ELECTORAL REGISTERS (Revision)

Mr John Ede asked the Chief Secretary what steps are being taken by Government to revise and improve in accuracy the present electoral registers; and whether he will guarantee that the necessary steps are taken before the City and Island Council elections.

Mr W. A. C. Goode: The following steps are being taken to revise and improve the accuracy of the present Legislative Assembly Electoral Registers: -

(a) Insistence is now being laid in respect of new registrations and notifications of change of address on Regulation 5

(c) (ii) of the Emergency (Registration) Regulations, 1948, requiring residential addresses to be furnished rather than business or accommodation addresses.

(b) Examination is being made of all records of the acquisition of United Kingdom and Colonies citizenship from 1948 onwards to ensure that persons acquiring such citizenship are brought on to the Roll.

(c) The polling cards sent to registered electors for the recent Legislative Assembly election and returned through the Post Office because the addressees are untraceable are being checked with details of notified changes of address to ensure the accuracy of addresses and also to obtain a provisional list of persons who appear to have left the Colony.

(d) Registered electors who are reported by the Federation of Malaya authorities to have taken out Federation identity cards after being in possession of Singapore identity cards are being recorded on a list of proposed deletions for the next revision of the Register.

A major problem in ensuring the accuracy of the Register is to obtain information regarding registered electors who leave the Colony permanently. All Government Departments, public bodies and most major firms have been addressed so as to secure this information. Other measures to this end are being considered.

The measures indicated in paragraph 1 of this answer are already current and should result in an improvement in the accuracy of the Electoral Register before a City and Island Council election is held. It is, however, pointed out that there must inevitably be a period of time between the final completion of a register and the election for which it is prepared, and to this extent any register must be partially out of date. I would also observe that the accuracy of automatic registration is also dependent in very great measure on individuals themselves checking the lists open to inspection.