ADMINISTRATION OF OATHS

Mr Speaker, standing at the Table, took and subscribed the Oath of Allegiance.

Mr Speaker went to the Chair and sat down.

Then the Mace (which before lay below the Table) was placed upon the Table.

Mr Speaker: Order, order. Honourable Members will now proceed to take their Oaths or Affirmations, commencing with the Prime Minister and in the order as arranged.

Members took and subscribed the Oath of Allegiance, or made Affirmation of Allegiance, in the order below:

Mr Lee Kuan Yew (Tanjong Pagar), Prime Minister.

Dr Toh Chin Chye (Rochore), Deputy Prime Minister and Leader of the House.

Dr Goh Keng Swee (Kreta Ayer), Minister for Finance.

Mr Ong Pang Boon (Telok Ayer), Minister for Education.

Mr Yong Nyuk Lin (Geylang West), Minister for Health.

Mr Lim Kim San (Cairnhill), Minister for National Development.

Mr Jek Yuen Thong (Queenstown), Minister for Labour.

Inche Othman Bin Wok (Pasir Panjang), Minister for Home Affairs.

Mr Chan Chee Seng (Jalan Besar), Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Home Affairs.

Mr Chio Cheng Thun (Choa Chu Kang).

Mr Kow Kee Seng (Paya Lebar).

Mr Lim Huan Boon (Bukit Merah).

Mr Chia Thye Poh (Jurong).

Mr Koo Young (Thomson).

Mr P. Govindasamy (Anson).

Mr Ho See Beng (Bras Basah).

Mr Wee Toon Boon (Sepoy Lines), Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Labour.

Mr Ho Cheng Choon (Geylang East), Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for National Development.

Mr Andrew Fong (Stamford), Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Culture.

Inche Buang Bin Omar Junid (Kallang), Parliamentary Secretary to the Deputy Prime Minister.

Inche Yaacob Bin Mohamed Al-Haj (Southern Islands), Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister.

Inche A. Rahim Ishak (Siglap), Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Education.

Mr Sia Kah Hui (tipper Serangoon), Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Health.

Mr Lee Teck Him (Tiong Bahru).

Mr Poh Ber Liak (Tampines).

Mr Ong Lian Teng (Bukit Panjang).

Mr Tan Cheng Tong (Jalan Kayu).

Mr R. A. Gonzales (Serangoon Gardens).

Inche Mahmud Awang (Kampong Kapor).

Madam Chan Choy Siong (Delta).

Mrs Devan Nair (Moulmein).

Mr Fong Kim Heng (Joo Chiat).

Mr Lim Cheng Lock (River Valley).

Mr Ng Yeow Chong (Mountbatten).

Mr S. V. Lingam (Aljunied).

Inche Mohd. Ariff Bin Suradi (Kampong Kembangan).

Mr Ong Eng Guan (Hong Lim).

Inche Rahamat Bin Kenap (Geylang Serai).

Mr Ng Kah Ting (Punggol).

Mr Teong Eng Siong (Sembawang).

Mr Chow Chiok Hock (Ulu Pandan).

Mr S. Rajoo (Farrer Park).

Mr Sim Boon Woo (Changi).

10.47 a.m.

Mr Speaker: Mr Prime Minister, Leader of the House, Members of the Government and Members of the, Opposition ---

I am honoured to be elected Speaker of this House. I would, however, be more comfortable in the seat below reserved for the Member for Tanglin.

I am consoled by the assurance that I will be required to shoulder the responsibility for only a short period. Whilst I am here, I will endeavour to discharge my duties to the best of my ability with patience and impartiality and, I hope, to the satisfaction of both sides of the House.

I would ask all the Members to assist me to conduct these proceedings in accordance with the rules of procedure and the Standing Orders of this House and, above all, with decorum.

Dr Toh Chin Chye: Mr Speaker, it is the practice of parliamentary legislatures modelled after Westminster to elect a Speaker from among Members of the House who have, in turn, been elected by the people. However, it has been provided in the Constitution of the State of Singapore that our Legislature can elect as Speaker either a Member of this House itself, or a person from outside the House. Your election, Mr Speaker, is in keeping with our constitutional procedure and parliamentary practice prevailing in many countries. You yourself, Mr Speaker, have indicated that you will occupy the Chair for only a temporary period. It is our intention at a future date to elect a Puisne Judge to the Chair. The consent of the Central Government, who is now responsible for the judiciary, must of course be sought.

Mr Speaker, it has been an honour to have proposed you as Speaker of the Legislative Assembly. I have no doubt that the experience you have acquired as a respected member of the Bar will stand you in good stead in your present office. You have had a distinguished academic record in your student days and, if I can recollect accurately, you were, besides being a scholar, a skilled sportsman. I am told cricket was your favourite game - a very fair game indeed compared to the hurly burly of soccer and rugby football, in which sometimes the referee becomes the object of uncomplimentary remarks and the target of missiles from the players and the gallery. You yourself, Mr Speaker, must have umpired many a cricket game in your time, and just as you have fairly acted as umpire on the cricket pitch, we have no doubt that you will also be an able umpire in this House, and that you will observe that the rules of the game are played as indicated in the Standing Orders.

Mr Ong Eng Guan (Hong Lim): Mr Speaker, Sir, as one who has known you for many years, I have no doubt, as you have said just now, that you will chair the sittings of this Assembly, during the time when you are the Speaker or later on when you are the Deputy Speaker, with fairness, patience and impartiality that will transcend party politics despite the fact that you are a Member of the Government Party, as the previous Deputy Speaker of this House who was also a Member of the Government had done so.

Of course, we in the Opposition do mourn the loss of Mr George Oehlers - the great Speaker who has established parliamentary democracy in this State - and we do not hesitate to say that we would like to see him here with us again, but that is something about which we in the Opposition cannot do very much. But anyway, Mr Speaker, Sir, with for many years, we have no doubt of your impartiality and we have every confidence that you will be able to carry out the traditions which have been laid in this Assembly by the previous Speaker.