NON-CITIZENS WITH EMPLOYMENT PASSES (Number of, and Immigration Department policy)

Mr Bernard Rodrigues asked the Minister of Defence how many non-citizens wishing to enter Singapore to take up employment at a salary of less than one thousand two hundred dollars per month have been issued with Employment Passes by the Controller of Immigration and what is the policy of the Immigration Department in the issue of Employment Passes to such persons.

The Minister of State of Defence (Mr Wee Toon Boon) (for the Minister of Defence): Mr Speaker, Sir, employment passes are issued to persons from abroad who seek employment in Singapore for a minimum period of two years. The stipulation that such persons should be entitled to a salary of not less than $1,200 per month is not a rigid one. It is the policy that in case no Singapore resident is available to do the job and where the Ministry of Finance and the Economic Development Board support the application, approval is granted to waive the stipulation.

Between 1965 and the end of July 1967, a total of 575 employment passes have been issued. Only one non-citizen with a salary of less than $1,200 has been issued with a pass in 1967.