MR PHEY YEW KOK (Efforts to apprehend)

Mr J.B. Jeyaretnam asked the Minister for Home Affairs if the Police have given up all hope of finding Mr Phey Yew Kok.

The Minister of State for Home Affairs (Dr Lee Boon Yang) (for the Minister for Home Affairs): Mr Speaker, Sir, I shall answer on behalf of my Minister.

I would like to inform the Member for Anson that the warrant of arrest against Phey Yew Kok is still in force and he remains on the wanted list of all the Interpol member countries.

Mr Jeyaretnam: May I ask the Minister of State that in view of the great speed and efficiency in which the Singapore Police have been able to track others who have left Singapore, there are doubts now being raised in the public mind of the efficiency of the Singapore Police when they seem unable to track down Mr Phey Yew Kok. Is he aware of that?

Dr Lee Boon Yang: Mr Speaker, Sir, the speed at which the Police Force has been able to trace other fugitives from justice in Singapore is, to a large extent, dependent on the good and reliable information that the Police Force has obtained in those cases. There had been cases where Interpol had provided timely information which resulted in the apprehending of these fugitives.

In the case of Phey Yew Kok, unfortunately, such information has not been forthcoming.

Mr Jeyaretnam: Is the Minister of State aware of the answer that was given, I think, in the last Parliament by the then Minister for Home Affairs that this man was somewhere in a neighbouring country and I asked for this country to be named and that was not divulged? Is he also aware that this House was then told that the Police were anxiously keeping surveillance to see whether he was moving out of that country to anywhere else? Would the Minister of State tell us something more? Is that man still hiding in one of the neighbouring countries?

Dr Lee Boon Yang: Mr Speaker, Sir, the Member for Anson mentioned that he was informed at the last Parliament that Phey Yew Kok was still in a neighbouring country. I would like to point out to him that the House was actually informed that, as far as the Police investigation was concerned, he was traced to have left Singapore on 31st December 1979, proceeding to Kuala Lumpur, and from there on he was understood to have left for Thailand. And from there on the trail disappeared.

The Police does not have any information at the present moment on the whereabouts of Phey Yew Kok. But if the Member for Anson has any information which he thinks might be relevant to the case, he is welcome to assist the Police by supplying this information so that a detailed investigation and apprehension of Phey Yew Kok can be carried out.

Mr Jeyaretnam: Will the Minister of State tell us whether the family of this man, Mr Phey Yew Kok, is still living in Singapore?

Dr Lee Boon Yang: Yes, the family of the man is still in Singapore.

Mr Jeyaretnam: Will the Minister tell us whether the Police are aware if the man is in contact with members of his family or have they lost all contact with him?

Dr Lee Boon Yang: Mr Speaker, Sir, as I have said, the Police have no knowledge of the whereabouts of this man. The Police does not know if he has been in contact with his family.

Mr Jeyaretnam: Have the Police interviewed members of the family recently? Have they seen or censored any post coming to the family from abroad?

Dr Lee Boon Yang: Mr Speaker, Sir, is the Member for Anson suggesting that we conduct a Police investigation on the members of the family? There has been no information as to whether he has been in contact with the family or not. Does he now propose that the Police launch a surveillance and a persecution of the family?

Mr Jeyaretnam: Mr Speaker, Sir, may I assure the Minister of State that I am not suggesting that the family should be put under third degree treatment. But is the Minister saying that the Police are averse to interviewing the family and averse to keeping watch on any correspondence received by this family from abroad because I know that is done in other cases?

Dr Lee Boon Yang: Mr Speaker, Sir, I am not aware of what has been done in other cases in terms of surveillance of the letters and correspondence. I do not know what the Member for Anson is suggesting. If he has any facts in regard to such surveillance, he should bring these to the House.

The Police will do whatever is necessary to trace the whereabout of Phey Yew Kok. I do not think it is necessary or relevant at this point of time to inform the House of all the Police procedures in this case.

Sir, the Member for Anson has a penchant for raising this case regularly.

Mr Jeyaretnam: Ask the public.

Dr Lee Boon Yang: By his frequent raising of this subject, he is serving notice to the fugitive that he should make himself scarce.