SINGAPORE ARMED FORCES (Scheme of service)

Mr Ng Kah Ting asked the Minister for Defence (a) whether there is any scheme of service for the Singapore Armed Forces; (b) when was such a scheme introduced; (c) whether the members of the Forces are satisfied with the scheme; and (d) whether he will table the scheme in Parliament.

Mr Lim Kim San: (a) and (b) When the Ministry of the Interior and Defence was established in August 1965, there was only the existing Malaysian Armed Forces schemes of service to rely upon. The Treasury and the Director of Audit accepted the arrangement and since at that juncture an appreciable number of members of the S.A.F. were Singaporeans who had been employed in the Forces during the Malaysian period it was merely a question of their continuing with their existing schemes of service.

However, with the introduction of National Service and the rapid expansion of the S.A.F. the Malaysian Armed Forces schemes of service have had to be progressively reviewed and examined to meet the requirements of our own Armed Forces. Consideration has had to be given also to the schemes of service obtaining in the civil service, the effect that National Service has on the staffing composition of the S.A.F. and the special requirements of the S.A.F. Therefore, a new salary scheme, a new leave scheme, routes of promotion, to mention a few, have had to be introduced and these have all been laid down in either MID Orders, Circulars, Army Board Instructions or subsidiary legislation made by the Army Board in accordance with the provisions of the Singapore Army Act, 1965.

(c) There are various categories of officers and personnel in the MID, namely - regular commissioned officers and servicemen, short service commissioned officers, mobilised officers and mobilised servicemen, officers seconded from other Government Ministries and Departments; and National Service officers and servicemen.

In so far as officers in the S.A.F. are concerned, they are generally satisfied with their terms and conditions of service. With regard to Other Ranks, a new pay code is being introduced presently and though there are problems because of the limitations of finance, it is hoped that the majority concerned will benefit. There is close co-ordination between the Ministry and Units in the field on service conditions and within the funds available conditions are improved where it is feasible to do so.

(d) I do not propose tabling the schemes of service as there is no legal requirement for them to be tabled. However, honourable Members who may be interested in the various aspects of the schemes such as Pay codes, Leave Regulations, Promotions, etc, could be supplied with the necessary information on application to me.