POLITICAL ACTIVITIES OF TEAM LEADERS, CENTRE LEADERS AND ASSISTANT CENTRE LEADERS OF PEOPLE'S ASSOCIATION

Mr Low Por Tuck asked the Minister for Labour whether Team Leaders, Centre Leaders and Assistant Centre Leaders of the People's Association are permitted to become members of political parties, and whether they are allowed to take an active part in running political party branches.

Inche Ahmad Bin Ibrahim: Mr Speaker, I think the Prime Minister just now has made the position in the People's Association quite clear, but I just want to repeat exactly what he has already stated.

During the time when the Member for Upper Serangoon and the Member for Nee Soon were the Chairman and Committee member of the Selection Committee of the People's Association in charge of selecting recruits for community centre workers, team leaders, centre leaders and assistant centre leaders of the People's Association were permitted to become members of political Parties and to take an active part in running political Party branches during duty hours. The Board is now reviewing the position and will make their ruling later.

Mr Low Por Tuck: (In Mandarin): Mr Speaker, I want to ask whether the staff of the People's Association can take part in political activities and, if so, whether this practice is limited to members of the Party in power. The Minister has said that he intends to revise the regulations of the People's Association, hut the staff now on strike -

Mr Speaker: If hon. Members ask supplementary questions, they should not merely repeat questions that have been asked originally.

Inche Ahmad Bin Ibrahim: I think I have made myself quite clear on the point.

Dr Sheng Nam Chin: Mr Speaker, Sir, from the reply of the Minister, it would appear that in the past workers of the People's Association were allowed to participate in politics but that in the future they would not be allowed to do so. Somehow some diabolical connection has been made between the Member for Upper Serangoon and myself in this matter. I have been referred to several times -

The Prime Minister: What is your question?

Dr Sheng Nam Chin: - when the first question was asked. I would like to ask the Minister whether it is because when the Member for Upper Serangoon and myself were in the P.A.P. and the workers of the People's Association were also loyal to the P.A.P. that they were allowed to participate in politics, and that because now we are not in the P.A.P. and the workers of the People's Association are not in the P.A.P., the Board of the People's Association has therefore decided to reconsider the position of the workers vis-a-vis political Parties. Since I have been referred -

Mr Speaker: Order That is the question. Inche Ahmad.

Inche Ahmad Bin Ibrahim: The problem would not have arisen today if it had not been created by the 138 members themselves who, as the Member for Anson claims, supported the P.A.P. in the past, but who have now left, and so on. It is because they have created this problem that I think the Board has got to do something about it before it goes a bit too far.

Mr David Marshall: Are we to understand that this body, of which our Prime Minister is the Chairman, had employees who were all P.A.P. members and whose only political activity was P.A.P. during the time they were paid out of public funds?

Inche Ahmad Bin Ibrahim: The answer is no.

Mrs Seow Peck Leng: Mr Speaker, Sir, it has been claimed by the strikers that the first 25 workers of the People's Association were originally employed through the recommendation of P.A.P. Ministers and P.A.P. Assemblymen. Could the Minister concerned tell us whether this is true?

Inche Ahmad Bin Ibrahim: Without taking so much time, Mr Speaker, I think the answer is very simple. If the Member for Mountbatten cares to ask either the Member for Upper Serangoon or the Member for Nee Soon, they will be able to give her the answer.

An hon. Member: Exactly what?

Mr Speaker: Order.

Dr Sheng Nam Chin: Mr Speaker, Sir, since the Minister has pushed his ministerial responsibility on to me, I see that I still have to be heavily relied upon to answer his questions in this House although I am now no more a Parliamentary Secretary. I would say that we should call for a Commission of Inquiry to look into these things, because if I were to answer the question for him, it would be far too long and complicated.

Mr Speaker: Is the Member suggesting a Commission of Inquiry?

Dr Sheng Nam Chin: I am, Sir.

Inche Ahmad Bin Ibrahim: The Member for Nee Soon was my former Parliamentary Secretary, and he knew full well at that time that I was not on the Management Board of the People's Association. I am not suggesting that he should take over my responsibility of answering questions in this House from Members of the Assembly. But if he is so keen about this Commission of inquiry, I would suggest that he write in stating the terms of reference and so on, and we would be happy to look into the whole matter.

Mr David Marshall rose -

Mr Speaker: Order. I think that should bring the discussion on this question to an end if the Member will avail himself of that offer. He will be able to raise the question at another sitting if his representations are not satisfactorily met.