Hansard, 1980-02-26

Under the provisions of clause 2(d) of Article 30 of the Constitution of Singapore, the following Members have been granted permission 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 Hon Sui Sen (Havelock), Minister for Finance - from 23rd December, 1979 to 5th January, 1980. Dr Tony Tan Keng Yam (Sembawang), Senior Minister of State, Ministry of Education - from 23rd December, 1979 to 5th January, 1980. Mr Chin Harn Tong (Aijunied), Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Home Affairs - from 23rd December, 1979 to 5th January, 1980. Dr Lau Teik Soon (Serangoon Gardens) - from 24th to 28th December, 1979. Encik Sidek bin Saniff (Kolam Ayer) - from 26th December, 1979 to 5th January, 1980. Mr Jek Yeun Thong (Queenstown), Minister - from 1st January to 30th June, 1980. Encik Othman Wok (Pasir Panjang), Minister - from 1st January to 30th June, 1980. Haji Ya'acob bin Mohamed (Kampong Ubi), Minister of State - from 1st January to 30th June, 1980. Mr J.F. Conceicao (Katong) - from 1st January to 30th June, 1980. Dr Chiang Hai Ding (Ulu Pandan) - from 1st January to 30th June, 1980. Mr Phey Yew Kok (Boon Teck) - from 4th January to 25th February, 1980. Mr Lee Yiok Seng (Bukit Panjang), Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for National Development - from 8th to 10th January and from 15th to 18th February, 1980. Mr Sia Khoon Seong (Moulmein) - from 8th to 14th January, 1980. Mr Goh Chok Tong (Marine Parade), Minister for Trade and Industry - from 10th to 13th January, 1980. Dr Goh Keng Swee (Kreta Ayer), Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education - on 19th January and from 24th to 28th February, 1980. Mr Ang Nam Piau (Thomson) - from 22nd to 29th January, 1980. Mr S. Dhanabalan (Kallang), Senior Minister of State, Ministry of Foreign Affairs - on 26th and 27th January, 1980. Dr Tan Eng Liang (River Valley) - from 27th to 30th January and from 4th to 7th February, 1980. Mr C.V. Devan Nair (Anson) - from 3rd to 6th February, 1980. Mr Chai Chong Yii (Bukit Batok), Senior Minister of State, Ministry of Education - from 6th to 12th February, 1980. Mr Teh Cheang Wan (Geylang West), Minister for National Development - from 18th to 25th February, 1980. Mr Yeo Choo Kok (Delta) - from 19th to 23rd February, 1980. Mr Tan Soo Khoon (Alexandra) - from 20th to 25th February, 1980. Dr Augustine H.H. Tan (Whampoa) - from 23rd to 26th February, 1980. Mr Lee Kuan Yew (Tanjong Pagar), Prime Minister - on 26th February, 1980. Mr Eugene Yap Giau Cheng (Mountbatten) - from 4th to 22nd March, 1980. YEOH GHIM SENG, Speaker, Parliament of Singapore

The following Bills were assented to by the President of the Republic of Singapore on the dates stated:- 17th December, 1979 Planning (Amendment) Bill. 18th December 1979 Economic Expansion Incentives (Relief from Income Tax) (Amendment No. 2) Bill. 5th January, 1980 Singapore Broadcasting Corporation Bill. YEOH GHIM SENG, Speakers Parliament of Singapore

On 31st December, 1979, the Member for Boon Teck, Mr Phey Yew Kok, wrote to me for leave of absence from Parliament on the ground that he had been charged in court. The Member asked for "leave of absence from any Parliament sitting until the court case is over.". His letter was received in my office on 2nd January, 1980. To enable the Member for Boon Teck to defend himself in court, I granted him permission on 4th January, 1980, to be absent from sittings of Parliament, or any committee to which he had been appointed, the leave of absence to be until 31st March, 1980, in the first instance. However, the Member for Boon Teck failed to appear in court on 7th January, 1980, when his case came up for mention, and he has since become a fugitive from the law. The purpose for which the leave of absence was granted to the Member no longer holds, and such permission has therefore become invalid. I accordingly revoke the leave of absence granted to the Member for Boon Teck with immediate effect.

asked the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education, to cater for senior executives, if the University will consider administering a 2 to 3-month intensive management course similar to the PMD and AMP courses of Harvard Business School, and when such a course will be implemented.

Mr Speaker, Sir, I am answering this Question on behalf of my Minister. The University of Singapore at present does not have the necessary staff to administer a 2-3 month intensive management course similar to the PMD (Programme for Management Development) and AMP (Advanced Management Programme) courses at Harvard Business School. The University has established a School of Management and the first batch of M.B.A. students is expected to be admitted in September 1980. Intensive courses along the lines of the PMD will be introduced as soon as practicable. Short intensive executive development seminars will be conducted by the University's Business Administration Department in November 1980. The seminars are for middle level management executives. Topics covered will include general management and specific functional areas, like marketing and finance.

asked the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education whether the Ministry of Education is aware of complaints made by several Indian parents resident in Ang Mo Kio that even though their children have opted for Tamil as a second language at secondary school level, no Tamil language classes are available in either of the two secondary schools in the area; whether the complaints are justified and, if so, if the Ministry will consider taking the necessary steps to provide Tamil language classes in one of the two secondary schools in the area.

Mr Speaker, Sir, the Ministry of Education has been monitoring the demand for Tamil language classes at the secondary school level in Ang Mo Kio. As there is now a sufficient number of students, a Tamil language centre has been started at Teck Ghee Secondary School, which is one of the two secondary schools in Ang Mo Kio. Classes began on 19th February with a full-time Tamil teacher teaching altogether 136 students from the two secondary schools.

asked the Minister for Health whether his Ministry will consider setting up a Maternal and Child Health Unit at Changi Hospital to replace the Loyang Maternal and Child Health Clinic, which is not providing adequate services for residents in the Upper Changi area, besides being situated out of the way; and (b) whether his Ministry has plans to expand the general medical and surgical facilities at the Changi Hospital so as to upgrade it to a major general hospital, or build a new general hospital, to serve the fast-growing population in the eastern region of Singapore.

Mr Speaker, Sir, residents in the Upper Changi area requiring maternal/child health and family planning services are now being attended to at the Bedok Polyclinic. This polyclinic was opened in October last year. The Ministry of Health is planning to set up a similar polyclinic for Tampines New Town. This clinic, when opened, will replace the Loyang Maternal and Child Health Clinic. There is no need to expand the medical and surgical facilities in Changi Hospital which has a capacity of 180 beds but of which only 140 beds are activated. The bed occupancy rates of 42.3% for medical beds and 59% for surgical beds are very low compared to the occupancy rates of other acute hospitals. However, my Ministry is planning to convert some of the vacant medical beds in Changi Hospital into paediatric beds. This will enlarge the range of medical services that will be made available to residents in the Changi area.

asked the Minister for the Environment whether the prohibition by his Ministry of a food establishment in a Housing and Development Board estate from extending business on to the five-foot way and the warning given to the proprietor of the risk of being prosecuted if the notice is ignored will apply to all food establishments in Singapore or only to those in HDB estates.

( In Mandarin): Mr Speaker, Sir, the prohibition against extending business on to the five-foot way applies to all food establishments in Singapore. Serving food on the five-foot way or other open areas will cause public health problems. For example, littering of food scraps on the five-foot way causes breeding of flies and rats, and water pollution. In recent years, in order to maintain a high standard of hygiene, the Ministry of the Environment has been taking action to resite street hawkers into markets and food centres. We therefore cannot permit eating houses to extend their businesses on to five-foot ways. Furthermore, serving of food in the open causes obstruction and inconvenience to passers-by.

Sir, if the food establishment extends its business outside its premises but not on to the five-foot way, will the Ministry still object to it?

( In Mandarin): Yes.

Sir, is the Senior Parliamentary Secretary aware that there are food establishments in Orchard Road which extend their business outside their premises? Could he tell us why these food establishments have not been issued with warning notices?

( In Mandarin): Sir, this depends on whether the place belongs to the public or to private establishments.

Mr Speaker, Sir, I thought the Senior Parliamentary Secretary said in his reply that any food establishment which extends its business outside its premises will be warned. Now he says it depends on whether it is a private or a public establishment. I know that MacDonald's hamburger restaurant is carrying on business outside its premises, and that empty space is a public place. Why is it that no action has been taken against them?

( In Mandarin): Sir, at present, the most that we could do is to give warnings. But, in future, when we take appropriate action against them, we will take all these complaints into consideration.

( In Mandarin): Sir, I am asking whether the Ministry has issued warning notices to them.

( In Mandarin): I do not have the information with me, and so I cannot say whether we have issued them with warning notices. But when we implement our regulations, of course, they will come to our notice.

( In Mandarin): I would like to ask whether he is aware that they are doing business there in a public place?

( In Mandarin): Whether or not they are doing business there, our staff will have to carry out an investigation. We cannot just issue notices to all and sundry.

They are doing business under the nose of the Ministry!

( In Mandarin): Sir, I have already told the Member that we will be paying attention to all these complaints and take any appropriate action under the relevant regulations, when necessary.

asked the Minister for Law and Science and Technology why the surrender of the passport of the Member for Boon Teck was not made one of the conditions of his bail bond after he was charged in Court in accordance with the usual practice.

Mr Speaker, Sir, it is not the usual practice for the Public Prosecutor to ask for the surrender of an accused person's passport as one of the conditions of his being afforded bail. Depending on the circumstances of each case, at the Public Prosecutor's request, the Court may make it a condition for affording bail that the accused must surrender his passport, for example, where there is a probability that the accused would probably flee rather than face the charges in Court. When bail was granted to the Member for Boon Teck, the Deputy Public Prosecutor did not apply to the Court for the surrender of his passport because there was no evidence to show that he was about to leave the country or even had the intention to do so. The DPP, like the Director of the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau, did not expect the Member to jump bail. As it turned out, the DPP and the Director, CPIB, were both wrong.

asked the Minister for Home Affairs whether he is aware that there still are traffic jams along the Guillemard Circus end of Nicoll Highway before football matches, despite the reversal of normal traffic flow along the central carriageway of the Highway since April, 1974, and the assurance by the then Minister for Home Affairs and Education that "the traffic police will continue to monitor traffic conditions and direct traffic flow along Nicoll Highway when there are big matches at the National Stadium", and if the traffic police have further plans to improve the traffic flow along Nicoll Highway, particularly at the bottleneck immediately outside the National Stadium car park.

Mr Speaker, Sir, as I promised in June 1978 (Hansard, 14th June 1978, Vol. 37 cols. 1563-4), the Traffic Police have continued to deploy policemen at the Guillemard Circus and roads leading to the National Stadium to direct traffic whenever major matches and other functions are held at the Stadium. Since then, a concrete pedestrian overhead bridge across Nicoll Highway, in front of the People's Association, and another pedestrian overhead bridge at Mountbatten Road, in front of the School for the Deaf, have been built. The spectators at the National Stadium are reminded to use these facilities through messages flashed on the scoreboard in the Stadium. Traffic policemen are also deployed to ensure that the pedestrians do use these facilities. The new pedestrian bridges, the deployment of Traffic policemen at strategic places and the reversal of normal traffic flow along the central carriageway of Nicoll Highway have all helped to improve the traffic flow. However, there will still be congestion whenever there are major events at the National Stadium because of the sheer volume of traffic going through Guillemard Circus. When the East Coast Parkway is completed by the end of 1981, it will significantly reduce the congestion at Guillemard Circus by relieving it of through-traffic between the City and the Mountbatten/Katong area. Many of the spectators who go to the National Stadium in cars arrive just a few minutes before the event begins. As a result, car park attendants are unable to cope and this aggravates the congestion outside the National Stadium car park. The National Sports Council is looking into the feasibility of selling car park labels to spectators in advance.

asked the Minister for Home Affairs what is the state of crime in the Kampong Kembangan Constituency, and what measures will be taken to reduce the crime rate in the Constituency.

Mr Speaker, Sir, 104 criminal cases were reported in the Kampong Kembangan Constituency in 1979; 15 more than in 1978. Housebreaking offences increased markedly, from 16 cases in 1978 to 38 in 1979. Thefts of motor vehicles, bicycles and vehicle parts increased from 24 cases in 1978 to 37 in 1979. However, there was a big drop in robbery cases, from 13 in 1978 to two in 1979. Other thefts decreased from 31 cases in 1978 to 22 in 1979. Most of the premises which were broken into were shophouses and factories. The Crime Prevention Officer from Joo Chiat Police Station visited these types of premises and advised the owners and occupants on anti-burglary measures. In addition, police officers from the Station joined the members of the Kampong Kembangan CCC on their house-to-house visits to give advice on crime prevention. Two crime prevention exhibitions were held in the Constituency in 1978 and 1979. The Kampong Kembangan Constituency has been and will continue to be patrolled by Team Policing cars from the Joo Chiat Police Station and patrol-cars from the Radio Division. The Station will monitor closely the crime situation in the Constituency. When necessary, uniformed or plainclothes officers from the Police Reserve Units and the Station's Task Forces comprising Police National Servicemen will be deployed to intensify patrolling.

Mr Speaker, Sir, I understand that the number of drug cases has dropped considerably but there has been a rise in petty theft and robbery, including house-breaking. Does the Minister see any correlation, or does he not see that the persons who are alleged to have committed these petty offences and housebreaking are also drug addicts?

Mr Speaker, Sir, the correlation is a bit tenuous. Not all house-breakers or petty thieves are drug addicts. But a certain percentage of them, about 5% or 10%. are drug addicts.

Sir, are the Police aware that cases of snatch theft and molestation have occurred in dark places in certain parts of the Kampong Kembangan Constituency? If this is verified, would the Minister ask the Police to step up their surveillance and also arrest the culprits, because this is a major complaint from my constituents?

Sir, I have answered the question about snatch thefts. With regard to outrage of modesty and related cases, may I tell the Member that in 1979 there was only one case of outrage of modesty and another case of indecent exposure. For the case of outrage of modesty, a resident of the constituency was arrested.

asked the Minister for Home Affairs how many "gang-land" clashes and murders were recorded in Singapore in the last two years; where the incidences occurred; what were the socio-occupational profiles of the victims and persons suspected to be involved; and what control measures will be taken to contain these problems.

Mr Speaker, Sir, there were six gang clashes and four murders by secret society members in 1978, and six gang clashes and three murders in 1979. There were, however, 38 incidents in 1974, showing a 76% drop in such secret society incidents in the past five years. The 19 incidents in 1978 and 1979 occurred at the following places: Public housing estates - 4 Kampongs - 3 Red light areas - 3 Coffee shops - 2 Shopping Centres - 4 Nightclubs - 2 Cinema - 1 The victims and people involved or suspected to be involved in the incidents were from the lower income groups. They had only primary education and were employed as unskilled or semi-skilled workers. To contain the secret society problem, the Police keep an eye on known secret society members and try to gather intelligence in areas where secret societies are known to be active in order to foil their plans. Wherever possible, people who are involved in secret society activities are prosecuted in court. Where witnesses are not prepared to give evidence in court, the offenders are either detained or placed under Police supervision under the provisions of the Criminal Law (Temporary Provisions) Act.

Sir, is the Minister aware that there is now a general fear amongst mothers about the safety of their school-going daughters? This fear is the result of a rumour that an unknown male or males have deceived innocent girls, snatched them and brought them in cars to unknown places where, rumours say, parts of their bodies were sold or given away for rituals.

Mr Speaker, Sir, may I advise the Member for Kampong Kembangan not to listen to rumours! [Laughter] The rumours are completely unfounded. I do not know how the rumours originated. But I think they could have originated from outside Singapore, because I happened to read the New Straits Times of 21st February, 1980, published in Kuala Lumpur, in which it was reported that similar rumours were spread in Johore, both in Batu Pahat and Kota Tinggi. With your permission, Mr Speaker, Sir, may I read the relevant parts of the New Straits Times? The report is titled, "Police move to head off these rumours", the "Police" meaning the Johore Police. "Johore Police have issued a warning to the public not to spread rumours of head-hunters in the State. The Deputy OCCI, Encik Jamil Hassan, said Police would take court action against anyone found spreading such rumours. He said there was no truth in the rumours and appealed to the public not to be influenced by them. Encik Jamil said this following a panic among the public, especially here [that is, Johore Bahru] in Batu Pahat and Kota Tinggi about the head-hunting stories. Some people have even received a list containing the registration numbers of 18 cars whose drivers were alleged to be head-hunters. Most of the cars bear Pahang registration plates. Encik Jamil said a family here panicked yesterday when their child returned home from school late. They thought that their child had become a victim of the headhunters. The child was late because the school bus sent the child home late." So my advice is not to listen to rumours. They have no foundation of truth whatsoever. I do not think there are head-hunters in Singapore.

Mr Speaker, Sir, it may be amusing to the Minister and the House, but it is not amusing when four parents rang me up last night, hysterical about their children. One of them had told her daughters not to go to school. I do not consider that funny. I thought that the Minister could at least make a public statement to reassure the parents that these rumours are false.

Sir, I do not think it is funny. But I thought it is best for me to read the report that has emanated from Johore Bahru as it should allay the fears, if any, of the parents, about how unfounded these rumours are. And that is not a funny thing. I am sorry that the Member for Kampong Kembangan has regarded it as funny, just because some Members laughed. May I, therefore, assure the Member for Kampong Kembangan and all the parents who had rung him up that the rumours are completely unfounded. They are not only unfounded here in Singapore but also in Johore, as reported in the newspaper report which I have read.

asked the Minister for Finance when the Government will make the Singapore dollar an international currency and if he will state the advantages and disadvantages of the Singapore dollar becoming an international currency.

Mr Speaker, Sir, the Singapore dollar has traditionally been used to finance some of our entrepot and regional trade. There are no restrictions on the use, or international use if you like, of our currency for this purpose. At the same time, there has also been no official encouragement for the wider use of our currency. It is not my intention to encourage such use. If by "internationalisation", the hon. Member means also the use of the Singapore dollar as a reserve currency, I have to say that, like many more developed countries such as Germany and Japan, this will not be welcomed. The wider use of the Singapore dollar will lead to the further growth of our foreign exchange, money and capital markets. It will also lead to increased use of local banking facilities. The disadvantage of internationalisation is that it could give rise to large destabilising flows into and out of the Singapore dollar. The resulting swings in the exchange rate of the dollar would cause some disruption in trade. Such currency flows would also render the control of the money supply more difficult.

asked the Minister for Finance whether he has any objection to management rewarding its employees with ex gratia payments because of good profit made in 1979 as a result of the workers' increased productivity and efficiency.

Mr Speaker, Sir, employers wishing to reward their employees for higher productivity and efficiency may do so through payments under productivity incentive schemes. Incentive payments, tied to properly defined schemes, will enable employers to reward workers who have specifically contributed to higher efficiency and productivity. Employers wishing to make such payments could seek the advice of the Ministry of Labour in devising appropriate productivity incentive schemes. Alternatively, employers confident of sustained good profits can pay higher annual wage increases.

Sir, where a company has not got any incentive scheme, is there any way for the employer to reward his employees as a result of a good year of business? The company has made a good profit. In what way can the employer reward his employees in the absence of an incentive scheme?

Sir, I have already said that if the employers are sure that they can keep up these profits, then they can pay higher wages to their employees. They can always pay higher than the NWC guidelines. There will surely be no objections to their doing so.

Sir, if the employer pays higher wage increases, these increases will be incorporated into the employees' wages and it will mean a higher recurrent expenditure for the employer. Let us say in 1979 an employer makes a good profit and he wants to reward his employees, only for that particular year when he has made a good profit. But for future years, whether the employer will go on rewarding his employees will depend on whether or not the company makes a profit.

Sir, if that is the preferred method of payment, then the employer, instead of paying wage increases, should have opted for payment of bonuses in which case he would not have to pay wage increases based on NWC guidelines but can negotiate on the bonuses every year.

Sir, I think the Finance Minister did not get my point right. I want to know how to advise an employer who makes a good profit and wants to pay his employees more in terms of reward? Can he pay more than the annual wage supplement? An hon. Member: Pay hong bao!

He will have to apply to the Minister for Finance to pay more than the prescribed bonus. But there is no guarantee that approval will be given.

asked the Minister for Finance, since the setting up of the Skills Development Fund, how much has been collected; how many applications for skills development assistance have been received and how many have been approved, the number of workers involved and for what type of skills, up to the latest convenient date; what are the criteria for assistance; and whether he will encourage skills development of higher technological levels to fulfil the need of the more sophisticated industries.

Sir, as of 31st January, 1980, the Skills Development Fund has collected $11.4 million. From 21st December, 1979, when the Fund was first opened for applications, the Skills Development Council has received 15 formal applications. The processing of seven applications has been completed, of which four were approved and three rejected. Of the remaining eight applications under consideration, five were received only in February this year. The four awards totalling $403,400 will subsidise the cost of training 148 workers in the following skills: (a) Maintenance and refurbishing of aircraft, communication, electrical and electronic instruments; (b) Maintenance of industrial machinery with electrical, electronic and mechanical components; (c) Making of wood and metal patterns for the foundry industry. The criteria for assistance have been formulated as broadly as prudent administration will allow. Applications are judged according to the following: (a) Relevance to skill development; (b) Relevance to economic restructuring, productivity and labour saving; (c) Quality and nature of the training programme; (d) Cost of the programme and commitment by the sponsors: (e) Competence of the sponsors in operating the programme. The Council will consider favourably training schemes for skills development at higher technological levels to meet the needs of the more sophisticated industries. I would like to assure all Members, however, that favourable consideration will also be given to the development of common user skills that are necessary for upgrading companies in all sectors of the economy. The Council will give equal consideration to all bona fide applications.

Sir, according to the reply of the Hon. Minister for Finance, it appears that the manufacturing sector has not made any application for assistance for the upgrading of manufacturing skills. Would the Minister care to comment on this?

Sir, I am not sure where the Member got his information from. In fact, I mentioned that the four awards we have given are for training workers in maintenance and refurbishing of aircraft, communication, electrical and electronic instruments; maintenance of industrial machinery; making of wood and metal patterns. These are all in mechanised industries. The last item, for example, is in the Singapore Foundry and Machinery Company.

asked the Minister for Communications and Acting Minister for Culture for his comments on the unhappiness of motorists who feel that the recent increase in road tax is not only unjustifiable but also high and will not contribute to limiting the growth in the number of cars, and that instead of relying on the price mechanism to act as a deterrent, the Government should consider other more positive measures, including the introduction of an import quota system for cars.

Mr Speaker, Sir, I sympathise with motorists affected by the recent increases in Additional Registration Fee and road taxes. Regrettably, however, they are necessary to reduce congestion on the roads. Although various other measures including possibly import quotas could be considered, pricing is perhaps the most appropriate measure in Singapore's free-economy system. Pricing has proven to be effective in 1975 and 1976 when the car population dropped nearly 5% in 1976 and a further 1% in 1977 following tax increases. The recent measures are minimal considering that real incomes have risen over the years.

asked the Minister for Communications and Acting Minister for Culture whether feasibility studies on all aspects of the proposed Mass Rapid Transit system have been completed and when a decision can be made; what is the total cost of the feasibility studies; how much it will cost to implement the system, and what will be the stages of implementation.

Sir, Phases I and II of the engineering and economic feasibility study of the proposed Mass Rapid Transit have been completed. The total cost of these two phases of study was $4.5 million. The third phase of the Mass Transit Study, the primary task of which is to establish the preliminary engineering design criteria of the MRT and to obtain a more accurate cost estimate, is scheduled to be completed in June this year. It will cost about $3.9 million. Right now, I am unable to say exactly when a decision can be taken to build the MRT. It is a complex and expensive project; it will probably run into $4 billion at current prices. Therefore, all aspects including revenue projections and development potential will have to be studied in detail to determine its viability. However, I can assure the hon. Member that we will take a decision as soon as we are confident of the accuracy of our projections on construction costs, operating costs, and returns on higher property leases over new underground stations, and operating revenue. A Provisional Mass Rapid Transit Authority is now in the process of being set up to carry out further preliminary works related to MRT. Once a firm decision is taken, we will proceed with the detailed engineering design, following which tenders will be called. Once construction begins, it is estimated that the system can be built within 12 years in 11 stages, with the first stage ready for operation within five years.

Sir, it seems the public is concerned about the cost of building the MRT. Is it not true that the longer we procrastinate, the higher will be its cost?

It is true that the longer we delay, the more costly the system will be. But because of the nature of the system and the scale of investments involved, it is vital that we have to satisfy ourselves that the route is carefully determined and laid to ensure maximum returns from the system, and that the money is well spent.

Sir, in so far as the MRT is concerned, it is meant to serve the people. Therefore, the Government should not always think of getting a dividend from any kind of project. So I still say that the policy of procrastination is wrong.

Mr Speaker, Sir, I am afraid I cannot agree with the hon. Member in his argument because public funds are involved. No doubt it will cost more if we delay our decision. But we have to make sure that public funds are not wasted in an unnecessary or foolish way. So we have to study it very carefully before we commit ourselves to such expenditure.

Sir, Phases 1, 11 and Ill of the feasibility studies have entailed public expenditure to the tune of $8.4 million. Would the Hon. Minister for Communications assure this House that not much more will have to be spent with the setting up of the Mass Rapid Transit Authority - he is moving the Bill at a later stage - and that these feasibility studies on all aspects of the system, be it the detailed planning or engineering designs, will not incur extra expenditure before a decision can be made?

The expenditure incurred so far of $8.4 million by the end of the Phase Ill study is a small amount compared to the total investment that we are going to put in the project. Though I do share the anxieties of the Member, we hope that we need not have to spend too much money on the study before a decision can be made.

Sir, there are MRTs in some other parts of the world. Did the Ministry look into those systems as well? If they did, maybe we could have saved a lot of money, bearing in mind that these studies have taken several years.

Mr Speaker, Sir, to be exact, the study was officially made about eight years ago on the MRT system. But this is not unusual, as most cities in the world take about the same length of time, or even longer, to decide on the MRT. Hong Kong took 10 years to decide. It is true that there are many cities in the world that have the MRT system operating, and we could learn from them. We are studying the various systems in these cities. But being in the tropics, Singapore's climatic conditions are very different from those in the advanced countries in the temperate zone. So different types of problems are involved in the construction of the system that we have in mind. Therefore, we have to study very closely. In this respect we are following very closely the experience that Hong Kong has in their MRT system.

Sir, if $8.4 million is a small percentage of the total investment, according to the Hon. Minister, then can I ask him whether there is any chance of the Government shelving the project; in other words, deciding not to go ahead with the project?

Sir, I do not work on chance. The chances of shelving the project are as good as any chance. But, as I have mentioned previously, it appears that it would be unavoidable that we will have to have a system of this nature. The question is one of timing and how careful and wisely we spend this public fund.

Sir, in his opinion is this MRT a justified project, assuming that the Government can afford to build it?

Sir, it is not a question of whether or not we can afford it. The construction of an MRT, as I have mentioned earlier, even if we can afford and decided to proceed, it has to be carefully phased in with our economic and physical development. Assuming that our economic growth is not going to be as rapid as what we have experienced in the past and the international economic situation is not as rosy as it has been in the past or, worse still, if it is on the decline, then there is no reason why we should proceed with the MRT. It is a question of the travel demand, whether it justifies the provision of such a system.

Sir, if it is a question of travel demand, then the success of the Hong Kong MRT system will be greater than that of Singapore because the volume of our commuters in the public transport system is far less than that in Hong Kong, in which case we should not go ahead with the MRT.

Sir, different countries have different expectations from the people. And with growing affluence today we are having different types of problems. The travel demand is a function of economic activity and the acceptability of the level of mobility in the City depends very much on the expectations of the people. Hong Kong is perhaps a unique situation. It has a high density of housing, with very high economic activity going on. It is a bustling city. We may not reach the same density as that experienced in Hong Kong. Many cities in the world which have lesser intensity of economic activity than ours already have MRT systems. So when we talk of travel demand, it is a relative term.

This MRT is a service to the public. Since it is a service to the public and the Government can afford it, does the Minister still grudge it?

No, Sir, I do not grudge it. I said that it is a huge project with a large scale of public funds involved. Therefore, we have to thoroughly satisfy ourselves that this money is well spent.

If it is to serve the public, all of us will also benefit from it.

But we have to ensure that maximum economic advantage is achieved.

asked the Minister for National Development (a) what is the progress in the construction of the Bedok Sports Complex and when the Complex is expected to be completed; and (b) when construction of an indoor stadium in Bedok will commence and when the stadium is expected to be completed.

Sir, the Bedok Sports Complex will be built in three phases. The construction of Phase I comprising a swimming complex of four pools for 2,500 swimmers started in February 1979. The construction of Phase 11 comprising a soccer field, a 400-metre athletics track and spectator stand for 1,500 people, started in October 1979. Both phases will be completed by February 1981. Phase Ill will comprise a small indoor stadium. The Housing and Development Board is now monitoring the usage of the recently completed Delta Indoor Stadium. If the findings are favourable, the construction of the stadium will begin in the third quarter of 1981 and will be completed by the first quarter of 1983.

asked the Minister for National Development if the relevant authorities will reconsider installing traffic lights at the junctions of (i) Bedok South Avenue 1 and New Upper Changi Road; and (ii) Bedok North Road and Bedok North Avenue 3, and whether it is feasible to construct a pedestrian overhead bridge across New Upper Changi Road, opposite the Bedok Interchange, in view of the frequent accidents at the aforementioned places.

Sir, the Public Works Department is currently reviewing the overall traffic situation in Bedok New Town to meet the needs of the New Town when it is fully developed. This review includes the number of traffic junctions that could be allowed along New Upper Changi Road. On completion of the review, and if warranted, traffic lights will be installed at the junction of New Upper Changi Road and Bedok South Avenue 1 in the third quarter of the next financial year. Traffic studies are being conducted at the junction of Bedok North Road and Bedok North Avenue 3 and, if warranted, traffic lights will be installed. At present, most pedestrians cross New Upper Changi Road between the bus terminus and Temasek Primary School. A pedestrian overhead bridge will be built at this location. The number of pedestrians crossing New Upper Changi Road opposite the Bedok Interchange is small. There is, therefore, no need to construct a pedestrian overhead bridge there at present.

asked the Minister for National Development whether his Ministry can provide recreational facilities at Changi Village and at the beach in Kampong Permatang, Pulau Tekong, which is popular with picnickers and campers from mainland Singapore.

Sir, the Parks and Recreation Department has no plans to develop more recreational facilities at Changi Village since there is already a sizeable park in the Village built by the Housing and Development Board. In the vicinity of Changi Village, the Parks and Recreation Department is developing the coastal strip abutting the Changi International Airport for recreational use. When completed, the strip will provide good swimming beaches and have amenities like foot-paths, cycle tracks and picnic grounds. There are no plans to develop the beach at Kampong Permatang at present, in view of the many hectares of sandy beaches created through reclamation on the mainland and in other offshore islands which are not yet fully utilised.

asked the Minister for National Development whether traffic lights will be installed at the Upper Changi Road/Tanah Merah Besar Road/Tampines Road junction.

Sir, the Public Works Department will install traffic lights at the Upper Changi Road/Tanah Merah Besar Road/Tampines Road junction in the third quarter of Financial Year 1980/81.

3.25 p.m.

"to amend the Infectious Diseases Act, 1976 (No. 21 of 1976)". presented by the Minister for Health (Dr Toh Chin Chye); read the First time; to be read a Second time on the next available sitting of Parliament and to be printed.

"to amend the Dentists Registration Act (Chapter 215 of the Revised Edition)", presented by Dr Toh Chin Chye; read the First time; to be read a Second time on the next available sitting of Parliament and to be printed.

"to amend the Poisons Act (Chapter 164 of the Revised Edition)", presented by Dr Toh Chin Chye; read the First time; to be read a Second time on the next available sitting of Parliament, and to be printed.

"to amend the Central Provident Fund Act (Chapter 121 of the Revised Edition)", presented by the Minister for Labour (Mr Ong Pang Boon); read the First time; to be read a Second time on the next available sitting of Parliament, and to be printed.

"to amend the Registration of Criminals Act (Chapter 119 of the Revised Edition)", presented by the Minister for Home Affairs (Mr Chua Sian Chin); read the First time; to be read a Second time on the next available sitting of Parliament and to be printed.

"to amend the Income Tax Act (Chapter 141 of the Revised Edition)", recommendation of President signified; presented by the Minister for Finance (Mr Hon Sui Sen): read the First time; to be read a Second time on the next available sitting of Parliament, and to be printed.

"to amend the Estate Duty Act (Chapter 137 of the Revised Edition)", recommendation of President signified; presented by Mr Hon Sui Sen; read the First time; to be read a Second time on the next available sitting of Parliament, and to be printed.

"to amend the Road Traffic Act (Chapter 92 of the Revised Edition)", presented by the Minister for Communications and Acting Minister for Culture (Mr Ong Teng Cheong); read the First time, to be read a Second time on the next available sitting of Parliament, and to be printed.

Order for Second Reading read. 3.30 p.m.

Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, "That the Bill be now read a Second time." Singapore is now a free market place and it lends itself open to adventurists and entrepreneurs who will invest in the gullibility of a segment of our population. For example, in the past years, we had the Gemini Chit Fund, pyramid selling and sanatronic clinics. Members of the House will recollect that in May 1977 I brought their attention to the existence of sanatronic clinics which were mushrooming in Singapore and which claimed to be able to cure a wide variety of ailments, ranging from rheumatism, migraine, insomnia, mental fatigue, asthma, indigestion and skin diseases. There is, at present, the Nursing Homes and Maternity Homes Registration Act which was passed in 1959 but this Act is inadequate for today's situation. It is because of this that today I am moving the Second Reading of the Private Hospitals and Medical Clinics Bill. The purpose of this Bill is to license the place of practice of physicians and dentists whether they are or are not registered under the Medical Registration Act and the Dentists Registration Act. This Bill therefore covers premises used by physicians practising traditional medicine and acupuncturists. The Kwong Wai Shiu Hospital is a charitable institution performing an admirable service to the community as a nursing home. There is no intention to curb the activities of this hospital. However, it is necessary that minimum standards must be provided for in private hospitals, nursing homes, maternity homes and in clinics where physicians perform curative services to patients. Some of these standards are already spelt out in the existing Nursing Homes and Maternity Homes Registration Act and also under regulations relating to the Dentists Registration Act. Likewise, under the Abortion Act, regulations also exist on certain standards required in premises where abortions are performed. All these clauses relating to minimum standards will be transferred to the existing Private Hospitals and Medical Clinics Bill. There will be two separate registers for these premises as is already the practice for dental premises under the existing system. Dentists who come under Division I have their premises registered separately from the premises of dentists who are registered in Division 11. Likewise, we intend, under this Bill, to keep two separate registers for medical clinics, one for physicians who are registered under the Singapore Medical Registration Act and the other for physicians who are not registered at all. Clause 4 (1) of the Bill does not apply, and is not intended to apply, to houses of patients which are visited by physicians for the treatment of their patients. Clause 5 of the Bill relates to the minimum standards which I have already spelt out. They are already contained in the Nursing Homes and Maternity Homes Registration Act, regulations under the Abortion Act and regulations under the Dentists Registration Act. In clause 9, an amendment will be made to allow appeals against revoking of licences to be heard by sub-committees of the Singapore Medical Council and the Dental Registration Board, insofar as these appeals relate to premises which are used by practitioners who are registered respectively under the Medical Registration Act and the Dental Registration Board. However, the Minister's decision will be final after he has considered recommendations by these subcommittees. Clause 10 of the Bill permits inspection of premises -

Mr Speaker, Sir, let me first congratulate the Minister for the timely move in bringing this Bill before this House. No doubt, in our system of free enterprise, people in any trade or business or profession, including that of medicine and medical care, should be accorded the fullest freedom as is compatible with public interest to conduct their business with the least hindrance from the Government. As in this case where the practice of the profession or conduct of the business may literally mean the difference between the life and death of people receiving medical consultation, treatment, or care, the Government has certain moral obligations to ensure that certain safety standards are maintained, whether in relation to the services provided by or to certain medical paraphernalia used in the private clinics and private hospitals. This is not to suggest that doctors in private practice, by and large, have not been careful with maintaining standards. Private medical practitioners not only have a moral obligation towards their patients' well-being but also their own reputation to protect. There is no doubt that the vast majority of them should find no objection at least to the raison d'etre of the Bill which is to ensure that certain standards of medical consultation, treatment or care of their patients are maintained. Some doctors in private practice may view the Bill as a measure to impose unnecessary hardship on them in their practice. Some unkind souls may even deliberately misconstrue this Bill as a desperate measure of the Government to prevent further brain-drain of doctors from the Government service to the private sector. I have no doubt that the Minister has no such "macabre" intention. Though the Minister's intention is honourable, the danger is that some over-zealous Ministry officials may implement the provisions of the Bill, after it has been passed, in such a manner as to make it more difficult than necessary for the doctors in private practice to conduct their business. I understand that this Bill will be committed to a Select Committee. The Minister is certainly wise in committing this Bill to a Select Committee to enable interested parties to voice their fears and/or views on the Bill. Knowing the Minister, who is still very much a democrat at heart, I have no doubt he will give whatever views that will be presented to the Select Committee his utmost consideration before this Bill is read a Third time. In any case, the act of licensing private clinics and private hospitals is no more or no less than the act of licensing the private schools which the Education Ministry has been doing all along. The Bill, when seen in this light, should be considered as a logical step for the Minister to introduce in this House, particularly at a time when we see more private clinics and hospitals springing up. The Bill also seeks to prohibit the trading in human blood. All right-thinking Singaporeans must surely give the Hon. Minister their wholehearted support in this particular provision. Much has been said and written about the abuses and undesirable consequences of trading in human blood elsewhere. Singapore today can pride itself on its public-spirited citizens who have unfailingly responded to every call for blood donation. This has not only ensured that healthy blood is available for those who need blood transfusion, irrespective of whether they are rich or poor, but it has also served to prevent people donating blood for money even when their health does not permit it. The Bill, however, does not deal with the growing problem that the Government faces arising out of the proliferation of private clinics and private hospitals, i.e. the brain-drain of good Government doctors to the more lucrative pasture of the private sector. I do not know whether the Minister for Trade and Industry, in his recent announcement in this House on 11th December 1979 (Hansard, Vol. 39, col. 521) regarding the Consultation Fees Scheme for doctors in the Government Service, honestly believed that the scheme was going to help at all in slowing down the brain-drain. To me, and more so to the doctors in the Government Service, what the scheme contained was nothing more than peanuts. It was a case of too little being done too late. And to make matters worse, those in the lower rungs of the medical service are not even going to get the peanuts. How is the Health Ministry going to prevent a further brain-drain? Whether the Minister for Trade and Industry or the Professional Services Review Committee likes it or not, the doctors have a greater market value than the administrators. Mr Speaker, Sir, on this point, I am sure I can get you to agree with me. But I am not so sure whether I can get the Minister of Defence, who was once the Head of the Civil Service, to agree with me. If the scheme of service for doctors in the Public Service does not even come anywhere near what an average doctor in private practice gets, then the brain-drain of doctors from the Government service to the private sector is going to be further aggravated. We do not want a situation to arise in future where first-rate medical service is only to be found in private hospitals and clinics, and second-rate medical service in the Government hospitals, and only the rich can seek swift and effective remedies for their sicknesses while the poor, as well as the not-so-poor, have to be content with second-rate treatment or, worse still, depend on prayers to heaven to help them get well. Two cases that happened sometime ago in the Government hospitals must surely cause some disquiet among members of the public over the lapses of the Government health services, especially when they have grown accustomed to the high standards of medical services provided by the Government hospitals. One was the case of a patient who died after an appendicitis operation because the doctor removed a lump of fat instead of the affected appendix. The other was the death of a girl patient suffering from concussion after a fall, as she was not given the prompt medical attention she deserved. I believe the reason given in this case was that the equipment in the neuro-surgery department was overworked and the department understaffed. I know it is not fair singling out just these two cases to give the impression that something is amiss in the Government medical services. Two swallows certainly do not make a summer. The numerous successful cases in the Government hospitals that have gone unnoticed certainly more than make up for the few failures. My point is that under existing circumstances when the standard of Government medical services is high, such lapses have occurred. I shudder to think what will happen in future when there is a deterioration in the standard of Government medical services as a result of a massive "desertion" of Government doctors to take up private practice. Hon. Members must surely agree that with the springing up of more private clinics and hospitals and the dissatisfaction of the Government doctors over their terms and conditions of work, the flow of Government doctors to private practice is likely to quicken. Retaining the services of first-rate doctors in adequate numbers in the Government service is certainly going to be more challenging for the Minister for Health in future. The task of the Hon. Minister is made more difficult sometimes by the niggardly attitude and "the ostrich with its head in the sand" kind of outlook adopted, particularly by the Finance Ministry officials, that often frustrate any positive move to remedy the situation. I quite sympathise with the Minister for Health and his other fellow Ministers in not being able to get what they want for their Ministries from the Finance Ministry. Only the Prime Minister and the Deputy Prime Minister, I am told, get what they want. Perhaps for a start, the Ministry of Health can help to change the attitude of the top Finance Ministry officials by ensuring that if any one of them is admitted to hospital for treatment, he is given the poorest medical attention and services possible, just to give the Finance Ministry official a dose of his own medicine. If that official happens to be the one in charge of the allocation of funds for the building of community centres, then the Minister can even count on the services of the hon. Member for Kim Seng who, as we have all learnt from recent press reports, is on the warpath with the Finance Ministry over unfair allocation of funds to his constituency's community centre building project. In his present "belligerent" mood and frustration, he might even be tempted to use his surgical skills to cut him up as mercilessly as the Finance Ministry officials had slashed the financial allocation for his constituency's community centre building. Of course, Mr Speaker, Sir, the last portion of my speech is made in a lighter vein. I support the Bill before this House.

Mr Speaker, Sir, I rise in support of the Private Hospitals and Medical Clinics Bill. However, I surely do not share the sentiments of the Member for Moulmein because he talked about the doctor's remuneration. But I know that the teachers' remuneration is even worse. I hope that when the time comes to the debate on the Ministry of Education's allocation of funds, he will speak louder or as loud as he has at this time.

Mr Speaker, Sir, I thank the Member for Moulmein and the Member for Khe Bong for their ostentatious support. I must emphasise that the Bill on which we are discussing relates to the licensing of premises and has no relationship with the emoluments of doctors. I am quite sure, nonetheless, that my medical staff will be very pleased if they could have heard the Member for Moulmein speaking on their behalf and acting as their champion. I must add that it was not quite fair for the Member for Moulmein to bring up before the House what was reported in the newspapers on two cases which appeared before the coroner. In the Government hospitals, the Ministry of Health officials, doctors, physicians, dentists and other staff members are publicly accountable and, therefore, there is great scruple over unusual deaths that may occur in a hospital. It is because the peers exercise judgment over themselves that unusual deaths are promptly reported to the coroner and a public inquiry held to ascertain whether the death has been due to negligence or has been due to misadventure. For this reason, we can say that patients who are treated in Government hospitals can be thankful that here we have a system which keeps physicians, surgeons and other hospital staff on their toes, so that standards are maintained and mistakes are not covered up. This is essential to good hospital practice, and it is because of this that we have received adverse publicity. But let us assume that all these things have been covered up, then of course, there would not have been coroner's inquiries, there would have been no newspaper reports, and everybody would have believed that the Government medical staff, surgeons and other hospital staff are as capable and as efficient as their counterparts in the private sector. But the Member for Moulmein could probably do an investigation on the quiet to find out what happens in the private sector. I suspect that he will be entering the twilight zone. For his information, if he is ignorant, I would like to inform him that patients who are high risks are rarely treated by private practitioners. In fact, they are referred to Government hospitals. Patients who have become moribund because of mismanagement by private physicians are also referred to the Government hospitals. So in the end the Government hospitals are the reservoirs or receptacles for very bad risk cases whilst private practitioners take on the low risk cases and gain fame. There is a degree of unfairness in the mass media and, if this is reflected by the reaction of the Member for Moulmein, it will be a great help indeed if the mass media could do their own probes. I for one could vouch that letters of complaint about the performance in the private sector have been written to the mass media for publication in the newspapers but have been covered up. The letters, copied to me, were written to the Straits Times but they chose to publish only letters of complaint against public hospitals, never against private hospitals. I think the mass media in this sense is doing a disservice to the public, the consumers. Patients are consumers of health services and it is their right to know what they are consuming, how they are being treated. It is the intention, therefore, of this Bill to uphold the patients' right and to protect patients. As I have pointed out earlier on, there are segments of the population who are fastidious over health care and are easily gullible to all advertisements relating to cures, fantastic cures, which may well be unfounded. It is to protect them that we have to extend the Nursing Homes and Maternity Homes Registration Act to cover clinics run by private physicians. This is a gap which has been in existence over the last 20 years. The situation today warrants that expeditious action be taken because, as Singapore hopes to become a medical centre in this region, we can expect that more and more adventurers will make use of this facility in Singapore to advance their own cause.

Mr Speaker, Sir, I notice that I have touched on the favourite subject of the Minister for Health but I do not intend to prolong the discussion any further. I just want to touch on what the Member for Khe Bong has said - asking me to speak louder for the teachers' cause. If he had read and listened to some of my speeches in the past, he would have noticed that that was precisely what I did.

Question put, and agreed to. Bill accordingly read a Second time. Resolved, That the Private Hospitals and Medical Clinics Bill be committed to a Select Committee consisting of Mr Deputy Speaker as Chairman and the following Members: Dr Ang Kok Peng (Buona Vista) Dr Koh Lip Lin (Nee Soon) Mr Lee Yiok Seng (Bukit Panjang), Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for National Development Mr Sia Khoon Seong (Moulmein) Encik Sidek bin Saniff (Kolam Ayer) Mr Tan Soo Khoon (Alexandra) Dr Toh Chin Chye (Rochore), Minister for Health Mr Eugene Yap Giau Cheng (Mountbatten). - [Dr Toh Chin Chye]

Order for Second Reading read. 3.52 p.m.

Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, "That the Bill be now read a Second time." Sir, this is not the time or the place for me to deliver a lecture on the law of defamation. But I think it would be appropriate for me to point out to Members what is libel and what is slander under the law. Simply put, libel is defamation in a permanent form, for example, in writing or in print. Slander is defamation not in a permanent form; the best example being defamation by way of spoken words. The question arises: is broadcasting libel or slander? This moot point has been settled by statute elsewhere and here. Section 3 of the Defamation Act provides that for the purpose of the law of libel and slander, the broadcasting of words by means of radiocommunication shall be treated as publication in a permanent form. The term "broadcasting by means of radiocommunication" is defined in the existing section 2 of the Act to mean publication for general reception by means of a telecommunication within the meaning of the Telecommunications Act, 1965. This definition has to be up-dated because the Telecommunications Act, 1965, has been repealed and new systems have also been invented for the transmission of signals. Clause 2 of the Bill seeks to repeal the existing definition and to insert new definitions which will take into account new developments in the field of telecommunications. Clause 3 makes a consequential amendment to section 3 of the Act arising out of the insertion of the new definitions in section 2. Clause 4 amends subsection (3) of section 13 of the Act to give to a broadcasting station, which is authorized by law to provide broadcasting services for general reception, the defences which are presently available to a defendant in a libel action in respect of reports and matters published in newspapers. The present subsection (3) of section 13 gives such defences to licensed broadcasting stations only. The Singapore Broadcasting Corporation which was established by the Singapore Broadcasting Corporation Act, 1979, is exempted from obtaining such a licence. The amendments made to section 13 will make these defences available to the Corporation in a libel action in respect of reports and matters broadcast by the Corporation. Sir, I beg to move.

Question put, and agreed to. Bill accordingly read a Second time and committed to a Committee of the whole House. The House immediately resolved itself into a Committee on the Bill. - [Mr E.W. Barker]. Bill considered in Committee.

Clause 1 -

The citation year will be altered from "1979" to "1980". Clause 1 ordered to stand part of the Bill. Clauses 2 to 4 inclusive ordered to stand part of the Bill. Bill reported without amendment; read a Third time and passed.

Order for Second Reading read. 4.02 p.m.

Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, "That the Bill be now read a Second time." Honourable Members are aware that since 1971 the Metrication Board has been directing and implementing the Government policy on metrication. Significant progress has been made. The public and the industrial sectors have been almost completely metricated. The conversion of the retail trade sector has also been progressing satisfactorily. However, in order to prevent any reversion to the use of non-metric units, it is necessary to support the metrication exercise with the necessary legislation. The Weights and Measures Act, in its present form, does not permit Orders to be introduced to prohibit the use of non-metric units for goods sold in loose quantities. The Bill seeks to amend section 16 of the Act so as to confer upon the Minister the power to make it mandatory that goods be sold in metric units, and at a price based on convenient metric quantities such as 1 kilogramme, 100 grammes, etc. Sir, I beg to move.

Question put, and agreed to. Bill accordingly read a Second time and committed to a Committee of the whole House. The House immediately resolved itself into a Committee on the Bill. - [Mr E.W. Barker]. Bill considered in Committee.

Clause I -

The citation year will be altered from "1979" to "1980". Clause 1 ordered to stand part of the Bill. Clause 2 ordered to stand part of the Bill. Bill reported without amendment; read a Third time and passed.

Order for Second Reading read. 4.06 p.m.

Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, "That the Bill be now read a Second time." The Bretton Woods Agreements Act, the principal Act, makes provision for Singapore's membership of the International Monetary Fund and the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development. Clauses 2 and 3 of the Bill amend the definition of "Fund Agreement" in the principal Act to take account of the two amendments that were made to the Articles of Agreement of the International Monetary Fund, one in 1968 and the other in 1976. Clause 4 of the Bill repeals sections 3 and 4 of the principal Act, under which subscriptions and other payments to the IMF are charged on the Consolidated Fund and any increase in subscription beyond US$37.5 million requires the approval of Parliament. The substituted section 3 provides for the Monetary Authority of Singapore to pay for and to take into its own account Singapore's subscription to the IMF and, with the approval of the Minister for Finance, to accept future increases in Singapore's subscription. It is the international practice for transactions with the IMF to be reflected in the books of central banks and not in the books of governments. Clause 4 also introduces new sections 4 and 4A to empower the MAS to acquire, hold and deal with Special Drawing Rights and to authorise the MAS to participate in the operations of the General Resources Account of the IMF. Singapore became a participant of the Special Drawing Rights Department of the IMF in October 1978. Clauses 5 and 6 of the Bill introduce consequential amendments to the principal Act. Sir, I beg to move.

Question put, and agreed to. Bill accordingly read a Second time and committed to a Committee of the whole House. The House immediately resolved itself into a Committee on the Bill. - [Mr Hon Sui Sen]. Bill considered in Committee.

Clause I -

The citation year will be altered from "1979" to "1980". Clause 1 ordered to stand part of the Bill. Clauses 2 to 6 inclusive ordered to stand part of the Bill. Bill reported without amendment; read a Third time and passed.

Order for Second Reading read. 4.11 p.m.

Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, "That the Bill be now read a Second time." Under the existing provisions in section 8 (2) of the Architects Act, 1976, all architects must have practical experience in Singapore for a continuous period of 12 months in architectural work after qualifying and having passed such professional practice examinations prescribed by the Board before they are entitled to registration with the Board. This provision deters good experienced architects to seek registration in Singapore. The Bill also seeks to provide for the registration of architects without the need of passing a professional examination if the architect has at least -

Question put, and agreed to. Bill accordingly read a Second time and committed to a Committee of the whole House. The House immediately resolved itself into a Committee on the Bill. - [Mr Teh Cheang Wan]j Bill considered in Committee.

Clause 1 -

The citation year will be altered from "1979" to "1980". Clause 1 ordered to stand part of the Bill. Clause 2 ordered to stand part of the Bill. Bill reported without amendment: read a Third time and passed.

Order for Second Reading read. 4.15 p.m.

Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, "That the Bill be now read a Second time." At present, the functions of the Singapore Fire Brigade are regulated under Part IV of the Local Government Integration Act which only provides general powers for the Fire Brigade in the performance of its duties. This part of the Local Government Integration Act has become inadequate for a modern fire brigade which has to cope with new dangers and new problems resulting from rapid urbanisation and industrialisation. The Fire Service Bill before this House will replace it. The object of the Bill is to have better provisions for an efficient fire service. The prevention of fires in high-rise buildings has also been taken into consideration. The Bill allows fire officers to enter and inspect buildings and the fire-fighting facilities in them. Modern high-rise buildings are equipped with built-in fire-fighting devices such as dry and wet rising mains, automatic sprinklers and heat detectors. For firemen to fight fires effectively, they have to- know what facilities exist and where they are located. The Bill will allow the Fire Brigade to conduct fire-fighting and evacuation drills in buildings. The Bill will also provide for an emergency ambulance service, an auxiliary fire brigade, a fire service welfare fund and penalties for miscellaneous offences such as raising false alarms and unauthorised use of water from hydrants. Part I of the Bill deals with preliminary matters. Clause 2 defines terms used in the Bill. The Chief Fire Officer will be known as the Director of Fire Service while the Singapore Fire Brigade itself will be renamed the Singapore Fire Service. Part II of the Bill deals with the constitution and administration of the Fire Service. Under clause 3, the Minister will appoint the Director of Fire Service whereas under the Local Government Integration Act, the President appoints the Chief Fire Officer. Part III sets out the duties and powers of the Fire Service. When there is a fire, fire officers may enter, break into or demolish premises or things to get at the fire. They may shut off or turn on water, gas, fuel oil and electricity supplies. They may also close nearby streets, remove vehicles and persons obstructing fire-fighting operations. They will have the power to control all operations. Clause 8 gives fire officers the right to enter premises for preventive work. Preventive work includes obtaining information that could help in fighting fires, conducting fire drills, ascertaining fire hazards and checking and testing fire-fighting facilities and installations. Clauses 9, 10 and 11 give other powers to the Fire Service - to remove obstructions that will render fire escape difficult, to fix plates to buildings indicating the location of water supply and to place fire alarms and hydrants. Under Part IV of the Bill, a welfare fund for fire officers will be established. The fund may be used to help needy fire officers and their families especially those who are injured or who die in the line of duty. Part V deals with the Auxiliary Fire Service. In the past few years, National Servicemen, both full-time and part-time, have been assigned to the Fire Service. It is necessary to organise into an auxiliary brigade all those National Servicemen who have completed full-time service and have gone into the reserves and all those serving part time National Service. Once they have been formed into a capable auxiliary brigade, these National Servicemen could be mobilised for effective service, if necessary. Part VI of the Bill provides general and formal matters necessary for carrying out the Act. It provides penalties for offences such as the unauthorised use of water from fire hydrants and giving of false alarms to the Fire Service. It also provides the Director of Fire Service with the power to make fire service orders to regulate fire brigade duties and to control the staff members of the Service. Finally, it empowers the Minister to make regulations on matters necessary for the Fire Service to be efficient in the discharge of its duties and for carrying out the purpose of the Bill. Sir, I beg to move. Question proposed. 4.20 p.m.

Sir, with fire wastage running at an all-time high figure, I believe, of over $70 million in 1979, the introduction of the Bill before the House is timely. To ensure the continued high standard of our fire service, it is important that we should constantly review and update the organisation and the facilities for fire-fighting. What I find disappointing about the Bill is that whilst part of the announced object of the Bill is to make better provisions under the law for the prevention of fire, there is no specific reference to this important aspect under Part Ill of the Bill, which sets out the duties and powers of the Fire Service. Sir, the Director is well-placed to co-ordinate efforts directed at research into fire prevention in all aspects. He is also in a good position to undertake the responsibility to inform and to educate the public on developments in the techniques of fire prevention. Perhaps the Hon. Acting Minister for Social Affairs would consider a suitable extension of Part Ill of the Bill to spotlight rather more clearly the duties of the Fire Service on fire prevention in the broader sense.

Sir, it is quite true, as pointed out by the Member for Jalan Kayu, that there is no specific mention of fire prevention in the Bill. However, as we all know, the Singapore Fire Brigade has, in the past, been educating members of the public on fire prevention through its regular fire prevention campaigns and exhibitions. For the information of Members of this House, a Fire Prevention Campaign will be organised by the Brigade at Lucky Plaza this Friday, 29th February. This effort of the Singapore Fire Brigade in educating members of the public on fire prevention will be continued by the Singapore Fire Service, when formed as a result of this Bill. On the Member's suggestion that the Director of Fire Service co-ordinate efforts in research and education, I am of the opinion that instead of enlarging Part Ill of the Bill I feel that this provision is adequately covered by clause 4 in Part 11 of the Bill. I would certainly take up his suggestion. Clause 4 of the Bill says that the Director shall be charged with the direction and administration of the Fire Service. So I think the suggestion by the Member to include research and education in fire prevention can be part and parcel of the administration of the Fire Service.

Question put, and agreed to. Bill accordingly read a Second time and committed to a Committee of the whole House. The House immediately resolved itself into a Committee on the Bill. - [Dr Ahmad Mattar]. Bill considered in Committee.

Clause 1 -

The citation year will be altered from "1979" to "1980". Clause 1 ordered to stand part of the Bill. Clauses 2 to 33 inclusive ordered to stand part of the Bill. Bill reported without amendment; read a Third time and passed.

Order for Second Reading read. 4.25 p.m.

Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, "That the Bill be now read a Second time." The Bill before the House seeks to amend the Singapore Polytechnic Act, 1954, by changing some of the existing provisions and introducing new ones. The reason for proposing the amendments is that certain provisions of the Act have become obsolete or inadequate, considering the fact that the Polytechnic was established more than a quarter of a century ago. Since its establishment, the Polytechnic has grown into a major institution for the training of technical manpower in Singapore. Right now, there are some 4,600 full-time students and 3,000 part-time students. The campus itself has shifted to new premises at Dover Road, recently completed at a cost of $42 million. The Act governing the operation of this institution has to be brought up-to-date to reflect its development. There are three main areas of the Polytechnic's operations which the amendments in the Bill are intended to cover. These are the Polytechnic's Board of Governors, its Students' Union and the authority to make regulations under the Act. I shall deal with each of these subjects in turn. Firstly, on the Board of Governors, the Bill seeks to amend section 4 of the Act concerning the composition of the Board. The existing section 4 is somewhat restrictive. It specifies certain Government ministries and non-Government organisations from which the Minister must select representatives to be members of the Board. The proposed amendment will make the Board consist of a Chairman, a Deputy Chairman, the Principal of the Polytechnic and from 9 to 15 other members to be appointed by the Minister. In this way, while the Board could still have representatives from Government ministries and other organisations, the Minister will also be able to appoint suitable outside experts in technical education to be members. It may be noted that under the amendment, the Principal of the Polytechnic will be a member of the Board. His previous place as Secretary to the Board will be taken by the Registrar. Also, the term of office of the members of the Board will be three years instead of four years. A new section 4A is introduced by the Bill. It will spell out the circumstances under which a member of the Board is considered to have vacated office, empower the Minister to revoke the appointment of any member except the Principal and allow any member to resign by giving written notice to the Minister. I now turn to the subject of the Students' Union. Sections 13 and 14 are introduced under the Bill to provide for the establishment of a Singapore Polytechnic Students' Union. The Union will be constituted through regulations to be made under the Act. The proposed provisions are necessary because of the problems which the Polytechnic Authorities have faced with the Students' Union in the past. Firstly, the Students' Union has been dominated in the past by small groups of students who have, from time to time, manipulated their position for their own personal or ideological benefit. In order to get more students to be involved in the Union's affairs and to expand the Union's scope of activities, the Students' Union will be made up of a number of clubs representing the academic and extracurricular interests of the students. Every student will belong to at least one club but not more than three. Each club will have a management committee elected by its members. Each management committee will in turn elect representatives to the Union Council which will also have Executive Council members elected from each of the clubs by their ordinary members. In this way, the Students' Union structure will be more democratic. No small group of students will be able to dominate the Union Council. There will be a fairer representation of students in the Council. Another problem concerning the Students' Union of the Singapore Polytechnic lies with the management of its funds. The Union collects a large sum of money in union fees from the students. Based on the existing enrolment, the union fees come up to more than $100,000 a year. This money has to be spent responsibly for the benefit of the greatest number of students. It has to be properly accounted for. Unfortunately, the officials of the Students' Union over the years have demonstrated that they could not do so. We have received complaints from the external auditors of the Polytechnic Students' Union. For example, in 1977 the sum written off was $4,330 and in 1979 it was $5,624. Hence, under the Bill, the responsibility for collecting union fees and seeing that they are properly spent and accounted for will be borne by the Polytechnic's administration. This is an unavoidable responsibility since the only alternative is that the sum is managed by the Students' Union officials who come and go year by year. The Students' Union and its constituent clubs will come under the ambit of the Societies Act. A transitional provision will be made for the existing Students' Union to continue functioning until the new Union is constituted. I would like to add that if the Students' Union of the Polytechnic carries out their activities within the law and for the benefit of the students, they will have nothing to worry about. In fact, the new amendment will strengthen their hands as the composition of the Council provides for wider representation and, therefore, for a wider scope of activities. Finally, the Bill seeks an amendment concerning the authority to make Regulations under the Act. This authority is at present held by the Minister and the Regulations have to be approved by Parliament before they come into force. It is proposed that the authority to make Regulations be entrusted to the Board of Governors who would seek the approval of the Minister. The Regulations made under the Act relate to such matters as the conduct and disciplinary control of staff and students of the Polytechnic. The Board of Governors would be the appropriate body to make such regulations. It would also mean that Regulations could be made more expeditiously. Sir, I beg to move. Question proposed. 4.35 p.m.

Mr Speaker, Sir, I wish to make some comments on the Amendment Bill before the House. Clause 5 of the Amendment Bill introduces nine new sections, 13 to 21. Of these new provisions, section 13 subsections (1), (2) and (3), and section 21 subsections 1 (e) and 1 (f) have caused great apprehension among a certain section of the students in the Singapore Polytechnic. They feel that these provisions encroach upon their basic rights to organise student activities. In this connection, the students should now have their fear allayed by the speech of the Hon. Minister which clearly shows that it is not really his intention to suppress legitimate and healthy student activities which are so much an integral part of the educational process of students in an institution of higher learning. Mr Speaker, Sir, I note that neither in the Singapore Polytechnic Act (Chapter 180 of the Revised Edition) nor in the Singapore Polytechnic (Amendment) Bill before the House is there provision for a Guild of Graduates of the Polytechnic, nor is there provision for the Polytechnic Graduates to be represented on the Board of Governors. As the Minister is aware, he being an academic besides wearing his many different hats, there is a Guild of Graduates of the University of Singapore and that the Guild elects four members to the University Council which can have a maximum membership of 18. Through this provision in the University of Singapore Act, these elected members from the Guild have over the years contributed in no small measure to the development of the University of Singapore into an esteemed place of higher learning. I hope that the Hon. Minister will consider introducing a provision in the Singapore Polytechnic (Amendment) Bill for a similar organisation in some future date. In the meantime, he may wish to consider appointing some Polytechnic graduates, who have distinguished themselves in the various professions, as members of the Board of Governors under clause 2 of the Amendment Bill when it comes into force. I am confident that such members will render valuable service to their Alma Mater

Mr Speaker, Sir. the hon. Member's concern that past graduates of the Polytechnic, especially those who have excelled themselves are not given the opportunity to serve the Polytechnic Board of Governors, is quite unfounded. Though not explicitly mentioned in the present Act or the Amendment Bill, past graduates of the Polytechnic have served on the Board of Governors in the past. In fact, the Amendment Bill before the House will give the Minister this flexibility to appoint people on the Board as he deems fit. I would suggest that if the hon. Member for Buona Vista has some suitable names to recommend, please do so because I am in the process of appointing the next Board of Governors for the Singapore Polytechnic.

Question put, and agreed to. Bill accordingly read a Second time and committed to a Committee of the whole House. The House immediately resolved itself into a Committee on the Bill. - [Dr Ahmad Mattar]. Bill considered in Committee.

Clause I -

The citation year will be altered from "1979" to "1980". Clause 1 ordered to stand part of the Bill. Clauses 2 to 4 inclusive ordered to stand part of the Bill. Clause 5 -

The citation year in page 4, line 8, has also to be altered from "1979" to "1980". This will be done. Clause 5 ordered to stand part of the Bill. Clauses 6 and 7 ordered to stand part of the Bill. Bill reported without amendment; read a Third time and passed.

Order for Second Reading read. 4.40 p.m.

Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, "That the Bill be now read a Second time." The Bill seeks to amend some provisions in the Ngee Ann Technical College Act and to introduce new ones. Most of the proposed amendments or new provisions are similar to the ones proposed under the Singapore Polytechnic (Amendment) Bill for the Singapore Polytechnic Act. Under the Bill, section 7 of the Act is to be amended to allow flexibility in the appointment of members to the Council of the College. The amendment, however, will not affect the present position of the Ngee Ann Kongsi which will continue to have three representatives on the Council. The Bill also seeks to delete paragraph (e) of section 8, subsection (2) of the Act. This paragraph made it a part of the functions of the Council to provide residences for the staff and students of the College. Since there is now neither the need nor the intention to provide residences, this paragraph has become obsolete and ought to be deleted. Clause 6 of the Bill seeks to alter the composition of the College Senate slightly by including the Vice-Principal of the College as a member of the Senate. He will serve as the Deputy Chairman of the Senate to assist the Principal who is the Chairman. The purpose of clause 7 of the Bill is to provide for the establishment of the Ngee Ann Technical College Students' Union. The mechanism for constituting the Students' Union will be the same as in the case of the Singapore Polytechnic Students' Union, that is to say, it will be constituted by Regulations to be made under the Act. The intention is likewise similar - to ensure fair and wide representation of the students' interests and proper management of the Union funds. The Union and its constituent clubs will come under the ambit of the Societies Act. The Bill also seeks to empower the Council of the College to draw up rules on the appointment, promotion and termination of service of the staff and on the conduct and disciplinary control of staff and students. The Council will also assume responsibility for the proper control over the assets and expenditure of the College and for the preparation of financial statements for auditing. These are at present the Principal's responsibilities but it is felt that, more appropriately, the Council should have charge of these matters. Until the Bill is passed by this House and brought into operation, the current College Council will continue in office. The amendments proposed in the Bill will bring the Ngee Ann Technical College and the Singapore Polytechnic more in line with each other, since, after all, both are tertiary institutions for technical training and should be governed by similar laws. Sir, I beg to move.

Question put, and agreed to. Bill accordingly read a Second time and committed to a Committee of the whole House. The House immediately resolved itself into a Committee on the Bill. - [Dr Ahmad Mattar]. Bill considered in Committee.

Clause 1 -

The citation year will be altered from "1979" to "1980". Clause 1 ordered to stand part of the Bill. Clauses 2 to 6 inclusive ordered to stand part of the Bill. Clause 7 -

The citation year in page 4, line 34, has also to be altered from "1979" to "1980". This will be done. Clause 7 ordered to stand part of the Bill. Clauses 8 to 10 inclusive ordered to stand part of the Bill. Bill reported without amendment; read a Third time and passed.

Resolved, "That Parliament do now adjourn to Wednesday, 5th March, 1980." - [Mr E.W. Barker]. Adjourned accordingly at Fourteen minutes to Five o'clock p.m. to Wednesday, 5th March, 1980.