PERMITS FOR OPEN-AIR CINEMAS

Mr Tee Kim Leng asked the Minister for Home Affairs (i) how many permits for Open-Air Cinemas were issued from January 1960 to the latest convenient date; and (ii) how many were rejected and the reasons for their rejection.

Mr Ong Pang Boon: Mr Speaker, Sir, I think it would be misleading to speak of the actual number of permits or licences issued for open-air cinemas, since a licence is generally valid for one month and, in the course of a year, there will be 12 licences issued in respect of one particular cinema. There are also cases where a particular cinema originally issued with a licence has had its licence subsequently cancelled. I take it that the Member is really interested in the number of open-air cinemas for which licences were granted and the number for which licences were refused, and, on this basis, the information for the period from January 1960 to 5th March, 1962, is as follows: (a) Number of open-air cinemas for which licences were issued 35 (b) Number of open-air cinemas for which licences were refused on application 10

Mr Tee Kim Leng: (In Mandarin): Mr Speaker, Sir, would the Minister tell us what were the reasons for those rejections?

Mr Ong Pang Boon: The reasons for the rejections were:

(i) Objections raised by the residents;

(ii) Unsuitability of the site chosen;

(iii) The presence of a permanent cinema within a one-mile radius; and

(iv) Secret society activities.

Mr Tee Kim Leng: (In Mandarin): With regard to reason No. (iv), would it be that if we closed down all open-air cinemas, there would not be any secret society members around?

Mr Ong Pang Boon: From past experience, it would appear that the closure of open-air cinemas has reduced considerably secret society activities in that particular area.

Mr Tee Kim Leng: (In Mandarin): Mr Speaker, Sir, in the case of other cinemas, for example, the big cinemas, there are also some secret society members around them. Does the Minister intend to close them down as well?

Mr Ong Pang Boon: Mr Speaker, Sir, the permanent cinemas are better situated, well lit and better organised.