MALAYAN AUXILIARY AIR FORCE (AMENDMENT) BILL

Order for Second Reading read.

12.02 p.m.

The Chief Secretary (Mr E. B. David): Mr Speaker, Sir, I have His Excellency's consent to proceed with this Bill. I beg to move, "That the Bill be now read a Second time."

As I have already indicated, Sir, in moving the Military Maneuvers (Amendment) Bill, the main purpose of this Bill is also to recognise the change in organisation of both the R.A.F. in the Far East and the Malayan Auxiliary Air Force as a consequence of the independence of the Federation of Malaya.

Formerly the Commander of the Auxiliary Air Force as a whole was appointed jointly by the Governor and the High Commissioner in the Federation, the Ordinance providing that the person so appointed, if he were not the Air Officer Commanding, R.A.F. Malaya in person, should be under his orders. Since the Federation became independent, the appointment of Air Officer Commanding, Malaya, has been abolished and a joint Commander is therefore no longer appropriate. The Bill accordingly seeks to provide for the appointment by the Governor of a Commander of the Singapore section only who will exercise, in regard to the Singapore section, the powers formerly exercised by the Air Officer Commanding.

The opportunity has also been taken to make certain further amendments to the Ordinance. The first of these is that the Bill seeks to provide for a Reserve of Airmen in addition to the existing Reserve of Officers. Previously the functions of the Malayan Auxiliary Air Force were primarily concerned with flying, and it is perhaps for that reason that the Ordinance originally provided only for a Reserve of Officers. The primary role has now however changed to the provision of fighter control units whose members undergo lengthy and scientific training and whose task is to man radar reporting stations in the event of war or threat of war. It is therefore desirable that trained members of such units should be available in a reserve, more especially since of all the local forces it is the fighter control unit which would almost certainly be required to be mobilised in an emergency at the shortest possible notice.

Secondly, the Bill seeks to give recognition to the new status of Singapore citizenship by making Singapore citizens eligible to join the force.

Thirdly, the Bill seeks to clarify a provision in the Ordinance regarding the payment of pensions and gratuities to widows and families of members who die from injuries as well as from wounds received in the course of service. Since the Ordinance was amended to permit members of the Auxiliary Air Force to be used on internal security duties, this clarification is particularly desirable.

Sir, I beg to move.

Question put, and agreed to.

Bill accordingly read a Second time and committed to a Committee of the whole Assembly.

Assembly immediately resolved itself into a Committee on the Bill. [Mr David.]

Bill considered in Committee.

12.06 p.m.

[Mr Speaker in the Chair]

Clauses 1 to 14 inclusive ordered to stand part of the Bill.

Clause 15-

Mr David: Sir, I ask for dispensation under Standing Order 23 to introduce a purely formal amendment to clause 15 of which notice has not been given, the object of the amendment being to delete the reference to the Air Officer Commanding in the marginal note to the original section of the principal Ordinance.

The Chairman: It is not strictly necessary to move an amendment to a marginal note. That could be done as a matter of course.

Mr David: In that case, I will not move.

Clause 15 ordered to stand part of the Bill.

Bill reported without amendment; read the Third time and passed.