AMENDMENT OF STANDING ORDERS

Mr Ong Eng Guan: Mr Speaker, Sir, I move,

That Standing Order No. 31(2) be amended by deleting the words "and, in the case of a private Member's motion, the notice shall also be signed by a supporter or supporters not exceeding five in number".*

• The motion also stood in the name of Mr Ng Teng Kian.

Mr Speaker: Is the Member not making a speech?

Mr Ong Eng Guan: No. Sir. I believe this motion will be sent to the Standing Orders Committee.

Mr Speaker: It does not prevent the hon. Member, if he so desires, from going into the reasons why the amendment should be made, for the guidance of the Standing Orders Committee.

Mr Ong Eng Guan: Mr Speaker, Sir, at present with the Standing Orders of this House, when Members wish to move a motion, they need two persons to move it. We know that in the case of a big Legislature, such a Standing Order would be more reasonable. But when we are faced with a Legislature of 51 Members, particularly when we have two Members of the Opposition who are on their own, sometimes it might be difficult for them to move motions, when they cannot get a supporter.

Mr Speaker, Sir, sometimes there are political matters which the Member for Anson, who is alone in this House, or the Member for Joo Chiat, who is also alone in this House, may wish to bring up; and in the interest of parliamentary democracy, they should not be deprived of the opportunity to move motions in this House. Therefore, we are moving this motion to enable the Member for Anson alone, or the Member for Joo Chiat alone, to move motions in this House.

Mr Speaker: The motion stands referred to the Standing Orders Committee under the provisions of the Standing Order.