IMPORTED VEGETABLES (Government levy)

Resumption of questions.

Mr Heng Chiang Meng (Jalan Kayu): Sir, although no warrant for the arrest of Father Edgar D'Souza has been issued, may I ask the Minister, in view of his latest reply, whether he intends to issue one.

Prof. Jayakumar: Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, Edgar D'Souza will not be arrested because, on the basis of the information that we have so far, he was not directly involved in the Marxist conspiracy as such that the ISD may want to question him on some aspects of his activities is a possibility that I will not rule out.

Mr Heng Chiang Meng: Sir, may I ask the Minister whether it is true that Edgar D'Souza has been granted Australian permanent residence. If this is true, may I also ask the grounds for such speedy approval by the Australian authorities, since the basis for such speedy approval may mean certain implications on Singapore's image.

Prof. Jayakumar: Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I do not know for certain if he has been granted permanent residence and, if so, on what grounds. However, since the Member has asked this question, I will request my colleague, the Minister for Foreign Affairs, to check with the Australian government.

Mr Ng Kah Ting: In view of the revelations made by the Hon. Minister for Home Affairs which I find disturbing, may I ask him ---

Mr Chiam See Tong: Which part is disturbing?

Mr Ng Kah Ting: No, all the parts. May I ask the Hon. Minister for Home Affairs why was this not disclosed earlier? May I also ask him why was action not taken to bring in Father Edgar D'Souza for questioning in the light of his close links with those involved in the Marxist conspiracy?

Prof. Jayakumar: As for the first supplementary question, Sir, the reason is simply that we wanted to give the Church time to discipline Edgar D'Souza and, if necessary, to expose his misdeeds. It is far more appropriate for the Church to do so. Unfortunately, more than five months have passed since he left Singapore and during this time, while abroad in Australia and in New Zealand, he not only engaged in the activities which I mentioned but more recently as two weeks ago, according to our High Commission in Australia, Edgar D'Souza has been purveying the line that there is a warrant of arrest for him, a move obviously designed to present himself as a persecuted priest.

If the Government has been silent so far, it is because of deference to the Church. But as Members know, his conduct and indiscretions have become public knowledge and in a press interview in October this year, the girl's brother confirmed his complaint to the Church. It is therefore a matter of public interest and the Government has to disclose the facts for, as I have said, Edgar D'Souza has embarked on a campaign to malign the Singapore Government and to distort the facts about the arrest of the Marxist group. In carrying out this campaign and getting people to believe him, he has projected himself as a pious priest when in reality his conduct is, to say the least, questionable.

As to the second supplementary question about calling him for questioning, Edgar D'Souza was not questioned about his links with the Marxist conspirators because he was not directly involved in the Marxist conspiracy as such and, in any case, the Government was aware of the nature and extent of his links with members of the Marxist group as a result of the ISD's investigations before the arrest of the Marxist conspirators and on the basis of the disclosures made by them. However, as I said, I would not rule out the possibility of the ISD wanting to question him to establish whether he is a cat's paw or an agent of any radical or subvervise group abroad.

Mr Chiam See Tong asked the Minister for Finance whether any Government tax or levy is imposed on imported vegetables.

The Minister for Finance (Dr Richard Hu Tsu Tau): Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, vegetables are not subject to import duty. There is neither a tax nor a levy on imported vegetables.