POLITICAL PARTIES (Number registered and number active)

Mr P. Govindaswamy asked the Minister of Defence what is the number of registered political parties and whether he has any knowledge as to how many of them are active.

Mr Wee Toon Boon (for the Minister of Defence): Mr Speaker, Sir, there are a total of 12 registered political Parties of which nine are active. The active political Parties consist of the People's Action Party, the Barisan Sosialis, Partai Rakyat Singapore State Division, the Singapore Chinese Party (formerly M.C.A. Singapore Branch), the Malaysian Indian Congress, the Alliance Party Singapura, the Pertubohan Kebangsaan Melayu Singapura (formerly U.M.N.O.), the Angkatan Islam (formerly P.M.I.P. Singapore), and the Persatuan Melayu Semananjong (Peninsular Malays Union).

The three inactive political Parties are the United People's Party, the Workers' Party, and the United Democratic Party (Partai Kesatuan Ra'ayat).

Mr Speaker: Members who have *Questions Nos. 21 to 23, 24 to 27, and Question No. 29 have indicated their desire to have these questions be stood over to Thursday, 2nd November, 1967. That concludes the Questions.

(These Questions appear respectively as Questions Nos. 5 to 7 (in cols. 314-7), Nos. 9 to 12 and 13 (in cols. 319-26).)

Dr Toh, a Ministerial Statement.