POTONG PASIR CONSTITUENCY (Littering problem)

[Mr Speaker in the Chair]

Mr Heng Chiang Meng asked the Minister for the Environment whether the Potong Pasir Constituency has a littering problem.

The Minister for the Environment (Dr Ahmad Mattar): Mr Speaker, Sir, when I last discussed the littering problem with the Member for Potong Pasir in this House on 26 February 93, he was adamant that his constituency did not have a littering problem.

I would like to report, Sir, that either the Member does not want to believe that his constituency has a littering problem or he does not know that there is such a problem.

When I asked my staff to inspect Potong Pasir, they reported that they found heavy littering in several places.

Sir, if you recall, the Member for Potong Pasir, at the meeting of this House on 26 February 93, had asked me to name a block or any particular area in Potong Pasir which had been littered. I shall oblige him now, Sir, not with just one block but several blocks and with photographs too. The blocks are 101, 102, 108, 119 and 120 of Potong Pasir Avenue 1; Blocks 136 and 142 of Potong Pasir Avenue 3; and the children's playground adjacent to Block 120 of Potong Pasir Avenue 1. For some of these blocks, for example, Blocks 101, 119 and 120 of Potong Pasir Avenue 1, litter was found on repeat visits. I have got some photographs which I shall distribute to you, Sir.

Mr Speaker: Would you like to give a copy to Mr Chiam?

Dr Ahmad Mattar: Yes, Sir. [Copy of photographs handed to Mr Chiam See Tong]. If you look at the photographs, the types of litter range from waste paper to cardboard box and lubricating oil container (Photo No. 4), to plastic bags and food wrappers (Photo No. 10), and even to discarded vinyl zip-up cupboards (Photo No. 12).

Sir, the evidence I have shows beyond any reasonable doubt that there is a littering problem in Potong Pasir Constituency.

Mr Heng Chiang Meng (Cheng San GRC): Sir, does the Minister know that the Member for Potong Pasir had, in fact, put up warning notices to all his residents on the notice boards of the blocks of flats in Potong Pasir. I shall just read the first two paragraphs of the notice, Sir:

'Warning: Enforcement action of littering by Ministry of the Environment. Please note that enforcement officers of the Ministry of the Environment shall be coming to Potong Pasir to catch shopkeepers and residents who litter the compound property. This letter is to warn you not to throw pieces of paper or cigarette butts or in the case of shopkeepers to leave your rubbish indiscriminately outside your shops.' This was signed by Mr Chiam See Tong, MP; Chairman, Potong Pasir Town Council and dated 1st March, 1993.

Sir, in view of such warning, would the Minister say that it is fair to expect less littering than what was actually encountered? Conversely, does this not seem that Potong Pasir, in fact, has a littering problem worse than the normal standard in Singapore?

Dr Ahmad Mattar: Mr Speaker, Sir, I am aware of that circular. Unfortunately, my Public Health Officers have reported that despite the circular there has not been any improvement to the littering problem. Even till this morning, Sir, when we inspected Potong Pasir, littering was still evident. I have another set of photographs, Sir, fresh from the dark room of my Ministry, taken early this morning. For example, you can see discarded beer bottles at the open space near or beside Block 136 Potong Pasir Avenue 3; the grass verge next to Block 107, Potong Pasir Avenue 1, is also very badly littered; a discarded shopping trolley is found at the void deck of Block 102, Potong Pasir Avenue 1, and so on and so forth. I have only one set of the photographs which I shall circulate to Members.

Mr Chiam See Tong (Potong Pasir): Mr Speaker, Sir, I have been informed by my contractors that they start work to clean the estate at 6.00 am. I was also informed that, in fact, the Ministry of the Environment's officers came at 5.30 in the morning to take photographs before the ground was swept. If that was the case, it would be unfair to Potong Pasir, because the photographs were all taken with overnight litter. Normally, litters are thrown only after the residents have come back from work. I think we better get this point clear. What exactly do you ---

Mr Speaker: Mr Chiam, could you ask your supplementary question?

Mr Chiam See Tong: Yes. Firstly, I want to ask whether or not these photographs were in fact taken before 6.00 am. Although it is stated here "6.00 am to 7.00 am" I can see the darkness in the photographs. You can see, with a flash, you can only cover the relevant parts. The background is all dark. So the first question is whether or not these photographs were taken before 6.00 am. The photographs appear quite dark to me. Secondly, how do you define a littering problem?

Dr Ahmad Mattar: Sir, the job specification given to me by none other than Mr Chiam himself is simple and straightforward. He claims that he does not have a littering problem and my job is to show that he has. The photographs clearly show there is a littering problem. True, the photographs were taken before the cleaners swept the litter.

Mr Chiam See Tong: Litter must be thrown somewhere. I think it is question of degree, Mr Speaker. I say that Potong Pasir does not have a littering problem because if you come in the day, mid-morning or mid-afternoon, you will see the place is spick and span. Our contractors will make it a point that all the litter is swept up.

Mr Speaker: Mr Chiam, are you making a speech or asking a question?

Mr Chiam See Tong: I want to know how you define a littering problem. I would say a littering problem is where litter is thrown on to the ground and it is not swept up and it is still there. That would be a problem. As long as it is cleaned up in the day, I do not think it is a littering problem.

Dr Ahmad Mattar: Mr Chiam may be interested to know that we talked to some of the cleaners employed by the contractor engaged by the Potong Pasir Town Council and they told us that in some blocks the littering is so bad that they have got to be cleaned twice a day - once at 6.30 in the morning and the other time is around 2.00 in the afternoon.

Mr Chiam See Tong: That confirms what I said. We have got good management. We clean the place up. As soon as they are littered, we clean the place up. What I am saying is that we do not have a littering problem. All these photographs were taken before 6.00 am. I think this is absolutely hitting below the belt. It is unfair.

Dr Ahmad Mattar: Mr Speaker, Sir, if Potong Pasir Constituency does not have a littering problem, as the Member claims, there should not be any litter at any time.

Mr Chiam See Tong rose ---

Mr Speaker: Mr Chiam, we have to go into Committee of Supply. Are you asking any more questions? Please do not make speeches.

Mr Chiam See Tong: My question has not been answered yet, ie, whether these photographs were taken before 6.00 am. I was told that they were taken at 5.30 am. The workers come in at 6.00 am.

Dr Ahmad Mattar: Sir, the question has been answered and the photographs have also been labelled with the time they were taken. My point is that if the Member claims that his constituency does not have a littering problem, then there should not be any litter at any time of the day, 5.30 am regardless.