(In Malay): Honourable Members of the Legislative Assembly of the State of Singapore --- It is my privilege and pleasure to open this Fourth Session of the Legislative Assembly on a quiet note of confidence. The House has had a long vacation and I am sure all Honourable Members, Mr Speaker and also the staff of this House have recovered from the stresses and strains of the rigorous Third Session which ended in September last year. In this Session, there will not be the same air of excitement and uncertainty. The referendum on 1st September helped to settle many things. Singapore has weathered the storm; the tempest has spent itself. All is calm and tranquil. But we must always be vigilant. There are still some in our midst actively trying to disrupt national security and sabotage our plans for Malaysia. True they have this time lost the open argument and their dishonesty has been exposed. But they are reforming and re-aligning their forces. The recent decision of the Internal Security Council did not remove the Communist United Front framework. Only the key activists in the Communist United Front Conspiracy have been neutralised. And several of these eluded the security net. Communist underground leaders are still at large. These anti-national elements know that they have been defeated in this round of the battle for Malaysia, but we must always be prepared to meet any renewed attacks before 31st August, and there will be the grim long-term battle thereafter. Meanwhile there will be hard work for the State Advocate-General and the legal draftsmen in his Chambers. They have to ensure that all the points agreed to in the White Paper Command 33 of 1961 as amplified or amended in the formal exchanges of letters between the Prime Ministers of the Federation and Singapore are duly enshrined in the Constitutions, both of the Federation of Malaysia and of the State of Singapore. Honourable Members of this House will have noticed in the last seven months, while all was peace and tranquility, that many works of construction which were planned in the years 1959 to 1961 have progressed rapidly and are day by day reaching completion. Every week sees the opening of new housing blocks, schools, community centres, clinics, creches, new roads, old roads being widened, street lights, drains, stand-pipes, electric supply and all the other things which make Singapore a civilized place for everyone, rich and poor alike, to live in. Because of the careful budgeting and the economy measures taken in 1959-60, and the prosperity in 1961 to 1963, the financial position of the country is sound. There are funds to see us through all the major projects for tile immediate years ahead. Among these projects are the Toa Payoh new town, the re-building and re-development of the old city, and the Jurong industrial base. Most significant and gratifying of all has been the quiet and steady expansion of new factories. Every other week sees the opening of some new industrial enterprise. Every month sees a major project take shape in the Jurong Industrial Site. The future augurs well. With merger and Malaysia the internal threat, disorder, uncertainty, instability and Communist United Front attacks will all slowly recede. But new problems have appeared over the horizon. Honourable Members of the House must have known of the deep regret the people felt over the differences that have arisen between the Federation of Malaya and the Republic of Indonesia. These differences were in part due to the rapid fruition of the plans for Malaysia. We welcome recent developments to ease relations between Kuala Lumpur, the heart and capital of our new Malaysia, and Jakarta, our most immediate and powerful neighbour. We know that there are friendly powers both in this region and in the world, interested in the maintenance of world peace and security, who are doing all they can to reduce the tension that now exists. We hope that their efforts will succeed and will restore the friendly relations between Malaya and Indonesia. Meanwhile, over the last year our Ministers and leaders of the trade union movement have, through their contacts with Afro-Asian nations, contributed to a greater understanding among Afro-Asian political leaders of Malaysia, and thereby helped counter the hostile anti-Malaysia propaganda in these countries by the enemies of Malaysia. We wish to live in peace with all our neighbours in South-East Asia. But we realise our destiny is irrevocably interwoven with that of Malaysia. So whatever minor differences may arise from time to time between Singapore and Kuala Lumpur over chickens and eggs, or pigs and paints, we stand solidly with them on all the vital questions that affect Malaysia, the integrity of our territories, and the survival of our people. We have a vested interest in Malaysia and its continued prosperity, and we must always be prepared to defend it. FINANCE Despite the stresses and strains of the political situation and its effect on the economy in the last three and a half years, the financial position of the State has shown steady progress throughout the period. In 1959, when the present Government took over, there was a balance in the Consolidated Revenue Account of only $87.2 million. There was not a single cent in the Development Fund! By the end of the last year the Consolidated Revenue Account has increased to $215.4 million and the Development Fund stood at $120.0 million. This increase in the financial reserves of the State is all the more significant because it took place even after substantial capital outlays made from the Development Fund of more than $100 million each year. The Four-Year Plan introduced in 1961 is now in full swing. Early teething troubles have largely been solved. All Ministries and departments are bending their energies to carry out their development projects. The Economic Development Board is now firmly established, effectively playing its role in industrial development. It is the Government's principal agency in the promotion of industrial growth. It is also charged with the management of new industrial estates established in the State. Four small-scale estates are in various stages of completion at Redhill, Tanglin Hill, Tanglin Halt and Jalan Ampat. Tremendous effort has gone into the creation of the 9,000 acre industrial complex at Jurong. By early next year we shall see the completion of most of the major industrial facilities such as the wharves, power, water, telephone, roads and other facilities. The railway connection between the main line and Jurong is in an advanced stage of planning and construction work will begin by June 1963. The establishment of Malaysia on 31st August this year will give an added impetus to our industrial growth. There should be an intelligent overall policy of co-ordinated development of all the territories of Malaysia. We are confident that it is within the wisdom and competence of the leaders of Malaysia to bring this about. In the immediate years ahead we must not fritter away our financial resources on lavish expenditure over prestige projects which will not increase the sinews of our economy. We must increase the rate of capital formation in our State. The people of Singapore must he prepared to resist the temptation to strive for short-term benefits which have the effect of weakening our economic strength. With Malaysia, our opportunities will be greater. But so too will be our responsibilities. The Borneo territories need capital for development. The Central Government has promised to do its utmost to provide the necessary finance. Singapore must be prepared to make its contribution in loans and other assistance to help the Central Government in helping development of the Borneo territories. HOUSING The Housing and Development Board has made rapid progress in building public housing for the lower income groups. By the end of 1962, in just under three years, the Board completed 21,232 units as against 23,019 units built by the S.I.T. in 32 years. Most of the units completed by the Board are located at Queenstown, Bukit Ho Swee, MacPherson Road, St. Michael's Road, Alexandra Hill. Kallang and Tanjong Rhu. Some 12,000 units are now under construction. The dynamic effort mounted by the Housing and Development Board has broken the back of our housing shortage. Now we must look ahead. Hitherto, the main objective of the State's public housing programme has been to provide clean healthy homes at low rentals to the tens of thousands of families living in our over-crowded slums. In this way, the most intolerable features of slum congestion and squalor are alleviated. But our slums still remain with us. The time has come to mount a direct assault on them. We must demolish the old insanitary and rickety buildings which stand in much of the central areas of our city, and we must build on these sites modern multi-storeyed shops and homes. In other words, the time has come for us to rebuild our city. To start off this project the Government plans to demolish Outram Prison and let the Housing and Development Board build on its site several thousand units which can house an approximate 50,000 persons from the slum areas to make way for rebuilding the old parts of our city. The Cantonment Road housing scheme of 334 new shops and houses is only the beginning. The whole task of rebuilding our city is one of monumental proportions. It will need finance of more than a thousand million dollars and will engage our energies over several decades. But at the end of it, we shall have built a new city of beauty and distinction, worthy of the industry and enterprise of our people, and in keeping with our position as the financial, industrial and commercial centre of South-East Asia. PUBLIC UTILITIES A rapidly growing population and an accelerated rate of housing and industrial developments makes it necessary to increase water, electricity and gas services. Loans from the World Bank on terms designed to help developing countries industrialise and finance the water and electricity projects are now under negotiation. Tenders for the construction of the Scudai River Water Scheme have been called for. By next year some 15-30 million gallons of water from Scudai per day will be added to our water supplies. An agreement with the Johore Government for the Johore River Project has been signed. The City Council has engaged a firm of Consulting Engineers of international repute to plan and supervise the work. This project is expected to be completed in 1967. Construction of the new Pasir Panjang `B' Power Station with an ultimate capacity of 240,000 kilowatts has begun. The first 60,000 kilowatt machine should be ready during the first half of 1965. 36 rural development schemes to supply electricity to rural areas have started. New low-cost construction methods have been devised to speed up the rural electrification projects. LANDS AND PLANNING The 10-acre Geylang Serai Development Site, acquired in May 1962, is rapidly developing into the first of our regional multi-purpose community development scheme with school, community centre and creche, markets and shopping, housing and recreation facilities for the entire area. At the same time, an important portion of Changi Road at the Joo Chiat Road junction will be improved by road widening. Roads and Sewerage Works Last year, the West Coast/Jurong Link Road was completed giving access to the Industrial Estate. Work has started on the New West Coast Road, a continuation of Ayer Rajah Road leading to the new Jurong Industrial Estate. There was some delay over work on War Department property but these difficulties have been resolved and now it will be completed by the end of this year. The part of the Outer Ring Road system from Holland Road to the Rumah Bomba Circus was opened in 1962. This year it will be extended from Rumah Bomba Circus to Redhill Industrial Estate, Farrer and Braddell Roads. Work is proceeding on the new $25 million sewerage works intended primarily for the Toa Payoh new town. CONSTRUCTION Bridgeworks like the Jalan Besar Roundabout, Mountbatten Circus and the Dhoby Ghaut Bridge have improved traffic circulation. The Dhoby Ghaut Bridge reconstruction will alleviate flooding by providing an additional waterway. For 1963 three new bridges spanning the Bukit Timah Canal are being constructed to enable the one-way traffic scheme for Bukit Timah Road and Dunearn Road from Woodlands to Newton Circus to be implemented. ROADS AND FLOOD PREVENTION Development work in accordance with the State's Development Plan is proceeding satisfactorily. Various drainage projects have been completed or are nearing completion in Radin Mas, Paya Lebar, Ulu Pandan, Alexandra, Queenstown, Whampao and Geylang. The improvement in drainage will safeguard against flooding in these areas. Swamp Reclamation A pilot project in swamp reclamation by the Public Works Department at Sungei Poyan is being successfully completed. The reclamation covers 175 acres of swamp of which about 75 acres will be available as farmland, 50 acres for fish ponds and 50 acres for prawn ponds. Because of the success of this pilot scheme, the Government is going ahead with plans to reclaim the adjacent areas near Sungei Berih, and other estuaries along the West Coast. Standpipes and water pressure Last year was a year of improvement to kampongs and the rural areas. 111 additional standpipes costing $180,000 were installed. Larger water mains in these densely populated areas were laid and water pressure improved. 93 kampong roads were made up amounting to 60 miles of new and additional roads for the State. Street lights and public telephones were installed. The Prime Minister's visits to the rural constituencies have helped get closer co-ordination between Government planners and the rural people for whose welfare all these roads, drains, electricity, water-pipes, clinics, community centres and veterinary services are intended. Primary Production Department The Primary Production Department continues to improve farming techniques and productive capacity. In addition to existing services provided by the Department, new services are being planned to assist the farmers to increase their productive capacity and reduce the cost: Veterinary and Agriculture Services Intensive steps are being taken to control and eradicate Pullorum disease among poultry. Chicks of higher egg laying capacity are being produced from specially selected imported poultry at the Experimental Stations. Such chicks will be sold to Singapore farmers at cost. Good Berkshire boars for sale to farmers at low prices are being increased in January this year, an Artificial Insemination Service for pigs was started. This enables the extension of stud boar service to many more farmers. As a result of successful experiments, the department can now provide a cheap and effective fertilizer mixture as a substitute for prawn dust, which is not only costly but also unhealthy. A Primary Production Extension Service to spread the facilities available was started. An officer is stationed in each of the rural districts and farmers can approach him for assistance and advice at any time including evenings. This Primary Production Extension Service is also available at all the rural community centres to assist and advise farmers and to provide various Primary Production services. Talks and film shows, which arc being produced by the Department, will he shown at these community centres in the evenings. Creches and Homes for the Aged More creches for children of working mothers are being planned. One new creche was opened in the Mountbatten area in 1962. Another two new creches will be completed this year, one in the Bukit Ho Swee area and the other in the Rochore area. Each creche will be capable of looking after 120 children. Another new creche has been included in the plans of one of the two Cantonment Road 10-storey flats. A site for a home for old people has been selected at Woodlands. The first phase will be completed this year. When completed, the home will house more than 500 old people. National Theatre The National Theatre to which the people of Singapore have contributed more than $700,000 is expected to be completed by the end of May or early in June 1963. A South-East Asian Cultural Festival to celebrate the opening of the Theatre will take place in August. The National Theatre will have covered seating for 3,500 persons. This could be extended to 7,000 in due course. The space provided for open-air audience can accommodate about 12,000. When completed, this will be one of the finest and largest theatres of its type in this part of the world. National Art Gallery and Academy of Arts There are plans for a $l¼ million National Art Gallery and an Academy of Arts situated next to the National Library. National Library The services of two Colombo Plan experts have been obtained to advise on the expansion of library services, particularly to serve the needs of the people literate in the Malay, Chinese and Tamil languages. Their recommendations are now under consideration. TELEVISION Television Singapura came into being on 15th February with the inauguration of a Pilot Service. The official inauguration will be on 2nd April when a four-hour service will be provided. A second channel will begin later this year. The technical quality of T.V. reception has been of a high standard, and public response has been quicker than the expectations of both the Broadcasting Department and T.V. dealers. Trade Union House Piling work for Singapore's Trade Union House-cum-international conference hall of $4.15 million, began in August last year. The building is expected to be completed by November 1964. It will have an auditorium for international conferences, a theatrette, flexible conference rooms, a reception hall and a lounge, offices for trade unions, a research section and library, canteen facilities, etc. LABOUR Industrial Arbitration Court In 1962 the Industrial Arbitration Courts not only arbitrated in 31 cases and certified 264 agreements, they also succeeded in getting parties to a dispute to enter into negotiations instead of pursuing arbitration. 12 cases reached agreement in this way. Labour Research Unit Recently the Government accepted representations from the National Trade Union Congress and set up a Labour Research Unit in December 1962. It will provide assistance to trade unions in formulating claims, in negotiations and arbitration. The International Labour Organisation will send an expert to plan for the healthy growth of the Unit. HEALTH Hospital Services The doctor strength in the service has been increased. In 1959 there were 247 doctors; now there are 319 doctors. Training The School of Nursing has more than doubled its teaching facilities for nurses and assistant nurses. A School of Radiography for the training of Radiographers will be set up this year, as part of the X-Ray Department of the General Hospital. Surgical Block for Thomson Road Hospital Construction of a surgical block at Thomson Road Hospital began last year. The buildings will be completed by the end of this year and will have 4 surgical theatre suites, an X-Ray Department, Casualty Department and follow-up clinics. With these facilities the Thomson Road Hospital will be completed as a fully functioning general hospital. Surgical Block for Tan Tock Seng Hospital At the Tan Tock Seng Hospital another surgical block is to be established. Plans to provide for 4 surgical suites have been approved and building operations will begin in the latter half of the year. Hospital Ward Units at Woodbridge Hospital Hospital wards have been opened at the Woodbridge Hospital for the care of the chronic sick. This will, when additional simple and inexpensive buildings are built on the site, provide accommodation for 400 chronic sick patients. Out-patient Services Two clinics were completed at the end of last year - one at Somapah Road and another at Queenstown. Two more have recently been completed - a large combined clinic at Still Road, and a standard clinic at Sembawang. Another clinic to he operated in a community centre at Prinsep Street is nearing completion. Dental Services The emphases in the Dental Services will he on the development of the School Dental Service. During 1962 a total of 9 new Dental Clinics was put into operation. Twelve new School Dental Clinics will be established in 1963. A large two-storeyed School Dental Clinic, equipped with 14 Dental Chairs capable of serving a large number of schools, is being built at Balestier Road. COMMUNICATIONS Civil Aviation Singapore International Airport continues to retain its place as one of the best International Airports in this region. A new Passenger Terminal Building and a new Parking Apron are under construction and will be ready for service in early 1964. Marine For the third year in succession Singapore continues to maintain its position as the fifth largest port in the world, the second largest port in the Commonwealth, and the busiest port in the Far East. During this Session the Port Authority will be formally created. Four new deep-water berths were completed and came into operation in 1962. Plans for another four new deep-water berths at the East Lagoon are now being prepared by the Singapore Harbour Board and the Economic Development Board, and preliminary work on reclamation has already started. This project is estimated to cost $40 million. At Jurong a bulk-handling harbour is planned with a total length of wharves of 9,000 feet for ocean-going vessels and 3,000 feet for coastal vessels. A contract for $14.3 million has been let for the first phase of this harbour construction, consisting of 3,000 feet of ocean-going berth and 2,000 feet of coastal berth. The first berths will be completed by the end of this year and the balance by the end of 1964. Postal Services Postal traffic has continued to grow. Two post offices have been completed during the first quarter of this year. Six others will be built in the course of 1963. Telecommunications In view of the establishment of Malaysia by August 31st this year, when telecommunications will he the responsibility of the Federal Government, it has been agreed by the Governments of the Federation of Malaya and Singapore and Cable and Wireless Ltd, not to proceed with the formation of the Singapore Overseas Telecommunications Board. Cable and Wireless Ltd, has therefore been granted an extension of their licences for two years. This will enable the future Central Government of Malaysia to review the whole question of overseas telecommunications. Singapore Telephone Board 4,000 new telephone lines were installed and 50 new Public Call Offices, mostly in the rural areas, were opened. The Singapore Telephone Board plans to install 300 new Public Call Offices during 1963. Vehicles The number of vehicles registered in Singapore continued to increase at a steady rate. At the end of 1962 the number of motor vehicles had increased by 15,666 to 133,645. A six-storey car park is now being built at the junction of Cecil Street and Market Street at an estimated cost of $2.45 million. It will be completed at the beginning of 1964 and will accommodate about 700 vehicles. EDUCATION When the present Government assumed office in mid-1959, the enrolment in our primary and secondary schools was just 300,000. This year, our school enrolment passed the 416,000 mark. In three years the number of children attending schools has increased by over 100,000 or one-third over and above that for 1959. Every child whose parents want a place in a primary school can now be accepted. Another noteworthy feature was the rapid increase in our secondary school enrolment from 44,000 in 1959 to more than 82,000 this year, that is, an increase of 86 per cent. The Government has had to step up its school building programme. 15 new schools including the 10-storey Selegie Integrated School were completed in time last year for the beginning of the 1963 new school year in January. Expenditure on school buildings alone is expected to reach $10 million this year. Previously, children who were over-age for their classes had to pay fees. As from January 1963, all those born in Singapore or born of parents who are Singapore citizens are eligible for free primary education, irrespective of whether they are over-age for their classes. We have now free primary education for all our children of school going age. The teaching of second languages in all schools will be stepped up still further. Classes for any second language will be provided where there is a minimum of 15 pupils to form a class in place of the former minimum of 25 pupils. The Teachers' Training College will start a new course this year for holders of Higher School Certificate qualifications. Special up-grading courses for Malay teachers will also be started this year with the aim of raising their previous training up to the level of the Certificate of Education. The special course in the National Language for qualified teachers will continue to be held. Over 5,000 persons, the majority of them teachers, have passed the Government Examinations in the National Language Standards I, II and III. Adult Education Board The Lembaga Gerakan Pelajaran Dewasa, which took over the functions of the Singapore Council of Adult Education in 1960, concerned itself at first only with language and literacy classes and a few further education courses. But since 1961, the Lembaga has not only raised the efficiency of these classes but has also extended its activities to provide secondary evening education up to) pre University level for some 5,000 students annually. CONCLUSION There are only five months to go before the 31st of August. They will be months of hard work for those Ministers and officials responsible for re-drafting the constitution of Singapore as a State within the framework of the Federation of Malaysia. There is also the intricate problem of working out Singapore's contribution to the Federal Government for Federal Services in Singapore, as agreed in the White Paper. During the first six to twelve months following the 31st of August, the new constitutional arrangements will have to he smoothly implemented. Defence, Singapore Infantry Regiment and the other Armed Forces, Police and Prisons, all come under the direct control of the Federal Government. Other departments such as Customs and Excise, Income Tax, Broadcasting and Television, will all have to follow overall Federal policy whilst remaining under State control. The implementation of these arrangements after 31st August will require a great deal of tact and patience. We are confident that with understanding and brotherly give-and-take, temporary dislocations can be kept to a minimum. It is our firm determination to ensure that those departments which go over to the Federal Government should maintain the highest of standards between now and the 31st August. Even more important, we must ensure that they continue to keep those standards ever high after the 31st of August. In the meantime construction must press ahead. 1963, the year Malaysia comes into being, will he marked in Singapore by massive construction in public housing, schools, community centres, creches, hospitals, clinics, roads, bridges, drains, electricity, water, and most important of all, in the number of new factories that will give jobs to our people, and build a modern industrial city out of Singapore. This is a task to which we must dedicate ourselves. It is a task which can and will succeed if the highest standards of integrity of public service are maintained, not only amongst the political leaders and the Government officials, but also amongst the leaders of trade unions and of trade and commerce. We can take pride at the steady progress we are making as one plan after another is completed week by week, day by day. The people have quite rightly a distaste for unnecessary political party strife, and there has been less of it. Moreover, no more great issues divide the people. We must proceed apace with our construction. Above all, we must be united, for if we allow the enemy from outside, working through anti-national elements in our midst, to divide us, then we shall lack the strength necessary to resist their pressures. We must always also resist the pressure of internal enemies and prevent them from upsetting our stability and prosperity, for it is the material progress of ordinary people that is the best guarantee of the constant failure of their arid dogma of violence and the continued success of our tolerant and prosperous society. 7.05 p.m. At the conclusion of the Yang di-Pertuan Negara's speech, Mr Speaker, preceded by the Serjeant at Arms, the Clerk, the Clerk-Assistant and the Second Clerk-Assistant, escorted His Excellency (accompanied by two A.D.C.s) out of the Chamber, and the Assembly adjourned without question put, pursuant to the Standing Order. Adjourned accordingly at 7.06 p.m.