THIRD SUPPLEMENTARY ESTIMATES OF EXPENDITURE FOR 1966

3.16 p.m.

Order read for consideration in Committee of Supply [Allotted Day].

[Mr Speaker in the Chair]

The Chairman: Third Supplementary Estimates of Expenditure for 1966 contained in Paper Cmd. 28 of 1966.

There is only one head of expenditure in the Supplementary Estimates and two notices of amendment in respect thereof have been received.

Head 1110 -

Mr Sim Boon Woo (Changi): Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move,

That the sum to be allocated for Head 1110 be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead 2001.

Sir, this House is asked to approve a sum of $122,000 for emergency repairs to the City Hall building and urgent extensive repairs to buildings of ex-Federal departments which were left in a state of neglect when Singapore was part of Malaysia. When we were a part of Malaysia, we paid 40 per cent of our national income to the then Malaysian Central Government. Sir, until I received the Third Supplementary Estimates of Expenditure for 1966, as contained in Paper Cmd. 28 of 1966, I was under the impression that the ex-Federal departments were well maintained by the then Malaysian Government. They had been paid 40 per cent of our national income for the purposes of maintaining all the departments under their care. Sir, you may agree with me that repairs to the buildings of ex-Federal departments could have been done by the Central Government during the Malaysian period. Some of the expenditure involved should have been taken from this 40 per cent, instead of which this House is now asked to approve an additional sum for repairs. In view of this, could the Minister concerned make an effort to claim back the cost of the repairs so that this money could be spent on other projects which could benefit our people?

Sir, I beg to move.

Mr Barker: In my view, the less said about our differences with Malaysia and what should have been done or should not have been done, the better. Of this sum of $121,419, about $20,616 was spent on the City Hall, $30,835 on the Criminal and District Courts, $19,404 on Changi Prison, $46,702 on the General Post Office, and $3,862 on the Telecommunications Station at Kim Chuan Road, making a total of $121,419. I can assure the Member for Changi that this sum is being paid by the Central Government. As a result of Malaysia, they owe us some money and we owe them some money. At the moment, negotiations are about to be completed on who owes whom and how much, and this sum of $121,000, or nearly $122,000, falls within the figure of about $3 million which we are claiming from the Malaysian Government and which they have agreed to pay under an item of this nature.

The Chairman: Mr Sim, in view of that, do you wish to withdraw?

Mr Sim Boon Woo: I beg to withdraw.

Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.

The Chairman: Madam Chan, amendment No. (2) .

Madam Chan Choy Siong (Delta): (In Mandarin): I beg to move,

That the sum to be allocated for Head 1110 be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead 2002.

Mr Speaker, everybody knows that the Istana during the colonial days was used as a place for the reception of a few privileged persons and representatives. During the Lim Yew Hock regime, it was used as the residence of a certain Minister or Ministers. But at the present moment, in the context of independent Singapore, it is a place of significance. It is symbolic of our Republic and is a very important place. Its status is such that it is used to welcome our national guests. It is also used as a place for the representatives of the people to congregate on ceremonial occasions. Therefore, its status is quite different from what it was in the past. From the building in the istana, we can see that it could be used in the past for the purposes I have mentioned. But it is not suitable for present-day purposes, because it smells too much of aristocracy. It was designed for the use of very few people only. But now it is used to welcome our national guests and as a meeting place for the representatives of the people on festive or ceremonial occasions. The capacity of the hall is very small. Only a small number of persons may be housed therein. Because of my personal experience after having attended several functions there, I have the feeling that whenever the Government wishes to welcome representatives from the people, such functions are always held in the grounds of the Istana, and on rainy days or very windy days, the people have to take shelter running with chairs and cups and saucers into the building itself. If this sight is to be presented to our foreign guests, it will be a very disappointing one indeed. This may give people the impression that we are so poor that we cannot even afford a proper place to hold such functions. From this supplementary estimate, I can see that since we have spent so much money on decorations and repairs, why not we spend some more money in altering the Istana itself, to enlarge it so that it can hold bigger functions and make it more appropriate for our purposes, instead of letting it be used by a few people only, the aristocracy? This is my view on this item and I hope that the Minister concerned will give me a satisfactory reply.

Mr Barker: Mr Speaker, Sir, I came here today prepared to argue that the sum of $182,000, which we spent on repairs and extensions to the Istana and on the renovation of the old Attorney-General's bungalow, was well spent. I thought that the Member for Delta was criticising the spending of such money. But I agree with all that she has said and, if we can spend more money on the Istana, I will be the first to spend it. It is true that if there is rain on certain days when we have functions in the grounds, then it is rather congested in the small hall. The only alternative is to pull down the whole building and put up something even more substantial instead. From the repairs alone, Sir, you will see that the building itself is an extensive building. But whether or not we can afford to pull it down and put up a new one, or whether we can afford to make very extensive alterations to improve it is a question which only the Minister for Finance can answer, as he is the one who hands out the money.

The Chairman: Madam Chan, in view of what the Minister has said, do you wish to proceed with the amendment or withdraw it?

Madam Chan Choy Siong: (In Mandarin): Mr Speaker, Sir, if the Minister says that the Finance Minister has not got enough money to renovate or repair the building, of course, I will have to withdraw my amendment. But I hope that he will consider my request.

The Chairman: May I treat the amendment as withdrawn and perhaps on another occasion you may deal with the Minister for Finance on this topic again?

Madam Chan Choy Siong indicated assent.

Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.

The sum of $610,700 for Head 1110 ordered to stand part of the Third Supplementary Estimates of Expenditure for 1966.

Question, "That the sum of $610,700 shall be supplied to the Government under the head of expenditure for the public services shown in the Third Supplementary Estimates of Expenditure for 1966 contained in Paper Cmd. 28 of 1966," put, and agreed to.

Resolution to be reported.

Thereupon Mr Speaker left the Chair of the Committee and took the Chair of the House.

Mr Lim Kim San: Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to report that the Committee of Supply have come to a certain resolution.

Resolution reported -

"That the sum of $610,700 shall be supplied to the Government under the head of expenditure for the public services shown in the Third Supplementary Estimates of Expenditure for 1966 contained in Paper Cmd. 28 of 1966."

Mr Lim Kim San: Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move that Parliament doth agree with the Committee on the said resolution.

Question put, and agreed to.

Resolution accordingly agreed to.