PEOPLE'S ACTION PARTY (Details of employment of defeated candidates in public services)

Mr A. P. Rajah asked the Minister for National Development how many defeated People's Action Party candidates in the last general election are now or have been employed in the Singapore Improvement Trust, the City Council of Singapore and/or in any department in the Ministry of National Development, and whether he will state their names, the posts held, the manner and date of their appointments and the monthly salaries attached to such posts.

Mr Ong Eng Guan: Mr Speaker, three of the defeated candidates in the last general elections were members of the City Council staff who had resigned from the City Council to contest the elections. These three are Inche Roslan Bin Hassan who contested on the P.A.P. ticket, Inche Osman bin Gani who contested on the U.M.N.O. ticket, and Mr Chen Ta Ren who contested on the P.A.P. ticket. These three are persons of calibre and integrity. Immediately after the elections. I gave instructions to contact these three persons, asking them to help the new Government in the task of building the country and working for the people. They agreed and they are now working very hard in the Ministry of National Development. From the time they started, we have given the fullest publicity to their work.

Inche Roslan and Inche Osman are getting all-in salaries, without the usual civil service benefits, of $400 and $700 a month respectively. They are now working actively on the promotion of Malay welfare, like the work in the Southern Islands. Further, with the Parliamentary Secretary of the Ministry (Inche Yaacob), they interview every day many tens of Malays from all parts of Singapore and help them to solve their problems. The third person, Mr Speaker, Mr Chen Ta Ren has been engaged in the Singapore Improvement Trust. He is now in the flat-letting section, checking through the applications and helping to put an end to the corrupt practices of the past Singapore Improvement Trust. Mr Chen Ta Ren gets an all-in salary of $250 inclusive without the usual civil service benefits.

Mr Rajah: In view of what the Minister has said, would he agree that, if this system were to be continued, we would fast approach the American spoils system?

Mr Speaker: It is a matter of opinion.