SINGAPORE LEGISLATION

Citation(2001) 13 SAcLJ 223
Date01 December 2001
Published date01 December 2001

Digest of Acts passed between 1st September 2000 and 28th February 2001

(correct as at 31st March 2001)

Compulsory Education Act 2000
Act No. 27 of 2000

Long Title: An Act to provide for compulsory primary education in Singapore and for matters connected therewith.

Passed by Parliament on: 9 October 2000

Assented to by President on: 16 October 2000

Publication date: 25 October 2000

Commencement date: Not yet

Summary: This Act seeks to make provisions for compulsory primary education in the national primary schools to meet 2 key objectives:

  1. (a) to give the children of Singapore a common core knowledge which will provide a strong foundation for further education and training to prepare them for a knowledge-based economy; and

  2. (b) to give the children of Singapore a common educational experience which will help build national identity and cohesion.

A summary of the key provisions is as follows:

Section 3 provides that every child born after 1st January 1996, who is a Singapore citizen of compulsory school age and residing in Singapore, is required to attend regularly at a national primary school. Where such a child fails to so attend, each parent of the child will be guilty of an offence unless he presents a prescribed reason to the satisfaction of the Director-General of Education or unless the child is exempted from this section.

Section 4 empowers the Minister to exempt any child or class of children of compulsory school age from section 3. The exemption may be revoked at any time.

Section 5 provides for the establishment of the Compulsory Education Board (the Board) and ancillary matters relating to the appointment of the chairman and other members, and the proceedings and procedure of the Board.

Related Legislation: Education Act (Cap. 87)

Statutes (Miscellaneous Amendments and Repeal) Act 2000
Act No. 28 of 2000

Long Title: An Act to amend certain statutes of the Republic of Singapore and to repeal certain statutes that are obsolete.

Passed by Parliament on: 9 October 2000

Assented to by President on: 16 October 2000

Publication date: 25 October 2000

Commencement date: 1 November 2000

Summary: This Act seeks to amend certain statutes of the Republic of Singapore and to repeal certain statutes that are obsolete.

The Interpretation Act (Cap. 1) is amended for the following purposes:

  1. (a) to prescribe definitions for “appoint” and “contravene”;

  2. (b) to provide that different grammatical forms of a defined word or expression bear corresponding meanings;

  3. (c) to provide that an example or illustration in relation to a provision of an Act is not to be taken to be exhaustive, and that in the event of an inconsistency between the provision and the example or illustration, the provision will prevail;

  4. (d) to provide that, where a Minister is given the power in any written law to specify, by notification, a day when the written law is to come into operation, the notification may specify different days for different provisions of the written law to come into operation;

  5. (e) to provide that the consequences of a repeal under section 16(2) also applies to any amendment that has the effect of removing or limiting the effect of a written law, or of excluding the application of the written law to any person, subject-matter or circumstance;

  6. (f) to provide that a reference in a written law to an Act includes a reference to subsidiary legislation made under the Act;

  7. (g) to prescribe rules of substantive law to be implied into legislation in relation to the exercise of powers by a statutory body and service of documents.

Section 3 of the Air Navigation Act (Cap. 6) is amended to enable the Minister to make orders to give effect to obligations of Singapore as a member of an international organisation or a party to an international agreement.

Section 130B of the Legal Profession Act (Cap. 161) is amended to provide that, notwithstanding section 27 of the Companies Act (Cap. 50), a Joint Law Venture that is a limited company need not have the word

“Limited” or “Berhad” as part of its name, and a Joint Law Venture that is a private company need not have the word “Private” or “Sendirian” as part of its name. Section 130I is also amended to provide for the registration of all foreign lawyers practising in or employed by a foreign law firm, a Singapore law firm or a Joint Law Venture.

The Medical Registration Act (Cap. 174) is amended by inserting a new section 57A which empowers a Magistrate’s Court or a District Court to impose any punishment authorised by the Act.

Section 2 of the Mental Disorders and Treatment Act (Cap. 178) is amended to re-define the term “medical officer” to include registered medical practitioners who are designated by name or office by the Director of Medical Services in writing for the purposes of the Act (in addition to registered medical practitioners in the service of the Government).

The Monetary Authority of Singapore Act (Cap. 186) is amended by inserting a new section 27A which enables the Monetary Authority of Singapore to issue directions to financial institutions to give effect to decisions of the Security Council of the United Nations.

The Moneylenders Act (Cap. 188) is amended to do away with the requirement for a registered moneylender to deposit with the Commissioner of Stamp Duties a copy of any note or memorandum setting out the contract for repayment of money lent by him.

Section 2 of the Motor Vehicles (Third-Party Risks and Compensation) Act (Cap. 189) is amended to introduce a definition of “relevant amount”. “Relevant amount” is defined as $5,000 or, if an amount has been prescribed, the prescribed amount. Sections 6(1), 9(2), 9(8) and 18 of the Act are amended by replacing the reference to “$5,000” with “relevant amount”. This is to enable future changes to the minimum sum in those sections to be made by rules. Section 18(3) of that Act is also amended —

  1. (a) to require the costs of a public officer or an advocate and solicitor acting on behalf of a claimant for damages in respect of death or injury arising out of the use of a motor vehicle, to be taxed only if there is no agreement between the Public Trustee and the public officer or advocate and solicitor as to the costs; and

  2. (b) to enable the Public Trustee to fix costs if taxation proceedings were not commenced within 3 months after a specified date, unless before that time an agreement as to costs has been reached.

A new section 18A is also inserted which gives the Public Trustee the right to appear and be heard in court in certain proceedings.

The Mutual Assistance in Criminal Matters Act 2000 (Act 12 of 2000) is amended to enable assistance in criminal matters to be provided to prescribed international criminal tribunals.

Section 103 of the Securities Industry Act (Cap. 289) is amended to clarify that the defence in section 103(11) applies also to a civil penalty action for insider trading under section 104A.

Section 22(5) of the Trade Marks Act (Cap. 332) is deleted for purposes of consistency with section 7(10). A new subsection (6) is inserted in section 35 to clarify that an advocate and solicitor is not liable under that section (remedy for groundless threats of infringement proceedings) in respect of an act done in his professional capacity on behalf of a client.

Certain obsolete Acts are repealed.

Supplementary Supply No. 2 Act 2000
Act No. 29 of 2000

Long Title: An Act to provide for making supplementary provision to meet additional expenditure for the financial year 1st April 2000 to 31st March 2001.

Passed by Parliament on: 13 November 2000

Assented to by President on: 17 November 2000

Publication date: 24 November 2000

Commencement date: 22 November 2000

Summary: In accordance with Articles 148(2) and 148C(2) of the Constitution of the Republic of Singapore, this Act seeks to make additional provision for expenditure in excess of the sums authorised by the Supply Act 2000. Supplementary estimates in respect of the additional provision have been laid before Parliament.

Related Legislation: Supply Act 2000 (Act 15 of 2000).

Estate Duty Amendment Act 2000
Act No. 30 of 2000

Long Title: An Act to amend the Estate Duty Act (Chapter 96 of the 1997 Revised Edition).

Passed by Parliament on: 13 November 2000

Assented to by President on: 17 November 2000

Publication date: 24 November 2000

Commencement date: 18 December 2000 and 1 January 2001 for sections 2 and 7

Summary: This Act seeks to amend the Estate Duty Act (Cap. 96).

A summary of the key amendments is as follows:

Section 2 is amended to delete the definition of “estate duty affidavit” and to substitute a definition for “estate duty return”, so as to implement the use of an estate duty return in place of an estate duty affidavit.

Section 4 is amended to allow the Commissioner to authorise any officer to carry out such of his duties under the Act as the Commissioner thinks fit.

Section 14 is amended by inserting a new subsection (5A) to allow dwelling-houses used partly for the purposes of certain trades, businesses, professions or vocations to qualify for exemption from estate duty and by clarifying that a “dwelling-house” does not include a dwelling-house used wholly or partly as a hostel or quarters or any other prescribed purpose.

Goods and Services Tax (Amendment) Act 2000
Act No. 31 of 2000

Long Title: An Act to amend the Goods and Services Tax Act (Chapter 117A of the 1997 Revised Edition).

Passed by Parliament on: 22 November 2000

Assented to by President on: 28 November 2000

Publication date: 18 December 2000

Commencement date: 18 December 2000

Summary: This Act seeks to amend the Goods and Services Tax Act (Cap. 117A).

Section 21(3) is amended to allow the goods and services tax in respect of prescribed trust services to be zero-rated.

Section 33(1) is amended to provide that the Comptroller of...

To continue reading

Request your trial

VLEX uses login cookies to provide you with a better browsing experience. If you click on 'Accept' or continue browsing this site we consider that you accept our cookie policy. ACCEPT