Suspension of Standing Orders to Allow Senior Minister of State and Minister of State to Speak More than Once, and to Remove Time Limit for Speeches

1.47 pm

Mr Speaker: Before I call on the Acting Minister, Leader.

The Leader of the House (Ms Indranee Rajah): Mr Speaker, may I seek your consent and the general assent of Members present to move that the proceedings under discussion be exempted from the provisions of Standing Order No 48(3) to enable Senior Minister of State Ms Sim Ann and Minister of State Mr Baey Yam Keng to speak more than once in respect of their speeches for the Second Reading of the Land Transport and Related Matters Bill; and also, be exempted from the provisions of Standing Order No 48(8) to remove the time limits in respect of Senior Minister of State Ms Sim Ann's and Minister of State Mr Baey Yam Keng's speeches for the Second Reading of the Land Transport and Related Matters Bill.

Ordinarily, a Member, other than the mover of the Bill, will only have the right to speak once. Acting Minister Jeffrey Siow will be moving the Second Reading of the Land Transport and Related Matters Bill and will speak on the amendments pertaining to the Electronic Road Pricing 2.0 system and serious vehicular offences.

I understand Minister of State Mr Baey Yam Keng will speak on the active mobility related amendments and Senior Minister of State Ms Sim Ann, on behalf of the Minister for Home Affairs, will speak on the new offences and increase in penalties relating to the speed limiters and other miscellaneous amendments.

Senior Minister of State Sim Ann and Minister of State Baey will, in the course of the debate, have to respond to queries and clarifications from Members, and although their speeches, they assure me, are short and keeping it tight, they may not be able to complete within the time limit. And so, as a matter of precaution, I am asking to lift the time limit in respect of their speeches.

Mr Speaker: I give my consent. Does the Leader of the House have the general assent of hon Members present to so move.

Hon Members indicated assent.

With the consent of Mr Speaker and the general assent of Members present,

Question put, and agreed to.

Resolved, "That the proceedings under discussion be exempted from the provisions of Standing Order No 48(3) to enable Senior Minister of State Ms Sim Ann and Minister of State Mr Baey Yam Keng to speak more than once for the Second Reading of the Land Transport and Related Matters Bill; and also, be exempted from the provisions of Standing Order 48(8) to remove the time limits in respect of Senior Minister of State Ms Sim Ann's and Minister of State Mr Baey Yam Keng's speeches for the Second Reading of the Land Transport and Related Matters Bill.– [Ms Indranee Rajah.]