VALUATION LIST FOR 1960 (Access to public)

Mr A. P. Rajah asked the Minister for National Development whether he is aware that, despite the provisions of section 112 of the Local Government Ordinance, 1957, members of the public are being denied full and free access to the Valuation List for 1960 for purposes of inspection, and what steps he has taken or will take to ensure that the City Council complies with the provisions of the aforesaid section.

Mr Ong Eng Guan: Mr Speaker, on 1st September, 1959, an estate agent who had been working as an officer in the City Council Assessment Department, when the Member for Farrer Park was there, wanted to take down a list of valuation of properties but was refused access to the 1960 valuation list because he could not produce letters of authority from the property owners. This was in keeping with previous departmental procedure based on the Municipal Ordinance. The City Council assessment officers were suspicious of their former colleague, who is now an estate agent, and who in 1958 whilst in the employ of the City Council had used City Council information for a High Court bank assessment case, that is the famous Chartered Bank case, and appeared as a witness on behalf of his clients while he was still in the service of the City Council. Because of his past conduct, the City Council Assessment Department refused him access to the 1960 valuation list until he could produce letters of authority from the particular property owners who would be his clients to look into the assessments of their particular properties. Unfortunately, Mr Speaker, the Local Government Ordinance promulgated in 1957 was not clear on the matter as to whether any member of the public could go to the City Council and look at the valuation list of all property owners with whom he has no connection whatsoever. Mr Speaker, the Municipal Ordinance on which the Local Government Ordinance, 1957, was based did not allow any member of the public to look at the valuation of any property unless he has got a letter of authority. It is based on the same principle as the Income Tax Department in not allowing any accountant or lawyer to have access to the Income Tax Department's assessment list of taxpayers. This precaution will restrict unscrupulous persons from touting for business by looking into other people's assessments where there will be many chances of corruption, particularly in the case of persons who have previously been engaged by the Assessment Department or the Income Tax Department.

Mr Speaker, the matter was brought up to the High Court and we found that the Local Government Ordinance is different from the Municipal Ordinance on this matter and allowed access to the valuation list to any person even though he has no connection. We are studying the law and until such time as the relevant section of the Local Government Ordinance can be amended to prevent touts and unscrupulous agents from making use of such free access for their own ends, our hands are tied. If the Member for Farrer Park wants to know, this estate agent is Mr C. H. Williams.