EX-WORK PERMIT HOLDERS MARRYING SINGAPOREANS (APPROVAL FROM MINISTRY OF MANPOWER)

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EX-WORK PERMIT HOLDERS MARRYING SINGAPOREANS:

(Approval from Ministry of Manpower): 17.

Dr Mohamad Maliki Bin Osman asked the Acting Minister for Manpower (a) what is the number of former work

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permit holders currently banned from entering Singapore for marrying Singaporeans without his Ministry's written approval and despite their marrying Singaporean spouses only after they have ceased to work in Singapore; (b) how long will the ban last before they can be allowed to re-enter Singapore; and (c) whether his Ministry will consider exempting Singaporeans from seeking written approval to marry ex-work permit holders who have ceased being a work permit holder for a certain period of time.

The Acting Minister for Manpower (Dr Ng Eng Hen): Sir, it is a requirement for all work permit holders to seek approval before marrying a Singapore citizen or Permanent Resident, even after they have cancelled their work permits. The length of time an ex-work permit holder has stopped working in Singapore is also one of the factors considered for marriage approval.

We have imposed this regulation because Singapore has a large population of 500,000 current work permit holders, and larger numbers who have worked here before. Our social system will be strained if these workers from many nationalities decide to marry and settle here. Foreign workers who choose to work here have understood this because this is an explicit condition and they have agreed to abide by this explicit condition.

For the same reason, and to serve as an effective deterrent, an entry ban is imposed on those who contravene the stated work permit condition of marriage approval. My Ministry determines the period of entry ban based on the individual circumstances of each case.

Dr Mohamad Maliki Bin Osman: Sir, the Minister has not answered the first question, that is, the number of work permit holders who have currently been banned.

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Dr Ng Eng Hen: Sir, I would rather answer what is the stated intention of the policy. The policy is not that they try to apply and see whether they can get married because if they understand the context of this policy, it is stated explictly that they come here and work. And because of the large numbers, we take a very stringent view in terms of approval. Yet, at the same time, we are not completely heartless and, on a case-by-case basis, that we will not approve.

On the other hand, I would not like to publish numbers and encourage those who come here, explicitly knowing that they are not to settle down, to now try and meet partners, cultivate relationships or let relationships form, and then apply, knowing that we are very stringent on approval. The point of the policy is that this is an explicit condition. There are large numbers of work permit holders here and we tell them that they should not think of settling here before deciding to work.

Dr Mohamad Maliki Bin Osman: Sir, I am actually referring to cases of those who have gone home, stopped being work permit holders, Singaporeans meet them and marry them. I am quite concerned about the ban because we are separating family members - husbands, wives and and children. I wonder how long is the ban going to last, if they have been banned. And have there been any cases of such bans being lifted, and under what circumstances are such bans being lifted?

Dr Ng Eng Hen: Sir, we are mindful that once they get married and have children, it is not our intent to break up families. It is for this reason that we say that, please be very careful when they have formed relationships while they work here and only choose to work here if they understand that they are coming here to work and that the chances of them having an approval for marriage are very slim. If they choose to contravene the marriage

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restriction which they themselves have agreed to before they work here, then to serve as an effective deterrent, we ban such work permit holders. Having said what I have just said, we have approved certain cases based on individual merits when Members of Parliament have appealed on their behalf.

Mdm Ho Geok Choo: I would like to ask the Minister what recourse would the Singaporean spouses have if they are caught in such a situation with regard to the foreign wives not being able to come to Singapore.

Dr Ng Eng Hen: I would advise them to realise that work permit holders have this explicit condition and not to be in that situation in the first place.

3.00 pm

Mr Speaker: Order. End of Question time.

[Pursuant to Standing Order No. 21(3), Written Answer* to Question No. 25 on the Order Paper is reproduced in the Appendix. Question Nos. 19, 20, 22-24 and 26-30 have been postponed to the sitting of Parliament on 20th April, 2004.]

• Will be reproduced in the printed copy of the Singapore Parliament Report.

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