IMMIGRATION (AMENDMENT) BILL

Order for Second Reading read.

3.58 p.m.

The Deputy Prime Minister (Dr Toh Chin Chye): Mr Speaker, I beg to move, "That the Bill be now read a Second time."

The Immigration (Amendment) Bill, 1965, seeks to amend certain provisions of the Malaysian Immigration Ordinance (No. 12 of 1959) to provide for the control of immigration with power to declare the presence of a person in Singapore to be unlawful when such a person fails to comply with the conditions stipulated in the entry permit issued to him. This power is sought mainly to enable the Controller of Immigration to rescind the permission to reside permanently in Singapore granted to persons who have obtained entry permits on grounds of economic interest to the country if they fail to carry out the purposes for which their stay in Singapore has been approved.

At present, there is no provision for conditions to be imposed in entry permits under the Immigration Ordinance nor do the Immigration Regulations provide for this. It is, therefore, necessary to amend the Immigration Ordinance to provide for such powers, as there have been a few cases where persons have taken advantage of this omission in the law.

The opportunity is also taken to amend the Ordinance to enable the Controller of Immigration to require masters of vessels and captains of aircraft to furnish, and not merely to produce, particulars of passengers on board all vessels or aircraft arriving in Singapore and also to put captains of aircraft on the same footing as masters of vessels with regard to the furnishing of particulars of members of the crew of the aircraft. These particulars are required for record and statistical purposes.

Sir, I beg to move.

Question put, and agreed to.

Bill accordingly read a Second time and committed to a Committee of the whole House.

The House immediately resolved itself into a Committee on the Bill. -[Dr Toh Chin Chye].

Bill considered in Committee.

[Mr Speaker in the Chair]

4.01 p.m.

The Chairman: In clause 1, there will be an amendment from "1965" to "1966" to meet the circumstances in which the Bill is now placed.

Clauses 1 to 4 inclusive ordered to stand part of the Bill.

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