STANDING ORDERS

The Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister for National Development (Mr S. Dhanabalan): Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move the motion* standing in my name as it appears on the Order Paper.

*The Motion reads as follows:

That the Standing Orders Committee appointed under paragraph (4) of Standing Order No. 95 do consider and report on any amendments to the Standing Orders of Parliament which the Committee may deem necessary.

Mr Speaker, Sir, it has been some time since the Standing Orders were reviewed and I am moving this motion so that the Standing Orders Committee can review the Standing Orders and bring them up to date to meet our current situation.

Question proposed.

Mr Chiam See Tong: Point of order.

Mr Speaker: What point of order are you raising?

Mr Chiam See Tong: Sir, I had a look at this Standing Order 95(4)(a) as mentioned in the motion and I see that this motion is not in compliance with this particular Order. I will read to you the relevant part of this Order, Sir. It is like this:

'It shall be the duty of the Committee to consider from time to time and report on all matters relating to the Standing Orders which may be referred to it by Parliament. The Committee shall not have power to send for persons, papers and records unless Parliament so resolves.'

I will speak on the first point. This motion says, "do consider and report on any amendments to the Standing Orders of Parliament".

Mr Speaker: Mr Chiam, may I interrupt you here? This House has been doing this on two previous occasions, even before you were born, I think. I do not see why you should be so troubled by this motion.

Mr Chiam See Tong: As I read it, this motion is not in compliance with the Standing Orders. I may be wrong.

Mr Speaker: But the tradition has been set, I am afraid.

Mr Chiam See Tong: If the Minister wants to hear me out, I will explain.

Mr Speaker: No, there is no need to explain.

Mr Chiam See Tong: Sir, are you saying that this is the practice of this House?

Mr Speaker: It has been the practice on two occasions.

Mr Chiam See Tong: Because, as I see it, this motion is not in compliance with this particular Order. This motion says, "which the Committee may deem necessary." But in the Order, it says that the Committee can only look at matters which are referred to it by Parliament.

Mr Speaker: That is exactly the reason for the Minister's motion today. The Standing Orders Committee will now be looking into this matter.

Mr Chiam See Tong: No. The words of this motion say, "Standing Orders of Parliament which the Committee may deem necessary." What I am saying is that the Committee has no authority to initiate changes. It must be the Parliament. Assuming that I am happy with the Standing Order No. 2 in respect of the number of days, I will refer this to the Committee.

Mr Speaker: This is the reason why the Minister is moving the motion.

Mr Chiam See Tong: As I see it, I still think that this is not in compliance with Standing Order No. 95(4).

Mr Speaker: Since when have you become an expert on Standing Orders, Mr Chiam?

Mr Dhanabalan: Do you want me to reply?

Mr Speaker: No, I do not think so. This has been done in this House on two occasions.

Question put, and agreed to.

Resolved,

That the Standing Orders Committee appointed under paragraph (4) of Standing Order No. 95 do consider and report on any amendments to the Standing Orders of Parliament which the Committee may deem necessary.