Hansard, 1972-10-25

The following Question stood in the name of Mr Hwang Soo Jin - 1. To ask the Minister for Communications if he will inform the House the manner in which it is proposed to phase out goods-carrying vehicles more than 15 years old and whether he will assure the House that in phasing out such vehicles sufficient notice will be given to individual owners so as to minimise hardships and to ensure adequate lorry services to users. Mr Ong Teng Cheong rose -

Mr Ong Teng Cheong.

Question No. 1, Sir.

Mr Speaker, Sir, the Registry of Vehicles (ROV) records show that there are about 9,500 goods vehicles which are over 15 years old. Of this figure, about 2,400 are over 26 years old, and another 1,300 between 22 and 26 years. As goods vehicles generate a large amount of economic activity, it would not be advisable to take them off the roads suddenly but to have them phased out gradually. Accordingly, the mechanically unfit or oldest vehicles will have to go off the roads first. To ensure that there is no disruption to the services provided by the goods vehicles, as well as to give the owners sufficient time to replace the scrapped vehicles, a grace period of six months to two years, depending on the mechanical condition of the over-aged vehicles, would be given. Under the phase out programme, the ROV will send notices to owners of over-aged vehicles, notifying them of the dates to bring their vehicles for mechanical inspection. These over-aged vehicles, if found mechanically unfit on inspection, would be given 14 days to rectify the faults. If, after repairs are carried out, these vehicles pass the re-inspection, they would be given 12 months extension. Such extension would be renewable subject to satisfying the annual inspection up to 31st December, 1974, thus giving them a grace period up to two years. However, vehicles that fail the re-inspection after repairs would be given six months' notice to replace. The insurance company would be notified also by copy of letter to them. It should be stated that a large number of goods vehicles' owners have voluntarily, or at ROV's recommendation, scrapped their over-aged and unroadworthy vehicles ever since the White Paper on the Reorganisation of the Motor Transport Service of Singapore (Paper Command 21 of 1970) was published in July 1970. Up to September 1972 about 2,500 over-aged and unroadworthy goods vehicles had been scrapped and replaced by new vehicles.

Mr Speaker, Sir, hon. Members may be pleased to note that as a result of the views expressed in this House yesterday that the proposed increase in accouchement charges for A class should be very much higher than those for C class, I have, after consultation with some of my Cabinet colleagues, decided to increase further the proposed charges for A class. The new rates for A class will be as follows:- A Class $ Delivery for 1st child 250 Delivery for 2nd child 300 Delivery for 3rd child 350 Delivery for 4th child 400 Delivery for 5th and higher order child 400 May I also take this opportunity to answer a question posed yesterday by an hon. Member as to how we were going to prevent parents from having more children after allocating Housing and Development Board flats to them. The answer to the question is that priorities for the allocation of HDB flats will not only be for the application for the first flat but also for application for transfers to a bigger and better flat. In other words, if those who after having been allocated flats continue after 1st August, 1973, to have more children, then their application for transfers to bigger flats in the future will drop very low in priority. They should then not blame anyone other than themselves if' they and their bigger families had to remain in their smaller flats for a very long time.

Mr Speaker, Sir, may I seek your consent, and the general assent of hon. Members, to move a motion to enable Parliament to adjourn before 8.00 p.m. this evening, namely, at 4.30 p.m.?

I give my consent. Do I have the general assent of Members, for the motion to be moved, and the Question thereon proposed? Hon. Members indicated assent. Resolved, "That, notwithstanding the Standing Orders,, this Parliament do adjourn this day at 4.30 p.m." - [Mr E. W. Barker].

2.55 p.m. Order read for resuming adjourned debate' on Question [16th October, 1972], `That the following Address in reply to the Speech of the President be agreed to: - "We, the Parliament of the Republic of Singapore, express our thanks to the President for the Speech which he delivered on behalf of the Government at the opening of the First Session of this Parliament.".' - [Mr Chai Chong Yii]. Question again proposed.

Mr Speaker, Sir, I rise in support of the motion of thanks to the President, moved by the Member for Bukit Batok, and in this, I am categorically backed by the community leaders and people of Potong Pasir. Sir, too true the Government will have to discourage the creation of a more "cushioned" society in Singapore. Singaporeans will need to learn that rewards should be equated to hard work or personal performance. But, in areas where the people are willing to work hard - in the vegetable farms of Potong Pasir, for instance - there should be no curbs. Urban renewal is threatening to erase the lust for hard work these vegetable farmers possess. More than 1,500 people depend on these farms for a living, directly or indirectly. Here, on 120 hectares of rich land is grown, among other vegetables, nasturtium officinale or watercress. The alluvial soil of the Jalan Potong Pasir area permits the successful growth of this much cherished vegetable, which possesses medicinal value and is good for the health. It is said that the same vegetable from Cameron Highlands is flat to the palate. While preserving the essence of the vegetable by letting it continue growing in Potong Pasir, the Government would also preserve its policy -just returns for hard work. I say, Sir, let not the farmers be swallowed up by urban renewal. Let them continue sweating, toiling and doing what they love to do, until they are prepared to rest their aching bones in a Housing and Development Board flat or to repose in deserved peace in the bosom of the creator. Mr Speaker, Sir, that "nothing in life is for free" should be the axiom of every Singaporean. Many still feel this is balderdash. But, observe, even the air we breathe will cost much because we will need to spend large sums of money to keep it fresh. The Government will have a task ahead to eliminate this cancer of air, water and noise pollution. The increased attention the Government is giving to questions about the environment is most welcome. It is hoped that the Environment Ministry will indicate priorities and act on them. The work of this Ministry will be important to the well-being of the community at large. For a start, my humble suggestions, Mr Speaker, Sir, are that the Environment Ministry:-

Mr Speaker, Sir, I would like to add my support to the motion by the hon. Member for Bukit Batok. The President's address contains many good, guidelines and policies which the Government will implement over the next five years. I feel that every citizen should assist the Government to achieve these objectives in the coming years. The important stress on quality is well accepted by all concerned, and we welcome the formation of the Ministry of the Environment for preserving and striving towards a better environment for Singapore. While it is accepted that this Ministry has an important function to perform, we also have to recognise some of the difficulties that it will face with regard to staffing and the lack of many experienced personnel in implementing some of these policies. In our eagerness to preserve the environment, we must ensure that unnecessary hardship is not placed upon innocent people. Mr Speaker, Sir, the setting up of the Ministry of the Environment is being received with some mixed feelings by some members of the public. There is a fear by this hesitant group that the over-enthusiasm in the implementation of some of these policies without proper knowledge and study can cause extreme hardship to some industries, especially the local small industries. I would like to add that some local industries over the past year have been quite apprehensive of what the Government actually intends to do with regard to pollution control problems, as there is no clear-cut guideline on what should or should not be done. I would therefore like to suggest that the new Ministry of the Environment should issue some general guidelines so that the officers of this Ministry could implement the policy in the true spirit of the legislation rather than to the letter, for after all people who are earnest and sincere in wanting to help Government implement its policies should not be penalised. But, on the other hand, we must also have a mechanism, or machinery, to identify those who pay lip service and constantly flout the law for self-interest and benefits. I am sure that the concerned members of the public would like to know some clear-cut statements from this Ministry concerning the relevant implementations. Otherwise it can drive away a number of new industries which ironically the other Ministries may be trying very hard to promote. Moreover, some existing industries feel reluctant to expand as there is uncertainty regarding the enforcement of the environment laws. The introduction of legislation to fight pollution is obviously a step in the right direction. However, there must be flexibility in its enforcement as antipollution equipment is very expensive and this may cause a strain on the finances of some small manufacturing firms. The next point I would like to comment, Sir, concerns the easing of manpower shortage. Singapore is presently facing an acute shortage of manpower, especially in the higher levels. These high-calibred and experienced personnel cannot be created overnight, but need to be nurtured over many years. One of the ways to help solve this problem is the relaxation of immigration policies. But this has its limitations, among the most obvious being the need for adjustment to a new environment, the lack of dedication and the danger of importing people of dubious talents. Perhaps a more realistic way to help solve and ease this problem immediately is the conservation and better utilisation of existing selected manpower. This can be done by allowing to reduce the annual leave with financial compensation. Sir, it is usually the experienced senior civil servants who are most needed on important jobs. Simultaneously, they are the same staff who are eligible for the most annual leave by virtue of their seniority and their length of service. Consequently, some senior staff have been accumulating their leave to an unhealthy level. Much discontent would result if some of their annual leave are forfeited. This conflicting state of affairs can be alleviated for the better by compensating for shortening leave, if required. In the public sector, senior staff are eligible for 33, or 39, or 42 days' annual leave a year, depending on seniority and length of service, in comparison with leave entitlement in the private sector of 14 or 21 days. In trying to equate the terms of service in the public sector to those in the private sector, this simple fact is often overlooked. Therefore, in the re-examination of service conditions as mentioned in the addendum to the President's Address (Ministry of Finance) for senior civil servants, I would like to suggest that the reduction of annual leave for selected staff in exchange for financial compensation should be studied. The recent unsatisfactory situation as regards general maintenance of Far East Mansion in my constituency has brought home the point of another social problem in Singapore. I therefore feel that the House ought to re-examine the problem of the administration and maintenance of the common property and common area of flatted buildings. The statutory provision which governs the administration and maintenance of common areas of flatted buildings is the Land Titles (Strata) Act (Cap. 277) which came into force on the 15th of May, 1968. Part IV of this Act provides for the setting up of a corporate body called the "Management Corporation" for every flatted building. The Management Corporation is administered by a Council selected from and by the owners of flats in the flatted building. Section 19 of the Act sets Out the duties and obligations of the Management Corporation among which it is the duty of the Management Corporation to manage and properly maintain the common property and the common areas of the flatted building, and to keep the same in good and serviceable repair. Section 29 of the Act provides that if the Management Corporation is in default of its obligations under Section 19, then the Management Corporation and every member of its Council shall be liable to a fine not exceeding $500. To-date, many flatted buildings in Singapore have yet to set up effective Management Corporations. The main reason appears to be that it is rather idealistic and sometimes impracticable to expect flat owners to undertake the responsibility of initiating the formation of the Council. Perhaps a separate department for the implementation of Part IV of the Land Titles (Strata) Act should be established by the Government. The interim measures adopted so far are for the developer of the flatted building to undertake, prior to the setting up of the Management Corporation, responsibility for the upkeep and maintenance of the common areas. The undertaking is incorporated usually in the Agreements for Sale and Purchase between each buyer of the flat and the developer. The developer's obligations here are, therefore, strictly contractual and the only remedy available to the owners of the flats in case of default of the developer is to institute a civil suit in court. This usually takes a long time, as we all know. This is clearly an unsatisfactory state of affairs, as in the case of Far East Mansions for instance. I feel that the public have been inconvenienced to a great extent and measures ought to be taken by the Government to rectify the position. I would suggest that the statutory provisions of a Management Corporation be made to apply to developers so that any default of these statutory obligations to manage and keep in a state of good repair the common property and the common areas of the flatted building will result in the developer liable to a fine in the court. This calls for an amendment to the Land Titles (Strata) Act, and I feel that this may act as a deterrent to the housing developer who, very often after the erection and disposal of the flatted building to the members of the public, neglect to keep the common areas in a state of good repair and condition. The last point I would like to touch on, Sir, is our aims to create more satisfying and better paid jobs in Singapore. In this area, there is much to be done in upgrading the skills of our workers, although the Ministry of Education and the tertiary institutions have' been expanded. This alone is insufficient, as the institutions can do no more than provide basic training. In order to achieve higher technology and better skills to make Singapore into a service centre, there is a need to have better cooperation and understanding between those who work in the Government departments and those in the private sector. Therefore, I would like to suggest that a more effective consultative machinery be established. 3.26 p.m. The Minister of State for Labour (Mr Sia Kah Hui): Mr Speaker, Sir, in supporting the motion moved by the hon. Member for Bukit Batok, thanking the President for his thought-provoking Address, I take the opportunity to elaborate on some of the points mentioned concerning the Ministry of Labour. As indicated in the Addendum to the Address, we will allow industries or enterprises with high technology or higher skill content, and the prospects of more sophisticated manufacture, to recruit labour on work permits liberally. This is to ensure that the growth of our industries will not be hampered through lack of manpower. The Government is now working on a new scheme which will enable work permits to be issued readily and more expeditiously to what we consider to be "priority industries". A list of such industries will be drawn up and the scheme will be carefully implemented through greater co-operation and co-ordination between the Economic Development Board and the Labour Ministry. We will also inform employers of the scheme so as to facilitate them in the recruitment of foreign workers. In other words, everything possible will be done to ensure that our industries as well as those to be set up will have the requisite number of workers with the right type of qualities needed by them. Would-be investors, therefore, need not have unnecessary fears about difficulties in recruitment. In the long run, however, we should not depend too much upon the immigrant workers to meet our labour requirements. More important, we must train and upgrade the skills of our own workers not only to meet the needs of our industrialisation programme but also to raise their standard of living through increased efficiency and productivity, and hence higher wages. This task calls for the joint effort of Government, the employers and the trade unions. The Government will do its part mainly through the Industrial Training Board to be set up soon. The Board will undertake and co-ordinate all aspects of industrial training, including apprenticeship schemes as well as-on-the-job and off-the-job training. It, will also regulate and control such training schemes to ensure that the training given is of a high standard and relevant to the needs of our industries. In this way, a growing pool of technically skilled personnel will be made available to effectively meet the demands of an increasingly industrialised economy. To keep abreast with the changing times, it is necessary for our employers to adopt modern and scientific management techniques. The National Productivity Board will act as a catalyst in this regard. By conducting seminars, workshops and training courses, and providing consultancy services, the National Productivity Board will also help to raise the quality of management, particularly in its relationship with, and efficient use of, workers. The Board will not cater exclusively to the larger industries and organisations. Every effort will be made to ensure that small and medium-sized establishments can also benefit from its services. As the management of these small and medium-sized establishments are mostly Chinese-educated, the Board has recruited some Nantah graduates so that its consultancy, training and other services can also be beneficially utilised by them. Another urgent task of the Board is to help those labour-intensive firms to modernise and mechanise. In the present tight labour market, these firms are finding it increasingly difficult in recruiting and retaining workers as they are unable to pay competitive wage rates and other terms and conditions of service. Unless they are modernised and mechanised soon, they will be left far behind by the wheel of progress and may have to close down. This is a serious matter to which more attention should be given. The National Productivity Board will establish a Low Cost Automation Unit to help these firms to mechanise. The Unit will advise on the application of inexpensive standard pieces of equipment to achieve mechanisation, previously done manually. The aim is to reduce human effort, (either physical or mental, required for each unit of production in order to increase productivity. It is an intermediate stage between simple mechanisation and complete automation. I would urge labour-intensive firms to make extensive use of the Unit for their town well-being and survival. To sustain and accelerate our present pace of economic development, we have no option but to continue to pursue our policy of industrial peace with justice. This calls for an orderly and equitable distribution of the additional wealth created by the joint efforts of the tripartite partners. The National Wages Council has recommended, and the Government has accepted, a wage increase of 8 per cent for this year. Although the necessary enabling legislations have yet to be promulgated, I am glad to note that, true to the spirit of tripartism, the employers, the trade unions and the Government have agreed on 23rd May this year that negotiations on the recommendations could commence without waiting for legislative amendments. To-date, 17 trade unions have concluded negotiations with 199 establishments providing for increased wages for some 38,000 workers. More workers will benefit from the recommendations when negotiations between their unions and their employers are concluded. This figure, however, does not include those non-unionised workers, many of whom, I am informed, have also been given wage increases by their employers. As long as the employers are fair and responsible and the trade unions do not make excessive and unreasonable demands, the future promises better living for all. Mr Speaker, Sir, increasing the wages of the workers alone will not help to bring about gracious living and higher quality of life. At the same time, we must also provide the workers with what is sometimes referred to as the "psychic income". By this, I mean we should provide them with a clean and safe working environment which will give them a sense of personal pride and satisfaction in their jobs. Only then can we urge them to give of their best. The Government will, therefore, ever be watchful and vigilant against those employers who neglect the welfare of their workers for their own selfish ends. We will impose yet higher standards of welfare, safety and health in the workplaces through more stringent and effective enforcement of the Factories Act and other safety regulations. We have also re-introduced in this Session of Parliament a new Factories Bill which will give more powers to the Minister and the Chief Inspector of Factories to deal with recalcitrant employers and employees alike. It is important to always remember that we in Singapore value the welfare, health and safety of our workers. The socialist philosophy of the PAP does not permit us to achieve economic advancement by sacrificing the workers. Sacrifices must and will be made; but they must come from all, including the employers. Our workers must never be subjected to the same indignities, inhuman conditions and exploitations which characterize the Industrial Revolutions of the West. For these reasons, we will continue to expand the Labour and Factory Inspectorates of the Ministry to ensure that the standards of welfare, safety and health enshrined in our Labour laws are respected and enforced. In fact, these two Inspectorates have already stepped up their inspections of work-places. During the period from 8th September to 21st October this year they successfully prosecuted 69 employers for infringements of the Labour laws. In the next few years, priority will be given to the inspections of those establishments that have not been visited in their life span. The majority of these establishments are small and non-unionised organisations with high infringement and non-compliance rate, either because of exploitation by employers or ignorance of the law. A Special Unit of experienced officers will also be established within the Labour Inspectorate to crack down on difficult and elusive employers. Relieved from routine inspection duties, these officers will also have more time to probe into and help solve, whenever possible, genuine difficulties encountered by both employers and employees. Mr Speaker, Sir, the Ministry of Labour has a very difficult task to perform. We must always ensure that a "happy medium" between the workers and employers is maintained or face an explosive build-up which will ultimately rock our existing industrial stability on which our economic progress is founded. Whatever the odds and however unpleasant the task may be, we will do whatever has to be done firmly but fairly, without fear or favour. 3.37 p.m.

(In Mandarin): Mr Speaker, Sir, the speech delivered by the President at the opening of the First Session of this Parliament has, to my mind, clearly outlined the concept of development for Singapore in the 1970s. If, with the confidence and support of the people, the Government can implement its policies and achieve its objectives of nation building, then at the end of the 1970s, our Republic will be more prosperous than ever before. That is why I am very optimistic about our future. I strongly feel that the evolution of our nation is unique. To my mind, in the 1950s when the anti-colonial movement was at its peak, the fight against colonial forces was not the hardest part in our efforts at nation building. This is especially so after the Bandung Conference in the mid-fifties. At that time colonialism was already on the decline, and the last counter attack by colonialism was only a dying struggle. Following this historical development, the anti-colonial struggle in this favourable setup in Singapore was able to keep up with the trend of the time and thus by the end of the fifties we were able to enter the phase of a self-governing state without any difficulty. Having crossed the threshold of self-government, as all the Members of Parliament here know, we could very easily have wiped out the remnant forces of colonialism and achieved independence. However, because of our geographical position and other factors our course of development was not a straight-forward one. In other words, in the last twenty years, apart from struggling against the oppression of colonialism, we also had to face the challenges of Communism and communalism. Hitherto, those who touched on the history of the development of newly emergent countries used to put the blame on colonialism for every evil, as though by castigating the ugly figure of colonialism, they could help fulfil the task of nation building smoothly. Even now outside this House, the Barisan Sosialis is still harping on the outdated old tune of anti-colonialism. Fortunately enough, the people of Singapore are not as naive and obstinate as the Barisan Sosialis, otherwise we would not have a Singapore as prosperous as we have today. Mr Speaker, Sir, my point is that as we enter into the early 1970s, the threat we may face from colonialism will diminish, while the two-pronged attack we may face from Communism and communalism will increasingly be greater. However, of the forces of Communism and communalism, the forces of communalism seem to become the centre of attention of the world. During the conflict between the U.S. and Russia, the Russian chief delegate at the United Nations made a lengthy speech lasting some 14 hours, a feat which can hardly be repeated. The late U.S. Secretary of State, Foster Dulles' grand strategy of anti-Communism has gone into the waste-paper basket by President Nixon's visit to Peking. Even the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation is also on the decline and now thrown into disarray. On the other hand, the Czechoslovak incident and the Hungarian uprising together with the Sino-Russia ideological polemics are the first symptoms of division in the world Communist movement which has led to the dismantling of monolithic world Communism.. Mr. Speaker, Sir, therefore, in the new decade of the l970s, the threat from world Communism that we may face will be less and secondary as compared with that posed ten years ago. But this does not mean that "The Voice of the Revolution of Malaya" will be without its latent influence. At least, in recent years, the increasing Communist forces along the Malaysia-Thailand border is a reminder and food for thought for us. Mr Speaker, Sir, there is a world renowned historian who tried to revise certain teachings of communalism by playing down the destructive forces of communalism. However, in between the lines of his book traces of communalism lurk throughout. The Biafran war in Nigeria is the most tragic event in the history of civilised man and the tragic civil war in Cyprus between the Greeks and the Turks is still lingering on. The May 13th incident resulting from the general elections in Malaysia, though described by some people as a storm in a teacup is by no means an insignificant cause for concern for us when compared with the incident of banishment of British Asians in Uganda. As far as the world situation is concerned, the bipolarisation of the world by Russia and the United States has almost become something of the past. Instead a new complex world has emerged, a world in which the Chinese, the Russians and the Americans are vying with one another for spheres of influence, a world which is more radical, amorphous and complex. Some countries for ideological reasons try to broaden their sphere of influence by taking sides with other countries; others, due to racial conflicts in certain countries try to take sides with countries with closer blood affinity. Some, because of economic interests or conflicts, are forced willy-nilly to take sides as their economic interest dictates. It is by no means clear who is right and who is wrong in such melee, as much as there is no distinction between the white and the black. Small nations which try to survive in such context if not cautious or through wrong calculation would easily find themselves involved in such entanglement and become victims of other powers. In a nutshell, this is the real world that we are facing, in which we seek survival and development. It is a world that is far from ideal. We must contrive to seek our survival and fortunes in this world. For us and for our friends, we must try to carve out a corner in the sun in this part of the world. This is the substance of the national objective of Singapore as stressed in the Presidential address. In the course of trying to achieve this objective, the people of Singapore must always be very cautious and alert and be prepared for any eventualities. Only then are we able to maintain, preserve and ensure the survival and progress of the international metropolis that we have built up in Singapore. On the contrary, if we cannot ensure achievement of further success upon success, or if we allow the ingredients of success to become a spent force, then the achievements that we have built up over the years will be gone with the wind, and so will our efforts in building a better future for our next generation. Sir, you will agree that in the initial stages of nation building, if the national objectives are not always kept in the forefront of the mind, then the nation will not be on the way to further success. From the valuable experience of our struggles over the last seven or eight years, the President has dealt in his address the most fundamental aspect of our nation building, i.e, the Constitutional amendments to provide "that no surrender of our sovereignty, or any part thereof, by way of incorporation into, or federation with, any other country is possible, unless two-thirds of the total electorate vote positively for it in a referendum", so that no traitors may sell out Singapore. This is the most important key to the assurance of the Republic's identity, and it also marks a milestone in our effort from one victory to another greater victory. It is only on this foundation that the national leaders will then be able to further unite our people to ensure that Singapore will forever weather any storm or any turbulence. The President's address makes special reference to the importance of Constitutional amendments to the survival of Singapore, and this is the reason why I find it most encouraging. It is also the reason why I have chosen in my maiden speech to analyse the international situation in relation to its possible effects on the future of Singapore. Sir, in the years to come, the rise and fall, the success or failure of Singapore will be determined more by factors outside Singapore than those inside. But, the basic factor that will enable Singapore to weather all storms will be the stable development of nationalism in Singapore. We must always bear this in mind, whether it is to be a tri-polar world of the Soviet Union, China and the United States, or whether it is going to be a multi-polar world of China, the United States, the Soviet Union, Japan and Germany, the people of Singapore must always regard national interests as most important. We must always bear in mind the maxim of not to be corrupted by wealth, changed by poverty or succumbed by force. It is only then that we will be able, with determination and capability, to combat against the centrifugal force of the ignoramus who are being manipulated by foreign interests. It is only then that we can ensure further and more rapid success for Singapore. Sir, while dealing with the proposed Constitutional amendments as mentioned in the President's speech, I would avail myself of the opportunity to make an appeal that a patriotism movement be launched systematically in Singapore to ensure that the people of the various races will be able to become more united under the flag of our Republic so that each one may give of his best as a member of a united community. The President has given an example of how selfish people in some countries have tried to stop working, to stop making profits when they reach the surtax level, and some of them have gone overseas to stay for more than six months in order to avoid paying income tax on the dividends they earn on foreign investments. If this kind of deleterious thinking is allowed to take root in Singapore, I am afraid it will be cancerous to our morale. We have read from newspapers that in highly developed countries, administrators and executives have taken to the perfunctory attitude of working a day and living a day. In relation to their own duties, they have adopted the philosophy of seeking no merit and getting no blame. They become clock-watchers. In so far as they are concerned, working more or working less means the same in salary. If there is any difference, the difference is: to do more means more errors; to do less means less errors; and to do nothing means no errors. So for a small country like Singapore, which is without a very long rooted foundation in nation building, if such poisonous philosophy is allowed to take root, then there will be endless disasters for our Republic. To put it in a nutshell, nationalism has been surging very high after the War and it is this spirit of nationalism that has enabled Singapore to shake off the shackles of colonial rule and the various pressures of the big powers on our nationalists, and to become an independent sovereign multi-racial country. Hereafter, the future prosperity and stability of our country will ensure us a permanent place in this complex world from which we can cast our light around. Sir, since the 9th of August, 1965, Singaporeans have been relying on themselves. We Singaporeans should keep our eyes and ears open to gain the experiences from all quarters as to what constitutes the driving force behind further success and further development. This will ensure that we will become honourable Singaporeans. Sir, I strongly support the motion in the name of the Member for Bukit Batok. 3.59 p.m.

Mr Speaker, Sir, four years and five months ago we met in this Chamber on a similar occasion and focused our attention on a number of problems, the most important of which was the anticipated economic recession resulting from the withdrawal of the British forces by the end of 1971. We set ourselves three objectives. First, to build up an effective defence capability. Second, to achieve greater economic growth, more export markets, higher productivity, sound labour management relations and more jobs. And third, to develop in our society an enhanced national consciousness of problems affecting the nation whereby the people would accept the subordination of their personal or sectional interests to those of the nation as a whole. The return of 65 of us to this Parliament by the people is an acknowledgement of our achievement of the objectives we set ourselves in 1968. The expected economic recession was averted by the considerable foreign investment in our economy. Our economy went on to register remarkable growth rates. In March this year, the Finance Minister in his Budget Statement was able to disclose a 14.1 per cent Gross National Product average growth rate from 1966 to 1970 and a growth of 14 per cent in 1971 over the preceding year. The per capita income in 1968 was $1,987. In 1971 it stood at $3,029 registering an average growth rate of 13 per cent through the five years. Our external trade, which in 1968 was $8,974.5 million, has grown to $14,395.5 million in June this year. Our country's overseas assets had increased 13 times in the past 13 1/4 years, and stood at $4,200 million in August this year. Internal and external assets stood at $10,000 million after depreciation. More jobs have been created by an increasing number of industries and through expansion in the service and manufacturing industries. The economy is viable and provides reason for considerable optimism in the future. In the Addendum on the Ministry of Finance, it is stated that our fast rate of economic growth can be sustained through a policy which will ensure the availability of adequate capital, land and suitable labour, i.e, the essential factors of production. Capital accumulation resulting from more savings by the populace will occur if saving from our income becomes a social habit. Towards this end the mass media and, in particular, television, can make an important contribution. Land reclamation has to-date added 1,538 more acres to the country's total land area. As the pace of industrialisation mounts, the demand for the necessary industrial skills and expertise will be increasingly acute. Fortunately plans to make available such skills and expertise have been implemented and our vocational institutes, industrial training centres, Polytechnic and Universities are producing the required skilled manpower. Perhaps there could be greater emphasis in the policy to persuade our womenfolk to take to industrial work. The provision of suitable creches near industrial estates combined with reasonable wages may secure a sizable portion of the 200,000 industrially employable female workers for the manufacturing industries. The plans for human resources development proposed by the Labour Ministry are crucial to our industrial progress in view of the estimation that our industrial labour force should reach 375,000 if it is to effectively support our industries in 1975. We are told of the Ministry's intention to be discriminating in its selection of industries so as to encourage those industries which in turn set off other supporting industries, those which upgrade manpower skills and those which do not ruin our environment. This policy is imperative as it is fairly evident today that we must survive in the future as citizens of a city state - a highly industrialised global city. To do so, our chief resource, our human resource, must keep apace with the more developed societies of the world in technological, flair, skill and expertise. Such skill and expertise may indigenise in our manpower through management supervision and tutelage conducted by foreign technocrats in certain major industries which has been induced to invest in Singapore. However, we need to be cautious with the multi-national companies. A characteristic feature of the multi-national company is that its subsidiaries, which are established in the manufacturing and marketing centres of the globe, take on different roles in the production of the final product. Not much technological or managerial skill would be transmitted to our manpower if the subsidiary of the multi-national company in Singapore takes on the role of producing simple component parts while the integration and assembly of the final product which calls for much technological expertise is done in another country. The multi-national company is the corporate organisation of the times. It is gigantic and wields much power, it can determine the price of raw materials, components and finished products at which its subsidiaries buy and sell between themselves. Transactions between subsidiaries at different buying and selling prices can result in money leaving the country. Our city will soon be a manufacturing and marketing centre and a strategic location for the multi-national. There is much to know of the multi-national, the scope of its operations, its technique and its power if we are to enter into dealings with it beneficially. A significant point to note is that the interests of Government which are organised on a national basis might run counter to the interests of multi-national companies which are organised on a global scale for the interests of a limited number of people outside the country. In this connection I came across in my reading what purports to be a definition of the proper duty of an executive in a multi-national company, formulated by its chairman. I must admit that I was disturbed. This definition of the proper duty of a multi-national company required the executive to: `set aside any nationalistic attitudes and appreciate that in the last resort his loyalty must be to the shareholders of the parent company, and he must protect the interests of the company even if it might appear that it was not perhaps in the national interest of the country in which he was operating despite apparent conflicts, as the transfer of funds at a period of national crisis, a transfer of production from one subsidiary to another, or a transfer of export business'. In view of what I have said, I would urge the development of the proper expertise in the Ministry of Finance which can adequately cope with the activities of these corporate organisations, so as to ensure in the future that the Government is all the time in control of the multi-national companies which choose to operate in our country. It is noted that in his Address the President has stressed the need for work ethic. Our acceptance of the work ethic has carried us through difficult times. Its rejection now will push us down the slide. The caution is timely. A new generation of adults is in employment and its capacity for hard work is being tested. There are distractions. The general affluence of members of this generation, the availability of varieties of entertainment, their independence and the self-hypnotising ballads which preach opting out of society in preference for "constructive prostration", whatever that means. But if we carefully watch the excesses of this generation and provide direction and example, we should continue to succeed in bringing to bear upon our people the meaning of the advice that "nobody in Singapore owes anybody a living." The addendum to the President's Speech on the Ministry of National Development projects an environment which is most welcome. It is an environment of high-rise dwelling which takes the man, the individual, the person in our society as the measure of development and progress, and not statistics of housing achievement. The more spacious and better designed flats, recreational and social facilities, the gardens and parks, all these will go a long way in meeting the expectations of the young flat dwellers who do not have the experience of the sordid slums of the mid-50s to appreciate the progress in the transition from slum to flat dwelling. Mr Speaker, Sir, it is not possible for me to comment on all the policies described in the addenda of the various Ministries. I am sure that on reading them our people will have the satisfaction that the Government has meticulously planned for our security and welfare well into the years ahead including, Sir, the improvement of the address system in this Chamber. However, assurance of our continued success must be qualified by (a) the absence of a world monetary crisis; (b) our collective will and effort to succeed; and (c) the absence of disruptive international events in the region. Since 1968 a series of dramatic events have taken place in East and Southeast Asia, the full results of which have yet to unfold. Within a period of 11 months, the United Nations admitted the People's Republic of China to the world community; President Nixon visited Peking and later Moscow; Prime Minister Tanaka visited Peking, followed by the cessation of diplomatic relations between Taiwan and Japan and the impending normalisation of relations between Japan and the People's Republic of China. At the moment an end to the war in Vietnam might not be an improbability. In international politics we are not so remote from these events that they have no bearing on our position. What has to evolve in the region is a new structure of tensions which will give some definition to the alignments of super and major powers interested in the region. But whatever the outcome of these events, the Government will act to ensure our survival as a people of an independent country. In the last elections, self-acclaimed leaders of political parties opposing us campaigned for government of the country on the promise of release from so-called social and political restrictions and the start of a new style of life. The people put paid to these leaders. It is likely that an attempt will be made again in the next elections to fool the new young electorate. These advocates of the inalienability of human rights are prepared to beguile our people while in countries around us governments have, through the imposition of martial law, shelved constitutional and inalienable rights in bulk to attempt a reconstruction of their societies and countries. Let all of us understand that the priority of the issues for our nation is first how to keep alive and then how to live and not any other combination which reverses the issues. We will be confronted with more challenges in the next five years. However, we may draw confidence from the fact that through the present political leadership there is gradually being generated in our social dynamic a national instinct for survival - an instinct which can recognise a national threat and can respond to the need for a realistic course of action to adequately deal with it. For us, vigilance, hard work, the will to succeed and a sense of realism is the price of our survival. There is no other way. Mr Speaker, Sir, I have pleasure in supporting the motion calling for a vote of thanks to the President for his Address to the House. 4.14 p.m.

(In Mandarin): Mr Speaker, Sir, on behalf of the people of Paya Lebar, I would like to support the motion in the name of the Member for Bukit Batok. The standard of living of our people in Singapore has increased with the rapid economic development and progress. Although it has only been a short space of eight years since our independence, the people are now enjoying political stability and economic success, thereby posturing us as one of the most fortunate people in the whole of Southeast Asia. While we are making rapid progress in the economic front, we must also realise that there are always two versions of a story. Therefore, while we cannot expect our leaders to catch up immediately with the standard of the advanced countries in the world, we can, however, be assured that with continuing drive and dynamism, together with concerted efforts on the part of the people, we will gradually be able to keep pace with the advanced countries. If we take two steps when the advanced countries take only one, and if we take one year to do what they need to do in two years, then if we can move at this pace we will soon be able to narrow the gap between our own country and the advanced countries. Mr Speaker, Sir, in the Presidential Address, we have been told that the pace of our economic growth is to be maintained and accelerated in the years to come. Only then will we be able to maintain high standards. In the same Address, reference is also made to the salary structure of the civil servants, which will come under review. This, of course, is a matter for rejoice. But I feel that while the terms and conditions of service and remuneration of civil servants are being reviewed, supervision of the civil service and the correction of their attitude to work should go on at the same time. Sir, proper work ethos should be created in our civil service. This was obtained some years ago when we first took office. For some time past, the civil servants had been working very well with the correct attitude and the right spirit. This won them the acclaim of the people. But after a lapse of several years, the old trouble took a relapse. Perhaps this is because in the early stages of our nation building, our Ministers were too occupied with the many problems so that they were not able to devote their attention to this aspect of the civil service, i.e. to maintain a correct attitude towards work and the right spirit to be adopted in the civil service. In view of this, Sir, when reference is made to the restructuring of the civil service salary scales, I feel that the inculcation of the correct attitude towards work should be made at the same time. It is agreed that remuneration must be compatible with the responsibilities of the job in order to attract and retain the right calibre of civil servants. However, at the same time there is a small minority of civil servants who are guilty of very poor service, particularly the plain-clothes Health inspectors, or building inspectors. These people are discourteous and bureaucratic in the performance of their duties, particularly when they deal with the public. They are pompous and throw their weight around especially among those people in the rural areas who are ignorant. I therefore feel that the Government should wield the big axe and take immediate action to chop down these people. We cannot allow the good reputation of the civil service and the Government to be spoilt by a minority of these pompous and discourteous "bad hats" or black sheep. If these black sheep in the civil service are allowed to throw their weight about among the people, particularly the rural folk, then after some time the people will have a very bad impression of the civil service and the Government. As a result of this, whatever efficient service that has been given to the people in general will be written off. I therefore appeal to the Minister concerned to deal with those civil servants who are bringing the entire civil service into disrepute. Mr Speaker, Sir, on the question of education, we all know that Singapore is multi-racial and multi-lingual, an international metropolis. The people of Singapore should not only know their mother tongue, but also a second language, particularly when the second language is English. This, Sir, has been the consistent policy of the Government, and is being implemented by the Ministry of Education. Steps are also being taken to improve the methods of teaching in the hope that our next generation will be sufficiently proficient in two languages after completion of their secondary education. Sir, this policy has always received the strong support of the Singapore Chinese School Teachers' Association, of which I happen to be the President. When I read the motion, standing in the name of the Member for Bukit Batok, who is also the Minister of State for Education, I felt rather sad when he made reference to some teachers in his speech. Perhaps it was because he is still in the Nanyang University campus and has not quite realised the actual conditions. But, let me come back to the topic under discussion. The Singapore Chinese School Teachers' Association has always been supporting this policy of the Government. There is no doubt about this. In our memoranda submitted to the Ministry of Education, we have stated our views on how and what to do to improve second language teaching, i.e, the teaching of English in Chinese schools. In this regard, Sir, I would like to express my humble opinion, and that is that the Government should try to ensure that every child is educated first in his own mother tongue, while at the same time learning a second language. Children educated in this way will be much better than those who are educated first in a second language, because they may not know or may know only a little of their own mother tongue. This is, of course, my humble opinion and is subject to the scrutiny of the hon. Members in this House. Mr Speaker, Sir, while still on the subject of education, as a representative of the people as well as the President of the Singapore Chinese School Teachers' Association, I would like to bring to your attention the grievances of the teachers in Singapore. In this particular regard, I have one aspect to concentrate on. For many years in the past, the Chinese School Teachers' Association has taken up the matter with the Ministry of Education. After the fourth Minister has assumed office, I do not know whether the new Minister, or the new Minister of State, or the new Parliamentary Secretary has taken note of their grievances and is prepared to look further into the matter. This has been going on for a long time and is quite beyond the comprehension of many people. Even those teachers who have retired are still grumbling. They go to the extent of saying that they will not "close their eyes even after they have kicked the bucket". So I would like to take a little time of the House to elaborate on this matter for the benefit of the Minister of State, in the absence of the Minister. It is also my hope that by airing such grievances here, I will be able to get an explanation for the delay. Mr Speaker, Sir, obligations and privileges must be equal, and rules must have equal application. That is common-sense. But in Government-aided schools, there is this anomaly in this common-sense philosophy, and that is, under the same Government and in the same school, teachers are governed by two different sets of rules.

Order. It is now 4.30 p.m. Debate to be resumed what day, Mr Ong?

Tomorrow, Sir.

So be it.

Resolved, "That Parliament do now adjourn." -[Mr Ong Pang Boon]. Adjourned accordingly at Thirty minutes past Four o'clock p.m.