CRIMINAL LAW (TEMPORARY PROVISIONS) (AMENDMENT) BILL

The Minister for Defence (Mr Lim Kim San): Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to introduce a Bill intituled "An Act to amend the Criminal Law (Temporary Provisions) Ordinance. 1955 (No. 26 of 1955)."

Bill read the First time

Second Reading

Mr Speaker: Second Reading, what day?

Mr Lim Kim San: Now, Sir. Mr Speaker, Sir, I lay upon the Table a Certificate of Urgency signed by the President in respect of the Criminal Law (Temporary Provisions) (Amendment) Bill.

Certificate of Urgency handed in.

Mr Speaker: The Certificate is in order. Are typed copies of the Bill available for distribution to Members?

Mr Lim Kim San: Yes, Sir.

Typed copies of the Bill distributed to hon. Members.

Mr Lim Kim San: Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move. "That the Bill be now read a Second time."

Sir, this Bill seeks to amend the Criminal Law (Temporary Provisions) Ordinance, 1955, which will lapse on the 20th October, 1969, by extending its life for a period of another five years with effect from 1st October, 1969. As hon. Members may be aware, this Ordinance provides primarily for the maintenance of public safety, peace and good order, prevention of strikes and lock-outs in essential services, and detention and supervision of persons associated with activities of a criminal nature.

Since its introduction, this Ordinance has been of considerable value in curbing secret society activities and the number of secret society incidents has shown a downward trend as follows: - Number of secret Year society incidents 1959 416 1960 241 1961 211 1962 209 1963 144 1964 72 1965 70 1966 73 1967 74 1968 74

Mr Speaker, Sir, Members will appreciate that it is necessary to rehabilitate and re-educate secret society gangsters while they are under detention in order that when they return to society on their release, we hope they would become law-abiding and useful citizens. Rehabilitation takes time and varies with the individual. Some may respond quickly to the rehabilitation programme, while others need a longer period.

Hon. Members are most probably aware that only the hard-core secret society members are put under detention orders. The others are placed under police supervision orders for a period of two years. This enables the less dangerous members of secret societies to earn their livelihood and, at the same time, enables the police to keep track of their movements outside their working hours in order to curb their anti-social activities.

It may also interest Members to know that since the implementation of the Ordinance on 15th August, 1958, up to and including April 1969, 13,241 persons have been arrested under the provisions of section 55. Out of these, 762 persons are now detained under section 47 (a) and 642 persons are ordered to be placed under police supervision.

Although the current situation with regard to secret societies in the Republic is under control, there is still a need for constant vigil to be kept. It is therefore essential that the suppression of secret societies in the Republic should go on relentlessly, especially in view of the possible involvement in racial disturbances.

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 Lim Kim San].

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