ELECTION OF SPEAKER (Tribute)

3.27 pm

The Leader of the House (Mr Wong Kan Seng): Mr Speaker, Sir, may I, on behalf of all Members of this House, extend to you our congratulations on the occasion of your election as Speaker.

The office of Speaker carries with it certain functions and rituals which have a judicial flavour. You are the second Speaker in this Parliament who has no legal training. But as the experience of our former Speaker has shown, this lack of legal training should not hinder the Speaker in the exercise of his duties. Nor has it handicapped you in your responsibilities as Deputy Speaker.

Your election to this high office today signifies the confidence we have in you in the last four years as Deputy Speaker. As Deputy Speaker since 1st March 1985, you have applied the Standing Orders fairly but firmly on all Members. You have shown that you are an impartial, decisive Deputy Speaker who brooks no nonsense from any Member of this House.

I am sure all Members will give you our full support and cooperation in the exercise of your responsibility as Speaker of this august Chamber.

Sir, let me also pay tribute to your distinguished predecessor, Dr Yeoh Ghim Seng.

Dr Yeoh presided over proceedings in this House for 18 years, beginning on 27th January 1970. He was elected and re-elected five times as Speaker of this Parliament. Although he did not intend to set a record when he first became Speaker, his tenure as Speaker will be a record that will be hard to be broken. He had been tolerant of Members who sometimes tested his patience. But he always ensured that order, decorum and fairness were observed in this House. During his tenure, he brought dignity and esteem to this high position of Speaker. All of us will remember Dr Yeoh for his long years of contribution. Although he is not present this afternoon, we would like to record our appreciation and gratitude for his distinguished service as Speaker of this House. [Applause.]

Sir, you will be presiding over an enlarged House of 81 elected Members. Eighteen of them are new. May I welcome them. For the first time in this Parliament, there will be one Non-Constituency Member (NCMP). He was in this Chamber 25 years ago. I am sure he is glad to be back. The presence of this honourable gentleman belies the myth in some quarters, some in his own Workers' Party that he represents, that the Non-Constituency MP is a second-class MP. We are glad that the Workers' Party has now accepted the NCMP scheme. We do welcome this honourable gentleman to this House and I hope that he will play a constructive role in this House. [Applause.]

The advice of Mr Barker, the once Leader of this House, still rings true. He said, "No Member will stray from the straight and narrow path if he always lets conscience be his guide." This shall be the same advice I give to my colleagues. I would therefore urge all Members to make the best use of their time in Parliament, to speak their minds on issues which are of importance and concern to the nation and to the people.

Parliamentary debate is serious business. With television coverage, there is a danger that Members may play to the gallery. Members should resist from this temptation. Under the Parliament (Privileges, Immunities and Powers) Act, Members are free to speak and debate in the proceedings of this House. But let me remind Members that they shall have to take responsibility for what they say. There have been occasions in the Sixth Parliament when a Member was taken before the Committee of Privileges. I hope that there will be no need for the Committee of Privileges to meet in this Seventh Parliament.

Mr Chiam See Tong (Potong Pasir): Mr Speaker, Sir, if you will just allow me a moment also to convey my congratulations on your elevation to the Speakership. Sir, I think it would not be complete if it is just the Leader of the House conveying his congratulations to you. This is to make it complete. You have the approval of the whole House. I would also like to say a word of thanks to the previous Speaker who had a very good rapport with the Opposition. [Applause.]

Mr Speaker: I would like to express my sincere gratitude to all of you for electing me Speaker of our Seventh Parliament. I would also like to thank the Leader of the House and the Member for Potong Pasir for their kind words about me.

It is indeed a rare privilege and an honour that you have bestowed on me. When I first entered Parliament in December 1976, and even over the years, I had not imagined that I would one day have the distinction of presiding over its proceedings. I was, however, all along conscious, and indeed even more so now, of the importance and responsibilities of this High Office. And I hope that during my term of office, I will be able to discharge my duties in a manner worthy of the confidence you have shown in me.

We are fortunate to have this newly-renovated Chamber to conduct our business. Our debates will no doubt be lively and intense. Much heat is likely to be generated, and not just because of the increased intensity of the television lights, but by the fact that this House has now got 82 members all raring to partake in the cut and thrust of Parliamentary debate. We can speak freely but let us remember that at all times we are honourable persons and we must never abuse the privileges accorded to us as Members of Parliament. We have a duty to ensure decorum and to uphold the honour and dignity of the House. We are bound by the Standing Orders, a set of rules that you may find at times complex and even cumbersome, but they are necessary so that the proceedings of the House can be conducted expeditiously and in a fair and orderly manner.

I too would like to say a few words about my predecessor, Dr Yeoh Ghim Seng, who was Speaker of Parliament for 19 years. I understand he has served longer than any other elected-member Speaker of any Parliament in the world. [Applause.] Members were reminded earlier that I have had no legal training and during the past four years when I served as his Deputy, I found myself at times trying to unravel myself from some of the complexities of the rules of procedure. I found Dr Yeoh most willing to give me valuable advice and share with me the benefits of his long years of experience in the Chair. Members will no doubt want to join me in wishing him many happy years ahead in his well-deserved retirement. Dr Yeoh Ghim Seng sat in the Chair with esteem and honour. It is not an easy task to match him but with the help and support of honourable Members, I hope to maintain the high standards and traditions he set.

Last but not least, I would like to welcome the new Members. As you adjust yourself to the intricacies of parliamentary life you might experience difficult moments. If I or the Clerk and staff of Parliament can be of assistance, do feel free to approach us. We look forward to listening to your maiden speeches, just as I am sure you look forward to delivering them. A bit of advice to you might be useful. If you ever wonder why at times it is difficult, as they say in Parliamentary parlance, to catch the Speaker's eye, just remember that long speeches are not necessarily good speeches.