CENTRAL SIKH GURDWARA BOARD (AMENDMENT) BILL

11.45 am

Order for Second Reading read.

The Minister for Community Development (Mr Wong Kan Seng): Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, "That the Bill be now read a Second time."

The present Central Sikh Gurdwara Board Act was passed by Parliament on 2nd October 1981. It replaced the Silat Road Gurdwara Ordinance (Cap. 318) and the Queen Street Gurdwara Ordinance (Cap. 311). This was done at the request of the Sikh community so that they could set up a building fund to construct a Central Sikh temple. A new Sikh temple has now been built at the junction of Serangoon Road and Towner Road.

The present Central Sikh Gurdwara Board Act, 1981, states that the first Board is to be made up of 25 members,all of whom shall be appointed by the Minister. Subsequent Boards, however, shall consist of 10 members to be appointed by the Minister and 15 members to be elected from among members whose names are on the membership register.

The first Board was appointed on 2nd October 1981. When the Board was first appointed, its task was to draw up rules to establish and maintain a membership register, so that elections could be held to elect a new Board, made up of both appointed and elected members, to take over the management of the temples. The Board subsequently put up a set of rules for the Government's approval. But the proposed rules were found to have gone beyond the provisions in the Act and, hence, could not be approved. Following discussions with the Central Sikh Gurdwara Board, the Act will now be amended at the Board's request so that the administration and management of the temples are left entirely to the Sikh community. The Sikh Advisory Board was consulted and the members unanimously agreed with this move.

To enable the Sikh community to take over entirely the administration and management of the Central and Silat Road Sikh temples, section 3 of the 1981 Act is to be repealed and a new section enacted to provide for the Board to consist of such number of members who are elected at each biennial general meeting by persons who are on the membership register. To ensure that there is continuity in the management of the temples, the existing members of the Board will continue to hold office until a new Board is elected. The present Board will be given six months from the commencement of the Amendment Act to convene a general meeting of persons who are on the membership register so that they can elect new members to the Board.

Section 11 of the Act relating to the removal of members from the Board is to be repealed and a new section enacted to provide for disqualifications for membership of the Board. Under the revised section, any person who has been elected or appointed to the Board will cease to hold office as a member of the Board if he is an undischarged bankrupt or suspends payment to, or makes any arrangement or composition with, his creditors. The member shall also cease to hold office if he has been sentenced to imprisonment for a term of not less than six months and has not received a free pardon or a resolution is passed at an extraordinary general meeting calling for his removal from office.

Section 16 of the Act is to be amended to remove the requirement that the approval of the Minister must first be obtained for the Board to make rules. It is best left to the Board and its ordinary members to decide on the rules.

Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, this is a very straightforward Bill which is unanimously supported by the leaders of the Sikh community. I beg to move.

Question proposed.

Dr S. Vasoo (Bo Wen): Sir, I rise to support the amendments to the Bill. The amendments suggested, in fact, are neat and it provides better administration of the functions of the Board and it reduces some of the bureaucratic procedures which might hinder the effectiveness of the Board. So I feel that the amendments suggested give a new lease of life to the Board and it is worthy of support. I support the Bill.

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 Wong Kan Seng].

Bill considered in Committee.

[Mr Deputy Speaker in the Chair]

Clause 1 -

The Chairman: The citation year will be changed to "1987".

Clause 1 ordered to stand part of the Bill.

Clauses 2 to 8 inclusive ordered to stand part of the Bill.

Clause 9 -

The Chairman: The citation year in lines 22, 29 and 34 will be changed to "1987".

Clause 9 ordered to stand part of the Bill.

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