ELECTION OF SPEAKER

At 2.30 p.m. the Serjeant at Arms laid the Mace below the Table.

The Leader of the House (Mr E. W. Barker): stood up, and addressing himself to the Clerk of Parliament said: Mr Lopez, I propose,

That Dr Yeoh Ghim Seng do take the Chair of this Parliament as Speaker.

The Senior Minister of State for National Development (Dr Tan Eng Liang): stood up, and addressing himself to the Clerk of Parliament said: Mr Lopez. I support the proposal.

There being no other proposal, the Clerk then declared Dr Yeoh Ghim Seng to have been elected as Speaker of Parliament.

Mr Speaker, standing at the Table, made an Affirmation of Allegiance.

Mr Speaker went to the Chair and sat down.

Then the Mace (which before lay below the Table) was placed on the Table.

2.32 p.m.

The Leader of the House (Mr E. W. Barker): Mr Speaker, Sir, it is with respect that we again bow before you in the Chair. The business in this House will continue to be conducted under your guidance, and we will continue to abide by your rulings. But may I say, without any disrespect. Sir, that it would be less painful to be ruled out of order in this House than to lie prostrate on your operating table, whilst your gloved hands reach out for a scalpel.

Your fame as a surgeon is well known in Singapore and has spread throughout the region. You could, with ease and distinction, occupy one of the front benches on this side of the House. But then I am not the Prime Minister and I cannot read his mind. But our gain will mean the loss for those whose lives may depend on the skill of your steady hands.

Honourable Members, old and new join me in congratulating you. Sir, on your reelection to the Chair.

Once again this House will have to manage with Members all from one party. This is the choice of the people. This position has not changed since 1965 when we gained sovereignty and independence and the then Members of the Opposition walked out of this House abandoning their faith in Parliamentary democracy to take to the streets. They have regretted it ever since. As a result we have all members from one party. Debates in this House have become. perhaps, less interesting and certainly less heated. But the burden on the Opposition within the Party has increased.

Back-Benchers should let their conscience be their guide and speak freely with open minds. Even Parliamentary Secretaries can do so provided they do not criticise their own Ministries. I am not inciting them to mount a united offensive against the Executive but merely exhorting them to speak without inhibition and without constraint.

It is significant that the Parliament (Privileges, Immunities and Powers) Act. provides. inter alia, that -

`There shall be freedom of speech and debate and proceedings in Parliament. and such freedom of speech and debate and proceedings shall not be liable to be impeached or questioned in any court, commission of inquiry. tribunal or any other place whatsoever out of Parliament'.

No Member is liable to any civil or criminal proceedings. arrest. imprisonment or damages for what he says in this House or in Committee. This privilege is absolute, but Members should not take advantage of it by making defamatory statements about persons outside this House under the cloak of Parliamentary immunity. To say the least that would not be playing "cricket". Our Judges also should not be criticised, because the independence of the Judiciary is inviolate and has been enshrined in our Constitution.

Parliament is supreme. And because all our Members come from one Party, it will be our responsibility and our duty to scrutinize, criticise, where appropriate, and debate all major pieces of legislation. Ministers would welcome questions not only during Question Time but after making statements on Government policies. All controversial Bills will, as in the past, be referred to a Select Committee where the representations of members of the public can be received and will be given due consideration.

That having been said, Sir, it is my pleasure on behalf of the old Members, to extend a warm welcome to the new Members of this House. We look forward to their maiden speeches and to their continuous contributions thereafter.

Mr Speaker: Mr Leader, Mr Prime Minister, hon. Ministers and hon. Members, I thank you, Mr Leader, for your very kind remarks about me and your very wise advice to hon. Members. Maybe it was a good thing that my tongue has never been honed to be as sharp as the scalpels I am accustomed to. If it has, I am sure I would not be taking the Chair again.

I feel very privileged to be re-elected to the Chair and I express my sincere gratitude to the House for the great honour it has done me.

To those hon. Members who were with me in the last Parliament. I wish to express my sincere thanks for the tolerance and cooperation which they had extended to me and which had helped to make my task in the Chair a lot easier.

I welcome the new hon. Members to the House. Like them, I was once raw and I appreciate the difficulties, or perhaps I should say frustrations, which they will face in the coming years. Come what may. they, as also the old hon. Members should look upon the Speaker as their friend and should not regard him as a bogey-man. My advice to them is that they familiarise themselves with and understand the Standing Orders because, in spite of the mellowing effect the years may have had on me. I am still a stickler for the rules of procedure in this House.

Before I conclude. I wish to touch briefly on debates in the House. Not everyone is cut out to be a great orator or an expert debater but this does not mean that only the good debaters should be heard in this House. Hon. Members have the right, subject to the Standing Orders. to speak in a debate and I assure hon. Members that every Member. who seeks to. will catch my eye.

In conclusion. I would like to assure hon. Members that I would do my best to uphold the rules, dignity and decorum of the House.