PRESIDENT'S SPEECH Debate on the Address (Third Day)

[Mr Speaker in the Chair]

Order read for resuming adjourned debate on Question [9th May, 1968],

'That the following Address in reply to the speech of the President be agreed to : -

"We, the Parliament of the Republic of Singapore, express our thanks to the President for the speech which he delivered on behalf of the Government at the opening of the First Session of this Parliament.".'.- [The Prime Minister].

Question again proposed.

Mr Ho Kah Leong (Jurong): (In Mandarin): MrSpeaker, Sir, last week I was talking about the fact that some people are biased in favour of white-collar jobs. This is deep-rooted and cannot be easily weeded out. So I suggest that the Government should hold a large-scale exhibition to change the traditional attitude and concept of parents of students by giving them concrete facts and figures. Of course, to change the traditional education for white-collar jobs to blue-collar jobs needs comprehensive reviewing and planning. In my opinion, in undertaking this comprehensive change of the traditional educational system, we must keep close watch on the development of our industries. We must consider the future needs of our industries and also the students who, after they have been in school for eight or ten years, will be absorbed into our society without any difficulty. The Government should also plan to avoid teaching students those subjects for which there is no application.

In certain fields of education more students have passed out than can be given employment. I think parents can have some say in choosing the type of education for their children. But they should not have all the say because the Government should plan well and should give to the students the type of education they should receive, namely, vocational, technical or academic. Without this planning by Government, there will be redundancy and unemployment difficulties. If the present trend is continued, there may not be enough skilled personnel to man our industries. Therefore, we should give consideration to all aspects of the training of students, even training for artisan and craftsman jobs.

Sir, before we can change over from general education to technical education, we have to tackle the problem of shortage of technical teachers. On the one hand, we have a surplus of non-technical teachers, and, on the other, as I have said, we have a shortage of technical teachers. So the best way to solve this problem is to run crash courses for technical education so that the non-technical teachers will be given technical training. In this way, they will gradually be able to teach technical subjects. In my view, the present Teachers' Training College requires some reorganisation in order to implement the policy of re-training our non-technical teachers to teach technical subjects. For example, science teachers at present are compelled to undergo training in the methods of language teaching. This is an anomaly which should be removed.

Sir, in my view, our children are fortunate because the Government pays attention to their future careers. They have equal opportunities in education. It has been disclosed in the President's Speech that henceforth, in the field of education, we will be paying more attention to quality instead of quantity. On principle, this is good. But I am worried that when we try to improve on the quality of our education, we may neglect the quantitative aspect of our educational system. I refer to those children who may be deprived of the opportunity to go to school on the excuse of qualitative bias in education. Of course, I agree that the Government has built many schools. But we should not stop at the present juncture in view of the population increase. So it is necessary for us to build schools in proportion to our population increase so that no children will be turned away from school. We should not deny them their birth-right to have an education.

Mr Speaker, Sir, our society requires people who are bilingual and trilingual. We have done quite a lot to bring this about. For example, we have set up integrated schools and tried to improve the teaching of a second language in the various streams of education. But, unfortunately, as far as I know, the efforts put in in the English stream in raising the standard of teaching of the second language have not achieved as much as in the Chinese stream. I fully support the proposal that the text-books of some subjects in Chinese schools should be in English and the text-books of some subjects in other streams of education should be in the second language. At the present moment, some Chinese schools have already adopted this system by using English text-books in science subjects. So there is no problem in the implementation of this policy. But I am not so sure of the other streams.

Sir, the idea of integrated schools is good. But sometimes the persons in charge of these schools are not themselves bilingual or multi-lingual. Therefore, they are not able to look after the welfare and interest of the students in the various streams in the integrated schools. Because of this, the various streams in the integrated schools do not have balanced development, and this is a defect which must be rectified.

Sir, the idea of introducing the integrated school system into our aided schools is good, but it should not be done in a hurry. We must always remember the saying, "More haste, less speed."

Now let me turn to kindergarten education. We all know that young children are most impressionable. When they begin their first lesson, it will leave a great impression on their lives. Most educationists have mentioned the impact of introductory education on the future development of children. In fact, many countries pay special attention to the introductory education of their children. At the present moment, Sir, what is the position of our kindergarten education? To my knowledge, and it is a fact, too, most, if not all, kindergarten classes are run by private or aided schools. Because of lack of supervision, many kindergartens are not able to run their classes in compliance with the proper and correct principles of education. Because of this, many of our children have not been able to receive the kind of introductory education that will lead to further development of their talent in future. This, if I may say so, is a crime in so far as our children are concerned. I feel that our education authorities should include kindergarten education in the education structure in Singapore and make kindergarten education a very vital link in the whole chain of education so that more supervision may be exercised in the kindergartens.

Sir, education is the basis for nation-building and it is of vital importance to our national survival. Whether our next generation will be able to continue the good work of nation-building depends on what sort of training we give them and how we nurture them. In this context, I feel very happy to note that there will be reorganisation in our educational system. And I hope that the Government, the parents, the teachers and the students will all co-operate to help in the implementation of this work.

Sir, I shall now deal with rural development. This matter may be divided into two scopes. In the first place, we have community projects in the rural areas in order to cater for the interest of the rural folks. The second aspect is the urbanisation and industrialisation of the rural areas, such as turning them into satellite towns and industrial sites. It is undeniable that the P.A.P. Government has spent large sums of money in rural development.

Mr Speaker: Order. May I draw the attention of Members to Standing Order 48 (d) which reads as follows: -

'Members shall not read newspapers, books, letters or other documents except such matters therein as may be directly connected with the business under debate.'

I will be grateful if this rule is observed.

Mr Ho Kah Leong: (In Mandarin): Thank you for your indication, Sir,I was dealing with the work carried out by the P.A.P, in rural development. The Government has spent large sums of money on construction work in the rural areas so that the rural people are able to enjoy modern facilities. But it is almost certain that the rural areas are bigger and wider in scope so that the money allocated to them is not enough to cover all aspects of rural development. We may be able to use the money on one aspect at the expense of other aspects. So if money is spent on water supply and electrification, we may have to neglect other aspects of rural development. As far as I know, if you want to apply for these amenities to be given to the rural areas, you have to go through the usual procedure. Sometimes the official correspondence may take about half a year before approval is finally given. The work may not even commence straightaway after approval has been given. It may take some months before it can be started. For example, in Jurong constituency, an electrification scheme was approved last year, but there is still no indication as to when the work will start.

Mr Speaker, Sir, we all know that the Primary Production Department is set up to look after the interest of the rural people in order to increase the productivity of their primary products. It may not be fair to say that it has done nothing outstanding in this respect, but I do hope it will be able to adapt book knowledge to local conditions. It should not copy from textbooks, particularly those published in foreign countries. Formerly, there was a misconception that the moon seen in a foreign country was brighter than the moon seen in Singapore. This attitude should be corrected. For example, the Jurong Abattoir, which cost $6 million, was based on the model of the Denmark abattoirs, but the efficiency of this so-called modern abattoir in Jurong is less than that of the old one in Singapore. As a result of this, many butchers and pork-sellers are not happy to send their animals there to be slaughtered, because the meat of the animals slaughtered becomes stale after some time.

There was also some talk about using the animal waste of pigs as fuel. I do not know how far this has progressed. If land for cultivation is limited, the farmers need scientific techniques to increase production. May I ask what has the Primary Production Department done in this direction? In fact, in order to look after the interest of the farmers, there are certain things which have to be done by the Department; for example, the adoption of effective procedures to stabilise the prices of farm products and poultry. At the same time, it should try to eliminate the exploitation of farmers by middlemen. For example, the vegetables produced by farmers are sold at two or three cents a katty, but in fact we have to pay 20 to 30 cents a katty on the market.

With regard to the development of fisheries, I think the Government should protect fishermen who use fishing nets. This is more beneficial than spending large sums of money on research into deep-sea fishing. This is because if we cannot give our fishermen adequate protection in shallow waters, how can we guarantee their safety in the deep seas? As the Member for Punggol pointed out on the 9th of this month, sometimes fishermen are robbed by pirates in the deep seas. At the risk of their lives and property, these fishermen go out to deep waters to fish because within the three-mile limit, there is not much fish. When our fishermen meet the pirates, they cannot protect themselves and often their outboard motors and fishing nets, costing from two to three thousand dollars, are taken away. They are lucky if they are left alone.

What is worse is that sometimes they themselves are taken away and are only released after a ransom has been paid. I think the Government should negotiate with the countries concerned and find ways and means to protect our fishermen; otherwise we will have to rely on imported fish and other sea products.

Mr Speaker, Sir, I am very proud that we have an industrial site in Jurong and the Singapore Armed Forces Training Institute which will help to develop our economy and expand our defence respectively. We have to try to expand all the time. Precisely because of this, the problems of resettlement in Jurong are becoming more severe. I must say that in general the people understand the difficulties of our country and appreciate the importance of developing our industries and defence even at the expense of personal loss and sacrifice. They have given the Government full co-operation. However, hon. Members will agree with me that when a farmer is resettled, he faces many difficulties. He has to work on a plot of land which is often very much smaller than his old land. His income is bound to be reduced and his life becomes harder. Under these circumstances, the Government should try its best to minimise their difficulties and losses. But what is the actual situation? Let me elaborate a little. In certain areas earmarked for development, it is often not known when the people are supposed to remove. Sometimes when villagers receive a notice to remove, they have to do so within a very short period of time. As a result, they have to sell their poultry and pigs at very low prices. Their vegetables and fruits have to be sold quickly. Therefore, this will involve them in some considerable loss. Sometimes after receiving a notice to remove and making preparations to do so, they are still not told to remove after six months or a year. During this period, they dare not engage in production and, as a result, they have to rely on their savings to tide them over this difficult period. Also, very often the land on which they are resettled is very much smaller. This is quite understandable, because land in Singapore is limited, but the allocation of land should be based on its suitability for farm production. At least there should be adequate water supply to feed pigs and for irrigation purposes. It is only in this way that farmers can resume production. But in point of fact, some farmers have been resettled on hills or barren land which is completely unsuitable for farm production. Many farmers have begrudgingly been resettled in Choa Chu Kang. I hope the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Finance will look carefully after them.

Sir, there is another point. In certain areas delineated for development, some residents have very dilapidated structures and they apply to the proper authorities for repairs to be carried out to them, but their requests are always turned down. The Government officers sitting in their offices know only how to work strictly according to regulations without actually understanding the hardships of the people. Some structures are in such a dilapidated state that they cannot be occupied any more, and the applications of residents for reconstruction work are turned down. They are then faced with two alternatives: one, they have to wait till their houses completely collapse; two, they have to repair their houses without any authority. If they adopt the first method, they will incur losses. If they adopt the second method, the court will order them to demolish their houses. If they do not do so, they will be fined and the Government will send somebody to demolish their houses. If they are allowed to stay on, they will have to sign an undertaking with their landlords to the effect that if the land is acquired for development purposes, they will not ask for any compensation. What kind of situation is this? What do you expect such people to do? There is a saying, "Rigid law, but flexible application." But this is not so in Singapore. I do not understand why Government servants should be so rigid and harsh and do not understand the difficulties of the people. They should be more flexible and should not keep rigidly to the regulations. On the 10th of this month the Member for Ulu Pandan raised the matter concerning a coffee-shop owner who committed suicide by jumping down from a high block of flats. I believe if the Government officer concerned had been more flexible and more understanding, this man's life could have been saved. Sir, in the coming crucial years I hope this small group of civil servants will be more flexible and understand the people's difficulties and work hard for the welfare of the people.

Mr Speaker, Sir, I support the Prime Minister's motion.

3.01 p.m.

Mr Ng Yeow Chong (Mountbatten): (In Mandarin): Mr Speaker, Sir, many sentiments have been expressed in this House by hon. Members during the last two days of the present sittings on the motion of the Prime Minister to thank the President for his Opening Speech on the evening of the 6th of May. I share most of these sentiments, and I ask for your indulgence if I may be repetitious in some of my remarks.

The President has briefly set out in his speech three main objectives which the Government will seek to achieve in its new term of office. With high resolve and determination on the part of the Government and concerted effort and support from the people of Singapore, there is no doubt that we will successfully achieve these objectives. The great inspiration that the President gave us in his brief speech will serve to spur us on to overcome what difficulties we have to encounter in the crucial years ahead.

A close perusal of the Addendum to the President's Speech outlining the broad policies of the various Ministries and the policy speeches made earlier by the Ministers in the series of broadcasts under the title, "Crucial Years Ahead", have convinced us of the magnitude of our future problems.

I welcome the move to introduce a comprehensive Employment Bill which is to standardise and regulate the conditions of employment for all categories of employees to replace the outdated Labour Ordinance, the Shop Assistants Employment Ordinance and the Clerks Employment Ordinance. At present, employees in industrial firms and shops have to work a 44-hour week, whilst others in commercial firms work a 39-hour week or even less in the case of firms which operate on a 5-day week. Most workers will be very unhappy indeed to see this Bill passed in this House. I can assure them, Sir, that our Government will see to it that the workers will be treated fairly and justly under this new Employment Bill. They should not have any fear of exploitation by their employers. I take pride in saying that our Government has foresight and plans well for our future. With the accelerated withdrawal of the British forces by the end of 1971, more and more people will face unemployment. Hence, we must all work hard for our country. An extra few working hours a week to an individual worker is only a small personal sacrifice, but to a nation as a whole it will be of tremendous benefit.

I wish to reiterate that in order to have a prosperous and brighter future for our younger generation, the personal sacrifice of every citizen for the good of the nation is inevitable.

Mr Speaker, Sir, I wish to appeal to the employers to co-operate with and render full support to our Government with a view to fulfilling the ultimate aim of the Employment Bill. They should not treat this as an opportunity to victimise their employees and cause them undue hardship and frustration. They must also play their role by assuring that their employees will receive fair treatment and protection.

All workers in the private and public sectors should be made to realise that they have to give of their best by working hard. They should be aware that all their effort is for a national purpose. In Japan, the output of an average worker is one and a half times his wages. This is not only because of his skill but also his awareness of a national purpose. Here in Singapore, we are only expected to put in a day's work for a day's wages. Surely this is not too much to expect of our citizens.

As regards overtime work, this should be so regulated as to give a wider spread of employment. The abusive practice of earning more overtime than normal wages should cease forthwith. It deprives our unemployed of job opportunities. If working hours are to be prolonged to achieve higher productivity, more employees must be recruited for shift work rather than that the same employees do overtime work. The Government is wise to introduce this new measure to curtail overtime work, and if this new legislation is passed, it will help considerably to reduce the number of unemployed. If Singapore is to survive and progress as an industrialised nation, there must be joint endeavour amongst labour, management and the Government. We must look to Japan and its people as our example. The Japanese have been able to reconstruct their nation from the war ruins within the last two decades. We should emulate them.

Mr Speaker, Sir, the majority of wage-earners or salaried people will certainly welcome the scheme now being worked out between the Labour Ministry and the Housing and Development Board to enable the balances in the present Central Provident Fund to be set off against the initial payment for Housing Board flats and the additional C.P.F, contributions can be used to pay off monthly instalments of both Housing Board and privately built homes. To support this scheme, the rates of assessment may be lowered to attract more workers to buy their own houses. If the home ownership scheme is a success, then we are not far behind some advanced socialist countries where almost 90 per cent of the population own their own homes. I therefore wish to add that if the balances of the present C.P.F. can be used to pay for the purchase of flats, consideration should also be given to approve the use of these balances for payments of life insurance policies, or even more sensibly, for payments of educational policies for children to pursue higher studies, if the wage-earners already own their own homes. I hope this can be worked out at a later stage.

Sir, with regard to Housing Board flats offered for sale under the home ownership scheme, I have some observations to make because this scheme concerns those of my constituents living predominantly in Housing Board Estates, particularly the old Kallang Airport Estate. As I understand it, offers of sale of flats are now being extended to sitting tenants of 2, 3 or 4-room flats in the existing estates. It can be anticipated that some of the sitting tenants may not be in a financial position to purchase their flats. On the other hand, there may be other tenants in the same estate who may wish to buy the flats offered for sale. Mr Speaker, Sir, these are administrative details and trivial matters, but ineffective handling may lead to some discontentment if solutions are not thought out. In the former case, alternative accommodation must be offered to sitting tenants who are unwilling to buy for financial reasons, preferably in the same estate. Transfer out of the estate may cause a disruption to their family life and create schooling problems for their children. These transfers can be carried out smoothly and effectively if casual vacancies of flats which are not earmarked for sale and are at present reserved for dispossessed families from clearance sites, be released to rehouse the affected sitting tenants instead. In the case of the latter, other tenants in the same estate who wish to avail themselves of the scheme, should be given priority over tenants of other housing estates. Mr Speaker, Sir, those requests have been brought to me by my constituents, and

I am bringing them up for the attention of the proper authorities. I sincerely hope that these problems will be properly solved so that the home ownership scheme will be carried out effectively. Again, in this respect, Members of Parliament in the constituencies concerned should be consulted and informed before circulars are sent to the sitting tenants.

Further, I am informed that the Housing Board is conducting a survey of the feasibility of offering for sale one-room flats with better accommodation. I do not agree with the sale of one-room flats as it is not practical and there will be poor response. These one-room flats will be rendered unsuitable even before the monthly instalments are completed, as the family will have increased by then. Therefore, any attempt to sell one-room flats should not be carried out.

It is now opportune for the Government to revise the educational system particularly at the secondary level. The stress is now on technical and vocational training. We are making good progress on the path to industrialisation. There is a pressing need for artisans and technicians to cope with the expansion of our industries. If Singapore is expected to thrive as an industrialised society, both parents and students must now adopt a change in their attitudes towards education. The traditional bias against work in factories as craftsmen or technicians must be removed. Students must look for their career in the technical sphere where job opportunities are many and future prospects are brighter than in the commercial sphere. Whilst the training of skills is being carried out in technical and vocational schools or vocational institutes, students should have opportunities to learn practical work in factories, in the Jurong industrial complex or other industrial estates during their vocations. This will enable them to get familiar with the actual method of production or application of their skills in order to prepare themselves for their roles as artisans or technicians when they leave school.

As regards defence matters, everyone is fully aware of the need to have our own defence measures for a small nation like Singapore so as to ensure our security and progress. The people of Singapore from various walks of life, whether they are hawkers, taxi-drivers, school teachers, pupils, clerks or businessmen, have shown their patriotism by making contributions to the National Defence Fund. The spontaneous effort of our people should be highly praised. As a measure to drive home to the people that defence needs recurrent expenditure there should be something of a permanent nature whereby our people can contribute to the defence of our country. In my opinion, the best way is to issue Defence Bonds to raise loans from our citizens, which can be redeemed within five to fifteen years with attractive rates of interest. I hope the Government will consider adopting this proposal as a long-term measure. This is also in line with the counter-recession measures as expressed by the Hon. Minister for Finance in his plan to obtain extra funds by loans from private sources to meet the additional defence expenditure.

As regards private participation in urban renewal redevelopment, care must be taken to see that tenders are awarded only to bona fide developers with strong financial standing so that private re-development can be successfully carried out. An injunction case has recently been brought to light following a dispute among the directors of a development company over the payment of paid-up capital. This development company was awarded a tender to build a multi-million shopping centre-cum-flats complex. It is suggested that before any award of tender is made in future to redevelop any site of State land by private developers, there should be close scrutiny of the development company's financial position to guarantee the smooth execution of the redevelopment plan.

Mr Speaker, Sir, I would like to express, once again, my full support for the motion of thanks to the President.

3.18 p.m.

The Minister of State for Foreign Affairs (Inche A. Rahim Ishak): Mr Speaker, Sir, many years ago I learnt that sports and games like soccer, rugby, football, boxing and wrestling, apart from their positive value of keeping people fit and strong, were also aimed at giving men and women a chance to develop skills and craftsmanship in organised contests and competitions in order that they would become more peaceful and peace-loving in nature, so that whenever they had differences of opinion which led to disagreements, they could settle them not by going to war but by thrashing them out in some form of sport or game played according to fixed rules with an umpire to prevent the rules from being violated. Later I learned that archery, fencing and shooting clubs emerged. I am told they are not to perfect men's ability to kill one another but in the hope that war and killing would be a thing of the past, and that these sports would help human beings to remember the bow and arrow, the sword and the gun as ancient weapons of war. This was to remind them also that their ancestors were more warlike than they. The first Olympics were held in Greece for this purpose on an international basis so that nations could have a chance once every four years to show their prowess and excellence in peaceful contests and competitions in sports and games.

Sir, we are supposed today to be less warlike. Sad to say, greed, envy and hatred in man seem not to have diminished over the centuries and today the causes of war and conflict remain as varied as they are innumerable. We are constantly kept reminded that wars, revolutions, coup d'etat, racial and religious conflicts, economic and social chaos, still disrupt the lives of nations and their people. Even today nations still go to war because of differences in religion, when one would have thought that the Second World War was fought for economic and ideological reasons.

Today we see, to our sorrow, that the generally accepted international rules of war are quite often not observed. Governments no longer make formal declarations of war before firing the first volley or releasing the first bomb from an aircraft. Those of us who are in our 30s or 40s present here today will remember the night of 8th December, 1941, when Japanese bombers raided the heart of our city within a radius of a mile from this august Chamber. We will also remember the surprise attack on Pearl Harbour and the destruction of American destroyers and other naval vessels while Japanese emissaries were still negotiating in the United States of America.

Sir, these are lessons we learned and cannot forget. They teach us that we must always be prepared. While we continue to play games according to the rules in peaceful pursuits to develop fitness and strength in the nation, we must also be ready for emergency situations. It is necessary that we must know what our potentialities and limitations are, what our strengths and weaknesses are. Then only can we take action and adopt attitudes in response and in relation to those of our immediate neighbours and States further away in the world. It is only in knowing ourselves better that we can, from time to time, make adjustments to changing circumstances in the world around us. For the world is never static, it is always changing.

Relatively speaking, Singapore is the most developed State among the member countries of A.S.E.A.N. In being so, we must be sensitive to the feelings of others in the region vis-a-vis our prosperity, whether our success will influence others in a way not desired by them or in a way which will win us their sustained friendship. We must always be mindful when others blame us for their continued poverty, and for this we must seek the reasons for this attitude of theirs. We should also consider whether our immediate neighbours appreciate the pace of development and progress we set for ourselves. And on out part, we naturally expect them to try to understand us and the motivations which propel us in carrying out our policies. Because of the high level of organisation, adaptability, industry, self-discipline and hard-headedness of our people, Singapore can be likened to a chili padi - small but pungent - a very important ingredient in a palatable arrangement we seek in the Southeast Asia region. We believe that if other nations in the region and we ourselves are to hold our own in the foreseeable future, then the qualities which I have mentioned plus imaginative and intelligent leadership and high standards of influence and effective government are indispensable. I believe that our friends in the world near and far also endorse these qualities.

Sir, despite the relatively higher degree of development of the English language, there does not exist in English a word which can render the meaning or the sense of the word pedas. I have heard of the expression "chilly hot" as against "fire hot" used by some people. But these are really not satisfactory translations. Probably it is because, despite having been in Asia for more than 300 years, the British never got on to taking chillies. But in Southeast Asia we are different. Peoples in Southeast Asia are fond of the chilly and it will help all concerned to have chili padi, the more the better, for our collective growth and development.

Singapore believes that good government based on wise and inte1ligent leadership consists not in upholding outmoded dogmas but in solving real problems in a world where things are changing rapidly. At the same time, we are modest enough to know that we cannot produce all the new ideas and all the new methods by ourselves alone. On the other hand, we are prepared to look beyond our shores for new ideas and the latest innovations from other societies. To us, it does not matter where these new ideas and innovations come from, whether from Communist, socialist or capitalist countries. Our internal circumstances and history do not permit us to see different political and economic systems as systems which are at war with one another. We have learnt that we must see these differences as being different ways in which other peoples are trying to solve their economic and social problems. We must be broad-minded and big-hearted enough to know that these varying political systems may not solve all the problems. But if they succeed in solving some of the problems, then we should be prepared to learn from them even if their system is not the same as ours. In other words, Sir, we must be able to appreciate different opinions and views held by others and that if others hold opinions and views different from ours, we can still continue to be their friends. We are mature enough to understand that in international relations today, there is no such thing as unqualified friendship among nations. Our friend's enemy need not necessarily also be our enemy.

Sir, the war in Vietnam should give some food for thought. Despite what is going on in Paris today, we can see that the Big Powers were and are still behind the governments in the north of Vietnam as well as in the south. A small war like this has potentialities of becoming a big war when the Big Powers adopt, directly or indirectly, small wars as their own wars. And any small war can, if the world community is not careful, be converted into a trial of strength between the super powers. For small countries like ours, this means that if we are foolish enough to quarrel among ourselves and go to war with one another, then what may begin as a war between two small countries will eventually be transformed into a big power conflict. And once that happens, the issues which have led the small countries into war will be left in the background and will be taken over by issues which have nothing at all to do with the two countries concerned. In a short time, there would have been so many killed and wounded, soldiers as well as civilians, on both sides who could have better contributed to their country's peaceful development. In other words, the small countries will be fighting not really on behalf of their own national interests but on behalf of the interests of the bigger powers. Small countries cannot prevent big power conflicts taking place among super powers, but they can minimise the chances of big power conflicts breaking out by not going to war with one another. We have seen in the years after the Second World War how foolish and thoughtless governments of small countries have entered into big power conflicts by openly taking the side of one of the big powers against another. So we should try never to get into such a situation.

It is in this spirit of independent thinking and realism in international relations that we in Singapore approach the world's problems. We hope this will be the basis on which relations between not only Singapore and her immediate neighbours but Singapore and all other States in the world can be established and strengthened.

3.33 p.m.

Mr Ang Nam Piau (Thomson): (In Mandarin): Mr Speaker, Sir, on behalf of the people of Thomson, I express my full support for the motion in the name of the Prime Minister thanking the President for his policy speech in this House.

In the President's Speech and the Addendum to his Speech, he has correctly and practically outlined the policies of the Government, particularly in regard to the ways and means of solving the problems arising out of the accelerated withdrawal of the British Military Forces from Singapore, in order to ensure the continued prosperity and stability that we enjoy. These policies receive and deserve the full support of the people.

Mr Speaker, Sir, in the Addendum to the President's Speech, there is one section which deals with the Social Welfare Department. Social welfare may be curtailed because of the defence expenditure involved. I wish to amplify on this section. We know that the social services of a nation must be geared to the social organisation and the actual needs of society. We should not curtail our expenditure in this respect because of an increase in our defence expenditure. On the contrary, we must continue to provide social services to look after the less fortunate people in our society, particularly in the trying years ahead. If we do not have well-organised private charitable organisations to continue looking after the needy people in our society, we will see these people roaming in the streets. Therefore, Mr Speaker, it is heartening to note that there is no curtailment of expenditure in health and education because of an increase in defence expenditure. It has been stated in the Addendum to the President's Speech that the standard of health, particularly public health, will be raised. This is praiseworthy and deserving of our support.

On education, it is also stated that all available resources will be utilised in the organisation of the secondary education system so that more students will be rechannelled into technical education. At the same time, the standard of secondary languages will be raised to suit the practical needs of our society. We will require more professional and technical personnel to man our industries and improve our commercial activities. Therefore, in view of all these improvements and reorganisation. We will be on the right path to greater success and prosperity. All these policies are welcomed by the people.

Let us turn to social affairs. It is to be noted that the social services in Singapore have been acknowledged to be the best in the whole of Southeast Asia. We must continue to maintain this reputation and even improve on it. So I hope that public assistance will not be reduced. The people who require public assistance must continue to get it all the same. We know that there is provision for public assistance to be given to the poor and sick in our society. Under the public assistance scheme, there are certain conditions and the rates are as follows: $21 per month for the head of family; $10 per month for the wife; $ 8 per month for each dependant above 16 years; and $ 5 per month for each dependant under 16 years.

The total amount in public assistance to a family shall not exceed $90 per month. This assistance in itself is not enough to maintain the livelihood of a family particularly at the present juncture, as the cost of living has been rising over the years. I suggest that the unfortunate members of our society be given more public assistance, if finances permit. At least they should be given public assistance to subsist. But, unfortunately, as far as I know, the situation is rather disappointing. Perhaps it is because the funds allotted to public assistance are not sufficient. I understand that from the beginning of this month, the head of a family will receive $16 per month. This will put us back to the position in 1961 and it is one step backward. We should be very concerned for the needy and unfortunate members of our society. I hope the Minister for Social Affairs will assure this House that public assistance will not be cut in future.

Mr Speaker. Sir, with regard to our defence, I hope the Minister will take note that a problem exists as regards public assistance. If a member of any family joins the National Defence Corps or is a national serviceman, public assistance to that family is withdrawn. We all know that national service and military service for the protection of our lives and property and for the defence of our territory should be encouraged. In fact, we have given those of our youths called up for national service a big send-off at various community centres. A member of the National Defence Corps is given only about $2.50 as transport allowance, and members in the Reserves or in the regular Armed Forces are given only some allowances which are barely enough for them. So you cannot expect national servicemen or members of the Armed Forces to be able to support their families with the allowances that they receive It is, therefore, wrong to withdraw public assistance from such families. Mr Speaker, Sir, we know that at the present juncture, we are encouraging our young men to join the Army to fill the vacuum which will be left behind by the accelerated withdrawal of British troops from Singapore. It is most unfortunate that it will cost the loss of public assistance to a family if one of its members joins the Army to protect our country. He will bring financial disaster upon his family. This will probably deter our young people from joining the Armed Forces. I hope the Minister will take corrective action in this regard.

3.43 p.m.

Madam Chan Choy Siong (Delta): (In Mandarin): MrSpeaker, Sir, the basic creed and belief of the People's Action Party is the building up of a non-Communist, democratic multi-racial society. At the recent general elections, the people exercised their democratic right to elect once again the P.A.P, into office and gave it their trust and confidence. As a result of this, all the Members here today are members of the P.A.P. This is a new situation that we are witnessing today. I believe that all my colleagues are proud of this fact and will be greatly encouraged. In fact, the duty to develop and defend our country rests on us. Without the presence of an Opposition in this House, we should all the more keep an eye on any changes in the situation, and see to the need of nation-building. We should carry out with renewed effort the tasks which the people have placed on us so that the "stars" in our midst, on whom many eyes are fixed, may rise and give off their brilliance in Southeast Asia.

Sir, in this new situation, my colleagues and I will try our best to carry out the basic policies of our Government with confidence, endurance and ability in order to achieve success. Ever since the P.A.P. was entrusted by the people with the management of the affairs of the country, we have weathered many storms. We have been thoroughly tested. Events have proved that the P.A.P. is a party standing on solid ground. It is able to withstand any test. On the other hand, when we look at the other political parties, we see that they only come into existence when a general election is due to be held. They have no long-term political objectives. In fact, most of our colleagues in this House have already had the experience and taken up the responsibilities and task of an Opposition in this House. They have contributed much as an Opposition. Therefore, it speaks volumes for the present Government that it has principles and can fulfil the tasks which the people have entrusted to us. The P.A.P. is a party which has long political experience.

Sir, talking about the new political situation, many people have an erroneous concept that when we talk about democratic politics, there must be an Opposition in the House. Otherwise, they say, there is no democracy. This concept, I feel, is without any foundation in democratic politics. A political party comes to power not from the theory of democratic politics or from the constitution, but as a result of the free expression of the will of the people. Democratic politics is a system by which the people manage their own affairs. It is a system established by the people themselves so that they will have the opportunity and the right to rule their country. Provided the party in power can carry out the tasks given to it by the people, it does not matter even if there is no opposition party in this House. On the contrary, if there is an opposition but because of self-interest it discards its responsibilities and even goes to the extent of doing things contrary to the interest, well-being and livelihood of the people of the country, then the existence of such an opposition party is no good at all. In fact, a lot of harm will be done. The constitution of a country lays down that its citizens have the right to take part in elections or be elected to office. But it does not lay down what political party should be in power to rule the country. In fact, political parties are the product of the provisions in the constitution which say that the people have the right to elect their own government. The P.A.P. was elected according to the constitution of this country. It is a party that has been entrusted by the people with a new mandate. The P.A.P. has formed its government which is entirely based on the wishes and action of the people. We do not see any political philosophy in other political parties. Therefore, fundamentally, they do not receive the people's confidence. They cannot appeal to the people to support their policies. It is no wonder that all the people are supporting the present party in power.

In the present situation, the new Government is taking up the onerous task of nation-building as an independent State in a practical manner. It has become the core of the whole nation. It is implementing the task of laying a sound foundation for a democratic system of government. It is showing that it can even do without the assistance of an opposition party.

Mr Speaker, at the present juncture, we must understand the objectives and principles involved in nation-building. In this way we will be able to chart better the destiny of our people. As we all know, the basic work in nation-building involves military, economic and social aspects. That means that we must try to build up our political strength in order to influence the development of our economy. The policy is that our economy should be geared to our defence needs. The next aspect to consider is that we must be able to maintain and improve our social and political stability. The third aspect is that through social construction must come about a spirit of national consciousness among the people which would lead to the enhancement of the moral values of our people. To sum up, we should inculcate in our people a national spirit which is the starting point of all our efforts in nation-building.

Mr Speaker, the life of an individual is the same as that of a nation. If a man is without a soul, then he is nothing but a perambulating corpse. A nation must have a national spirit which is the national soul. Without a national soul a country will not be able to last forever. If a nation has no national spirit, it will be disunited, corrupted, degenerate and disorganised.

On this basis, let us look at our own nation. What is the present situation? Ever since we became independent, our Government has spared no efforts to carry out social and economic development. It has also spared no efforts to strengthen our defence. We have made an appeal to our people to build a rugged society with a view to nurturing the next generation so that it will be able to stand firmly on our own soil. These are the principles governing our development.

Mr Speaker, there is another aspect of our social development. This is pathological. I refer to the fantastic mushrooming of bars and night-clubs in Singapore. As evident in the recent past, there is a great deal of prosperity in Singapore, and hence a boom in night-clubs and bars. We have more and more night-clubs and bars coming up in Singapore. At the same time, many so-called artistic troupes have come to Singapore to give public performances. There are several explanations for the mushrooming of night-clubs. One of them is that it is necessary to have bars and night-clubs in order to promote tourism. Another explanation is that this is possibly the beatnik philosophy of those people who try to satisfy their needs for excitement and stimulation in a turbulent world.

Sir, let us return to reality to understand this problem. First of all, as far as I understand, the people who frequent these places of pleasure are not really tourists. In terms of proportion, among those who frequent bars to get a drink, over 90 per cent come from the lower and middle classes of our population. Furthermore, 70 per cent of these people are wage-earners. If we allow our citizens to frequent bars, then it will be a test of our future. Excessive indulgence by a number of our citizens in womanising, gambling, drinking and all sorts of debauchery, will have an Un-favourable influence on the structure of our society, which is a newly emergent society. This will lead to its deterioration. Sir, man cannot withstand temptation.

Mr Speaker: When you started with, "Man cannot...", I thought you were going to say, "Man cannot live by bread alone!" [Laughter.]

Madam Chan Choy Siong: (In Mandarin): Sir, everyday our Government leaders, especially our Prime Minister, emphasise that the skill of the people in nation-building is important. Every year, many young people leave school to seek employment. But can we be sure that they will not be tempted? If our reply is that we are not sure, then the basis for nation-building will be affected. Sir, those who are present here may also be affected by this poison. Then what will happen to our society? In raising this problem, I do not wish to suppress the natural instincts of man.

What I wish to do is to provide the authorities concerned with an understanding of the problem so that they will look at it as newsmen in the promotion of tourism. As a modern people, we should have a clear understanding of the problems of sex. The difference between human beings and animals lies in the fact that, in addition to instincts, including the instinct of self-preservation, human beings have the benefit of education, an appreciation of culture and of the meaning of life. The propagation of the race is the creation of life. If men were to indulge in sex and the pursuit of pleasure and sacrifice the instincts of man, then the meaning of life will be lost. Put simply, a meaningful life must have certain standards or limitations in regard to the problems of sex and the pursuit of pleasure. We do not wish to suppress the basic needs of human beings.

Mr Speaker, Sir, I wish to emphasise the following points. First, the development of tourism is an important factor in the development of our economy. But in so doing, the authorities should have new ideas in tackling this problem. In addition to looking after the tourists, the interest of our local citizens should also be cared for. Singapore and Hong Kong are not the same in geographical location. Even politically, Singapore is quite different from Hong Kong. We are an independent country. Hong Kong is a colony controlled by another country. In the promotion of tourism we do not have to rely on the promotion of unhealthy pleasures. What we should try to do instead is to encourage tourists to have a good opinion of us and a healthy respect for our country. And this will help us internationally. In other words, we should not rely on European forms of entertainment to promote tourism. We have many cultures which do not exist in European countries. The National Theatre and the Ministry of Culture should look into this problem of promoting tourism.

Sir, the second problem I wish to mention is the enlargement of employment opportunities for women. In his speech to Parliament, the President has revealed that new policies and new plans will be implemented in the Ministries to tackle the problems facing us in the crucial years ahead. These policies are designed to overcome our difficulties and to lead our country to a more peaceful, secure, prosperous and progressive future. As the only female Member of Parliament in this House, I am particularly concerned with the role which women can play in nation-building. I am concerned with the problem of getting equal employment opportunities for women. The development of our economy depends not only on our geographical position and our port, but also on our human resources. In this respect, women make up half of the total population of our country. And the potential strength of our women in nation-building should not be overlooked. But if we want women to play a greater part in nation-building, a pre-requisite is to allow them to have the chance to learn various skills and acquire knowledge. In the Addendum to the President's Speech, it is stated that the education system of our secondary schools will be revised. The idea behind this is to enable more students to take up technical education and vocational training. The Government has already set up a Cabinet Committee comprising the Minister for Education, the Minister for Labour and the Minister for Finance to look into the problem and to supervise the planning and implementation of technical education and vocational training. This is to avoid any possible duplication in planning and implementation of technical education and vocational training, and to ensure that they correspond with our manpower needs and employment opportunities. I am sure that no one will disagree with me that the educational system must be based on the needs of our country and that it will have to be revised with the emphasis on technological and technical education. But on behalf of the women in Singapore, I must make a request to Parliament that the Government should include women in the planning and implementation of technical education and vocational training. Mr Speaker, Sir, the reason why I want to emphasise this is that I am worried that the women of Singapore will be excluded from taking part in the planning and implementation of technical education and vocational training. Certain problems at present show that this possibility exists. Therefore, we should not lay emphasis on the training of males only in special skills. We all know that the scope of employment for women is severely limited. Other than becoming Government and commercial employees and doctors, most of them get jobs as hotel receptionists, bar girls, waitresses or even dance hostesses, singers and the like.

Therefore, the policy planners and administrators should not neglect this fundamental principle when they go about their job. They should not deprive women of the opportunity to contribute their bit to the country. Half of our population of two million consists of women, as I have already said just now, but the rate of employment of women is rather slow. Women have very limited employment opportunities and various kinds of restrictions are imposed on them. Many Government and private institutions are reluctant to engage female staff or workers because of the influence of a backward traditional concept. There are very few opportunities for women to receive specialised training, as a result of which a large number of women have no other alternative but to become waitresses, receptionists, dance hostesses, bar girls, etc. Of course, I am not saying that such occupations are not fit for them, because there should be no discrimination against or disrespect for any kind of occupation. In every society, there must be different people doing different jobs. They are also making a living in their own jobs. Such people are also respected subjects of our country. The Government should take steps to ensure that women will have a wider range of employment opportunities, and more suitable jobs. I believe that intellectually and physically women can do many kinds of jobs of a technical and mechanical nature. We can see many such examples in advanced countries, where they have female engineers, pilots, ship captains, drivers, technicians, artisans, etc. There is no reason for the women of Singapore to be more backward than their sisters in other countries in this respect, in view of the fact that in the last decade, they have enjoyed equal opportunities in education and their general level of knowledge has risen. Therefore, the present distinction in employment opportunities for men and women is man-made. This is due to bad traditions and to the old concept that women are not suitable for technical jobs. These traditions and concept should be done away with today. Although the policy planners cannot stipulate what percentage of women should have technical and technological training, the Government should provide equal opportunities for women to receive it. I believe, and everybody will agree with me, that of the population of two million in Singapore, more than half are women. Fifty per cent of the electorate comprise women too, and they have exercised their constitutional right to elect the Government. Therefore, the Government should treat them with equal fairness. Of the 58 Members here, all are men except myself. Maybe there are more women than men in their constituencies and they have already done their bit for the country. They have also entrusted their future in our hands. So I hope that when Members visit their constituents, they will not say, "Oh, because you are a female voter and not a male voter, there must be some sort of unequal treatment."

Therefore, my hope is that the gate to learning can be opened wide to enable more women to have equal opportunities to receive technical or academic training. It should not also be stipulated that only male students be recruited for employment. Women should also be given opportunities for employment. Only by this means can the employment opportunities for women be widened. We can then have a healthy society. This is my hope.

Mr Speaker: I will suspend the sitting of the House and will take the Chair again at five minutes past five o'clock.

Sitting accordingly suspended at 4.32 p.m. until 5.05 p.m. Sitting resumed at 5.05 p.m.