RECRUITMENT OF POLICE INSPECTORS AND CONSTABLES

Mr Tee Kim Leng asked the Minister for Home Affairs (i) how many police inspectors and constables were recruited in 1960 and 1961; (ii) how many of those recruited were Federal citizens, and how many were Singapore citizens; and (iii) how many rejected applicants were Singapore citizens.

Mr Ong Pang Boon: Mr Speaker, Sir, the number of police inspectors recruited were two in 1960, both of whom were Singapore citizens; nine in 1961 of whom eight were Singapore citizens and one was a Federal citizen.

As to the number of police constables recruited, 283 were recruited in 1960, of whom 242 were Singapore citizens and 41 were Federal citizens. In 1961, 234 police constables were recruited, of whom 223 were Singapore citizens and 11 were Federal citizens.

The number of rejected applicants who were Singapore citizens was 1,309 in 1960 and 669 in 1961.

Mr Tee Kim Leng: (In Mandarin): Mr Speaker, Sir, will the Minister tell this House why those applicants who were Singapore citizens were rejected, whereas those applicants who were Federal citizens were accepted?

Mr Ong Pang Boon: Mr Speaker, the applications from Singapore citizens were rejected because they were either aver-age or underqualified. I was informed that those who were rejected were predominantly underqualified.