CONDITIONS AND REQUIREMENTS FOR ALLOCATION OF HOUSE NUMBERS

Mr Lin You Eng asked the Prime Minister what are the conditions and requirements for the allocation of house numbers.

The Prime Minister: Sir, a house number is allocated by the Deputy Commissioner of Inland Revenue (Property Tax Department) on production of an approved plan and certificate of fitness issued for the building concerned by the Chief Building Surveyor. In the case of a temporary structure, a house number is allocated on production of a temporary building permit issued by the Chief Building Surveyor. It is not necessary to await the Prime Minister's visit to get a house number.

Mr Lin You Eng (Moulmein): (In Mandarin): Mr Speaker. Sir, I understand that the position appears to be that if two houses are built at the same time, then they will be given the numbers, but that if there is one house between the two it will not receive any number. There is a rumour to the effect that this is a very unwise policy of the P.A.P. Government.

The Prime Minister: I am astounded, Mr Speaker, Sir, that Members on the other side, particularly the great revolutionary anti-colonialist heroes, have now been reduced to becoming purveyors of falsehoods and rumours outside.

Mr David Marshall: Copying your Party.

The Prime Minister: Sir, if I take notice of the Member for Anson, perhaps we might enliven the proceedings in this Assembly. But I can assure him that, but for the fact that scrupulous care is maintained to see that everybody knows the real position from time to time, including gaols and the thickness of walls and windows and so on, there would not be the air of calm and confidence that there is in Singapore as to the reality of things.

The Member for Moulmein has mentioned what he considers the curious fact of two houses getting a number each and a house in the middle not getting a number. As I have said, the conditions for getting a number, if it is private land, are the production of a plan with the owner's consent, an approved plan and a certificate of fitness issued for the building concerned by the Chief Building Surveyor. If two people on two different plots of land can produce certificates of fitness and approved plans, there is no reason why numbers should not be granted. Where in logic does it follow that if you have two "lawful" houses with numbers and you build an "unlawful" one in between, you should get a number? That is something which I do not understand. The Member for Moulmein, instead of just repeating and becoming a relaying post for malicious falsehoods could go around and explain - if he is sincere in his anxiety for this gentleman without the house number - that it has got nothing to do with coffee money to the relevant department. He himself ought to know that things have changed in the last three and a half years and everybody knows that no coffee money is required for house numbers. But what are required are a plan and a certificate of fitness. Produce them and you will get a house number. I assure the Member for Moulmein that my Department will give him every assistance in pointing out how to get such a plan approved and how to get a certificate of fitness from the Chief Building Surveyor. We shall render him any other assistance, either in language or surveying, or in any other of the things required to get house numbers.