RECRUITMENT OF MORE FEMALE OFFICERS TO PUBLIC SERVICE

Madam Chan Choy Siong asked the Minister for Finance whether the intake into all grades of the public service recently has been of male officers mainly, and if he will consider taking steps to promote the recruitment of more female officers to the service.

The Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Finance (Mr Tang See Chim) (for the Minister for Finance): Mr Speaker, Sir, it is not true that the intake into all grades of the public service recently has been mainly male officers. For instance, most appointments as nurses and nursing assistants are women, More than 60 per cent of the teachers recruited in 1967 were women. On the other hand, some posts are unsuitable for women, for instance, combat troops, night watchmen and lighthouse keepers. Male and female candidates are considered strictly on their suitability for the posts concerned. For the first half of this year, 955 female candidates were offered appointment out of a total recruitment of 2,849.

As regards the second part of the question, it would be wrong to give preference to women in recruitment to the public service. The P.A.P. Government has accepted that women are equal to men; it has not accepted that they are more equal.

Madam Chan Choy Siong (Delta): (In Mandarin): Sir, I would like to ask two supplementary questions. First, according to the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Finance, the Government has no bias against females in recruitment to the public service. He has pointed out that in cases like nurses or nursing assistants and teachers -

Mr Speaker: Madam Chan, can you get to your supplementary question without repeating what Mr Tang has said?

Madam Chan Choy Siong: (In Mandarin): My first supplementary is this. Does the Parliamentary Secretary agree that in other departments many female applicants have been rejected?

The second question is, does the Parliamentary Secretary acknowledge that all members in the Public Service Commission are males and whether this fact would not lead to prejudice and bias against females?

Mr Tang See Chim: Mr Speaker, Sir, as regards the first question, I can only repeat what I have said, that there is no prejudice against women and that candidates are considered strictly on their suitability for the posts concerned.

As to the second question, I am afraid I cannot accept the hon. Member's contention that the P.S.C. is biased against females. As regards membership of the P.S.C., perhaps if a suitable female candidate could be found, I am sure the President would be delighted to appoint her.