ACKNOWLEDGEMENT TO THE CHAIR

The Leader of the House (Mr Wong Kan Seng): Sir, I am sure all of us have been waiting for this moment. After a long 10 days of exhaustive debate, we have all heard enough. It now just leaves me to thank you, Mr Speaker, on behalf of all Members, for your patience and thank them also for their contributions.

Sir, I beg to move,

That Parliament do now adjourn to a date to be fixed.

Mr Speaker: Before we do that, maybe I could just say a few words.

Hon. Members, we have come to the end of a long sitting. If we were to take into account the sitting days of late February, we would have, in the past month, actually sat in this Chamber for half that time. During this time, my Deputy and I have heard something like 630 speeches. I made a quick count a while ago, and that did not include the answers during Question time.

Even with the extended sitting hours, Members know too well that we just do not have enough time to make all the points that we want to make, but there will be other occasions. Of course, for some Members, there will simply never be enough time. Be that as it may, we have to move on. So for those of you who have had the "guillotine" inflicted upon you unceremoniously, may I just remind you, as I have said so in the past, that your suffering was actually for the good of all of us.

Once again, I thank you for the cooperation that you have extended to me and to my Deputy.