NATIONAL SERVICEMEN (Employment)

Mr Ng Kah Ting asked the Minister for Defence (a) when the first batch of National Servicemen was discharged after having served their two-year full-time military service; (b) how many have been offered employment and where; and (c) how many are still unemployed.

Mr Lim Kim San: (a) The first batch of National Servicemen who have served two years of full-time service were released into the Reserve between mid August and the end of September 1969.

(b) For reasons of security the actual number of Servicemen going on to the Reserve cannot be divulged but of the batch that was so released 90 per cent of the Servicemen have been placed in the following sectors of employment, namely - the civil service, statutory boards, the hotel industry, factories, ship building, construction and the building trade, printing, transportation, commerce and security guards.

(c) Of the 10 per cent who have not been placed in employment a number of them are awaiting the results of interviews with various prospective employers or are waiting to appear for more interviews.