ESTIMATES OF EXPENDITURE FOR THE FINANCIAL YEAR 1ST APRIL, 1995 TO 31ST MARCH, 1996

Debate in Committee of Supply resumed.

[Mr Speaker in the Chair]

Head J (cont.) -

The Chairman: Amendment No. (5), Mr Kenneth Chen.

Mr Kenneth Chen Koon Lap: Sir, I beg to move,

That the sum to be allocated for Head J of the Main Estimates be reduced by $10 in respect of Code JG 1500.

Sir, when the White Paper on Shared Values was introduced in 1991, there were extensive discussions by both the Government and the people, and a nation-wide promotion has been conducted to propagate these shared values. It was a great achievement to be able to identify these values given the diversity of Singapore society. Although last year saw the most active promotion of family as the basic unit of society, the rest of the four shared values were not given much attention. In fact, a Singapore Family Values Promotion Committee was even set up with a million dollar fund to promote these values. Various projects such as a Family Values Exhibition and a Family Day Carnival were organised to implement and promote the values.

I must say that these activities have been very successful in generating public awareness in spending more time with the families. However, the activities to foster shared values have failed in comparison to the programme promoting family values. With regionalisation, we need to be constantly vigilant against increasing pressure from outside influence on our society, so that family traditions as well as national values can be kept intact. Therefore, I wonder if there are any further plans by MCD to reinforce the shared values and promote them on a scale similar to the publicity campaign for family values. Perhaps the Ministry should consider setting up a Shared Values Promotion Committee similar in nature to the Family Values Promotion Committee, so that more innovative ways to promote shared values can be explored.

I hope the Minister can also give an update on the work of the Family Values Promotion Committee. Has the $1 million fund been utilised for any projects? And are there any further plans in the pipeline to promote family values?

Mr Abdullah Tarmugi: Sir, I will take up the Member's sugggestion on the promotion of shared values. Last year, we concentrated on the family values. We will certainly look into how we can further promote the five shared values.

With regard to the updating of the work of the Family Values Promotion Committee, as Members know, it was set up last year as part of the campaign to promote the Family Values. The $1 million Singapore Family Values Promotion Fund was launched. 3.45 pm

The main highlights in the activities since the launch include exhibitions at family events, distribution of 100,000 free book marks depicting the five values, distribution of the Singapore Family Values booklets to schools, CCs, libraries, grassroots organisations and voluntary welfare organisations. We have also incorporated the family values messages in the Families Today newsletter, which has a circulation of around 15,000, and the publication of a book "We are Family", which reflect the celebration of family life as seen in the eyes of Singaporean children. There was also publicity through press advertisements, radio commercials and sponsored segments on variety shows and family entertainment programmes, like Variety Tonight, Portret Keluarga and Nammai Chuttri, a Tamil programme.

Not only will MCD continue to promote these family values but it will also make greater efforts at sustaining the campaign. The Committee which I mentioned earlier included members from both the public and private sectors and they have several plans for the year. These include the National Family Day, student projects, creative competitions, filmlets and videos, exhibitions and displays on relevant occasions. The media, especially television, will be further tapped to promote the values. In reaching out to specified target groups, MCD will work together with other Government agencies, self-help groups and voluntary welfare organisations.

One such target group is children in schools and different aspects of the values are already being taught in our schools from Primary One to Secondary Five as part of the Civics and Moral Education curriculum. MCD will work with the Ministry of Education to further strengthen the inculcation of the values in our young. MCD will continue to play a proactive role in promoting the Singapore Family Values. But ultimately, Sir, the practice and transmission of these values rest with each and every citizen. The challenge is for us to sustain awareness of, inculcate and put these values into practice.

Mr Kenneth Chen Koon Lap: I thank the Minister for his answer and I beg leave to withdraw my amendment.

Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.

The Chairman: Amendment No. (6), Dr Lim is not here. Mr Kenneth Chen.

Mr Kenneth Chen Koon Lap: Sir, I beg to move,

That the sum to be allocated for Head J of the Main Estimates be reduced by $10 in respect of Code JH 3100.

(In Mandarin) According to a survey, of the 5,000 people aged between 50 and 60 years, 85% want to spend more time after retirement to stay with their families, 65% would prefer to keep company with their old friends, and about 20% would want to take part in activities organised by RCs and CCs. According to this survey, I think it is a very meaningful indicator to show what sort of facilities the Government should provide for the senior citizens.

During my visits to my constituency, I have noticed that a lot of senior citizens like to spend their time enjoying a chit-chat, reading newspapers or watching television in the void decks. These senior citizens can spend a whole day from morning to evening or a lot of time in the evening playing chess or enjoying a talk with other senior citizens because more and more friends are gathered there. The facilities in the void decks are inadequate and so some people bring down their old furniture and leave them in the void decks. These void decks then become a very good forum for the gathering of these senior citizens.

The RCs also set up their senior citizens' corners in the void decks to satisfy the needs of these people. But the void decks in the housing blocks do not have proper furniture. We have also received complaints from HDB about these old furniture being discarded at the void decks. This is an eyesore. So how do we help the senior citizens? I believe that the RCs can do their best to look after the needs of the senior citizens.

At the RC centre, senior citizens' clubs are formed to conduct indoor and outdoor activities for them. The community clubs and the community centres have also set up their senior citizens' clubs. According to the survey that I have mentioned, they can only attract about 20% of the retirees to take part in the activities. Most of the senior citizens still prefer to stay in the void decks. I would suggest that the Ministry of Community Development provide more funds for the RCs to do something more and provide better facilities in the void decks for the senior citizens. These senior citizens' corners need not be very luxurious or elaborate. They only need basic facilities, like proper furniture, and a proper place for them to drink tea or enjoy a cup of coffee.

The RCs need a lot of funds to manage and run the senior citizens' corner. I think the best idea is to have a senior citizens corner for two to three blocks of flats. We cannot expect the senior citizens to go too far away from their flats. At the moment, I think the RCs need more funds and they have to carry out their own fund-raising activities. They need extra expenditure for such activities. I would like to stress that since the main task of the RCs is to provide activities and facilities for the residents to promote better relations among the residents, they need not spend too much time. In fact, they should not spend too much time raising funds. If we really want to help and satisfy the needs of the senior citizens, I think MCD should consider providing all the funds required for the RC centres.

Mr Wong Kan Seng: ( In Mandarin): I would like to thank the Member for showing so much concern for our senior citizens. Of course, every RC has got its own responsibility to set up the senior citizens' club or the senior citizens' centre for our senior citizens to provide a forum and a place for them to enjoy themselves. But we have only limited resources. Even in terms of management, we also need a group of dedicated and talented people to run the centre, otherwise the senior citizens' clubs or senior citizens' centres will become ghettos. The place will become a very unsightly place and that would not be conducive to our good environment.

Our policy now is to provide one senior citizens' centre for every 10 to 15 blocks of flats. To build one such senior citizens' centre would require about $30,000. We not only have to provide the basic furniture but toilet facilities as well. We also need to provide water so that they can clean up the place after their meals or they need water to prepare tea. So if we have to build one such centre for every two to three blocks of flats, it will be difficult to find enough people to run the centre. Secondly, if the management is poor, then the environment of the whole block will be adversely affected. So although I support the setting up of senior citizens' centres, we cannot do very much because of our limited resources. But if an RC has more than 18 blocks under its charge, maybe we can consider setting up two such centres for them so as to provide the senior citizens with more facilities.

As to the suggestion of providing furniture in every block, we can look into the matter. If there is such a need, the town council has some funds to provide for such a facility. I hope that my answer will satisfy the Member.

Mr Kenneth Chen Koon Lap: ( In Mandarin): Just now, what I proposed was not a senior citizens' centre. I was proposing a senior citizens' corner for every two to three blocks of flats. As such, the expenditure involved will not be very much. I think this is a very important need to satisfy.

Mr Wong Kan Seng: ( In Mandarin): If we want to set up a senior citizens' corner, we also need a lot of money because we not only have to provide two or three tables or chairs but we also have to provide a toilet before it can really become a satisfactory corner. Like in Bishan, for example, we have a few senior citizens' corners, not centres. But it requires about $30,000 to $40,000 to build such a corner.

Mr Kenneth Chen Koon Lap: ( In Mandarin): I wish to withdraw my amendment.

Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.

Mr Kenneth Chen Koon Lap: Sir, I beg to move,

That the sum to be allocated for Head J of the Main Estimates be reduced by $10 in respect of Code JH 01984005.

Sir, some of my colleagues have already covered the subject of child care. I just want to add two more brief points on child care centres.

The Straits Times' article in the Life! section dated 30th December 1994 reported the CEO of a kindergarten as saying that there was a need for at least 50,000 spaces in child care centres but there were presently only 26 available. His comment was made based on a survey which he has commissioned. The CEO saw the need by parents for children's services and child care operators are rushing to meet this need. It was reported last year that there were 305 bids submitted for eight sites put up by MCD as child care centres. This implied that for every centre there were 38 interested operators. Therefore, I think we have enough people who are prepared to meet this demand. The question is whether MCD can provide enough licensed child care operators and sites for child care centres to meet this need.

The second point I want to raise is, since child care centres are important in nurturing our young, there must be some form of control to ensure that only qualified child care operators with high quality programmes are allowed to operate. Does MCD take this into consideration in granting licences to potential operators? What follow-up monitoring system is in place to ensure that the standard is being kept to a very high level? 4.00 pm

Mr Abdullah Tarmugi: Sir, we do not know on what basis the projection, as quoted by the Member, was made. MCD regularly monitors the demand for child care centres island-wide. Where a high level of demand is indicated, MCD would target that area for the development of more centres. MCD also has an arrangement with HDB to set up child care centres in tandem with HDB's development of housing estates. A lead time of about one and a half to two years is required before a centre can actually be ready for operation. This means that the supply of places usually lags demand by about one and a half to two years.

In some instances, it may not be possible to build child care centres even though there is demand. This is particularly so in the older housing estates where suitable sites are not available. In such cases, MCD would usually look for adjacent housing estates for sites.

The enrolment figures for child care centres showed that as at February 1995, there were over 4,600 vacancies in existing child care centres. These should be able to meet demand for child care places but they may not be in the parents' first choice of centres; hence the perception that the demand for child care places exceeds supply.

I assure the Member for Hong Kah GRC that more child care centres are continually being set up. In fact, the number of centres as at the end of February 1995 was 364 with 27,603 places. By the end of FY 1995, we hope to have 401 centres with a total capacity of about 30,500 places.

With regard to control of the child care centres, ie, on the quality and qualification of the operators, MCD monitors them and makes sure that only qualified operators with the requisite qualifications are allowed to set up the centres in the estates.

Mr Kenneth Chen Koon Lap: I thank the Minister for his reply and wish to withdraw my amendment.

Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.

The Chairman: Amendment No. (8). Encik Ibrahim.

Encik Ibrahim bin Othman (Thomson GRC): Sir, I beg to move,

That the sum to be allocated for Head J of the Development Estimates be reduced by $10 in respect of Code JI 5200.

Sir, next year, the Football Association of Singapore intends to launch the Singapore League (or S-League). This will involve the division of Singapore into eight regions, of which in each region there shall be a regional club centralised at a Stadium. A task force which studied into the revamped league has identified eight stadiums to be used by the regional clubs. They are Toa Payoh, Yishun, Serangoon, Tampines, Bedok, Queenstown, Jurong and Bukit Batok stadiums. Apart from Jurong Stadium which has a capacity of 5,500, all the other stadiums have a capacity of 2,000 or less.

I wish to ask the Minister whether the Ministry could assist by upgrading the seating capacities of all the stadiums, so that at least it could cater for a crowd of 5,000 fans.

I would like to appeal for the upgrading of all the other facilities in these stadiums such as floodlights, changing rooms, toilets, offices and multi-purpose rooms. These facilities are essential to ensure the success of the regional clubs participating in the S-League.

I also like to thank my colleague, Mr Kenneth Chen, for speaking on the S-League and the assurance given by the Minister just now in supporting the S-League next year. And I wish to declare my interest as the President of the Football Association of Singapore.

Mr Abdullah Tarmugi: Sir, at present the Singapore Sports Council (SSC) operates 16 public sports stadiums and most have a seating capacity of between 1,000 and 1,500. They were built within public housing estates as neighbourhood stadiums to promote the Sports-for-All policy of SSC.

Whether or not these stadiums will be expanded depends on the attendance at the football league games that are coming. The SSC and FAS will monitor the situation closely to make sure that these stadiums will meet the needs of the local football league. SSC will be continually looking into the upgrading of facilities of the stadiums. The Member can be assured of that.

Mr Chiam See Tong: Clarification from the hon. Minister. Next year when the S-League starts, can I ask what will become of the present football clubs? Will they be absorbed into the regional clubs, or what?

Mr Abdullah Tarmugi: Sir, these are subjects of review by the task force. As I mentioned earlier today, I would not pre-empt the recommendations nor the findings of the task force. It would be revealed to the public as soon as the FAS and SSC have studied this review.

Encik Ibrahim bin Othman: Sir, I thank the Minister for his assurance and beg leave to withdraw my amendment.

Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.

The Chairman: Amendment No. (9). Encik Othman.

Encik Othman bin Haron Eusofe (Marine Parade GRC): Sir, I beg to move,

That the sum to be allocated for Head J of the Main Estimates be reduced by $10 in respect of Code JJ 3100.

Sir, I would like to ask the Minister in charge of Muslim Affairs for a report on the development of the wakaf lands. I understand some wakaf lands have been developed for housing projects. Could the Minister provide information on how successful these projects were? Are there any other types of development on wakaf lands? And also, where have the revenues, which have been derived from these developments, been channelled to?

Sir, I would like to also ask the Minister what is the programme for development of wakaf lands in financial year 1995 and whether MUIS has adequate resources to ensure that the wakaf lands will be developed to its maximum potential.

Encik Ibrahim bin Othman: Sir, the Muslim Religious Council of Singapore (MUIS) recently launched its strategic plan. It has a grand mission to fulfil its role as an Islamic authority in Singapore and to guide in building an exemplary Muslim community. One of the strategic intents to be pursued by MUIS is to instill Islamic conviction founded on Islamic teachings and principles. I believe it can be achieved through the various initiatives taken by MUIS, particularly its dakwah and madrasah programmes.

Sir, enrolment of full-time madrasah students has increased from 2,011 in 1991 to 3,054 in 1993. However, the vast majority of Muslim children are attending state-based secular schools. Many of them attend part-time madrasah at a mosque, especially during the weekends.

I wish to ask the Minister what plans does MUIS have to improve the quality of Islamic education and the standard of religious education in our madrasah.

Mr Abdullah Tarmugi: Sir, I will reply to Encik Othman bin Haron Eusofe first.

Under the Administration of Muslim Law Act, MUIS is responsible for wakaf or Muslim charitable endowments. Most of the wakaf properties are pre-war properties, rent controlled and temporary structures. They generate very low income. Most of these wakafs are located in prime areas and have great economic potential. But unless they are restored or developed, they will not be able to enjoy their maximum economic worth. Hence it is MUIS' responsibility to restore or develop them so as to achieve their economic potential.

To-date, MUIS has developed the following residential properties:

(a) four units of three-storey terrace houses at Duku Road;

(b) nine units of apartments at Lorong L, Telok Kurau.

The two residential developments are successful.

Two other projects comprising shophouses at 24 Kandahar Street and 63 Temple Street have been completed and would be rented out. Other on-going projects are 40 units of maisonettes at Lorong G, Telok Kurau and six units of conservation shophouses at South Bridge Road. These units are being restored.

At present, the funds for development of wakaf properties are sufficient. They come from MUIS and the wakaf itself. Once these properties have been restored or developed, they will generate higher income. The increases in income from these wakaf properties will be channelled to the purposes for which these wakafs were established. These will be of benefit to the Muslim community as a whole.

For FY95, MUIS will embark on the following conservation projects:

(1) three units of shophouses at 117, 119, 121 Telok Ayer Street;

(2) a shophouse at 50 Kandahar Street; and

(3) a shophouse at 723 North Bridge Road.

In reply to Encik Ibrahim Othman, there are presently six full-time madrasahs with a student population of slightly over 3,000. There are also 29 mosques which conduct part-time religious classes for pupils who attend Government schools either in the morning or afternoon.

Since the establishment of the Religious Education Department (RED) in MUIS, efforts have been made to streamline the madrasahs. Teacher training, school administration, including library and AVA courses, and common syllabi for madrasahs have been introduced and implemented. Common Secondary Four and Primary Six examinations are also being conducted.

Whereas pupils in full-time madrasahs attend schools five to six days a week, those in mosque madrasahs attend religious classes only for two to three hours, about two days a week. These can either be in the morning or afternoon, depending on the session the students are in Government schools. There are others who attend week-end classes instead in these mosque madrasahs. They follow a common syllabus provided by the RED of MUIS and there is no ECA for mosque madrasah pupils.

Based on feedback, the performance of pupils in Government schools has not been affected as a result of their attending classes in the mosque madrasah.

To ensure that mosque madrasah receives the same attention as full-time madrasah, 17 mosques have agreed to make an annual financial contribution to pay for an executive officer and a clerical officer whose duties will be to oversee, coordinate and streamline the professional and administrative aspects of mosque madrasahs.

Encik Othman bin Haron Eusofe: I thank the Minister and beg leave to withdraw the amendment.

Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.

The sum of $208,044,400 for Head J ordered to stand part of the Main Estimates.

The sum of $150,639,500 for Head J ordered to stand part of the Development Estimates. 4.13 pm

The Chairman: I shall now deal with the remaining heads of expenditure in respect of which no amendment stands on the Order Paper Supplement.

In respect of the Main Estimates, they are Heads C, D, F, G and Z.

I propose to take these heads of expenditure en bloc.

Question, "That the sums stated for those heads of expenditure which appear in the last column of the Schedule of Estimated Expenditure under the Main Estimates on page 43 of Paper Cmd. 3 of 1995 stand part of the Main Estimates," put and agreed to.

The Chairman: In respect of the Development Estimates, they are Heads F and Z. I propose to take those heads of expenditure en bloc.

Question, "That the sums stated for those heads of expenditure which appear in the last column of the Schedule of Estimated Expenditure under the Development Estimates on page 44 of Paper Cmd. 3 of 1995 stand part of the Development Estimates," put and agreed to.

Question, "That the sum of $22,592,250,980 shall be supplied to the Government under the heads of expenditure for the public services shown in the Main Estimates for the Financial Year 1st April 1995 to 31st March 1996 contained in Paper Cmd. 3 of 1995," put and agreed to.

Question, "That the sum of $18,177,176,500 shall be supplied to the Government under the heads of expenditure for the public services shown in the Development Estimates for the Financial Year 1st April 1995 to 31st March 1996 contained in Paper Cmd. 3 of 1995," put and agreed to.

Resolutions to be reported.

Thereupon Mr Speaker left the Chair of the Committee and took the Chair of the House.

The Minister for Finance (Dr Richard Hu Tsu Tau): Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to report that the Committee of Supply have come to certain resolutions.

First Resolution reported -

"That the sum of $22,592,250,980 shall be supplied to the Government under the heads of expenditure for the public services shown in the Main Estimates for the Financial Year 1st April 1995 to 31st March 1996 contained in Paper Cmd. 3 of 1995".

Second Resolution reported

"That the sum of $18,177,176,500 shall be supplied to the Government under the heads of expenditure for the public services shown in the Development Estimates for the Financial Year 1st April 1995 to 31st March 1996 contained in Paper Cmd. 3 of 1995".

Dr Richard Hu Tsu Tau: Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, "That Parliament doth agree with the Committee on the said resolutions."

Question put, and agreed to.

Resolutions accordingly agreed to.