27.—(1) Except for the purpose of the performance of his duties or the exercise of his functions or when lawfully required to do so by any court or under the provisions of any written law, no member, officer, employee or agent of the Board and no member of a committee of the Board shall disclose any information relating to the affairs of the Board or of any person which has been obtained by him in the performance of his duties or the exercise of his functions.
(2) Any person who contravenes subsection (1) shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $2,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding one year or to both.
Obstructing officers of Board
28. Any person who obstructs or hinders any officer, employee or agent of the Board acting in the discharge of his duty under this Act or any regulations made thereunder shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $2,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 6 months or to both.
Proceedings conducted by officers of Board
29. Proceedings in respect of any offence under this Act or any regulations made thereunder may be conducted by an officer of the Board or an officer of the Government authorised in writing in that behalf by the chief executive officer.
Sanction of Public Prosecutor
30. No court shall take cognisance of any offence under this Act or any regulations made thereunder except with the sanction of the Public Prosecutor.
Offences committed by body corporate
31. Where a body corporate is guilty of an offence under this Act and that offence is proved to have been committed with the consent or connivance of, or to be attributable to any neglect on the part of, any director, manager, secretary or other similar officer of the body corporate or any person who was purporting to act in any such capacity, he, as well as the body corporate, shall be guilty of that offence and shall be liable to be proceeded against and punished accordingly.
Board’s symbol
32.—(1) The Board shall have the exclusive right to the use of such symbol or representation as it may select or devise and thereafter display or exhibit in connection with its activities or affairs.
(2) Any person who uses a symbol or representation identical with that of the Board, or which so resembles the Board’s symbol or representation as to deceive or cause confusion, or to be likely to deceive or to cause confusion, shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $2,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 6 months or to both.
Returns and information
33.—(1) The Board or any person authorised in that behalf by the Board may by notice require any person to furnish to the Board or the person so authorised, within such period as shall be specified in the notice, all such returns or information relating to all such matters as may be necessary for the Board under this Act and as are within the knowledge of that person or in his custody or under his control.
(2) Any person who on being required by notice under this section to furnish any returns or information fails to comply with any requirement of the notice shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $2,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 6 months or to both.
(3) The chief executive officer or any employee of the Board authorised in that behalf by him may, in his discretion, compound any offence under this section by collecting from the person reasonably suspected of having committed the offence a sum of money not exceeding $100.
(4) All sums of money received for the composition of any offence under this section shall be paid into the funds of the Board.
Regulations
34.—(1) The Board may, with the approval of the Minister, make regulations for carrying out the purposes and provisions of this Act.
(2) Without prejudice to the generality of subsection (1), the Board may, with the approval of the Minister, make regulations for or with respect to all or any of the following matters:
(a)
the manner of appointment, conduct and discipline and the terms and conditions of service of the officers and employees of the Board;
(b)
the payment of gratuities and other benefits to officers and employees of the Board; and
(c)
the fees to be charged in respect of anything done under or by virtue of this Act.
Transitional and savings provisions
35.—(1) Any scheme, contract, document, licence, permission or resolution prepared, made, granted or approved under the Timber Industry Board (Incorporation) Act 1973 before 1st January 1983 shall, except as otherwise expressly provided in this Act or in any other written law, continue and be deemed to have been prepared, made, granted or approved by the Board under the corresponding provisions of this Act.
(2) Where anything has been commenced by or on behalf of the Timber Industry Board or the Department of Trade before 1st January 1983, such thing may be carried on and completed by, or under the authority of the Board.
(3) In any written law, any reference to the Timber Industry Board or the Department of Trade shall be construed as a reference to the Board.
[36*
* Section 35, which amended 3 other related Acts, is omitted in this Edition.