ADDENDUM - PERUMAL AND SIVAN TEMPLES

Inche Othman bin Wok, with reference to his replies to the following two supplementary questions on 10th June, 1964 (Official Report, 10th June, 1964, Vol. 23, No. 1, Columns 9 and 10):

(a) Mr S. V. Lingam (Aljunied): Is the Minister aware that the six domes of the two temples which were completed in 1962 were pulled down and rebuilt in 1963? And can the Minister confirm that there was a waste of $40,000 of public funds due to this constructional bungling?

(b) Mr S. V. Lingam (Aljunied): Can the Minister make it clear whether the following four amounts are included in the sum of $133,500:

(i) $50,000 contributed by the City Council;

(ii) approximately $11,000 paid as voluntary donations by certain Muslim and Hindu shopkeepers of Campbell Lane for transferring of tenancy of properties belonging to Hindu Temples;

(iii) approximately $5,900 collected from the public for purposes of Hindu destitutes' burial fund, which amount was handed over by the Hindu Advisory Board: and

(iv) $30,000 promised by members o the public?

supplied the following additional answers on 2nd October, 1964:

With regard to question (a), I have been informed that in fact the additional expenditure which was incurred on reconstruction of the domes amounted to a total of $27,500, and not $40,000, as stated in your question. I am also told that the need to reconstruct the domes of the two temples arose because the qualified Hindu architect, who was engaged from Madras to draw up plans and specifications for the Perumal and Sivan Temples in accordance with the Hindu Temples Building By-laws, did not in fact adhere fully to these Bylaws, and the sthapathy, who successfully tendered for the construction work on the basis of the plans drawn up by the architect, did not detect the irregularity in the design until it was too late. Work on the two temples on the basis of the plans drawn up by the architect was started in April, 1961, and it was not until the temples were inspected in November, 1962, that the attention of members of the Hindu Temples' Management Committee was drawn to the fact that the plans and specifications had not complied with the Hindu Temples Building By-laws. Subsequently, after a discussion held by the Hindu Temples' Management Committee with the sthapathy in charge of the construction, it was decided to carry out certain additions and alterations as advised by the sthapathy.

With regard to question (b), I confirm that the sum of $133,500 includes -

(i) the $50,000 contributed by the City Council;

(ii) approximately $11,000 paid as voluntary donations by certain Muslim and Hindu shopkeepers of Campbell Lane;

(iii) approximately $5,900 collected from the public for the purposes of the Hindu destitutes' burial fund.

The sum, however, does not include the $30,000, which had been promised by members of the public, of which so far only $15,000 has been collected. PRINCIPALS, TEACHERS, CLERKS AND SCHOOL SERVANTS OF CHINESE AND ENGLISH SECONDARY/PRIMARY SCHOOLS (Number suspended or dismissed 16-9-63)(Cols 0169-0172) SCHEME OF EQUAL TREATMENT FOR WOMEN (Number of acceptances and non-acceptances by lady teachers)(Cols 0173-0174)