RESIGNATION OF BRIG-GEN LEE HSIEN LOONG

Mr J.B. Jeyaretnam asked the Minister of Defence and Second Minister for Health whether the impending resignation of Brigadier Lee Hsien Loong from the Army was known or expected when he was promoted to that rank.

The Minister of Defence and Second Minister for Health (Mr Goh Chok Tong): Mr Speaker, Sir, promotions in the Singapore Armed Forces are decided through a strictly defined set of procedures. The present procedures were published in the March 1982 issue of the Pointer, a publication for SAF officers. The factors considered in a promotion are performance on the job, potential for higher level appointments, character, and recommendations of superiors.

The SAF has a system of regular annual promotion exercises. The process begins around February and ends in June. Promotions are effective from 1st July of the year in question.

In the 1984 promotion exercise, the SAF Promotions Council recommended a number of promotions including Col Lee Hsien Loong. That recommendation together with others were accepted by the Minister. It was made irrespective of any contemplated resignation because the decision to promote is made purely on the basis of the officer's capacity to contribute to the SAF. Furthermore, unlike the situation in the civilian sector, SAF regulars who leave active service are still members of the SAF. As reservist officers or NCOs, they can expect to play as important a role or, if they upgrade themselves, even a greater role than when they were in active service.

Mr J.B. Jeyaretnam (Anson): Mr Speaker, Sir, a supplementary question. If the resignation of the officer was known at the time the promotion was considered, may I ask the Minister what was the urgency in promoting him, if he was going to resign from active service in the Army? Is it not possible for him to have gone on the reservist strength and then be promoted through that, if he was found suitable for promotion?

Mr Goh Chok Tong: Mr Speaker, Sir, as I have explained, the promotion of officers in the SAF depends on a number of factors: his experience, character, contribution to the SAF. In the case of Col Lee Hsien Loong, he was found worthy of promotion this year by the Promotions Council, and he was accordingly recommended for promotion. I have no reason to disagree with the recommendation of the Promotions Council. There was no need whatsoever to defer the promotion of a good officer who richly deserved to be promoted this year.

Mr Jeyaretnam: Would the Minister be good enough to say how long this officer had been in active service in the Army before he was promoted to the rank of Brigadier? And would the Minister be good enough to say whether this has its parallel in any other army in the world except perhaps in armies which have taken over from their colonial masters?

Mr Goh Chok Tong: Mr Speaker, Sir, had the Member for Anson listened carefully to my reply, he would have learned that promotion in the SAF depends on merit amongst other things. As to how long the officer has served in a particular position, it is not relevant. The officer can be serving in a position for any number of years, but if he lacks the potential to manage bigger responsibilities, he will not be promoted. I suggest the Member for Anson secure a copy of the March 1982 Pointer where he will get all the answers to the open system which we run in the promotion of officers in the SAF.

Mr Jeyaretnam: Mr Speaker, Sir, may I ask the Minister if he will be good enough to answer my questions. My question, I repeat, is how long has this officer been in active service in the Army before he was promoted, and whether this has a parallel in any other army? And if I may add another question to it, would the Minister say whether the officer was promoted so that he could be advanced in his political career, so that he could be appointed Political Secretary to the Minister of Defence? Was that the real reason for his promotion?

The First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education (Dr Goh Keng Swee): Sir, as the former Defence Minister, may I be permitted to make some observations. I consider this supplementary question from the Member for Anson to be totally unworthy of a Member of this Parliament. He, by aided innuendo, suggested that the promotion of Brig-Gen Lee was motivated by unworthy considerations, such as a move to accelerate his career in the political field or by virtue of his relationship with the Prime Minister. I challenge the Member to make this innuendo outside the privileged walls of this House and we will see whether or not he will get away with a libel suit.

Mr Goh Chok Tong: Mr Speaker, Sir, I was going to make the same line of answer to the Member for Anson, and I am pleased that the First Deputy Prime Minister has stood up to do what I would have done.

Mr Jeyaretnam: Mr Speaker, Sir, am I, in this House, not entitled to this information? What is so secret about this that the information cannot be given in this House? It is not a question of making any innuendoes.

Dr Goh Keng Swee: All the facts he wanted have been given by the Minister. What he wanted to do is, by innuendo, to suggest that there is some secret skullduggery going on. I suggest that he makes his accusation in the open.

Mr Jeyaretnam: I still have the Floor. I am not here to make innuendoes. I am asking questions and I say the House is entitled to this information; not the House alone but the people at large in Singapore. The information has not been given. The information is, how long has this officer been in active service in the Army? Secondly, has this got a parallel in any other army? Thirdly, I want a categorical answer whether he was promoted to advance his political career?

Dr Goh Keng Swee: The career of Brig-Gen Lee is well-known to the public. It has been published in the newspapers. Why then does he come out with all this drivel, other than to impute improper motives?

Mr Jeyaretnam: Sir, I object to the term "drivel" as spelt out by the First Deputy Prime Minister. He should know better as a Member of this House. May I ask the Minister whether he would agree to a Committee of this House inquiring into this promotion?

Dr Goh Keng Swee: Sir, if that is not drivel, I ask you, Sir, as an independent observer, whether that is not the most nonsensical question ever to come up from a nonsensical MP?

Mr Jeyaretnam: Mr Speaker, Sir, you, as the Speaker may disallow any question if you thought it was improper, and I have not heard you disallowing the question. I am asking the question whether the Minister will allow a Committee of this House to look into this promotion, to see how many other officers were passed over.

Mr Goh Chok Tong: Mr Speaker, Sir, there is no need to set up a Committee to investigate what the First Deputy Prime Minister called "drivel". I would repeat what the First Deputy Prime Minister has said. If the Member for Anson seriously believes that there has been any wrong-doing in the promotion of any officer in the SAF, he should have the courage to state this outside the House and not suggest this within the House so that he could be protected from any libel suit against him.

Mr Jeyaretnam: Do the Minister and the First Deputy Prime Minister not realize that it is not a question of them assuring that everything was done perfectly, properly? It is a question of the public being told, so that it is seen to be done properly. That is one of the first principles of public administration and of justice.

Dr Goh Keng Swee: Sir, since that was not a supplementary question, may I be allowed to comment briefly on that. When we form a Committee of the House to inquire into an activity of the Government, the assumption must be that there has been something improper. In this instance, where is the impropriety? The Member for Anson has been trying, through devious means of questioning, by innuendo, to suggest that there is something improper. Well, let us have it from him and hear him say so outside this House where he will have no defence of privilege. When I said that that was a drivel, he just stood up to confirm that what I said beats his record for nonsensical outpourings.

Mr Jeyaretnam: Do the Minister and the First Deputy Prime Minister not realize that it is only harmful to the Administration if these details are not made known to the public?

Dr Goh Keng Swee: Sir, this is getting most tiresome. So I will just say this - that Brig-Gen Lee Hsien Loong has proved himself in so many ways, both inside the Army and outside the Army, to be a person of outstanding quality. When the Member for Anson says the public are worried, he is again talking nonsense. The public is aware of the qualities of this young man.

Mr Jeyaretnam: Have you anything to hide?

Dr Goh Keng Swee: What did you say?

Mr Speaker: Let us go to the next question, Mr Jeyaretnam.