Destitute Persons Act |
(CHAPTER 78) |
(Original Enactment: Act 30 of 1965)
REVISED EDITION 1985 |
(30th March 1987) |
An Act to provide for the care and rehabilitation of destitute persons. |
[9th May 1966] |
Short title |
1. This Act may be cited as the Destitute Persons Act. |
Interpretation |
Power to require a destitute person to reside in a welfare home |
3.—(1) Any public officer acting under the direction of the Director or any police officer may take in charge any destitute person and deliver him to the custody of the Director.
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Voluntary admission into a welfare home |
4. Any destitute person who voluntarily seeks admission into a welfare home shall be required to undertake that, if admitted, he will abide by the conditions of admission imposed under this Act or by any rules made thereunder. |
Minister may establish welfare homes |
5.—(1) The Minister may, by notification in the Gazette, establish welfare homes at such places as he thinks proper within Singapore for the care and rehabilitation of destitute persons in accordance with the provisions of this Act.
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Board of Visitors |
6.—(1) The Minister may, by notification in the Gazette, appoint a Board of Visitors to advise and make recommendations to the Director on such matters as he may refer to it.
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Rules for management of welfare homes |
7. The Minister may make rules —
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Discharge from welfare homes |
8.—(1) Any person admitted to a welfare home, either on his own application or otherwise, may be discharged by the superintendent to the care of a relative who satisfies the superintendent of his ability to support or care for the person to be discharged:
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Superintendent to endeavour to find employment |
9. The superintendent shall use his best endeavours to obtain suitable employment outside the welfare home for persons admitted thereto. |
Persons in a welfare home may be required to work |
10. Any person residing in a welfare home may be required to engage in any suitable work, for which the medical officer of the home certifies him to be capable, either with a view to fitting him for an employment outside the welfare home or with a view to contributing to his maintenance in the welfare home. |
Persons in a welfare home may be sent to hospital |
11. Any person residing in a welfare home may, if so directed by the medical officer of the home, be sent to a hospital or other medical institution for treatment, and shall be deemed while receiving such treatment to be a resident of the welfare home. |
Director may transfer persons in welfare homes |
12. Any person residing in a welfare home may, if so directed by the Director, be removed from the welfare home and admitted to another welfare home. |
Penalty for escape from lawful custody or welfare home |
13. Any person who —
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Arrest of escaped destitute person |
14. Any person who is reasonably suspected of having committed an offence under section 13 and who refuses or fails to accompany a police officer or to appear before a Magistrate’s Court when required to do so for the purposes of this Act may be arrested without a warrant. |
Agreement to leave Singapore |
15.—(1) Any person residing in a welfare home may enter into an agreement with the Director binding himself to leave Singapore at such time and in such manner as the superintendent directs for the purpose of being, removed from Singapore at the expense of the Government and not to return to Singapore within 5 years.
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Breach of agreement |
16. Every person who enters into an agreement under section 15 and violates that agreement in any respect shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 6 months. |
Repatriation of non-Singapore citizens |
17.—(1) Any destitute person, not being a citizen of Singapore, who has been admitted to a welfare home and who has not entered into an agreement to leave Singapore as provided in section 15, may be repatriated.
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Discharge |
18. The Minister may at any time order any person admitted to a welfare home to be discharged. |
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