CONTROL OF RENT (AMENDMENT NO. 2) BILL

Order for Second Reading read.

4.56 p.m.

The Minister for National Development (Mr Ong Eng Guan): Mr Deputy Speaker, I beg to move, "That the Bill be now read a Second time."

Mr Deputy Speaker, the purpose of this Bill is to suspend for a further period of six months paragraphs (i) and (k) of section 15 subsection (1) of the Control of Rent Ordinance. The Control of Rent (Amendment) Ordinance, 1959, which suspended these powers for a period of six months with effect from 24th July, 1959, gave farmers and other occupiers of land a temporary respite from eviction in cases where the landlord wishes to recover possession for development purposes, pending consideration by the Government of permanent legislation to ensure that tenants to be evicted in these circumstances in future are paid reasonable compensation and/or are satisfactorily settled by the landlord.

Hon. Members in this House will very soon have an opportunity of discussing the merits of this legislation which it is proposed to take through the various stages in the Assembly in the normal way. In the meantime, it is considered desirable to continue the temporary protection afforded by the Control of Rent (Amendment) Ordinance, 1959, which will lapse on 25th January, 1960.

Mr Deputy Speaker, I beg to move.

Question proposed.

4.58 p.m.

Mr Rajah: Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I believe the operative words are "to extend for a further period of six months". When the Minister moved the Second reading of the Control of Rent (Amendment) Bill on 16th July, 1959, this is what he said, as reported in Hansard of 16th July, 1959, at col. 95, last paragraph:

"Now, Mr Speaker, it is the intention of Government to introduce at an early date new legislation to assist farmers and householders, but definitely not illegal squatters of land."

And he went on to say:

"The idea of the new legislation is to assist legal farmers and legal householders to obtain compensation, or the offer of a suitable alternative site, when evicted from land required for so-called development purposes. Pending the introduction of such legislation which will take some time to draft, it is considered necessary and desirable to make temporary provisions to suspend for a period of six months paragraphs (i) and (k) of section 15, subsection (1) of the Control of Rent Ordinance."

Mr Deputy Speaker, I would not have imagined it to be a very difficult thing for the Minister to have brought out this legislation within the six months' period which the Assembly gave him. This Assembly has been faced with a spate of legislation on matters not quite as important as this, and some of them have been taken through all the stages at one sitting.

Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, you will remember how anxious the Minister for Finance was when he made his Budget speech that building operations in Singapore should commence as rapidly as possible and how important it was to encourage the building trade to get on its feet. I would submit, with respect to the Minister for National Development, that this is not the way to put the building industry on its feet.

There are two ways of encouraging the building industry in Singapore: one is public housing and public building, and the other is to let private development carry on under the private sector of building. If the Minister takes another six months to frame this Bill, there will be no building operations in so far as private development is concerned for the next six months, because, unless something is done with respect to this matter, there can be no building whatsoever in so far as private developers are concerned.

While appreciating the anxiety of the Minister to protect and to assist farmers and other persons in legal occupation of land, I think the Minister should bear in mind the greater interest of Singapore and try to introduce this legislation as soon as possible. I hope that the next six months will at least enable the Minister to give birth to new ideas.

Mr Ong Eng Guan: Mr Deputy Speaker, we have given the greatest attention to the permanent legislation which we intend to bring up in order to protect farmers. However, this legislation is most involved and we have to study precedents in countries like the United Kingdom, Japan, India, Pakistan, and in several other countries where the same problem of landlords evicting farmers has arisen. We are giving the utmost priority to this legislation and are considering all the repercussions and consequences so that when the Bill eventually comes up for debate it will be the best piece of legislation we have thought of..

Mr Deputy Speaker, this legislation which we intend to bring up has not much to do with building operations. Perhaps the Member for Farrer Park is worried about the building companies who had bought land long before we suspended paragraphs (i) and (k) of section 15 (1) of the Control of Rent Ordinance. Such landlords who had bought land long before the new law came into being have fought eviction proceedings because of our six months' suspension. We have been informed, particularly in the past few weeks, that many legal firms have taken or are trying to take action on behalf of their clients to evict farmers, who in most cases are legal tenants of the land, for the purpose of building housing estates. Mr Deputy Speaker, we know that this will cause a lot of hardship to these poor farmers and tenants, and the legislation which we intend to bring up has nothing much to do with the building of private houses. We would like persons who are interested in building houses for the public to buy vacant land of which there is plenty in Singapore. Most of the land for which eviction orders have been or are being obtained are areas near agricultural zones and they should be protected in the interests of the farmers.

Mr Deputy Speaker, the Government can assure the House that we shall introduce our intended permanent legislation at the earliest possible moment. This legislation will be given the highest priority.

Question put, and agreed to.

Bill accordingly read a Second time and committed to a Committee of the whole Assembly.

Assembly immediately resolved itself into a Committee on the Bill.-[Mr Ong Eng Guan].

Bill considered in Committee.

[Mr Deputy Speaker in the Chair]

5.08 p.m.

Clause 1 -

The Chairman (Mr Kandasamy): May I draw the attention of hon. Members to the Notes:

(1) In page 1, line 5, to leave out "No. 2".

(2) In page 1, line 5, to leave out "1959" and insert "1960".

That will be done.

Question proposed, "That clause 1 stand part of the Bill."

Tun Lim Yew Hock (Cairnhill): Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, the Minister has said that the Bill is an involved piece of legislation and that it may result in many representations from interested parties. Would the Minister please say whether he anticipates that the Bill can be presented to this Assembly in time before the six months is over? If he cannot do it, we are even prepared to extend the period to one year. We are just as interested in looking after the interest of the farmers as the Government.

Mr Ong Eng Guan: Mr Deputy Speaker, the new Bill will be presented and passed within the six-month period.

Question put, and agreed to.

Clause 1 ordered to stand part of the Bill.

Clauses 2 to 5 inclusive ordered to stand part of the Bill.

Bill reported without amendment; read the Third time and passed.

Mr Deputy Speaker: I think this is an appropriate time to suspend the Assembly until 5.40 p.m.

Sitting accordingly suspended at 5.10 p.m. until 5.40 p.m. Sitting resumed at 5.40 p.m.