CORROSIVE AND EXPLOSIVE SUBSTANCES AND OFFENSIVE WEAPONS (AMENDMENT) BILL

Order for Second Reading read.

4.05 p.m.

The Minister of State of Defence (Mr Wee Toon Boon) (for the Minister of Defence): Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, "That the Bill be now read a Second time."

Sir, the Government considers that the penalties provided for offences under the Corrosive and Explosive Substances and Offensive Weapons Act of Malaysia, which is the law currently applicable to Singapore, are inadequate to serve as a positive deterrent to criminal acts by social delinquents and disloyal elements in the country. Sir, it is the duty of the Government to protect the people as a whole from acts of violence by a few criminals and disaffected persons. This Bill is a step towards achieving this. Some of the penalties provided for in the Bill have been taken from the Corrosive Substances Ordinance, 1955, which was applicable to Singapore before Malaysia and which has now been repealed. Where the provisions for penalties contained in the former Singapore Ordinance have been considered to be inadequate, enhanced penalties have been included.

Clause 3 seeks to enhance the penalty for carrying or being in possession of corrosive or explosive substances from three years' imprisonment and whipping to ten years' imprisonment and caning. The present penalty for using any corrosive substance or offensive weapon for the purpose of causing hurt and for causing by corrosive substance an explosion which is likely to cause hurt is a maximum of seven years' imprisonment and whipping. Clause 4 amends this to life imprisonment and caning. In clause 5 is included an amendment to the penalty provided for carrying or being in possession in a public road or place any offensive weapon otherwise than with lawful authority from two years' imprisonment to three years' imprisonment and caning. Clause 6 amends the punishment for manufacturing, being in possession of, carrying or lending weapons such as a flick knife, a gravity knife, a whip, a motor-cycle chain, a knuckle duster and a metal pipe from two years' imprisonment and a fine of $2,000 to three years' imprisonment and a fine of $3,000. The maximum penalty for a second or subsequent offence of this nature is increased from three years' to seven years' imprisonment.

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. -[Mr Wee Toon Boon].

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