Internal Security Act 1960

• Jurisdiction: Singapore
• Coming into Force: 31 December 2021
• Record Number: Cap. 143
• Published date: 30 March 1987
• Enactment Date: 16 September 1963
• Year: 1963
• Act Number: (Original Enactment: M Act 18 of 1960)

Internal Security Act

(CHAPTER 143)

(Original Enactment: M Act 18 of 1960)

REVISED EDITION 1985

(30th March 1987)

An Act to provide for the internal security of Singapore, preventive detention, the prevention of subversion, the suppression of organised violence against persons and property in specified areas of Singapore, and for matters incidental thereto.

[16th September 1963]

Whereas action has been taken by a substantial body of persons to cause a substantial number of citizens to fear organised violence against persons and property:

And Whereas action has been taken and threatened by a substantial body of persons which is prejudicial to the security of Malaya:

And Whereas Parliament considers it necessary to stop or prevent that action:

Now therefore pursuant to Article 149 of the Constitution be it enacted by the Duli Yang Maha Mulia Seri Paduka Baginda Yang di-Pertuan Agong with the advice and consent of the Dewan Negara and Dewan Ra’ayat in Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:

PART I PRELIMINARY Short title 1. This Act may be cited as the Internal Security Act. Note: (The Malaysian Internal Security Act 1960 (No. 18/60) was extended to Singapore on 16.9.63 when Singapore became a component part of Malaysia — see L.N. 231/63. The preambles to that Act are reproduced in this Act in their entirety.) Interpretation 2. In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires — “advisory board” means an advisory board constituted as mentioned in Article 151(2) of the Constitution; “ammunition” means ammunition for any firearm as hereafter defined and includes grenades, bombs and other like missiles whether capable of use with such a firearm or not and any ammunition containing or designed or adapted to contain any noxious liquid, gas or other thing; “Commissioner of Police” includes the Deputy Commissioner of Police and any gazetted police officer for the time being lawfully authorised to exercise the powers and perform the duties conferred or imposed upon the Commissioner of Police by this Act; “controlled area” means any area declared to be a controlled area under section 50; “danger area” means any area declared to be a danger area under section 49; “document” includes any substance on which is recorded any matter, whether by letters, figures, marks, pictorial or other representation, or by more than one of these means; “entertainment” means any game, sport, diversion, concert or amusement of any kind to which the public has or is intended to have access and in which members of the public may or may not take part, whether on payment or otherwise; “exhibition” includes every display of goods, books, pictures, films or articles to which the public has or is intended to have access, whether on payment or otherwise; “explosive” — (a) means gunpowder, nitroglycerine, dynamite gun-cotton, blasting powder, fulminate of mercury or of other metals, coloured fires and every other substance, whether similar to those abovementioned or not, used or manufactured with a view to producing a practical effect by explosion or a pyrotechnic effect; (b) includes fog-signals, fireworks, fuses, rockets, percussion caps, detonators, cartridges, ammunition of all descriptions and every adaptation or preparation of an explosive as above defined; (c) includes any substance declared to be deemed an explosive by notification in the Gazette under section 5 of the Arms and Explosives Act [Cap. 13]; and (d) includes any material for making any explosive and any apparatus, machine, implement or material used or intended to be used or adapted for causing or aiding in causing any explosion in or with any explosive, and any part of any such apparatus, machine or implement; “firearm” means any lethal barrelled weapon of any description from which any shot, bullet or other missile can be discharged or which can be adapted for the discharge of any such shot, bullet or other missile and any weapon of whatever description designed or adapted for the discharge of any noxious liquid, gas or other thing, and includes any component part of any such weapon as aforesaid; “Minister” means the Minister charged with the responsibility for internal security; “offence under this Act” includes an offence under any regulations made under section 72; “officer in charge of a division” means any police officer appointed as such and, when any officer so appointed is unable through absence, illness or otherwise to perform his duties, means the police officer designated, under the authority of the Commissioner of Police, to act for him; “periodical publication” includes every publication issued periodically or in parts or numbers at intervals, whether regular or irregular; “police officer” includes an auxiliary police officer and a special police officer appointed in accordance with any written law for the time being in force; “promoter”, in the case of an entertainment or exhibition promoted by a society, includes the secretary and officials of such society and, in the case of a society organised or having its headquarters outside Singapore, the officials in Singapore of such society; “proprietor” includes the owner, tenant or other person in possession or control of premises and any person who receives payment for the use of premises; “protected place” means any place or premises in relation to which an order made under section 51 is in force; “publication” includes all written, pictorial or printed matter, and everything of a nature similar to written or printed matter, whether or not containing any visible representation, or by its form, shape or in any other manner capable of suggesting words or ideas, and every copy, translation and reproduction or substantial translation or reproduction in part or in whole thereof; “public place” includes any highway, public street, public road, public park or garden, any sea beach, waterway, public bridge, lane, footway, square, court, alley or passage, whether a thoroughfare or not, any unalienated land, any rubber estate, any plantation, any land alienated for agricultural or mining purposes, any theatre or place of public entertainment of any kind or other place of general resort admission to which is obtained by payment or to which the public has access, and any open space to which for the time being the public has or is permitted to have access, whether on payment or otherwise; “public road” means any public highway or any road over which the public has a right of way or is granted access, and includes every road, street, bridge, passage, footway or square over which the public has a right of way or is granted access; “security area” means any area in respect of which a proclamation under section 48 is for the time being in force; “security forces” includes the Singapore Police Force, the Special Constabulary, the auxiliary police force, the Singapore Armed Forces, any local forces established under any written law in force in Singapore, and any force which is a visiting force for the purposes of Part I of the Visiting Forces Act [Cap. 344] and in respect of whom all or any of the powers exercisable by the Singapore Armed Forces or their members under this Act have been made exercisable by an order made under any such law; “supplies” includes ammunition, explosives, firearms, money, food, drink, clothing, medicines, drugs or any other stores, instruments, commodities, articles or things whatsoever; “terrorist” means any person who — (a) by the use of any firearm, explosive or ammunition acts in a manner prejudicial to the public safety or to the maintenance of public order or incites to violence or counsels disobedience to the law or to any lawful order; (b) carries or has in his possession or under his control any firearm, ammunition or explosive without lawful authority therefor; or (c) demands, collects or receives any supplies for the use of any person who intends or is about to act, or has recently acted, in a manner prejudicial to public safety or the maintenance of public order.

PART II GENERAL PROVISIONS RELATING TO INTERNAL SECURITY Chapter I — Prohibition of organisations and; associations of a political or quasi-military; character and uniforms, etc. Prohibition of uniforms of political or quasi-military organisations 3. The Minister may from time to time by order prohibit the wearing in public places or at meetings or gatherings to which the public or any section of the public has access, of — (a) any uniform or dress which signifies association with any political organisation or with the promotion of any political object; or (b) any uniform, dress or emblem by members or adherents of any organisation or association specified or described in the order, whether incorporated or not when, in the opinion of the Minister, members of that organisation or association are organised or trained or equipped for the purpose of enabling them to be employed — (i) in usurping the functions of the police or of the Singapore Armed Forces; or (ii) for the use or display of physical force in promoting any political or other object or in such a manner as to arouse reasonable apprehension that they are organised or trained or equipped for that purpose. Penalty 4. Every person who wears any prohibited uniform, dress or emblem in contravention of an order made under section 3 shall be guilty of an offence under this Part and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $2,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding one year or to both. Prohibition of quasi-military organisations 5.—(1) If the members or adherents of any association of persons, whether incorporated or not, are — (a) organised or trained or equipped for the purpose of enabling them to be employed in usurping the functions of the police or of the Singapore Armed Forces; or (b) organised or trained or equipped either for the purpose of enabling them to be employed for the use or display of physical force in promoting any political or other object, or in such a manner as to arouse reasonable ...