If I were the MP, this is what I will do in Parliament.
I therefore seek your cooperation to give your inputs on safety measures and other punitive measures for the so-called "Private Members Bill".
Hopefully, all MPs are reading it and get an idea as what they ought to do in Parliament as highly-paid politicians.
Hopefully our views will be such that will effectively "tie" up dangerous drivers once and for all.
We want our little kids to survive in these sardine-packed island-state.
Mdm Speaker,
Honourable Members of the House
Good Morning.
I, Kohliantye, the elected MP of Temasek West SMC wish to address you and may all of you lend me your ears.
I am sure all of you are aware of what happened in a recent reckless and careless accident involving a cement-mixer in the very heart of a densely-populated housing estate in Tampines in which two innocent lives of adolescents was snuffed out in a flash.
The preventable accident happened very close to a school where all right-minded people at the controls of vehicles ought to exercise due care and consideration at all times by slowing down for they ought to anticipate the presence of little children.
Sadly, the accident happened and two innocent lives were instantly extinguished. These were little boys and worst still they were brothers. Their parents were out working in order to make ends meet. The elder boy as a filial brother had gone to school to fetch his younger sibling back after some extra-curricular activities. The poor souls did not make it back home for they both lay sprawled on the dirty road in a pool of blood.
Dear members, road accidents in Singapore are taking place at a rapid rate, leaving many injured, maimed for life or instant death. Only those that face such tragedies know how they feel. Many of us, as humans, are rightfully saddened and condemn such incidents. But, in all honesty, with the passage of time we conveniently forget about such tragic losses. Sadly, this is not the case with the parents and loved ones of those that died or were maimed for life. For them, it becomes permanently-etched in their minds and when they see other kids, memories of their departed loved ones comes flooding back their minds. It is truly haunting for them. Some of the parents blame themselves for such a tragedy due to them being constantly working. There are people who cannot take such tragedies for a long period of time and may end taking their own life as an easy way out.Some may go mentally berserk.
With the Lunar new Year around the corner, imagine the pain that is going to revisit the minds of these poor families. Looking at the belongings of their deceased children is enought to make them cry in vain for lives lost cannot be brought back.
That is a fact and I am sure all Honourable members are aware of these. Members would remember, that hardly a week has passed when a poor female scooterist was recklessly mowed off the road by a lorry driver, who was driving in the wrong lane and at a fast speed. These lass could have been run over by speeding vehicles.
Let us not pretend for we all are aware that the sudden increase in population in Singapore has a part to play in these tragic occurences. There are far too many vehicles on our roads now. We were supposed to be a Nation of 3 million but has climbed to a sudden figure of close to 6 million. This is still increasing. Do our first world nation need to depend so much from expensive COEs and foreign workers levies?
Too many people all of a sudden is tearing at the seams of the public transportation, housing and medical care needs. The high cost of living is another contributory factor in this vicious cycle that has unfolded in our once sparsely-populated nation.
I will talk in greater detail on this factors in my next Parliamentary address.
Members, please bring your mind back to the recent accident. I will pose these questions:-
Why is the Traffic Police, LTA and other agencies not concerned about such rising accident statitics?
Why are police law enforcers not seen on our roads just like in other truly third world nations like Thailand, Indonesia, India and even Malaysia during the peak hours period?
Why did the road-planners not set their sights further in planning the roads carefully thereby curtailing the anticipated sudden surge in human population and vehicle ownerships?
Millions of dollars have been spent on cameras mounted on highways and other roads that films the moving traffic along it. Why are errant drivers of lorries, tankers, cement mixers and other light-good vehicles allowed to get away scot-free for speeding, travelling on the wrong lanes and tail-gating?
Surely the evidence captured on this cameras can be used to issue follow-up summons?
Why are monstrous trucks allowed to encroach on areas with high density of human population?
If the current Road Traffic Act or other road regulatory laws are "impotent", why don't the Parliament convene a meeting and address such archaic laws with a view to making it more "powerful"?
What has the Road Safety Department of Traffic Police been doing all this while?
Why has the once feared traffic cops on motorcycle suddenly disappeared from our roads?
Could it possibly, be because these two-wheeler cops are reserved only for the escort of VIPs from this House and from the Singapore Palace?
Why are police officers from NPCs not giving talks to primary and secondary school students on the inherent dangers faced by them on our notorious expressways and smaller roads?
Dear Honourable Members, our children are our little angels. They are our future. They are our guarantee of continuous existence as a Nation. They are the ones that will defend our Nation.
We all are their democratically-elected representatives in this august House. It is therefore our duty to provide them with all the protection that they rightfully deserve. It is WE who owe them a DUTY of CARE and NOT the other way round.
Are we waiting for another disastrous accident to occur?
Do remember that if another one occurs, the victims lying sprawled in blood on the dirt road next to a monstrous trucks could be our own loved ones. The wailing mothers next to the limp bodies could be none other then our own wives...........
I call upon the Honourable Ministers of Home Affairs and Education to act fast. Get your staff to do what they are supposed to do and to have it done at once. Pronto......
Thank you.
Since all Members have not presented a Private Members Bill, I, Kohliantye, the MP of Temasek West now wish to present a Private Member Bill for three readings with a sincere hope that it would be passed and made into law. Just for your information, the first Private Member Bill known as the Catholic Archbishop Bill was presented by our former MP Selvadurai and Chiang Hai Ding in 1975. It became law in 1975. This was followed by the Maintenance of Parents Bill by Walter Woon in 1994 which became law on 2nd November 1995.
Finally, I hope my Private member Bill, entitled Protection of Citizens Bill will not be treated like the Family Violence Bill presented by Kanwaljit Soin that never saw the light of the day
The Protection of Citizens Bill seeks rules and regulations to protect our people on the roads and our children from falling victim to wilful acts that endanger human lives. It will cover all drivers of heavy vehicles, cars, motorcycles and road bullies.
A Committee would be formed to formulate the rules and regulations based on my speech. If there is a need we may on the 3rd reading call in experts from the Traffic Police, LTA and MOE.
I hereby lay my Bill, The Protection of Citizens Bill, on the Table for the 2nd Reading.
Mdm Speaker, Honourable Members of Parliament. Thank You for your time.
I therefore seek your cooperation to give your inputs on safety measures and other punitive measures for the so-called "Private Members Bill".
Hopefully, all MPs are reading it and get an idea as what they ought to do in Parliament as highly-paid politicians.
Hopefully our views will be such that will effectively "tie" up dangerous drivers once and for all.
We want our little kids to survive in these sardine-packed island-state.
Mdm Speaker,
Honourable Members of the House
Good Morning.
I, Kohliantye, the elected MP of Temasek West SMC wish to address you and may all of you lend me your ears.
I am sure all of you are aware of what happened in a recent reckless and careless accident involving a cement-mixer in the very heart of a densely-populated housing estate in Tampines in which two innocent lives of adolescents was snuffed out in a flash.
The preventable accident happened very close to a school where all right-minded people at the controls of vehicles ought to exercise due care and consideration at all times by slowing down for they ought to anticipate the presence of little children.
Sadly, the accident happened and two innocent lives were instantly extinguished. These were little boys and worst still they were brothers. Their parents were out working in order to make ends meet. The elder boy as a filial brother had gone to school to fetch his younger sibling back after some extra-curricular activities. The poor souls did not make it back home for they both lay sprawled on the dirty road in a pool of blood.
Dear members, road accidents in Singapore are taking place at a rapid rate, leaving many injured, maimed for life or instant death. Only those that face such tragedies know how they feel. Many of us, as humans, are rightfully saddened and condemn such incidents. But, in all honesty, with the passage of time we conveniently forget about such tragic losses. Sadly, this is not the case with the parents and loved ones of those that died or were maimed for life. For them, it becomes permanently-etched in their minds and when they see other kids, memories of their departed loved ones comes flooding back their minds. It is truly haunting for them. Some of the parents blame themselves for such a tragedy due to them being constantly working. There are people who cannot take such tragedies for a long period of time and may end taking their own life as an easy way out.Some may go mentally berserk.
With the Lunar new Year around the corner, imagine the pain that is going to revisit the minds of these poor families. Looking at the belongings of their deceased children is enought to make them cry in vain for lives lost cannot be brought back.
That is a fact and I am sure all Honourable members are aware of these. Members would remember, that hardly a week has passed when a poor female scooterist was recklessly mowed off the road by a lorry driver, who was driving in the wrong lane and at a fast speed. These lass could have been run over by speeding vehicles.
Let us not pretend for we all are aware that the sudden increase in population in Singapore has a part to play in these tragic occurences. There are far too many vehicles on our roads now. We were supposed to be a Nation of 3 million but has climbed to a sudden figure of close to 6 million. This is still increasing. Do our first world nation need to depend so much from expensive COEs and foreign workers levies?
Too many people all of a sudden is tearing at the seams of the public transportation, housing and medical care needs. The high cost of living is another contributory factor in this vicious cycle that has unfolded in our once sparsely-populated nation.
I will talk in greater detail on this factors in my next Parliamentary address.
Members, please bring your mind back to the recent accident. I will pose these questions:-
Why is the Traffic Police, LTA and other agencies not concerned about such rising accident statitics?
Why are police law enforcers not seen on our roads just like in other truly third world nations like Thailand, Indonesia, India and even Malaysia during the peak hours period?
Why did the road-planners not set their sights further in planning the roads carefully thereby curtailing the anticipated sudden surge in human population and vehicle ownerships?
Millions of dollars have been spent on cameras mounted on highways and other roads that films the moving traffic along it. Why are errant drivers of lorries, tankers, cement mixers and other light-good vehicles allowed to get away scot-free for speeding, travelling on the wrong lanes and tail-gating?
Surely the evidence captured on this cameras can be used to issue follow-up summons?
Why are monstrous trucks allowed to encroach on areas with high density of human population?
If the current Road Traffic Act or other road regulatory laws are "impotent", why don't the Parliament convene a meeting and address such archaic laws with a view to making it more "powerful"?
What has the Road Safety Department of Traffic Police been doing all this while?
Why has the once feared traffic cops on motorcycle suddenly disappeared from our roads?
Could it possibly, be because these two-wheeler cops are reserved only for the escort of VIPs from this House and from the Singapore Palace?
Why are police officers from NPCs not giving talks to primary and secondary school students on the inherent dangers faced by them on our notorious expressways and smaller roads?
Dear Honourable Members, our children are our little angels. They are our future. They are our guarantee of continuous existence as a Nation. They are the ones that will defend our Nation.
We all are their democratically-elected representatives in this august House. It is therefore our duty to provide them with all the protection that they rightfully deserve. It is WE who owe them a DUTY of CARE and NOT the other way round.
Are we waiting for another disastrous accident to occur?
Do remember that if another one occurs, the victims lying sprawled in blood on the dirt road next to a monstrous trucks could be our own loved ones. The wailing mothers next to the limp bodies could be none other then our own wives...........
I call upon the Honourable Ministers of Home Affairs and Education to act fast. Get your staff to do what they are supposed to do and to have it done at once. Pronto......
Thank you.
Since all Members have not presented a Private Members Bill, I, Kohliantye, the MP of Temasek West now wish to present a Private Member Bill for three readings with a sincere hope that it would be passed and made into law. Just for your information, the first Private Member Bill known as the Catholic Archbishop Bill was presented by our former MP Selvadurai and Chiang Hai Ding in 1975. It became law in 1975. This was followed by the Maintenance of Parents Bill by Walter Woon in 1994 which became law on 2nd November 1995.
Finally, I hope my Private member Bill, entitled Protection of Citizens Bill will not be treated like the Family Violence Bill presented by Kanwaljit Soin that never saw the light of the day
The Protection of Citizens Bill seeks rules and regulations to protect our people on the roads and our children from falling victim to wilful acts that endanger human lives. It will cover all drivers of heavy vehicles, cars, motorcycles and road bullies.
A Committee would be formed to formulate the rules and regulations based on my speech. If there is a need we may on the 3rd reading call in experts from the Traffic Police, LTA and MOE.
I hereby lay my Bill, The Protection of Citizens Bill, on the Table for the 2nd Reading.
Mdm Speaker, Honourable Members of Parliament. Thank You for your time.
