(Continued) ECONOMIC ASSISTANCE TO MALAY CITIZENS OF SINGAPORE

Mr Speaker: Back to questions. Dr Goh replying to Question No. 2*.

*See col. 1406.

Dr Goh Keng Swee: Mr Speaker, Sir, I was giving an explanation of the ways in which the Malays of Singapore earn their livelihood. I said it should be against this background that the Government should consider what action could be taken to improve their economic welfare. I ended, before the interruption, with the remark that the first thing to do is to make sure that there are sufficient opportunities for the employment of Malays in the public service and statutory authorities, because such a large number of them depend on these sources for a living.

The second conclusion from my analysis is that we should make every effort to expand the Malay professional class which today is so small. There is also a third objective which did not emerge from the analysis of occupations which I had given previously. It is this. We have large numbers of Malays still engaged in fishing. A number of fishing villages along the coasts of Singapore and in the Southern Islands are in a depressed state because of the dependence of so many people in them on this precarious source of livelihood. We shall, therefore, have to take special measures in regard to this group of Malays.

I now come to the policy of the Government in regard to the economic welfare of the Malay citizens of the State. To achieve the second of the objectives which I have outlined above. Namely, the expansion of the Malay professional class, it is necessary that every Malay child should be given education up to the highest level possible. To this end, Members will already know that it is the policy and practice of the P.A.P. Government to give free education to Malay children in Singapore from primary school level right up to the University. They do not have to pay school fees either in primary or secondary schools. In the University of Malaya and in the Polytechnic, special bursaries have been established for which only Malays can compete. At present, we can say that a Malay student who has the qualification to enter either the Polytechnic or the University of Malaya will receive a bursary to enable him to get his higher qualification.

As regards employment in Government service, the largest number of posts are, as everybody knows, in Division IV and the daily-rated services. Recruitment into these grades is confined to members of the Work Brigade. In recruitment into the Work Brigade, and hence ultimately into the Government service as well as the services of various public authorities, they have agreed to accept Government's policy in this respect. In recruitment into the Work Brigade, special attention is paid to the recruitment of sufficient numbers of Malays. The Brigade now stands at 1,778. Of this number, no less than 637, or more than one-third, are Malays. The ratio of Malays to non-Malays in the Work Brigade is higher than that in the Government establishments or in the establishments of statutory authorities. This means that opportunities open to Malays of working-class origin for work in public authorities and in the Government service will be maintained and even expanded in the years to come.

As regards the strengthening of the professional or technical classes, the relevant policy here is that in regard to higher appointments to the Civil Service, it is the policy of the P.A.P. Government to maximise the opportunities for the promotion of suitable Malay officers to the highest grades for which they are fitted. Members will have read in this morning's papers that four Malay officers have been promoted to the Singapore Administrative Service. In the past two years many Malays, who started their careers in the Government service as clerks, have been promoted to the grades of Executive Officers and Higher Executive Officers.

I now turn to the special problem of distressed occupations such as fishing. My Ministry is not directly concerned in these matters. But speaking from the general angle of economic development, I would say that the solution to the problem lies in two directions. The first is to induce these persons to work in better paid and more secure occupations. This change can be left to the normal operations of the free market. The second solution is for those who remain is this depressed industry to increase their earning power by improving their production methods and know-how. What the Government is doing through the Ministry of National Development in this matter can be briefly stated as follows.

Fishing schools are being established to teach Malay youths who want to be fishermen the latest technique in fishing. A school has recently been opened at Pasir Panjang, and more schools will be established in other parts of the island. Next, to improve the catch of Malay fishermen, the Ministry of National Development intends to purchase a number of diesel outboard motors which can be rented to Malay fishermen at reasonable charges. This scheme has been approved by the Development Planning Committee recently, and some five diesel outboard engines will be purchased soon.

One great need of villagers who are depending on fishing for their income is to diversify their sources of incomes. For this purpose, a plan has been approved by the Development Planning Committee to introduce goats in Malay fishing villages. These goats will be purchased from the Federation of Malaya and its introduction in the fishing villages will help to strengthen the economy of these people.

One point I have not dealt with, and that is Malay participation in trade and industry. I have held discussions with the Trade Advisory Council on how a special effort can be made to get more Malays into trade and industry. So far we have only discussed ways and means whereby the big commercial and banking firms can engage Malays on their staff and train them for more responsible posts. The firms I approached told me that their difficulty is to get sufficient numbers of qualified Malays to take up jobs in their businesses. Because of the comparatively small numbers of Malay students passing out with School Certificates, the more promising of these would have little difficulty in getting good and more secure jobs elsewhere. But in an entrepot economy such as ours, there are limits to Government control and direction over business.

Inche Mohd. Ali Bin Alwi: (In Malay): Mr Speaker, the reply is very lengthy. One fact emerges, Mr Speaker. I would like to know from the Minister for Finance about the promotion of the four Malay officers which was announced in the papers. Is it based on merit, or is it based on the special Malay rights?

Dr Goh Keng Swee: Mr Speaker, Sir, it is based on both.