PEOPLE'S ASSOCIATION (AMENDMENT) BILL

Order for Second Reading read.

2.51 p.m.

The Minister of Defence (Dr Goh Keng Swee): Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, "That the Bill be now read a Second time."

Sir, the record of the People's Association during the past five years, since its incorporation in July 1960 under the People's Association Ordinance, 1960, was one of rapid expansion of its activities throughout Singapore. Before the P.A.P. Government assumed office in 1959, there were only 28 community centres and 3 holiday camps. Today it has, under its control, a network of 180 community centres and 7 holiday camps spread throughout the island. It has also set up a million-dollar National Youth Leadership Training Institute at South Buona Vista Road.

More than 60 per cent of our population is below 21 years of age. The question of channelling the abundant energies of youths towards constructive ends in national building and leadership poses a major problem that needs to be urgently tackled. The Government has, therefore, established this Training Institute at South Buona Vista Road and this has marked a new phase in the concerted long-term efforts of the Government to solve the problem of youths in Singapore.

However, youth is not the only problem that needs to be tackled through organised activities at community centres. Through experience, it has become evident that there is a need for organised social, cultural, educational .and athletic activities in the community centres to meet the varied demands of the other age groups. One outstanding example is the need to set up kindergarten classes and children's clubs for children, particularly in the rural areas of Singapore.

It has been found that anti-national elements in the Communist United Front have been making use of various kindergarten classes organised by them, especially in rural areas, as a convenient instrument for carrying out their subversive activities and furthering their nefarious political ends. It may puzzle those innocent of the villainy of which pro-Communist agents are capable, how such innocuous institutions such as kindergartens can be used as a channel of subversion. Sir, this is done in two ways. The first is to teach infants and toddlers to sing anti-government jingles. In ancient China, the chanting of anti-government jingles by children usually heralds popular uprising against the imperial dynasty. Our modern Marxist-Leninists do not despise this well-tried and ancient method. The second way of subversion is provided by access to parents of the children in their kindergarten classes. In the countryside, where the population is lacking in sophistication, parents believe that their children are being educated in these kindergartens and are accordingly grateful to the teachers. These teachers are, of course, Communist United Front operators who never fail to cash in on such gratitude by propagating the party line. The Communist United Front kindergartens are completely illegal and are conducted by untrained and unlicensed teachers. However, summarily to close them down without providing replacements would play into the pro-Communists' hands, as this would only direct towards the Government the wrath of irate parents whose children have been deprived of kindergartens. Therefore, it has become necessary to organise kindergarten classes in community centres. Action to organise such classes along proper lines was taken at the beginning of last year. To date, there are 129 kindergarten classes carried out in community centres mainly those in the rural areas. The number of children attending them is in the region of 3,800.

In order to make more effective the services provided by the community centres, it is an advantage to enlist the support and active participation of local community leaders in community centre activities. Experience has shown that such support and participation are essential to the success of a centre in organising a wide range of activities to meet the varied needs of the community. The People's Association has formed Management Committees consisting of local community leadership so that their support and guidance for the benefit of the community could be placed on a regular basis. However, the local leaders forming the Management Committees are people who are residents in the neighbourhood of the respective community centres and they are not members of the Corporation within the meaning of section 10 (2) (b) of the People's Association Ordinance, 1960. In considering the great number of centres involved and the number of members for each Management Committee, ranging from seven to fourteen, it would not be possible, in practice, to appoint only members of the Corporation to be members of Management Committees, as provided under that section. Amendment to the Ordinance is accordingly necessary. I may mention, in passing, that a Conference of Management Committees will be held on 8th January to 10th January at the Conference Hall in Shenton Way, when all aspects of community centre management will be discussed.

Sir, I have briefly indicated some of the main developments of the Association during the last two years, a reflection of the changing dimensions of the task that has to be performed by the Association. The last two years saw major steps and concerted efforts to strengthen the organisation of the Association. It is necessary now to amend the objects of the People's Association as provided in section 10 of the People's Association Ordinance, 1960, so as to enable the Association to engage in tasks that were not foreseen when it was formed in 1960.

Sir, I beg to move.

Question put, and agreed to.

Bill accordingly read a Second time and committed to a Committee of the whole House.

The House immediately resolved itself into a Committee on the Bill. -[Dr Goh Keng Swee].

Bill considered in Committee; reported without amendment; read a Third time and passed.

3.00 p.m.