SUPPLEMENTARY PROVISION (Sessional Paper No. Cmd. 13 of 1959)

11.13 a.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 $106,705 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. 13 of 1959.

Sir, the Schedule consists of seven applications for supplementary provision amounting to $106,705. The reasons for these supplementary votes are given in detail in the Sessional Paper. There are, however, three items on which I propose to make some additional comments.

The first refers to the proposed appointments of interpreters for the Legislative Assembly in order to implement the proposal that all debates and discussions in the Assembly will be conducted in the four languages, namely English, Malay, Mandarin and Tamil, under the new Constitution.

Hon. Members will recollect that, in this connection, a Select Committee was appointed and made its Report on the matter in 1957, which has been published as Sessional Paper No. L.A. 20 of 1957. It is imperative that early arrangements should be made for the recruitment and training of these interpreters, so that a trained staff will be available to render simultaneous interpretation in the four languages at the first sitting of the new Assembly. It is therefore proposed to implement immediately the recommendations in sub-paragraphs (7) to (10) of paragraph 35 of the Report, namely to recruit three permanent interpreters - one in English and Malay, another in English and Mandarin, and the third in English and Tamil - and six part-time interpreters, two proficient in English and Malay, two in English and Mandarin, and two in English and Tamil, and that Mr A. T. Pilley of the Linguists Club, London, an expert in the organisation and training of simultaneous oral instructions/translation personnel and who was previously consulted by the Select Committee, be engaged for a period of at least 10 days for the purpose of testing, selecting and training the candidates.

The second concerns the provision of bursaries for Malay students in the secondary schools. The object of the proposal is to enable the Malay students who are in needy circumstances to complete their secondary education. The bursary will be awarded where the financial circumstances of a deserving student would prevent him from obtaining secondary education. The award will be confined to Malay students born in Singapore or children of Singapore citizens resident for not less than five years, prior to joining secondary schools. The value of the bursary would be $72 per annum and, on the basis of 250 bursaries, supplementary provision of $18,000 will be required. In addition, school fees will be remitted and the sum of $10,080 will be involved in a year.

The third refers to the provision of a loan scheme for Singapore overseas private students to assist proven needy cases. Assistance will be confined to students who have passed at least their preliminary or intermediate examination, and are making satisfactory progress in the course of study leading to qualifications for which there is still an unsatisfied demand in Government, and to prove their inability to continue studies without Government assistance. Any applicant who receives assistance must undertake to apply for appointment in Government service for a specified period. Two sureties will be required and the loan, which is interest-free, would be repayable over a period after the students have qualified and begun gainful employment. It is hoped that this proposal will tide over the shortage of suitably qualified professional men at the present stage of Malayanisation. Only $20,000 will be required for each year and it is proposed to put the scheme into operation for five years, or until the demand for the requisite qualifications has been met. Regulations to give effect to this scheme are being prepared.

Sir, I beg to move.

Inche Mohamed Sidik Bin Haji Abdul Hamid: Sir, I second it.

Motion committed to Committee of Supply.

Motion and Schedule considered in Committee of Supply.

11.15 a.m.

Schedule-

The Chairman: The summary is at page 4.

Head 4-

The sum of $49,090 for Head 4 ordered to stand part of the Schedule.

Head 20-

The sum of $5,000 for Head 20 ordered to stand part of the Schedule.

Head 46-

The sum of $18,000 for Head 46 ordered to stand part of the Schedule.

Head 53-

The sum of $13,300 for Head 53 ordered to stand part of the Schedule.

Head 49-

The sum of $1,315 for Head 49 ordered to stand part of the Schedule.

Head D22-

The sum of $20,000 for Head D22 ordered to stand part of the Schedule.

The sum of $106,705 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 $106,705 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. 13 of 1959.