SPECIAL PASS HOLDERS IN SINGAPORE (Policy on permanent stay)

Mr Ho See Beng asked the Minister for Home Affairs and Education the number of persons living in Singapore who are on special passes and whether he will consider granting permanent stay status to those who have resided in Singapore for 10 years or more.

Mr Chua Sian Chin: Mr Speaker, Sir, a total of 1,106 persons are in Singapore on Special Passes. Of these, 472 are males and 634 females.

Special Pass holders are normally persons who are unable to prove their lawful presence in Singapore. They would in the first place have been in Singapore for at least 10 years. They are issued Special Passes purely on compassionate grounds. Bearing in mind these two factors, Special Pass holders should not be granted permanent stay merely because they have been living in Singapore for 10 years or more.

However, the Government has dealt with sympathetically and given special consideration to applications for permanent residence from Special Pass holders who have special skills, contributed to the well-being of the country or who otherwise merit special consideration.

During the last 4 1/2 years, 378 persons who were previously on Special Passes were granted permanent residence, primarily on grounds that they have acquired technical skills or because of special compassionate considerations.

Mr Ho See Beng: Mr Speaker, Sir, since the Government is not going to give these Special Pass holders permanent stay status, is the Government going to repatriate them to their country of origin?

Mr Chua Sian Chin: Mr Speaker, Sir, I think I have already answered that question. It is not that the Government does not want to give them permanent residence. I have said that each case will be considered on its merit, Some of them will be given consideration for permanent residence if they merit it, while those who do not merit consideration will not be given permanent residence.

As regards repatriation, if we had wanted to repatriate them, we would have repatriated them and would not have given them the Special Passes.

Mr Ho See Beng: Mr Speaker, Sir, if these people are not to be repatriated, who is going to be responsible for their livelihood? I ask this question because no employer will employ these people since they do not have identity cards. Under the circumstances who is going to be responsible for their livelihood in Singapore?

Mr Chua Sian Chin: Mr Speaker, Sir, may I say that they are responsible for their own livelihood. If they are children, of course, their parents will be responsible for them. I do not agree that these Special Pass holders cannot get employment. In fact, many of them are employed.

Mr Ng Yeow Chong (Mountbatten): Mr Speaker, Sir, is the Minister aware that some Special Pass holders are former permanent residents? They have lost their permanent status because they have contravened certain Immigration rules and regulations, for example, returning from Malaysia without re-entry visas. Will the Minister therefore consider restoring their status as permanent residents, taking into consideration that they had contravened out of ignorance and that they have been here for ten or more years?

Mr Chua Sian Chin: Mr Speaker, Sir, I have already answered that question. As I have said, each case will be considered on its own merit. If some of them have factors which merit special consideration, they will be given special consideration in the granting of permanent residence. The fact that they were former permanent residents will be a factor to be taken into consideration.