Weights and Measures (Amendment) Bill

Bill No. 41/1970

Read the first time on 4th November 1970.

An Act to amend the Weights and Measures Ordinance (Chapter 230 of the Revised Edition) to provide for the use of the International System of Units to be included in the use of weights and measures in Singapore.

Be it enacted by the President with the advice and consent of the Parliament of Singapore, as follows: —

Short title and commencement

1. This Act may be cited as the Weights and Measures (Amendment) Act, 1970, and shall come into operation on such date as the Minister may, by notification in the Gazette, appoint.

Amendment of section 2

2. Section 2 of the Weights and Measures Ordinance (hereinafter in this Act referred to as “the Ordinance”) is hereby amended —

(a)

by deleting the word “only” appearing in the first line of paragraph (a) of subsection (1) thereof, and by inserting immediately after the word “yard” appearing at the end of the said paragraph the words “or the metre”;

(b)

by deleting the word “only” appearing in the first line of paragraph (b) of subsection (1) thereof, and by inserting immediately after the word “pound” appearing at the end of the said paragraph the words “or the kilogramme”;

(c)

by deleting the word “only” appearing in the first line of paragraph (c) of subsection (1) thereof, and by inserting immediately after the word “gallon” appearing at the end of the said paragraph the words “or the litre”; and

(d)

by inserting immediately after subsection (2) thereof the following new subsection: —

“(3) For the purposes of this Ordinance, the units known as the metre, kilogramme and litre shall be the same units as set out in the Metrication Act, 1970.”.

Repeal and re-enactment of section 3

3. Section 3 of the Ordinance is hereby repealed and the following substituted therefor: —

“Standard weights and measures to be deposited in the Treasury

3.—(1) There shall be deposited and safely kept in the Treasury copies of the standard weights and measures mentioned in Schedules A and B to this Ordinance as the Minister thinks fit and the weights and measures so deposited shall be the standard weights and measures of Singapore.

(2) Copies of such standard weights and measures shall also be deposited and safely kept in the Weights and Measures Unit of the Ministry of Finance and such copies shall be taken to be the correct standard weights and measures in all the courts of Singapore.”.

Amendment of section 5

4. Subsection (3) of section 5 of the Ordinance is hereby amended by deleting the words “fifty” and “one hundred” appearing in the fourth and in the fifth lines thereof and substituting therefor the words “five hundred” and “one thousand” respectively.

Amendment of section 7

5. Subsection (4) of section 7 of the Ordinance is hereby amended by deleting the word “fifty” appearing therein and substituting therefor the words “five hundred”.

Amendment of section 8

6. Section 8 of the Ordinance is hereby amended —

(a)

by deleting subsection (1) thereof and substituting therefor the following: —

“(1) The Minister may, by notification in the Gazette, appoint by name or office a sufficient number of inspectors for the discharge of the duties of inspectors under this Ordinance.”;

(b)

by inserting immediately after subsection (1) thereof the following new subsection: —

“(2) The Minister may appoint so many assistant inspectors as he may deem fit for the purpose of assisting inspectors in the discharge of duties under this Ordinance.”;

(c)

by re-numbering the existing subsection (2) thereof as subsection (3); and

(d)

by inserting immediately after the word “inspectors” appearing in subsection (3) thereof the words “and assistant inspectors”.

Repeal and re-enactment of section 9

7. Section 9 of the Ordinance is hereby repealed and the following substituted therefor: —

“Power to inspect weights, measures, etc., and to enter premises

9.—(1) Every Magistrate, inspector of weights and measures, inspector of police and senior officer of customs may —

(a)	at all reasonable times inspect all weights, measures and instruments for weighing which are used by or in the possession of any person or on any premises or in any vehicle for trade;
(b)	compare every such weight and measure with the standard weight or measure;
(c)	seize and detain any weight, measure or instrument for weighing which in his opinion is liable to be forfeited in pursuance of this Ordinance; and
(d)	for the purpose of such inspection enter any place, whether a building or in the open air, whether open or enclosed, in which he has reasonable cause to believe there is any weight, measure or instrument for weighing which he is authorised by this Ordinance to inspect.

(2) Any person who neglects or refuses to produce for such inspection or who hides all weights, measures and instruments for weighing in his possession or on his premises, or who refuses to permit the Magistrate, inspector of weights and measures, police officer or officer of customs to examine the same or any of them shall be guilty of an offence under this Ordinance and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding five hundred dollars and in the case of a second or subsequent conviction to a fine not exceeding one thousand dollars.

(3) Any person who —

(a)	assaults or obstructs any Magistrate, inspector of weights and measures, police officer or officer of customs in the exercise of any power or duty under this Ordinance;
(b)	rescues or attempts to rescue or causes to be rescued any weight, measure or instrument for weighing that has been lawfully seized; or
(c)	before or after any lawful seizure, stones, breaks or otherwise destroys any weight, measure or instrument for weighing, to prevent the seizure thereof,

shall be guilty of an offence under this Ordinance and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding two thousand dollars or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding six months.”.

Repeal and re-enactment of section 10

8. Section 10 of the Ordinance is hereby repealed and the following substituted therefor: —

“Fees

10. The Minister may by notification in the Gazette prescribe fees to be paid in respect of verification of weights and measures and instruments for weighing.”.

Amendment of section 11

9. Subsection (1) of section 11 of the Ordinance is hereby amended by deleting the words “fifty” and “one hundred” appearing in the fifth and in the sixth lines thereof and substituting therefor the words “five hundred” and “one thousand” respectively.

Amendment of section 12

10. Section 12 of the Ordinance is hereby amended by deleting the words “fifty” and “one hundred” appearing in the fourth and in the fifth lines thereof and substituting therefor the words “five hundred” and “one thousand” respectively.

Amendment of section 13

11. Subsection (1) of section 13 of the Ordinance is hereby amended by deleting the words “two hundred” and “five hundred” appearing in the eleventh and in the twelfth lines thereof and substituting therefor the words “five hundred” and “one thousand” respectively.

Amendment of section 14

12. Subsection (1) of section 14 of the Ordinance is hereby amended by deleting the words “five hundred” appearing therein and substituting therefor the words “two thousand”.

Amendment of section 19

13. Section 19 of the Ordinance is hereby amended by inserting immediately after the word “goods” appearing at the end thereof the following: —

“, until such date as the Minister may, by notification in the Gazette, declare to be the dates from which this Ordinance shall apply to the sale of or dealings in gold, silver or precious stones, drugs and carriage of goods or any of them”.

Amendment of section 21

14. Section 21 of the Ordinance is hereby amended —

(a)

by inserting immediately after subsection (2) thereof the following new subsection: —

“(3) The Minister may, by notification in the Gazette, not less than five years after the date of the coming into operation of the Weights and Measures (Amendment) Act, 1970 (Act of 1970), delete any unit or standard of measurement from this Ordinance or such sections of the Ordinance as may be necessary and such deletion shall render the use of such unit or standard of measurement for the purposes of this Ordinance illegal and void in Singapore:

Provided that the Minister may in such notification exempt any person or body of persons or department or agency of the Government from the operation of such notification and such exempted person, body of persons or department or agency of the Government may continue to use the unit or standard of measurement so deleted and which use shall have full legal validity.”; and

(b)

by renumbering the existing subsection (3) thereof as subsection (4).

Amendment of Schedule

15. Schedule A to the Ordinance is hereby amended —

(a)

by inserting immediately below the words “SCHEDULE A” the following expression “Part I.”; and

(b)

by inserting immediately after Part I thereof the following new Part: —

“Part II

Metric Units

Lineal Measure.

1 kilometre = 1,000 metres

1 millimetre

1 centimetre

100

1 decimetre

1,000

100

1 metre

Superficial Measure.

1 square metre =

A superficial area equal to that of a square each side of which measures 1 metre.

1 square metre

100

1 are

10,000

100

1 hectare

1 square millimetre

100

1 square centimetre

10,000

100

1 square decimetre

1,000,000

10,000

100

1 square metre

Volume Measure.

Cubic metre =

A volume equal to that of a cube each edge of which measures 1 metre.

1 cubic centimetre

1,000

1 cubic decimetre

1,000,000

1,000

1 cubic metre

Capacity Measure.

1 litre = 1 cubic decimetre

1 millilitre

1 centilitre

100

1 decilitre

1,000

100

1 litre

Weight Measure.

1 kilogramme

100

1 quintal

1,000

1 metric ton

1 gramme

100

1 hectogramme

1,000

1 kilogramme

1 metric carat = 1/5 gramme

1 milligramme = 1/1000 gramme.

”.

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