PAY INCREASES FOR SAF OFFICERS (Effect on recruitment and retention of SAF regular servicemen)

Encik Othman bin Haron Eusofe asked the Minister of Defence and Second Minister for Health what effects the 1982 Singapore Armed Forces pay increases have had on the recruitment and retention of SAF regular servicemen.

The Minister of State of Defence (Dr Yeo Ning Hong) (for the Minister of Defence and Second Minister for Health): Mr Speaker, Sir, in 1982, MINDEF revised the salaries of regular servicemen and introduced other measures to attract and retain talent for the SAF. Salaries of regular officers and men were increased early last year. The pay increases and other efforts of MINDEF had a favourable impact on the recruitment and retention of regular SAF servicemen.

There had been a general slowdown in the recruitment of regulars since 1978, with an especially large drop in 1981 when the job market in Singapore was extremely competitive. The number of officers recruited in 1981 was 229, compared to a yearly average of 430 for 1978-80. But officer recruitment has improved since 1982, after the salary revision. Between April and December 1982, 398 officers were recruited, an increase of 229 (or 135%) over the number recruited over the same period in 1981.

The number of other ranks also was much better. In 1981 we had approximately 1,410, compared to a yearly average of 2,416 for 1978-80, Since June 1982, when other rank salaries were revised, recruitment has picked up. 1,016 were recruited from June to December 1982, an increase of 351 (or 53%) over the number recruited over the same period in 1981.

At the same time, resignations of officers and other ranks have dropped. The number of resignations among officers from April to December 1982 was 55, compared to 85 in the same period in 1981, Among other ranks, the number who resigned from June to December 1982, was 71, compared to 360 for the same period in 1981.

The retention rate, ie, the percentage of contract servicemen who extend their serice rather than leave the SAF on expiry of heir contract, has also improved, although this improvement is not quite as dramatic as that for recruitment. From April to December 1982, the retention rate for officers was 67%, compared to 60% for the same period in 1981. The retention rate for other ranks rose from 44% to 47%.

To further improve recruitment and retention, MINDEF recognizes that increasing salaries alone is not sufficient. Neither is it desirable to have people joining the SAF as regulars simply because of better pay. What the higher salaries allow MINDEF to do is to attract a much larger pool of better candidates. In the SAF, where men's lives depend so much on the quality of those who lead and organize them, we have to look for intellect and skills, as well as other attributes like trustworthiness, selflessness, loyalty, and commitment.

People are more likely to stay in the SAF if the organizational climate is one where they have a sense of pride and belonging, and where they can contribute actively towards making it a better organization. We are beginning to see this in the quality of officers and men choosing to stay on in the SAF after their initial contracts expired.

Mr Ng Kah Ting (Punggol): Mr Speaker, Sir, can I ask the hon. Minister of State, if the condition on contract were to be removed, would it not help the SAF better?

Dr Yeo Ning Hong: Mr Speaker, Sir, the productive period, in other words, the period during which the officer or other rank can make a contribution to the organization, is relatively short by comparison with the period required for his training, and therefore in order to ensure that public funds are properly utilized, there should be a reasonable period of contract when an officer or other rank is employed by the SAF.

Mr Ng Kah Ting: If that is the case, would it not make service in the Armed Forces less attractive in view of the contractual time?

Dr Yeo Ning Hong: Sir, we are aware that service in the SAF is less attractive than jobs which require comparable edu- cational qualifications and experience. Hence it is MINDEF's policy to ensure that the salaries are much better than those for comparable jobs in the private sector.

Mr Ng Kah Ting: Sir, would it not be right to say that on the expiry of their contract, these officers or other ranks would have to look for alternative employment in other sectors, bearing in mind the fact that they have already done some service in the specialised form or whatever?

Dr Yeo Ning Hong: Sir, our objective is to ensure that the better officers and other ranks should choose to remain with us in the SAF and, as I have indicated in my answer to the Oral Question, more than two-thirds of the officers have chosen to do so.

Encik Saidi Haji Sheriff (Kaki Bukit): Mr Speaker, Sir, I am curious to know from the Minister how does he measure an applicant's sense of commitment, loyalty and national consciousness in his recruitment exercise?

Dr Yeo Ning Hong: Sir, these are obviously criteria for which there is no simple rule that one can pick out of a textbooK and apply immediately at the point of recruitment. But what we do have are experienced officers who, through a whole series of interviews, by talking to the individual candidates and applicants, are able to ascertain within limits, of course, the reliability, trustworthiness, loyalty and commitment of the candidate or applicant. We hope that we are not too far off but, as with so many other things concerning the individual's character, it is difficult to be 100% sure.