The text
PERMISSION TO MEMBER TO BE ABSENT The following Member has, under the provisions of subsection (2) (g) of section 42 of the Singapore (Constitution) Order in Council, 1958, obtained from the Speaker, permission to be or to remain absent from sittings of the Assembly: Mr G. Kandasamy (Kampong Kapor) - from 12th June to 30th June, 1963.
BILLS INTRODUCED - BROADCASTING AND - TELEVISION BILL "provide for the control of broadcasting and television services and for matters connected therewith", presented by the Minister for Finance (Dr Goh Keng Swee); read the First time, to be read a Second time on the first available day after 30th June, 1963, and to be printed.
TELEGRAPHS (AMENDMENT) - BILL "to amend the Telegraphs Ordinance (Chapter 108 of the Revised Edition)", presented by Dr Goh Keng Swee: read the First time, to be read a Second time on the first available day after 30th June, 1963, and to be printed.
MAIN ESTIMATES OF - EXPENDITURE FOR 1963 Order read for resumed consideration in Committee of Supply [2nd Allotted Day]. Resumption of debate on Question (12th June, 1963). "That the total sum to be allocated for Head 24 be reduced by $100."-(Mr Leong Keng Seng).
MAIN ESTIMATES OF - EXPENDITURE FOR 1963 2.34 p.m. Head 24 -
MAIN ESTIMATES OF - EXPENDITURE FOR 1963 The Question is, "That the total sum to be allocated for Head 24 be reduced by $100."
MAIN ESTIMATES OF - EXPENDITURE FOR 1963 (In Mandarin): Mr Speaker, Sir, last night, I mentioned that the Public Works Department is closely connected with every citizen of Singapore. The efficiency and work of this department have a very great effect on the future and livelihood of the people. We see that the expenditure of this department for this year is the same as that for last year. Its duties and tasks in the past have been of great concern to us. Last night, I also said that in the rural areas, there are many bridges, roads and drains which are in a very bad condition. Weeds are also found along the roadside. The P.W.D. should not neglect its maintenance and repair work. We have not seen it carrying out its duties in the past year. In order that the roads and drains in the rural areas can be repaired and maintained, the people in these areas must first wait for the Prime Minister to visit them. I have facts to back up what I say. Now all this has aroused the grievance of the people. They have to wait for the Prime Minister to visit them before work can be carried out by the P.W.D. The impression is created that the maintenance of roads and the building of social amenities in the rural areas is at the convenience of the Prime Minister. This shows the bureaucratic practice of the Government. Mr Speaker, Sir, the bridges and roads in the rural areas are very necessary for the people and they should be properly looked after by the P.W.D. If they are damaged or they are in a bad condition, this will have a great effect on the livelihood of the rural folks. If the roads are bad and the bridges are not kept in a state of repair, the eggs and agricultural produce of these people will not find their way to the market and this will result in a great loss for them. In the past, the drains and rivers in the rural areas were looked after by the P.W.D. every two or three months, but now this work is handed over to the Work Brigade which is not carrying out the work of regular maintenance done in the past. Therefore, we can see lallang and weeds everywhere and some areas are flooded after rain, and, as a result of this, the people in the rural areas suffer a loss because their vegetables are destroyed. Obviously the duties of the P.W.D. are very important, but the Minister for National Development has not paid attention to the work of this department. He has handed over this sort of work to the Work Brigade and they have not carried out the work which should have been done, thus causing unnecessary losses to the rural people. I am of the opinion that since the expenditure for this department for this year is the same as that for last year, the Government should carry out its responsibilities to the rural people, such as the maintenance of roads, drains and bridges as it has done in the past. In this way, the rural people will be greatly helped.
MAIN ESTIMATES OF - EXPENDITURE FOR 1963 Sir, as usual the Member for Choa Chu Kang is talking a lot of rubbish. This Head is Public Works, Recurrent. It concerns the maintenance and repair of Government offices, public street light, roads, backlanes, drainage, sewerage and other services. The Member then brings up the Prime Minister's visits to constituencies. He says that the Government does work only after the Prime Minister has visited these constituencies. [Interruption] Sir, the work of construction and development, whether in the city or rural areas, goes on all the time. The Member knows it. But he comes to this Assembly haranguing, hoping that the people outside will believe what he says. But I think in general the people out-side already have the Barisan Sosialis properly assessed. They know that these people yap rubbish. They do nothing in their own constituencies and they harp on "only when the Prime Minister goes to the urban constituencies that things are done." Sir, the work of development in the rural areas goes on all the time. For the information of the Member for Choa Chu Kang, in the rural areas from 1962 to May 1963, we spent $784,460 on laying 173 standpipes and also making water supply available to Pulau Tekong. We also spent $2,492,000 supplying rural electrification schemes for 33 kampongs. We also lit up 100 kampong roads, spending $240,186. We lit up 68 public streets at a cost of $455,195. 2.45 p.m. We also made up 194 kampongs and access roads to the tune of $1,125,318 for the making up of these roads. I would not have brought this up if the Member for Choa Chu Kang had not brought up the idea that we are not doing anything for the people of Singapore. Although this is a Head which concerns only maintenance, he is talking about development. He also mentioned something about the Work Brigade doing the work of the P.W.D. It is true the Work Brigade has taken over certain functions of the P.W.D., like grass cutting, desilting drains and all these things. But what these people from the Barisan benches ever since we had this Budget sitting have been trying to say is that we do not do anything for the people of Singapore, and that it is only when the Prime Minister visits the place that we are doing something for the people of Singapore. If they were in their right senses, they would not have been saying such things. I suggest that the Member for Choa Chit Kang get his head examined.
MAIN ESTIMATES OF - EXPENDITURE FOR 1963 (In Mandarin): Mr Speaker, Sir, this Head 24 concerns the maintenance fees of public works. This Public Works, Recurrent, expenditure should be spent on the repairing and maintaining of roads and drains. However, the Minister for National Development has said that we the Barisan Sosialis Members have not been working on our own. This problem will cause no surprise. As far as the Public Works Department work is concerned, the P.A.P.'s policy is to classify the works into several categories. Firstly, it is whether the area concerned belongs to the Ministers' constituencies. If it is so, then if there is any complaint, undoubtedly the Government will have the work done in that constituency. Next comes the constituencies of the Parliamentary Secretaries. If a Parliamentary Secretary and a Minister apply for the same work to be done, of course, the priority will be given to the application of the Minister. Thus the Parliamentary Secretary comes next. The third category are the Back-benchers, and there are also first-class and second-class Backbenchers. Those who are more obedient are classified as first-class Assemblymen. Those who are querulous or quarrelsome are classified as second-class lack-benchers. So in the Government departments there are four categories of services. Even in the Government departments there are four classes of work. So if the people want any drains or roads to be repaired or maintained or any street lights to he installed, they have to go to the Minister. If they go to the Minister, then the work can be done. They should go to the Minister first. If they cannot find the Minister, then they must find the Parliamentary Secretary. If they cannot find the Parliamentary Secretary, they must go to the first-class Back-benchers; and then comes the last. If they go to the Barisan Sosialis Assemblymen, they will not have any hope of having the work done, because the application will be thrown into the waste-paper basket. This is the policy of the P.A.P. That is why the constituencies belonging to our Assemblymen do not have any work done, because in the Government itself there are four classes of work. I remember before I left the P.A.P. I made an application that the areas in Market Street and Tew Chew Street should have their roads and streets repaired. I made the application in May 1961. At first it was intended to carry out the work. But when I became an Opposition Member this work was not carried out. No wonder the Minister was saying that we Barisan Assemblymen have no work to do, because, as far as the people are concerned, they have found out that even in the Government Party there are four classes of Assemblymen. If the people in Singapore wish to have some improvement in their life and in their social amenities, they must, first and foremost, topple the reactionary and colonial stooge Government. Otherwise they will not be able to have anything done for them, because in the whole parliamentary democratic system the Opposition should he a component part of it. But the P.A.P. has discarded the Opposition Members as far as public works are concerned. They play party politics. Ordinarily if any application is put forward to be done, it should be considered. But today the situation is different. If it happens to be second-class Assemblymen of the Government Party or the Opposition Members, we have to wait. Today the P.A.P. policy is such and it is not surprising that the Minister for National Development has said that the Opposition Members have no work to do. This is because in the Government Party itself there are four classes of Assemblymen. That is why our applications were never considered.
MAIN ESTIMATES OF - EXPENDITURE FOR 1963 It appears to he an invitation to the Government Backbenchers to reply.
MAIN ESTIMATES OF - EXPENDITURE FOR 1963 (In Mandarin): Mr Speaker, just now after listening to the Member for Havelock, I am surprised that the Barisan Members should have introduced themselves because they are blowing their own trumpet. He feels that the people of Singapore are not intelligent. I think all this is a waste of time for this House. The allegation made by him just now is that when applications were made for a certain job to he done, they were not approved and the work was not done. This is all rubbish. I can quote examples to prove that even work in the Opposition Members' constituencies has been carried out. It is not true to say that only applications coming from the Government constituencies are approved and work is carried out there. While he made such allegations he should also substantiate them. According to him, there are certain roads which need to he repaired but the repair has not been done. He is the Member for that constituency. But at present he is interested only in his own party politics and the work that should have been done by him has been pushed on to us. If he has made any application for any work to be done, and if nothing comes out of it, why does he not make an inquiry about it? I can tell this House that what they are interested in is not the livelihood and welfare of the people. As far as I know, what they are interested in and what worries them most is how to go about extorting from the people. If people do not subscribe to them, then they will intimidate them. I can get many people to substantiate what I say. When debating on the Main Estimates, they are now talking of the so-called people's welfare and livelihood. Now on Sundays or weekends they go to people's houses to force them to donate money to them and to their front organisations, such as the Rural People's Organisation. They are trying to extort money from the people.
MAIN ESTIMATES OF - EXPENDITURE FOR 1963 These points are irrelevant. Are there any other points the Parliamentary Secretary wishes to make?
MAIN ESTIMATES OF - EXPENDITURE FOR 1963 (In Mandarin): No.
MAIN ESTIMATES OF - EXPENDITURE FOR 1963 Mr Speaker, Sir, under this Head there is an item for maintenance of Government quarters, barracks and grounds. I would like the Minister to tell us how many Government quarters are now still vacant, particularly of the Class I type. 3. 00 p.m.
MAIN ESTIMATES OF - EXPENDITURE FOR 1963 I do not have the information with me, but if the Member likes, I can let him have it tomorrow.
MAIN ESTIMATES OF - EXPENDITURE FOR 1963 Could the Minister say whether there are any - even without the numbers?
MAIN ESTIMATES OF - EXPENDITURE FOR 1963 No, Sir.
MAIN ESTIMATES OF - EXPENDITURE FOR 1963 (In Mandarin): Mr Speaker, Sir, I do not know what the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for National Development was speaking about. I made an application in May 1961, i.e. before I left the P.A.P. if he wants evidence, well that is easy. We can go to the Director of Public Works and ask for it. But now, if we want to make an application, we have to go here and there and the result will be nil. It is usually like this: the Director will tell us that we have our difficulties and he has his, and the result will again be "No". The Parliamentary Secretary does not know all about this. Frankly, he is very inexperienced. What he is interested in is pig-rearing and the keeping of goats and sheep. The other point is that the Parliamentary Secretary said that they did some work in the constituencies of Opposition Members. Actually it is this: because they are the Government, they know that if such work is to be done on a certain day of a certain week, they see to it that before the work commences they go to that area and take a look. After the work has actually been done, the people will say. "Well, this work was done by the P.A.P." But this cunning tactic cannot cheat the people. This actually is the responsibility of the Government and they should do it. They cannot escape from it. He also asked why we did not do these things. It was because they prevented us from doing them. Some of our people used their own labour to open up drains and build bridges, and sometimes they were interfered with by the Government saying that they had first to satisfy certain laws and regulations. This is the policy of the Government nowadays.
MAIN ESTIMATES OF - EXPENDITURE FOR 1963 (In Malay): Mr Speaker, actually I did not wish to join in the debate on this subject of the Public Works Department. But since several Members of the Barisan Sosialis opposite have repeatedly mentioned the visits of the Prime Minister, I feel that, as a responsible Member of the Government in the Ministry of the Prime Minister, it is proper for me to participate in this debate. Throughout the debate on this Head, this question of visits of the Prime Minister to the rural constituencies has been repeatedly mentioned. To them, the question is like an atom bomb, because it exposes the dirt of the Barisan Sosialis to the rural folks. I feel that only those who deliberately close their eyes can fail to see the achievements and projects that have been carried out in the rural constituencies. During the term of office of the P.A.P., we have established the Urban and Rural Services Consultative Committee which was previously headed by the former Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister, now a Member of the Barisan Sosialis. Its members comprised the Members for Choa Chu Kang, Toa Payoh. Changi. Jalan Kayu - if I am not mistaken - and also I think the Member for Pasir Panjang. However, Mr Speaker, if you will peruse the minutes of the previous Committee, you will find that, at the time when the Barisan Members defected from the P.A.P. not a single minute was handed to the succeeding Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister. When I took over from the Member for Upper Serangoon who went to Israel, I found that standpipes were meant for Choa Chu Kang only. The Member for Choa Chu Kang, at one time, was acting as a Parliamentary Secretary. As he then was, lie was trying to cut his coat to fall in with Members of the Government. I can prove that, Mr Speaker. There is not a single constituency left out of the Government's development projects. Perhaps when the Prime Minister visits the rural constituencies, he will be informed by the constituents of the projects or achievements made today. Suffice it to say, I think the people know who are fond of twisting facts. Mr Speaker, forgive me for quoting an analogy. If the intent of the Barisan Sosialis is had, the smell will be detected by the people, because works and projects such as drainage, standpipes, have, in fact, been carried out. It is possible that some Members of the Barisan Sosialis have approached the Director of Public Works with requests to get work done. It was wrong, because we have a Committee for this purpose, and they know that this Committee is responsible for such work. So they should channel their applications to this Committee. As Vice-Chairman of the Committee, I have never received an application from Members of the Barisan Sosialis for requests to carry out rural work in their constituencies. But the Member for Tanglin has submitted an application for work to be carried out in his constituency. The Member for Kampong Kembangan, the Member for Southern Islands and the Member for Geylang Serai too have submitted applications. But not a single request has been received from Members of the Barisan Sosialis. This clearly shows that they have neglected the interests of the people whom they claim to represent, because to date not a single application has been received by the Committee from them to do improvement work in those constituencies.
MAIN ESTIMATES OF - EXPENDITURE FOR 1963 Order. May I remind the Parliamentary Secretary that he is addressing the Speaker? He is pointing in the wrong direction. I do not mind if he points at the Speaker. Inche Yaacob (In Malay): Mr Speaker, I want to speak on this point which has been debated since yesterday. The Barisan claims that after the Prime Minister has paid visits to the constituencies that work is then carried out. The purpose of the visits is to buy votes - so the Barisan claims. If I were to read in detail the projects that have been implemented in the rural constituencies for the information of the Barisan Sosialis, it will take a long time. If I am to address my speech to people who are deaf, it will he the same as tuning on my radio in full volume for them to listen, and it will still not have any effect on them. Mr Speaker, to prove that the people welcome the visits of the Prime Minister, they themse1ves submit memoranda with recommendations for consideration by the Government. If the Prime Minister visits the rural constituencies, the people who welcome him do not comprise only members of the Work Brigade. If Members opposite are prepared to accompany the Prime Minister on his visits, I am prepared to invite them to see for themselves the livelihood of the people. The fact is that they are not prepared to face the constituents themselves because they have not done their job. For that reason, the Prime Minister himself takes the trouble to visit the rural constituencies to face the people so as to know their grievances. I wish to remind the Barisan Sosialis Members of the speech of President Soekarno, "As the father of the Republic of Indonesia, all State machinery will be at my disposal. With the strength of the State machinery, I can influence thousands, nay, millions of people. But one thing is beyond my control, and that is, to get each and every person who welcomes me to smile at me, because the smile comes from the heart of hearts." Thousands have welcomed the Prime Minister, and that clearly shows that the influence of the Barisan Sosialis is coming to an end. 3.15 p.m.
MAIN ESTIMATES OF - EXPENDITURE FOR 1963 Mr Speaker, Sir, what we are asked to believe is that Members of the Government are all hard-working people, that they are generous, that they go around meeting the people in the kampongs and in their houses and doing a favour to the people by building roads, drains, etc. Sir, first of all, I will he generous and concede one point, and that is that they are not idle. We agree they are very active people. They do a lot of work, it is because they are active and do a lot of work that today they still survive. Amongst the things they do, they sit down and plot, and think of how they can fix political opponents ---
MAIN ESTIMATES OF - EXPENDITURE FOR 1963 We are fixed by you.
MAIN ESTIMATES OF - EXPENDITURE FOR 1963 First year in office. Most of the time the Prime Minister spent was in plotting how best he could fix the Member for Hong Lim. The second year, he spent a lot of time plotting how to fix Mr Lim Ching Siong and the rest of us. This is one of the things they do. They are very active. They use police and other agents to try and disrupt organisations that do not owe allegiance to the P.A.P. They spend a lot of time trying to find ways and means of how best they can disrupt, for example, trade union organisations. Aside from activities like this, Sir, they build roads. We are not saying that they are not building roads. We are not saying they do not build drains, improve roads and undertake other development projects. What we say, in the first place, is that all these are inadequate. That is our first point. I am quite sure the people agree with us that these are inadequate. Secondly is this immediate and recent concern the Prime Minister has shown in the welfare of the rural dwellers. The Prime Minister became the Prime Minister in June 1959. He did not go round the constituencies in June 1959. In June 1959 he did a victory parade. But after, the whole of 1959, 1960) - no. When did he start these so-called Prime Minister's visits to the rural areas? Only recently. The reason is obvious. The Prime Minister's visits are a political stunt to catch votes, and I say the Government are dishonest if they do not admit this ---
MAIN ESTIMATES OF - EXPENDITURE FOR 1963 Order. I think we have had a very lengthy debate on the Prime Minister's rural visits. I do not want to reopen the debate. I think the allegation now is that the rural complaints have all been attended to, just because the Prime Minister has visited rural areas.
MAIN ESTIMATES OF - EXPENDITURE FOR 1963 I do not want to reopen the debate. I just want to make this point because so much play has been made of this so-called desire of the Prime Minister, the anxiety and concern of the Prime Minister over the welfare of the rural dwellers - a concern that did not arise during the three years in office, but has only arisen in recent months. Sir, we realise that right at the moment, the Government is paying extra concentration on improving roads, building new roads and other construction projects. We agree they pay greater concentration now. The reason for this is very simple. The elections are around the corner. It will be remembered that in 1957/1958, just before the last general elections, the previous government also concentrated on building roads and more roads, more post offices, schools, S.I.T. flats ---
MAIN ESTIMATES OF - EXPENDITURE FOR 1963 That is not what we said in the election campaign.
MAIN ESTIMATES OF - EXPENDITURE FOR 1963 The Prime Minister, when he was on this side of the House just before the elections in 1959, had said these things. His pupils must look these things up. The Prime Minister told the former Chief Minister, "You are now building more flats. Yes, but still you are not going to win the elections." That was proved correct, not because the Prime Minister said it, but because the people cannot he deceived that easily. Sir, today if this talk of the welfare of the people, the needs of the people is raised, and if some attention is paid to these things by the Government, it is because they want to try and recover their political stature. They know they are discredited. It is like a desperate dying man clinging on to anything that he considers medicine that will cure him. We tell them, "Do it. Take what you want. But one important lesson that we should learn from history is that you cannot deceive the people all the time" ---
MAIN ESTIMATES OF - EXPENDITURE FOR 1963 That is true.
MAIN ESTIMATES OF - EXPENDITURE FOR 1963 Then they have always said the time will soon come. Sooner or later, Sir, the people will pass judgment.
MAIN ESTIMATES OF - EXPENDITURE FOR 1963 That is his moment of truth, Sir.
MAIN ESTIMATES OF - EXPENDITURE FOR 1963 They are obviously overjoyed, Mr Speaker. I am sure you will agree that we have made a number of calls for general elections in Singapore ---
MAIN ESTIMATES OF - EXPENDITURE FOR 1963 Keep on calling.
MAIN ESTIMATES OF - EXPENDITURE FOR 1963 We made this call as early as 1961 ---
MAIN ESTIMATES OF - EXPENDITURE FOR 1963 Chakap besar!
MAIN ESTIMATES OF - EXPENDITURE FOR 1963 Order. All this, of course, is completely irrelevant. But I think the hon. Member has made his point. We are still on Public Works, Recurrent, that is, maintenance of drains and bridges and roads.
MAIN ESTIMATES OF - EXPENDITURE FOR 1963 I just want to make this point, Sir. Who is scared of meeting the people? This has been raised ---
MAIN ESTIMATES OF - EXPENDITURE FOR 1963 Order. I quite agree it has been raised on the left side of the House and on the right side of the House. It has been raised time and again. It will not hear repetition. We have heard enough.
MAIN ESTIMATES OF - EXPENDITURE FOR 1963 Very well, Mr Speaker, let it go at that. I just want to make this one final point, if they are today building roads, flats, drains, these are because by obligation they are expected to do these things. Sir, the funds for this come from the people. The basic obligation of the Government is what they are fulfilling now. There is nothing to take pride in this. It is no use telling the people, "You must he grateful to me because I am building a road for you." We say yes, you have got your budget. We approve the money and you do the work because you are expected to do it ---
MAIN ESTIMATES OF - EXPENDITURE FOR 1963 What have you done?
MAIN ESTIMATES OF - EXPENDITURE FOR 1963 --- and if you want to get credit.
MAIN ESTIMATES OF - EXPENDITURE FOR 1963 Mr Speaker, Sir, I had not intended to participate in this debate, but every time the Member for Thomson gets up to speak, he stimulates my interest in subjects in which I am not normally well versed. But, however, Sir, some of the things that he has been saying, I think, call for some reply. For example, the point he has been making is this. The Government has done a lot of good things. But it should do more. I agree with him. But what I want to know is: What have the Barisan Sosialis been doing? They were all elected on our platform to help complete our promises ---
MAIN ESTIMATES OF - EXPENDITURE FOR 1963 That is true.
MAIN ESTIMATES OF - EXPENDITURE FOR 1963 Today, they are on the other side criticising, destroying, obstructing. For example, Sir, it is true that the Prime Minister and lots of us are trying to catch up with sonic other work, backlog, mainly because after the second year, we spent a great deal of our time, nearly two years, fighting the Communists who were trying to sabotage a major platform in our election programme-merger and Malaysia. The greater part of two years which was vital to us was spent in combating them, stifling them, conscribing them. Therefore, Sir, if there are not enough stand-pipes, not enough roads, then I say the Communists and the Barisan Sosialis bear a great deal of the responsibility. One of the interesting things is that since the Barisan Sosialis left this side of the House everybody is well aware that things are coming up. Houses are coming up, schools are coming up, and a friend of mine has told me that that proves that if you have a water pipe, you will always get some dirt clogging the pipe. If you remove the dirt, the water flows freely. That is what has been happening. After the Communists suffered a defeat at the referendum, people have more confidence, no more obstruction. All that the Barisan can do is to make occasional speeches here and there. We have been able to more than fulfil a great deal of our programme. And for that, I would like to place here, Sir, I think, for the instruction of the Barisan Sosialis, a pamphlet* produced by our Ministry which gives the achievements of the Government during the last 47 months, one month short of four years. For the convenience of those Members who cannot read, there are lots of pictures too. I place it here in the Chamber for the information of Members. * Copy placed in the Assembly Library.
MAIN ESTIMATES OF - EXPENDITURE FOR 1963 Order. I think the proper place for that is the Library.
MAIN ESTIMATES OF - EXPENDITURE FOR 1963 (In Mandarin): Mr Speaker, Sir, I had not thought of speaking. But after hearing the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for National Development referring to Punggol constituency, mentioning that I did not know what was happening in that constituency, I am now rising to speak a few words --- Mr Chor Yeok Eng rose ---
MAIN ESTIMATES OF - EXPENDITURE FOR 1963 On a point of order?
MAIN ESTIMATES OF - EXPENDITURE FOR 1963 Yes. (In Mandarin): Mr Speaker, Sir, I did not mention Punggol constituency. Perhaps the Member was sleeping. I never mentioned him at all.
MAIN ESTIMATES OF - EXPENDITURE FOR 1963 Order. The Parliamentary Secretary himself is out of order because it is not a point of order. It is a point of elucidation.
MAIN ESTIMATES OF - EXPENDITURE FOR 1963 (In Mandarin): I have not been sleeping. He himself was sleeping. What he has said, he is now denying. He has said it just a little while ago and now he has already forgotten about it. I remember there have been a few incidents in the Punggol constituency. Since I am a representative of that constituency, the people there came to see me and to ask me to try and solve their problems, and I conveyed these matters to the Ministry of National Development. Later on, these two matters after investigation by the Minister for National Development were finally resolved to the satisfaction of both sides. 3.30 p.m. But I feel that this sort of work is the responsibility of the Government. As a representative of that constituency, I have a duty to convey the opinions of the people to the relevant departments of the Government in order to help them. So when the Government has solved anything for the people in my constituency, the Prime Minister should not take pride on account of it. I think this incident happened only a few weeks before the Prime Minister went to Punggol constituency. I remember that a few weeks before he went to my constituency, there were a few P.A.P. members who went round to get the people to organise a welcoming committee. But they could not find the chairman of the committee, and the Minister for National Development had to go there himself to look for him.
MAIN ESTIMATES OF - EXPENDITURE FOR 1963 We have completed the debate on rural visits. I do not want to reopen that debate. Is there anything on maintenance of drains, bridges and roads?