SINGAPORE INFANTRY BATTALION (Recruitment and training)

Mr John Ede asked the Chief Secretary whether he will make a statement on the recruitment and training of the new Singapore Infantry Battalion, and when he expects the Battalion to be fully operational.

Mr Stewart: Mr Speaker, Sir, the strength of the Singapore Infantry Battalion as at the 20th of May, 1957, was 237. Recruiting is temporarily suspended until 1st August this year because training capacity is full and there are still nearly a thousand applicants who have passed the initial recruiting test and who have not yet been called for medical and personnel selection tests. The next squad will be attested in June from this backlog of one thousand applicants and will leave the temporary barracks at Ulu Pandan for the Malayan Basic Training Centre at Nee Soon in July.

Three officer cadets are in training at the Federation Military College and two more have recently been earmarked by the Selection Board for training at the Officer Cadet School at Portsea in Australia. All these cadets are due to be commissioned as Second Lieutenants towards the end of 1958.

There are four squads under training at the Malayan Basic Training Centre, Nee Soon, and all are doing well. The senior squad has begun range training and its standard is promising. The first squad is due to pass out from the Malayan Basic Training Centre on the 6th of July. The next two squads are due to pass out together on 27th July.

The target date to complete recruit training for the Battalion is August 1958, and it is hoped that the Battalion will be fully operational, by which I take it to mean "up to battalion strength and fully and appropriately equipped and trained for its role", by the end of 1958.