SUSPENSION OF STANDING ORDERS

SUSPENSION OF STANDING ORDERS:

The Leader of the House (Mr Mah Bow Tan): Mr Speaker, Sir, may I seek your consent and the general assent of Members present to move that the Petition that has been presented by the Nominated Member be referred to Parliament for consideration during the debate on the Penal Code (Amendment) Bill?

Currently, Standing Order No. 18(3) requires a Petition to be referred to the Public Petitions Committee upon its presentation. In the meantime, the contents of the Petition may not be disclosed or discussed by Members until the Public Petitions Committee has met, deliberated and reported to the House. As Members may be aware, the Petition relates to the Penal Code (Amendment) Bill, the Second Reading of which has been set down on the Order Paper for today. It does not make sense for Members to avoid discussion of the Petition or the contents therein when debating the Penal Code (Amendment) Bill later today. Besides, the content of the Petition has been widely publicised on the media, and a full copy was posted on the Internet for signatures before submission to Parliament. Therefore, in order to enable the Petition to be referred to Parliament for debate during the Second Reading of the Penal Code (Amendment) Bill, I intend to move a motion to seek the general assent of the House to suspend the operation of this Standing Order. I would like to emphasise that the intention of this motion is to facilitate, not avoid, debate on matters raised in the Petition.

The House's agreement to the motion will allow Members to receive a copy of the presented Petition immediately and to fully debate the issues in the Penal Code (Amendment) Bill and the Petition together. This is more appropriate than having the Public Petitions Committee deliberate the Petition. After all, the Public Petitions Committee will not be debating the substance of the Petition but only performing a largely secretarial function by receiving the Petition and then forwarding it back to the House where it may be subsequently debated, if the Member who submitted it wishes. But this issue should be canvassed now together with the other Penal Code amendments.

Mr Speaker, Sir, I have discussed my proposal with the Nominated Member presenting the Petition, and he is supportive of this motion and its intention.

Mr Speaker: I give my consent. Does the Leader of the House have the general assent of hon. Members?

Hon. Members: indicated assent.

Mr Mah Bow Tan: Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move,

"That, notwithstanding the provisions of Standing Order No.18(3) which require a Petition to be referred to the Public Petitions Committee, the Petition presented by the Nominated Member be referred to Parliament for consideration at the Second Reading on the Penal Code (Amendment) Bill."

As I indicated to Members earlier, this motion will enable Members to air their views and raise their concerns on the matters raised in the Petition during the debate on the Second Reading of the Penal Code (Amendment) Bill. Matters in the Petition can therefore be thoroughly and properly debated, discussed and decided by Parliament.

Question put, and resolved.

That, notwithstanding the provisions of Standing Order No. 18(3) which require a Petition to be referred to the Public Petitions Committee, the Petition presented by the Nominated Member be referred to Parliament for consideration at the Second Reading on the Penal Code (Amendment) Bill.

Mr Speaker: I will ask the Clerk to make copies of the Petition available to all Members as soon as they are made.