REGISTRATION OF DENTISTS (AMENDMENT) BILL

Order for Second Reading read.

3.08 p.m.

The Minister for Health (Mr Yong Nyuk Lin): Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, "That the Bill be now read a Second time."

This Bill seeks to amend the Registration of Dentists Ordinance (Chapter 197 of the Revised Edition) to enable a dentist registered in the Second Division of the Register of Dentists and practising in Singapore to be appointed to the Dental Board by the Minister.

The Dental Board formed under this Ordinance has as its main function the control of the registration of dentists and the regulation of the practice of dentistry in the State.

There are two classes of dentists who are registered under the Ordinance:

Dental surgeons trained in recognised Dental Schools and have Dental Degrees. These are registered under the First Division of the Register.

Unqualified dentists who are non-graduate dentists but registered under the Second Division of the Register.

Before the register for unqualified dentists was closed in 1950, opportunity was given to all unregistered dentists then practising in Singapore to be registered under the Second Division, if they should pass a registration examination. Out of 197 candidates who presented themselves for the said examination, 173 were successful and were accordingly registered under the Second Division of the Register. The Dental Register as at 30th June, 1964, stood as follows:- 117 Division I dentists and 223 Division II dentists.

The Division II dentists formed themselves into an organisation known as the Singapore Chinese Dentists' Association. In April this year the Association petitioned this Ministry for a representative of the Association to serve on the Dental Board. This proposition was acceptable to the Ministry because even in Malaya, a representative from Division II Dentists had been serving on the Malayan Dental Board for some time. Clause 2 (a) (k) of the Bill now seeks to provide for such representation of Division II dentists on the Singapore Dental Board.

The opportunity is taken in clauses 2 and 3 of the Bill to make certain minor amendments in the Ordinance, mostly in nomenclature. The words "Federation of Malaya" are to be substituted by the word "Federation", except in section 5 (1) (f) of the Ordinance where the words are to be substituted by the "States of Malaya". The Head of the Department of Dentistry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Singapore, is to supersede the seat previously held by the Professor of Dental Surgery, and the words "Malayan Dental Association" are to be substituted by the words "Malaysian Dental Association" in accordance with the new registered name of the Association.

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 Yong Nyuk Lin].

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