KAMPONG TIONG BAHRU FIRE (Electioneering Propaganda)

3.16 p.m.

Mr William Tan (Tiong Bahru): Mr Speaker, Sir, I rise to move the motion standing in my name,

That this Assembly expresses its sympathy with the victims of the Kampong Tiong Bahru fire and deplores the electioneering propaganda at the scene and in the vicinity of the fire.

Sir, as a result of a fire in Kampong Tiong Bahru on 13th February, 1959, over 5,000 or 6,000 people were rendered homeless. We have read in the papers that these unfortunate people lost practically everything they owned. They lost their household goods and personal effects, their furniture, their poultry and livestock. These people are now undergoing hardships and worried about their future and the question of their food.

All these problems would not have come about if the P.A.P. in the City Council had kept its election pledge to look after the interests of the people of Singapore, in this case the people in Tiong Bahru. A large part of the area was razed to the ground, due to lack of water available for the use of the fire-engines. The attap dwellers in this area looked with despair at their burning huts, while the firemen and voluntary firefighters were unable to save them because of lack of water. I say the P.A.P. dominated City Council is responsible, because we have time and time again approached the City Council asking them to put up standpipes in the area. We have also asked them to replace the small main waterpipes with big pipes. And even the supply of water, at low pressure, in the kampong was blocked on many occasions by the City Council. The Liberal-Socialist City Councillor, Mr Lee Bah Chee, and myself brought up the matter, and the reply given was that it would cost the City Council a lot of money to replace the old pipes. I am really surprised, Sir, that the City Council could afford to spend over $105,000 on its Anti-Spitting Campaign, and that the Mayor, upon his election, asked for over $7,000 a month in salary and allowances. Yet, Sir, they replied that they were unable to replace the pipes because of lack of money. They did not realise that this main pipe supplies water to thousands and thousands of residents in that area where the big fire started.

The P.A.P. have not only failed in their duty to serve the people of Singapore, but they have also tried to cash in on the misery of these people. With your permission, Sir, I wish to quote the second paragraph of the paper, The Malayan Undergrad:

"Residents from the nearby King Edward VII Medical Hostel rushed to the scene of the fire to render aid. They did all they could, but unfortunately supporters of the People's Action Party wanted them to wear armbands bearing their Party symbol."

In cashing in on the misery of these people who have lost everything, P.A.P. supporters converted a coffee-shop, which was only 150 yards away from the scene of the fire, into a centre of registration and collection of cash. The medical students, anxious to render aid to the fire victims, were taken in by the pseudo, volunteers. These students, all innocent and anxious to render aid, did voluntary work in registering the poor fire victims. I went to the coffee-shop and recognized some of these pseudo-volunteers as supporters of the People's Action Party. I spoke to a few of these pseudo-volunteers myself, and I am convinced that they are, in actual fact, supporters or members of the People's Action Party. After my argument with some of them there, the students believed it was true because one of them rushed in and took out a bunch of armbands and asked them to put them on. While this argument was going on in front of the coffee-shop, the pseudo-volunteers planted a huge flag bearing the P.A.P. emblem, and political speeches were made through the loud-speakers which they had installed. They said, "The P.A.P. is the only Party in Singapore which comes to the aid of those unfortunate. The Government is not doing anything. No political Party is doing anything." They condemned other political Parties and put questions through the loud-speakers, "Where are the other political Parties who profess that they serve or are working in the interests of the people of Singapore?" But they forgot, Sir, that I was there on the spot! I was there right up to 3 a.m. on Friday, 13th February, 1959. Such propaganda! Sir, the fire provided a golden opportunity for the P.A.P. to tell such lies to the people. In my opinion, such speeches delivered by supporters of the P.A.P. attacking the activities of other political Parties were unjustified, particularly on such a sad day.

I would like to take this opportunity to mention the hon. Member for Tanjong Pagar's statement about Mr Marcus, the Hawker Superintendent in the City Council. It is because his elder brother, the C.A.O. (Chief Administrative Officer), also of the City Council, tried to protect him, and that is why he, the C.A.O., cannot remain true to the P.A.P. The truth is that in the same area of Kampong Tiong Bahru, that is, Kampong Silat, there is a very big group of hawkers. Orders were given by the Mayor himself to arrest these hawkers in that kampong. And I was the one who went to see the Mayor-

Mr Speaker: Order. I am just wondering whether the hawkers were victims of the Kampong Tiong Bahru fire! If they were not, then I am afraid the hon. Member has strayed very far from his motion.

Mr William Tan: What I wish to say is that I want to prove that the P.A.P. are telling lies! Because the Mayor issued instructions to arrest these hawkers.

Sir, I then reported the incident at the scene of the fire to the Assistant Commissioner of Police at King's Theatre, only a short distance from the coffee-shop mentioned. I regret to say that he seemed quite incapable of dealing competently with these offenders. Here we have people committing offences like collecting money without a permit, making political speeches at the scene of the fire without a permit, and yet the Assistant Commissioner of Police could not do anything. He only sent an Inspector to check and that Inspector, I am sorry to say, went out to check but did not return. The whole thing went on for two and a half hours. The least the Assistant Commissioner of Police could do was to instruct his officers to take down the names and addresses of these offenders. I am quite sure that if they did so on that day, these pseudo-volunteers would disperse. I could tell you they would run away with their tails between their legs.

Sir, this motion, as I said, has caused many people to be homeless, and I would like the Government to reply to this.

Mr Speaker: Just on a point of clarification. The Speaker is rather puzzled. The hon. Member has said that the motion has caused people to be homeless!

Mr William Tan: I am trying to say that I have moved this motion because I feel that it is my duty, as an elected representative of Tiong Bahru, to bring these facts to the Assembly.

There are some questions I would like to put to the Government. First, there are quite a number of people who owned houses in the kampong and who had lost everything in the fire. I wonder whether Government could compensate these people. In Queenstown, Government intends building many multi-storey flats as compensation to the squatters or attap-dwellers in Queenstown. Similarly in this case, I would like to ask the Chief Minister whether Government will give compensation, particularly to those people who grow food, the farmers - give them land and cash for what they have lost in the fire. And as the Government intend building multi-storey flats, it is my hope that they will compensate them.

Secondly, the few huts which were partly burnt by the fire or their planked walls damaged by fire-fighters when they were making fire lanes. These squatters were not given any aid by the Social Welfare or by the Council for Social Services. Will Government see to it that these people who need urgent assistance are attended to?

Thirdly, Sir, in the case of people who owned shops in this kampong: when the S.I.T. flats are built in that area, will these people be given priority to own shops in these multi-storey buildings?

Lastly, I am convinced, Sir, that Government will not be able to complete those multi-storey buildings on the site of the fire within three months, but as Government are so generous in giving them three month's occupation of the Kallang flats without rent, light and water, I suggest that Government give them six months to stay without rent, light or water - [Laughter] - that is, until the huts-

Mr J. M. Jumabhoy: On a point of clarification, Sir.

Mr Speaker: If the Member will give way.

Mr William Tan resumed his seat.

Mr J. M. Jumabhoy: Sir, the Government intend to give them occupation of the flats without rent, but with light and water!

Mr William Tan: Now, I would also like to bring to the attention of the Government that on the site of the fire were many graves. Should the Government build flats on that site, will they inform the relatives of those buried there before the bulldozers begin demolishing or trying to demolish those partly-burnt huts, trees, and so on?

In conclusion, as the Chief Minister has said, I would also like, as an elected representative of the people in Tiong Bahru, to express my thanks and appreciation for the help and consideration given by the various voluntary organizations, donations from the United Kingdom Government, the Government of the Federation of Malaya, the Government of North Borneo, the Chairman of the Council of Social Services, Dato Lee Kong Chian and his colleagues, the Social Welfare Department, the British Red Cross Society, members of the Civil Defence Corps, and the Singapore Improvement Trust. These people worked day and night. I saw them working with my own eyes. Some of them went on right up till the next morning to complete the job of evacuating those fire victims who were staying in Kim Seng Road to the Kallang area. I also wish to express my appreciation to the members of the general public.

3.32 p.m.

Mr Lee Choon Eng: Mr Speaker, Sir, considering the contents of the motion itself, and being an elected representative of a neighbouring Division, I rise to second the motion, at the same time reserving my right to speak at a later stage, if necessary.

Question proposed.

3.33 p.m.

The Chief Minister: Mr Speaker, Sir, the hon. Member for Tiong Bahru has asked for certain assurances from the Government. He has raised many points, and I can assure him that all the points that he has raised will be duly considered. In fact, I will instruct the Social Welfare Department, at the latest by tomorrow morning, as to the points he has raised, and to see what can be done to assist the fire victims. I must, of course, say that it is not possible for the Government to grant adequate relief to those fire victims who have lost their shops, those shopkeepers who have lost all their merchandise, or the farmers who have lost their crops. But as far as accommodation and household effects are concerned, they will be properly looked after.

3.34 p.m.

Mr Lee Kuan Yew: Sir, I have no intention of joining in banging the gong over the Kampong Tiong Bahru fire. But I thought there was one thing that the Chief Minister said yesterday which we should correct for the sake of the record. He deplored that fact that people went about and did acts of charity and kindness in order that pictures could be taken and published. He particularly expressed his displeasure at the suggestion in our Petir editorial that he went down to Kampong Tiong Bahru, became an amateur fire-fighter, and, as expected, it appeared in the papers next day. He vehemently protested that it was not his desire that this should be so.

Sir, I have two copies of two Party organs. The People's Alliance have just started to print theirs copying the format of the People's Action Party's Petir. He might be interested to know that a picture showing him with trousers rolled up and carrying a bucket of water, appears on the front page of the People's Alliance organ.

Mr Speaker: What is the date?

Mr Lee Kuan Yew: The 24th of February, Sir, I think it was at the first mass rally they were compelled to hold after we got started on our third. He might also be interested to know that, despite his allegations that we went about with photographers, we did not have pictures of the fire in our issue of our Petir after the fire. In fact, we were kind enough, when we published the debate, not only to publish a copy of the Mayor's but also a copy of Mr Tang Peng Yeu's for the people's delectation. Sir, at the time these respective Party tracts were issued, I do not think anybody expected the Member for Tiong Bahru to try and redeem his position somehow by moving a motion in this House about the fire. These two papers are irrefutable proof of the basic attitudes of the two Parties.

3.36 p.m.

Mr Lee Choon Eng: Mr Speaker, Sir, like the Member for Tanjong Pagar, I did not intend to take part, as he said, in beating the gong on this motion, because, when seconding the motion, I said I reserved my right to speak at a later stage, if necessary. But for the Member for Tanjong Pagar to come now and tell us that the Member for Tiong Bahru deplored the act of kindness shown by the people is, I think, entirely groundless. It is not because the Member for Tiong Bahru wants to deplore the act of kindness. It is not just because you want publicity for your own Party or for yourself that you go there to do your act of kindness. It is a humanitarian act for the victims who were caught in the fire. It is by this way that you should prove your act of kindness.

The second point he raised was that of the S.P.A. paper, which showed a picture of the Chief Minister with rolled up trousers, and called him an amateur fireman. Sir, it is out of the kindness of his heart and his sense of duty that the Chief Minister thought of the plight of the victims, and therefore he volunteered his services by holding a hose to fight the fire.

Mr Lee Kuan Yew: On a point of clarification, Sir.

Mr Speaker: If the Member will give way

Mr Lee Kuan Yew: The proof is in the picture!

Mr Speaker: Order.

Mr Lee Choon Eng: Unfortunately the Member for Tanjong Pagar himself was not there to put out the fire! If he had been there, he would have witnessed with his own eyes that the Chief Minister held a hose to fight the fire - not like the P.A.P. or the Mayor of Singapore who brought along with them photographers and a fire-engine. Is that what he called an act of kindness? I cannot believe it. It is just because he hoped against hope that the newspapers would publish on the front page the next day a picture of the Mayor directing the fire-engine. And he hoped his own photographers, should the newspapers fail to print the picture, would bring that picture to the Press for publication. He claims in his Petir that there is no publicity of any picture at all. It is because the P.A.P. has got no courage to print any picture of the actual act or the good act they have done. It is because the Petir has not got the courage to show that the Mayor himself went to the scene of the fire with the fire-engine and the photographers. That was the reason why the Member for Tiong Bahru has brought up this motion today. I really cannot understand why, when there is plight and misery, when the residents of the attap-houses are subject to hardships by the fire, and have lost all their belongings, the People's Action Party should exploit the situation by going there and making election speeches. Although Nomination Day has not come yet, we are still allowed to make our election speeches and election campaigns, but not at the expense of the fire victims. The People's Action Party held a mass rally at Jalan Kayu; so also had the People's Alliance, but not at the expense of the misery of the public. To have election campaigns at the expense of the fire victims and to exploit them is beyond expression. Shame!

3.40 p.m.

Mr David: Sir, in moving his motion the hon. Member for Tiong Bahru did suggest that the Police had in some way shown a dereliction of their duty on this occasion. He had not informed me that he was going to raise the point, so I am not in a position to say that I have investigated it fully. But my information at present with regard to the collection of funds at the scene of the fire was that there were a number of persons who, no doubt with the best motives, were seeking to collect relief funds on the spot. But the Police did draw their attention to the fact that it was unlawful to do so without a permit, and when their attention was drawn to the fact, they then ceased to do it.

3.41 p.m.

Mr William Tan: Mr Speaker, Sir, I am only an Opposition Member, and I do not have all the power I wish to have in order to be able to help these unfortunate people. I am only trying to do my best to help these fire victims.

In reply to the Hon. the Chief Secretary, I would say that after this incident, I had a conversation with the Commissioner of Police, and I placed before him all the facts of what happened in the coffee-shop. Furthermore, the conversation was held in the presence of the Assistant Minister for Labour and Welfare.

On the question of collection of money by voluntary people or organisations, is it not the duty of the authorities - they have an Ordinance regulating house-to-house and street-to-street collections - to stop these people, and, if possible, to take down the names and addresses of these people? Is it not true that the Police can stop them? We have known students of Kai Kok Public School and Chong Teck School - they are good people - who, having been instigated by members of the other political Parties, went about collecting money all over the area of Tiong Bahru. Why cannot the Police stop them?

About electioneering propaganda. The Chief Minister said yesterday that even on the day of the fire the P.A.P., by their propaganda machine, was accusing the Government of being responsible for the fire. All sensible people know that it is untrue. What I am really concerned about are the so-called pseudo volunteers who worked under cover as volunteer workers. They said they wanted to help the people, but in actual fact they were members of a political Party, and were trying to cash in on the misery of the fire victims and on the misery of those people who lost everything.

Take, for instance, this point. They carried out registration work in a coffeeshops. That was not necessary. Government has two registration centres - one in the Seng Poh Road Chinese School and one in Tiong Bahru School. I am glad to say that when I approached the Hon. the Chief Minister to set up another centre at Tiong Bahru School, which is only 100 yards from the scene of the fire, he agreed. Moreover, at the same time, the Department of Information Services van went round the kampongs informing the people that registration would be carried on at these two centres.

Question put, and agreed to.

Resolved,

That this Assembly expresses its sympathy with the victims of the Kampong Tiong Bahru fire and deplores the electioneering propaganda at the scene and in the vicinity of the fire.