ENVIRONMENTAL PUBLIC HEALTH (AMENDMENT) BILL

Order for Second Reading read.

4.36 p.m.

The Minister for the Environment (Mr Lim Kim San): Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, "That the Bill be now read a Second time."

Sir, from time to time the Commissioner of Public Health has to close cemeteries and/or crematoria in certain locations in the public interest and burials or cremation in these locations will have to be discontinued. The Commissioner will then arrange for burials thereafter to take place in other locations provided by the State.

The existing section 109 of the Environmental Public Health Act provides that the Commissioner of Public Health may close a cemetery place of burial, crematorium or any place used for the burning of corpses if it appears to him that such places are:- `(a). . . in such a state as to be dangerous to health; or (b). . . (i) . . . inoxious or offensive or unfit for use as a cemetery or crematorium; (ii) . . . cannot be further used for the burial or burning of the dead without danger to public health; (iii) . . . being used in contravention of any condition of the licence; or (iv) . . . no longer required.'

The Bill which is now before the House provides for the repeal of the existing section 109 of the Environmental Public Health Act, and the substitution of a new section 109 which will empower the Commissioner of Public Health to close a cemetery, burial ground, crematorium or any place used for the burning of corpses if he is of the opinion that burials or the burning of corpses should be wholly discontinued in such cemetery, crematorium or place; or such cemetery, crematorium, place or any part thereof is being used in contravention of any condition of the licence issued in respect of the same.

It will be noted from what I have just said that the new section empowers the Commissioner to close cemeteries or crematoria without having to assign reasons for doing so, as required under the existing law. Land in Singapore is scarce. It must be used to serve the needs of the living. It is, therefore, esser4tial that the Commissioner should have adequate powers to reduce the present wasteful profusion of cemeteries. The commissioner should also have the power to confine burials to the State-owned cemeteries, thereby reducing the acreage earmarked for burials and putting the land to use for the living.

The existing subsection (2) of section 109 provides that no closing of a cemetery or crematorium, or revocation or amendment of a licence, shall have effect "unless and until it has been confirmed by the Minister and until the expiration of one month from such confirmation." in the new subsection (2) 01 section 109 set out in the Bill, the requirement of awaiting the expiration of one month from the Minister's confirmation is removed. The closing order is effective immediately on confirmation, Sir, if the confirmation is not effected immediately, fresh burials could take place during the one month period between confirmation by the Minister arid the effective date of the confirmation. This would aggravate the problem of exhumation and would delay re-use of the land.

Mr Speaker, 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.