CHANGES OF ADDRESSES FOR VOTING PURPOSES

Wednesday, 24th April, 1957

Mr William Tan asked the Chief Secretary if he is aware that persons residing in one area have changed their addresses, without actually removing from their existing residences, in order to enable them to vote in another electoral division; and what steps he has taken or will take to prevent such a practice.

Mr S. T. Stewart: The Chief Secretary is not aware that there is any such practice as is alleged in the Question.

Under the present system of maintaining the electoral registers, changes of address which have been notified by electors to the National Registration Office and duly recorded on their Identity Cards are immediately notified to the Registrar of Statistics in his capacity as Registration Officer under the Singapore Legislative Assembly Elections Ordinance (Cap. 53) for amendment of the electoral registers affected. There is no enquiry into the truth of statements regarding changes of address which are made to the National Registration Office, and it would be administratively impossible to institute such enquiries as a matter of routine.

The Member for Tiong Bahru should, however, be aware that there are provisions under two Ordinances designed to penalise the making of false statements as to residence. They are in sections 17 and 21 of the Singapore Legislative Assembly Elections Ordinance (Cap. 53), which deal with claims and objections at the revision of the electoral registers, and in Regulation 16 of the Regulations made in accordance with section 4 of the Registration of Persons Ordinance, 1955. Any practice of the kind described in the Question could be adequately dealt with by the application of these provisions.