Yong Nyuk Lin
Singapore
“Sir, it gives mc a chance to say again that the modified plan cannot be accepted at this stage. But it does give me the opportunity to answer another point which was raised by the Member for Ton Payoh and which I have missed in my answer, i.e, that the fringe area car parks would not be utilized at night.”
“I am sorry, Sir, for failing to answer all the questions raised by the Member for Sembawang. As regards the full implementation of the recommendations of the White Paper which was meant to be completed by the middle of 1973, I can only say that it was not a 100% implementation of all the recommendations.”
“He said that they threw the mail on the floor. Here again, unless a complaint is lodged, we can do little about it because all postmen and postwomen are being told how to behave and to extend courtesy, and what the correct procedure is and methods of delivery of mail.”
“" And if, God forbid, priority national needs should one day call for a limitation of circulation of automobiles or any other measure, no one would then regard it as an intolerable sacrifice. "For in a society where humanism regains fully its rights, the automobile should not constitute an end in itself," Mr Graber said.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, it is regrettably true that after many of the estimates for Paya Lebar Airport had been voted, revotes had to be asked for. The reason is that it has taken a long time to get all these development proposals started. They are development proposals really, Sir, and plans have got to be drawn and checked.”
“In these circumstances, I hope it will be appreciated that they are stretching themselves far and wide, and there is always a limit to what a human being can do I can assure him that we will continue to enforce the regulations as far as it is humanly possible before getting a complaint from the Member for Sembawang who says that our enfor…”
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“It should be stated that a large number of goods vehicles' owners have voluntarily, or at ROV's recommendation, scrapped their over-aged and unroadworthy vehicles ever since the White Paper on the Reorganisation of the Motor Transport Service of Singapore (Paper Command 21 of 1970) was published in July 1970. Up to September 1972 about 2,500 over-aged and unroadworthy goods vehicles had been scrapped and replaced by new vehicles. INCREASE OF ACCOUCHEMENT CHARGES FOR HIGHER ORDER OF DELIVERY (Further Statement by the Minister for Health)”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the Registry of Vehicles (ROV) records show that there are about 9,500 goods vehicles which are over 15 years old. Of this figure, about 2,400 are over 26 years old, and another 1,300 between 22 and 26 years. As goods vehicles generate a large amount of economic activity, it would not be advisable to take them off the roads suddenly but to have them phased out gradually. Accordingly, the mechanically unfit or oldest vehicles will have to go off the roads first. To ensure that there is no disruption to the services provided by the goods vehicles, as well as to give the owners sufficient time to replace the scrapped vehicles, a grace period of six months to two years, depending on the mechanical condition of the over-aged vehicles, would be given. Under the phase out programme, the ROV will send notices to owners of over-aged vehicles, notifying them of the dates to bring their vehicles for mechanical inspection. These over-aged vehicles, if found mechanically unfit on inspection, would be given 14 days to rectify the faults. If, after repairs are carried out, these vehicles pass the re-inspection, they would be given 12 months extension. Such extension would be renewable subject to satisfying the annual inspection up to 31st December, 1974, thus giving them a grace period up to two years. However, vehicles that fail the re-inspection after repairs would be given six months' notice to replace. The insurance company would be notified also by copy of letter to them.”
“I hope the Member is satisfied with my answer to his long and able speech which, I am sure, will be given serious consideration by the new National Maritime Board when it is formed. Question put, and agreed to. Bill accordingly read a Second time and committed to a Committee of the whole House. The House immediately resolved itself into a Committee on the Bill.-[Mr Yong Nyuk Lin] Bill considered in Committee; reported without amendment; read a Third time and passed. ADJOURNMENT Resolved, "That Parliament do now adjourn."-[Mr Yong Nyuk Lin]. Adjourned accordingly at Thirty minutes past Six o'clock p.m.”
“The Member has mentioned the situation in which the seamen are placed, "Heads, you win; tails, I lose." I wish to assure him that this will not happen as long as it is a fair proposition and if the Board makes suitable recommendations. As the Minister for Communications, I will be only too happy to accept the Board's recommendations. As for the various malpractices, I would appreciate it if the representatives of workers on the Board could give the Board sufficient evidence and specific information for it to act on. There may be backdoor selections which would be contrary to the law, in which case I am sure that with adequate evidence to follow up our very efficient Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau - I do know that they have a lot of work to do, but I still think it is necessary for sufficient evidence to be made available to the C.P.I.B, for them to follow up - will take the necessary action to reduce, if not eliminate, all these malpractices. The Member for Telok Blangah has conceded that his proposed legislation is new and which would require an amendment to the Merchant Shipping Act. It is the manning scales proposed by the Singapore Organisation of Seamen. May I suggest that this matter be referred to the National Maritime Board when it is set up, and probably this matter can be the very first item on its agenda. It can all be thrashed out by the Board then. And if it is the majority view of the Board -. I would not use the word "unanimous" -that these suggestions should be accepted, I shall be very happy to come back to this House to make various amendments to this Act so that it can be a much better piece of legislation to improve the working conditions of our seamen and for the general prosperity of the shipping community.”
“It is hoped that the reservations of the NTUC will be resolved in due course of time. If we refer to the Bill with regard to the constitution of the proposed National Maritime Board, we will see that there will be opportunities for the NTUC to give full weight to their reservations and fears, if any. There will be a membership of nine members in the Board. The Chairman, who will be appointed by the Minister will, I hope, be a man of impartial standing who will be able to give us the benefit of his experience and advice. Then there will be the Director of Marine and the Director of Social Welfare. There will be two persons representing shipowners and two persons representing seamen. Although there is no indication here that the NTUC will be consulted, I can give my assurance here in this House that it will be consulted before the two representatives from the seamen are appointed to the Board. There is no question at all that the NTUC will not have a say in the conduct of the affairs of the Board. There will also be two public servants on the Board. Therefore,. we have on the Board two representatives from the shipowners, two representatives from the workers and the four officials who when appointed will act as impartial arbitrators to the conflicting requirements of the employers and the workers. Above all, there will be an impartial chairman. As I have said, there is no question at all that the workers' views will not be given due consideration, and when the Board does come to any conclusion, fairness will not only be apparent to the workers but also to the employers. We cannot have everything to the advantage of the workers, otherwise the employers will just fold up and then there will be no ships to employ the workers.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, earlier on in my speech, I did mention that some organisations, including the National Trades Union Congress, were consulted in the drafting of this Bill and, I stress the word, many of their comments have been incorporated in this Bill. I was not in the happy position to say that all their recommendations have been incorporated. Probably the long speech by the Member for Telok Blangah is in respect of those suggestions which have not been accepted. He has now narrated them to this House. If it is any consolation to the Member for a very fluent speech on behalf of the NTUC, may I say that quite a number of the recommendations from ship-owners in the Singapore Employers' Federation were also not accepted. Of course, in the case of the workers, there is a spokesman in this House, but in the case of the shipowners there does not seem to be any spokesman to plead their case. I want to say that we do not claim that the National Maritime Board Bill is perfect. I have stated that its main purpose is really to consolidate the five different statutory bodies which have been looking after the affairs of mercantile marine, it is now felt that there should be one central body. May I say that it has taken as long as three years for this central body to take place. I have mentioned the desirability of having a central National Maritime Board as far back as 1968 when I assumed office. I visited the various bodies and it appeared to me that they were very disorganised and why should there be five different bodies to look after marine affairs. I, therefore, suggested that we should create just one central body. It has taken three long years to do this. This is only, as I have said, a step in the right direction.”
“Although this Bill seeks essentially to amalgamate the five marine statutory authorities into one National Maritime Board, it is nevertheless a step forward. One of the benefits following centralisation would he that the new Board would be more capable of assessing the changing needs of seafarers in the rapidly changing technology of the shipping industry in Singapore and, where necessary, the Board could recommend to Government areas for improvement and reform, once it has settled down to its duties. I am confident that the National Maritime Board, when formed, would pursue vigorously its aims and objectives and thereby contribute to the further development of Singapore as a great shipping centre of the world. Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move. Question proposed. 5.52 p.m.”
“However, seamen who are already registered under the Seamen's Registry Board Act shall be deemed to be registered under the National Maritime Board Act. The existing staff of all these authorities shall be deemed to be transferred to the service of the National Maritime Board on terms not less favourable than those they enjoyed immediately prior to their transfer. I would like to inform Members that organisations representing shipowners, namely, the Singapore Shipping Association and the Singapore Shipowners Association, maritime employers like the Singapore Maritime Employers Federation as well as the National Trades Union Congress, have been consulted in tile drafting of this Bill and many of their comments have been incorporated in this Bill. I take the opportunity to thank these organisations concerned for their valuable comments and advice in this regard. Mr Speaker, Sir, the shipping scene in Singapore today is vastly different from what it was ten years ago. Not only is our port the fourth busiest in the world, but today we have our own national shipping line, the Neptune Orient Line. There are at present some 635 ships totalling 893,779 gross tons registered under our Singapore flag. We not only repair ships but we can also build and sail them as well. We have over 8,000 seamen on the register and close to 1,000 Singapore citizens serving as ship officers and engineers. All this progress in the shipping field has been achieved over the last ten years, and we are confident of yet greater progress in the years ahead. With this progress there has arisen a need for the formation of a single body to meet the requirements of the members of the mercantile marine in a more efficient manner.”
“Such a compact Board will be able to perform its functions more effectively than a large unwieldy board. The objects of the Board are to develop and regulate maritime employment and to administer welfare and training schemes. The Board will also advise the Minister on matters relating to seafaring and such other related matters which the Minister may refer to the Board for advice. For the proper administration of funds, there is established a National Maritime Fund into which all moneys of the Board shall be paid. The moneys in the existing Singapore Mercantile Marine Fund shall be transferred to The National Maritime Fund. The Board may, with the approval of the Minister, Invest any surplus funds in such stocks and securities and other investments as may be approved by him. Clause 19 is a re-enactment of the substance of the Seamen's Registry Board Act which requires shipowners to engage seamen through the Seamen's Registry Board system. Clause 20 provides for penalties both for the employer and seamen in the event of breach of the law. The Board is empowered, with the approval of the Minister, to make regulations. These powers include the power to prescribe the procedures by which the seamen may be selected for employment. At present, these procedures are spelt out in the Seamen's Registry Board Act itself, but when the National Maritime Board Bill comes into force it is proposed that such procedures will be re-enacted by way of regulations. When the National Maritime Board Act comes into operation, the Seamen's Registry Board, Seafarers' Welfare Board, Singapore Mariners' Club, Connell House Committee and the Seamen's Lodging-Houses Licensing Authority shall cease to exist.”
“Mr Speaker. Sir,I beg to move, "That the Bill be now read a Second time." First of all, may I give a brief background to this Bill? There are at present five statutory authorities dealing with matters relating to seafarers and seamen: - (1) Seamen's Registry Board (2) Seafarers' Welfare Board (3) Singapore Mariners' Club (4) Singapore Sailors' Institute (5) Seamen's Lodging-Houses Licensing Authority. The Seamen's Registry Board is responsible for the registration, supply and discipline of seamen, while the Seafarers' Welfare Board looks after the welfare of retired, sick and disabled seamen and their dependents and is also responsible for the training of seamen. The Singapore Mariners' Club operates toe seamen's hostel at South Quay, while the Singapore Sailors' Institute until recently operated Connell House. Connell House reverted to Government in August last year, and its clientele are now using the faculties provided by the renovated Singapore Mariners' Club, inc Seamen's Lodging-Houses Licensing Authority is responsible for issuing licences to seamen's lodging houses, but has been practically a moribund body for some time. The above five authorities have historical origins. Circumstances have changed considerably over the last decade and it would be more logical to amalgamate the five bodies into one authority to be known as the National Maritime Board. This move will eliminate over-lapping functions and will result in more efficient organisation and administration of seafarers matters, as well as better co-ordination of the various functions presently performed the five different bodies. Sir, I will now summarise briefly the main provisions of this Bill. The Board will consist of nine members with representatives from Government. ship-owners and seamen.”
“In the coming years of supersonic air travel, it is imperative that the air traffic controllers be provided with suitable and adequate tools to enable them to perform their functions efficiently to match the speed of supersonic aircraft. The electronic AIDS is such a tool. 3.15 p.m.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the Member for Punggol is right in stating that the Airport Information Dissemination System, in short, AIDS, is an electronic data display system for our air traffic controllers and is an improvement over what was previously known as the closed circuit television system. AIDS will display air traffic flight data and other associated information to the air traffic controllers, and thus enabling them to exercise their air traffic control functions efficiently. The current practice is done through an intercommunication system, which is hardly an efficient system. It is slow because of the need to transmit data to multiple addresses and also because of the writing work load involved at each receiving unit. The existing system with its heavy manual work load will not be able to cope with the increasing air traffic passing through Paya Lebar Airport. Accordingly, it is necessary to provide an electronic information dissemination system which will not only speed up the work of air traffic controllers but will also relieve them of their manual work, thereby enabling them to concentrate on other essential functions. The project is estimated to cost $250,000 in all, but $50,000 have been provided for the fiscal year, 1972-73, for initial preparatory work. The scheme is planned for commissioning in two years' time, 1974. I would like to add further that AIDS will form an integral part of the future air traffic control system at the Paya Lebar Airport when other facilities, such as long-range surveillance radar, are implemented around 1975.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the New Sub-terminal Building at an approved cost of $31.3 million is also part of the intermediate phase of the development plan for our Paya Lebar Airport. We expect it to be completed by 1976 or earlier in order to cater for the very high growth of passenger traffic over the next few years. I have stated previously that passenger traffic for last year, 1971, passed the two million mark, and it is anticipated that by 1975, the passenger traffic through Paya Lebar Airport would exceed 3.6 million per year. Land for the new sub-terminal building has been acquired, and it is in the process of being cleared for preparatory building works to commence. The first phase of the works is mainly that of earth filling which has to be carried out over a very wide area. Sir, I believe the Member has also asked what is the anticipated revenue. For the present, I can say that the revenue will increase considerably because there will be more planes landing at Paya Lebar Airport. I do not think I need go into the details of the revenue except to say that a considerable amount of revenue is expected as time goes on. As regards the New Boeing 747 Hangar, there is a provision of SI ,500,000. The project cost is $12 million for this hangar and it forms part of the intermediate phase of the development plan. For the information of Members, the size of the hangar is 300 feet x 300 feet x 80 feet. This provision of $1 million is to meet the cost of earthworks, drainage, and the laying of pavements, which will be carried out in the next fiscal year. We hope to get this hangar operational in two years' time.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the Member for Sembawang is right this time. The new Air Freight Terminal has yet to be completed. This Terminal forms part of the intermediate phase `of the development proposals for our Airport costing $2.3 million, out of a total development cost of over $100 million. The foreign cost-component of this project, which is estimated at $1.7 million, will be financed by an Asian Development Bank loan of over $60 million. This Bank has projected that an annual total of 79,000 metric tons of air freight is likely to be handled at Paya Lebar Airport in three years' time, that is, in 1975. That is the year in which the new Air Freight Terminal is expected to be fully completed and operational. The tonnage of the air cargo handled last year was 25,000 metric tons. The area where the Air Freight Terminal is to be sited has been acquired. It is in the process of being cleared of squatters. Extensive earthworks will have to be carried out on the site to prepare for drainage, and building construction work is expected to commence in April next year. Hence, the provision of $200,000 for the 1972-73 Estimates.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir,, in reply to the Member for Sembawang,. I would like to say that the redevelopment of the Passenger Terminal Building was completed in September last year, in time for the arrival of the Jumbo jets. What has yet to be done is the installation of equipment which costs about $1 million. Hence a revote has been made for the coming year. The equipment, which includes telecommunications equipment and the flight information display system, was ordered but has not yet arrived, and therefore no payment was made in the 1971-72 financial year. But I think the equipment will be delivered soon and put into operation sometime in the middle of this year; hence, the revoted provision, in addition, a portion of this provision is for the cost of completed works, which has been retained as retention fees, and late payment for other completed works, which has to be made in the next fiscal year. I would say that the Passenger Terminal Building redevelopment has resulted in more than doubling the floor area of what it was previously, and it should therefore give better service than what it used to provide before its re-development. Mr Teong Eng Siong(In Mandarin): Mr Speaker, Sir, I thank the Minister for his reply. I beg leave to withdraw. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.”
“Sir, I can assure the Member that there will be 10 additional inspection pits, with an increased staff of 16, at the Sin Ming Road site. We should, therefore, be able to do much more than what we have been doing now at Middle Road, which has: a capacity of only six inspection pits. I must add that the Middle Road Inspection Centre will continue to be used for private vehicles. The new Sin Ming Road Inspection Centre will he used for the inspection of public service and goods vehicles, such as buses, taxis and lorries, and the present Inspection Centre at Middle Road will be confined to inspection of private vehicles.”
“I am pleased to say, Sir, that the new Motor Vehicle Inspection Centre at Sin Ming Road is almost completed. Currently, cables for the supply of electricity are being laid by the Public Utilities Board, and the construction of a dual carriage-way leading to the Centre is in progress. All these are expected to be completed by the middle of next month and, if all goes well, this Centre will commence operation in May. 2.45 p.m.”
“This amount is to provide for the salaries of the local counterpart and other subordinate staff, rental of accommodation, P.U.B, services, etc.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I am in the fortunate position of being able to report some progress in respect of our Mass Transit Planning Unit. An application has been made to the United Nations Development Programme for assistance to undertake a study of this Mass Transit System. The objective of the study is, firstly, to compare the economic feasibility of alternative mass transit systems in the metropolitan areas, in relation to alternative pricing policies for urban transport. Secondly, to recommend a long-range transport investment programme, which includes mass transport facilities. And, thirdly, to define specific investment projects as well as the implementation programme. This study will be guided by a steering committee of seven officials under the Ministry of Communications and will be carried out by consultants employed by the World Bank, which is the participating and executing agency. The study will take about 15 months. Five international consulting firms two from the United States, one each from France, Germany, and the United Kingdom have been asked by the World Bank to submit proposals, and the study is expected to commence sometime in the middle of this year. Local counterpart and accounting staff are being provided by Government and, in this connection, I am pleased to say that four local officers have been sent overseas for training under the U.N.D.P./World Bank fellowships. They are now under training in the United States, Japan, and Europe. We have also found suitable accommodation to house the Mass Transit Planning Unit in a P.S.A. bungalow known as the "Golden Bell", and we have provided $855,000 for the coming year to meet Government contribution towards the project.”
“I am glad to know of the reactions of Members because it gives me a chance to say more. If it will satisfy them, let me say that we do take action on bus company operators, but we do not talk about it. For the information of Members, over the past year we have imposed financial penalties on the bus companies -against the Amalgamated Bus Company, $1,600, Associated Bus Services, $13,200, and United Bus Company, $17,400. If we find that they are not putting on the routes as many buses as they are supposed to, and they have been checked and found wanting, we penalise them $2,000 a bus that is found lacking. This is the screw that we are tightening on them. But, I think, we should be fair. They have made a great effort to bring in more than $30 million investment in the buses - 800 new buses on the road over the last two years, which is fantastic. That is as big a fleet as we ever had in donkey's years. Therefore, I think we should be careful as to how far we can press them do not kill the goose that lays the golden eggs because, believe it or not, the 1968 revenue for the Registry of Vehicles was only $50 million, but for last year. 1971-72, the revenue was $81 million.”
“I do not blame them. I think they are right. So there is no need for any directive from the Registry of Vehicles or the Ministry of Communications to tell the bus operators to change their old buses for new ones. In conclusion, Sir, may I remind this House of a recent critical article published in the New Nation on this subject, "The Bus System - Good or Bad?" The article ran for three days and came to this conclusion; page 9 of the issue of 9th March, and I quote (I did not say it, they said it): `It would also be nice to bear in mind that Singapore has the best public transportation system in the region, if not the whole of Asia. And the tax-paying public can rejoice in the fact that it is also one of the few non-Government-owned non-subsidized services in the world. It makes a profit!'”
“Furthermore, although the White Paper lays down an age limit of 17 years for public buses, it is felt that our bus operators will, of their own accord, replace buses even before they have reached the age limit of 17 years. Singapore's bus commuters are so choosy that when an old bus comes along they will not board it. They prefer to wait for another 10, 15 or even 20 minutes for a new bus to come along, and bus operators are aware of this. They know how selective bus commuters can be, and they will, of their own accord, quickly replace them long before the age limit is reached.”
“It is just one year ago since the massive reorganisation of our public bus services was put into effect in April, 1971. Had the S.T.C, taken our advice as contained in the White Paper para. 4.15 - STC to be reorganised - that reorganisation was coming and that it would lose its privileged position as the bus company of Singapore since the other three amalgamated companies are coming in as equal competitors, then today, after one year of reorganisation, everything would have settled down. But they did not take the advice and Government had to intervene three months ago in early December to prevent a collapse of STC services. In my view, the present three bus companies, Amalgamated Bus Company (blue), Associated Bus Services (red), and the United Bus Company (yellow), had risen to the occasion by taking over the running of the former STC services. The full operation of ex-STC services resumed with only a break of 24 hours. What is most appreciative on my part was their willingness to take over all the 1,700 drivers and conductors of STC, as otherwise these people would have been unemployed. Therefore, the smooth progress of the bus service reorganisation has suffered only a temporary setback because of the collapse of STC and it is only fair that we should give the three bus companies reasonable time to adjust themselves to this new situation. Only three months have passed, and therefore we cannot pass judgment on the adequacy of our bus services at this juncture. What was the state of the bus services in Singapore a year ago? Take April 1972 as against April 1971, and again, against April 1970, what was it then? Let us give thought to the first before we begin to be critical.”
“It is not denied that many buses which are still running are in such poor condition that they should be scrapped and replaced by newer buses. I would suggest to Members of this House and the public that we should ponder a little over this matter to see whether we are pushing matters too hard too soon against our bus operators. If we refer to the White Paper (Command 21 of 1970) tabled in this House on the 21st July, 1970, on the Reorganisation of the Motor Transport Service of Singapore, according to paragraph 4.3 the 10 Chinese bus companies had a total bus fleet of only 768 buses. That was two years ago when this Report was published. But at the end of last month, February, 1972, the total bus fleet of these three Chinese bus companies - the previous 10 companies were merged into three companies -was 1,988 buses, which represents an increase of 1.220 buses, or close to 150 per cent of the fleet which existed `two years ago. Even if allowance has been made for the fact that the ex-Singapore Traction Company fleet of 407 buses were acquired by the three companies in December, 1971, i.e., three months ago, at the price of $2,750,000, Members should bear in mind what the cost is to the operators for the balance of the increased fleet of over 800 new buses -800 over the last two years. Assuming that each new bus costs $40,000 - it could be $40,000 or $50,000 depending on the size of the bus, but let us work on the average of $40,000 - these three bus companies had to find the resources over the past two years to invest a sum of not less than over $30 million. This is not an insignificant amount by any standards; it is not $3 million, or $10 million, but over $30 million.”
“As early as July 1971, an Assistant Superintendent of Police was seconded to the Registry of Vehicles to get acquainted with the work involved and to lay the necessary groundwork. Thirty policemen and two sergeants were posted to the Registry of Vehicles in January this year. The motor-cycles have also arrived and are registered with distinct numbers - ROV.l to ROV.40. We do not have to ballot for these numbers. They are for free! The present recruits are now undergoing motor-cycle training, which would be completed in a week's time. A further 30 policemen and an Inspector of Police are expected to join this Section by June this year. The officers in this Section are basically policemen and are vested with all the powers of a police officer. However, they will generally concentrate on the conduct of drivers, especially drivers of public service vehicles, and on the general condition of motor vehicles to ensure that they are mechanically safe and sound. These officers will complement the traffic police strength in antipollution campaigns against motor vehicles. In order that this special force is to be respected rather than feared, they will be instructed to achieve their objective through education and persuasion and, when necessary, only by strict enforcement of the rules. I now come to the main crux of the complaints from Members of the House. The Member for Mountbatten has suggested that old buses should be scrapped and the Member for Anson complained that there is a shortage of buses, followed by the Member for Bukit Ho Swee who complained that the noise of the engines of some old buses are terrible. He has also asked how many new buses have been operating since reorganisation.”
“I think it is in the interest of bus companies themselves to ensure that there is proper maintenance. It is possible that sometimes the buses are unable to keep to the schedule and may be in a very poor condition. I now come to the Member for Anson who, speaking on behalf of bus workers, said that there should be an improvement in their working conditions, vacation leave, etc. Here again, a good bus operator as an employer will see to it that his workers are reasonably paid, with adequate time for rest and recreation, and therefore they should be able to give maximum service. I think I would be exceeding my authority if I tried to say more than this, in other words, to tell the bus operator how to be a good employer. It is understood that it would be in the bus operator's interest to be a good model employer to his workers, and leave it to the union leaders who speak on behalf of the bus workers to negotiate with the employer concerned; and we wish both sides the best of luck. 4.15 p.m. Now I come to the Member for Mountbatten. Before coming to his question of scrapping old buses and so on and so forth, he has asked when would the Enforcement Section of the Registry of Vehicles be operative. I am pleased to say that this section is almost ready to begin its work. We had recommended under the White Paper on the Reorganisation of the Motor Transport Service of Singapore, which was tabled in this House in July, 1970, Command Paper 21, the recruitment of 80 policemen with 40 motor-cycles to be attached to the Registry of Vehicles. We expect this new Enforcement Section to be operational in April, 1972, which means 10 days from now.”
“I hope Members will agree that it is not necessary to legislate in order to educate. One would think that the Member for Katong is a very impatient man. I think we should not resort to legislation unless as a last resort. I think we should talk, educate and persuade until we are blue in the face and, if it does not work, then perhaps resort to legislation. So with regard to his request, in view of the fact that legislation for the compulsory use of crash helmets has been a great success, whether or not it is time to introduce legislation against jay walking, I would say that I am a patient man and a very patient Minister. I would still say that it is not time yet, as far as I can help it, to introduce legislation against jay walking. Perhaps this time next year I may change my mind if he raises the subject again. Sir, it is true that there is a very' tight schedule for bus drivers to bring their buses back to the terminals. Otherwise, if there were no proper bus schedules, complaints would come from the bus commuters that `they had to wait not half an hour but probably one hour for the buses, in which case the complaints would be even louder. Of course,, we do not believe that bus schedules, should be so tight that drivers should be reckless or that we encourage negligent driving. Far from it. We will take action if it is proved that the driver or the conductor has been negligent in the execution of his duties. As for maintenance of buses, I think bus operators themselves realise that, if they keep a proper maintenance of their vehicles, they will be able to get more out of their buses. Firstly, there will be savings in fuel and the buses will be' able to run for longer periods of time, because when a bus is on the road it is earning money.”
“As for rudeness on the part of an official, as stated by the Member, it is the policy of the Government not to encourage rudeness on the part of any public official to the members of the public. If there are cases of such a nature, will he be good enough to advise the complainant `to submit his complaint, and the matter will be looked into. I would now like to move on to the comments of the Member for Katong, first, before coming to the Member for Mountbatten. There seems to be a general complaint that some bus drivers are rude. That is also the complaint of the Member for Anson - that bus commuters appear to be harassed by very crude bus drivers. Courtesy is something that takes some time to inculcate. It is either in you or not in you, in which case you have got to be educated. And education is a very long process. Sometimes I feel that the Member for Katong, who is associated with adult education, seems to have little confidence in the efficacy of education with respect to improvement of human nature.”
“Mr Speaker. Sir, I propose to deal first with the complaints mentioned by the Member for Sembawang. I appreciate the fact that in his criticism he did say that some of the members of the staff in the Registry of Vehicles would appear to be difficult when it comes to the question of inspection of taxis. I appreciate his use of the word "some" because it is not just a wide sweep that the whole department is proving to be difficult, but some may be difficult. The Member's complaint is to the effect that the vehicle inspectors do not give the taxi owner or driver a full list of all the complaints as to where the taxis have failed to come up to the required mark and would need attention and repair in order to get a clearance. And that instead, the vehicle inspectors would, after pointing out one complaint which is subsequently attended to, then look for another complaint and send them away. It would appear that this state of affairs did unfortunately exist during the months of June, July and August of last year. But I am pleased to say that the department has, since August, considerably improved the situation, and the inconvenience caused to taxi drivers should not now arise. It is quite possible that the complaint that the Member has received is not a recent one, but perhaps a fairly long outstanding one which is therefore something of the past. But if `there are more complaints of this nature, I hope he will be good enough to forward the particulars to us so that, while they are fresh in the minds of everyone, we will be able to deal with them much more quickly and have the matter rectified.”
“I am also sure that he will see to it that there wilt be more than adequate copies of these pamphlets and brochures in future, so that sales of commemorative issues can improve and. therefore, it means more revenue for our Consolidated Fund.”
“Mr Speaker. Sir, I should like to inform the Member for Punggol that provision under subhead 3004 "Stamps - New Issues $360,000" for the coming financial year is really for expenditure on the production and issue of new definitive stamps, that is to say, new definitive stamps for normal sale to the public. The present series was introduced in 1968-69. It consists of the Dance series, Mask series, and the Musical instruments series, ranging from one cent to $10. It is normal practice in postal administrations to change the definitive stamps every three to four years. So we intend to produce a new definitive series for 1972-73 with about 14 denominations, also ranging from one cent to $10. This new series is in the process of being designed and, when ready, will be issued. What the Member has in mind really was the commemorative issues which. I think, had generated considerable interest ever since the Stamp Advisory Committee was appointed in 1968. 3.45 p.m. In the past there were only one or two sets of commemorative issues per 3ear. But since 1968 we have tried to make it a normal policy to issue about four or five sets of commemorative issues per year. We have also given our local artists an opportunity to design our stamps, which have created so great an impact that even the Punggol Constituency has a stamp club, as stated by the Member. For this year, we will have five sets of commemorative issues depicting designs based on coins, art, festival (we hope without any controversy), youth and shipping. As regards the complaint that there were insufficient brochures for new commemorative issues, I am sure the new Chairman of the Stamps Advisory Committee who is my Political Secretary, the Member for Bukit Merah, will take note of the complaint.”
“I think I can answer the Member for Anson rather quickly. His two suggestions which he has put before the House this afternoon, i.e., (1) more gradations, other than name tags on uniforms, so that the public will be able to recognise the various grades of officials in the Postal Department, and (2) that drivers be issued with five issues of uniforms instead of three, will be given consideration.”
“As regards the Maxwell Road postal quarters, I am sorry to hear from the Member for Anson that he thinks that the place is quite filthy. As suggested by him. I shall make an unheralded visit to see conditions and to insist that the matter he put right as soon as possible.”
“It may be that the dogs in the rural areas are so fierce that he is unable to deliver the item, and therefore hands it over to the neighbour who has agreed to accept it. I mean, there may be good explanations. I now come to the specific complaints from the Member for Anson. First, the Nelson Road Centre. I think he will agree with me that the movement of the Parcels and Mail Centre from the General Post Office basement at Fullerton Building to Nelson Road is an improvement, because it was quite unhealthy down at the basement. But it is to be admitted that, having moved over to Nelson Road, which was, in fact, a P.S.A, warehouse and not built for the purposes of a postal department and therefore not really a proper place for the Parcels and Mail Centre, conditions existing there are not as good as we would want them to be. The move was made in December last year, and so it is already three months since we have moved there. It is also admitted that unfortunately there were some inconveniences. However, renovation work is almost completed, and we hope that most of the initial problems would have been sorted out. As a result of a report in January 1971 by the Occupational Health and Safety Committee of the N.T.U.C., the Ministry looked into the working conditions at the Nelson Road Centre and made certain recommendations which were immediately investigated into, and action has since been taken. For example, vacuum cleaners have been purchased and 14 large wall extractor fans have been installed to improve the ventilation. They are currently looking into the various types of floor varnishes to reduce the problem of dust accumulation on the floor. And we hope to continue keeping a watch on any further defects, so that improvements can be made as we go along.”
“It will be an ideal situation if the Postal Department is able to give the same high standard of service in the rural areas as in the city area but, knowing the background and the history of so many complaints, surely the first priority is to satisfy the large city population and then work towards the rural areas. So I hope the explanation should satisfy the Member for Sembawang. After the reorganisation of the Department, with the assistance of the National Productivity Centre, it is possible for letters which are posted before 1.00 p.m, in the city area to be delivered the same afternoon. That, I think, is reasonably good service. On the whole, in the urban areas there are two deliveries of mail - one in the morning and one in the afternoon. For the outlying rural areas, we are at the moment gearing for just one delivery each weekday. Perhaps the time will come when, with more motor-cycles and motor-scooters, our postmen with their new smart uniform will be seen in the rural areas more often. 3.30 p.m. As for wrong delivery of mail, this is possible in the best of circumstances. But it would be better if such complaints can be made known to us rather than to the Member for Sembawang. We cannot do very much unless the complainants give us specific information. It is no use saying, "I have received a letter which is not meant for me." But if they can give us more details - such as the address of the mis-delivered item, the date and approximate time it happened to enable us to know which particular postman was on the beat and to ask for an explanation then we can do something about it. But the postman may have a good explanation.”
“There are also two other weather radars of lesser range at Changi and Tengah Aerodromes, and a new wind-finding radar and telecommunication equipment for the prompt reception of computer-produced weather charts from overseas meteorological stations. The Department also supplied a large volume of climatologically information to commercial and scientific organisations and Government departments for their varied purposes such as factory siting, off-shore drilling operations, engineering construction and also air pollution studies. 3.15 p.m. During the North-east monsoons, warnings of prolonged and heavy rainfall likely to cause flooding are broadcast over Radio and Television. Furthermore, a daily weather outlook forecast has been issued to the press for publication since 1970. The compact size of Singapore, the absence of distinct seasons - we have perpetual summer, we do not have the four seasons in Singapore - and the character of local tropical weather, all these factors necessarily impose a limitation on the accuracy of this daily forecast. So it could be "Fair weather this afternoon", but it rained before 12 o'clock. What could we do?”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I think the comment made by the Member for Anson is that there is rain today but our Meteorological Department says there is no rain. This is not something unusual in Singapore. It happens in the best of cities. If you take a newspaper and the weather forecast says "No rain", it means, bring your umbrella! He has, however, mentioned the fact that since the Telecommunications Department is reasonably up to-date with the satellite earth station, should not our Meteorological Department also keep pace with technological advances? Sir, I wish to assure him that our Meteorological Services Department is reasonably up to scratch with international requirements, because it falls on the Department to provide meteorological services for civil aviation as well as for shipping. And they have to conform to international standards stipulated by the World Meteorological Organisation as well as the International Civil Aviation Organisation, so that constant efforts are always being made by the Department to ensure strict observance of these international standards. To cope with the new development in meteorology and to provide improved quality of service, the Department has, over the past three years, acquired a number of sophisticated meteorological instrumentation. This includes a ground satellite station to receive meteorological data from orbiting satellites, as distinct from the telecommunication satellite. There is also a 10-centimetre radar at Paya Lebar capable of detecting storms within 400 kilometres from Singapore.”
“Sir, I would like to inform the Member for Mountbatten that Simbang Aerodrome is a military aerodrome situated in Sembawang, and was vacated by the British Armed Forces. That being so, it came under the control of the Ministry of Defence. However, at the request of the M.I.D., the Department of Civil Aviation is responsible for providing the fire-fighting services, both at Simbang Aerodrome and the missile base. As regards the type of aircraft that will make use of Simbang Aerodrome, I assume that it will be military aircraft, and not civil aircraft. If more interest is shown, perhaps the Member can inquire from the Ministry of Defence officials.”
“Sometimes it may bring about some delay to passengers leaving or arriving at our Airport. I hope that if Members get complaints in future, they will understand that it is not because we are a little sticky about security, but because we have to be a little longer on the ground rather than something to happen up in the air. Lastly, the question whether or not Changi Airport can be used as an extension of Paya Lebar Airport for charter flights. Sir, there is a possibility that Changi Airport may be reverted to civilian use. It is now being reserved by the Ministry of Defence. They want it as a military airport. But there is no reason why Changi Airport may not be partly used for civil aircraft if air traffic continues to increase. May I say that, at the present moment, Paya Lebar Airport is not fully stretched. The present traffic is equivalent to about 40 per cent of what it can take. As and when it does come close to 80 or 90 per cent, then perhaps we can divert some of the chartered air flights from Paya Lebar to Changi Airport. But should it be necessary for Paya Lebar Airport to be closed, we do have arrangements whereby aircraft are advised to land at Changi Airport instead. So there is really no problem to use Changi Airport as an extension of Paya Lebar Airport, as and when the necessity arises.”
“It also depends on the location of the parking bays where the aircraft are ultimately parked. Anyway, may I say that normally baggage should be available for claiming in the baggage claim area within five minutes after the arrival of the aircraft which, I think, is a very good time. And this is the normal handling time undertaken by the Department of Civil Aviation for the seven airlines which it is in charge of. Coming to the question raised by the Member for Anson, he understands that there is not enough staff for the tax-free store in the Transit lounge. This matter will be conveyed to the Department of Civil Aviation to see that the store does provide adequate staff. May I add, Sir, that the stores at our Airport are doing such good business and, believe it or not, the rental for a store is not less than $40,000 a month, or half a million dollars a year, because we have at least two million people -as many as the population of Singapore-using our Paya Lebar Airport. If the concessionaire is able to pay half a million dollars in rent for a store in the Airport, he will see to it that there are more than adequate staff to handle the business because more staff means more business, and ultimately more profits. The Member also raised the problem of hijacking of aircraft. As you know, Mr Speaker, Sir, we have passed a Bill sometime ago to enable the Government to comply with the so-called Tokyo Convention, which takes strong measures against hijacking. I believe our staff in the Department of Civil Aviation is quite wide awake to this possibility and, together with the representatives of international airlines, they are taking all steps to ensure that maximum security is maintained.”
“In our view, these eight Immigration counters are adequate to cope with passenger arrivals even during the evening peak period. As regards the complaint about baggage handling, which is under my portfolio and for which I am responsible, the problem has probably arisen because there is more than one organisation handling the baggage. It is our intention to have one Baggage Authority in the near future. Anyway, may I say that even at this moment, there are four different organisations handling the baggage. Firstly, the Malaysia-Singapore Airlines handles baggage of more than half of all the airlines that come into Singapore. There are, in all, 24 international airlines. M.S.A, handles at least one-half the number of airlines' bag-gages. The others are Pan-American, Garuda and, lastly, the Civil Aviation Department. 3.00 p.m. The Civil Aviation Department handles seven airlines. Sir, if there is one authority, we do agree that it would be more efficient. We know exactly who is responsible. But when an aircraft comes in and four authorities have got to find out which one of them is responsible, inevitably some delay is involved. Whatever it is, after the $10 million short-term development of the Airport, we now have at the Arrival Hall five conveyor belts for the conveyance of baggage from the ramp to the baggage claim area. In our view, these five conveyors are adequate to cope with the demand at peak periods. The time taken for the baggage to be transported to the Arrival Hall at the Airport depends on the handling capacity of the airline or agent, which is responsible for it, and also the number of aircraft that lands at any one given time. If there were four landings within the space of half an hour, then of course there would be a big jam.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I am always grateful to Members sitting on the Opposite bench, answering on my behalf. It does help now and again to have your ball at the other man's foot. May I now refer to the point raised by the Member for Sembawang regarding complaints against the Immigration Department. Strictly speaking, this is something not within my portfolio. Immigration Department comes under the Ministry of Home Affairs, and my colleague, who is the Minister, is having a good laugh behind me. It is quite likely that the complaints received by the Member were in respect of persons whom the Immigration Department were quite interested in and, therefore, probably a little longer time was taken before they could be cleared at the Arrival Hall. However, the Airport does provide adequate facilities for the Immigration Department. In our view, ever since the completion of the short-term development of our Airport costing $10 million, the floor area in the Passenger Terminal Building has been doubled from over a hundred thousand square feet to 270,000 square feet. The clearance facilities for passengers in respect of Health, Customs and Immigration have, therefore, improved. For the information of the Member, there are six triangular counters corresponding to six channels at the Arrival Hall for Immigration authorities to process arriving passengers simultaneously. In addition, there are two other counters behind the main Immigration counter to be used for checking arriving passengers who have no documents or whose documents are improper. Probably these are the people who have been complaining to the Member. If they had the proper documents, it would have been very simple for them to gain entry into Singapore.”
“Time-off, which was earned and accumulated up to 31st December, 1970, has been converted to leave, and such leave was commuted to overtime pay at normal rates of salary. So money has been paid for overtime which has been accumulated prior to that date. But from 1971 onwards, the accumulation began to build up once again and this will have to be adjusted at some future date. However, I can assure the Member for Telok Blangah that it will not be necessary for him to repeat a third performance at the next Budget. 2.45 p.m.”
“There was a staff reduction of this nature by as many as 67 operational staff and 25 technicians (the word "wastage" was being used), leaving us with 59 vacancies - 4 operational staff and 31 technicians - waiting to be filled. This represents a reduced rate of vacancy percentage at only seven per cent and nine per cent respectively. I think if we compare with the previous `year's rate of vacancy percentage of 20 per cent and 16 per cent, we can say that there has been an improvement in the situation. However, selection of candidates to fill these remaining vacancies has just been completed, and it is envisaged that most, if not all, of the vacancies for operational staff and technicians, will be filled shortly. The Member has partly answered his own query when he touched on the establishment of the Telecommunication Authority of Singapore in 10 days time. The Telecommunications Department which is now part of a Government Ministry will be converted into a statutory organisation, and one of the reasons why we are converting it is to give it more flexibility in the recruitment and employment of staff. It may not be necessary, for example, to recruit staff annually. The new Authority will be in a position to recruit staff as and when it, is necessary and to decide on the salary scales, bearing in mind the Government salary structure and terms and conditions of service. As a statutory organisation, it will certainly be able to move much more quickly in dealing with overtime problems like we have now. With regard to overtime, may I say that the position is not as bad as that stated by the Member, who quoted the figure of thousands of hours of overtime due.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, it does appear to be a repeat performance on the part of the Member for Telok Blangah in respect of the Telecommunications Department. He has asked whether anything has gone wrong with the Telecommunications Department. The answer is: nothing has gone wrong. It is only that the growth of traffic has been more than normal. Because of the very rapid expansion and demands from the commercial public, the Telecommunications Department could only meet this abnormal demand by involving the staff in overtime. He has quoted passages from Hansard in respect of the previous year's Budget. Vacancies then were being filled. The Public Service Commission did interview the candidates concerned, and it is normal for applicants to be interviewed around February-March when the results of the Secondary IV examinations are known. I think that is normal procedure. So once again in February-March this year there would be another recruitment of staff to fill any vacancies. But may I, in reply, provide some figures too, for the benefit of the hon. Member? At the beginning of the last financial year, there were 166 vacancies for operational staff and 57 vacancies for technicians, which represent a vacancy percentage of about 20 per cent and 16 per cent respectively. It is very high, and I think it is unfair to the workers on the establishment having to work overtime to fill this gap. 174 operational staff and 51 technicians were recruited during the year. That would have virtually filled all the vacancies, but unfortunately with recruitment there were also resignations or retirements.”
“Bill considered in Committee; reported without amendment; read a Third time and passed. ESTIMATES OF EXPENDITURE OF SINGAPORE FOR THE FINANCIAL YEAR 1ST APRIL, 1972, TO 31ST MARCH, 1973 Order read for consideration in Committee of Supply [1st Allotted Day]. [Mr Speaker in the Chair] 2.53 p.m.”
“The Authority shall have the exclusive privilege of operating telecommunication services in Singapore with the exception of broadcasting and television services and the domestic telephone service and telecommunication services operated by the Singapore Armed Forces and the Police. The main object of the Authority is to provide, operate, and develop telecommunication services within and outside Singapore, and to co-operate with other international authorities for the expansion and improvement of such services. The Authority has power to decide on charges, rates and fees for providing telecommunication services. The Authority may, with the approval of the Minister, borrow, raise capital and also invest its surplus funds. It is provided in clause 42 that the Authority shall issue to Government ordinary stock of a total nominal value to be agreed upon between the Minister for Finance and the Authority. The Annual Report and audited Statement of Accounts of the Authority shall be presented to Parliament under clauses 33 and 34. The staff of the Telecorns Department shall be transferred to the service of the Authority on terms no less favourable than those they enjoyed immediately prior to transfer. With the conversion of the Department into an autonomous statutory body, I am confident that the Telecommunication Authority of Singapore will be able to provide Singapore with a more efficient telecommunication service, and thus enhance continued economic and commercial development of Singapore. Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move. Question put, and agreed to. Bill accordingly read a Second time and committed to a Committee of the whole House. The House immediately resolved itself into a Committee on the Bill. - [Mr Yong Nyuk Lin].”
“The growth in international telex service is expected to be maintained at the high rate of 30 per cent per annum over the next five years, and thereafter we may expect a growth rate of about 25 to 30 per cent per annum, as in the case of most developed countries. The growth rate of the international telephone traffic in other parts of the world is about 20 per cent per annum, and we can expect our own growth to be around this figure, too. To meet these demands, the Department has implemented certain projects, including subscriber trunk dialling to West Malaysia, automatic national telex exchange, and the establishment of an earth satellite station at Sentosa. In the near future, the Department will also be providing an automatic international telex exchange and an automatic message switching system. A second earth station working to the Pacific Ocean satellite is already in the final planning stage. With the high rate of growth and fast changing technology in communications, it is clear that there must be radical changes in the organisation and management to cope with the rapid changes and challenges in the years ahead. An expert from the International Telecommunications Union was invited to advise us on the reorganisation of the telecommunication services and his firm recommendation was that the Telecorns Department should be converted into an autonomous statutory organisation, which was accepted. I will now summarise the main features of this Bill. The Telecommunication Authority shall consist of a Chairman, a General Manager and such other members totalling not less than five and not more than nine, in accordance with Clause 5.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move. "That the Bill be now read a Second time." Members may recall that in October, 1970, I announced the Ministry's decision to transform the Telecommunications Department into a statutory board not later than April 1972. This Bill seeks to establish a statutory board known as the Telecommunication Authority of Singapore. Before I elaborate on the provisions of this Bill, may I give a brief summary o the developments that have taken place and are taking place in the Telecoms Department, and the rationale for reconstituting the Department into a statutory authority? The growth of telecommunication services in Singapore over the last 10 years has been at a rapid rate. In the international telegraph service, the number of messages handled increased by 65 per cent in 1971 over 1966. The international telex service and the international telephone service increased by 630 per cent and 503 per cent respectively over the same period. In 1966, the Department's revenue was only $19.5 million, but last year (1971) revenue increased to $54.7 million. The number of countries with which Singapore has established traffic service has also increased. In 1966, Singapore had international telephone service with 74 countries, and this increased to 147 countries last year. In the international telex service, the number of countries increased from 64 to 126. The public telegraph service is, however, on a world-wide basis. In the international telegraph service, the growth is expected to be maintained at a steady rate of 7 to 9 per cent per annum over the next five years and around 4 to 6 per cent after 1977.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, since the Member for Anson has used the term "operational profits" of the Port of Singapore Authority for the year 1970, may I state that the term `profits' would appear to be a misnomer and the word `surplus' would perhaps be more appropriate for the situation. We generally talk of `profits' of a commercial organisation, which will be distributed amongst shareholders or the staff. But in regard to surpluses, if any, of a statutory organisation like the P.S.A., these will be reinvested for further development. As an example, may I refer the Member for Anson to Supplements 1/72 and 2/72 of the Government Gazette dated 28th January, 1972, where it will be noted that whereas the Revenue for P.S.A, for 1972 is estimated at $144 million with a net surplus of $51 million, the estimated Capital Expenditure for the same period will be no less than $63 million. Coming now to bonus, the Minister of State for Finance has previously made clear the Government's stand with regard to payment of bonuses to its employees. As a statutory board, the P.S.A, must conform generally to Government's policy on matters relating to remuneration, terms and conditions of service. This means that bonuses for P.S.A. employees cannot be considered, but any betterment in the remuneration and terms and conditions of service of Government employees might, as far as is applicable, be extended to P.S.A, employees. ADMISSIONS TO PRIMARY 1 CLASSES IN 1972 6. Tuan Haji Mohd. Ariff Bin Suradi asked the Minister for Education how many children were admitted to Primary I classes in 1972 in each of the four language streams.”