POLICE FORCE (AMENDMENT) BILL

Order for Second Reading read.

5.16 p.m.

The Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Home Affairs (Dr Lee Siew Choh): Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, "That the Bill be now read a Second time."

This Bill introduces a number of necessary and desirable amendments to the present Police Force Ordinance. In the first place, our re-dedicated and reorientated Polis Negara Singapura now goes down in the statute book by that name.

This Bill introduces a new Part VIIIA to the principal Ordinance which places the Guard and Escort Unit which, as Members are aware, has been in existence since 1st January, 1959, on a proper status, defines their duties and makes them police officers for purposes of the Pensions Ordinance.

Another provision of importance is a new Part VIIIB which provides for the creation of Auxiliary Police Forces within the State. These Auxiliary Police Forces will take the place of small Police Forces, like the Singapore Harbour Board Police, the Shell Company Pulau Bukom Security Police and the Singapore Airport Police, as it is considered that it would be better to have all the Police Forces in Singapore under the unified command of the Commissioner of Police, by virtue of the Police Force Ordinance, than to have small Police Forces operating under the authority of separate Ordinances.

This new Part VIIIB makes the personnel of such separate Police Forces Auxiliary Police Officers subject to the authority of the Commissioner of Police for the maintenance of law and order, preservation of public peace and the prevention and detection of crime, but provides that the pay, pensions, conditions of service of every Auxiliary Police Officer and his day-to-day duties shall be entirely within the jurisdiction of the Government if he is employed by the Government, or of the Company, Statutory Body or any other organisations employing him. These Auxiliary Police Forces will operate within the area under the jurisdiction and control of the employing authority and the Auxiliary Police Officers will have similar status to regular Police Officers within their own areas and to such extent outside the limits of such areas as the Commissioner may decide. Like regular Police Officers, they also cannot join trade unions, but could have their own Police associations to make representations on their behalf. The Minister is also empowered to make regulations to provide for schemes of training, appointments and promotions, discipline and punishment, uniform and equipment, arms and ammunitions to be carried. These regulations will naturally be made in consultation with the Commissioner of Police and the employing authority.

Under this Bill, provision is also made in clause 13 for the employment of police officers for private purposes, such as guarding persons or property or for any other reasons acceptable to the Commissioner of Police, as it is considered more appropriate that provision for the hire of police personnel should be made in the Ordinance itself and not in Police General Orders.

Clause 3 of the, Bill introduces an amendment to section 20 of the Ordinance to provide that the Commissioner of Police could discharge a Probationary Inspector or Cadet Inspector only with the consent of the Minister. The discharge of such an Inspector is excluded from the purview of the Public Service Commission under the provisions of section 82 (2) of the Singapore (Constitution) Order in Council. This clause also introduces an amendment which regularises the eligibility with regard to the payment of gratuities in respect of subordinate officers discharged with less than 10 years' service.

The Bill also provides by virtue of clause 4 that there shall be no exception to the provision in the Ordinance which prohibits police officers from being members of trade unions or of bodies or associations with political objects. Formerly it was provided in the principal Ordinance that where a police officer was a member of a trade union before joining the Police Force, he may, with the consent of the Minister, continue to be a member of that trade union during the time of his service in the Police Force. However, the provision in the principal Ordinance permitting the establishment of associations operated and administered in accordance with Police Regulations for the purpose of enabling police officers to consider and bring to the notice of Government matters affecting their welfare and efficiency remains unchanged.

Clause 5 makes certain amendments to section 27 of the principal Ordinance with regard to punishment of subordinate police officers and, inter alia, provides that the police officer authorised by a Commanding Officer to conduct disciplinary proceedings may impose on a subordinate officer any of the punishments which the Commanding Officer may impose, except that of dismissal or retirement from the Force.

Clause 7 of the Bill provides that a member of the Special Constabulary (or Special Police Officer) may be prosecuted in court for certain specified disciplinary offences as in the case of a regular Inspector and subordinate officer of the Police Force. This clause arose out of a court case in which it was held that there was no provision for members of the Volunteer Special Constabulary to be prosecuted in court for such offences, and this clause now removes any doubt in the matter.

This Bill also makes another provision with regard to the Special Constabulary in that clause 11 provides that the Commissioner of Police shall not, without the permission of the Minister, accept as a member of the Special Constabulary any person who is not a citizen of Singapore.

Clause 14 introduces a new form of oath or affirmation for persons appointed to the Special Constabulary or to any Auxiliary Police Force. Clause 15 repeals the provision of the Ports Ordinance which relates to the Port Police Force, as it is now proposed by virtue of this Bill that the Auxiliary Police Force shall perform the functions of the present Port Police Force. Lastly, the opportunity has been taken in the other clauses not mentioned above to make a number of phraseological amendments to the principal Ordinance.

Sir, I beg to move.

Question proposed.

5.25 p.m.

Inche Mohd. Ali Bin Alwi: (In Malay): Mr Speaker, in general, I fully support this Bill to amend the Police Force Ordinance. But there are a, few things which should be explained by the Parliamentary Secretary. In view of the fact that we are a self-governing State and in view of the fact that not long after this Bill is passed it will be named the Polis Negara Singapura, I would like to know whether there is a plan to change the sign and emblem worn by the police force of Singapore, because I find these are the properties and rewards which have been left by the colonial Government and which should be abolished.

There is another thing, Mr Speaker, in regard to the Guard and Escort Unit. I imagine that perhaps in the future, additional expenditure for 1961 will be proposed before this House in regard to members of the Guard and Escort Unit. We know that it was debated in December last year in this Assembly that their salary scale was not at all just, having regard to the expenditure for 1961. So the matter of the salary scales and the increase in pay should receive the serious attention of the Government.

There is another thing. There are posts in the Guard and Escort Unit which have been frozen. Will these vacancies be filled sometime this year when the Ordinance has come into existence? I would therefore like a clear explanation from the responsible quarter.

Mr Speaker: The hon. Member for Kampong Kembangan must realise that we are now debating the principle of this Bill and not the details which he has sought to raise. The Parliamentary Secretary, if he is in a position to answer in regard to the details, may do so. But, strictly, they are completely irrelevant to what we are discussing, which is the Second Reading of the Bill.

Dr Lee Siew Choh: Mr Speaker, Sir, as regards the first question, there is a plan at the present moment to change the emblem of the Polis Negara Singapura.

As regards the readjustment of expenditure, I think the Minister for Finance will be in a position to answer that, if at any time the Member wishes to raise that question again. Similarly as regards the frozen posts, because that is the function of the Establishment Department.

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 [Dr Lee Siew Choh].

Bill considered in Committee.

[Mr SPEAKER in the Chair]

5.30 p.m.

Clauses 1 to 6 inclusive ordered to stand part of the Bill.

Clause 7 -

Dr Lee Siew Choh: Sir, I beg to move,

In page 3, line 26, at end, to insert-

`(a) by deleting the words "which may extend to" appearing in the sixth and seventh lines of subsection (1) thereof and substituting therefor the words "not exceeding".'.

In page 3-

The Chairman: Will the Parliamentary Secretary deal with one amendment at a time? Deal with the first amendment first. Does the Parliamentary Secretary wish to enlarge on that?

Dr Lee Siew Choh: Sir, the first and second amendments are the same.

The Chairman: The speech, if any, could be made to cover also the second amendment.

Dr Lee Siew Choh: Yes.

The Chairman: I take it there is no speech?

Dr Lee Siew Choh: There is no speech required in this.

Amendment agreed to.

The Chairman: The consequential amendments. Relettering of the subsequent paragraphs will be made. Will the Parliamentary Secretary move amendment (ii)*?

Further Amendment made:

*In page 3, lines 37 and 38, to leave out "which may extend to" and insert "not exceeding". -[Dr Lee Siew Choh].

Clause 7, as amended, ordered to stand part of the Bill.

Clauses 8 to 11 inclusive ordered 10 stand part of the Bill.

Clause 12 -

Amendment made: In page 4, line 25, to leave out "members" and insert "numbers". -[Dr Lee Siew Choh].

Question proposed, "That clause 12, as amended, stand part of the Bill."

Tun Lim Yew Hock: Mr Speaker, Sir, may I ask the Parliamentary Secretary to inform this House whether the bodyguards provided for Ministers are drawn from this Guard and Escort Unit?

Dr Lee Siew Choh: No, they are not. They are taken from the security Unit.

Question put, and agreed to.

Clause 12, as amended, ordered to stand part of the Bill.

Clause 13 ordered to stand part of the Bill.

Clause 14 -

The Chairman: There is a typographical error - in page 8, line 39, "(2)" should read "(3)". The alteration will be made.

Clause 14 ordered to stand part of the Bill.

Clause 15 ordered to stand part of the Bill.

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