SUSPENSION OF STANDING ORDER 31 (7) AND (8)

Mr Speaker: Before the Hon. The Chief Minister moves this motion, I would like to make the position clear. I allowed the motion to be tabled under the provisions of Standing Order No. 71 because the publication of the correspondence between His Excellency the Governor and the Chief Minister, as the background to the main motion before the House, and the terms of the motion itself, have made it impossible for any reference to the Governor to be excluded, if the motion is to be debated with any degree of thoroughness.

Hon. Members, no doubt, are aware and will appreciate that any reference to the Governor must be completely impersonal, and any other approach will be out of order.

The Chief Minister: Mr Speaker, Sir, I am very much indebted to you. You have made my speech, and it needs no further explanation. I move the motion that stands in my name, namely,

That the provisions of Standing Order 31 (7) and (8) in so far as they refer to the Governor be suspended for the purposes of all discussions under the next item.

The Minister for Labour and Welfare (Mr Lim Yew Hock): Mr Speaker, Sir, I rise to second the motion.

Question proposed.

Mr Lim Choon Mong (Serangoon): Mr Speaker, Sir, in the discussion that is to follow, we have two parties to it - His Excellency the Governor on the one hand, and the Chief Minister on the other. Standing Order No. 31(7) and (8) seeks to remove the protection from one party, whereas the other party is still covered by paragraphs (6) and (9) of the same Standing Order. It would only be fair, Sir, if the above paragraphs of the Standing Order are also suspended so as to accord equal treatment to both parties.

I therefore wish to move an amendment that the following words be inserted after the word "Governor":

"and the provisions of Standing Order 31 (6) and (9)",

so that the whole motion before us would read as follows:

That the provisions of Standing Order 31 (7) and (8) in so far as they refer to the Governor and the provisions of Standing Order 31 (6) and (9) be suspended for the purposes of all discussions under the next item.

Mr Speaker: May I have that in writing, please?

Amendment handed in.

Mr Speaker: You are making it under Standing Order No. 71?

Mr Lim Choon Mong: Yes.

Mr Speaker: Well, I must have the expression of the general assent of the Assembly.

Hon. Members indicated dissent.

Mr Speaker: The amendment is inadmissible.

Original Question put, and agreed to.

Resolved,

That the provisions of Standing Order 31 (7) and (8) in so far as they refer to the Governor be suspended for the purposes of all discussions under the next item.