PRINTING PRESSES (AMENDMENT) BILL

Order for Second Reading read.

2.58 p.m.

The Minister for Home Affairs (Mr Ong Pang Boon): Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, "That the Bill be now read a Second time." I have the recommendation of His Excellency the Yang di Pertuan Negara to proceed with the Printing Presses (Amendment) Bill.

The Printing Presses Ordinance, Chapter 226 of the Revised Laws of Singapore, as it now stands, provides for the regulation of printing presses and of the printing and publication of newspapers in Singapore. The Undesirable Publications Ordinance, Chapter 124, provides for the examination and, if necessary, detention or prohibition of importation, sale or circulation of publications published abroad.

The Bill now before this House seeks, to regulate the distribution in Singapore of newspapers printed in the Federation, of Malaya, without invoking the machinery of detention and prohibition used to prevent the sale and circulation in this State of undesirable publications imported into Malaya from abroad. The Bill duplicates almost exactly the statutory provisions by which the Government of the Federation of Malaya regulates the sale and circulation in the Federation of newspapers printed in Singapore. When this Bill becomes law, therefore, the Government will have the means to control the printing and publication of newspapers in Singapore, the sale and circulation in Singapore of newspapers printed in the Federation, and the importation, sale and circulation of all publications from abroad.

Clause 3 of the Bill now before the House would require the proprietor of any newspaper, as defined in the Printing Presses Ordinance, which is printed, in the Federation of Malaya but which he wishes to distribute in Singapore, to obtain annually from the Ministry of Home Affairs a permit before he may lawfully do so. It also requires that every such newspaper granted a permit should bear the names and addresses of the printer and publisher and an address within Singapore for the service of any notice or legal process. The provisions in the main Ordinance with regard to the making of declarations before the Registrar of the Supreme Court by printers, publishers and proprietors of newspapers with regard to their names and addresses and any changes thereof are also made applicable in respect of the grant of permits under this amending Bill. There is also provision for appeal to the Yang di-Pertuan Negara against the decision of the Minister.

The Bill now makes it an offence to publish, sell or circulate in Singapore, newspapers printed in the Federation of Malaya, but not permitted to circulate in Singapore, and also to possess for the purpose of their publication, sale or circulation copies of any newspaper, printed either in Singapore or in the Federation of Malaya, but not permitted either to be printed and published or to be distributed in Singapore. In the Committee stage, I shall be moving an amendment to the new section 7B (1) in clause 3 of the Bill to make it an offence also to publish, sell or circulate any paper printed in Singapore but without a permit under this Ordinance.

The opportunity is also taken to confer on the Police, Customs and Postal authorities powers of search for and detention of illegal newspapers which they have reason to believe are contained in packages, articles or premises.

Sir, as can be seen, the main purpose of this Bill is to place Federation newspapers in exactly the same position as newspapers published in Singapore. I am sure nobody will quarrel with that intention. The Bill does not threaten the freedom of the Press, which this Government as a democratic Government will respect and maintain.

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 Ong Pang Boon].

Bill considered in Committee.

[Mr Speaker in the Chair]

3.05 p.m.

Clause 1 -

The Chairman: Of course, "1959" should read "1960".

Clause 1 ordered to stand part of the Bill.

Clause 2 ordered to stand part of the Bill.

Clause 3-

Mr Ong Pang Boon: Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move,

In page 3, lines 22 and 23, to leave out "contrary to the provisions of subsection (1) of section 7A" and insert "the printing,. publication, sale or distribution of which is unlawful under any of the provisions".

As I have explained earlier, Mr Speaker, the purpose of this amendment is to make it an offence also to publish, sell or circulate any paper printed in Singapore but without a permit under this Ordinance.

Inche Mohd. Ali Bin Alwi (Kampong Kembangan): On a point of information, Sir.

The Chairman: Yes.

Inche Mohd. Ali Bin Alwi: (In Malay): Mr Speaker, Sir, I would like to know from the Minister whether the newspaper - which can be referred to as a magazine - by the name of Malaya Merdeka, which is the organ of U.M.N.O., printed in Malaya but is on sale in Singapore, comes under the provisions of clause 3 (1).

The Chairman: Is the Member referring to the new section 7B (1)?

Inche Mohd. Ali Bin Alwi: I am referring to the new section 7A on pages 1 and 2 of the Bill, "Permit required for sale and distribution in Singapore of newspapers printed or published in Malaya."

The Chairman: The hon. Member is too previous. He will have to wait until I propose the Question on the clause. We are now on an amendment in page 3, lines 22 and 23. We will first deal with all the amendments, and after they have all been disposed of, I will propose the Question on the clause and then the Member could raise his point.

Amendment agreed to.

Mr Ong Pang Boon: Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move,

In page 3, line 30, to leave out "the said" and insert "this".

This is a drafting amendment.

Amendment agreed to.

The Chairman: I would like to draw the attention of the Minister to page 4, line 14. Ought not "Custom Officer" to read "Customs Officer"?

Mr Ong Pang Boon indicated assent.

The Chairman: It is a typographical error. That will be corrected. "Custom Officer" will now read "Customs Officer".

Question proposed, "That clause 3, as amended, stand part of the Bill."

Inche Mohd. Ali: (In Malay): Mr Speaker, Sir, concerning the new section 7A, I would like to have clarification from the Minister on the matter of newspapers printed in the Federation of Malaya. Does the U.M.N.O. organ printed in the Federation come within the scope of the definition of "newspaper"? Or will it be affected by this Bill?

Mr Ong Pang Boon: Mr Speaker, Sir, the answer is `Yes'. Even the official organ of the P.A.P. "Petir" has to apply for a permit under this Bill and when "Petir" goes across the Causeway into the Federation, it has to get a permit from the Federation.

Question put, and agreed to.

Clause 3, as amended, ordered to stand part of the Bill.

Clause 4 ordered to stand part of the Bill.

Bill reported with amendments; read the Third time and passed.