CIVIL SERVICE (Discharged and undischarged bankrupts)

Mr Thomas Thomas asked the Deputy Prime Minister how many discharged and undischarged bankrupts were employed by the Civil Service over the last three years from 1998 - 2000 and whether any civil servant lost his or her job on becoming a judgement debtor or an undischarged bankrupt over the same period.

The Deputy Prime Minister (BG Lee Hsien Loong): Mr Speaker, Sir, as discharged bankrupts have already cleared their financial liabilities, they are treated no differently from any other recruits to the Civil Service selected on an open and meritocratic basis. Consequently, the Civil Service does not track its employment of discharged bankrupts, though in all probability very few have been recruited.

As for undischarged bankrupts, the Civil Service views their cases seriously, like other cases of financial embarrassment. An officer would be dismissed by the Public Service Commission (PSC) if he is financially embarrassed and the financial embarrassment is a result of a character defect or flaw, for instance, where the officer has a profligate lifestyle, has gambled, speculated in stocks and shares, etc. All civil servants are required to make an annual declaration of non-indebtedness. PSC takes a serious view of officers who falsely declare that they are not financially embarrassed.

However, PSC would take a more sympathetic view if officers become financially embarrassed as a result of genuine hardship, betrayal or circumstances beyond their control, and if the officers have been honest about their indebtedness or financial difficulties.

In the last three years, two officers were dismissed for financial embarrassment:

(a) One officer was made a bankrupt after speculating in shares. He had also falsely declared his financial status in the annual declaration of indebtedness. This was the second time he had come to adverse notice for his financial predicament.

(b) Another officer was made a judgement debtor due to his over indulgent lifestyle. He had also falsely declared his financial status.