THE Government is open to helping bankrupts find jobs and this includes strengthening the process of referring them to the Manpower Ministry for job matching.
Senior Minister of State (Law and Home Affairs) Ho Peng Kee told MPs yesterday that he had asked the Official Assignee to look into this.
A Green Ribbon project - like the Yellow Ribbon project, which gives former prisoners a second chance by getting employers to hire them - could also be considered.
Associate Professor Ho noted that bankrupts were categorised as being in the Green or Red Zone based on their conduct.
To be in the Green Zone, an individual has to be gainfully employed, make instalment payments regularly and fully disclose his assets.
Those in the Red Zone include uncooperative bankrupts who refuse to make payments to creditors even though they have the means to contribute.
'If you're in the Green Zone and you're cooperative, you've done your part. Maybe we can also see whether we can help you with the job,' he said.
He was replying to Dr Lim Wee Kiak (Sembawang GRC), who had asked about the number of professionals, managers, executives and technicians (PMETs) who were undischarged bankrupts and about ways to help them find jobs.
Prof Ho said that, as of the end of February this year, 3,703 of 25,961 undischarged bankrupts, or 14 per cent, were PMETs.
Of these, 960 were jobless when they were made bankrupt and 80 of those who had updated their employment status were still unemployed.
Speaking separately, Acting Manpower Minister Gan Kim Yong said his ministry had helped 40 people who had voluntarily disclosed that they were bankrupt.
It placed 25 of them in jobs. Four are still being helped, while the remaining 11 no longer need help or cannot be reached.
Dr Lim and Madam Halimah Yacob (Jurong GRC) also asked that the public sector be open to hiring bankrupts.
Prof Ho said there were civil servants who were bankrupts. Those who became bankrupt were not automatically dismissed from their jobs as the circumstances of each case were taken into account.
This article was first published in The Straits Times on April 23, 2008.
