Suspension of sitting

The Chief Minister: Mr Chairman, Sir -

The Chairman: This is probably a convenient time for suspension?

The Chief Minister: Indeed, I was going to suggest it, Mr Chairman.

Thereupon Mr Speaker left the Chair of the Committee and took the Chair of the Assembly.

Mr Speaker: The sitting is then suspended until half-past two.

Sitting accordingly suspended at 12.18 p.m. until 2.30 p.m. Sitting resumed at 2.30 p.m.

[Mr Speaker in the Chair]

Debate in Committee resumed.

Clauses 1 and 2 ordered to stand part of the Bill.

Clause 3 -

The Chief Minister: If it please you, Mr Chairman, Sir, I move the amendment that stands in my name,

On page 2, lines 4 to 12, to leave out sub-clause (1) and insert the following: -

"(1) If the Governor in Council is satisfied with respect to any person that, with a view to preventing that person from acting in any manner prejudicial to the security of Malaya or the maintenance of public order therein or the maintenance therein of essential services, it is necessary so to do The Chief Secretary shall by order under his hand make an order directing that such person be detained for any period not exceeding two years."

Mr Chairman, Sir, as there are several amendments to this clause, I should like your guidance as to how to proceed. Can we take them one at a time?

The Chairman: Take the one you have just proposed.

The Chief Minister: If it please you, Sir, the amendment I have just proposed, as you are aware, in view of the reference to it in the debate on the Second Reading, was brought about by representations I have received from several quarters - the Chinese Press, the English Press, the Chinese Chamber of Commerce, the Trades Union Congress, and hon. Members opposite. Although it seems a little illogical and undignified that a decision of the Council of Ministers should be subjected to an Appeal Tribunal, nevertheless, in view of the fact that it does seem to be the wish of the people of the country, Sir, Government very gladly accedes, and the amendment is therefore brought to meet that request.

Question, "That sub-clause (1) proposed to be left out, be left out," put, and agreed to.

Question proposed, "That the words proposed to be inserted, be there inserted."

Mr Lee Kuan Yew: Mr Chairman, Sir, the Chief Minister now wishes to insert:

"If the Governor in Council is satisfied with respect to any person that, with a view to preventing that person from acting in any manner prejudicial to the security of Malaya or the maintenance of public order therein or the maintenance therein of essential services, it is necessary so to do, the Chief Secretary shall by order under his hand make an order directing that such person be detained for any period not exceeding two years."

Mr Chairman, Sir, we have heard a great deal of play being made of the fact that the Chief Minister and his Government are improving the Emergency Regulations. May I read to him Regulation 20 of the Emergency Regulations:

"In any case where it appears to him to be necessary or expedient for securing the public safety or for the maintenance of public order the Colonial Secretary may make an order...".

Now, Sir, I do not think it takes anyone with more than just an elementary knowledge of the English language to see that in this amendment, which the Chief Minister seeks to substitute for the one he has just deleted, he has extended the whole scope of Regulation 20. Regulation 20, stringent and harsh as it is, confines itself to cases where the Chief Secretary considers it "to be necessary or expedient for securing the public safety or for the maintenance of public order". The amendment the Chief Minister seeks to introduce reads:

"...that, with a view to preventing that person from acting in any manner prejudicial to the security of Malaya...".

He may say that it is the same as what was said before, except that he has extended it from the Colony to this undefined term called "Malaya". There is no way to find out either in these Regulations or in any other -

The Attorney-General (Mr C. H. Butterfield): It is defined in the Interpretation Ordinance.

The Chairman: Order, please.

Mr Lee Kuan Yew: "Defined in the Interpretation Ordinance", says the Attorney-General. "Security of Malaya" is an extension from "public safety" and there is a further extension to "maintenance of public order therein or the maintenance therein of essential services".

Sir, according to General Bourne and his predecessors - Briggs, Templer and a host of illustrious Generals and sub-Generals - the Emergency has been improving day by day, week by week, and month by month, and this has been achieved without unnecessary interference with the legitimate activities of people in essential services.

I do not feel, Mr Chairman, Sir, that the Chief Minister has given us any reason at all why he should now seek to bring into the purview of the powers of the Government those people whose activities, whether connected with trade unions or otherwise, might be construed as endangering "the maintenance therein of essential services". I do not feel that there is any reason, nor indeed has any reason been advanced, why the Regulations now embodied in the Public Security Bill should be further enlarged.

Mr Goode: Mr Chairman, Sir, the Member for Tanjong Pagar suggested that no reason had been given for the extension of the scope of this clause. Unfortunately, he did not listen to my hon. Friend the Chief Minister who, in speaking on the Second Reading, took some pains to explain why it was that, in our opinion, on this side of the House, it was necessary to extend the scope of this clause to cover subversive activities in essential services. There will, of course, as we have given many assurances, be no deliberate interference with legitimate trade unionism, but we are concerned with having adequate powers in our possession to deal with a recurrence of a situation which was developing here in June.

Question, "That the words proposed to be inserted, be there inserted," put, and agreed to.

The Chief Minister: If it please you. Mr Chairman, I now move,

On page 2, after line 12, a new subclause (2) be inserted after subclause (1) reading:

"(2) For the purposes of the foregoing subsection "essential services" means any service, business, trade, undertaking, manufacture or calling included in the First Schedule to this Ordinance."

You will remember, Sir, that at the Second Reading, some alarm was indicated at the wide nature of the phrase "essential services", and in order to allay that alarm, the matter was studied and this sub clause is now introduced. You also have before you now, Sir, an amendment that will come later indicating exactly what are "essential services". I beg to move the amendment that stands in my name.

Question, "That the words proposed to be inserted, be there inserted," put, and agreed to.

The Chief Minister: Mr Chairman, Sir, I move,

On page 2, line 13, to leave out "(2)" and insert "(3)";

On page 2, line 18, to leave out "(3)" and insert "(4)".

These are consequential amendments.

Question, "That the figurer '(2)' in line 13 on page 2 proposed to be left out, be left out," put, and agreed to.

Question, "That the figure '(3)' proposed to be inserted, be there inserted," put, and agreed to.

Question, "That the figure '(3)' in line 18 on page 2 proposed to be left out, be left out," put, and agreed to.

Question, "That the figure '(4)' proposed to be inserted, be there inserted," put, and agreed to.

The Chief Minister: If it please you, Mr Chairman, Sir, I move,

On page 2, line 19, to leave out "empowered" and insert "required".

This is consequential on the amendment to clause 1, because the Chief Secretary is no longer "empowered" to take any action but will be "required" by the Council of Ministers to take it.

Question, "That the word 'empowered' proposed to be left out, be left out," put, and agreed to.

Question, "That the word 'required' proposed to be inserted, be there inserted," put, and agreed to.

Clause, as amended, ordered to stand part of the Bill.

Clause 4 ordered to stand part of the Bill.

Clause 5 -

The Chief Minister: If it please you, Mr Chairman, Sir, on page 3, lines 23, 29 and 31, may I, after the word "order", insert the words "or direction"? Sir, this arises out of the directions that may be issued as a result of the provisions of clause 4. There are several amendments in clause 5. Perhaps we could take that one first, Sir?

The Chairman: Yes.

The Chief Minister: Sir, I move,

On page 3, lines 23, 29 and 31, after "order" in each case to insert "or direction".

Question, "That the words 'or direction' proposed to be inserted in each case, be there inserted," put, and agreed to.

The Chief Minister: Clause 5, subclause (2), Sir, reads:

"For the purpose of enabling a person to prosecute such appeal he shall, within one month of the making of the order or direction, be informed of his right of appeal and be furnished...".

If it please you, Sir, representations have been made to me by the Chinese Chamber of Commerce that this thirty days is giving rather too wide a limit to the Executive, and that we should be in a position to give the detainee the necessary information within fourteen days. On studying this matter, Sir, I find that the request is a perfectly legitimate one and can be acceded to. In the circumstances, Sir, I move,

On page 3, line 28, to leave out "one month" and insert "fourteen days".

Question, "That the words 'one month' proposed to be left out, be left out," put, and agreed to.

Question, "That the words 'fourteen days' proposed to be inserted, be there inserted," put, and agreed to.

Clause, as amended, ordered to stand part of the Bill.

Clause 6 ordered to stand part of the Bill.

Clause 7 -

The Chairman: Mr Chief Minister, I think you have an amendment?

The Chief Minister: If it please you, Mr Chairman, Sir, I did give notice of an amendment and I do apologise for the lateness of that amendment. I am indebted to the Clerk of the Assembly for facilitating these matters. I move,

On page 4, lines 10 and 12, after "order" in each case to insert "or direction".

The amendment, Sir, is consequential as indicated before.

Question, "That the words 'or direction' proposed to be inserted in each case, be there inserted," put, and agreed to.

Clause, as amended, ordered to stand part of the Bill.

Clause 8 -

The Chief Minister: If it please you, Mr Chairman, Sir, this is an amendment arising in the same fashion. I move,

On page 4, lines 14 and 27, after "order" in each case to insert "or direction".

Question, "That the words 'or direction' proposed to be inserted in each case, be there inserted," put, and agreed to.

Clause, as amended, ordered to stand part of the Bill.

Clauses 9 to 13 inclusive ordered to stand part of the Bill.

Clause 14 -

The Chief Minister: If it please you, Mr Chairman, Sir, I move,

On page 6, line 3, to leave out the full stop and insert a colon, and thereafter insert:

"and provided further that without prejudice to the provisions of section 3 of this Ordinance where any person arrested and detained under the provisions of this subsection satisfies the Governor in Council that he was ordinarily resident in the Colony for a period of not less than three years immediately preceding the date on which such warrant or order was made and was actually in the Colony on the said date such person shall be forthwith released."

This amendment arises out of representations received from the Chinese Chamber of Commerce, Sir, in which it was pointed out that, under the provisions of this clause, the Federation Government could order the arrest of a person who might normally be a resi- dent in the Colony and that a Machiavellian government might seek the assistance of the Federation Government in order to arrest a person it does not wish to see arrested. Well, Sir, to meet that extremely remote probability, we have introduced this provision that a person normally resident in Singapore cannot be detained by order of the Federation Government.

The Chairman: The first Question, of course, is that the full stop proposed to be left out, be left out. But, can I have some clarification, Mr Chief Minister?

The Chief Minister: If it please you, Mr Chairman.

The Chairman: You are moving this amendment after line 3. Is it a new proviso?

The Chief Minister: It is indeed, Sir. I have deleted the full stop, put a colon there, and thereafter inserted this new proviso:

"and provided further ...".

The Chairman: So your "and" will have a capital "A"?

The Chief Minister: Yes, Sir, if it please you.

The Chairman: It is a typographical error.

The Chief Minister: If it please you, Sir, yes.

Question, "That the full stop proposed to be left out, be left out," put, and agreed to.

Question, "That a colon proposed to be inserted, be there inserted," put, and agreed to.

Question, "That the words after the colon proposed to be inserted, be there inserted," put, and agreed to.

Clause, as amended, ordered to stand part of the Bill.

Clause 15 ordered to stand part of the Bill.

Clause 16 -

The Chairman: I have had notice of two amendments. One is from the Chief Minister, and the other is from the Member for Serangoon (Mr Lim Choon Mong). The Chief Minister's amendment, in some measure, takes in the amendment proposed by Mr Lim Choon Mong. I will therefore call the Chief Minister's amendment first.

The Chief Minister: If it please you, Mr Chairman, Sir, many representations have been made on this particular clause, and very considerable study has been given by us in order to make it acceptable within the framework of the practical aspects. In the circumstances, Sir, I move,

On page 7, lines 13 to 19, to leave out:

"Any police officer not below the rank of Inspector may without warrant, and with or without assistance-

(a) enter and search any premises;

(b) board and search any vessel, not being or having the status of a ship of war;

(c) stop and search any vehicle or individual, whether in a public place or not,",

and insert:

"Any police officer may, without warrant and with or without assistance -

(a) if not below the rank of Assistant Superintendent of Police, enter and search any premises;

(b) if not below the rank of Inspector,

(i) board and search any vessel, not being or having the status of a ship of war;

(ii) stop and search any vehicle or individual, whether in a public place or not,".

Sir, it will be noticed there that, in respect of the search of premises, the presence of an Assistant Superintendent of Police is now necessary; but in respect of the search of vessels, we have found that impracticable, because it is not always possible to send out Assistant Superintendents of Police in Marine launches for the purposes of stopping a tongkang and searching it.

As regards the question of stopping and searching an individual in a public place or otherwise, there may arise occasions of emergency when it is not possible to have an Assistant Superintendent of Police. In those circumstances, Sir, we are now improving that clause to the extent of requiring an Assistant Superintendent of Police before the police can enter and search premises.

Question proposed, "That the words proposed to be left out, be left out."

Mr Lim Choon Mong: Mr Chairman, Sir, when I proposed that amendment, I was thinking that, in the interest of the public, they should not be disturbed on insignificant occasions, and also that we do not have so many subversive elements as to warrant Inspectors going into and searching every house. However, the Chief Minister has taken up our suggestion and has amended it accordingly, and I am supporting his motion.

Question, "That the words proposed to be left out, be left out," put, and agreed to.

Question proposed, "That the words proposed to be inserted, be there inserted."

Mr Lee Kuan Yew: Mr Chairman, Sir, does it really matter whether it is an Assistant Superintendent of Police or an Inspector of Police who has the power to do these things? If we start quibbling over these things - whether the right of privacy should not be invaded by an Inspector of Police, and therefore unjustified, but by a person who wears three stars on his shoulders, and therefore justified - I think we will get ourselves thoroughly bogged down in a morass in which we will finally wind up by believing - as the Chief Minister once said - that white is black and black is white. We feel that the whole Bill is contrary to freedom and this amendment does not make it any the more palatable.

Question, "That the words proposed to be inserted, be there inserted," put, and agreed to.

The Chairman: Mr Chief Minister, you have another amendment?

The Chief Minister: If it please you, Mr Chairman, Sir, I move that clause 16, line 27 -

The Chairman: Will you take your previous one, Mr Chief Minister - lines 23, 24 and 25?

The Chief Minister: Thank you, Mr Chairman, Sir. I move,

On page 7, lines 23, 24 and 25, to leave out "or to promote feelings of illwill or hostility between different races or classes of the population". This is to meet objections raised by the Chinese Chamber of Commerce and it is found that we do not require executive powers.

Question, "That the words proposed to be left out, be left out," put, and agreed to.

The Chief Minister: If it please you, Mr Chairman, Sir, I move,

On page 7, line 27, to leave out the full stop and insert a colon and thereafter insert:

"Provided always that any police officer not below the rank of Inspector may exercise the powers conferred by this subsection on a police officer not below the rank of Assistant Superintendent of Police if he has good grounds for believing that by reason of the delay which would be caused by referring to an officer not below the rank of Assistant Superintendent of Police any document liable to seizure under the provisions of this subsection is likely to be removed therefrom."

This is self-explanatory, Mr Chairman, Sir.

Question, "That the full stop proposed to be left out, be left out," put, and agreed to.

Question, "That a colon proposed to be inserted, be there inserted," put, and agreed to.

Question, "That the words proposed to be inserted after the colon, be there inserted," put, and agreed to.

Clause, as amended, ordered to stand part of the Bill.

Clause 17 ordered to stand part of the Bill.

Clause 18 -

The Chief Minister: If it please you, Mr Chairman, Sir, since we have now added another Schedule to this Bill, it is necessary to amend line 44. Sir, I move,

On page 8, line 44, before "Schedule" to insert "Second".

The Chairman: I might remind hon. Members that the First Schedule proposed will, of course, be debated later on. Dependent on that First Schedule being accepted, this amendment will then take effect, so will Members please bear that in mind when they vote on this Question?

Question, "That the word 'Second' proposed to be inserted, be there inserted," put, and agreed to.

Clause, as amended, ordered to stand part of the Bill.

The Chairman: The Clerk has drawn my attention, Mr Chief Minister, to page 9, sub-clause (5). Perhaps the word "First" should read "Second".

The Chief Minister: I am indebted to you, Sir.

The Chairman: Will you amend in the Third Reading?

The Chief Minister: Can I, Sir?

The Chairman: Yes, as a typographical error.

The Chief Minister: If it please you, Sir.

Clause 19 -

The Chief Minister: If it please you, Mr Chairman, Sir, I move,

On page 9, lines 24 and 25, to leave out "by order require any" and insert ", subject to such exceptions as may be specified therein, by order require every".

The amendment is necessary, Sir, in order to give the Commissioner of Police powers to exempt classes of persons or individuals from the provisions of the curfew order.

Question, "That the words proposed to be left out, be left out," put, and agreed to.

Question, "That the words proposed to be inserted, be there inserted," put, and agreed to.

Clause, as amended, ordered to stand part of the Bill.

Clauses 20 to 23 inclusive ordered to stand part of the Bill.

Clause 24 -

Mr Lim Koon Teck: Mr Chairman, Sir, I move the deletion of the proviso within the proviso in clause 24 (1) (b) of the Bill.

Under our law, which follows the Indian Penal Code, no statement made to a police officer by a person under arrest can be used against him. There must have been very good reasons for such a provision. I think it was because some officers in the past were not too scrupulous as to how they obtained their statements, and, therefore, no statements, unless they amounted to a confession taken before a magistrate with due warning, could be used in court against an accused person. Under the Emergency Regulations, which follow the English law, this long-standing practice has been changed so that a statement by a person in custody to or within the hearing of a Police Inspector can be used against him in his trial in court provided:

(1) that he has not been induced or threatened to make a statement, and,

(2) that he has been cautioned to the effect that he is not obliged to say anything, but what he says may be used as evidence against him.

We have accepted this principle that extraordinary times require extraordinary measures, and I, for one, do not quarrel with the provisions so far. But there is another proviso within this proviso to the effect that if a statement is made before there is time to caution him, it shall not be rendered inadmissible in evidence merely by reason of no such caution having been given if it has been given as soon as possible.

This clause is a fairly lengthy one. It takes up the whole of page 11 in the Bill, and I am sure those Members of the Assembly who are not legally trained will have to read this clause several times before they can understand it. I am afraid the poor police officer who has to learn this clause and use it three months or a year or two years after he has read it, or has been taught it, will not be able to remember all the provisions in their true perspective, and, like most of us, he will probably take the easiest course and think that so long as there is no time to question the suspect, it is not necessary to caution him.

The essence of good law is that it should be simple, clear, and unequivocal. I will read the clause:

"(1) Where any person is charged with any offence against this Ordinance or with any offence arising out of or in connection with an occasion of emergency or public danger ... any statement, whether such statement amounts to a confession or not...; made at any time, whether before or after such person is charged and whether in the course of a police investigation or not, by such person to or in the hearing of any police officer of or above the rank of Inspector shall, notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in any written law, be admissible at his trial and can be used to cross-examine him, if he puts himself out as a witness

Provided that no such statement shall be admissible or used as aforesaid -

(a) if the making of the statement appears to the Court to have been caused by any inducement, threat or promise having reference to the charge against such person, proceeding from a person in authority and sufficient in the opinion of the Court, to give such person grounds which would appear to him reasonable for supposing that by making it he would gain any advantage or avoid any evil of a temporal nature in reference to the proceeding against him; or

(b) in the case of a statement made by such person after his arrest unless the Court is satisfied that a caution was administered to him in the following words or words to the like effect - "Do you wish to say anything? You are not obliged to say anything unless you wish to do so but whatever you say will be taken down in writing and may be given in evidence.":

Provided that a statement made by any person before there is time to caution him shall not be rendered inadmissible in evidence merely by reason of no such caution having been given if it has been given as soon as possible."

Now, Sir, I maintain that this clause, as it stands, is anything but clear and unequivocal. What is the test as to whether there is time to caution the accused? What is the test that the caution has been given as soon as possible? It is a human failing amongst us to justify our acts of omission. How easy it is to justify oneself by saying, "I had no time to do such a thing, but I did it as soon as possible." Sir, I submit that this proviso within the proviso tends to negative the provisions of clause 24 (1) (b) which is one of the vital elements for allowing such a clause to be used against the trend of our Evidence Ordinance.

I therefore move, Sir, that the proviso within the proviso on page 11, lines 35 to 39, be left out from clause 24 (1).

The Chairman: It has been proposed, on page 11, line 34, to leave out the semicolon, and then in lines 35 to 39 to leave out the following words:

"Provided that a statement made by any person before there is time to caution him shall not be rendered inadmissible in evidence merely by reason of no such caution having been given if it has been given as soon as possible."

The first Question is that the semicolon proposed to be left out, be left out.

Mr Francis Thomas: It is a colon, Sir.

The Chairman: It is indeed a colon, Mr Thomas! The first Question is that the colon proposed to be left out, be left out.

Mr Butterfield: Sir, I must confess that I do not share the difficulty experienced by the Member who has moved this amendment, particularly when he read out the clause, save where he departed from the words of the clause at the end of subclause (1).

Now, I think it is important, when considering this amendment, that the Assembly should not lose sight of the fact that it is of the essence of this clause that only statements which have been voluntarily made should be admissible and that no advantage should be taken of a prisoner who is in custody. Sir, the proviso is expressly designed to avoid rendering inadmissible a statement which is, in all respects, a statement which has been voluntarily made, merely because - and I stress this as it is a word which appears in the proviso - merely because no caution has been given in cases where there was no time in which to administer the caution before the statement was made, and where the caution has been given as soon as possible. Now, on this basis, Sir, the scope of the clause would be unduly limited if voluntary statements of a certain class were to be rendered inadmissible, and that is precisely the effect which this amendment would have and, for that reason, I would ask the Assembly to resist this amendment.

Mr Goode: Sir, the Member moving this amendment stated that some police officers were not too scrupulous and he also said that police officers would have difficulty in learning the meaning of this clause in the Bill. I should like to suggest, Sir, that the Member underrates both the integrity and the intelligence of Police Inspectors.

I had hoped, possibly, that when he opened his remarks he had not noticed that this clause referred only to Inspectors. It does refer to Inspectors and I can assure this House that we have every confidence in the integrity with which our Inspectors discharge their duty.

As regards difficulty in mastering this clause, I do not share the Member's fears at all. There is nothing unusual about this clause. It is a standard form of clause which has, in fact, been in operation here for many years and it is indeed the standard practice in many countries where it is applied to all ranks in the Police Force, as, for example, the United Kingdom. I see no reason at all why Inspectors and above in the Singapore Police Force should not be able to apply this clause with complete intelligence and with complete integrity.

Mr Lim Koon Teck: Mr Chairman, Sir, far be it from me to cast aspersions on any Police Inspector, my reference was to the origin of this law which, following the Indian Penal Code, excluded the use of such statements obtained by the Police.

Mr Lee Kuan Yew: Procedure Code.

Question, "That the colon proposed to be left out, be left out," put, and negatived.

Clause ordered to stand part of the Bill.

Clauses 25 to 32 inclusive ordered to stand part of the Bill.

Clause 33 -

The Chief Minister: If it please you, Mr Chairman, Sir, the Member for Seletar (Mr Nair) did ask that there should be an extension of the improved procedure under this Bill to those who have been detained under the provisions of the Emergency Regulations, and in order to meet that Member's legitimate request, I move,

On page 13, line 35, after "extended" to insert "and provided further that the provisions of section 8 of this Ordinance relating to review shall apply to any such order or direction made under the provisions of regulation 20 or regulation 20A of the Emergency Regulations, 1948 as if it were an order or direction made under the provisions of section 3 or section 4 of this Ordinance, as the case may be".

The Chairman: I expect you would want to delete the full stop, Mr Chief Minister?

The Chief Minister: Indeed, you are right, Sir. I move that the full stop be deleted and, in place thereof, a comma be inserted and the following words be inserted -

The Chairman: Do you really want a comma?

The Chief Minister: I will leave it out, Sir.

Question, "That the full stop proposed to be left out, be left out," put, and agreed to.

Question, "That the words proposed to be inserted, be there inserted," put, and agreed to.

Clause, as amended, ordered to stand part of the Bill.

The Schedule -

The Chief Minister: If it please you, Mr Chairman, Sir, in view of the amendments to clause 3, it is now necessary to amend the words "The Schedule" and I move,

On page 13, to leave out "The Schedule" and insert "Second Schedule".

Question, "That the words 'The Schedule' proposed to be left out, be left out," put, and agreed to.

Question, "That the words 'Second Schedule' proposed to be inserted, be there inserted," put, and agreed to.

New First Schedule -

The Chairman: There is now a new First Schedule to be added. Will the Chief Minister please bring it up to start off with?

The Chief Minister: If it please you, Mr Chairman, Sir, I move,

On page 13, line 35, at the end of clause 33, to insert -

The Chairman: This is a new Schedule, Mr Chief Minister?

The Chief Minister: A new Schedule, Sir.

The Chairman: Will you let the Clerk read the Schedule as a First Reading?

The Chief Minister: Yes, Sir. "FIRST SCHEDULE. (Section 3). ESSENTIAL SERVICES. 1. Water Services. 2. Gas Services. 3. Electricity Services. 4. Public Health Services. 5. Fire Services. 6. Prison Services. 7. Postal Services. 8. Telephone Services and Undertakings. 9. Telegraph Services and Undertakings. 10.Port, Dock and Harbour Services and Undertakings. 11.Bulk Distribution of Fuel and Lubricants."

Brought up, and read the First time.

The Chairman: Now, Mr Chief Minister, will you move that the First Schedule be read a Second time?

The Chief Minister: I beg to move,

"That the First Schedule be read a Second time."

The Chairman: You can make your speech now.

The Chief Minister: If it please you, Mr Chairman, Sir, I am a little confused. We have had the Second Schedule?

The Chairman: Yes, you can now speak on this proposal.

The Chief Minister: On the First Schedule?

The Chairman: On the First Schedule.

The Chief Minister: If it please you, Mr Chairman, Sir, the First Schedule arises out of the amendments to clause 3, and in order to define "essential services", as it seems to be desired by several quarters, we have now used this Schedule which, in the main, refers to public services. I therefore formally move.

Question, "That the First Schedule be read a Second time," put, and agreed to.

The Chairman: Now, of course, hon. Members can move any amendments if they so desire.

Question, "That the 'First Schedule' be added to the Bill," put, and agreed to.

Bill reported, with Amendments.

Third Reading

Mr Speaker: Third Reading, what day?

The Chief Minister: Now, Sir. I beg to move, Sir, "That the Bill, as amended, be now read the Third time."

I ask that the word "First" in clause 18 (5), page 9, line 22 be left out and in place thereof be inserted the word "Second".

Mr Speaker: Under the provisions of Standing Order 56 (2), I allow that amendment.

Question put, "That the Bill, as amended, be now read the Third time."

Mr Lee Kuan Yew: Division, Sir.

The House divided: Ayes, 19; Noes, 4; Abstentions, 7. Ayes Noes Abdul Hamid Bin Ahmad Bin Ibrahim. Haji Jumat. Goh Chew Chua. Braga, A. J. Lee Kuan Yew. Butterfield, C. H. Lim Ching Siong. Goode, W. A. C. Hart, T. M. Jumabhoy, J. M. Lazarous, A. R. Abstentions Lee Choon Eng. Ede, John. Lim, R. C. H. Goh Tong Liang. Lim Yew Hock. Jumabhoy, R. Mak Pak Shee. Lim Cher Kheng. Marshall, D. S. Lim Choon Mong. Mohamed Sidik Bin Lim Koon Teck. Haji Abdul Hamid. Tan, William. Nair, M. P. D. Ong Piah Teng. Seah Peng Chuan. Tan Theng Chiang. Absent Thomas, Francis. Chew Swee Kee. Wong Foo Nam. Sutherland, G. A. P.

Bill, as amended, accordingly read the Third time.