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

[Mr Speaker in the Chair]

Order read for Resumption of Debate on Question [25th February, 1975],

`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 Second Session of this Parliament.".'.-[Mr Ong Teng Cheong].

Question again proposed.

2.31 p.m.

Mr Chin Harn Tong (Aljunied): (In Mandarin): Mr Speaker, Sir, in my speech yesterday I cautioned the authorities concerned to be more careful in the implementation of the new Road Traffic Act next month. I expressed my hope that the members of the Police Force will be as fair as possible in the performance of their duties and will not abuse their wide power and cause unnecessary hardship to the public particularly the transport workers. On this point I would like to mention something in relation to the cooperation between the Police and the people. I feel that the improvement of relations between the Police and the people does not depend on just a few exhibitions, seminars or Police Weeks to achieve the purpose. In actual fact it depends on the impression that the Police has made on the people. Usually when all these exhibitions and seminars are over, everything is forgotten.

There have been complaints from transport workers that whenever they have to make reports to the Police, the Police Officers on duty are more interested in covering up for their colleagues who are implicated in the reports than in taking down factual statements from the complainants. In other cases when their colleagues are not implicated, the Police Officers are rude and even hostile towards the complainants. They treat the people like criminals or as their personal enemies. Sometimes a policeman simply stops a taxi only to look into this or that matter in the obvious expectation of finding some faults to report to his superior. The cooperation between the Police and the people is mutual. If Police Officers do not improve their attitude towards the public, then how can they expect the public to cooperate with them?

I will now come back to what I have said just now. When the new Road Traffic Act is implemented next month, the Police will be issuing tickets on the spot for traffic offences. I fear that certain policemen might abuse their power by issuing tickets at random and so prosecute the public on the slightest pretext. The general public, particularly the transport workers who depend on the use of vehicles as a means of livelihood, will be burdened with inconvenience. On the one hand, they have no money to engage lawyers. On the other hand, they will have to try to avoid the trouble or inconvenience of having to go to court. Since they are not prepared to appear in court, they have no choice but to accept whatever offers made by the Police to compound the offences. If this continues, the misunderstanding between the Police and the people will be worsened and their impression of the Police will become more unfavourable. The authorities must pay special attention to all these problems I have just raised when implementing the new Act which is meant to improve road safety. The authorities should be more stringent in the supervision of subordinates who, in executing their duties, should conduct themselves properly in order to win the cooperation of the public and so make the new Act a success.

2.38 p.m.

The Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Home Affairs (Mr Lim Guan Hoo): (In Mandarin): Mr Speaker, Sir, I rise to support the Motion in the name of the Member for Kim Keat.

Sir, in his policy speech to this House the President has stressed the importance of arresting the trend of mounting crime rate. This is something which we must marshall all efforts. In our new generation, there are young and irrational people who do not realise the effects of unemployment. They are not willing to work hard for the good things in life which they want to enjoy. They are unable to resist the temptation of pursuing material enjoyment. But whether we like it or not, these people are living in a comparatively more affluent society where there is much more material wealth to be spoliated. So rightly or wrongly they have been misled and have gone astray.

Prosperity and progress can also bring about a mounting crime rate. For example, in recent years there have been more and more house-breaking cases. The more Housing Board flats we build the more opportunity there is for house-breaking activities. As a result, if I may so, should there be any appreciable decrease in the crime rate it will be something difficult to understand. On the question of how to deal with criminal activities we often hear the view of those who advocate "fundamental solution" or "treating the root-cause" solution, neglecting the "treating the symptom" solution of the problem. Although "fundamental solution" is an important step in the process, but to think that if you resort only to "fundamental solution" then the whole problem can be solved once and for all is indeed a half-baked wishful thinking.

In terms of social and recreational amenities, and even on education, we have seen a marked improvement in recent years. We have more recreational facilities and places made available in the various Housing Board estates. The People's Association is also actively promoting the activities of the "Youth Corps". All these are positive measures which will lead our youths onto the right path. School education has also been emphasising on the concepts and contents of Education for Living, which is a very important link in our Education system. As such, it is hoped that it will exercise a positive effect in the moulding of the character and personality of the new generation.

Mr Speaker, Sir, I feel that Education should also emphasise on vocational or professional training. We cannot just emphasise on moral and character cultivation alone right through the entire process of school education, from primary to university. In fact, at this stage, we can only lay the foundation for the cultivation of moral character in our schools. It is only after our young generation has entered the society which is described as "a university for social education" that they will be able to really complete the process of the moulding of moral character against odds and trials and all kinds of evil influences prevailing in the society. Furthermore, just as Rome was not built in a day, we can see the results of a good educational policy only after it was formulated and put into practice for a decade or so. But in the meantime, in the task of curbing criminal activities, we could not just do nothing but wait for the good results to appear after a long period. So short-term remedies or measures should be taken to ensure that there is a decrease in the crime rate. In my opinion, rather than making a distinction between the positive educational process and the passive punitive process as "treating the root-cause" and "treating the symptom" respectively, it would be better to distinguish the two, one as a long-term educational guidance method and the other as a short-term direct therapeutic, treating the symptom method. These two measures should complement each other. We cannot over-emphasise one at the expense of the other. In the case of those who have not received long-term national education or benefited from training in the national service, who have made the mistake of going astray and indulged in criminal activities at their own cost, these are the people who have missed the opportunity for education and for the formulation of correct attitude of life and good character. In my opinion, they are "gone cases". They are rotten wood which cannot he carved. It is therefore impossible to expect such people to become good overnight. It is only through the process of adequate punishment that these rogues can he made to repent their sins after their deep embroilment in criminal activities, and it is my contention that such people will only turn over a new leaf through the painful process of punishment to make them abjure their past. The effect of legal sanction against criminal activities does not stop at punishment. Its positive effect will be a deterrent to the criminal-minded. It serves to remind and caution those with criminal tendencies that crime does not pay and to check themselves at the brink of the precipice to avoid tripping themselves into the irretrievable abyss. This is the positive aspect of legal sanction. In order that legal sanction may produce a deterrent effect as expected, to win a war without a fight, so to speak in the military jargon, or to stop theft and pilferage without the imposition of punishment, it is necessary to forgo the feeble and ineffective light penalties and resort to heavier penalties appropriate to crimes such as armed robbery. Enhanced punishment will in many cases provide the law enforcement officers with the necessary weapon to combat crime, and to forewarn and forestall those with criminal intents by nipping their venturesome motive in the bud before they commit a crime. In this manner there will be less and less crime and less and less criminals punished, and this is what the kind-hearted would wish to see.

Mr Speaker, Sir, one of the characteristics of a criminal mind is the assessment of his loss should he trip in the commission of a crime. Only with adequate punishment will it tell on him that crime does not pay. If the gain from crime is set off against the loss in the form of punishment inflicted on him, and this still leaves sufficient "residual value", then the thought will occur to him that it is worth taking the risk. In some western countries, a soft line has been taken in regard to security. Capital punishment has been abolished, but this will not make the criminals give up crimes or repent. Such a society, if careless, may turn into a dark world where criminals, big or small, will emerge as heroes. So the mitigation of punishment will depend on the effect it will have on criminals, i.e, whether or not they respond to mitigation. If they do, it is fine. But, facts and experience have shown that the fight against crime is like a tug-of-war. If one side relaxes, the other side will have the advantage and will not yield. This is something we should guard ourselves against. In order to strengthen legal sanction in this regard, the Minister for Home Affairs had sometime ago introduced several Bills in this House which were passed with the full support of hon. Members. They reflect the correct and firm attitude which the House had taken in dealing with the question of security. The Police will also, in the same spirit, adopt a more exacting and effective method of work, mode of organisation and strategy for security in order to ensure that our people continue to live in peace without any unnecessary harassment from criminals. With proper deployment and marshalling of Police manpower to be augmented with full-time national servicemen, we will be able to achieve quantitative expansion in addition to qualitative improvement, and this will put our future task of security on a better vantage ground. I am in full agreement with the part of the President's speech touching on the policy in respect of security.

Sir, I support the Motion in the name of the Member for Kim Keat.

2.55 p.m.

Mr Yeo Toon Chia (Kampung Kapur): (In Mandarin): Mr Speaker, Sir, the President, in his policy speech on the 21st February, has said that in 1974 the birth rate had gone down, to about 1.5%. Although experts had predicted that because many people had reached the fertility age there would be an increase in population, our birth rate in 1974 was lower than that for 1973. This shows the success of our family planning campaign. We have to continue to curb our population growth. Only then can we carry Out the various economic development projects. Only then can we ensure that our standard of living and the quality of our people in the next generation will be raised. From newspaper reports we learn that because of population explosion in many developing countries the people are living in poverty and filth and are starving by the roadside. Therefore, we in Singapore have to continue to work hard. This is especially so because we are only able to achieve a growth rate of 5-7%. In order to produce good citizens we have to provide them with adequate food, a decade of education and training and care by the family and the society. The old concept of "more children means more happiness" has no place in our new society, and those who bring up big families have themselves to blame. In fact, they are a burden and a stumbling block to the progress of our society.

However, it is comforting to note that the Government has been successful in its family planning campaign, and with equality for women there is an increase in the employment of female citizens. There are more and more young unmarried women going to work. They know the disadvantages of bringing up big families. All these are a decisive factor in bringing down our birth rate.

Mr Speaker, Sir, in his speech the President has said that the Government is going to take measures to encourage young couples to have their aged parents live with them. Firstly, this will minimise the problem of care for the old people. Secondly, it will enable the young couples to go out to work so that their children can be looked after by their grandparents. This has been well received by the young married couples. But I hope the Government will provide other facilities to encourage young couples to have their parents live with them. For example, there could be a priority in HDB fiat allocation, better designed flats and increasing the income tax relief for maintenance of aged parents.

Mr Speaker, Sir, most big and busy cities are faced with the severe problem of traffic congestion. Singapore is no exception. As a result of rapid economic growth and high-rise urban redevelopment in the past few years, more and more high-rise buildings have been built in the City areas, thus attracting more business enterprises and workers into the CBD so that more and more people and cars fill up the road space in the City. But our road space is limited. During peak hours when both human and vehicular traffic flow in the same direction, this results in serious traffic congestion, waste of manpower, time and great financial loss. In view of this the Government will spare no effort to alleviate such pressing traffic problems and to achieve the final objective of setting up a Mass Rapid Transit system in order to solve our transport problem once and for all.

Mr Speaker, Sir, if we allow more and more high-rise buildings to go up in the central city area of 4 sq, km., the staggered times for peak-hour travel and other traffic reforms will not provide a long-term solution to the transport problem. Therefore, I suggest that such high-rise buildings should be decentralised. Business enterprises and industries should be located in other parts 0' the island and not centralised in one small area. And in keeping with our long-term development aims, we should plan carefully for a better distribution of centres for Education, Commerce, Industry, Servicing, etc, so that the people may live, work, study and travel in the same centre or vicinity. This would save time and energy, so that they need not have to travel from east to west or from west to east to work, study or shopping. I believe such measures will help to solve our serious traffic problem.

In the Addendum on the Ministry of Defence, it is stated:

`The defence build-up is levelling off. Further improvement in our defence capacity will be achieved not by greater numbers but by higher quality.'

In the past few years, the major portion of our Budget went to Armed Forces, enabling a build-up of our Armed Forces so that it can play a better role in defending and safeguarding our territorial integrity, our citizens and our property.

National service has become a way of life of our young citizens. Although they undergo a service of only two years, the vigorous and disciplined military training has brought a moral sense of duty in our youngsters and has made them healthier citizens. They have been able to acquire the necessary know-how and expertise in military warfare. This will stand them in good stead in the event of war, when they will be able to take up arms to defend their country. This is very important.

Sir, perhaps we have been lucky. We have been living in peace for so many years. We have not been affected by the ravages of war. Instead we have been able to live in peace and enjoy life so much so that the skill acquired during two years of national service has not been sufficient to meet the demand of our youngsters. Therefore, our youngsters would rather not undergo national service. Moreover, some parents are selfish and shortsighted. They feel that it is better not to have national service at all.

Sir, the Addendum on the Ministry of Defence states that emphasis will be placed on the improvement on training, logistics administration and the better use of manpower. This is very correct. In the last few years, rapid urban renewal and other developments have resulted in a shortage of technical labour. We had to import all kinds of labour from abroad; hence the workers who were involved in industrial accidents were mostly foreigners. There is also an indication that most of the labour engaged in our construction industry have come from abroad, and that very few of our young citizens are interested in such work. In the event that foreign countries place a ban on the exit of this labour to Singapore because of their own need for construction workers or for political or national reasons, then our construction industry will come to a grinding halt or even paralysed. Sir, perhaps during the period of their national service, in addition to the six months basic military and combat training, our national servicemen should be trained in all kinds of technology or in certain kinds of trade to match our development needs, so that upon the completion of their national service, these young people will be able to earn their livelihood or to work in certain activities of our economy, whether on their own volition or by deployment by the Central Manpower Base of the Ministry of Defence. This will prevent a waste of manpower, time and money.

Mr Speaker, Sir, with the enlightened leadership in our Government and their rich experience, we have been able to achieve a growth rate of 7% last year, and in spite of world-wide economic recession our foreign reserves have been increased to $6~ billion. This indicates that with the support and unity of the people under a climate of political stability, we shall be able to continue to surmount all kinds of difficulties to ensure a healthy economy. In the coming year, in order to achieve a growth rate of 5-7% so as to build a stable society where every citizen will have an equal opportunity to live, learn, train and work according to his best and to his need, it is necessary to mobilise our people to continue to work hard, to be self-disciplined, thrifty and enterprising.

Sir, on behalf of my Constituency, namely, Kampung Kapur, I would like to thank the President for his speech.

3.06 p.m.

Mr Sim Boon Woo (Changi): Mr Speaker, Sir, since Tuesday hon. Members of this House have deliberated very shrewdly on the President's Speech. I do not wish to waste much time by repeating what has been said but would like to make a short observation on the current political stability of South-East Asia with special reference to the Republic of Singapore.

Hon. Members are aware that with the accelerated disengagement of American forces in South Vietnam and other parts of South-East Asia, together with the break-up of ANZUK due to the economic difficulties of the participant countries, and with world recession on the uptrend, the underdeveloped countries have been badly hit. With such a situation before us, I am concerned with the possibility that local Communists would cash in on the situation and renew their attempts at subversion, and that the right-wing political opportunists would make an attempt to come back to the political arena.

Sir, recent events in neighbouring countries have shown that the Communists have built up their offensive. This may be a signal to local Communists to exploit the unemployment situation and to mount campaigns on unpopular measures that the Government may have to take for the survival of our nation.

Sir, the Member for Whampoa yesterday predicted that there will be further inflation and economic hardship, which means that more and more workers will be retrenched. This could offer the Communists the best opportunity to create political unrest and other violent activities. If we are not vigilant, we may face a situation not unlike the fifties, and militant trade unionism may once again rear its ugly head. If this happens, all that we have built in the last 16 years may be destroyed.

Sir, I am not trying to paint a grave picture of the situation. But I feel that the point must be driven home to our people that what they have enjoyed and hope to continue to enjoy must be paid for by constant vigilance and no one can afford to be complacent, which would make it easier for the Communists to make a comeback. I am sure that this House would like to be informed of the measures which are being considered to meet such a situation.

Sir, I support the Motion moved by the Member for Kim Keat thanking the President for his speech.

3.11 p.m.

The Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Culture (Haji Sha'ari Bin Tadin): Mr Speaker, Sir, I rise to join my colleagues in expressing support to the President's Address on the opening of the Second Session of the Third Parliament.

Much has been said on the various matters raised in the speech. However, I would like to focus my attention on that aspect of the speech which touches on the increasing crime rate in the country, particularly among youths. I think it proper that I should provide a few definitions and data before I proceed further. The United Nations has defined "youth" as a person under the age of 35. According to this definition, all persons above the age of 35 are automatically excluded from the category of youths. Of course, there are many people who claim that youthfulness is a quality of the mind and has little to do with chronological age. However, this is a controversy which I am not willing to enter into at the moment. According to the last census figures, it appears that 62% of the population are under 25 years of age while 51% are under 21. If the definitive age for youths is 35 years and under, then the percentage of youths will be much higher.

To come to the point, Sir, what concerns me, and I am sure a lot of other people, is the increasing rate of crime such as robbery, theft and murder. The problem is aggravated further by the fact that most of those involved in such crimes are persons in their teens and early twenties. The President has observed that in the past high crime rate used to correspond with high unemployment figures. In Singapore, in spite of inflation and recession, which have resulted in some retrenchment, there are still opportunities for the jobless in other industries, such as construction and ship-repairing, provided they are not too choosy. Hence, there is the capacity to maintain unemployment figures at a relatively low rate. Despite all this there is an increasing crime rate in the Republic. Clearly, the simplistic equation of crime with poverty no longer holds true. The problem of crime in the Republic is further accentuated by the fact that, sometimes, even officers of the law have been guilty of contravening the law. Their offences have been sufficiently sensationalised by the Press, and it is not necessary for me to enlarge upon it here.

The high crime rate is part of the price we have to pay for affluence, hut that does not mean that crime is ineradicable in an affluent society. The problem can be solved. However, before the appropriate remedies can be prescribed, an in-depth study of the problem is necessary. Accordingly, appropriate agencies must be set up to study the problem.

The point I am trying to drive at Sir, is that a lot of social ills can be cured if new approaches are adopted. In this particular problem, the solution lies in adopting fresh approaches in an effort to understand our young people and their problems. The People's Association should be commended for having taken the initiative in giving the newly-formed Youth Executive Committee a greater say in the running of their programmes and activities. However, the number of youths involved in the activities of the community centres are lamentably small. The rest of our young people who are not usefully employed may be indulging in useless, if not harmful, pursuits. The waste of youthful talents is an eventuality that should be avoided at all cost, particularly as our only enduring resource is our manpower resource.

I would like to suggest that schools and colleges work closely with People's Association and other such bodies, particularly sports organisations, in an effort to intensify vigilance over our young people. Such close cooperation would enable school leavers to be easily channelled into activities that would develop their talents to the fullest. I am of the view that young people should undertake a proper balance of cultural and sporting activities. This would be one of the best means of ensuring that young people have a competence in both sports and the arts. I believe, Sir, the recent restructuring of our primary school system is an effort in the right direction in so far as it enables young people to choose their careers in accordance with their aptitudes and interests. Appropriate career guidance is essential so that everyone can find their appropriate niche in society.

As for those young people who have succumbed to drug-addiction, I believe their addiction is symptomatic of their rebellion against society and is part of their general stance against the Establishment. Although many studies have been conducted to discover the cause for such attitudes, I do not think we have arrived at any authoritative conclusion.

It is my view that the crux of the matter lies in the lack of sufficient spiritual or moral education of our young. It is true that the origin of the drug problem and the evolution of the drug sub-culture partly lies in the openness of Singapore society to external influence. As the gateway to the East, we receive a number of tourists. While they contribute to an increase in our foreign exchange earnings, they also leave behind a legacy of their particular influence and life-style. The solution does not lie in building a "wall" around us but rather in strengthening our resources against harmful external influences. The Government's efforts have to be supplemented by that of parents, organisations and society. The various resources of the country have to be galvanised in combating the drug problem.

Mr Speaker, Sir, as the President has observed, we have a generation of young people growing up with little knowledge of the hardships of their parents. These young people are part of the post-war generation. Most of their mature years were spent in the affluent climate ushered in by the People's Action Party. They have enjoyed the fruits of the new affluence but contributed little towards achieving it. There is, therefore, a tendency among the young to take the achievements of the older generation for granted. Sometimes the complacency and insensitivity of the young exceed decent boundaries, particularly when they resort to all manner of crime. Some of my colleagues have advised the imposition of more severe penalties on offenders. While they serve as a partial deterrent, it would not contribute a solution. I believe that the complementary solution lies in establishing an effective dialogue and better rapport with the young with a view to understanding their problems. This is where parents and organisations can come to the aid.

In addition, leadership among young people may be provided by national service reservists. Having undergone rigorous training in the service of the nation, they are better able to appreciate its needs. Thus, national servicemen can serve as effective digits in society.

As rightly pointed out by the Member for Ulu Pandan, the values which our young are growing up with, occasion some concern. There seems to be a growing rootlessness as the young divorce themselves from the values that govern their parents' lives. I believe that youths can imbibe those values traditional to Asian society only through a closely-knit family life. The home will be the appropriate place for learning correct values. Close family life would also enable problem-fraught teenagers to address their problems to their parents, instead of looking for advice from their peers. I would like to urge all parents to make every effort to achieve better communication with their children. It is often observed that the problems of the nation are essentially the problems of the family. This is certainly true of the problems related to youth and, clearly, the best solution lies within the family unit.

Lastly, Mr Speaker, Sir, I would like to touch on the Addendum that has reference to the Ministry of Culture. Amongst other things, the President said that "social and cultural development is an integral part of the overall development of the nation". Taken at the microcosmic level, it follows that the cultural development of the person is an integral part of his entire development. The truly educated man must evince an appreciation for the beautiful in life. Appreciation of the arts must constitute a necessary part of education if we are to produce fully-developed individuals.

On this note, I conclude my observations. I thank the House for the patience with which they have heard me out.

3.22 p.m.

Mr Ivan Baptist (Potong Pasir): Mr Speaker, Sir, in rising to associate myself with my most esteemed colleagues, the hon. Members from the Back-bench and the hon. Member for Kim Keat, in expressing appreciation to the President for his most distinct Address to Parliament on the 21st instant, may I spend some moments elaborating on some of Singapore's problems. Answers will have to be obtained and soon to fulfil the long term interests of the people.

We seem to have started 1975, and a little later the year of the Rabbit, pretty well indeed. Provided there is a continuing resilient population and work force, and a continuous drive for productivity, quality and reliability from all quarters, we should see more improvement in the months to come, barring any unfortunate global crisis.

But, Mr Speaker, Sir, what are we doing about the deficiencies in our Education system which needs immediate attention to fulfil long term goals? I hope that the Education Act will correct the situation.

The object of education, as I see it, is to develop future citizens capable of earning money and fulfilling their jobs in an atmosphere of opportunity, dignity and justice. In the main, Education is to get students to understand why they must be clever enough to do specific jobs, and to give them factual knowledge to enable them to do these jobs. In fact, our formal education plays a significant role in preparing the young for their future roles in the economic processes by inculcating in the young qualities of punctuality, orderliness, regularity, the ability to obey orders and to carry out defined tasks in a set time. Citizens qualified to maintain a good profitable industry assist the economy of their country. They are then rewarded with high purchasing powers and high standards of living. However, the Education system, as it is, neglects to inform the young that the way they utilise their purchasing power could influence the means and speed by which their standard of living improved.

It is in the real interest of democracy to create knowledgeable and proficient consumers who are able to influence and improve production, boycott shoddy goods, and help establish the correct balance between supply and demand for goods and services, including cultural and social ones.

In our present Education system, we have mere apologies for Consumer Education in the form of "Education for Living" taught in primary schools and "Home Economics" taught to girls in Secondary Schools. Consumer Education is needed without regard to sex both boys and girls are future consumers. We need to be taught in school to ensure an appreciation of how the needs of the community are met, an understanding of the levying and allocation of taxes, and a clearer concept of the national budget. Consumer education if carried out properly in schools will help students evolve their own value systems, develop sound decision-making procedures based on their values, evaluate alternatives in the market place and get the best buys for money, understand their rights and responsibilities as consumers in our society, and fulfil their roles in directing a free enterprise system.

Mr Speaker, Sir, undoubtedly the ever-rising toll of accidents in factories, some ending in the maiming and even death of productive workers, more than merits the determination of the Labour Ministry to raise standards of industrial health and safety especially in the more vulnerable areas of building construction, shipbuilding and ship-repairing.

The report of the Study Group on accident prevention in ship-building and ship-repairing will also alleviate some of the problems in Industrial Health and Safety. The intended inclusion of Industrial dermatitis and noise-induced deafness to the Second Schedule of the Workmen's Compensation Act as compensable diseases is another step forward and so are the proposed increases in quantum of compensation payable. In addition, intended amendments to the Factories Act to further include more stringent safety measures are commendable.

However, as safety is everybody's concern, more stress should be laid on the necessity for further strengthening the tripartite cooperation in this field. In addition, there should be serious consideration by all these three parties, especially by Government, to look deeply into our system of Accident Prevention in order to derive, possibly, a solution that would in actual fact reduce the accident incidence rate and the dangerous occurrences rate.

Let us take, for instance, the developments in this field at present taking place in the United States and the United Kingdom which, superficially at least, seem to be pursuing opposite paths. In the United States, under the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA) the emphasis is on enforcement- thousands of esoteric standards that bewilder and confuse employers. In fact, only 5% of the Federal job safety and health standards account for 80% of tile OSHA citations for violations. Further, more than 40% of all serious violations are due to non-compliance with just 15 job safety and health rules, basic commonsense rules dealing with the obvious. In the United Kingdom, however, there is a move towards less legislation and regulation and greater self-regulation by both management and labour. In Sweden, recent legislation provides for management-labour cooperation in safety and health and for trade unions to become involved in the assessment of safety and health risks to which their members are exposed. In countries as different as Germany and Russia, substantial developments are also taking place.

We need to have an in-depth study of our system in order to improve and evolve a new and better system. The need for it is clearly indicated in our accident statistics. In formulating this new and better system, the philosophy must be to ensure that no worker shall suffer impairment or dimunition in health, functional capacity, or life expectancy as a result of his work and working conditions. Especially important must be the development of long-term programmes to establish guidelines for the early detection of health impairment as a result of work hazards.

Mr Speaker, Sir, that crime merits punishment and that it is the duty of Government to ensure a safe country for our people apart from the country being conducive for investors, tourists and so on, to visit, is expected. But in Singapore today employment is not such a problem, if one is not unduly fastidious, and even then crime rates are on the increase. This is more than alarming and needs to be urgently checked.

However, if we are interested in the long term interests of our people, we cannot only concentrate in building our Police Force to combat crime with the threat of detection and punishment. Government needs to have a comprehensive policy which will enable it to determine the reasons behind these growing crime rates. Once the `whys' have been removed, less of our citizens will turn to crime. This is a positive step towards crime prevention and must be implemented at the earliest possible juncture.

The increasing crime rate has a tendency to be tied up with drug abuse. The ever-increasing cost of drugs and the advancement from a lesser to a more potent drug, which costs more, necessitates an ever-increasing supply of funds, legitimate or otherwise. Tile quickest way, unless you are caught, to obtain these funds is to steal. If there is a threat of discovery, petty theft could end in murder.

To curb crimes of this nature would mean the developing of a better and more skilfully manned Central Narcotics Bureau. Surveillance work will need to be undertaken to keep an ever watchful eye on suspect drug traffickers with the objective of ultimately arresting and prosecuting them. More confidence will need to be built up with drug abusers caught so as to persuade them to divulge the sources of their drug supplies. This would of course mean attaching CNB officers to fewer culprits to enable the officers to create a better rapport with these abusers in order to obtain the essential information.

3.37 p.m.

Mr Phey Yew Kok (Boon Teck): Mr Speaker, Sir, the President's Address to Parliament cogently outlines the policies of the Government with which I wholeheartedly agree. The Second Session of the Third Parliament sees us facing problems of a very difficult nature. The problems that we are facing today in the wake of global inflation and recession are beyond our control and yet the tone and tenor of the President's Speech exudes confidence in our ability as a hard-headed and pragmatic people to cope with these problems and at the same time to plan economic and social development in many spheres. In the field of foreign policy the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has stated in its Addendum to the Presidential Address that "ASEAN can help member states adjust to the rapid geo-political changes in the region", it is gratifying to note in this connection that our Foreign Minister has been invited to the Peoples' Republic of China. There is no doubt that his visit will be the prelude to new adjustments in the geo-political scene, adjustments which will contribute to the strengthening of stability and peace in this region.

There are a number of other points I would like to raise. The economic recession that we are facing today is, perhaps, a blessing in disguise. The President has very rightly pointed out that we should not be swayed by short-term political considerations, and that we should be guided by the long-term interests of our people. This means that we have to take strong measures to remedy the present ills in our long-term interests.

We have seen, in the recent past, retrenchment of workers and the chances are that we will see more retrenchments before the situation takes a turn for the better. For one thing, these developments have taught us a telling lesson. We can no longer take things for granted and stick on to lingering old habits and attitudes. Many of our young workers who have no family commitments or responsibilities fritter away their retrenchment and other terminal benefits, which are quite substantial in some cases, by care-free spending in coffee houses and in other imprudent and unwise ways, instead of setting aside the money they have received to tide them over until they find alternative employment. I suggest that, in order to help them, the NTUC together with the Ministry of Labour, might set up a Fund into which all monies received as retrenchment benefits should be paid. From this Fund, a stipulated percentage of the normal monthly wages of these workers could be paid out to them each month. In my view, Sir, this is possibly one of the best ways to help these workers to help themselves. On the other hand, Sir, there is the special problem of the older workers who are 50 years old and over. The chances of these older workers to find alternative employment after retrenchment are somewhat bleak. I would suggest that in the case of such workers, particularly those who do not get retrenchment benefits, and who have families with school-going children, special consideration should be given. Some may have the notion that the Central Provident Fund could be used to help them but I would say that the CPF should not be used as the purpose of this Fund is to provide retirement benefits. I would suggest that assistance be provided to them through the formulation of a special scheme by the Social Welfare Department. Such a scheme, apart from providing monetary assistance, could also embrace the payment of school fees for their children where this is necessary or the provision of free education, the supply of free textbooks and the waiving of medical charges at outpatient clinics. I am not suggesting that a social security scheme should be introduced but that rather any assistance provided should be treated as a loan which would be reimbursable by the worker when he withdraws his CPF contributions at the age of 55.

The next point I would like to touch upon is a matter which is gravely disconcerting and disturbing. Recent developments in Singapore clearly indicate that there are elements in Singapore, many of whom are non-citizens who are silently and surreptitiously, and some very openly - dabbling in our internal affairs. Some of these ugly adventurers, who have no loyalty for Singapore and who, in any case, we are not obliged to look after, hold offices of responsibility in associations or clubs of an indigenous nature. I concede that where associations or clubs predominantly or solely cater for the special social needs of a transient overseas group of people different considerations should apply. But in the case of indigenous associations or clubs it is only fit and proper that restrictions should be imposed to ensure that only Singapore citizens should hold office. As far as trade unions are concerned, such restrictions are imposed under the Trade Unions Act. I therefore do not see why similar restrictions should not be imposed on associations and clubs. Mr Speaker, Sir, I would stress that urgent consideration should be given to this matter.

3.44 p.m.

Mr Ng Yeow Chong (Mountbatten): (In Mandarin): Mr Speaker, Sir, our President in his opening Address to the House warned us not to expect real growth rates of 10-12% which we have enjoyed over the past five years up to 1973. He has also cautioned that we have to adjust to slower growth rates provided there is no war and another oil embargo or other major catastrophe. Our real growth last year was around 7%, which is not a poor performance considering the effects of world-wide inflation and recession. Singapore will continue to face these problems so long as the international economy is in disorder. We have to learn to live with these problems and to do our best to minimise the effects of inflation and recession. All we need to do right now is to consolidate what we have achieved, strengthen our organisation and prepare ourselves for economic recovery.

Sir, I support and welcome the move to encourage young couples to have their aged parents live with them. The Government will take attractive measures to achieve this. To have our aged parents live with us and to look after them is a return of our gratitude to them for bringing us up. To show filial piety to our parents and honour them is a virtue of Asian tradition. We should therefore give full support to uphold this traditional value. I think the Government should offer incentives to encourage such a move. One attractive incentive will be to increase the amount of relief in income tax for the maintenance of aged parents and grandparents. However good an incentive this is, in my view filial piety would be meaningless if it is exchanged for monetary benefit. Also, income tax relief would mean nothing to people in the lower-income bracket. However, I do not oppose this proposal.

Another incentive which I can think of is priority in housing. Inadequate accommodation or overcrowding often influences young couples to live separately from their parents. Priority in allocation of housing to young couples who will have parents live with them will reverse this trend. Mr Speaker, Sir, the Housing and Development Board can also consider giving early consideration to applicants who live with their parents or applicants with married children. Similarly, applications for transfer to bigger fiats should be expeditiously dealt with by the Housing and Development Board if the applicants can have their parents live with them, or if they are single and are to be married soon, then of course documentary proof is necessary. I hope the HDB will consider my proposal.

Mr Speaker, Sir, the Housing and Development Board must be complimented for its achievement in having completed 26,000 units of flats in 1974. It is gratifying to note that the 1-1DB will further accelerate its building programme towards new targets of 30,000 units and eventually 40,000 units per year. This is certainly good news to the applicants on the long waiting list. Almost every applicant is craving for early allocation of HDB flats. With its past records of achievement, the HDB will not have much difficulty in achieving its new targets.

Mr Speaker, Sir, since there is an HDB housing estate in your constituency, you may be aware of numerous complaints about defects in the construction of fiats sold or rented out by the HDB. The Member for Telok Blangah also mentioned this point yesterday. I believe you are also faced with this problem. The finish of the flats is generally poor and some of the fixtures and fittings in the fiats have been found to be defective. Something must be done to improve the quality of construction work. The HDB and its contractors should work hand in hand to ensure that poor quality work is reduced to the minimum.

Sir, we have placed emphasis oil the quality of everything we make, buy or serve. However, in private or public housing, it seems that quality is not taken into consideration. The problem, of course, is the shortage of experienced and skilled workers. Mr Speaker, Sir, the Housing and Development Board which is the biggest housing employer, may like to consider setting up its own training scheme under which trainees are recruited and paid to undergo training at an institute or vocational school to learn skills in construction. On completion of their training, they will form a pool of artisans from which the Board's contractors can draw upon. The Board will continue to pay a wage subsidy to these trained artisans to induce them to remain on employment with the Board's contractors. The Board can make the trainees sign a service bond to prevent them quitting half-way through their artisanship. It is believed that a certain contractors' association is contemplating such a training scheme. This should be given every encouragement. Mr Speaker, Sir, the HDB already has its own granite quarry, brick factory and sand quarry to ease the shortage or even achieve self-sufficiency in tile supply of building materials. Likewise, if the training scheme is found feasible, the HDB is assured of its own supply of trained workers and the standards of construction will be greatly enhanced.

Finally, Sir, on the subject, of "Employment of Young Persons" under the Ministry of Labour, I wish to make brief remarks. Young persons between the ages of 14 and 16 years will he allowed to work in industrial establishments without the prior approval of the Commissioner for Labour. Sir, I consider such a move a retrogressive one if it were not for the fact that this was recommended by the Committee on Crimes and Delinquency as a measure to reduce delinquency among school drop-outs. Sir, I hope there will be adequate provisions to ensure that these young workers will not be exploited by unscrupulous employers. The Ministry of Labour should also categorise the type of jobs suitable for these young persons so that their physical capacity will not be overtaxed. Regular inspection and strict enforcement of the law must be carried out by the Factory Inspectorate to ensure compliance of these regulations.

Sir, I support the Motion moved by the Member for Kim Keat.

3.55 p.m.

The Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Foreign Affairs (Mr Ong Soo Chuan): Mr Speaker, Sir, I rise to support the Motion moved by the hon. Member for Kim Keat.

Hon. Members will recall that the President, in the Addendum to his Address at the Opening of the Second Session of the Third Parliament on Friday, 21st February, 1975, stated that:

`Our foreign policy must take into consideration the new situation arising from the gradual scaling down of American and Western military presence in the region. The overwhelming Western influence in the region has been correspondingly reduced.'

The President has alerted us that this situation "will lead other powers to seek greater influence for themselves in the area".

Hon. Members are aware that detente has replaced the cold war, but detente does not necessarily mean ending of tensions and conflicts.

During the cold war, small nations steered clear of the conflicts between tile two blocs by simply taking a neutral stand, and for the most part the great powers tolerated this neutralism. Also, some small nations joined one of the two camps for shelter and protection. The great powers were also willing to take risks and even military adventures on behalf of their small allies. In future the contest for influence among the great powers continues, despite detente. But with detente, the rivalry among the great powers has become a complex web of simultaneous rivalry and cooperation.

Before the onset of the energy crisis, the United States and their allies had a slight edge, in terms of economic and military power, over the Socialist bloc. However, the energy crisis has adversely affected the Western countries more than their Socialist counterparts. In other words, the energy crisis has slowed down the economies of the Western countries, and this has the effect of weakening their will to maintain their dominant presence in Asia and elsewhere in the world.

Thus, in South-east Asia the contest for influence and supremacy by the great powers continues. Until a new balance of power is established in our region, there will be uncertainty and instability in our area. While the US has disengaged herself militarily from Vietnam and continues to be under domestic pressure to cut down her military commitments in Asia and elsewhere, the Soviet presence has become more pronounced.

China and Japan will, with the passage of time, become factors likely to influence events in our part of the world. If the contest for influence and power is conducted peacefully and rationally, then we need have no great fears and even some benefits could come out of it all.

In the meantime, "ASEAN can and must play" as the President has stated in his Addendum, "an important role in lessening the leverage the great powers can otherwise have in exploiting differences and conflicts within the region."

It was due to the foresight of the leaders of ASEAN countries that ASEAN was formed eight years ago. ASEAN has grown from its modest beginnings to an effective and lively regional body able to meet the challenges of changing times. With its combined population of more than 200 million, abundant natural resources, political stability and an ever improving developmental infrastructure, ASEAN has the potential for increased economic development which in turn will help to promote peace and prosperity in the region. It is hoped that ASEAN will continue to receive goodwill from the great powers. And I believe that a stable and prosperous ASEAN is in the ultimate interests of the great powers.

There is no doubt that ASEAN has come to stay. But for ASEAN to remain viable there is a need to adjust to the rapid geopolitical changes in the region. It appears to me therefore that the more immediate and major task for ASEAN is tile undertaking of an overall review and evaluation of all the projects which have been proposed to date in order that these can be implemented according to their priorities.

In the present international economic situation where the threat of a worldwide recession accompanied by seemingly uncontrollable inflation may undermine the stability of ASEAN societies, it is necessary that governments of the region make greater efforts to strengthen their national economies. There can be no sound regional economy if its component elements are weak. Regional cooperation can, if wisely and rationally approached, accelerate and ease the task of national economic development.

One way would be the encouragement of mutual investments among ASEAN countries. Mutual ASEAN investments will definitely serve to complement those of the major powers. ASEAN should also aim for self-reliance as a regional unit. It is therefore fitting to mention here that the decision of ASEAN Foreign Ministers to establish a permanent Secretariat for ASEAN is another indicator of the viability and permanency of ASEAN. The ASEAN Secretariat will be a compact structure designed to streamline and plan the growing activities of ASEAN with greater efficiency. The ASEAN Secretariat will not only be a concrete evidence of ASEAN solidarity but will also, in deeds and actions, hasten the pace of economic development in the region.

4.05 p.m.

Mr Ong Teng Cheong (Kim Keat): (In Mandarin): Mr Speaker, Sir, to begin with, I would like to thank my colleagues for their warm support of my Motion of thanks to the President for his speech. They have expressed their views not only on the achievements of the various Ministries as revealed in the Addendum to the Presidential Address but also on the shortcomings. They have also made constructive criticisms.

Some of my colleagues have criticised that there have been far too many frequent changes in our Education system and they expressed the hope that in the process of further changes and restructuring of our Education system, the views of those concerned with education should be sought to ensure that the new Education Act will be able to meet the present requirements of our country. They have also emphasised the importance of the contents of education in order to more effectively inculcate the correct social values and concepts amongst our children.

Some of my colleagues have also spoken on the tax-free incentives for pioneer industries. They support these incentives and they have also expressed the hope that for the existing industries with high potential, whether they are medium-sized or small-sized industries, assistance should be given.

My colleagues have also shown their concern over the increasing crime rate in Singapore over recent years. The general consensus of opinion among my colleagues is that our Police Force has serious shortcomings both quantitatively and qualitatively which have caused some aberration and defects in our security field. They have expressed the hope that the Ministry concerned will soon improve the situation of the Force and educate the police personnel particularly to improve their attitude in dealing with the public and in respect of their service.

Many of my colleagues have also shown particular concern for the difficulties of the people over the services provided by the Ministry of Health. They have appealed that hospital outpatient charges and charges for third class wards should not be increased, and at the same time expressed the hope that efforts would be made by the Government to attract and retain experienced specialists and doctors in our medical services.

Mr Speaker, Sir, my colleagues have expressed the view that in our long-term interest there is a need for some kind of cultural and basic philosophical reform among our people coupled with proper financial measures in order to change the traditional attitude of male chauvinism respecting the male and despising the female, amongst our people and to implement and achieve family planning objectives so as to raise the quality of our people with each generation better off than the previous one.

Many of these criticisms and views are valuable and constructive. Unfortunately, I am not in a position to speak on behalf of various Government Ministries to answer such criticisms and suggestions. But I am sure that these views and suggestions will be noted and considered or even accepted by the Ministries concerned so that Singapore may soon become a more progressive, more prosperous and a more stable country.

Sir, a number of my colleagues have felt that there is a need to review critically the administrative organisations of the various Government Ministries. They have also expressed dissatisfaction with the present relationship between the Government servants and members of the public.

The Member for Jalan Kayu has pointed out several shortcomings in some of our administrative organisations. These are evident shortcomings and what he has said is very timely and is representative of what is in the minds of our people. The various shortcomings that he pointed out include:

(i) each Ministry acting on its own;

(ii) wastage of manpower and resources;

(iii) over-commercialisation; and

(iv) growth of bureaucratism.

He has got a lot of facts to bear himself out when he made these criticisms, and nobody can deny that. The administration in our Government and statutory boards, generally speaking, is efficient, clean and honest. But there are of course shortcomings which may be unavoidable and which are capable of improvement. Without early rectification, the political confidence that the people have in the ruling party over the past 10 years, as pointed out by the Member for Jalan Kayu, will be seriously damaged and undermined.

Mr Speaker, Sir, on the issue of land use, for example, apart from the Land Office or the Commissioner of Lands, as he pointed out, there are other Ministries or quasi-Government statutory bodies which have the powers to acquire land. Among them there are signs of competition and rivalry in dealing with policies on land use, resulting in unnecessary friction and conflict internally. I feel that there is a need to set up a high level committee, similar to the Road Transport Action Committee, to ensure that there is comprehensive and coordinated planning and formulation of land use policies, so that our limited land resources may be distributed and utilized appropriately and efficiently.

Mr Speaker, Sir, our pragmatic leadership is not afraid of deviating from the traditional and conservative political practice. They are pragmatic and down-to-earth and it is for this reason that our leaders have encouraged the Back-benchers to comment and criticise boldly on any shortcomings or faults in all the Government policies and measures. It is therefore my hope that our public servants will emulate our political leaders and adopt the principle of "winning the minds and hearts of the people in a princely way, instead of driving them away in a despotic manner". It is only in this way that they are able to establish an efficient service and the right attitude in serving the interest of the people.

Finally, Sir, I would like to thank my colleagues once again for supporting my Motion thanking the President for his speech.

Question put, and agreed to.

Resolved,

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 Second Session of this Parliament."