CITIZENSHIP (Criteria for approval)

[Mr Speaker in the Chair]

Mr Hwang Soo Jin asked the Minister for Home Affairs what are the current criteria for approving applications for citizenship.

The Minister for Home Affairs (Mr Chua Sian Chin): Mr Speaker, Sir, the Constitution of the Republic of Singapore requires an applicant for Singapore citizenship to satisfy the Government that he:

(i) is of good character;

(ii) has resided in Singapore throughout the 12 months immediately preceding the date of his application;

(iii) has resided in Singapore for periods amounting in aggregate to not less than 10 years during the 12 years immediately preceding the date of his application;

(iv) intends to reside permanently in Singapore; and

(v) has an elementary knowledge of the national language if he is less than 45 years of age and is not deaf or dumb.

In respect of the period of residence in Singapore, we take into consideration periods of absence too. If the applicant has been away on study or on official business, such as being posted to a foreign branch, the period of absence will be treated as residence.

The Constitution also provides for the qualifying period of residence to be reduced to not less than five years out of six years immediately preceding the date of application. The Government has given citizenship under this provision to special categories of permanent residents, such as professionals and university graduates, who are an asset to Singapore.

With a view to attracting more talent into Singapore, the very talented is now guaranteed citizenship after five years of permanent residence subject, of course, to their having a good character. Hitherto, wives of Singapore citizens are eligible for Singapore citizenship after two years of permanent residence. Husbands of talented Singapore citizens are now eligible for citizenship after two years' residence.

Previously, permanent residents who have performed national service are granted citizenship after five years instead of 10 years' residence. This has been further relaxed so that permanent residents are now eligible for citizenship upon their completion of national service. Foreign scholars who are prepared to perform national service will be granted citizenship before they start their national service.

In respect of constitutional requirement (v) above, the Honourable Member may recall that an amendment to the Singapore Constitution was introduced on Monday, 16th March 1981. If the amendment is approved by the House, an applicant for citizenship can in future elect to be tested in the other three official languages besides the national language.

Citizenship is a privilege, not a right. Apart from the basic constitutional requirements that I have mentioned, applicants must also be an asset and not a liability to the Republic. In applying this criterion we have been flexible. For example, if the applicant is the only member of the family who is not a citizen, citizenship is granted even if the applicant's income is low. Also, aged parents who are not gainfully employed but whose children are well able to support them are also granted citizenship. Applicants such as monks and priests who by their calling are not likely to earn a steady or high income or have family roots are nonetheless granted citizenship if they have been rendering community service.

We have also relaxed the criteria for the grant of citizenship to wives and children. Previously, wives of Singapore citizens had to wait for a definite period after marriage before they were granted citizenship. This was to prevent marriages of convenience. Now, wives are eligible for citizenship if they have given birth to a child after marriage.

In the case of children who were born out of wedlock, their citizenship status should follow that of their natural mother. However, we have conferred citizenship to some illegitimate children whose mothers have left them and their natural fathers are Singapore citizens.

As a result of relaxation of the criteria and a flexible application of these criteria, the number of applications for citizenship that have been approved has been increasing over the last three years. The figures are: No. of applications Year approved 1977 5,051 1978 7,589 1979 10,628 1980 18,475