PEOPLE'S ASSOCIATION AND COMMUNITY CENTRES (New employees)

Mr Low Por Tuck asked the Minister for Labour (a) how many people were employed by the Government to man the Community Centres where the employees are on strike; (b) what are the basis and the procedure adopted for the selection of these new employees of the People's Association; (c) whether these new employees are employed on a permanent or temporary basis; and (d) what is the total sum of money spent per day by the Government for the employment of these new employees.

Inche Ahmad Bin Ibrahim: Mr Speaker, Sir, the Member for Havelock wants to know how many people are employed by the Government to man the community centres. The answer is none.

The community centres are not run by the Government, as everybody knows, but are run by the People's Association.

The Member also refers to a strike of employees. The real position is that there is no strike because these persons are not members of any trade union. They have failed to report for duty and have thereby been considered to have vacated their posts. The Board of the People's Association gave them every chance to return to work. Some of the former employees refused to do so, and their services with the Association have thereby been terminated. There is no difficulty in obtaining replacements. The community centres are manned mainly by voluntary workers: more than 1,000 in all. These are people living around the community centres who want to see that the services provided by the community centres are made available to the public. Some of the voluntary workers have offered to do full-time duty, and for this an honorarium of $4 per day is being paid. There are approximately 200 of them, and the total amount paid in honoraria so far comes to $15,758. Recruitment of new workers will soon be started and the vacancies to the posts in the community centres will be filled shortly. Advertisements in the Press will be inserted and invitations will be called for.

Mr David Marshall: From the replies we have had, it is important to ascertain what proportion of these new employees or those persons who have received this $15,000 are P.A.P. members.

Inche Ahmad Bin Ibrahim: As far as I know, none of them are P.A.P. members.

Mr Low Por Tuck: (In Mandarin): Mr Speaker, Sir, according to what the Minister for Labour has said, none of them is a member of the P.A.P. I ask whether the Minister knows that there is one community centre in Banda Street, the centre leader of which is on the Committee of a P.A.P. branch.

Inche Ahmad Bin Ibrahim: Mr Speaker, Sir, I have stated just now that it is not to my knowledge whether they are members of the P.A.P. or not. It is purely the voluntary workers who have offered to do this service, and they are welcome, and the normal exercises have been gone through.

Dr Sheng Nam Chin: I thought when the Minister stood up to answer the previous question, he said categorically "No". Now, it would appear that what he meant by "No" is, "not to my knowledge". There seems to me to be quite a big difference in such different answers.

Inche Ahmad Bin Ibrahim: Mr Speaker, Sir, I have given an appropriate answer whether he is a member of the P.A.P. To my knowledge, I do not know whether the man is a member of the P.A.P. or not, so the answer is: it is not to my knowledge.

Mr David Marshall: Mr Speaker, Sir, there seems to be, quite obviously, a considerable amount of unhappiness about this organisation. Would the Minister consider appointing a Commission which would then give him the knowledge lie now lacks as to the policy of employment, the political aspects of the employment, and activities and dismissal of employees?

Inche Ahmad Bin Ibrahim: Mr Speaker, only now do I understand from the Minister for Finance that the very person referred to by the Member for Havelock is the person that he himself, the Member for Havelock, had introduced, and he is not a voluntary worker.

The Members for Anson and Nee Soon rose -

Mr Speaker: Order. The question has not been answered by the Minister. Is there an answer?

Inche Ahmad Bin Ibrahim: If he wants all these things to be done, I suggest he puts in a term of reference also.

Mr Speaker: The answer, I think, is similar to the previous answer - that the Minister is willing to consider the appointment of a Commission of Inquiry if terms of reference are sent to him by any Member who is interested.

Mr Low Por Tuck, question No. 6.