ROYAL MALAYAN NAVY (Housing loans)

Inche Ahmad Bin Ibrahim asked the Chief Secretary whether consideration can be given to the granting of loans to the personnel of the Royal Malayan Navy for the purpose of building their own private houses.

Mr A. A. Williams: Loans are not granted to personnel of the Imperial Forces to enable them to build their own private houses, and are only granted to Government servants who have not less than 5 years service on the permanent establishment; the normal period of repayment of the loan is 15 years. Royal Malayan Navy ratings enter the Force either on a special service engagement to serve for 7 years in the Royal Malayan Navy and 5 years in the Royal Malayan Naval Reserve, or else on a continuous service engagement for 12 years, followed by reserve service. A rating performing special service may, if he wishes and is considered suitable, transfer to continuous service, but in no case does any rating enter for more than 12 years service in the first instance, although at the end of that period he may re-engage for a further period of 10 years, after which he is eligible to retire on pension. It is not, therefore, considered possible to furnish loans sufficiently large to facilitate the building of houses and at the same time to recover these within the limited period of a rating's engagement.

The question of providing accommodation, within the Royal Malayan Navy area, suitable for the families of ratings is under active consideration.