CONSTITUTION OF THE REPUBLIC OF SINGAPORE (AMENDMENT NO. 2) BILL

Order for Second Reading read. 3.36 pm

The First Deputy Prime Minister (Mr Goh Chok Tong): Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, 'That the Bill be now read a Second time.

This Bill, the Constitution of the Republic of Singapore (Amendment No. 2) Bill, seeks to amend the Constitution of the Republic of Singapore, firstly, to ensure the representation in Parliament of members of the Malay and other minority communities and, secondly, to increase the number of Deputy Speakers from one to two.

Clause 4 of the Bill is to amend the Constitution to enable the Legislature to make law to ensure that the Malay and other minority communities will always be represented in Parliament. The Legislature will be empowered to make law for:

(a) any constituency having regard to the number of electors in that constituency to be declared a Group Representation Constituency (GRC) to enable any election in that constituecy to be held on a group basis of three candidates;

(b) the requirement that every group of candidates for any election in Group Representation Constituencies shall consist of at least one person belonging to the Malay community or at least one person belonging to any other minority community;

(c) the establishment of two committees, one to determine whether a person who desires to be a candidate in a Group Representation Constituency belongs to the Malay community and another to determine whether such a person belongs to any other minority community; and

(d) the requirement that all the candidates in any every group for any election in Group Representation Constituencies shall either be members of the same political party standing for election for that party or be independent candidates standing as a group.

Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I do not propose to speak at length. All the points in this Constitution (Amendment) Bill are also found in the Parliamentary Elections (Amendment) Bill which Parliament has just debated. The two Bills should be read together. As we have had a full debate running over two days on the concept of Group Representation Constituencies, we need not and we should not repeat the arguments.

Let me just reiterate three points:

(1) The objectives of having GRCs are, firstly, to ensure that Parliament will always have multi-racial representation to reflect the multi-racial character of our society and, secondly, to compel political parties to take a non-communal, multi-racial, approach when they contend for the right to form the government.

(2) My second point. Singapore is a multi-racial society and it should take all precautionary steps to ensure that Parliament will always remain multi-racial with representatives from the Malay, Chinese, Indian and other communities. It costs us nothing to take precautions. It will cost us dearly if we do not, and end up with the problem of Parliament being under-represented by the Malay MPs.

(3) Finally, which is my third point, the Westminster model of one-man-one-vote, one-constituency-one-member, does not by itself protect the interests of the minority communities. It does not guarantee that Parliament will always have adequate representation from members of the Malay or other minority communities. In the worst case scenario, it can lead to the tyranny of the majority community over the minority communities. This is what happened in Sri Lanka which is a plural society. The Westminster model for parliamentary democracy has not worked there. There is a lesson there for us. That Singapore does not have a problem now does not mean that we will not have one later. That is why for the sake of future generations of Singaporeans we are entrenching in our Constitution the right of the three main communities to be represented in Parliament through Group Representation Constituencies. Then we can have free elections and parliamentary democracy and yet not fear that any minority community will ever be left out of Parliament.

Now, let me move on to explain the need for two Deputy Speakers. The Constitution now provides for only one Deputy Speaker. Under clause 5 of the Bill, it is proposed to increase the number of Deputy Speakers to two. Having two Deputy Speakers will ensure that there will be an additional person well versed in parliamentary proceedings and Standing Orders to preside at the sittings of Parliament should both the Speaker and the Deputy Speaker be unavoidably absent. The Second Deputy Speaker will have to acquaint himself with parliamentary proceedings and Standin Orders. It is in the interest of Members of the House to have two Deputy Speakers.

Sir, this Bill, like the Parliamentary Elections (Amendment) Bill, will be referred to Select Committee because of its political significance.

Sir, I beg to move.

Mr Deputy Speaker: The Question is, "That the Bill be now read a Second time."

A Division will be taken to ascertain that the Second Reading of the Bill is supported by the votes of not less than two-thirds of the total number of Members of Parliament, which is 53 Members, pursuant to Article 5(2) of the Constitution. Ring the Division Bells.

Question put, "That the Bill be now read a Second time."

Division taken: Ayes, 72; No, Nil; Abstention, Nil. Ayes Ayes (cont.) Abbas Abu Amin Lee Yiok Seng Abdullah Tarmugi Lee Yock Suan Ahmad Mattar Leong Horn Kee Ang Kok Peng Lim Boon Heng Barker, E.W. Lim Chee Onn Beng Kian Lam, Arthur Ng Kah Ting Chai Chong Yii Ong Pang Boon Chandra Das, S. Ong Teng Cheong Chen, Bernard Othman bin Haron Eusofe Cheong Yuen Chee, Eric Ow Chin Hock Chew Heng Ching Phua Bah Lee Chin Harn Tong Rajaratnam, S. Chng Hee Kok Sia Khoon Seong Ch'ng Jit Koon Sidek bin Saniff Chua Sian Chin Tan Cheng Bock Dhanabalan, S. Tan, Dixie Goh Chee Wee Tan, Augustine H.H. Goh Chok Tong Tan Keng Yam, Tony Goh Choon Kang Tan Soo Khoon Heng Chiang Meng Tan Tee Yong, Philip Ho Kah Leong Tang Guan Seng Ho Tat Kin Tang See Chim Hu Tsu Tau, Richard Tay Eng Soon Ibrahim Othman Toh Chin Chye Jayakumar, S. Vasoo, S. Jek Yeun Thong Wan Hussin bin Hj Zoohri Koh Lam Son Wan Soon Bee Koh Lip Lin Wang Kai Yuen Lai Tha Chai Wong, Aline K. Lau Ping Sum Wong Kan Seng Lee Boon Yang Wong Kwei Cheong Lee Hsien Loong Yap Giau Cheng, Eugene Lee Kuan Yew Yatiman Yusof Ayes (cont.) No Yeo Cheow Tong Yeo Choo Kok Nil Yeo Ning Hong Yeo Toon Chia Abstention Yu-Foo Yee Shoon Zulkifli bin Mohammed Nil

Mr Deputy Speaker: The Second Reading of the Bill has been carried by the votes of not less than two-thirds of the total number of Members of Parliament.

Bill accordingly read a Second time.

Resolved,

That the Constitution of the Republic of Singapore (Amendment No. 2) Bill be committed to the Select Committee appointed to consider the Parliamentary Elections (Amendment) Bill. - [Mr Goh Chok Tong].