VICTIMS OF RECENT FIRE (19th February, 1962) IN EU TONG SEN STREET

Mr Low Por Tuck (Havelock): Mr Speaker, Sir, on the 19th of February, a fire broke out in Eu Tong Sen Street which is in my constituency. Several houses were destroyed and about 150 people were rendered homeless. Being the Assemblyman for that constituency. it was my duty to see that help be rendered to these unfortunate victims, Accordingly, I applied for a police permit to collect funds for the fire victims but to my surprise, I received a reply from the police which said that permission could not be granted because it was supposed to be "against the standing policy" to do so. Sir, I wish to record my protest in the strongest terms against this utterly heartless and discriminating policy of the P.A.P. Government towards the question of relief for the fire victims-[Laughter].

Laugh, huh? The P.A.P. today has descended to the utterly contemptible depths of trying to play party politics with the suffering of human beings during time of disaster. Even on this purely humanitarian effort of trying to seek help for the fire victims, the P.A.P. is trying to make political capital. Never in the history of Singapore have we seen a government more desperate and more lacking in moral principles than today.

Tun Lim Yew Hock: Hear, hear!

Mr Low Por Tuck: I wish to point out that never in the past, even in the times of the colonial government and of the previous government -

The Prime Minister (Mr Lee Kuan Yew): Hear, hear!

Mr Low Por Tuck: - which the P.A.P. at that time also regarded as a reactionary government, had the authorities refused well-meaning organisations the chance to render help to human beings in time of disasters like fires and floods. When the P.A.P. was in the opposition, everybody knew how enthusiastic the P.A.P. was in trying to organise help for victims of fire and flood disasters.

Sir,I was in the P.A.P. before and I can go on enumerating example after example of instances when the P.A.P. as an Opposition Party, was allowed by the authorities to participate in relief work.

In 1958, during the huge fire in Kampong Koo Chye, we spared no efforts to do whatever we could to bring relief to the thousands of victims. No effort was made by the previous Government to prevent us from doing this humanitarian work. Again, Sir, in 1959, during the big fire in Tiong Bahru and 1961, during the fire in Upper Chin Chew Street, I had the honour and privilege to organise relief work for the unfortunate victims. Moreover, Sir, as an elected Assemblyman for Havelock constituency, I had to deal with three fires in that area, and on each of those occasions, I organised the collection of funds and other forms of aid for the victims.

I am relating all this merely to demonstrate that in the past, it was always a commonly accepted practice to allow Assemblymen to respond to the sufferings of the people and to rush to their help. No attempts were ever made by the authorities to prevent us from carrying out what was essentially our duty. As leaders of the people, it is Indeed our duty to render whatever help we can to our people in times of disaster and need. Besides, it is only humane that everyone must do whatever they can to help our fellow human beings in time of need. It is indeed unthinkable that anyone would be so utterly heartless and debased as to try and prevent others from sincerely trying to render relief to victims of natural disasters. Thus, Sir, I was most shocked when I received the letter from the police refusing me permission to raise funds for the people in my own constituency and to help the victims of the recent fire. Today, the P.A.P. leaders are so desperate for power that they are prepared to sink low enough -

An hon. Member: How low?

Mr Low Por Tuck: - to prevent Opposition Assemblymen from helping people of their own constituencies in times of need. As their Assemblyman, I believe I can raise more funds from people of my own constituency for our fire victims. I have, in fact, done so before; not once, but many times -

An hon. Member: How many times?

Mr Low Por Tuck: - when I was in the P.A.P. Now that I have left the P.A.P.the Government tries to give the impression to the people of my constituency that I have no more interest in their troubles, by preventing me from doing relief work for them. To the desperate P.A.P. politicians today, it is far more important playing politics than genuinely seeking aid for fire victims -

An hon. Member: Did you give any yourself?

Mr Low Por Tuck: They are even prepared to exploit the sufferings of human beings for political gain. They now wish to monopolise completely all relief work and to prevent other political and civic organisations from participating in such work. The aim is obvious. They want to give the impression that they are a good Government -

The Minister for Education (Mr Yong Nyuk Lin): Why not?

Mr Low Por Tuck: - whereas others are bad and irresponsible. Is this fair?

An hon. Member: No.

Mr Low Por Tuck: I can quite understand, Sir, why the P.A.P. leaders are now trying to impress the people. They are not really concerned about the people's welfare; for having sold out the people's basic democratic rights of equal citizenship rights and proportional representation in the so-called merger arrangements, they have to find ways and means of covering up their betrayal of the people. Sir, we would not mind this monopoly if the P.A.P. as an organisation could really inspire enough confidence from the people in their relief work. But we know, Sir, the P.A.P. organisation today is an empty shell; neither has it the manpower nor the dedication to really help the people. The rank and file of the P.A.P., those who really have contact with the people, have already walked out of the P.A.P. We know that the P.A.P. as an organisation is now incapable of rendering maximum relief for the victims of fire or other disasters. Very often, Sir, for anyone to be really able to rally the people to help those victims of natural disasters, one must have the confidence and support of the people, otherwise it is often difficult for him to obtain the maximum response from the people. And for the P.A.P. to try and prevent the elected representatives of the people from participating in relief work, especially in their own constituencies, is, to say the least, utterly contemptible. I wish to urge the P.A.P. Government not to play party politics with the sufferings of human beings. Do not try to monopolise relief work in an attempt to bluff the people. It is useless for the P.A.P. Government to try to bluff the people. We all know exactly what the P.A.P. Government is today. I wish to urge the P.A.P. Government not to grudge other organisations playing their part in helping the people. Where the welfare of the people is concerned, we must all co-operate to do our best.

8.10 p.m.

Mr Wee Toon Boon: Mr Speaker. Sir, I thought the Member for Havelock would criticise or blame the Government for not doing enough for the victims in this fire. But instead he comes to this Chamber and cries that the Barisan Sosialis is again being denied another opportunity to exploit human sufferings.

Mr Speaker, Sir, you can imagine that in a fire the victims themselves are very anxious to retrieve whatever they can at that moment. Therefore, in such circumstances, it is only fair that the police will prevent those who are not affected, other than the Social Welfare Department and those who are assisting in the fire fighting, from moving in or around the vicinity. In fact, in past experience, fire fighting was hampered because an unnecessary and undue number of persons were allowed to mingle at the fire site.

But the most important thing is this, Mr Speaker. There are unscrupulous persons around and they often cash in and loot the properties of the poor victims.

With regard to a police permit to collect funds, here again, Mr Speaker, Sir, it is very simple. Anyone who wants to assist in collecting funds to relieve the fire victims can apply to the Social Services Council. The Social Services Council is the proper authority in the State of Singapore which has been recognised for giving relief to fire victims. If the Member for Havelock had been sincere in wanting to help the poor and unfortunate fire victims and not to exploit them, he could have just simply approached the Singapore Social Services Council and they would have helped him with the necessary receipts and he could have collected whatever amount he could to help the poor unfortunate fire victims. But he had no intention to do this. What he wanted was to get a permit in order that his Party could put up the Barisan Star and they could go about and mix around with the fire victims and hamper the relief work rather than assist the Welfare Department in relieving the fire victims.

On the question of collections, the Social Welfare Department has on various occasions received complaints from the public that funds have been mishandled and that there has been a criminal breach of trust. If the Member for Havelock wants it, I can show him all the complaints. They have been referred to the Police Department for investigation. Therefore, in order that no unscrupulous person can cash in on these occasions, we have therefore decided that only persons who really want to help can obtain permission from the Social Services Council and, with their receipts, they can go round to collect money.

Mr Speaker, Sir, for the information of this House, the Government had done what it could for the unfortunate fire victims in Eu Tong Sen Street. In this fire there were 32 families affected and they totalled 150 persons. All these persons have been given the necessary financial assistance. They have all been offered accommodation by the Housing Board and they are now being accommodated in:

Tiong Bahru - 11 families:

Old Kallang Airport - 3 families;

Delta/Ganges - 6 families;

Bukit Ho Swee 3 - families.

Therefore, as far as the victims are concerned, the Government have looked after them properly and did what could be done. There is therefore no cause for complaint by the Member for Havelock. The Opposition complaint this evening is that they were not given an opportunity to exploit another misfortune for their own political purposes.

Dr Lee Siew Choh: Mr Speaker, Sir, it was not our asking to exploit anybody at any time. In fact, on that particular evening when the fire broke out in the Havelock constituency, we went along to the Havelock Community Centre and there we saw P.A.P. members with arm-bands lined up right inside the Centre. Now the P.A.P. have always wanted to tell people that politics should not be brought in. Yet on this particular occasion they were all there with arm-bands showing the people that only the P.A.P. were doing good work for the people. We are not saying that they have not done anything for the fire victims. We know that they have -

The Prime Minister (Mr Lee Kuan Yew): That is good.

Dr Lee Siew Choh: - but what we want and to point out is this. What they have done is not enough. They are preventing other people from doing more to help the fire victims. Why should they prevent other people from helping? That is the point.

An hon. Member: Because you are in the Barisan Sosialis!

Dr Lee Siew Choh: And I want to bring up this very important point. Nowadays, there is always one law for the P.A.P. and one law for the non-P.A.P. I think I can relate the instance of my being charged in court. I was fined $40 on that occasion simply because -

An hon. Member: Hear, hear!

Dr Lee Siew Choh: Yes, and I am glad I was fined because the people in Singapore now know that there is one law for the P.A.P. and one law for other people. Sir, I might just add a few words on this. I was merely doing the very same thing which we had all the time been doing in the P.A.P., not only in my constituency but in other branches as well. On one occasion, the Prime Minister himself was addressing the crowd. The same loudspeaker system was put outside the premises. The police never dared murmur a single word. There were no complaints. They never dared take action. On another occasion, the Minister for Culture was directed there by the police. Fully conversant with the whole process of the law, knowing full well that the loudspeaker system was also put outside the building and that they were private meetings which could have been construed to be public meetings by the police, the police nevertheless never dared raise a finger.

An hon. Member: But you were in the Party.

Dr Lee Siew Choh: They never complained and, of course, they would not dare proceed with a court action. But see what has happened now that we are no more in the P.A.P.!

An hon. Member: You were attached to the Ministry of Home Affairs.

Dr Lee Siew Choh: Not so very long ago during the fire in Bukit Ho Swee a great number of organisations had helped. Now just because we happen to be no more in the P.A.P. we cannot help. It was the same story with the fire in Siglap. Why are we not allowed to help? Why cannot the fire victims get a chance to receive more aid as a result of other people coming in to help? Is the offer of aid a monopoly of the P.A.P.? Do they have to monopolise everything?

The Prime Minister (Mr Lee Kuan Yew): Send your $500 to the social welfare. We will give you a medal for it.

Dr Lee Siew Choh: The Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Labour talked about the Barisan Sosialis star. What is all this talk about political differences when we are trying to help? As the Member for Havelock has just mentioned, "Do not play party politics where the suffering of the people is concerned." Make sure that everyone of us can put in his little bit of effort. That is the main thing. We want to help to make sure that the victims get a fair share - not just a share - of whatever help they can get from all sources. By the P.A.P. Government monopolising all the work they are only making sure that the fire victims will not get the maximum help that is available.

The Prime Minister (Mr Lee Kuan Yew): We will give you a receipt. Sir, that is an astonishing remark from the Member for Queenstown. The complaint Is not that the fire victims have not been looked after but that -

Dr Lee Siew Choh: They have not got the maximum possible help.

The Prime Minister (Mr Lee Kuan Yew): - had only the Barisan Sosialis been allowed to go around with the "Red Star" of the Barisan, they might either have exhorted or otherwise persuaded people to part with their money and more might have been given. Sir, nobody was going to stop them from doing humanitarian work.

Dr Sheng Nam Chin: The police.

The Prime Minister (Mr Lee Kuan Yew): No, I think the Member for Nee Soon did not listen to the Parliamentary Secretary.

Mr Low Por Tuck: On a point of clarification.

The Prime Minister (Mr Lee Kuan Yew): Let me finish. All that was required was, go to the Social Welfare Department, clear with the Council for Social Welfare the receipts that you were going to issue.

Mr Speaker: Order. I do not think I was doing any collection, Mr Prime Minister. The Prime Minister has forgotten the Chair.

The Prime Minister (Mr Lee Kuan Yew): I was speaking figuratively, Sir. All they need have done was to collect the proper receipts so that there would be a proper accounting of the money. After all, only recently we had a lot of fuss and bother about stolen furniture, sewing machines and all the rest of it. We know that Members opposite are men not beneath making a claim outside court, but when they arrive in court they are afraid to substantiate on oath. The best thing is to ensure that there is proper accounting. Now, the point of elucidation.

The Prime Minister resumed his seat.

Mr Low Por Tuck: In fact, the refusal of the permit came from the police. I wrote officially to the Superintendent of the C.I.D. and was advised by the Officer in charge of the Central Police Station. The reply from the Superintendent of the C.I.D. was:

'A licence under the house to house and street collection Ordinance cannot be granted as it is against standing policy.'

The Prime Minister (Mr Lee Kuan Yew): It is against standing policy to allow any Assemblyman or any political Party for some genuine or bogus cause to go from house to house with a receipt of that political Party. We have had enough experience of all this.

An hon. Member: Yet you did it before.

The Prime Minister (Mr Lee Kuan Yew): That was the time when the Government was inept and stupid enough not first to have carried out its duties as a Government to ensure adequate relief for fire victims, and, second, to be stupid enough to allow political competition to do relief.

Dr Lee Siew Choh: There you are - an admission of political competition.

The Prime Minister (Mr Lee Kuan Yew): That is the whole issue. When a big fire took place in Bukit Ho Swee, the Member for Queenstown was there. So was I and so were lots of other people. As I have said, Sir, we have the supreme advantage of having jointly done all kinds of public acts. As I have said, one was tied up, put in a suitcase and locked up. Then after a while, hey presto, the suitcase was opened and the man came out free. The next time when he gets locked up. I am not quite sure whether he will come out free or not, but that is another matter. The point I want to make is this. Do not try the old tricks any more because they are known, and we know that to do these tricks you need certain props, and it is our duty, as a Government in full knowledge of how these confidence tricks are done, to prevent such operations from being foisted upon the people. [Interruption] What I am saying to the Member for Queenstown is that if the former Government was stupid enough to try and go into political competition for relief work, well this Government is not. The fire that took place in Bukit Ho Swee was of great magnitude. Of course, there was a genuine well of sympathy and of course there were a lot of C.P, elements running around - the Rural Dwellers' Association, the Country People's Association, the Old Boys' Associations.

An hon. Member: Old Girls.

The Prime Minister (Mr Lee Kuan Yew): Not yet old girls. The masculine includes the feminine, and equality of sexes has been going on for so long in these sectors that they have not bothered about setting up special organisations for Old Girls' Associations. But having had that experience, we ensured that there was a channelisation for maximum benefits -

Dr Sheng Nam Chin: To the P.A.P.

The Prime Minister (Mr Lee Kuan Yew): - to the people. The P.A.P. did not get one single dollar of the nearly $700,000 or $800,000 that was collected for the Bukit Ho Swee fire victims. They were all rehoused at public expense. It was not the P.A.P.'s money. We gave whatever was received.

Dr Sheng Nam Chin: You hoped to get their goodwill.

The Prime Minister (Mr Lee Kuan Yew): We discharged our duty effectively and efficiently as a Government, as is the bounden duty of any government. It is also the duty of any government to prevent the exploitation of public misery, be it on a small or on a large scale, be it in the name of an Assemblyman or in the name of a political Party, or of the Rural Dwellers' Association, the Country People's Association or the Old Boys' Associations be it Communist or non-Communist. There will be no exploitation of public misery as long as there is an efficient government to ensure that public misery is dealt with on a proper and national basis.

Sir, the last point I think worth making and one upon which perhaps the Member for Havelock could well ponder. His complaint really amounts to this. Either through a lack of alacrity or for some other reason he was absent at the moment of the calamity. He therefore came under some kind of criticism for not having evinced the right kind of sympathetic public spiritedness required of an Assemblyman. So he has to make some noise. We sympathise with him and we have given him ample opportunity to make the necessary kind of noise. But it is his misfortune for having made the noise in the wrong way. Nobody is getting any benefit out of the noise he is making today other than he himself. The fire victims are not going to get one cent more from him. In fact, as I have said, the Council for Social Welfare receipts are waiting in the C.P.A. Room and a collection is ready to be had from all the 13 Assemblymen of the Barisan Sosialis -

An hon. Member: Not one cent.

The Prime Minister (Mr Lee Kuan Yew): - each of whom is entitled to $500 per month tax free. If there is any sincerity about all this and if they really want to help, we have proper receipts to ensure proper collection and proper distribution and we take no credit for it. All credit goes to the giver. It is as simple as that. The test is, are they prepared to cough up? Or is it their intention to go around, exploit public misery, shake a can in the public face either by social blackmail or other means of persuasion or coercion, extract lucre out of the people, part of which may go to the victims and part of which may not? The Parliamentary Secretary is quite prepared to recite all those instances where the police have more than a suspicion that large sums collected never went to the victims. As I have said, when dealing with people who are not above pocketing what does not belong to them, one has to be very careful in these matters.

The Question having been proposed at Eight o'clock p.m., and the time appointed for the termination of the sitting (half-past Eight p.m.) having arrived, Mr Speaker adjourned the Assembly without Question put, pursuant to the Standing Order.

Adjourned accordingly at half-past Eight o'clock p.m.