XN000022-1994-11-22 — Page 12

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 1994

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"FOR EXAMPLE, A DRIVER WHO WORKS FOR A MANUFACTURING FACTORY SHOULD REGISTER IN THE MANUFACTURING FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCY. SIMILARLY, A DRIVER WHO WORKS IN AN IMPORT/EXPORT FIRM SHOULD REGISTER WITH THE IMPORT AND EXPORT FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCY.

"THE DRIVER WILL NOT BE REGISTERED UNDER THE TRANSPORT AND COMMUNICATION FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCY IN THESE TWO EXAMPLES. THE CHOICE OF A PARTICULAR FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCY FOR AN EMPLOYEE THEREFORE DEPENDENT ON THE MAIN LINE OF BUSINESS OF HIS EMPLOYER, EXPLAINED.

IS

HE

MR NG SAID TO FACILITATE PEOPLE TO REGISTER, THE AUTHORITIES HAD COME UP WITH A METHOD WHICH WOULD MAKE REGISTRATION EASY FOR THE 2.45 MILLION PEOPLE ALREADY ON THE GENERAL ELECTORAL ROLL.

"TO BEGIN WITH, THE BOUNDARY AND ELECTION COMMISSION WILL ASK ALL EMPLOYERS TO PROVIDE THE NAME AND IDENTITY CARD NUMBERS OF THEIR EMPLOYEES, AS WELL AS CONFIRMATION ABOUT THEIR MAIN LINE OF BUSINESS FOR THE PURPOSE OF CLASSIFYING THEIR EMPLOYEES.

"AFTER RECEIVING THE INFORMATION THE REGISTRATION AND ELECTORAL OFFICE WILL CHECK WHETHER THE EMPLOYEES ARE ON THE GENERAL ELECTORAL ROLL AND IF SO, ALLOCATE A FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCY TO THEM ACCORDING TO THE EMPLOYER'S MAIN LINE OF BUSINESS.

"A NOTIFICATION WITH THE FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCY IDENTIFIED WILL BE SENT TO THE EMPLOYEES THAT THEY WILL BE SO REGISTERED IF THEY HAVE NO OBJECTION," HE SAID.

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MR NG GAVE AN ASSURANCE THAT AN EMPLOYEE WHO RECEIVED A NOTIFICATION WOULD BE GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO DECLARE ANY CHANGE IN HIS CIRCUMSTANCES, FOR EXAMPLE CHANGE OF EMPLOYER, OR TO MAKE A CHOICE OF HIS FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCY BY COMPLETING A NEW APPLICATION FORM IF HE WAS ELIGIBLE FOR REGISTRATION IN MORE THAN ONE FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCY.

"HE CAN, OF COURSE, CHOOSE NOT то REGISTER AS A CONSTITUENCY ELECTOR, HE ADDED.

FUNCTIONAL

AS FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE ELIGIBLE TO REGISTER IN A NEW FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCY BUT HAVE NOT YET REGISTERED IN THE GENERAL ELECTORAL ROLL , THEY COULD APPLY TO THE REGISTRATION OFFICER FOR REGISTRATION AT THE SAME TIME IN BOTH THE GENERAL ELECTORAL ROLL AND A NEW FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCY.

**SELF-EMPLOYED, FREE-LANCERS AND OTHER ELIGIBLE PERSONS COULD BECOME ELECTORS IN AN APPROPRIATE NEW FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCY BY MAKING AN APPLICATION TO THE REGISTRATION AND ELECTORAL OFFICE, HE SAID.

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WHILE CALLING ON ALL EMPLOYERS ΤΟ GIVE THE FORTHCOMING FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCY REGISTERING EXERCISE THEIR FULL CO-OPERATION, MR NG ADdressed SOME EMPLOYERS' CONCERN ABOUT THE REQUIREMENT UNDER LAW TO PROVIDE DETAILS OF THEIR EMPLOYEES TO THE BOUNDARY AND ELECTION COMMISSION.

/HE SAID