SUPPLEMENTARY PROVISION (Sessional Paper No. Cmd. 31 of 1958)

3.57 p.m.

The Acting Financial Secretary (Mr Oon Khye Kiang): Mr Speaker, Sir, I have the Governor's recommendation to proceed with the motion. I beg to move,

That this Assembly resolves that the sum of $1,461,162 shall be supplied to the Government under the heads of expenditure and for the service specified in the Schedule contained in Sessional Paper No. Cmd. 31 of 1958. Sir, the Schedule consists of a list of ten applications for supplementary provision amount to $1,461,162. The reasons for these supplementary votes are given in detail in the Sessional Paper. There are two items which involve a substantial sum of money. One of them refers to the construction of four secondary schools for which $1,000,000 has been provided for this year. Work has progressed faster than was envisaged at the time when the Estimates were prepared. It is anticipated that a total sum of $2.1 million will be required for progress payments during the year, and supplementary provision of about $1.1 million will be required. These schools are urgently needed and when they are completed will meet the present demand in the various districts. The second one refers to the Muslim Welfare Home for destitute Muslim women. This project has been under consideration for some time. A token provision was provided in the Estimates to enable planning to be carried out. This has been completed and it has been decided to give this project top priority. The Home will be built at Jalan Eunos and, when completed, will meet a long-felt want.

Sir, I beg to move.

Mr Chew Swee Kee: Sir, I second it.

Motion committed to Committee of Supply.

Motion and Schedule considered in Committee of Supply.

[Mr Speaker in the Chair]

4.00 p.m.

Mr Chew Swee Kee: Schedule-

The Chairman: The summary is at page 7.

Head 10-

"The sum of $2,150 for Head 10 ordered to stand part of the Schedule."

Head 14-

Question proposed,

"That the sum of $7,971 for Head 14 stand part of the Schedule."

Mr Lee Choon Eng: Mr Speaker, Sir, this vote is required by the Department of Information Services for civics programmes and I wonder if the Financial Secretary can tell us the persons who are included in such civics courses.

The Assistant Minister to the Chief Secretary (Mr M. P. D. Nair): Sir, I think I can give the Member the answer. The whole civics programme was first instituted in the year 1957 as the Government felt a very big need to associate the masses with the Government as a continuing function of the social system.

Eighty-one courses were held in the year 1957 and 1,863 persons representing various organised bodies attended these courses which were then held twice or thrice weekly. In the year 1958, more frequent courses became necessary because of the great demand and because the advantages accorded to the participants became more and more evident. 120 courses have been held in the year 1958 up to date and 3,260 persons representing various organised bodies participated in them.

I am glad, Sir, to note that as a result of these courses, Government has been able to instil civic consciousness among the people. It is apparent that the hitherto limited civic consciousness - just like: "It is not my business" - plus the inability to conceive the scale on which Government operates, with consequent ignorance of what is going on, have given way to a new spirit of civic duties and responsibilities among the people. The people who have attended these courses, Sir, were of both sexes and came from all walks of life - to mention a few, fishermen, farmers, hawkers, industrial workers, insurance men, storytellers, rural dwellers, city dwellers, islanders, teachers, taxi men, barbers, University undergraduates and students from English, Chinese, Malay and Indian schools. The places visited in these civic courses included the Police Training School, the Combined Operations Room, the General Post Office, the Immigration Department, the Depart, ment of Information Services, the Animal Husbandry Station at Lim Chu Kang Road, the Civil General Hospital, the Orthopedic Hospital, Boys' Town, the Fisheries Department, the Government Printing Office, Radio Malaya, the Social Welfare Department, Gimson School for Boys, York Hill Girls' School, all community centres, the Telephone Board, the Harbour Board, the Junior Trades School, the Airport, the Department of Telecommunications, the Asian Seamen's Club, S.A.T.A., the Wireless Station at Jurong, the Supreme Court and this Assembly Chamber. All the participants of these civic courses, Sir, visited the Chamber, a fact which emphasises its position as a centre of a system of parliamentary democracy and makes more real to them the debates and discussions as they read them, in the papers or hear them on the radio.

Sir, in addition to these courses, these people have been taken to a series of lectures on the District Council elections in each District area and individual lectures were given to outside groups at their request.

I am sure hon. Members will agree with me that it is important that the people have a right to know the Government services and the Government servants, both to know just how much the Government services do for them and to be asked to make positive and helpful contributions to the parliamentary system of Government. I am sure, Sir, that the hon. Member will now be satisfied.

Mr Lee Choon Eng: Mr Speaker, Sir, can the Assistant Minister to the Chief Secretary tell us the procedure of making such applications and whether such applications are open to organisations and to individuals forming a group of 25?

Mr Nair: Sir, I shall be very much obliged if the hon. Member will see me so that I can explain to him the whole procedure in a personal discussion.

Mr Lee Kuan Yew: You might give him a lecture!

Mr Lee Choon Eng: Mr Speaker, Sir, it is not a question of giving information to me because I, for one, know that I can approach the Assistant Minister to the Chief Secretary for such a purpose. It is a question of the public that should be told, whether organisations, associations or individuals could make applications.

Mr Nair: I can see a real need for civics courses for Assemblymen too. There is no difficulty in the procedure, Sir. Any body of persons or any individual who would like to participate in a civics course should first apply to the Civics Organiser or to the Director of the Department of Information Services who will then arrange for the civics courses.

Question put, and agreed to.

The sum of $7,971 for Head 14 ordered to stand part of the Schedule.

Head 25-

The sum of $48,000 for Head 25 ordered to stand part of the Schedule.

Head 43-

The sum of $3,812 for Head 43 ordered to stand part of the Schedule.

Head 59-

The sum of $1,200 for Head 59 ordered to stand part of the Schedule.

Head 48-

The sum of $28,000 for Head 48 ordered to stand part of the Schedule.

Head D 16-

The sum of $5,300 for Head D 16 ordered to stand part of the Schedule.

Head D 45-

Question proposed,

"That the sum of $1,155,862 for Head D 45 stand part of the Schedule."

Mr Lim Choon Mong: Could the Minister for Education let us know the number of class-rooms provided in these new schools?

The Minister for Education (Mr Chew Swee Kee): Sixteen class-rooms with an additional two rooms, if necessary.

Mr Lim Choon Mong: Do you have a school hall, a library and other facilities in such schools?

Mr Chew Swee Kee: Yes.

Question put, and agreed to.

The sum of $1,155,862 for Head D 45 ordered to stand part of the Schedule.

Head D 52-

The sum of $224,000 for the Head D 52 ordered to stand part of the Schedule.

Head D 59-

The sum of $1,200 for Head D 59 ordered to stand part of the Schedule.

The sum of $1,461,162 for the Heads of Expenditure and for the services specified in the Schedule ordered to stand part of the motion.

Motion and Schedule reported, without amendment.

Question on the Motion put, and agreed to.

Resolved,

That this Assembly resolves that the sum of $1,461,162 shall be supplied to the Government under the heads of expenditure and for the services specified in the Schedule contained in Sessional Paper No. Cmd. 31 of 1958.