COMMITTEE OF SELECTION

The Leader of the House (Mr Wong Kan Seng): Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move,

"That this Parliament, in accordance with paragraph (1) of Standing Order 96, appoints the following as Members of the Committee of Selection: Prof S Jayakumar Mr Wong Kan Seng Dr Lee Boon Yang Mr Lim Hng Kiang Mr Zainul Abidin Rasheed Dr Wang Kai Yuen Mr Goh Choon Kang."

Sir, with the end of the First Session of the Ninth Parliament in September, the term of the Committee of Selection and the other Sessional Committees had lapsed with it. Parliament has to appoint a Committee of Selection which appoints members to these Sessional Committees.

Sir, I beg to move.

Question proposed.

Mr Jeyaretnam: Sir, may I ask the Leader why has it not been thought proper to have a Mmber from the Opposition in the Committee?Does the House,and the ruling party for that matter,recognise or not recognise that there are Opposition members in Parliament? And if it is going to be a Parliamentary Committee, then all parties should be represented. Why has the Opposition been left out?

Mr Wong Kan Seng: Sir, if the Opposition had more Members in this House then, of course, we would not be able to deny them of their opportunity to be represented in this Committee. But this Committee's job is to appoint members to the other Sessional Committees and rest assured that Opposition Members will be appointed to some of the Sessional Committees. If he were to look at the proportion of PAP MPs and Opposition MPs, and if we were also to have an Opposition Member in each of the Sessional Committees, then they would be over-represented.

Question put, and agreed to.

Resolved,

That this Parliament, in accordance with paragraph (1) of Standing Order 96, appoints the following as members of the Committee of Selection: Prof S Jayakumar Mr Wong Kan Seng Dr Lee Boon Yang Mr Lim Hng Kiang Mr Zainul Abidin Rasheed Dr Wang Kai Yuen Mr Goh Choon Kang.