Alternative arrangements for meetings
27.—(1)  Where personal attendance at any meeting or class of meetings is provided for in any written law or legal instrument and the Minister considers that it would be necessary or expedient for the meeting or class of meetings to be convened, held or conducted in a manner other than that provided for in the written law or legal instrument to limit or prevent the spread of COVID-19, the Minister may by order prescribe alternative arrangements for the meeting or class of meetings.
[Act 30 of 2020 wef 29/09/2020]
(2)  The alternative arrangements that may be prescribed include —
(a)provision for a meeting to be convened, held or conducted, whether wholly or partly, by electronic communication, video conferencing, tele‑conferencing or other electronic means;
(b)provision of a period of notice for a meeting;
(c)provision for the quorum for a meeting to be reduced to a specified number;
(d)provision for voting by electronic means at a meeting;
(e)provision for voting at a meeting to be made by proxy and for the number of proxies to be limited to a specified number;
(f)provision for the person who may be appointed as proxy for a meeting;
(g)provision for questions to be tabled at a meeting by any of the following means:
(i)in writing;
(ii)by electronic communication, video conferencing, tele‑conferencing or other electronic means;
(h)provision for responses to questions mentioned in paragraph (g) to be communicated by electronic communication, video conferencing, tele‑conferencing or other electronic means;
(i)provision for notices for a meeting and proxies to be used at a meeting, appointment forms for proxies for a meeting, and circulars and other documents relating to a meeting, to be given or sent by electronic communication or other electronic means;
(j)provision for notices for a meeting to supersede any previous notice that may have been given;
(k)provision for a meeting to be deferred; and
(l)any other measures that the Minister considers necessary or expedient.
(3)  A meeting convened, held, conducted or deferred in accordance with the alternative arrangements prescribed by an order under subsection (1) is deemed to satisfy the requirements relating to the convening, holding, conduct or deferral of meetings under the relevant written law or legal instrument in respect of which the alternative arrangements were prescribed, despite anything to the contrary in any law or legal instrument.
(4)  Any notice, form, circular or other document given or sent in accordance with the alternative arrangements prescribed by an order under subsection (1) is deemed to satisfy the requirements relating to the notice, form, circular or other document under the relevant written law or legal instrument in respect of which the alternative arrangements were prescribed, despite anything to the contrary in any law or legal instrument.
(5)  An order under subsection (1) —
(a)[Deleted by Act 30 of 2020 wef 29/09/2020]
(b)must be published in the Gazette;
(c)may apply retrospectively to a date not earlier than 27 March 2020; and
[Act 30 of 2020 wef 29/09/2020]
(d)may provide for saving and transitional arrangements in respect of any of the alternative arrangements prescribed in the order.
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(6)  This section does not apply to proceedings of Parliament or the courts.
(7)  In this section —
[Deleted by Act 30 of 2020 wef 29/09/2020]
“legal instrument” means —
(a)in the case of a company incorporated under the Companies Act — the constitution of the company;
(b)in the case of a variable capital company incorporated under the Variable Capital Companies Act 2018 — the constitution of the variable capital company;
(c)in the case of a trust (including a business trust as defined in section 2 of the Business Trusts Act) — the trust deed of the trust;
(d)in the case of a society registered under the Societies Act (Cap. 311) — the rules of the society;
(e)in the case of a co‑operative society registered under the Co‑operative Societies Act (Cap. 62) — the by‑laws of the co‑operative society;
(f)in the case of a school to which the Education Act (Cap. 87) applies — the constitution, written scheme or deed of trust in accordance with which the school is managed;
(g)in the case of a mutual benefit organisation registered under the Mutual Benefit Organisations Act (Cap. 191) — the rules of the mutual benefit organisation;
(h)in the case of a Town Council established under the Town Councils Act (Cap. 329A) — the standing orders of the Town Council;
(i)in the case of a trade union registered under the Trade Unions Act (Cap. 333) — the rules of the registered trade union;
(j)in the case of a society or unincorporated association not mentioned in paragraphs (a) to (i) — the rules of the society or unincorporated association;
(k)in the case of an entity not mentioned in paragraphs (a) to (i) — the entity’s constituting document, however called, and the entity’s governing rules and regulations, where applicable; and
(l)any other legal instrument as may be prescribed,
and includes a class of such legal instruments.