SINGAPORE LEGISLATION

• Date: 01 December 1990
• Author: CHARLES LIM AENG CHENG
• Citation: (1990) 2 SAcLJ 134
• Published date: 01 December 1990

A Digest of Legislation Passed Between July 1989 and May 1990.

I. Acts Passed Between July 1989 and May 1990

Constitution of the Republic of Singapore (Amendment) Act 1990

Act No. 11 of 1990

Long title: An Act to amend the Constitution of the Republic of Singapore.

Passed by Parliament on: 29 March 1990

Assented to by President on: 31 March 1990

Publication date: 7 April 1990

Commencement date: Not in force as at 1 June 1990.

Summary: This Act amends the Constitution to provide for the appointment of a maximum of 6 nominated Members of Parliament. The appointment will be made by the President on the nomination of a Special Select Committee of Parliament. In preparing the list of nominees, the Select Committee will invite the general public to submit the names of suitable persons.

Comments: This Act when it was a Bill was referred to a Select Committee which proposed certain significant amendments to the Bill including giving each Parliament the discretion to decide whether it wants to have NMPS for the life of that Parliament.

Constitution of the Republic of Singapore (Amendment No. 2) Act 1990,

Act No. 12 of 1990

Long title: An Act to amend the Constitution of the Republic of Singapore.

Passed by Parliament on: 29 March 1990

Assented to by President on: 31 March 1990

Publication date: 7 April 1990

Commencement date: Not in force as at 1 June 1990.

Summary: This Act amends the Constitution to establish the Education Service Commission and the Police and Civil Defence Services Commission.

Comments: The new Commissions are subordinate to the Public Service Commission which will continue to exercise certain functions such as disciplinary control over public officers who are governed by the new Commissions.

Census (Amendment) Act 1990

Act No. 8 of 1990

Long title: An Act to amend the Census Act (Cap 35)

Passed by Parliament on: 28 March 1990

Assented to by President on: 31 March 1990

Publication date: 6 April 1990

Commencement date: 6 April 1990 vide S. 145/90

Summary: This Act amends the Census Act to -

1. (a) enable the Superintendent of Census to gain access to information obtained by a competent authority under any written law specified in the First Schedule;

2. (b) enable the Superintendent of Census to disclose census information to certain public authorities subject to the restriction that such information could have been obtained by such authorities under some other written law. It will be an offence for any person employed in or by such an authority to further disclose the information without the approval of the Superintendent;

3. (c) increase the penalty under sections 17 and 18 from $500 to $1000.

Related legislation: Statistics (Amendment) Act 1990.

Central Provident Fund (Amendment No. 2) Act 1989

Act No. 30 of 1989

Long title: An Act to amend the Central Provident Fund Act (Cap 36).

Passed by Parliament on: 11 July 1989

Assented to by President on: 22 July 1989

Publication date: 28 July 1989

Commencement date: 1 June 1989

Summary: This Act amends the Central Provident Fund Act to permit any member of the Fund to withdraw moneys standing to his credit in the Fund to be used for the payment of tuition fees payable by the member, his child or relative at an approved tertiary institution in Singapore subject to such terms and conditions as the Board may impose. A member, his child or relative who wishes to make such withdrawals will be required to give an undertaking and furnish a guarantee to repay all moneys withdrawn to the Board to the account from which it was withdrawn.

Comments: The Act has retrospective effect from 1 June 1989.

Companies (Amendment) Act 1989

Act No. 40 of 1989

Long title: An Act to amend the Companies Act (Cap 50)

Passed by Parliament on: 30 November 1989

Assented to by President on: 27 December 1989

Publication date: 19 January 1990

Commencement date: 23 March 1990 vide S.116/90

Summary: This Act amends the Companies Act in 2 major respects:

1. (a) by, on the one hand liberalising the prospectus requirements of the Act so as to facilitate the development and advancement of the bond and equity markets, both on the domestic and international levels;

2. (b) by, on the other hand providing more effective means to prevent and detect frauds in companies through the establishment of a system of internal accounting controls and audit committees and at the same time by placing a statutory duty on auditors to report offences involving fraud and dishonesty to the Minister.

Comments: The Act when it was a Bill was referred to a Select Committee which made amendments to the Bill.

Criminal Law (Temporary Provisions) (Amendment) Act 1989

Act No. 33 of 1989

Long title: An Act to amend the Criminal Law (Temporary Provisions) Act (Cap. 67)

Passed by Parliament on: 4 August 1989

Assented to by President on: 19 August 1989

Publication date: 8 September 1989

Commencement date: 8 September 1989

Summary: This Act amends the Criminal Law (Temporary Provisions) Act, which would, if unextended, have lapsed on 20 October 1989, to extend the operation of the Act for a further period of 5 years.

Co-operative Societies (Amendment) Act 1990

Act No. 13 of 1990

Long title: An Act to amend the Co-operative Societies Act (Cap. 62).

Passed by Parliament on: 29 March 1990

Assented to by President on: 31 March 1990

Publication date: 7 April 1990

Commencement date: 16 April 1990 vide S.156/90:

Summary: This Act amends the Co-operative Societies Act to vary the amount of contributions to be made by co-operative societies to the Central Co-operative Fund and allows the societies an option to make certain contributions either to the Fund or the Singapore Labour Foundation.

Environmental Public Health (Amendment) Act 1989

Act No. 37 of 1989

Long title: An Act to amend the Environmental Public Health Act (Cap. 95).

Passed by Parliament on: 30 November 1989

Assented to by President on: 27 December 1989

Publication date: 12 January 1990

Commencement date: 15 January 1990 vide S12/90

Summary: This Act amends the Environmental Public Health Act (Cap. 95) to enable the Commissioner of Public Health with the approval of the Minister to authorise any member of a Town Council or a committee thereof or any of its employees or agents to exercise certain powers under the Act.

Housing and Development (Amendment) Act 1989

Act No. 28 of 1989

Long title: An Act to amend the Housing and Development Act (Cap. 129).

Passed by Parliament on: 11 July 1989

Assented to by President on: 22 July 1989

Publication date: 4 August 1989

Commencement date: 4 August 1989 vide S.331/89

Summary: This Act amends the Housing and Development Act to-

1. (a) enable the HDB with the approval of the Minister to incorporate private companies to grant loans to companies in which the HDB holds any shares and to invest in shares of any private or public company;

2. (b) enable the HDB in making rules to impose a penalty on owners of HDB and HUDC properties for late payment of loan instalments due to the HDB;

3. (c) provide the HDB powers of composition for certain minor offences under the rules;

4. (d) impose liability on the owner of a vehicle in respect of which a parking offence under rules made under the Act is committed;

5. (e) enable the HDB with the approval of the Minister to delegate to Town Councils, any member of a Town Council or committee of a Town Council, or any employee or agent of a Town Council any power of the Board under the rules made under section 27;

6. (f) modify the HDB’s accounting procedure in relation to tender deposits it receives and to modify the qualifications for appointment as the HDB’s auditor and his functions;

7. (g) enable a police officer, a HDB employee or Town Council employee who reasonably suspects another person of committing an offence to request that other person to furnish evidence of his identity and to make it an offence if he fails to do so;

8. (h) enable the HDB to serve...