TOTAL NUMBER OF REGISTERED UNEMPLOYED ON 30-11-63

Mr Kow Kee Seng asked the Minister for Labour what was the total number of registered unemployed on 30th November, 1963 or at the latest available date.

Mr Jek Yeun Thong: Mr Speaker, Sir, the total number of persons registered and actively seeking employment assistance from the Employment Exchange was 40,534 on 30th November, 1963. Not all of them are totally unemployed. There are many on casual part-time or full-time employment among these registrants who are seeking better employment.

I also have to point out that whilst the Government is doing everything to reduce the number of unemployed through its industrialisation programmes, the Barisan Sosialis is doing everything to increase the number by sabotaging these programmes. In fact, the Barisan Sosialis has contributed much to the unemployed figures. More than 1,800 workers were forced into unemployment through the irresponsible and unreasonable strikes created by the Barisan trade unions in the past two years.

Mr Speaker, Sir, these are the people who are constantly and deliberately causing misery, hardship and unhappiness to the workers, and now they say they are concerned over the unemployment situation. This is just shedding crocodile tears or, as the Chinese saying goes, "the cat pretending to mourn for the death of the mouse."