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PERMISSION TO MEMBERS TO BE ABSENT Under the provisions of clause 2 (d) of Article 30 of the Constitution of Singapore, I have granted permission to the following Members to be or to remain absent from sittings of Parliament (or any Committee of Parliament to which they have been appointed) for the periods stated: - Mr Yong Nyuk Lin (Geylang West), Minister for Health - from 12th September to 12th November, 1967. Mr Ho Kah Leong (Jurong) - from 16th to 22nd September, 1967. (P. COOMARASWAMY) Speaker, Parliament of Singapore
QUESTIONS FOR ORAL ANSWER - (Motion) Mr Speaker, Sir, may I seek your consent and the general assent of Members to move a motion to suspend Standing Orders in order that Questions for Oral Answer may be taken beyond 3.30 p.m, today until all Questions standing on the Order Paper are taken today?
QUESTIONS FOR ORAL ANSWER - (Motion) I give my consent. May I have the general assent of Members for the motion to be moved as proposed? Hon. Members indicated assent. Resolved, "That notwithstanding Standing Orders on this day, the Questions for Oral Answer be continued beyond 3.30 p.m, until all the Questions set down on the Order Paper are taken today."-[Mr Rodrigues].
ORAL ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS - WITHDRAWAL OF BRITISH BASES IN SINGAPORE - (Request for Statement) asked the Prime Minister if he will make a statement on the outcome of his talks with the British Premier and his Ministers in London regarding the proposed withdrawal of the British Bases in Singapore; and what steps will be taken to ensure that the economy and defence of Singapore will not suffer as a result.
ORAL ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS - WITHDRAWAL OF BRITISH BASES IN SINGAPORE - (Request for Statement) Mr Speaker, the British Government has stated its position in a Supplementary Statement on Defence Policy tabled in their Parliament on the 18th July this year. In the Far East, they have decided to reach a reduction of about half the forces deployed in Singapore and Malaysia during 1970-71. The reductions will be so phased that, by the early 1970s, the British forces still stationed in Singapore and Malaysia will consist largely of naval forces (including an amphibious element) and air forces. In paragraph 8 of the Supplementary Statement, they stated: `We cannot plan the period beyond 1970-71 in the same detail. The reductions over the next few years will be considerable: we are determined that they will take place in an orderly manner, which will enable our Commonwealth partners to adjust their plans, and will allow Singapore and Malaysia to make the necessary economic transition as smoothly as possible. We plan to withdraw altogether from our bases in Singapore and Malaysia in the middle l970s; the precise timing of our eventual withdrawal will depend on progress made in achieving a new basis for stability in Southeast Asia and in resolving other problems in the Far East.' Elaboration of the British Government's position can be found in the speech of the British Minister of Defence, who opened the debate in Parliament on the 27th July and also in the speech of the British Prime Minister when he closed the debate that same evening. Copies of the Supplementary Statement and the Hansard record of the debate are available in the library. I commend them to Members. Right up till the middle 1970s, a period of between six years at the earliest and ten years at the latest, there will be an actual presence in the area consisting mainly of aircraft and naval vessels. In paragraph 9 of the Statement, the British Government states: `We are, therefore, planning to maintain a military capability for use, if required, in the area, even when we no longer have forces permanently based there.' And in paragraph 10, they stated: `We do not need to settle the precise character, size and deployment of this capability now. It would be largely drawn, however, from the forces of all three Services which would be stationed in this country as a strategic reserve; and we should probably keep in the Far East some naval and amphibious forces.' These decisions have now been made public. They require reappraisal and readjustment in the foreign and defence policies of all the governments that have planned their previous policies on the basis of a continuing British military presence in the region into the indefinite future. Before the 1970s rearrangements will have to be made and will probably have been made in the pattern of defence in which we must seek our own security. But whilst our problems of defence are those of the middle term and beyond, the economic impact of the defence cuts will be immediate. Total British base expenditure constitutes roughly 20 per cent of Singapore's G.N.P. (Gross National Product). It provides direct employment for some 30,000 civilian employees in the armed forces and another 10,000 women and girls as domestic help for the service families. About 15,000 of these civilian employees and about 5,000 domestic helpers will be out of jobs by 1971, adding to our already large pool of unemployed. Our problem is to lessen the dislocation of our economy. In this connection, Mr Speaker, Sir, it is useful to recall that from 1819 (the foundation of Singapore) right up to the 1930s there was a thriving and prosperous Singapore without either a British naval base or an air base. The Naval Base in Sembawang and the Air Base in Seletar were built in the 1930s. It was only the introduction of the practice of allowing serving officers and other ranks to be accompanied by their wives and children in the 1950s that British base expenditure began to constitute so sizable a percentage of our G.N.P. Now, over a period of about a decade this figure will tail back to zero. We shall be back in the position of the 1930s,where British base expenditure constituted a negligible proportion of the economy of Singapore. As I have said, there was a thriving Singapore before the bases were built and manned, and if we set about our job intelligently and in good heart, there will be a bigger and economically more self-reliant Singapore after the bases have been run down and uniformed personnel withdrawn. The problems arising out of this process are being studied by a team headed by Mr Hon Sui Sen, Chairman of our Economic Development Board. Steps are being taken to build up a team of experts and consultants who can advise the Board on the possible ways in which the facilities which will become surplus to British service requirements can be converted to civilian user, so as to create the maximum number of new jobs. It is a problem of considerable magnitude and complexity. Put simply, it is this: what to do with this vast military complex, one naval base and a dockyard, three military airfields, and a vast army complex of workshops, supply depots and other supporting services. For whilst we will inherit all the fixtures which have been built over the years on lands made available by the Singapore Government to the British armed services, we will also inherit more than 40,000 bread-winners and their families who have come to Singapore from India, West Malaysia, and from places as far off as Hongkong and Weihaiwei. With their families they now comprise some half a million persons; three-quarters of them are now our citizens. Both in their public statements and in discussions and communications between British Ministers and ourselves, they have made it plain that they shared our interests in maintaining confidence in the continued stability and prosperity of Singapore and were anxious to assist in meeting economic problems which the run-down of their bases, according to programme, will cause. They have stated that they would be ready to consider with us the most effective and productive uses of the economic and technical resources they could provide. They have nominated Sir Alan Dudley of their Ministry of Overseas Development to conduct discussions with us. We have nominated Mr Hon Sui Sen. Talks will begin shortly. The first matters for discussion will be the kind of aid to deal with the more immediate problems. Mr Speaker, however significant the aid, the future of Singapore depends upon our capacity to maintain orderly and stable economic and social conditions as we go through the pangs of withdrawal of British base expenditure. The success of this operation depends upon three factors. First, our ability to maintain that climate of quiet confidence and the establishment of labour attitudes and social conditions which will assure local investors and overseas investors of the certainty of their planning assumptions for the establishment and expansion of their industries. Second, the capacity of our population to adapt and to adjust, without any whimpering or wringing of hands, as a way of life to which they have been accustomed over 30 years comes to an end. The least of the changes contemplated means that dockyard workers, working on naval vessels for naval commanders, who are not concerned with the time a vessel is out of service whilst undergoing repairs, have now to adjust their attitudes to work and adapt their methods of work, and also the manner in which they may be rewarded for work, to meet the needs of ship- owners who want their vessels repaired in as little a time as possible, as every hour in repair means vast sums of money in loss of earnings. At the worst, it means being able, sometimes at a very difficult age of life for the people in their middle 40's and above to make the painful change of earning a living in a different way - from being a storekeeper or a clerk to a skilled, semiskilled or even a manual worker. The third factor is whether the economic aid that we have been promised will be substantial enough and utilised intelligently enough to create the maximum number of jobs. Whether British performance will be equal to their promises will in part depend upon the performance of Britain's own economy. But it will be foolish to believe that others can do for us what we as a people, and organised as a representative government, must do for ourselves. From our past performance, given no ill-fortune, it is more than likely that we can and will make up for the loss of this 20 per cent G.N.P. which will take place over the next decade. Our economy has grown at the rate of 6 to 9 per cent per annum, except for the first full year of confrontation, 1964, when the increase was only 2 per cent. But what we may not be able to do, unless our performance is better than that of the last eight years, is to create meaningful jobs as the annual 15,000 to 20,000 young boys and girls who now come into the labour market are joined by another 40,000 workers, 30,000 of whom are our citizens who will be put out of employment from the British bases. Air the family planning and other methods of controlling population which we may have to use will be of great benefit to whoever forms the government in the late '70s and '80s. But we are already saddled with the baby boom of the post-war years of the 1940s and early 1950s. We have assured the British Government of our co-operation to ensure the orderly withdrawal of their forces and the run-down of their Bases according to programme. The civilian employees' union leaders have reacted in a rational and intelligent way in the best interests of their members and of Singapore. The Economic Development Board team has visited most of the base installations which the three Services may be giving up between now and 1971. Consultations and discussions will go on between our officers and the officers of the three Services to work out intelligently and in a friendly way how their redundant base facilities can be put to some economic use. It is our intention that the changeover will be done in a quiet and orderly fashion and with goodwill.
ORAL ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS - WITHDRAWAL OF BRITISH BASES IN SINGAPORE - (Request for Statement) (In Mandarin): Mr Speaker, Sir, when our Prime Minister and his Cabinet Ministers went to London to discuss the withdrawal of the British troops from our area, after which the British Government issued a White Paper on this, I have also read this White Paper in which there is a statement to the effect that when the British are withdrawing their troops from here-
ORAL ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS - WITHDRAWAL OF BRITISH BASES IN SINGAPORE - (Request for Statement) Mr Lim, could you get to your supplementary question?
ORAL ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS - WITHDRAWAL OF BRITISH BASES IN SINGAPORE - (Request for Statement) (In Mandarin): Sir, my question is related to economic aid. In the White Paper it is stated that when the British withdraw their troops from Singapore, they would give economic aid and other means to help the countries affected. There is the term "significant aid". This would give people the impression that there would be economic aid. Whether or not such significant aid would be forthcoming, will the Prime Minister explain to us what kind of aid would be forthcoming? In the past we have said that we would rather have trade than economic aid. That was also stated by the Prime Minister some time ago. Can I have the Prime Minister's clarification or elaboration on this? If the so-called economic aid is just like the type given to other countries which are receiving foreign aid, then it may be inconsistent with our policy.
ORAL ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS - WITHDRAWAL OF BRITISH BASES IN SINGAPORE - (Request for Statement) Mr Speaker, Sir, I do not intend to anticipate the out- come of the first discussions between Mr Hon and Sir Alan Dudley. But purely expressing our attitude or approach to the problem, we would like the British Government to give us notice of those of their facilities found redundant, as quickly as possible, and to hand over to civilian management some of those facilities even whilst they are still in military use, as in the case of the naval dockyard - if this were possible. Secondly, any such assistance whether direct grants or technical and other assistance, should be designed to provide Singapore with the kind of industries which will not make us dependent on perpetual injections of aid from outside. I can assure the Member for Bukit Merah that we cannot change our attitude to life, that the world does not owe us a living - and that we cannot live by the begging bowl. This is an unhappy disengagement which has come earlier than either they or we expected. The best way of meeting the problem is to go about it quietly and intelligently discussing our problems in a low key, and with as little fuss and bother as possible.
NON-CITIZENS IN DIVISION I APPOINTMENTS IN CIVIL SERVICE - (Number) asked the Minister for Finance the number of non-citizens in Division I appointments in the Civil Service.
NON-CITIZENS IN DIVISION I APPOINTMENTS IN CIVIL SERVICE - (Number) Mr Speaker, Sir, there are 208 non-citizens holding Division I appointments in the Civil Service.
NON-CITIZENS IN DIVISION I APPOINTMENTS IN CIVIL SERVICE - (Number) Sir, will the Parliamentary Secretary consider fixing a time limit to take up citizenship for those civil servants who are eligible to apply for Singapore citizenship but have not done so; and what is the position of such appointments held by civil servants who are non-Singapore citizens?
NON-CITIZENS IN DIVISION I APPOINTMENTS IN CIVIL SERVICE - (Number) The Government does not, today, require the serving non-citizen Division I officers to take up Singapore citizenship. But if there is any promotion, their citizenship status will be one of the factors which will be considered.
GOVERNMENT OFFICERS ON SECONDMENT OR LOAN TO - STATUTORY BOARDS The following Question stood in the name of Mr Ho See Beng - 3. To ask the Minister for Finance how many Government officers are at present on secondment or loan to Statutory Boards or other organisations.
GOVERNMENT OFFICERS ON SECONDMENT OR LOAN TO - STATUTORY BOARDS Mr Ho See Beng.
GOVERNMENT OFFICERS ON SECONDMENT OR LOAN TO - STATUTORY BOARDS Question No. 3, Mr Speaker, Sir.
GOVERNMENT OFFICERS ON SECONDMENT OR LOAN TO - STATUTORY BOARDS The number of Government officers at present on secondment or on loan to Statutory Boards and other organisations is 89.
GOVERNMENT OFFICERS ON SECONDMENT OR LOAN TO - STATUTORY BOARDS Mr Speaker, Sir, among these officers who have been asked to go back to Government departments to work in their original posts, how many of them have been promoted or received higher salaries, and on what basis have they been given the promotion or increase of salary?
GOVERNMENT OFFICERS ON SECONDMENT OR LOAN TO - STATUTORY BOARDS Mr Speaker, Sir, I require notice of this question.
GOVERNMENT OFFICERS ON SECONDMENT OR LOAN TO - STATUTORY BOARDS The fault was mine. I should have ruled the supplementary question out of order, because it does not come within the ambit of the original question.
GOVERNMENT OFFICERS ON SECONDMENT - OUTSIDE GOVERNMENT SERVICE - (Government policy on terms and conditions of service) The following Question stood in the name of Mr Ho See Beng - 4. To ask the Minister for Finance what is the policy of the Government in respect of the terms and conditions of service of Government officers who are or have been seconded for service outside the Government Service for the purposes of their confirmation or promotion to higher posts in the Service.
GOVERNMENT OFFICERS ON SECONDMENT - OUTSIDE GOVERNMENT SERVICE - (Government policy on terms and conditions of service) Mr Ho See Beng.
GOVERNMENT OFFICERS ON SECONDMENT - OUTSIDE GOVERNMENT SERVICE - (Government policy on terms and conditions of service) Question No. 4.
GOVERNMENT OFFICERS ON SECONDMENT - OUTSIDE GOVERNMENT SERVICE - (Government policy on terms and conditions of service) Mr Speaker, Sir, the policy is that an officer's confirmation and his prospects for promotion should not be affected by his secondment for service outside the Government service. Although this is the policy and the intention, it is obvious that unless care is exercised over the length of the period of secondment, this may not happen in practice. The reason is that if an officer is seconded for an unduly long period of time, it may not be possible to assess his suitability for confirmation or promotion, especially if the nature of the duties of the post to which he is seconded differs vastly from that of the service to which he belongs. To ensure that the interest of the officer would not be adversely affected, it is the practice to limit the period of secondment in the case of probationers to within one year. Because of this precaution, no case is known where the confirmation or promotion prospects of an officer have been adversely affected by a secondment to a post outside the service.
GOVERNMENT OFFICERS ON SECONDMENT - OUTSIDE GOVERNMENT SERVICE - (Government policy on terms and conditions of service) Sir, in view of the answer by the Parliamentary Secretary, what is he going to do to safeguard the interest of those permanent officers who are seconded?
GOVERNMENT OFFICERS ON SECONDMENT - OUTSIDE GOVERNMENT SERVICE - (Government policy on terms and conditions of service) Mr Tang, perhaps the Parliamentary Secretary will deal with it under Question 5.
GOVERNMENT OFFICERS ON SECONDMENT OUTSIDE - GOVERNMENT SERVICE - (Effect on career in Civil Service) The following Question stood in the name of Mr Ho See Beng - 5. To ask the Minister for Finance whether he will state categorically that no Government officer's career in the Civil Service will be adversely affected merely by reason of his secondment for service outside the Government Service.
GOVERNMENT OFFICERS ON SECONDMENT OUTSIDE - GOVERNMENT SERVICE - (Effect on career in Civil Service) Mr Ho See Beng.
GOVERNMENT OFFICERS ON SECONDMENT OUTSIDE - GOVERNMENT SERVICE - (Effect on career in Civil Service) Question No. 5.
GOVERNMENT OFFICERS ON SECONDMENT OUTSIDE - GOVERNMENT SERVICE - (Effect on career in Civil Service) Mr Speaker, Sir, I can assure the hon. Member that an officer's career in the civil service will not be adversely affected by reason of his secondment for service outside the Government service itself. I have explained, in answer to the hon. Member's previous question, how this can be adversely affected if the secondment is not properly worked out.
GOVERNMENT OFFICERS ON SECONDMENT OUTSIDE - GOVERNMENT SERVICE - (Effect on career in Civil Service) Sir, in answer to Question No. 4, the Parliamentary Secretary did say that in practice it might not work out. Could he please give us details as to what safeguards there are to ensure that the interests of seconded officers are not jeopardised?
GOVERNMENT OFFICERS ON SECONDMENT OUTSIDE - GOVERNMENT SERVICE - (Effect on career in Civil Service) I said in my answer that the precaution is that the officer who is due for promotion or confirmation is not seconded for more than one year.
PROMOTION AND PROTECTION OF LOCAL INDUSTRIES asked the Minister for Finance, with a view to promoting and protecting local industries whose production capacity can meet the demands of local consumption, if he will consider prohibiting the importation of products similar to those of such local industries.
PROMOTION AND PROTECTION OF LOCAL INDUSTRIES The policy of the Government with regard to protection of local industries is quite clear. The Government is prepared to grant protection to industries if several factors are satisfied. Firstly, the industry must be in a position to supply a major part of the local market. Secondly, the industry should result in a net gain to the economy by way of foreign exchange savings, local income generated and local employment created. In addition, the industry should as far as possible be one with some export potential. The industry must show evidence of being willing and able to compete in the export market. Thus it can be seen that the productive capacity of an industry alone is not sufficient to conclude that it should be protected. There are other no less important factors to be taken into consideration. In considering the actual measures to be adopted, we have learned through experience that prohibition of imports is not the best means. Firstly, such prohibition does not set an automatic limit to the extent to which local prices can increase. Secondly, prohibition of imports would mean that the local industry would be divorced from the competitive pressures of new designs and improved quality which are constantly being developed by industries abroad. Thirdly, prohibition creates a situation which opens the administration to business pressures and enticements. It also results in a very high premium for the imported products, which encourages smuggling. For these reasons the Government would prefer to grant protection in the form of import duties. There are, of course, cases where quantitative restrictions on imports are necessary in the initial stages of an industry's existence. In such cases, the Government is prepared to consider such measures. Summing up, the Government is prepared to consider measures to protect local industries from imports, but does not consider prohibition of imports as the best means of doing so.
PROMOTION AND PROTECTION OF LOCAL INDUSTRIES (In Mandarin): Mr Speaker, Sir, the Government has imposed a quota on textiles and singlets. As a result of this, there is an increase of ten cents or so in the price of singlets. Does the Government have any measures to prevent price increases?
PROMOTION AND PROTECTION OF LOCAL INDUSTRIES Firstly, I think this supplementary question does not arise out of my answer. Secondly, the Finance Minister explained very elaborately about this yesterday.
ASEAN FOREIGN MINISTERS' CONFERENCE AT BANGKOK asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will make a statement on the achievements of the conference of ASEAN Foreign Ministers held at Bangkok recently.
ASEAN FOREIGN MINISTERS' CONFERENCE AT BANGKOK asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will make a statement on the outcome of the Conference of the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN) held at Bangkok recently and state in what way Singapore can benefit by being a member.
ASEAN FOREIGN MINISTERS' CONFERENCE AT BANGKOK Mr Speaker, Sir, with your permission, I shall answer Questions Nos. 7 and 8 together. Sir, I do not propose to give a detailed account of the aims and purposes of the Association of South-east Asian Nations, or ASEAN for short, as these have already been published in the newspapers. Very briefly, ASEAN is an organisation to accelerate economic growth, social progress and cultural development in the region through joint endeavours in the spirit of equality and partnership. This is the essence of ASEAN. However, what I would like to stress is that ASEAN as such is not concerned with military problems of the region. This is not to say that member countries are disinterested in defence matters. In fact, economic and social progress in the region would become well nigh impossible if these countries cannot safeguard their national integrity and security. However, one of the consequences of the successful realisation of the aims and objects of ASEAN would be to bring economic stability and thereby enhance prospects for peace and security in the region. In this sense, and only in this sense, is ASEAN an organisation for promoting peace and security in the region. Economic life today is rooted in interdependence, and national frontiers do not coincide with our actual economic frontiers. The advanced and economically-developed countries of the West, both Communist and non-Communist, realise this. The two Americas constitute, for all practical purposes, one gigantic working economic bloc. The Communist countries of the West have their COMICON. The highly industrialised countries of Western Europe have formed themselves into an economic community. At such a time when most countries of the world, especially the advanced countries of the world, are welding themselves into bigger and bigger economic units, the countries of South-east Asia, which are relatively under-developed and small, cannot go on believing that economic nationalism and self-sufficiency are the sure roads to modernisation and progress. ASEAN is, therefore, the first substantive step we have taken with other South-east Asian countries towards a regional economy. At the ASEAN meeting in Bangkok we agreed that regional co-operation should begin not merely by declaring good intentions embodied in the ASEAN Declaration, but to go a step further and pursue projects which are relatively simple in that they are those in which, no strong vested national interests are involved. The Standing Committee which was set up has been asked to consider and make proposals for joint development programmes on such subjects as tourism, shipping, fisheries and what is called expansion of intra-regional trade at the next Ministerial meeting in Jakarta. However, hon. Members will agree that the good intentions embodied in the ASEAN declaration alone are not sufficient. They have to run the gauntlet of political difficulties before they can be translated into action. As such, it will be unrealistic to expect a dramatic leap into regional co-operation. We should remember that even the European Economic Community took some ten years of haggling before it got off the ground. But for the time being, we should be satisfied if there is a steady, even if slow, movement towards regionalism. ASEAN is South-east Asia's first major attempt to apply to South-east Asia and its problems the more hopeful and fruitful idea of regionalism.
ASEAN FOREIGN MINISTERS' CONFERENCE AT BANGKOK Mr Speaker, Sir, can the Minister explain to the House what effects the formation of ASEAN will have on the Association of South Asia?
ASEAN FOREIGN MINISTERS' CONFERENCE AT BANGKOK Sir, since Singapore is not a member of ASA, I think this is .a matter for the original members - the three countries - to decide. But they have made public what they feel would be the impact of ASEAN, and it is this. The more ASEAN succeeds. the less use would there be for ASA in that ASA would be absorbed into ASEAN.
ASEAN FOREIGN MINISTERS' CONFERENCE AT BANGKOK Sir, will the Minister for Foreign Affairs explain whether the ASEAN set-up will lead to a common market arrangement between the member countries?
ASEAN FOREIGN MINISTERS' CONFERENCE AT BANGKOK Yes. As far as Singapore is concerned, a common market is one of the objectives, and I am glad to say that a number of countries, particularly Indonesia, since my recent visit there, have indicated an interest in seeing that ASEAN in the course of time also develops into a common market region.
ASEAN FOREIGN MINISTERS' CONFERENCE AT BANGKOK (In Mandarin): Now that we have joined ASEAN, can the Minister for Foreign Affairs inform us whether there will be any effect on our foreign policy? There has been talk outside that, as a result of British withdrawal, we will have to review our original non-alignment policy. Can the Minister elaborate on and clarify this point?
ASEAN FOREIGN MINISTERS' CONFERENCE AT BANGKOK As I have stated, Sir, ASEAN is a scheme for economic co-operation. It is not military. It does not affect our basic foreign policies and certainly not Singapore's foreign policy, though we might have to adjust our foreign policy. This has nothing to do with ASEAN but with changing circumstances in the region. But ASEAN as such does not in any way bind us to any foreign policy that we do not want to pursue.
ASEAN FOREIGN MINISTERS' CONFERENCE AT BANGKOK Mr Speaker, Sir, it has also been said that the ultimate objective of ASEAN is a political union. Would the Foreign Minister comment on this?
ASEAN FOREIGN MINISTERS' CONFERENCE AT BANGKOK At the moment, I do not think we should consider any other objectives than those declared in ASEAN and those, at the moment, do not contain any political objectives but economic objectives. I am in no position to say what will happen in 5, 10, 20 or 50 years from now.
ASEAN FOREIGN MINISTERS' CONFERENCE AT BANGKOK (In Mandarin): Can the Minister say whether, among the members of ASEAN, there are some who were members of Maphilindo? Can he explain whether the spirit of Maphilindo has any effect on ASEAN?
ASEAN FOREIGN MINISTERS' CONFERENCE AT BANGKOK No, Sir, it will have no effect, because the members of ASEAN subscribe to the aims and objectives of ASEAN. Whether they have any other arrangements outside of ASEAN is none of our concern. After all, we belong to the United Nations where there are 126 members ranging from Maphilindo to other beliefs - Communist, non-Communist, capitalist, democratic and so on. The fact that members have different ideologies does not mean that they do in any way commit ASEAN to depart from the declared objectives which have been made public.
ASEAN FOREIGN MINISTERS' CONFERENCE AT BANGKOK Mr Speaker, Sir, we have been given a very clear picture of what the ASEAN set-up is. But can the Minister for Foreign Affairs say what other positive steps will be taken to implement the agreement reached at Bangkok recently?
ASEAN FOREIGN MINISTERS' CONFERENCE AT BANGKOK As I have told hon. Members just now, a Standing Committee was set up, and since my recent visit to Indonesia, the Indonesian Foreign .Minister has told me that he expects to summon a meeting of the Standing Committee, which is composed of officials or Ambassadors of the respective countries, some time this month, if it is convenient to other members of ASEAN countries, to get down to studying some of the proposals which have been put up for consideration by the Standing Committee, like tourism, shipping, fisheries and the promotion of intra-regional trade.
RELIGIOUS TEACHERS IN MALAY SCHOOLS - (Shortage and recruitment) asked the Minister for Education how many teachers of religion in Malay Schools have been recruited this year and whether he is aware of the shortage of such teachers.
RELIGIOUS TEACHERS IN MALAY SCHOOLS - (Shortage and recruitment) Mr Speaker, Sir, the Ministry of Education has not recruited any religious teachers this year because the slight increase in the number of classes requiring instruction in Islamic religion has not necessitated the recruitment of any additional religious teachers. As to the second part of the hon. Member's question, religious teachers are posted to schools based on the number of periods of Islamic religion taught in the schools. According to the teacher period ratio, there is no shortage of religious teachers.
CUMULATIVE RECORD CARDS FOR SECONDARY SCHOOL PUPILS asked the Minister for Education, in the process of nurturing qualities of bravery, intelligence and patriotism in the future generation, if all Principals in secondary schools will be instructed to keep detailed records of each pupil's intelligence, physical fitness, sense of loyalty, home background, etc., so that the Ministry and the schools concerned can have a better understanding of every pupil.
CUMULATIVE RECORD CARDS FOR SECONDARY SCHOOL PUPILS Mr Speaker, Sir, a cumulative record card has been the subject of research and planning in my Ministry for some time. The in- tention is that a cumulative record should be kept of every pupil from the day he enters school until he leaves school. Periodical entries will be made in this card not only in respect of those qualities mentioned by the Member for Paya Lebar, but also in respect of changes in his family circumstances, his progress in school, his mental and physical development, his out-of-school activities and interests, and many other details which will give a complete picture of the pupil's growth and development at any stage of his school career. It is hoped that this cumulative record card will be issued to schools in 1968.