PULAU SAKENG (Resettlement plans)

[Mr Speaker in the Chair]

Encik Abbas Abu Amin asked the Minister for Law (a) whether there is any plan to resettle the residents of Pulau Seking, the only inhabited island of the Southern Islands; and (b) if there is no definite plan for resettlement, whether the Land Office will further enhance maintenance works and provide facilities for the islanders who are mostly senior citizens.

The Second Minister for Law (Prof. S. Jayakumar): Mr Speaker, Sir, since Pulau Sakeng is not affected by immediate development, there is no plan at present to resettle the residents of the island.

There are 65 families (about 250 persons) living on the island. They pay TOL fees of only $3 per annum for a dwelling house and $12 per annum for a shop site. Maintenance work such as oiling and anti-malarial work is being carried out by the Ministry of the Environment every week. The clearing of daily refuse is being carried out by the householders on the island either by burning or burying. There is a community centre, a clinic, a police post, a mosque, a Malay school and an Arab school on the island.

The penghulu who is also residing on the island assists the Land Office in looking after the island and attending to the requirements of the residents. The Land Office has not received any complaints regarding maintenance or requests for additional amenities from the residents directly or through the penghulu. Since the existing maintenance services and amenities provided are satisfactory, there is no plan to provide additional facilities or services.

For the information of the hon. Member, during the past year some 16 licensees have already moved out of the island to stay on the mainland. It is not cost effective to enhance the facilities in view of the dwindling population on the island.

Encik Abbas Abu Amin (Pasir Panjang): Sir, would the Minister consider the possibility of an early resettlement of these senior residents? They are now facing a lot of difficulty especially when there is a bereavement, the burial has got to be carried out in the mainland. And there is also the problem of medical facilities. Therefore, I would like to seriously ask the Minister that, as the population is dwindling, whether he will consider an early resettlement of these residents.

Prof. Jayakumar: Mr Speaker, Sir, I take the point of the Member for Pasir Panjang. As I said, there is no immediate plan for resettlement. But in view of what he has said, I will ask the officials concerned to have another look at the matter.