BLUE IDENTITY CARD HOLDERS (Loss of permanent resident status)

Mr Ivan Baptist asked the Minister for Home Affairs and Education (a) how many blue identity card holders have to date lost their permanent residential status because they left Singapore without a re-entry permit; (b) what are the reasons for this policy of retraction of permanent residential status; (c) how many, if any, have been reinstated as permanent residents: and (d) whether there will be consideration to modify, if not cease, this policy of retraction of permanent residential status on humanitarian grounds.

The Minister for Home Affairs and Education (Mr Chua Sian Chin): Mr Speaker, Sir, between 1st August 1967 and 20th July 1978, 3,494 Singapore blue identity card holders had lost their permanent resident status and had their identity cards impounded. Unfortunately, the records do not make a distinction between those who lost their permanent resident status because they left Singapore without a re-entry permit and those who lost it for other reasons. However, the Immigration Department studied the cases occurring during the period 1st January 1977 to 20th July 1978 and found that 94.5% of them were due to failure to obtain a re-entry permit or to renew their re-entry permit. If this parameter is representative, then approximately 3,300 of the 3,494 persons who had their blue identity cards impounded, lost their permanent resident status because they left Singapore without obtaining a re-entry permit or renewing their re-entry permit.

It is not a question of the Government or the Immigration Department retracting the permanent resident status of these persons. The requirement for a re-entry permit for re-entry into Singapore is provided for under the Immigration Act. Under section 11 of the Immigration Act, a permanent resident who intends to leave Singapore temporarily must obtain a re-entry permit which will authorise him to re-enter Singapore. Failure to comply with this will make him lose his permanent resident status automatically, and I repeat, automatically, and he can only return to Singapore as a visitor. This legal provision is found in the immigration laws of many countries, including Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia.

The underlying objective of this legal provision is to ensure that those who are conferred the status of permanent residents make Singapore their permanent home or, if abroad, show their intention of returning to Singapore. Otherwise they should not continue to enjoy the privileges of being permanent residents. The re-entry permit which is issued for a specified period is, therefore, an instrument of control over unduly lengthy or frequent absence from the country of domicile. Considerations are, however, given for re-entry permit extensions for valid reasons such as absence on account of overseas studies.

During the period 1st January 1977 to 30th June 1978, 1,709 persons who had lost their permanent resident status applied for reinstatement of their permanent residence. Of these, 1,496 or 87.5%, including 944 Singapore blue identity card holders, had their permanent resident status reinstated.

A person who values his permanent resident status in Singapore should not leave without a re-entry permit. However, this is not to say that a hard line is taken against those who have left without a re-entry permit and so lost their permanent resident status. Each case is considered on its own merits, and where it can be shown that failure to obtain a re-entry permit was due to ignorance, or for other compassionate reasons, the permanent resident status will normally be reinstated. The figures which I have quoted earlier speak for themselves, and they show that we have been very humane in the implementation of section 11 of the Immigration Act.

Mr Ivan Baptist: Mr Speaker, Sir, how many, if any, persons were stateless? And why have the rest, i.e. 213 out of the 1,709 persons not been reinstated?

Mr Chua Sian Chin: Mr Speaker, Sir, I have said that each case is treated on its own merit. In fact, we have reinstated a large majority of those who have lost their permanent resident status through failure to obtain a re-entry permit before leaving Singapore. In fact, it is over 87%. We cannot reinstate permanent resident status to every one of them. If they had a good case, they would have been given their permanent resident status back.

The Member wanted to know why the remaining few were not reinstated. I cannot give specific reasons now because I would have to go through all the applications that have been turned down. But generally, I can say that they do not merit reinstatement.