FAMILY VIOLENCE BILL

Dr Kanwaljit Soin (Nominated Member): Mr Speaker, Sir, before I move the motion, may I have your permission to correct a typographical error? The word "situation" in the motion should be in the plural. It was my error.

Mr Speaker: Yes, please proceed.

Dr Kanwaljit Soin: Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move,

That leave be given to introduce a Bill to make provision for the protection of family members in situations of family violence.

Question proposed.

Mr Bernard Chen (Brickworks GRC): Mr Speaker, Sir, may I refer the House to the comments made by the Acting Minister for Community Development just now. He has said that we are going to amend the Women's Charter and among one of the major provisions would be family violence. Is this House going to be asked to debate on two pieces of legislation which sound the same? Would it not be a waste of resources?

Mr Speaker: Dr Soin, do you wish to reply?

Dr Kanwaljit Soin: Mr Speaker, Sir, with due respect, I think the two Bills are different. The Family Violence Bill extends beyond Protection Orders for women. The Family Violence Bill extends to other members of the family. Besides spouses and children in the family, it extends to the elderly. And from statistics that have been revealed, there were 132 elderly people who reported to public sector hospitals in 1994 after having been bashed up by family members. I find it difficult to see how violence towards the elderly male can be included under the Women's Charter.

Furthermore, Mr Speaker, Sir, the Women's Charter only deals with Protection Orders, while the Family Violence Bill is going to empower the Police to investigate all cases of domestic or family violence and this provision is not available in the Women's Charter.

With due respect, Sir, only three sections, ie, sections 68, 69 and 70, in the Women's Charter deal with violence towards women and children in the family. So I think it would be more sensible and tidier if sections 68, 69 and 70 were repealed in the Women's Charter, and we have a new Bill which serves a definite purpose. Family violence is a concrete offence and we need to send a definite message to society that we do not condone it. By just amending the Women's Charter, we will be achieving a very limited objective.

I would like to entreat the House to at least allow the introduction of the Family Violence Bill so that Members can make up their mind at the Second Reading stage and recommendations can then be made at the Select Committee.

Mr Bernard Chen: Mr Speaker, Sir, I thought the operative word was "family" and the Minister has said that the amendment to the Women's Charter will include situations involving the family. So I would imagine that it is quite fair to include the Family Violence Bill. The Member has said that the Women's Charter is for women. I would agree if, in her Bill, we can also include crimes by women against men.

Mr Abdullah Tarmugi: Mr Speaker, Sir, notwithstanding what the Member has said about my proposal to amend the Women's Charter and also what I have mentioned earlier about the proposed amendments to the Women's Charter, I really have no objection to the introduction of the Bill. We will debate it in Parliament.

Question put, and agreed to.

Resolved,

That leave be given to introduce a Bill to make provision for the protection of family members in situations of family violence.

Mr Speaker: Who is prepared to introduce the Bill?

Dr Kanwaljit Soin: I, Sir.

Mr Speaker: Please proceed.

Dr Kanwaljit Soin: Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to introduce a Bill intituled "An Act to make provision for the protection of family members in situations of family violence and to make provisions for purposes connected therewith."

Bill read the First time.

Mr Speaker: Second Reading, what day?

Dr Kanwaljit Soin: The next available sitting, Sir.

Mr Speaker: So be it.