SINGAPORE LEGISLATION
| Author | CHARLES LIM AENG CHENG |
| Published date | 01 December 1991 |
| Citation | (1991) 3 SAcLJ 152 |
| Date | 01 December 1991 |
Digest of Legislation between January and May 1991
Acts Passed Between January and May 1991 in Alphabetical Order
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Long Title: An Act to amend the Building Control Act (Chapter 29 of the 1990 Revised Edition).
Passed by Parliament on: 20th December 1990
Assented to by President on: 18th January 1991
Publication date: 25th January 1991
Commencement date: 25th January 1991 vide S43/91.
Summary: This Act amends the Building Control Act to enable the Building Authority to deal more effectively with unauthorised buildings and for matters connected therewith.
Section 3 amends section 13 of the Act to further empower the Building Authority to require occupiers of unauthorised buildings to demolish the buildings or to require persons carrying on unauthorised building works in respect of temporary buildings to cease work or demolish the structure, failing which the Build Authority may demolish the unauthorised buildings. The Building Authority is further empowered to order the closure of such unauthorised structures.
Section 4 amends section 25 of the Act to make it clear that the Building Authority can in closing a building demand the removal of and remove goods, furniture and other effects from the building to which the closure order relates.
Section 5 amends section 42 of the Act to provide that any goods, furniture or effects removed by the Building Authority may be sold at the end of two weeks of their removal and, if at the expiration of two years no claim for the proceeds of such sale is made by the owner thereof, the proceeds will be paid into the Consolidated Fund.
Section 6 provides that service of documents under the Act may also be served by affixing the document on a conspicuous part of the premises to which it relates.
Section 7 provides that any temporary permit issued in respect of any temporary building under any written law in force before 1st February 1960 shall be presumed to have lapsed and the Building Authority may take enforcement action in relation to any temporary building in respect of which no temporary permit is in force.
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Long Title: An Act to amend the Constitution of the Republic of Singapore.
Passed by Parliament on: 3rd January 1991
Assented to by President on: 18th January 1991
Publication date: 25th January 1991
Commencement date: 1st February 1991 (Sections 7 & 16 only)
Summary: This Act amends the Constitution of the Republic of Singapore —
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(a) to provide for the election of a President directly by the citizens of Singapore;
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(b) to confer upon the elected President certain functions and powers for the purpose of safeguarding the financial reserves of Singapore and the integrity of the Public Services;
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(c) to change the number of candidates contesting in an election in a group representation constituency; and
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(d) for matters connected therewith.
Comments: This Act popularly referred to as the “Elected President Bill” when it was a Bill was referred to a Parliamentary Select Committee which made substantial changes to the Bill as is reflected in its report. The provisions relating to the Elected President have not as yet come into force.
Related Legislation: Statutes (Miscellaneous Amendments) Act 1991 (Act No. 11 of 1991), Parliamentary Elections (Amendment) Act 1991 (Act No. 9 of 1991) — see below.
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Long Title: An Act to amend the Currency Act (Chapter 69 of the 1985 Revised Edition).
Passed by Parliament on: 20th December 1990
Assented to by President on: 18th January 1991
Publication date: 25th January 1991
Commencement date: 1st February 1991 vide S66/91.
Summary: This Act amends the Currency Act to —
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(a) establish a Currency Reserve Fund to meet shortfalls in the Currency Fund arising from exchange rate fluctuations and foreign investment market value fluctuations and to provide for the investment, income and valuation of that Fund (Section 12);
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(b) abolish the mandatory transfer of the Income Account surplus to the Consolidated Fund and to provide —
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(i) that any such surplus may be paid into the Currency Reserve Fund; and
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(ii) that any deficiency in the Currency Fund would first be made good from the surplus in the Income Account but if that surplus is insufficient the Reserve Fund would be used. Only if both these latter sources are inadequate would the Consolidated Fund be resorted to (section 13); and
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(c) enable the Board to provide custodial services (section 2 and to appoint consultants and agents (section 4).
Opportunity has also been taken to clarify that bank notes that are dealt with illegally shall not be legal tender and to better define the phrase “illegally dealt with” in relation to notes and coins (section 6); and to provide that mutilated notes or coins, or notes or coins that have been illegally dealt with shall be repossessed by the Board (section 9) and that counterfeit notes or coins shall be forfeited (section 14). In addition, a number of minor amendments are made to the Act which are either of a drafting nature or are designed to improve the administration of the Act.
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Long Title: An Act to amend the Customs Act (Chapter 70 of the 1985 Revised Edition).
Passed by Parliament on: 15th January 1991
Assented to by President on: 18th January 1991
Publication date: 25th January 1991
Commencement date: 4th February 1991 vide S46/91.
Summary: This Act amends the Customs Act to allow the Minister for Finance to prescribe by order the minimum amount of petrol that a Singapore registered motor vehicle must have in its fuel supply tank before it can leave or attempt to leave Singapore.
Comment: Section 136A is popularly known as the three-quarter tank rule as the Minister has prescribed three-quarters of a tank as the minimum amount of petrol requirted to be carried.
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Act No. 15 of 1991
Long Title: An Act to amend the Customs Act (Chapter 70 of the 1985 Revised Edition).
Passed by Parliament on: 22nd March 1991
Assented to by President on: 28th March 1991
Publication date: 30th March 1991
Commencement date: 1st April 1991 vide S149/91.
Summary: This Act amends the Customs Act to empower the Minister to direct that a rebate on customs duties be paid in respect of motor cars and that the rebates be set off against specified taxes, levies or fees under the Road Traffic Act.
Comment: This rebate is given in relation to the “weekend car”scheme.
Related Legislation: Road Traffic (Amendment) Act 1991 (Act No. 16 of 1991) — see below.
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Long Title: An Act to amend the Legal Profession Act (Chapter 161 of the 1990 Revised Edition).
Passed by Parliament on: 14th January 1991
Assented to by President on: 18th January 1991
Publication date: 25th January 1991
Commencement date: 1st February 1991 vide S68/91.
Summary: This Act amends the Legal Profession Act for the following purposes:
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(a) to reduce the period of pupillage a qualified person is required to serve with a master who is a legal officer from 3 years to 6 months, as is presently the case for pupillage with a master who is an advocate and solicitor in active practice;
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(b) to allow an advocate and solicitor in active practice of not less than 5 years’ standing to be a master if he has for not less than 5 out of the past 7 years...
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