ENVIRONMENTAL PUBLIC HEALTH (AMENDMENT) BILL

Order for Second Reading read.

4.05 p.m.

The Minister for Health (Mr Chua Sian Chin): Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, "That the Bill be now read a Second time."

Members of this House will recall that in December 1968 the Environmental Public Health Act was passed. This Act was brought into operation on the 2nd January. 1969. Since its enactment, great strides have been made by the Public Health Division of the Ministry of Health to raise the environmental health standards in our Republic and, in particular, the problems of public cleansing and littering in public places have to a large extent been resolved.

You have now before you a Bill seeking to amend the Environmental Public Health Act of 1968. This Bill is the result of a thorough review of the various provisions of the Act and is aimed at strengthening some of the existing provisions, as well as providing for some newer health problems which were not envisaged during the drafting of the principal Act. The primary purpose of this amendment Bill is to effect further improvements in the field of environmental health based upon the experience gained since the Act came into operation some 20 months ago.

With a determined effort put in both by the Government and the people, Singapore has attained a high standard of environmental health. Singapore now enjoys the reputation of being one of the cleanest cities in the world - a fact which has been acknowledged and acclaimed by various visitors to Singapore. However, Singapore has a highly built-up urban environment where living space is becoming more and more congested as we build upwards. We cannot therefore afford to relax standards. We should strive for even higher standards so that our people can enjoy even better living conditions.

An important amendment in the Bill is clause 11 which seeks to repeal the existing section 56 of the principal Act to enable the Commissioner of Public Health or the Director of Public Works to require the owner or occupier of any house or building or such parts thereof, which is in an unclean, grimy, neglected, unkempt or insanitary condition, to cleanse and paint or lime-wash internally or externally or both internally and externally such house or building. A new section 56A further provides, in the case of rent-controlled premises, for the owner to recover from the tenant the costs and expenses incurred in executing any work within the interior of the controlled premises in equal instalments over a period of 24 months. These provisions are necessary if some of the older parts of Singapore not yet designated for urban renewal or redevelopment are not to deteriorate further into unsightly slums. This is particularly true of the rent-controlled premises whose owners do not deem it economic nor have any desire to prevent them from becoming dilapidated, resulting in ugliness and insanitation. This is contrary to our objective of making Singapore a clean and beautiful city. Under the new provisions, such buildings will have to spruce up for both aesthetic and sanitary reasons. Some may consider that this is an unfair requirement on the part of Government being imposed on owners of property; but in a compact urban society, certain norms of conduct will have to be observed for the greater good of the members of the community as a whole. I wish, however, to assure hon. Members of this House that the powers given under this section will be exercised with discretion and in a reasonable manner.

A number of problems, such as the removal of nightsoil and domestic refuse in new housing estates, have been encountered when developers allowed the occupation of these estates before they had completed the sewerage, drainage or road facilities. This can now be dealt with under clause 4 whereby the Commissioner of Public Health can require the developer to provide at his expense such services as may be required by the Commissioner for a specified period.

Clause 5 seeks to prohibit the use of human excreta for the purpose of manuring potted plants in domestic premises, as this practice not only results in creating a smell nuisance, but can also spread disease.

With our declared policy on the control of water pollution and its eventual elimination, closer attention must be directed to the problem of dumping refuse and garbage into streams, rivers, canals and drains, as well as the pollution of reservoirs, lakes and catchment areas. This will no longer be dealt with by the issue of notices and summonses as formerly provided under subsection (2) (c) and subsection (3) (d) to (g) of section 50 of the principal Act which is an extremely cumbersome procedure. The amendment proposed by clause 6 will bring this problem within the ambit of section 26 to enable speedier enforcement action by means of "ticketing". Further, enabling provisions have been incorporated so that "ticketing" action may also be taken against any person contravening any requirements in respect of public cleansing.

Summons action against hawkers operating in prohibited areas provided under section 38 will now be amended to "ticketing" action similar to the existing provisions of sections 40 and 41 of the Act which are applicable to unlicensed stall-holders and itinerant hawkers. This is provided in clause 8.

The Medical Officers of Health and Public Health Engineers will be empowered by an amendment to section 57 to deal with the problem of wasps, hornets and other insects which are capable of stinging. This is laid down in clause 12. This problem will now be handled by my Ministry.

Clause 17 deals with the problem of stagnant water due to inadequate drainage arising from existing subdivision of land without the setting aside of drainage reserves with its consequent health hazards. This will be resolved by the proposed amendment to section 76 which will enable the Commissioner of Public Health or the Public Health Engineer to require owners to provide the necessary drains and, if necessary, to carry such drains through adjoining lands or lots which happen to lie in the line of natural drainage.

Clause 19 empowers the Commissioner or any Medical Officer of Health or public health auxiliary at any time to enter into, inspect and search any premises used or believed to be used for the purpose of offensive trades.

Mr Speaker, Sir, I have tried to highlight all the important clauses in the amendment Bill. I have no doubt of the necessity of these proposed amendments to strengthen the hands of Government in dealing with the problems of environmental health. However, what is more important is the people's understanding of these provisions and the objectives of a better environment which they seek to achieve. I have every confidence that, with understanding, our people will again give their active support and co-operation in the implementation of the measures that will be undertaken under the amended Bill, and we shall advance a step further towards improving the quality of our environment.

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. - [Mr Chua Sian Chin].

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