PROFESSIONAL ENGINEERS BILL (As reported from Select Committee)

Order for Third Reading read.

3.48 p.m.

The Minister for Law and National Development (Mr E. W. Barker): Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, "That the Bill be now read a Third time."

Members will recall that the Bill was referred to a Select Committee on the 22nd December, 1969, to enable further representations of the profession and those of the public to be made so that consideration could be given thereto.

I am happy to report that 13 written representations were received and the Select Committee heard oral evidence on three of these representations. Some of the contributions made to the Committee were most valuable and several suggestions were accepted. Amongst these were -

Firstly, the reduction of the period of practical experience in engineering required for qualification under section 8 (c) from three years to two years.

Secondly, the widening of the powers of the Professional Engineers Board to include the power to suspend an engineer from practice for a period not exceeding one year under any of the circumstances set out in section 12.

Thirdly, the increase of the penalties that an unregistered person will be liable to face upon conviction for practising or holding himself out as a professional engineer.

The Committee's Report was published on 15th June, 1970, as Paper Parliament 3 of 1970. Mr Speaker, Sir, the Bill as now tabled before this House incorporates the recommendations of the Select Committee.

Sir, I beg to move.

Question proposed.

Mr Low Yong Nguan (Crawford): (In Mandarin): Mr Speaker, Sir, the Minister for Law and National Development has just moved the Third Reading of the Bill. I will now avail myself of this opportunity to express my support of it, looking at it from a slightly different angle.

My views on this Bill are applicable also to Bills of a similar nature. This Bill, when it is passed by Parliament, will have certain safeguards for professional engineers in the execution of their professional duties. Their social status will be enhanced. I feel that in this respect we are ahead of many other countries. However, I hope those of us who are in the engineering profession will not just look to the legal protection and neglect their obligation to our people. I would say the aim of the Bill is not just to enhance the position of a certain group of people in our society by having their interests protected by law, but it should also enable the engineers to understand their obligations and duties to our society and their part in nation building. They have an obligation towards the people in assisting to bring prosperity to the country in the coming years. We are a democratic society, and anybody who wants to enjoy the protection of his rights and interests should also take upon himself the responsibilities and duties towards society. In this respect, professional engineers are not an exception. We have expressed this basic principle in introducing this Bill, I hope that after it is passed. It will be able to bring about a better spiritual liberation and a liberation of their minds so that in their own way they may also make their contribution towards the livelihood of our people.

I think you will agree with me, Mr Speaker, Sir, that there are many professional people in our country who in the past have paid too much attention to their own occupations and neglected the demands and the requirements of the general masses. At the same time, some of them have also forgotten the general interest of the country. They only look after their own interest and the salvation of their own existence. They form a retarding force in our society. If we do not take steps to remedy this situation, we will be disappointing our people. Let professional engineers take this Bill as a beginning, and rectify this situation by earnestly discharging their responsibilities towards the people. They will understand that in the new society they have certain obligations towards the people. This should be the basis and correct emphasis of the Bill.

The Select Committee benefited from the various views expressed in the representations. It received representations from professional bodies, individuals and members of the public. This showed that they were interested and had faith in our system.

I believe that the Professional Engineers Board to be set up under the Bill will not have an easy task, for example, in the investigation into the qualifications of professional engineers and classifying them. I hope the members of the Board will be able to carry out the provisions of the Bill smoothly and efficiently, though their task is difficult. I hope they will also take into consideration the representations which were made to the Select Committee in the course of their work. I am sure their duties are not easy but I trust that with extra care they will be successful in their task.

I remember a professional engineer expressed certain views on the Bill. He said that the penalties for certain people who infringed the provisions of the Bill should be increased. Legislation has been made to increase the penalties to deal with offenders, Of course, I do not deny the necessity for penalties. But what I would like to say is that, although it might be necessary to legislate in order to provide for penalties, legislation to penalise the offenders of the law should be such as to aim at helping them to distinguish between right and wrong so that they will be able to do the right thing in the future.

Mr Speaker, Sir, allow me, finally, to quote something which was said in the press recently. We, as legislators and as Members of Parliament, are not like Tse Ker Liang, a sage in ancient Chinese history, and, at the same time, the people are not simpletons. Our legislation should always aim at safeguarding society, and not only the interest of a certain group of people. Since this group of people is given the protection of the law, it is their bounden duty to contribute their services towards the people. Otherwise, when finally the people deliver their judgment on us, we will have been marked as failures.

Mr Barker: Sir, I have nothing further to add except to thank the Member for Crawford for his contribution in the Select Committee and his support.

Question put, and agreed to.

Bill accordingly read a Third time and passed.