NANYANG UNIVERSITY BILL

Order for Second Reading read.

11.50 p.m.

The Minister for Education (Mr Chew Swee Kee): Mr Speaker, Sir, the Nanyang University Bill before this House today is a new milestone in Chinese education. When Nanyang University was established in 1954, it was a private institution that aimed at providing higher education in Chinese. Chinese education was not the concern of the Government at the time because it was not part of the Government educational programme.

Apart from giving partial aid to Chinese schools, the Government then was not committed to Chinese education in any way. Nanyang University proceeded under its own steam from the day of its registration as a limited company providing courses of study in Arts, Science and Commerce, entirely on its own. There was no consultation between them and the Department of Education before the introduction of the Ministerial form of Government and later on between them and the Ministry of Education. Such a state of affairs was clearly unsatisfactory and indeed undesirable because, unless the University had a system and courses of study that can fit themselves into the local pattern of education, the graduates will find very little outlet after they have gone through the portals of the University.

In October, 1956, when the Government committed itself to Chinese education with the opening of Government Chinese schools as a result of the students' unrest, the chance had come for bringing Nanyang University into the whole educational set-up in Singapore. Because Nanyang University, was essentially a private institution, it is natural that to bring it into the setup it must meet with various difficulties.

When I say that the time had come to bring Nanyang University into the whole educational set-up in Singapore, I do not mean that Nanyang University would be a Government institution or even Government sponsored, but it would be an institution with Government representation so as to make certain that Government's views are brought to the attention of the people who run it and vice versa, and so that it will not develop into a foreign university. Can we imagine a university in Singapore providing education for our children under a system foreign to ours?

I am glad that this Bill has come very closely upon the recent Government decision to give financial aid to Nanyang University. What better evidence can there be of the sincere desires of both the University and the Government to see that hereafter the University should form part of the educational system. Also the appointment of a Commission to examine the standards of Nanyang University should clear the doubts of people once and for all whether both parties are determined to see that the academic standards of Nanyang University are adequate and worthy of its name.

The Commission is expected to assemble some time in February next year and it is my earnest hope that the Commission will be able to accomplish its task within the time set for it. Meanwhile I hope that those persons who are now responsible for the academic work and administration in the University will maintain the highest standards possible.

Coming to the Bill itself, I want to draw Members' attention to the cardinal principle, that the administrative and the academic must remain separate. For the administration of the University, clause 19 of the Bill provides for a University Council consisting of the President of the University and twenty-seven other members. Three of the twenty-seven members will be Government nominees, two members from Members of the Senate, two members from the Guild of Graduates when there is one, and the rest elected from members of the University. The membership of the University is a special feature in the Bill because many people have contributed various sums of money to the University when it was established in 1954, and obviously these benefactors cannot be forgotten with the incorporation of the University under the law of Singapore. Clause 8 of the Bill provides for this membership.

Clause 24 of the Bill provides for a University Senate who will be responsible for academic matters. Looking further ahead we have provided for a Guild of Graduates under clause 25.

Clause 9 provides for a Council. In the Council, the members will be elected for a period of two years consisting of the Chairman (elected), a Vice-Chairman (elected), the President, who shall be the executive and academic officer of the University and also a member of every Committee. The President is actually equivalent to the Vice-Chancellor and, in addition, we will have a Secretary appointed by the Council and a Treasurer who may be a salaried officer.

Those are the main features of the Bill before the House and the rest is a matter of detail. The subject of this Bill is one of public concern and it will be necessary to consider it more fully in Committee stage.

Sir, you have rightly ruled that this is a hybrid Bill and I shall move at the end of the Second Reading that this Bill be committed to Select Committee, and in Select Committee I propose also to make certain amendments to the Bill one of which will be the addition of some provision for the setting up of a Students' Union in the University.

Sir, I beg to move, "That the Bill be now read a Second time."

Question proposed.

11.54 a.m.

Mr Lim Koon Teck (Paya Lebar): Mr Speaker. Sir, Nanyang University was created as a private limited company, but when this Bill is passed by the Assembly, it will be incorporated as a public institution, having as it were come of age. It is befitting that on coming of age it should be recognised by Government by having three members of its Council of Management nominated by the Council of Ministers and having a grant of $854,000 for current expenses and future bursaries. This grant, Sir, I am sure is only a beginning and when the University enlarges its activities, larger grants will be made. Nanyang University has filled a gap in our educational system by providing post-graduate education for our children who have attended Chinese schools; because, until this University started, there was no place for them for further studies unless they left for foreign shores.

I am quite sure, Sir, that Nanyang University and the University of Malaya will in the future provide most of the men we require to run the very complex business of self-government.

Sir, I want to thank the founders and generous donors for their courage and foresight in providing such an institution to fill a very vital need for Singapore.

I heartily support this Bill.

11.57 a.m.

Mr Lim Cher Kheng: Mr Speaker, Sir, despite the gloomy political and economic picture during the last few months, this is a very beneficial move by the Government.

I extend my hearty congratulations to the Government, especially to the Minister for Education, for finally launching this important Bill.

Sir, I am not only going to support the speech just delivered by the Member for Paya Lebar who extends his thanks to the founders of the University, but I would also call upon this House to place on record the beneficient gesture and the courage shown by the founders of the Nanyang University, and particularly the support of the taxi-drivers, trisha-riders, coffee-shop assistants and amahs who have contributed to make Nanyang University possible. I would also like to call upon this House to recognise the fact that this Bill is of significant importance. I expect it will not only meet with popular support but will also meet with unanimous approval.

Sir, Nanyang University is the result of a movement which has proved that our people are able and prepared to accept the challenge of the future, irrespective of race, culture and religion - a movement with a united force. I particularly appeal to Malayan readers to realise this, no matter what barrier has been created - Malayan Malays and Malayan Chinese. The creation of Nanyang University has sown certain doubts and fears particularly among the Malay community. Sir, I think this is now the opportunity for Malayan leaders to speak their minds on what they think of Nanyang University. What do they think of the mass support given to this University, and what is the importance of this University in the future?

Sir, I think it is high time for all the communities, not only the Malays, to recognise that Nanyang University belongs to the people of Singapore as well as Malaya. Judging by the number of students attending the University today, more than 60 per cent of them come from the Federation, it is therefore a clearly accepted fact that local consciousness and local loyalty and even the building of a greater Malaya exist in their hearts.

I understand that from this year a Malay Department will be set up in Nanyang University. I ask hon. Members to consider whether this should be encouraged and, if so, whether it should be enlarged and strengthened to cope with the political development in this country. I also understand that an Indian Department is about to be launched.

Sir, it is obvious that Nanyang University is no longer confined to the Chinese community, because it is already making an important contribution and is an important asset to this country.

Sir, we learn from the Minister for Education that this Bill is going to be committed to a Select Committee, and I will therefore not go into details now. But I wish to add a few important points. First, is it possible for the Singapore Government to negotiate with the Federation of Malaya to recognise the importance and the nature of Nan-yang University and to give it not only their moral but also their economic support?

Secondly, whether the Government of the Federation of Malaya and the Singapore Government can give an assurance that Nanyang University degrees will be recognised in future?

Thirdly, I would ask the Government to recognise that, although they have made a subsidy to Nanyang University, this is but only a temporary measure and that a long-term economic aid policy will be drafted.

Fourthly, I would urge the public to continue giving its support to Nanyang University and should not be led into believing that, just because the Government has extended its support to the University, its own support should be stopped. I wish to place on record my statement that public support is not only important but also necessary at this juncture.

Lastly, I wish the Minister for Education would include the Students Union into the Bill.

Mr Braga: He said so!

Mr Speaker: I think this is an appropriate time to suspend. I will take the Chair again at half-past two.

Sitting accordingly suspended at 12.08 p.m. until 2.30 p.m. Sitting resumed at 2.30 p.m.