ELECTORAL BOUNDARIES REVIEW COMMITTEE (Appointment)

[Mr Speaker in the Chair]

Mr Low Thia Khiang asked the Prime Minister whether the Electoral Boundaries Review Committee has been appointed.

The Prime Minister (Mr Goh Chok Tong): Mr Speaker, Sir, the answer is No.

Mr Low Thia Khiang (Hougang): Sir, when is the Committee expected to be appointed?

The Prime Minister: Mr Speaker, Sir, some time after my National Day Rally. And it will be done before April next year.

Mr Low Thia Khiang: Sir, is the Prime Minister saying that if the Committee is appointed it will take such a long time to complete its work by next April?

The Prime Minister: I did not say that. What I meant was the Committee would be appointed after the National Day Rally and before April next year.

Mr Low Thia Khiang: How long does the Committee expect to complete its work -- three months or six months?

The Prime Minister: If we go by precedents, I think it may take two to three months for the Committee to finish its work. Of course, if the Committee works overtime, I suppose it could do it within one or two months.

Mr Low Thia Khiang: Is the Prime Minister saying that the Committee would need a minimum of two months to complete its work?

The Prime Minister: I would not know. If you go by previous experience, it could take one to two months or two to three months. I think what the Member is actually fishing for is when the election will be held. Am I right?

Mr Low Thia Khiang: No.

The Prime Minister: In that case, I would not give him an answer then.

Mr Low Thia Khiang: Would the Committee be asked to look into the possibility of increasing the number of constituencies?

The Prime Minister: I have not yet decided on the terms of reference for the Committee. I suppose we will follow the usual terms of reference as in the past. If the voter population has increased, we will certainly ask the Committee to look into the possibility of increasing the number of seats. But nothing has been decided yet.

Mr Low Thia Khiang: Would the Prime Minister agree, when he appoints the Committee and sets down the terms of reference, to make public the terms of reference for the Committee?

The Prime Minister: I will follow what we have been doing all these years, ie, appoint the Committee with a certain set of terms of reference. When the Committee's report is out, it will be tabled before Parliament and made available to Members of Parliament. I will not do anything different from previous practices.

Mr Low Thia Khiang: Sir, it seems to me that just now the Prime Minister wishes to offer some suggestion on the date of the election in connection with the question I asked. I would appreciate it if he could proceed to tell us.

The Prime Minister: Yes, I can tell him that it will be after August and maybe a few weeks before April next year.