SOUTHERN ISLANDS LOCAL COUNCIL (AMENDMENT) BILL

Order for Second Reading read.

10.14 a.m.

The Assistant Minister for Local Government, Lands and Housing (Mr Tan Theng Chiang): Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, "That the Bill be now read a Second time."

In line with the proposals to change the franchise to provide for Singapore citizenship, the purpose of this amending Bill is to seek a change in the qualifications of voters of the Southern Islands Local Council which it is proposed will now be Singapore citizenship together with residence in an electoral division of the Southern Islands since the 1st day of February in each year.

Under existing law, a resident must reside in an electoral division for five years before he is eligible to become a voter. A ketua, on the other hand, is still required under the amended subsection 5 (c) to reside in the electoral division in which he seeks election for five years before he is eligible to be a candidate for election to the Local Council as a ketua as it is considered that candidates standing for these elections should be persons who should have knowledge of and who can speak with authority on the local affairs concerning their respective areas.

Sir, if this amendment is passed, it will also enable the Legislative Assembly electoral registers to be used for the purpose of elections to the Southern Islands Local Council and thus avoid the necessity of having to prepare separate registers for this 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. -[Mr Tan Theng Chiang].

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