RUBBER ESTATES (SURCHARGE ON ASSESSMENT) (AMENDMENT) BILL

Order for Second Reading read.

10.49 a.m.

The Assistant Minister for Local Government, Lands and Housing (Mr Tan Theng Chiang): Mr Speaker, Sir, I have His Excellency's consent to proceed with this Bill. Sir, I beg to move, "That the Bill be now read a Second time."

The Rubber Regulation enactments of the Federation of Malaya have been repealed with effect from the 15th January, 1959, and have been replaced by the new Malayan Rubber Fund (Research and Development) Ordinance, 1958, section 13 of which provides for the establishment of a new Malayan Rubber Fund and for a Board, instead of a former Advisory Committee, which will be responsible for the administration of this Fund.

Sir, the Singapore Government has been a contributor to the Malayan Rubber Fund since the enactment of the Rubber Regulation Ordinance, 1959. The objects of the Malayan Rubber Fund are, inter alia, to devote funds for the furtherance of rubber research, improvement of the rubber industry, and support for propaganda relating to rubber. These are laudable objects and the Colony should continue to give support and to contribute to the Fund. These contributions are derived from a surcharge which is levied under section 3 of the Rubber Estates (Surcharge on Assessment) Ordinance, and the proposed enactment of this Ordinance would enable the amount collected to be paid to the new Malayan Rubber Fund constituted under the Federation Ordinance.

A motion to amend a minor typographical error will be moved by me at the Committee stage. 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.

[Mr Speaker in the Chair]

10.52 a.m.

Clause 1 ordered to stand part of the Bill.

Clause 2-

Mr Tan Theng Chiang: Mr Speaker,. Sir, I move,

In page 1, line 10, to leave out "11" and insert "12".

The purpose of this amendment is to correct a typographical error in the reference to the appropriate section of the Rubber Regulation Ordinance.

Amendment agreed to.

Clause 2, as amended, ordered to stand part of the Bill.

Bill reported with an amendment; read the Third time and passed.