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.”
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“Mr Speaker, Sir, in the wake of economic progress, we should also enhance the consciousness of our people so that they will be prepared to meet the demands of changing situations, new targets and needs and to strive for these objectives. On behalf of the people in my constituency, I support the financial policy of our Government. 4.17 p.m.”
“Sir, we must not allow an influx of these overseas female singers to monopolise our television. We should encourage more of our local singing talent to perform in the various television programmes and shows. Besides extra-mural technical, industrial and trade courses conducted by our educational institutions, such as the Extra-mural Studies Department in the University of Singapore, the Nanyang University and the Adult Education Board, similar educational and instructional programmes can be shown on television so that our people in their hours of leisure may be able to learn something from these good and educative programmes. Sir, the Minister for Finance has said that l972 was a year of high international monetary instability. In June 1972, the Pound Sterling was forced to float. The United States of America, as a result of its chronic balance of payments deficit, was forced to devalue its currency. Despite all these difficulties and uncertainties, we have managed to achieve a growth rate of 13 per cent. This is indeed a great achievement. In our new Budget, we have no new taxes. On the contrary, we have seven reliefs or exemptions of tax, and we are going to enjoy a surplus of $20 million. This is indeed a Budget which is welcomed by people from all walks of life. Unfortunately the income tax relief of $300 for those who have to support their parents is too low. It should at least be $750 per dependant. Moreover, children between the ages of 16 and 21 years are in an age of high school or university education, and therefore the economic burden on the parents is fairly heavy. I wonder whether it would be possible to give some allowance to tax-payers who have to support their children in the higher educational institutions.”
“We know the Housing Board and the Port of Singapore Authority are providing housing accommodation for their staff, and I hope that other statutory bodies and all Government departments will do likewise to provide housing for their employees, as this is more necessary than a salary increase. Sir, perhaps we have been devoting our full attention to industrialisation, urban renewal and economic growth, so much so that we have overlooked the development of our cultural and social values. We are becoming more and more capitalistic in our outlook and in our way of life. Many of us seem to spend all our waking moments either in making more money or indulging in various activities which are non-productive and decadent. All these will go to loosen our social and moral fabric and cause a lowering of our social discipline. As we can see, there are many restaurants, night-clubs, coffee houses, etc, which have many singers from overseas. All these are female gold diggers in disguise. They are here to earn our money and to weaken the will of our young people. Sir, in the last few years we have seen many talent-time contests over television, and in our various community centres we have singing contests. But it is very rare indeed to see winners of these contests appearing in these grand shows. What we see on the TV are merely gold diggers from abroad in the form of gorgeous females. This is an abnormal development of our society. We must strive to increase our productivity and economic growth. We encourage foreign capital and foreign investors to come in to set up factories. We also welcome specialists and technical personnel from abroad. But we do not welcome these merry-land females who cause an obstruction in our progress and a reduction in our foreign exchange.”
“Unfortunately, people like hawkers, taxi drivers, odd job labourers, who do not have any regular employment, do not contribute towards the CPF and therefore they will not be in a position to pay their 20 per cent deposit for Housing Board fiats. The amount of deposit may only be $1,000 or $2,000, but it is simply beyond the reach of these people. They can only hope to rent the flats. As we all know, the waiting list for renting of flats is much longer than that for the purchase of flats. Mr Speaker, Sir, when they see their neighbours move into their newly purchased flats, they are filled with remorse and regret and a painful feeling. I hope the Government will consider their plight and rectify this situation by exempting them from paying the 20 per cent deposit, so that they may also apply for the purchase of Housing Board flats and they should be given longer terms of monthly repayment. Sir, in the last few months, prices of land and property have been escalating. Many people in the middle class are in a tight spot. Terrace houses, which used to cost $30,000 to $40,000, now cost between $80,000 and $90,000. These people simply cannot afford such a high price. They cannot apply for Housing Board flats because the combined family income exceeds $1,500 per month. Mr Speaker, Sir, increasing the salaries of Government servants and for the people is a step in the right direction at the right time. However, it is over-simplifying the issue to assume that by doing this they will not go to the private sector.”
“The Government is acquiring land for its urban renewal programmes, while owners of private properties are recovering their old buildings in order to demolish them and erect new high-rise buildings so as to get more profits. This has resulted in a greater number of the middle and lower income groups living in very congested areas. The houses are crowded and are small and dark with poor amenities. From the inside, you cannot tell the day from the night. You can hear the children playing and the groans and moans of old folks in these houses. Sir, these people who live in such horrid conditions are very uncertain about what sort of future their children will have, even though they can see all the beautiful buildings around them. We must build more low-cost housing to improve the living conditions of our people. It is only through living under reasonable conditions that we can cultivate the right concept of life and proper national consciousness on the part of our people. We should not, in striving for economic prosperity, neglect those who live in poverty. Mr Speaker, Sir, under the home-ownership scheme, arrangements have been made for people to utilise their Central Provident Fund contributions as a deposit payment for Housing Board flats, which are now better designed. This is indeed a move in the right direction because, with this arrangement, people will feel more secure and happy that they can have a spot of their own on our little island. But one of the conditions of this arrangement is that the applicant must pay 20 per cent of the cost as a deposit.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, in his Budget Speech on the financial policy for 1973-74, the Minister for Finance mentioned that the Housing and Development Board will be spending around $349 million to achieve the target figure from 20,000 to 30,000 units per year. This is indeed good news, especially to our middle and lower income groups. Under urban renewal programmes, we can see high-rise buildings, offices, multi-storey shopping complexes, hotels, restaurants, coffee houses, everywhere. The political situation in our country is stable; the administration is efficient. With all the favourable conditions created for the foreign investors and due to the difficulties faced by other developing countries such as rising labour costs and inflation, these investors have come to Singapore to establish their factories. As a result, the Jurong industrial estate has become a great industrial centre. Sir, with the successful result of industrialisation and building industry, our growth rate over the last six years has reached more than 10 per cent every year. This is indeed praiseworthy and deserves our acclaim. Sir, in the last few years the Government has acquired land for development purposes, causing the available land for residential use to decrease. We have built more and more housing estates, but the demand for Housing Board flats is ever-increasing. Sir, although our per capita income is $3,680 per annum, the rising cost of living, especially in the rising prices of property and land, has caused many more people in the middle income group to apply for Housing Board fiats.”
“Sir, on behalf of the people of Kampong Kapor constituency, I would like to express our high esteem of the President for his Speech delivered at the opening of this Parliament. 4.19 p.m.”
“Attention should be paid not only to the building of so-called high-class shopping centres in the city area, but we should also understand the background of and the actual needs of our people When the cost of living is rising day by day, will most families with more than four children to bring up (unlike in the West where a family seldom has more than four children), have any surplus money to buy the so-called high-class articles? Sir, I am not against the building of high-class shopping centres under the urban renewal scheme, but 1 would like to stress that we should not build too many modern shopping centres in close proximity in too short a time. As they do not serve the actual needs of our people, they have no business. In the end, many of our local merchants who have moved into these new shopping centres have to close down because of poor business and because of rising prices of properties owing to impending urban renewal. Sir, the Government departments concerned should make a study of the income and living conditions of the people in the locality concerned, before setting up plans for commercial centres to meet the daily needs and the practical demands of the people in order to promote prosperity. Sir, as the saying goes: "to start an enterprise is difficult, to maintain an enterprise is even more difficult." Through our Constitution, we will preserve the independence and sovereignty of the Republic of Singapore. No foreign forces or ambitious elements will be allowed to "sell" our people through local proxies. We should be united in our effort to jointly preserve the hard-won fruit of our economic progress earned through our years of hard struggle. Nobody must be allowed to tamper with our achievement, as it would put all our labour to waste.”
“Over the last three or four years prices have increased by 300 or 400 per cent, thus creating a boom in the building trade and giving rise to a dearth of building materials and of skilled and unskilled workers. Sir, we want to develop and progress, but we should never allow any one industry to over-develop at a pace which the other industries cannot catch up with. We should have proper control over the building industry anti a better allocation of building units after we have made a thorough study of the demand for public and private housing and the number of units to be built per year. In this way, we shall be able to co-ordinate our building workers, advanced technology and machinery, so as to speed up the building of an adequate number of public fiats. This will reduce the waiting time of applicants and relieve them of any mental torture. This will generally improve the provision of public housing and effectively implement our democratic socialists' public housing scheme. Sir, from the voting by the electorate at the recent general elections, we can see that our public housing programme is successful. Generally, the scheme of "Home for the Dwellers" has been well received by people in the middle and lower strata. As the population in the urban areas is too concentrated, there should be better land utilisation of some empty State land and of land occupied by old and low-level Government servants' quarters, which take up much space. In their place we should build more high-rise public flats to improve the residential environment of the workers and people of the middle and lower strata in those areas.”
“This will cause more people to fail and to be frustrated, leading to inferiority complex and the loss of courage and joy to live. Sir, to lose one's aim in life is to cut one loose from society, thus making one lose faith in life and in social mores. It will lead to self-abandonment, to the commission of crimes, and to the development of a peculiar mode of living, thus enhancing social burden and pollution of the society. Sir, the newly established Ministry of the Environment for the prevention of pollution brought about by industrialisation can use effective devices to prevent the direct material pollution of air, water and noise. But pollutions of the society, the spirit, and thought cannot be solved by material means or in the space of a very short time. Sir, urban renewal for the better utilisation of land to increase national economic resources and to promote the prosperity of the urban areas are necessary forms of national development. But we should be concerned about profiteering by big groups of private developers, which has caused tremendous increases in land prices. As a result, our medium and small traders are hit by high rentals and they are either forced to close down or to be swallowed up by big enterprises. This causes more wealth and property to be controlled by the few, and pauperizing the majority. This is unfair. Sir, owing to our political stability, increasing population, rapid expansion of industries, prospering urban economy, in addition to the influx of foreign capital and oil exploration around the seas in Southeast Asia with Singapore as the base, our economy is enjoying an unprecedented booms This has also caused rapid increases in the prices of properties, houses, and land.”
“, classes or groups benefiting more than others or some lower classes not benefiting at all, then such neglected classes of society will easily become the pockets of dissatisfaction or dropouts in the process of rapid advancement as they tend to be dispossessed of wealth and position, technique and power, thinking, and organisation. This will naturally make them feel insecure, lonely, tense and passive in their daily lives, Sir, between man and man, there are strong links such as the brotherhood of man and the ability to co-operate. When our economic development reaches a certain point of success, where social environment permits, we should assist, guide and care more for the unfortunate dropouts of the present society, so as to enable them to advance with the rest of us, to think and to enjoy the fruits of prosperity, to breathe the fresh air of the new society and to have a sense of security. We must enable all the people to develop as the country develops, politically, economically and culturally. Sir, from each according to his ability, to each according to his need. Under our democratic socialist system, every citizen can enjoy equal opportunity and rights, so that everything may be fully utilised for the speediest advancement of the society. This is correct. However, we must not over-emphasise or encourage everyone to go up, as this will lead to keen competition between men, and in a competitive society the victors will become the cream of the society, monopolising all the values of the society such as wealth, position, fame and power. This will dissipate the principle of joint effort and collectivism. In its place there will be competitive individualism.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, 1965 was the year when Singapore created history, and the 9th of August of that year was an unforgettable day. Many of our neighbours thought and hoped that this tiny island country of ours would perish. But their thinking and schemes were too simple. They forgot to make a study of our origins and our historical background; they forgot that we are the progeny of a long and variegated history, that we are a people endowed with a strong will to struggle and a high degree of adaptability and creativeness. Today, this tiny country of ours is like a diamond shining forth in Southeast Asia. As the President has pointed out in his speech in this House on the 12th October, when Parliament convened in 1968 we were faced with the total withdrawal of the British forces and a loss of $400 million in revenue together with the serious problem of mass unemployment. Our tasks then were to promote our economy, to create more jobs, and to maintain our efforts for a continued survival. However, today we are in a different situation. There is political stability, economic prosperity, and social progress. We have become the "haves" from "have-nots", and "developed" from "backwardness" All this has come about through the perennial probing and meticulous planning of the national leadership, together with the efforts of the whole populace. These results and achievements, we should treasure and preserve: this correct plan for the benefit of our country and people, we must follow. Sir, as a developing country, we should note that in a rapidly developing society if there is unequal development in certain areas and in certain strata of the society, i.e.”
“We should consider building modern multi-storey shopping complexes so as to provide better services and amenities in our housing estates. With the construction by the Housing and Development Board and the Jurong Town Corporation of shopping complexes which are let out at reasonable rentals, the shops should be able to provide commodities at reasonable prices, so that the people in these satellite towns may be able to purchase goods at a fairly reasonable price. These measures will also help to divert the crowd and to reduce the problem of traffic congestion in the city areas. We have to construct shopping complexes to provide the people in the satellite towns with various amenities and services, so that their cost of living will be reduced. We should not consider providing services without caring for the purchasing power of the people. Sir, we know that we are a small country without any natural resources, but so far we have been able to achieve great economic expansion in the face of international uncertainties and disruptions. The payment of an annual allowance to Government servants is a rare step in this direction. I hope that with greater efforts we shall be able to achieve even greater things in the future. As a representative of the people of Kampong Kapor, I support the Finance Minister in his Budget proposals. 4.21 p.m.”
“Because of the shortage of land and the exorbitant costs involved in implementing the Mass Rapid Transit System, whether it be monorails or underground trains, we cannot at the moment carry out these projects. We should investigate to see whether there is a need to stagger their working hours, so that the problem of traffic congestion will not arise. Perhaps some of these shops and firms should be diverted or resited in less congested areas. Under the urban renewal programme, many so-called high-class shopping centres have sprung up recently. They have been given a great deal of publicity. It is the hope of the people that these shopping centres will provide some sort of service to our society but, in point of fact, they are an "abnormal development" of our society, because their prices are very high. These high-class shopping centres are supposed to cater specially for the rich and the tourists, but there are only a few tourists. The majority of the consumers are, in fact, local people, and they are attracted by the expensive decorations and advertising gimmicks put up by local businessmen of these shops. Many of these shops have been attracted to site in shopping centres, but, in fact, their business is not all that good, because of the lack of support from the local clientele. What little they earn goes to pay for the high rentals. It is only the big developers who stand to gain from the construction of these so-called high-class shopping centres. Sir, I think the Government should take a more concerted effort to establish the needs for a satellite town before we carry out such plans. We need to have more up to-date statistics to study the population trend, the urgent needs of the people which follow the progress of society.”
“Sir, we must set up a plan for our long-term economic development in the context of our geographical position, population potential, land area and other relevant factors. Our national development must be determined by these factors. Although we have achieved full employment, we must try to prevent our workers from being over-selective, leading to great mobility in labour, wastage, and a reduction of our national productivity, thereby slowing down our economic expansion. Through the co-operative efforts of employers and employees and the Government, the workers must be told that their interests and the interests of the nation are interdependent. In fact, their interests and the productivity of the country in relation to a greater market are closely interlinked, because demands for products are dependent upon the purchasing power and it will increase with the benefit of larger profits which come from higher productivity and bigger markets. Sir, let me now touch on the question of urban renewal and the problems brought about by the construction of numerous high-rise flats. We know that land is a scarce commodity in our country, and therefore there is a great need to build higher and still higher blocks of buildings. This is, in fact, the only option open to us. However, we should carefully investigate the problems brought about by these high-rise flats and the high concentration of population in small areas. We cannot allow factories, schools, shopping centres, supermarkets, and private firms to decide freely what their working or business hours should be, because this will create the problem of traffic congestion.”
“Furthermore, we should also build more cr�ches in industrial or Housing and Development Board estates in order to allow the wives of people of middle or lower age group from this section to enter into the labour market, so that the total income of their family will increase and be able to meet the high cost of living. In this way, our work force will be increased to meet the needs of our industrialisation. We may make use of the community centres as cr�ches by improving and providing more facilities for the children. The cr�ches will also bring together children of various walks of life and ensure social integration at a very tender age. The children put in these cr�ches will benefit much from the education provided there. And with better education for the poor children, the vicious cycle of the poor people remaining poor forever from generation to generation can be broken down, and we shall be able to bring up a better generation for our nation. Sir, as in other industrial countries, Singapore is also confronted with the shortage of labour. This is inevitable. According to the statistics provided by the Ministry of Labour, we have already issued 60,000 work permits. This serious labour shortage has brought about an immigration of foreign labour from neighbouring countries and even from countries far away. With this influx of foreign labour, we run the risk of having city slums and social problems. Unless we are prepared to build low-cost houses and to provide education for their children, our present standard of living and our economic objectives may be endangered by the influx of foreign labour. We should be aware of our own situation in dealing with this matter.”
“We must raise their income, for in this way the working class will have a sense of security, and will feel proud that they are also contributing to the economic growth and prosperity of Singapore by their efforts. This will give them further impetus to face the challenge to increase their productivity. They will also be prepared to meet new changes and to continue to contribute to nation-building. Sir, having achieved political, economic and social stability, we should now have a look at our society. A new or reasonable society does not mean that it is faultless or without failings. There are aspects of some of our people inclined to the darker side of our society. We must bring them round to the proper track, so that they can correct themselves. We must have the courage and the confidence to plan for further progress towards greater equality of all the people. We must think of ways and means to help the poor and aged people with big families, particularly the daily-rated employees. Because of their low wages, they have to take up part-time employment or even part-time peddling as unlicensed hawkers. Under the heavy burden and great pressure, they have to work day-in and day-out and most of them are plying their goods along the roadside to earn their living against the law. Therefore, we must try and devise some ways to assist these poor people. Perhaps we can grant them temporary licences or even give them a rent subsidy to help them tide over their difficulties arising out of low wages until their sons or daughters are able to work to supplement the income of their family.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, in spite of the difficulties arising out of an international economic recession and the British military withdrawal, resulting in a loss of $400 million in British military expenditure, we are presented with yet another painless Budget. The Minister for Finance informed us that our Gross National Product has reached $7,000.8 million, an increase of 14 per cent over the previous year. This is a clear indication of the correct economic policy, our political and social stability and the diligence and verve of the people of Singapore. The announcement by the Prime Minister on the payment of an annual allowance of one month's salary to Government servants and the promise of salary adjustments in the next financial year is really a piece of good news to the civil service. Sir, there has been a tremendous inflow of foreign capital into Singapore, coupled with a growth in construction, industrialisation and urbanisation, thus resulting in a rise in the prices of commodities. The cost of living is, therefore, rising, and this gives the situation in which wages and the cost of living are racing against each other, somewhat like a race between the tortoise and the hare. Therefore, the wage-earners are always in difficulty in the face of a rising cost of living. Sir, our productivity is progressing, our economy is developing steadily, and our national income is increasing every year. As the Prime Minister and the Minister for Labour have recently said, the fruits of prosperity and economic growth should be shared equitably amongst all the people and should not be monopolised by a minority at the expense of the hard work done by the workers. The adjustments of wages and the rationalisation of conditions of work should be carried out now.”
“Only then can our children have better schools and a better environment to live in and enjoy better amenities. Finally, on behalf of the people of Kampong Kapor, let me express my felicitations to the President on our future prosperity that is bound to come under his judicious guidance. 2.49 p.m.”
“Sir, although the time is not ripe yet to raise the wages of workers generally as it will affect our economic growth, we should be able to look after the lot of the daily-rated workers in Government service and the statutory boards in terms of wages now. There are some who are given only a five-cent rise in wages after five years' continuous service. All this is really a heritage from the colonial days. We should pay attention to this point and give serious considerations to the rationalisation of wages for the daily-rated workers. According to my own survey, most of the daily-rated workers in Kampong Kapor have big families to support and are in debt. So in order to make ends meet, they have to undertake some other tough job in the evening after a hard day's work in order to make more money to maintain their families. Sir, all this hard work throughout these years is actually a contribution towards our national economy. So why deny them the opportunity to enjoy a share, in the form of wage increase, in the prosperity arising out of our economic growth to which they have contributed? Perhaps they can he given a 10 per cent rise in their wages so that they will be so pleased that they will work even harder. Sir, the President has also stressed in his speech that we must unite all the people in Singapore, and since stability and security are assured for several years ahead, we must make full use of this time to consolidate our own defence capability. We must build up our own expertise, produce our own engineers, managerial and marketing personnel in order to promote and cope with a faster and higher rate of economic growth, and be our own masters. This is a guideline for our country in future. Only then will we be able to raise the standard of living of our people.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the Housing and Development Board is building better accommodation for our people. Even the daily-rated workers in the Housing and Development Board have been given good accommodation at subsidised rentals. This is in fact a step in the right direction and is in keeping with our policy of providing better accommodation for the poor people in Singapore. But how is it that the daily-rated workers in the other Government departments and statutory bodies are not given the same privilege? We should give it to them so long as they are Singapore citizens. We should not discriminate against them. They should not be made to watch the daily-rated workers of the Housing and Development Board enjoy this kind of treatment when they themselves are not given the same treatment. I would like to appeal to the departments and authorities concerned to work Out a scheme with the Housing Board and the State and City Planning Office to provide better housing for their own daily-rated workers. They can also build low-rental high-rise flats in the suburban or rural areas so that all the daily-rated workers in Government service and in the statutory boards may be provided with proper accommodation. We should allocate some funds for such a purpose. If necessary, the rentals can be subsidised so that these daily-rated workers and their families will be able to live in a more congenial environment. This is necessary because many of these workers are living in squalor. When the workers are resettled in modern high-rise flats, all the shacks and attap houses in which they were living could be demolished and the land could be acquired for building better buildings and economic development beneficial to the country.”
“This is indeed necessary, particularly so in regard to those pioneer industries and companies which have made very high profits over the past few years. We cannot allow them to treat labour as a commodity to be purchased at a very cheap price. We must recover the oriental traditional concept of the sanctity of labour, and raise the minimum standard of wages so that labour in Singapore will have the respect due to it. We must accord our labour a fair share of good living for the family as a result of our national prosperity and our economic growth. Sir, I would also like to avail myself of this opportunity to stress another point in regard to the daily-rated workers in the Government or semi-Government organisations. There are about 7,500 daily-rated workers in the public cleansing service and in the Public Health Division. About 17 per cent of them are provided with quarters. In the Public Works Department, there are about 2,800 daily-rated workers, and only 36 per cent of them are provided with quarters. In the case of the Public Utilities Board, there are about 6,600 daily-rated workers, and about 24.2 per cent, namely, 1,600 of them, are provided with quarters. But in the case of the Housing and Development Board, which has 2,200 daily-rated workers, 54 per cent of them are provided with quarters. In view of this, a great number of the daily-rated workers in Government and semi-Government organisations have to pay rent for their private accommodation at $30 to $40 per room. On a small monthly salary of $120 to $130, they have to spend quite a considerable portion on rentals. The cost of living has been rising in recent years, and this has proved quite a burden to them.”
“Perhaps assistance can be obtained from some experienced unionists in the N.T.U.C, in organising the hawkers into a national association for hawkers. A dollar a day can perhaps be collected from each hawker. In this way, an insurance policy can be taken up or a savings account opened for them. They will thus be able to form a co-operative society through which they can buy Housing and Development Board flats under the home ownership scheme. In this way the survival of the hawker's family will be assured. Mr Speaker, Sir, over the past few years, industrialisation has succeeded in providing many job opportunities in Singapore. However, the wages paid are low and they are only enough for meals, refreshment and transport expenses of the workers. The unemployed people are not attracted by the low wages paid because they have big families. Some pioneer industries are protected by tariff laws. They also have the legal provision to stop the workers from asking for higher wages. They also have priority concession of the local market. In spite of all this preferential treatment, the products of these pioneer industries are still being sold at very high prices. This is indeed a pity, in spite of all that we have done. The prices of local products are going up with the setting up of pioneer industries. This generally increases the burden of the Singapore tax-payers. The cost of living is increased to some extent. Mr Speaker, Sir, in the addendum to the President's speech, it is also stated that early next year when a comprehensive assessment has been made of the full effect of the British military withdrawal, the Government will make a review of its wage policy.”
“We should shoulder the responsibility of looking after their welfare, particularly those who have families to look after. We must first start with the registration of all genuine hawkers in Singapore and issue them with licences, so long as the places in which they operate are not areas scheduled for redevelopment and they do not cause traffic obstruction. In this way, all these hawkers will be given licences and thus their mental torture will be ended. They can, therefore, earn their living with peace of mind. This is an urgent task at the moment. Mr Speaker, Sir, under the urban renewal scheme, I think the Hawkers' Department should go a step further and make a survey of all the hawkers in the various constituencies. It can get in touch with all the Members of Parliament in the various constituencies and, in conjunction with the State and City Planning Department, work out a scheme for the allocation of proper vacant places in areas to be used as markets and hawker centres. The scheme will thus help to resettle our hawkers on a rational and island-wide basis. Consequently, all the hawkers in Singapore will be able to do their business at ease in the proper centres provided. Mr Speaker, Sir, it is gratifying to note that the Government, in conjunction with the Housing and Development Board, will build more hawker centres and let out the stalls at subsidised rentals. The hawkers will thus be able to do their business better and in an attractive and clean environment. However, I think the Government should go one step further in looking after the family and the children of the hawkers, particularly in regard to their long-term welfare. It must try to form a hawkers' association on a national basis for all the 25,000 hawkers in Singapore.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, in the addendum to the President's speech relating to the resettlement of hawkers, it is stated that a provision of $5 million has been allotted to the Ministry of Health for the acquisition of land to put up hawker centres in order to resettle the hawkers in Singapore. Mr Speaker, Sir, this announcement has come as a piece of very good news to the hawkers in Singapore. The life of a hawker is very hard indeed. This is particularly so for those hawkers who have a big family to support. Rain or shine they have to go out in the streets to earn a living. Their livelihood is a very difficult and precarious one. Some of them have been "illegal" hawkers for 10 to 20 years. They are not sure of the next meal, so to speak. Most of the present hawkers in Singapore became hawkers originally because of the unemployment situation in the past. Although many new factories have been established in Singapore after the implementation of our industrialisation programme and thus provide many job opportunities, these hawkers cannot be absorbed into the factories because they are not skilled workmen. Moreover, they have big families and the wages paid in these factories are too low to maintain a big family. The wages are only three to four dollars a day. Our hawkers are indeed a social problem. According to the statistics supplied by the Hawkers' Department, there are about 25,000 hawkers in Singapore. About 56 per cent of this number, that is 14,000 have been issued with licences and they thus become licensed hawkers. The balance of 44 per cent are still unlicensed hawkers and they ply their trade at street corners, in back-lanes or on mobile vehicles. We cannot allow them to sink or swim by themselves.”
“It is my hope that proper attention will be given to all these grievances. On the whole, I am happy that there have been no tax increases in the new budget. I am also happy with the economic growth which the Minister has reported in his budget statement. I support him in this respect. 4.08 p.m.”
“There is nothing objectionable if the high price is due to the cost of building materials, but if the reason is that the area has been developed or is nearer the city, it is open to question. Using the same argument, the prices of all the other Housing and Development Board flats should have been raised because factories would be built in these areas. A lot of people registered for Housing and Development Board accommodation many years before the flats were ready for occupation. But during the period of waiting, there has been an increase in property values. Can this be used as an excuse to raise the price of flats subsequently? Mr Speaker, Sir, I would like to quote a letter written by a so-called efficient public servant. I will quote in English: `Representation to Mr...., M.P. for ...Constituency. You are hereby requested to pay up the sum of $251 within two weeks of the date of this letter as payment for 1970 and 1971 licence fees. This offer of licence will be withdrawn if you fail to do so. Yours faithfully, signed.' (In Mandarin) Mr Speaker, Sir, the tone of this letter more or less amounts to a threat and is an insult to the Member of Parliament concerned. In other words, it amounts to this - "You can go and see your M.P., but I warn you that if you do not pay within two weeks, your licence will be withdrawn." There are some civil servants who know that the requests of members of the public cannot be met, but they deliberately tell them to see their M.P.s, knowing full well that such requests cannot be met. In this way they are trying to be difficult with the M.P.s, and create discontent or misunderstanding between the Members of Parliament and the public. These are the few points that I wish to bring to the attention of the Minister in charge.”
“The Minister has said that the Government is paying attention to the rising cost of housing. Perhaps action will be taken to halt the increase in the cost of building because it will affect our economic development. This is a very wise declaration of policy. But the increase in the prices of land and commodities should also be checked. At a time when the Government is going ahead with its urban renewal scheme, the building trade is having an all-time boom. Many manufacturers of building materials have cashed in on the situation. But has the Government done anything to stop it? The Government announces every week in the Government Gazette the acquisition of lots of land in various areas. This could perhaps be one of the factors contributing to the rise in the cost of land. Because of this Government acquisition of land, there has been a lot of land speculation. In the course of speculation, the prices of land have been deliberately increased. This has caused great hardship to the poor and middle-class people who have to look to Housing and Development Board flats for their housing. In implementing the Home Ownership Scheme, we want to ensure that as many families as possible own their own houses and flats. This policy is welcomed by the poorer people of Singapore. But the price of the flats in the Kallang area has been raised. This is a matter which we should not take lightly. The reason given is that such flats are in the city area, so the prices tend to be a bit high, but the Housing and Development Board is supposed to be a servicing institution to build housing for the people, particularly the poorer people. So we should not pursue the same policy as private developers do, and that is to make money.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the total expenditure of the budget for the financial year 1st April, 1971, to 31st March, 1972, is $1,308,000,000. This represents an increase of 28.1 per cent over the last financial year's expenditure. In spite of this, there are neither new taxes nor any increase in the existing rates of taxation. All this shows that, as a result of the co-operation of the people of Singapore, we have been able to depend on ourselves to grow up economically and socially. It is worth our while to exert ourselves to achieve economic prosperity. In the Finance Minister's budget statement, the Gross Domestic Product of 1970 has increased, representing a growth of 15 per cent. This is a great leap forward in our economic growth. But the increase in taxi fares, in the prices of sugar and bread will also mean a rise in the cost of living. I do not know why in recent months the prices of a whole range of commodities have increased. As a result of these price increases, the common people are very worried. In developing countries, industrial progress entails an increase in the cost of living. This is almost inevitable. But the sudden spate of price increases, resulting in a rise in the cost of living overnight, means imposing a great burden on the common people. If there is no check on this inflation, it will lead to social discontent and grave anxiety among the masses. As a result, many people will have cause to worry about their future. I would urge the Minister concerned to take immediate steps to set up a commission of inquiry to look into the unscrupulous behaviour of the merchants and traders at large. We should be able to bring down the cost of living to its normal level. There should be no more squeezing by the unscrupulous businessmen.”
“It is a country which places emphasis on the responsibility of its people and it is a country located in a strategic position. In order to survive and prosper, it is necessary to follow a non-aligned foreign policy and, at the same time, build up its defences. This shows that the measures which have been taken are wise and are receiving the support of the people. However, Mr Speaker, Sir, to a young man who has undergone national service, it is proper for the Government to legislate to safeguard his interest and to regard his two-year full-time national service as part of his public service. I fully support this Bill. I hope the Minister will also pay attention to our youths' prospects for further studies in order to ensure that national service can be a perfect system. 4.45 p.m.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, with the changes in our circumstances and situation, the loop-holes in our laws which are not in keeping with our society should be plugged. It is wise for the Government to introduce this amendment Bill. This Bill treats the period of national service as pensionable service for national servicemen who join Government service. In other words, our youths who have completed national service and who join the public service will have their period of national service taken into consideration when their pensions are computed on retirement. Their full-time national service is regarded as effective public service. Furthermore, national servicemen who join the public service are granted salary increments commensurate with the period they have spent in full-time national service. But I do not know whether the statutory boards and private enterprise have also implemented this scheme. What is the outcome of the negotiations between the National Trades Union Congress and private enterprise to ensure that our youths who have completed their national service will benefit from this scheme? Mr Speaker. Sir, this scheme also applies to the statutory boards. But I do not know whether national servicemen who join the public service and the statutory boards are exempted from having to serve a three-year probationary period. If they have to, then it is in conflict with the principle that national service is deemed to be public service. This will put them at a disadvantage when they compete with other people who have not undergone national service in promotion exercises. Singapore is not a weak country. It is a country which implements measures when these are necessary.”