APPLICANTS FOR DRIVING LICENCES (Use of Tamil Language for Highway Code Test)

Mr S. V. Lingam asked the Deputy Prime Minister whether complaints made in the Tamil dailies about not using the Tamil language for the Highway Code Test for the issue of driving licences were brought to his attention, and whether he will appoint persons to conduct the Highway Code Test in Tamil also, as it is done in Malay, Mandarin and English.

Tuan Haji Yaacob (for the Deputy Prime Minister): (In Malay): Mr Speaker, Sir, in October 1965, 3,384 persons took the Highway Code test of whom 108 were Tamils. In May 1966, 3,519 persons took this test of whom 105 were Tamils. This works out roughly at three per cent as being Tamil-speaking testees, and most of them were also able to speak either English or Malay.

There are at present two Senior Testers, both Chinese, and 18 testers, of whom 13 are Chinese, two Eurasians, one Malay, one Singhalese and one Tamil. The number of Tamils at the moment is small. When the number justifies it, more Tamil testers will be employed and the use of Tamil will be permitted.

Testees for Highway Code tests are assigned to various testers so that testees cannot choose the tester nor the tester his testees. If the testee fails his test, a different tester is assigned to him for his next test. It would be a departure from this fair and reasonable practice for the Tamil tester to test Tamil testees only.