COMMONWEALTH CITIZENS ACQUIRING SINGAPORE CITIZENSHIP

Mr Leong Keng Seng asked the Minister for Home Affairs (a) how many Commonwealth citizens acquired Singapore citizenship by the two-year residential qualification required under the Singapore Citizenship Ordinance, 1957; and (b) of these, how many were from the Federation.

Mr Chan Chee Seng (On behalf of the Minister for Home Affairs): (In Mandarin): Sir, I have been asked to answer this question.

It is regretted that the information regarding the number of Commonwealth citizens who have acquired Singapore citizenship by the two-year residential qualification is not available, as such records are not kept in the Citizenship Registry. As such, it is also not possible to state how many of these were from the Federation.

Dr Lee Siew Choh: Cannot the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Home Affairs look up these things for us? They are all in the records.

Mr Chan Chee Seng: (In Mandarin): Mr Speaker, great pressure of work and the length of time required to do it do not make it possible to start compiling the records in respect of the qualification of Singapore-citizenship under country of origin and under the different sections of the Ordinance. However, during the initial period of registration, that is, between 1st November, 1957, and 28th February, 1958, 325,020 persons were registered as Singapore citizens under section 8 (2), (3), (9), and (13) of the Singapore Citizenship Ordinance. Between the period 1st March, 1958, and 31st December, 1959, another 13,650 persons were registered under the same section. Between the period 1st January, 1960, and 4th April, 1960, 1,450 persons were registered under section 8 (1) and (2) of the Singapore Citizenship Ordinance.

The above figures include persons who are Commonwealth citizens and who were born in the Federation of Malaya, those who have the 8-year residential qualification, wives and children of Singapore citizens. From 5th April, 1960, Commonwealth citizens and those who were born in the Federation have to have the 8-year residential qualification before they are eligible to apply for citizenship.

Mr David Marshall: I am sorry, Sir, but I have failed to understand. Section 8 refers to those who are Federation and Commonwealth citizens. Could we have distinctly: under section 8, how many? And section 9, Sir, that is, in respect of those who are neither British subjects nor born in the Federation, that is to say, all the rest. Could we have the registration under section 8 and 9 distinctly? Never mind about sub-sections.

Mr Speaker: Order. I think the Parliamentary Secretary has probably gone beyond the question. The question merely asked how many Commonwealth citizens acquired Singapore citizenship by the two-year residential qualification required under the Singapore Citizenship Ordinance, 1957, that is to say, before section 8 was amended.

Mr David Marshall: Before it was amended?

Mr Speaker: Yes, before section 8, was amended.

There being no reply -

Mr Speaker: If there is no answer,. perhaps the Parliamentary Secretary would like notice of the other question.

There still being no reply -

Mr David Marshall: No answer either.

Mr Speaker: Question No. 24, Mr Ong Chang Sam.