuing up at the polyclinics is very long, especially in the mornings.”
“Sir, will the Minister consider to develop the following plots of land which have been vacant for many years: (1) vacant land in front of the mosque along Avenue 3; (2) vacant land opposite Block 150 along Avenue 5; (3) vacant land opposite the market at Block 226 along Street 22; (4) vacant land next to Townsville Primary School along St…”
“Sir, I know that most of the Government hospitals and clinics would advise the public about the charges. How about the private clinics? I strongly feel that the private clinics should display their charges, especially the common illnesses, so that the general public would know that they are not being over-charged by the doctors.”
“Sir, could the Minister ask the restructured hospitals to present statements of accounts to Parliament? Mr Yeo Cheow Tong: Sir, the hospitals are private companies owned by the Government and their accounts are published every year. If Members of Parliament wish to have them, I can arrange for Members to receive their annual reports.”
“To ensure that surgeons and consultants are not preoccupied with only the private patients, perhaps the Ministry should consider extending the Consultancy Fee Scheme (CFS) to cover subsidised patients as well. In this regard, I would like to hear from the Minister what plan does his Ministry have to modify this CFS scheme.”
“With our aim to be the centre of medical excellence, the challenge for the Ministry is not only to acquire all the latest medical technology, medical equipment and the best doctors, but also to be able to produce friendly, dedicated and compassionate nurses.”
The complete record
Every one of 181 lines we hold for Yeo Toon Chia, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 2 of 4.
“Sir, let me now touch on the small and medium-sized companies and the Small Enterprises Bureau set up by the Government. The Economic Committee realizes the plight of these small and medium-sized companies in the recession. The Government decided to assist them by allotting $100-$200 million to help them tide over their financial difficulties so that they can survive during the recession. This is a proper and correct action. In the present economic recession, medium-sized and small-sized enterprises are in deep trouble. It is already quite difficult to maintain their position, let alone modernize. So the Government's financial aid to these small firms in their modernization effort will have a very good stimulating effect and help raise their productivity and competitiveness. The EDB, the MTI, SISIR, the Small Enterprises Bureau and the other Government departments concerned must try to understand the structure and modus operandi of the small and medium-sized companies. They must analyze the various difficulties faced by these companies and make the necessary adjustments. The Government should set up different kinds of organizations to provide consultative and advisory services. It should simplify the procedure for application for financial loans, simplify the procedure for the application for assistance in improving production method, in upgrading packaging design and international marketing strategy. There must be a comprehensive scheme with professional assistance and management made available to local industries to improve the standard of production. Local small and medium-sized enterprises should be encouraged to avail themselves of the various assistance provided so that they can improve their methods of business and production during the economic recession.”
“Sir, I hope that the Government when implementing more and more public projects would take into account the plight and position of local construction businessmen. We should consider whether we can divide the big projects into smaller projects so as to enable local contractors to have an opportunity to tender for such projects. Even if the tender prices offered by the local contractors are higher by 5% to 10%, the Government should consider awarding the jobs to them because the profit will be ploughed back to our own economy, and this is good for the country. Sir, on the import of foreign labour, the Government has been collecting a $200 levy per worker per month. We are collecting about $220 million a year in levies. On the 1st and the 15th of every month, when you go to the bank you can see these foreign workers queueing up to remit all their earnings to their hometown. When you see such a phenomenon, then you will realize that our calculation is wrong because we are paying much more for foreign labour; thus we lose much of our foreign exchange. Mr Speaker, Sir, we must also do our very best to encourage local contractors and construction workers to develop outside Singapore. The Government must, through the banks and financial institutions, give them financial aid as in the case of Japan and Korea. These two countries actively encourage their contractors and workers to develop overseas. They are given financial assistance and tax incentives. So we must also encourage our professionals and companies to expand overseas and serve outside Singapore. We must impose a minimum tax on their earnings from overseas. Only then will we be able to encourage our professionals and companies to expand their services and business overseas.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the Government has announced a cut in the various taxes. The Government has also announced its intention to introduce consumption tax. That is like giving out something with the right hand and collect something back with the left hand. As pointed out by the Member for Alexandra, it is like cutting a piece of flesh from the thigh to patch up a wound on the chest. Such a measure will seriously affect businesses connected with the tourist trade and departmental stores. On one hand, the Government calls upon the people not to expect wage increases and a higher standard of living during this recession; on the other hand, why should the Government be in a hurry to collect consumption tax which will increase the burden of the people during the two years of recession? Mr Speaker, Sir, during the recession, it is right for the Government to carry out public development projects so as to stimulate local economy and to create more jobs. But we must also ask ourselves whether these public projects will benefit local construction business, for example, the MRT which was started a few years ago. This is supposed to be a great civil engineering project of high technology. Many foreign firms have succeeded in getting the contracts for these projects. Because the high technology civil engineering projects requires more sophisticated equipment and machinery, I believe that the cost of the machinery and equipment would account for about 20-30% of the total cost. These machinery and equipment are imported from overseas, but whether they are imported old or new is another matter. Importing the equipment and machinery means an outflow of foreign exchange from Singapore. And there is a great possibility that we have been importing second-hand equipment and machinery.”
“(In Mandarin) Mr Speaker, Sir, the First Deputy Prime Minister announced yesterday that the Government accepted the various recommendations of the Economic Committee on Taxation. Today, the Straits Times headlined this news. The big companies in Singapore will gain big benefits. Small companies will get small benefits. On the face of it, all companies whether foreign or local will benefit from this announcement. But, it is the big companies that will derive the greatest benefits, because it is the big companies, with thousands of employees, which will save millions of dollars annually under the tax reduction. As pointed out by the Member for Paya Lebar, among the 70,000 local companies, there are about 62,000 with employees of less than 10. So these small companies will not benefit much or save much, by virtue of tax reduction. These small companies are mostly occupying rented premises from HDB. So the question is whether the rentals from HDB are too high, and whether these small companies are doing good business every year is a matter that many MPs know quite well. I hope that the Minister concerned will understand the plight of these small local companies and petty traders and for their benefit reduce the shops rentals so that these small traders and businessmen may be able to continue to do business during this difficult period. When we call on the workers to tighten their belts and we allow employers to cut their CPF contributions so as to preserve jobs, Mr Speaker, Sir, we must also at the same time pay attention to the cost of living such as the prices daily necessities, food and services, especially those in hawker centres which have a direct impact on the livelihood of the lower-income workers.”
“I strongly feel that the Fire Department must conduct more frequent checks to ensure that the fire protection systems installed in these buildings are functioning properly. The exit to the fire escape staircase should always be accessible to people inside the building and as the exits to the staircases are the only means of escape in case of emergencies such as a fire or a power failure, clear indications to all exits on each storey must be prominently displayed. In addition to the lay-out plans, guiding arrows should also be indicated on all levels of buildings to show the way to the fire escape staircase. Sir, for the safety of human lives, we must request all the management of the buildings to comply with the safety regulations laid down by the Fire Department. Offenders must be punished accordingly and, if necessary, be brought to court. Sir, to further enhance the safety of human lives in our office and shopping complexes, the Department should also look into the possibility of deploying at least a Fire officer in each building or, if that is not possible, the security guards of the buildings should be properly trained in fire safety to be conducted by the Fire Service Department, so that at all times there will be someone with the knowledge to handle an emergency.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, may I be allowed to say something about fire safety in our high-rise buildings? Sir, the recent power failure resulting in Fire officers having to be called in to rescue people trapped in a building shows a need for the Singapore Fire Service to look more closely into the safety measures of our buildings. I cannot imagine the seriousness if this incident had been a fire instead. Sir, now that the Singapore Fire Service has taken over the responsibility of vetting of fire safety requirements in building plans from the Planning and Development Control Division, I hope that more will be done to improve the overall safety of our buildings. Sir, we have so many multi-storey offices and shopping complexes and at any one time there are hundreds and thousands of people in these buildings. We must take positive steps to ensure that all our buildings are effectively installed with fire protection systems, if we want to prevent tragedies from happening. Sir, may I suggest that the following fire protection systems in buildings should be complied with. First, every storey in the building should be equipped with automatic sprinklers, fire extinguishers and hose-reels. In a big building, more than one fire escape staircase should be provided. Second, the fire alarm system should be linked to the nearest fire station and designed to activate automatically in the event of a fire. The break-glass alarm system as well as the heat and smoke detector should also be installed. Third, all lifts should be equipped with safety devices, such as automatic rescues and automatic landing devices. Sir, I believe most of our highrise buildings have installed some fire safety equipment, but is it enough?”
“Sir, may I know from the Minister of State when the redevelopment of Toa Payoh and Tan Tock Seng Hospitals will be carried out?”
“To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister for Community Development how many child care centres will be set up for the financial year 1985/86; where will they be located; what will be their capacity; and what will be the rates of charges. Mr S. Vasoo (Bo Wen): Question No. 1, Mr Speaker, Sir. The Minister of State for Home Affairs and Community Development (Mr Wong Kan Seng) (for the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister for Community Development): Mr Speaker, Sir, I am replying on behalf of my Minister. It is projected that a total of 40 child care centres will be set up this year providing a capacity of 2,200. The centres will be managed by the People's Association, the NTUC, by employers, voluntary organizations as well as by the Ministry of Community Development and private operators. These 40 child care centres will bring the total capacity of child care places to 5,800 by the end of fiscal year 1985. Of the 40 child care centres, 14 will be in work places, the remaining will be in HDB estates, community centres and private residential estates. The Government subsidizes child care centres run by the NTUC, by the PA and other organizations which adopt the NTUC and PA rates of charges as well as the standard of child care. The fees range from $150 to $250, depending on the income of parents. For the private child care centres, the fees will vary according to the services provided, and they may vary from $250 to $350.”
“Sir, may I have your permission to speak on HDB as I have an amendment under Sub-head TG -01?”
“As long as health permits, we should encourage these old people to continue working so that they can be economically independent. The raising of retirement age is the most effective way to make the old people socially active and to live a more meaningful life. In this way, we can also assist in meeting the shortage of labour in our nation and improve our productivity. Our nation is facing a world-wide recession, instability of currencies and all kinds of protectionism. Our nation's economic progress will surely slow down, but with the strong economic foundation we have built over the past decade, I am sure, with the concerted effort of all our people in the same boat working together with a unity of purpose, we should be able to weather the vagaries of economic weather and continue to press forward towards the same direction. And when all the gloomy clouds have passed away and the sun and fine weather come out again, we shall continue to progress. Finally, on behalf of the people of my constituency, I wish to thank the President for his Speech. 11.14 am”
“Sir, old people have their own attitudes towards life. Setting up old peoples' centres with appropriate facilities will give them a place and a chance for them to group together, to talk to one another and to get themselves involved in whatever activities they like. This is necessary. The Minister should consider deducting $1 from each of the one million working population who contribute to the CPF as old people's development fund. Sir, if the Muslims could contribute $1 every month to build mosques, why could we not make our one million working population to contribute $1 or $2 each in addition to their monthly CPF towards this fund? By contributing $1 or $2 each towards the fund, more old people's centres can be set up in all our new towns, so that all the densely populated estates would be able to have at least one centre each for our elderly people to get together so that they can have a club of their own. I am sure that if we set aside a little bit of our money for the benefit of the whole population of our old folks, we will get the support of the society for this good deed, and I hope that our young and capable Ministers will consider this suggestion. Sir, just as the sixth objective mentioned by our President in his Speech was to support the aged to have a more active social life, so we should build more of these centres for the old people. We do not want to see all these people who are over 55 years of age loitering around in the void decks of all our housing estates, by the roadside or at the departmental stores. Mr Speaker, Sir, we should also raise the retiring age from 55 years to 60 years. With improved medical care and health services, the life-span of our people is expected to increase. So we should also raise the retirement age accordingly.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I will continue to deliver my speech in Mandarin. (In Mandarin) Sir, last Friday, I spoke in support of the motion by the Member for Ayer Rajah. At the close of the meeting, I was touching on the setting up of centres for the aged to provide various means and facilities for the aged to engage in healthy pursuits in their leisure. I suggested that out of the one million working population, we could deduct $1 each from their CPF contributions and use it to set up centres for the aged, so that we will be able to provide these people, who had in the past, contributed to our prosperity and to what we are today, the means and facilities for them to enjoy their remaining years with peace of mind. After the Parliament sitting on Friday, I met the Minister for Labour and he said, smilingly, to me, "Everybody wants to make use of Central Provident Fund savings!" I answered, "Of course. To help the aged." I thought to myself, the Minister has heard my suggestion. But I do not know whether he will consider my suggestion. Sir, the aging of the population is a serious social problem. According to the official monthly statistics, we find that last year 7.7% of our population were over the age of 60 years, and 17.8% of our population were above the age of 40 years. The problem of aging is very real in our society. We find old people with white hair, idling at the void decks of HDB flats everywhere. We will have to think ahead of their care. By 1999, when every family would have owned his own home, it would not be difficult to visualize more old folks with a blank look loitering around the void decks of housing estates or even along busy streets. I do not know whether this 20% of our population will spend their life more interestingly and more meaningfully.”
“Sir, a supplementary question. Does the Minister have any plan to have CDF area offices in every heavily populated housing estate in order to have better administration and training of civilian volunteers, CDFs and reservists?”
“Sir, in view of the assurance given and its benefits for houseowners, I beg leave to withdraw my amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.”
“Sir, I do agree with the Minister's advice that house owners should keep a set of the plan. But the whole trouble is that when the house owner is going to purchase a house, there is no building plan number shown on the brochure which is available from the developer. I know that the name of M&E engineers cannot be shown in the brochure because that may be against the provisions of the Professional Engineers Act. If the building plan number can be shown in the brochure, the moment I buy the house I know the building plan number and from there I can get a copy with the assistance from BCD. From the building plan number, I know who is the M&E engineer or the architect concerned. Then I can get a copy of the plan showing the details of services for future reference. For instance, I buy a house now and 10 years later, the pipes leak, It is very hard for me to look for the plan. That is why I think the building plan number should be shown on the brochure when the housing project is put up for sale so that I will be able to get the plan.”
“Sir, any developer, if he is going to build a house has to go to the architect who, in turn, has to submit more than six sets of plans to the BCD. Then it is up to the BCD ta distribute to the various authorities, such as the PUB and the Road Branch of the PWD to get them approved. So the best department to coordinate and to protect the house owner should lie with the BCD. They can coordinate with all these departments. They should insist that the suitable type and sort of requirement for the services should be stated in the approved plan so that the developer will be responsible for correcting the fault.”
“Sir, I know that the wiring contractors should be registered with the PUB and they should be qualified to do so. But the problem is that the house owner, without the approved building plan, will have difficulty in locating the wiring if he does not have the plan. This is the problem that the owner of the private house is faced. He has to do a lot of digging and knocking to locate the leakage. By doing all these diggings and knockings, there will be a lot of damage to the house.”
“As PUB does not require plans on the layout of the water and electrical services in the domestic premises, there is no need for water pipes and electrical wirings to be shown on the building plan. However, I would advise that the house owner should keep a set of this plan for his own reference. There is always difficulty in the re-wiring or re-plumbing when a record is not kept.”
“If the house owner does not have a copy of the plan showing the running of the services in his house, then leaks and faults cannot be easily detected because these water pipes and electrical wirings are concealed and the electricians or plumbers who are called in to repair will have a difficult time locating, through trial and error, the faulty part. It will surely cause much damage to the house after diggings and knockings are made to the house to locate the fault unless the original contractors who laid these services when the house was built can be contacted. Sir, I hope the Minister will realize the problems house owners will face if such layout plans showing all these services are not available when a repair is required. For the benefit of house owners, will the Minister look into the matter and take measures to ensure that house owners will not be cheated by the unscrupulous contractors using sub-standard materials which will cause unnecessary damage to the premises. Mr Teh Cheang Wan: Sir, the PUB requires that only qualified electricians and plumbers licensed by PUB are allowed to carry out any wiring and plumbing work. The licensed electricians and plumbers are responsible to ensure that the work carried out complies with the relevant code of practice. The PUB will check the electricity and plumbing installations for compliance with the relevant code of practice before turning on the electricity or water supply. PUB will take action against any worker who violates the relevant code of practice. The house owner's interest is therefore best protected if he employs a bona fide licensed contractor to carry out such work.”
“Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head T be reduced by $10 in respect of Subhead TF-02 Object Group 1210 of the Main Estimates. Sir, in moving this amendment, I would like to request the Building Control Division to ensure that, in approving build- ing plans for private housing, developers should provide specifications showing the standard quality and durability of the electrical wirings and the water pipes to be laid in the buildings, and these should meet the requirement approved by BCD. BCD should also request the MefE engineers for the developer to submit plans showing the details of the position of the laying of these services for their approval and a copy of this approved plan should be kept with the BCD and the architect in charge, besides the MefE engineers. The officers in the BCD should also see that all these services are to be laid according to approved building. The approved building plan's number together with the details of these services should be shown in the brochure when the said housing project is put up for sale to the public. Sir, this is necessary to protect as well as benefit future house owners. There are unscrupulous contractors using substandard materials or unlined pipes for the laying of these essential services, resulting in house owners having to face much difficulty if their water pipes leak or their electrical wirings fault because contractors either use sub-standard materials or used materials to lay the services not according to the approved plan.”
“Sir, in view of the assurance given by the Minister that stringent controls will be enforced on foreign artistes, I beg leave to withdraw. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.”
“Sir, a supplementary question. How about we conducting a skills test before we issue a professional visit pass to these foreign artistes? For instance, the artistes have to go through all sorts of stage performances. The SBC perhaps can assist to do so as my colleague mentioned. For singers, perhaps we can conduct a singing test to see that they actually have the singing skill. Then we can issue a professional pass.”
“I understand that SBC will be conducting more talent quests, and the People's Association together with Rediffusion are also conducting Talentime to discover our own talents. Sir, with so many youngsters aspiring to be popular singers, I hope the Minister will be more stringent in the issue of professional visit passes so as to include only those who seriously take singing and stage performance as their profession.”
“Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head Q be reduced by $10 in respect of Subhead QJ-01 Object Group 1210 of the Main Estimates. Sir, in moving this amendment, I would just like to bring to the Minister's attention that we may be too liberal in our policy of issuing professional visit passes to people who claim to be singing artistes. Sir, I am not against the foreign artistes and performers performing in Singapore. After all, it is good that our people are exposed to the different cultures and talents from other countries and would be able to learn from them. But I feel that what is not to our advantage is that foreigners claim to be singing artistes, but in actual fact they do not possess such talent. These people depend on their popularity on television and come to Singapore on professional visit passes as singing artistes and performers to reap huge profits from gullible citizens and indirectly siphon-off our hard-earned money out of Singapore. Sir, for the past few years, we have been exhorting the younger generation the virtue of thrift and hard work, but if our younger generation frequently see for themselves how easily money can be earned by these so-called singers and actresses, then I am afraid that all our efforts to impart to them the virtues of hard work and thrift will fall on deaf ears. Sir, we welcome tourists to visit Singapore and we have an open policy to admit people with talents, but we certainly do not need people without the talents that they claim to have. We want our local aspiring singers to emulate good examples, that it is through hard work and training in developing their talents that they can hope to go far.”
“Sir, would the Minister care to comment on an allegation made by an opposition political party that MENDAKI was initiated by the Government with the intention of using it as a tool to show the Malay community that the Government was helping them in education?”
“Sir, in view of the answer given by the Minister, I beg leave to withdraw. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.”
“Moreover, what measures are being taken by the Commercial Crime Division to check the increasing number of cheating cases, and whether the Division has any plans to take legal action against the offenders when investigations show that there is dishonest intention?”
“If the police do not step up their action against the culprits, it may result in encouraging more unscrupulous people and business to take advantage of the present situation. Sir, I strongly feel that the police should take immediate action on reports by victims of payments by cheques being dishonoured. If investigations prove that there was a dishonest intention, then the police should be empowered to arrest the offenders even without a warrant to protect the public from being cheated by dishonest people. The police should not take such reports lightly and file them away, as it is being done now without any further action except to advise the victims to take civil action against the offenders under the Debtors Act. Sir, I also feel that the current penalty of imprisonment of one to 10 years and a further liability to a fine for cheating under the Penal Code for offences relating to false documents, currency notes and bank notes, is not strong enough a deterrent for people who plan to cheat millions of dollars. After all, a person who committed such a crime will only have to serve one to seven years of imprisonment on good conduct and, when he is later released from prison, he can enjoy a high standard of living and comfort from the millions of dollars that he has cheated. Sir, with our growing economy, commercial crimes are expected to increase and become more complex. I wonder if the Ministry has any plans to enlarge the Commercial Crime Division to cope with the increasing demand for police assistance from this Division. May I also ask the Minister whether he has any training programme for the officers in this Division to help them to tackle the more complicated crimes committed by highly educated persons?”
“Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head Q be reduced by $10 in respect of Subhead QD-03 of the Main Estimates. Sir, bank cheques are being increasingly used as a means of payment in most business transactions. Not surprisingly, the issue of cheques as a substitute for currency notes has been abused, and dishonoured cheques have appeared more frequently during the last few years. The Police have often classified reports made on dishonoured cheques as of a civil nature and complainants were advised to institute civil action against the offenders if they hoped for any recovery or payment. However, most victims seldom pursue the matter through this course of action as it involves time and money. Even if the suits are successful there is the possibility that the debtors are unable to pay all of them. 4.00 p.m. All these crimes are growing at an alarming rate, and almost everyday one can read in the newspapers of persons being cheated of their monies and valuables. What is perhaps more frightening is that in the recent few months there has been a marked increase in the number of professional persons using their knowledge and intellectual ability to cheat their victims, including commercial banks, of large sums of money amounting to tens of millions of dollars. Sir, with the increasing number of industrial and commercial companies being set up in Singapore, and as we are developing into a financial and services centre, the use of cheques, bank notes and other related documents will be even more widely used. All these will present opportunities for people to get rich quickly by unscrupulous means. Commercial crimes will become more complex as the higher educated people and professionals enter the criminal scene.”
“Under such circumstances, the female civil servant will feel the additional burden of worries over her family's health if medical benefits do not cover her husband and children as well. Less worries will obviously contribute to better work performance and thereby increase productivity. With the rising cost of medical treatment and the increasing number of females heading the household, it is sad to have to see a female civil servant facing financial difficulty in paying the medical bills for her family. The Government is the biggest employer, employing more than 60,000 civil servants. Most of the private companies are taking the Government's terms and conditions of service as a guideline for their employees. This treatment is most unfair to the female worker and, in fact, it contradicts the PAP Government's policy of equal rewards for equal work, irrespective of whether the worker is male or female. With so many female officers working in the various Government departments, the Minister will certainly boost the morale of the female officers by granting them equal medical benefits as their male counterparts. I am sure, with this move, more married women will join the Civil Service and those already in the Service will stay on even after marriage and even after they have children, thereby contributing to our economy. Sir, with the emphasis on productivity and also this year's tax concession given to encourage married women to remain in the workforce so that they can contribute to our economic growth, is it not time that we reviewed the present policy of unequal medical benefits for female officers in the Civil Service?”
“Sir, I would like to touch on the unequal treatment accorded to female civil servants. We all know that the Government recognizes equal treatment for both male and female citizens, right from birth. They are accorded equal treatment for entry into schools, institutions of higher learning or the workforce. Being the biggest employer, the Government employs a large number of female officers, especially in the teaching and nursing professions. Their admission into the Civil Service is based on merits and promotion is based on their work performance and productivity. In every sense, they are given equal recognition and opportunities as their male counterparts. But there is still one area which discriminates against the female civil servant. Over the years, the situation has not changed. I am referring to the medical benefits accorded to male and female civil servants. A male civil servant enjoys medical benefits which are also extended to his family and children, whereas a female officer herself only is entitled to the medical benefits. Only in cases where the female officers are widowed or divorced are medical benefits extended to their children. Sir, in the context of today's society, a male may not necessarily be head of the household. With equal opportunities in education, many women today are holding responsible positions in the Civil Service as well as in the private sector. It would be an advantage to the Government if our female officers are spared the unnecessary worry of the state of health of their families. There are cases where the husbands are either medically boarded out or are dependent on their wives' monthly contribution to the family income.”
“(5) That the sum to be allocated for Head N be reduced by $10 in respect of Subhead ND-01 of the Main Estimates. Mr Sia Khoon Seong: Sir, I am not moving.”
“Sir, it looks as if the Minister of State is passing the buck to the Ministry of the Environment. However, I beg leave to withdraw my amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.”
“May I hear something from the Minister of State? Mr Lee Yock Suan: Sir, my Ministry has taken note of the comments. I believe the Ministry of the Environment has its own reasons for not making the offence compoundable. The views put forward by the hon. Member appear very reasonable and I hope the Ministry of the Environment will take note of his views.”
“Sir, there are 20,000 hawkers in Singapore. For their convenience, I hope that the Minister can take up the matter with the Ministry of the Environment to allow the offences of these hawkers to be compounded instead of requiring them to attend court. Offences under traffic regulations and car parks are allowed to be compounded. I cannot see why a hawker who commits an offence, which is not a criminal offence but more or less a civil case, cannot be allowed to have his offence compounded. Since the HDB is one of the departments that issues these summonses against the hawkers, can the Minister take up the matter with the Ministry of the Environment so that in future a hawker who has committed an offence can pay the fine direct, instead of having to attend court?”
“But the Ministry's enforcement staff refused to accede to their request and insisted that they must appear in court. Sir, this sort of action not only resulted in the loss of one day's earnings for the hawkers who had to appear in court in the morning but also a loss of faith in the Ministry's staff. They felt that the enforcement staff were against them and ever ready to bring them to court for the slightest mistake. Sir, if this is the general feeling among the hawkers, then I am sad to say that all our efforts in promoting teamwork and neighbourliness in the housing estates will be affected besides affecting the existing good image and working relationship between the hawkers' representatives, community leaders and the staff in the HDB area office. Sir, in order not to disrupt the hawkers' daily earnings, I would like to suggest that the Minister should allow those hawkers who have committed minor offences to pay a fine direct to the Ministry and that the first-time offenders be issued with a warning instead of insisting that they have to appear in court. Another point is that the summonses to attend court should bear the proper name, designation and the address of the issuing offices so that a person who intends to take up the matter further may not have to go round knocking on the wrong doors. I hope the Minister will look into this suggestion. 5.15 p.m.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head T be reduced by $10 in respect of Subhead TA-01 Object Group 1210 of the Main Estimates. Sir, in mid-September 1981, most of the hawkers at Block 724, Ang Mo Kio Town Centre, were issued with summonses to attend court for failing to display price tags on their goods. Sir, I am not against the Ministry of National Development for issuing the summonses if the hawkers had committed a serious offence and needed to be prosecuted in court. However, I feel strongly that such a course of action should not be imposed on first-time offenders who have committed minor offences. If there should be summonses issued by the headquarters enforcement staff during their random inspections, then the estate officers in charge at the HDB area office should be informed. As a matter of fact, I personally feel that these headquarters inspections are not necessary as the HDB area office is already doing all these checkings. The market at Block 724 is selling mainly market-produce goods. Business there has been poor. When more than 30 hawkers came to see me with their summonses, I was most disturbed by the manner in which the summonses were issued. Most of the hawkers were first-time offenders. No prior warnings were given to them. Instead, summonses to appear in court were slapped on them. In addition, there were no proper addresses in the summonses in which to refer to. I believe that there are also other enforcement units in the various Ministries besides the Ministry of National Development. Sir, the hawkers who came to see me have learned a bitter lesson and they were willing to pay the fine imposed by the Ministry for their mistakes.”
“Sir, we can see that the majority of motor-cycles on the roads are less than 250 cc. If the Minister thinks that the Traffic Police who are using motor-cycles of more than 500 cc which consume more oil and energy could be classified as medium-sized motor-cycles, then I beg leave to withdraw my amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. The Chairman: There is only one minute to go before the moment of interruption. Do I have the agreement of Members that we resume tomorrow? Hon. Members: Yes. Thereupon Mr Deputy Speaker left the Chair of the Committee and took the Chair of the House.”
“Surely the policewomen who are using the lower cylinder capacity scooters are performing just as efficiently as those on high-powered motor-cycles. Does the Minister have any plans to change these high-powered motor-cycles to lower cylinder capacity scooters or motor-cycles in order to save costs and energy?”
“Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head Q be reduced by $10 in respect of Subhead QE-01 Object Group 1210 of the Main Estimates*. Sir, first of all, I would like to say that I am appreciative of the good work done by the Traffic Police in enforcing road safety and many educational programmes carried out by them. However, many of us are also aware that a good number of Traffic Police are stretching the authority vested on them. It is a known fact that the Traffic Police can park their vehicles anywhere on the road. They have been seen weaving, speeding or else hiding behind bushes to pounce on the unsuspecting motorist. Sir, I am not questioning the authority of the Traffic Police. I know that enforcement must be done so that our roads can be safe, because there are motorists who hope to get away with violation of the traffic rules. But I feel that the Traffic Police, being the law enforcement officers, should take the lead in educating other road users by their good example of road safety. If our Traffic Police were to break traffic rules and regulations in the course of their duty, then who are we to blame if the motorists take upon themselves to do likewise? Sir, another point I would like to bring up is the high-powered cylinder capacity motor-cycles that are presently being used by many traffic policemen. We have for the past few years organized campaigns to save energy and the various Government departments have been trying their best to reduce costs by less consumption of energy. I wonder if the Minister can enlighten the House on the cylinder capacity of these motor-cycles and the reason for their continued use.”
“In view of the explanation given by the Senior Parliamentary Secretary, I beg leave to withdraw my amendment. Amendment by leave, withdrawn.”
“Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head M be reduced by $10 in respect of Subhead MB-05 Object Group 1210 of the Main Estimates. Many hawkers in food centres are presently operating only part of the day, although the licences issued to them are for the whole day. In order that hawker stalls are fully utilized and to ensure that food is available throughout the day, will the Minister consider issuing separate hawker licences for two sessions a day for the same stall, one in the morning and another in the afternoon? Sir, this move will benefit those hardship applicants who generally need to do hawking to supplement the family income. By granting this group of applicants hawker licences to sell food for half a day, the Minister would greatly help to reduce their financial burden. Sir, if this suggestion is not feasible, would the Minister alternatively consider allowing and encouraging the licensee of the stall to employ more aged people who are medically fit to assist him, so that the licensee can operate the stall for the whole day? In this way, we can also help the aged to be gainfully employed and, at the same time, help to check the increasing social problem of the aged. Another point I would like to mention is whether the Minister is aware of the numerous complaints about the difficulty of getting seats in the food centres on Saturdays and Sundays because of the betting that is taking place in these food centres on these days, resulting in a lot of inconvenience to the customers. I would like to ask the Minister what measures are being taken or will be taken by his Ministry to rectify this situation?”
“Sir, I hope the Hon. Minister will really sit down with his planning boys and work out a concrete proposal to build a police station in Ang Mo Kio, which has a population of 200,000 or more, so that the people living there will find Ang Mo Kio a secure and nice place to live in. Sir, I beg leave to withdraw my amendment. Amendment by leave, withdrawn.”
“Sir, I am not interested in the police structure or organization. From the Hon. Minister's reply, it would appear that, as I have mentioned, if a new town is fully developed with a population of about 200,000, it is only necessary to have a police post manned by one or two officers without any investigating officer or police inspector. So if a person wants to make a report, one of the police officers has to ask the Paya Lebar Police Station to send for an investigating officer. Does the Minister know how much time is wasted? From the Minister's reply it would appear that the police structure or organization is too rigid and inward-looking and not orientated to provide services to the community.”
“Sir, the second point which I would like to raise relates to the release of detailed information by the police to the press on robberies and other crimes committed. It may be necessary for the police to publicize robbery and other crimes with the purpose of informing and educating the public on preventive measures, and in the case of robberies and thefts, to deter the public from keeping large sums of cash or jewellery in the office or at home. But I feel that the police should not release too detailed an information, such as the full addresses of the victims, the actual amounts kept in the premises, the amount taken and not taken, and the victim's personal particulars. By so doing, the police may inadvertently be attracting persons of dubious characters who, with this ready information, may want to try their luck again and the victims may well end up being robbed again or, worse, have injuries inflicted upon them. The police, because of the very nature of their work, needs detailed information about crimes committed, but surely not the public. Sir, would the Hon. Minister care to comment?”
“Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head Q be reduced by $10 in respect of Subhead QB-01 of the Main Estimates. Sir, Ang Mo Kio New Town is almost fully developed with a population of more than 200,000 people but, sad to say, we have only one police post manned by a few police personnel below the rank of Police Inspector to look after the security of more than 200,000 people in Ang Mo Kio. For the past few years, the residents of Ang Mo Kio have suffered considerable inconvenience owing to the absence of a Police Inspector in the Ang Mo Kio police post. Let me elaborate. When a complainant makes a police report at the Ang Mo Kio police post, he is redirected to Paya Lebar Police Station to make his report. This resulted in the residents of Ang Mo Kio having to shuttle between Ang Mo Kio police post and the Paya Lebar Police Station. Sir, you can imagine the time lost and the delay in putting up the police report and the consequences if the cases are of an emergency nature. As the police personnel at Ang Mo Kio police post get their directives from the routine inspectors at the Paya Lebar Police Station, could not a Police Inspector be stationed at the Ang Mo Kio police post so that a lot of unnecessary delays and inconvenience could be avoided? Although the crime rate in Ang Mo Kio is presently not high, I believe the situation in Ang Mo Kio warrants a Police Inspector. Surely, this is not too much to ask: one Police Inspector to cater to the needs of more than 200,000 residents in Ang Mo Kio. I hope the Hon. Minister will consider this request and, at thia same time, assure the House that he will expedite the building of a police station in Ang Mo Kio New Town.”
“I would like to know this: if a hawker can give an assurance that he will take care to clean up the place so that no rats or flies will breed there, will the Senior Parliamentary Secretary allow him to carry on his business on the five-foot way? Mr Chor Yeok Eng( In Mandarin): Sir, the Member for Khe Bong does not seem to understand what I said. My reply was relevant and directed to the question just now. He either did not listen to what I said or he did not understand. He asked whether we would allow hawkers to carry on their business on the five-foot way if they were prepared to clean up the place. First, we are not talking about street hawkers. We are talking about eating shops. He was trying to confuse the House by bringing up another issue. Secondly, I have mentioned several times that if operators of eating shops have the landlord's permission and if there is proper accommodation, then we will consider giving them the permission required. But the Member was merely confusing the issue.”
“Therefore, we cannot relax these regulations. I know which eating shop the Member is referring to. It is in the city area where the condition of this eating shop is quite special. We will carry out further study into this particular case. Just now he mentioned about the smoky condition in the eating shops. I agree with him that there are too many food stalls in the coffee-shops. That is why the coffee-shops are smoky. We have taken note of this. We will persuade certain coffee-shop owners to reduce the number of their stalls or provide more space for their customers. Members will realize that the Government is spending quite large sums of money every year on building hawker centres and markets, particularly to resite roadside hawkers so that they can operate in a more congenial environment under covered buildings. If, therefore, coffee-shops are allowed to extend their business operations outside their premises onto the five-foot way or even the roadside, it will be most counterproductive. We have to do something to maintain a minimum standard of hygiene and health. This will inevitably cause certain unhappiness among some people. If this standard is not maintained by our Ministry officials, I believe Singapore would not have been as clean and green as it is today, a fact which various Members have referred to earlier. Mr Ho See Beng( In Mandarin): Mr Speaker, Sir, I feel that the Senior Parliamentary Secretary did not direct his answer to the question.. The request made by the Member for Tiong Bahru just now is very fair and reasonable.”
“If the authorities go all out to ban coffee-shops from placing tables and chairs along the five-foot way, it will not only affect the business of both coffee-shops and stalls within, but also cause inconvenience to members of the public. I therefore hope that the authorities concerned would be enlightened enough to take into consideration the physical constraints of the places and the practical demands of eating before enforcing the law. If there is a real need and if it does not cause too much of an obstruction to pedestrians, or endanger them, some flexibility should be exercised. The coffee-shop owners may be asked not to put too many tables and chairs along the five-foot way, to remove them after the rush periods and to keep the five-foot way clean after use. The Senior Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for the Environment (Mr Chor Yeok Eng)( In Mandarin): Mr Speaker, Sir, the Ministry of the Environment does not allow eating shops to extend their activities to the five-foot way, the reason being that we have to keep public health and hygiene at a reasonable standard. If this is not done, the remnants of food left on the five-foot way, if not swept away in time, will breed cockroaches, flies and rats. This will also cause what we fear most, the contamination of our water supply. Generally, any restaurant or eating shop has classified areas for specific uses. For example, there is the kitchen, the dining or eating place, a place for preparing the food, and the store-room. Therefore, if these coffee-shops are allowed to extend their business activities to other areas, without similarly extending their kitchen or the preparatory area, it is doubtful whether they will be able to keep the food in a healthy state and the place conducive to public hygiene.”
“Sir, in view of the Minister's assurance, I beg leave to withdraw my amendment. Amendment by leave, withdrawn. Mr Ch'ng Jit Koon (Tiong Bahru)( In Mandarin): Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head M be reduced by $10 in respect of Subhead MB-03 of the Main Estimates. The Public Health Department bans coffee-shops from placing tables and chairs along corridors for their customers. From the viewpoint of public health, and for the convenience of the pedestrians, it is all right to do so. But, there is a Chinese saying that food is a foremost consideration. In Singapore, many people take their lunches or three meals in coffee-shops. If the authorities are not flexible enough in dealing with this problem, it will cause a great deal of inconvenience to many who have to eat out. For those old generation coffee-shops including those in old HDB estates, because of the planners' inability to foresee the problem years ahead, their designs were not practical. There is not enough space in the coffee-shops. After putting up some food stalls, there is hardly space to accommodate more than a few tables. In certain busy and crowded localities, the number of people who want to take their lunch is so large that the shopkeepers have to make use of the five-foot way to put their tables and chairs. During peak hours, the coffee-shops are usually crowded with people and smoky. It is really uncomfortable to eat in such places. Therefore, the customers themselves prefer to eat outside the shop-proper and on the five-foot way. Thus, the coffee-shop owners are fined or booked for putting the tables along the five-foot way.”