POLITICAL SECRETARIES (Disciplinary action under Government General Orders and Regulations)

Mr A. P. Rajah asked the Minister for Finance to state whether Political Secretaries are subject to Government General Orders and Regulations, and whether disciplinary action will be taken against each and every of the Political Secretaries to the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Labour and Law, the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Finance for having attended and actually participated in the Singapore Traction Company Employees Union's strike meeting held at the Union's premises on 29th September, 1959.

Dr Goh Keng Swee: Mr Speaker, Sir, Personal Secretaries (Political) are political appointments. They hold office at the pleasure of the Government in power. They presumably will be removed from office should at the next election another Party form the Government. There is therefore a basic distinction between the Political Secretary and the career civil servant whose duty it is to serve impartially and to the best of his ability any elected government. The post of Political Secretary does not therefore offer a career and, because of this and the difference in functions and responsibilities from those of the career civil servants, is not subject to the disciplinary provisions of General Orders. The Political Secretary is a member of the political party in the government of the day. As such his public actions and utterances, be they made either in his individual or official capacity, have an important bearing upon the policy of the government. It is therefore his responsibility to clear with his Minister whether his actions or statements are consistent with government and party policy. The control of Political Secretaries is not exercised through normal civil service channels and it would be improper that that should be the case. The control is exercised directly through the Minister to whom the Political Secretary is attached and through the Minister by the Cabinet. The Member will appreciate that since the system of Political Secretaries is new it will take some time for the relationship between the Minister and his Political Secretary to be defined in detail.

Mr Rajah: In view of the Minister's statement, could the Minister state whether these five Political Secretaries had clearance from their respective Ministers before they took part in this meeting?

Dr Goh Keng Swee: Regarding the instance cited by the Member for Farrer Park, the answer is: Not to my knowledge.