ENTRY OF WIVES OF SINGAPORE CITIZENS INTO REPUBLIC (Relaxation of rule)

Mrs Devan Nair asked the Minister of Defence if he will consider a relaxation of paragraph 4 of the Schedule to the Immigration (Prohibition of Entry) Order, 1966, to allow wives of Singapore Citizens to enter the Republic though they may have been living separately from their husbands for more than five years.

Mr Wee Toon Boon (for the Minister of Defence): Mr Speaker, Sir, the Government does not consider that a relaxation is necessary. The legislation was introduced after careful consideration of the implications of allowing wives of Singapore Citizens entry without control. The rule has been enforced since December 1959. The Government does not advocate and has no intention of relaxing the control. I would urge the hon. Member first, to ask why Singapore citizens should go overseas to get married when there are so many healthy, well-educated and intelligent young women in Singapore? Are they not doing a disservice to the country? And if, after having married, they have remained separate from their wives for more than five years, something extraordinary must have taken place. Whatever it is, it does not call for sympathetic consideration from the Immigration authorities.

Mr Ng Kah Ting (Punggol): Mr Speaker, Sir, I would like to ask the Minister of State of Defence whether he is aware that permission has been sought to permit those wives of Chinese immigrants who have been separated from their husbands who came to Singapore, say, in 1947, to enter Singapore and whether consideration would be given to them?

Mr Wee Toon Boon: Mr Speaker, Sir, as I have pointed out just now, the policy is that if the husband and the wife have been separated for five years and the husband is living here, then no approval can be given for the entry of the wife into Singapore.

Mr Speaker: I think Mr Ng's question was that the separation was involuntary.

Mr Wee Toon Boon: Mr Speaker, Sir, another point is that if they have decided to reside in Singapore, become Singapore citizens and have stayed in Singapore, they should have made the necessary arrangements for their family, or other members of their family, to be together with them. If they have not done so earlier and they want to do it now, I am afraid that it is a circumstance beyond our control and it is no fault of the Government.

Mr P. Govindaswamy (Anson): With regard to the Minister of State's answer, suppose the wife has been separated for five years, then her husband, who is a Singapore citizen, can marry another girl in Singapore?

Mr Wee Toon Boon: Mr Speaker, Sir, as you are aware, and probably the Member for Anson is also aware, we have passed the Women's Charter in Singapore and, therefore, marriages are governed by the Women's Charter.

Mr Govindaswamy: One more question. According to the Women's Charter, they should be separated for seven years, and then they can claim for a divorce. I wonder whether the Minister of State agrees with the seven-year period of separation.

The Minister for Culture and Social Affairs (Inche Othman Bin Wok): The amendment Bill has not been passed yet.

Mr S. Rajoo (Farrer Park): Mr Speaker, Sir, according to the Women's Charter, we are told that a man can marry only one wife. When people residing in Singapore applied for Singapore citizenship and got it, whether they came from India or China, and when they applied for an entry permit for their wife, who may be in India or China, they declare in the application forms that they are already married and have a wife. Will the Minister inform me how such people can, in those circumstances, get a divorce, thereby allowing them to marry somebody else in Singapore?

Mr Wee Toon Boon: Mr Speaker, Sir, this is not within my portfolio. I do not know whether the Minister for Social Affairs can answer it.

Mr Speaker: Mr Rajoo, I think we had better wait for the debate on the Women's Charter (Amendment) Bill.

Mr Rajoo: Thank you.