POLITICAL NEPOTISM (Appointment of Commission of Inquiry)

[Mr SPEAKER in the Chair]

Mr David Marshall asked the Prime Minister when will the Commission of Inquiry on Political Nepotism be appointed.

The Prime Minister: Mr Speaker, Sir, I refer the Member for Anson to my answer to the question of his on the 15th of January. I stated then that it would not be possible at any one time to have more than one High Court Judge available to conduct a Commission of Inquiry. It is the Government's intention to proceed with the first Commission of Inquiry as soon as a Judge is available. I have been informed by the Chief Justice that a Judge will be available towards the end of March or the beginning of April when another Judge On leave will be returning. Then the first Commission asked for by the Member for Anson will be set up to inquire into the Secondary IV Examination boycott by some Chinese Middle School students, and to determine to what extent it was brought about by exploitation of students by Communists and their open front organisations.

The second, and less important inquiry, is to investigate the events which developed into open insubordination and defiance of the Board of Management by some 130 out of 480 workers of the People's Association, and to establish the connection between these persons and their leaders who are members of the Barisan Sosialis who had been on the Board of Management.

The third Commission is to inquire into all specific allegations of political nepotism and improper political interference with the Civil Service and employees of Statutory bodies, and to make recommendations provided that all Members who have voiced these allegations in the Assembly would undertake to repeat these allegations before the Commission and to give evidence of such allegations on oath or affirmation.

A Commission will be set up as soon as a Commission on the first and second have been completed. The terms of reference will include, in the terms of the motions passed by this Assembly. all specific allegations made by Members of this Assembly in the course of that debate.

My Secretary has written to all the Members who spoke on the debate asking them to indicate what allegations they have made which they would wish to have included in the terms of reference. So far no replies have been received except one from the Member for Anson.

The Member for Anson appeared to have misunderstood the purport of the letter from my Secretary inviting him to mark out any or all of the specific allegations made in his speech on which he would give or tender evidence before the Commission so that these specific allegations could be included in the terms of reference. The Member for Anson wrote in his reply that it was for the Commission to decide what the procedure should be. It is the duty of the Government, in accordance with the motion passed in this Assembly, with Members of the Barisan Sosialis voting against and the Member for Anson abstaining, to determine what the terms of reference of this Commission should be. Such terms of reference must set out the specific allegations that have been made.

It is hoped that the Members concerned will indicate what specific allegations they have made which they are going to give evidence upon so that they could be included in the terms of reference.

Mr David Marshall (Anson): Mr Speaker, Sir, do I understand from the Prime Minister then that the Commission will not investigate any allegations from the public or any allegations other than those which were made in this House?

The Prime Minister (Mr Lee Kuan Yew): Sir, I have stated the position. The motion was as drafted in this Assembly and passed in this Assembly. It is now the duty of the government to implement the terms of the motion as set out in that particular debate. It is as simple as that.

Mr David Marshall: If it please you, Mr Speaker, the motion that was passed was a motion of the Government, and it spoke of investigation of specific allegations. There was no question of investigation of specific allegations of Members of the Assembly. The question I am asking the Pr me Minister is whether it is Government's intention under the terms of reference to exclude investigation of specific allegations of corruption or improper conduct or nepotism which may come from the public.

The Prime Minister: Sir, this was the point which the Member for Farrer Park made in the course of the debate. It was taken then because in the course of the debate anybody could voice any allegation, and any allegation voiced by a Member in this Chamber would have to be repeated before the Commission. I am asking Members of this House who have made their allegations to mark out those passages in order that they be included in the terms of reference.

Mr David Marshall: Only one more question. Sir. It does not arise out of the original question, but it was mentioned by the Prime Minister. I would inquire whether the second Commission he has in mind with reference to the People's Association would not incorporate in its terms of reference an investigation into the political activity and affiliation of the employees of the Association.

The Prime Minister: There was considerable debate on this point, if I remember. I am speaking from memory now. In my reply to this particular question put by the Member for Anson, I dealt with the three points that arose. I think it was made quite clear that if there was to be a Commission of Inquiry, as was suggested by the Opposition - sorry, not by the Barisan Sosialis but by the Member for Anson, because I do not think the Barisan Sosialis were ever very keen on a Commission of Inquiry - it was to be an inquiry into the acts of insubordination of the 130 persons involved and their connection with the Barisan Sosialis. Those records are in the Hansard, and they hear witness to what transpired.

Mr David Marshall: If I can satisfy the Prime Minister that, in fact, the issue sought by certain Members on this side of the House was an investigation into the political membership and activity of the People's Association, would he consider incorporating that as one of the terms of reference of that second Commission?

The Prime Minister: If the Member for Anson can persuade me that any Member on this side of the House has made such a proposal or agreed to such a proposal, I will certainly do so. I will stand by what has transpired in the debate, whatever has been affirmed to and assented to by this side of the House.