SINGAPORE CITIZENSHIP (AMENDMENT NO. 2) BILL

Order for Second Reading read.

11.18 a.m.

The Chief Minister (Dr Lim Yew Hock): Mr Speaker, Sir, I lay upon the Table a Certificate of Urgency signed by His Excellency the Governor in respect of the Singapore Citizenship (Amendment No. 2) Bill.

Certificate of Urgency handed in.

Mr Speaker: The Certificate is in order. Are typed copies of the Bill available for distribution to Members?

The Chief Minister: Yes, Sir.

Typed co pies of the Bill handed in to the Clerk and distributed to hon. Members.

The Chief Minister: Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, "That the Bill be now read a Second time."

Sir, the Singapore Citizenship (Amendment) Ordinance, 1958 came into force on 15th January, 1958. It will be remembered that one of the provisions of that Ordinance was that any person who applied for registration as a citizen before 31st January, 1958 - that is the end of the initial registration period - and was registered within one month after that date, would be deemed to be a citizen of Singapore on 1st February, 1958, for the purpose of being included in the first registers prepared for the Singapore Legislative Assembly elections. 1,412 persons in this category were registered during this extended period of one month. The present Bill seeks to extend this one month period by a further month. The reason is that in respect of a number of persons whose applications were approved by the Minister before 28th February, 1958, it was impossible to complete the formalities by that date and they could only be registered during March. There were a very large number of applications outstanding on 31st January, 1958, for investigation during February and although the Advisory Committee and the Minister concerned considered these applications with all possible speed, there were a number on which it was only possible to complete action leading to approval at the very end of the month. It is considered that it would only be fair that such persons so registered will also be deemed to be citizens of Singapore on 1st February, 1958, for the purpose of being included in the first registers prepared for the Singapore Legislative Assembly elections. This Bill therefore makes enabling provision for the above purpose.

Sir, I beg to move.

Question put, and agreed to.

Bill accordingly read a Second time and committed to a Committee of the whole Assembly.

Assembly immediately resolved itself into a Committee on the Bill. [The Chief Minister].

Bill considered in Committee; reported without amendment; read the Third time and passed.