TRANSPORT FACILITIES FOR SCHOOL CHILDREN IN BLAKANG MATI AND PULAU BRANI

Inche Ahmad Jabri Bin Mohammad Akib asked the Minister for Education what steps have been taken to overcome the transport difficulty of school-children in Blakang Mati and Pulau Brani who attend schools in Singapore.

Mr Yong Nyuk Lin: Mr Speaker, Sir, on 12th October, 1960, the Ketua of Telok Saga, Pulau Brani, wrote to the Minister informing him that, owing to a change in ferry schedules, children from Pulau Brani and Pulau Blakang Mati attending morning session schools in Singapore were unable to reach school in time. The Ministry took the matter up with the General Officer Commanding, Singapore Base District. Through the good offices of the latter, the War Department agreed to bring forward the RCL ferry timings in the mornings leaving Pulau Brani at 6.25 a.m. and Pulau Blakang Mati at 6.35 a.m. for Jardine Steps with effect from 21st November, 1960.

Coincidentally, since notice of this question was received from the hon. Member for the Southern Islands, the Minister received a further petition dated 18th May, 1961, on this matter. This petition, purporting to have been signed by 75 residents of Pulau Brani, seeks the Ministry's assistance to get the Army authorities to revert the ferry service back to pre-October 1960 schedules. The Ministry is looking into this matter now and hopes to resolve it to the satisfaction of all concerned, as soon as possible.