ROMAN CATHOLIC ARCHBISHOP BILL

Order for Second Reading read.

5.53 p.m.

Mr P. Selvadurai (Kuo Chuan): Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, "That the Bill be now read a Second time."

Sir, the reasons for the Bill are to be found in the recital in the Bill itself. The Bill seeks to incorporate the Titular Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore as a body corporate with perpetual succession and a corporate seal and with powers to acquire, hold and dispose of movable and immovable property, to sue and be sued and to perform all such acts and things as bodies corporate may by law perform.

The Bill will vest in the corporation all the movable and immovable properties situate in Singapore which were conveyed or assigned to or vested in The Titular Roman Catholic Bishop of Malacca incorporated under the Roman Catholic Bishop Ordinance (Chapter 314 of the 1955 Edition).

The Bill will repeal the said Roman Catholic Bishop Ordinance and also make provision for the transfer of the rights, obligations and liabilities of The Titular Roman Catholic Bishop of Malacca to the corporation.

Sir, I beg to move.

Question put, and agreed to.

Bill accordingly read a Second time.

Resolved,

"That the Roman Catholic Archbishop Bill be committed to a Select Committee consisting of Mr Speaker as Chairman and the following Members: Mr J. F. Conceicao Mr Fong Sip Chee Mr P. Govindaswamy Mr Ho Kah Leong Haji Mohd. Ariff Bin Suradi Mr P. Selvadurai Dr Augustine Tan." -- [Mr P. Selvadurai].