INTERPRETATION AND GENERAL CLAUSES (AMENDMENT NO. 2) BILL

Order for Second Reading read.

3.08 p.m.

The Minister for Labour and Law (Mr K. M. Byrne): Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, "That the Bill be now read a Second time."

This Bill seeks to provide definitions of the "national language" and "public officer" which shall be of general application. "National language" is defined to mean the Malay language, while the definition of "public officer" is based on the definition in the Singapore (Constitution) Order in Council, 1958.

The Bill also seeks to extend the provisions of section 45 of the Interpretation and General Clauses Ordinance to allow documents signed by a Minister, Permanent Secretary or public officer to be accepted as evidence in court without formal proof of the signature.

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 K. M. Byrne].

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