TOA PAYOH (Resettlement of squatters)

Mr Wong Soon Fong asked the Minister for National Development what is the policy of the Government towards the memoranda submitted by the Mem ber for Toa Payoh and by the Rural People's Association on the question of resettlement of the 25,000 squatters in the Toa Payoh Area affected by the Housing Scheme, and whether he will meet representatives of these squatters and the Assemblyman concerned to settle the problem.

Mr Tan Kia Gan: Mr Speaker, Sir, the present scheme for resettlement provides for four alternatives:

(1) Housing Board accommodation will be given to those who are sub-tenants;

(2) Monetary compensation to those who make their own arrangements;

(3) A basic house in the suburban area with about 10,000 square feet of land for those who do not depend entirely on agriculture for a livelihood;

(4) Full compensation for all improvements on the land plus an agricultural plot of about 2 acres with a basic house for those farmers who depend on agriculture for their livelihood.

These rates of compensation have been kept in constant review and amend ed from time to time. They have been applied to more than 10,000 persons affected by the resettlement in the past five years. The Government fully appreciates that no one who is affected by resettlement likes to be shifted out of his house or home. Neither is it possible for any scheme for compensation to be absolutely satisfactory to all concerned.

The present rates are considered to be reasonable, and will be applied to all cases of resettlement. However, in specific cases of hardship, other forms of assistance may be granted. But it is not intended that the whole framework of the present resettlement scheme should be changed to suit a few such cases. It must be pointed out that compensation is a ex-gratia payment made to settlers who have no legal right to the land they occupy. The Government has given every assistance to those affected by resettlement in order to avoid hardship. For this reason, development of the Toa Payoh area is planned in stages so that only a limited number of families are moved at one time, and resettlement of people affected will be a gradual process extending over five to seven years. It is not anticipated that all the people of that area will be affected, and hence the figure of 25,000 quoted is misleading. Every measure will be taken to ensure that as little hardship as possible is caused to the settlers. If the occasion arises, my Parliamentary Secretary and I will meet these squatters on any individual problems that may be better settled by discussion.

Mr Teo Hock Guan: Mr Speaker, Sir, according to my information, the Government has the habit of throwing any memorandum submitted by the people into the wastepaper basket. Is that true, Sir?

Mr David Marshall: Only my letters!

Mr Wong Soon Fong: (In Mandarin): Mr Speaker, Sir, according to the reply given by the Minister, in five years' time there are 100 families who have-got compensation at this rate. May I know whether these regulations regarding compensation are those laid down by the Lim Yew Hock Government in 1957, and whether these include the amount given by the Lim Yew Hock Government?

Mr Tan Kia Gan: Mr Speaker, Sir, my answer just now stated that the com pensation schemes have been reviewed and amended from time to time, and I said that it includes the time when this Government took office. To my knowledge, I have personally settled some of the difficult problems of resettlement. When there were appeals made by cases for resettlement, I personally looked into them. I have also said that in specific cases of hardship, other forms of assistance may be granted. The figure of 10,000 includes obviously the period of the Lim Yew Hock Government, because this Government has only been in office for over two years.