PART 2 | ORGANISATION OF SINGAPORE ARMED FORCES |
| Establishment and organisation of Singapore Armed Forces |
7.—(1) It is lawful for the President in accordance with this Act and any regulations made under this Act to raise and maintain a force to be known as the Singapore Armed Forces which is a unified force consisting of army, air force and navy commands and each command consisting of as many servicemen as the President may from time to time determine.| (2) The servicemen in each command must be formed into such units, corps, regiments, services or other like bodies and divisions as the President may from time to time determine. |
| (3) The President may disband any command, unit, corps, regiment, service or other like body or division constituted under subsection (2) in whole or in part or amalgamate any such command, unit, corps, regiment, service or other body or division or alter the name or title thereof. |
| (4) The Singapore Army and the People’s Defence Force and any other force that was raised and maintained under any written law repealed by this Act which were in existence immediately before 15 June 1972 shall, on or after that date, be deemed to be included in the Singapore Armed Forces raised and maintained under this Act. |
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| Establishment of Armed Forces Council |
8.—(1) For the purposes of the administration of matters relating to the Singapore Armed Forces under this Act, an Armed Forces Council is established consisting of —| (a) | one or more Ministers charged with the responsibility for defence and any other Minister who has been assigned to assist them; | | (b) | the Permanent Secretary, or all the Permanent Secretaries (if there is more than one), of the Ministry of Defence; | | (c) | the Chief of Defence Force; | | (d) | the Chief of Army; | | (e) | the Chief of Air Force; | | (f) | the Chief of Navy; and | | (g) | not more than 4 other members as the President may appoint if the President, acting in his or her discretion, concurs with the advice of the Prime Minister. |
| (2) The Minister charged with the responsibility for defence or, if there is more than one, the principal Minister is the Chairperson of the Armed Forces Council. |
| (3) The appointments mentioned in subsection (1)(g) may not be revoked unless the President, acting in his or her discretion, concurs with the advice of the Prime Minister. |
| (4) Any appointment or revocation made by the President under this section must be published in the Gazette. |
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| Armed Forces Council to provide for certain matters |
8A. The Armed Forces Council may provide for the following matters:| (a) | the organisation of its work and the manner in which its functions are to be performed, and the keeping of records and minutes; | | (b) | the duties and responsibilities of the members of the Council including the delegation to any member of the Council of any of its powers or duties; | | (c) | the consultation by the Council with persons other than its members; and | | (d) | the procedure to be followed by the Council in conducting its business. |
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8B.—(1) Subject to subsections (2) and (3), the quorum for a meeting of the Armed Forces Council is 3 members.(2) Business must not be transacted at any meeting of the Armed Forces Council unless the following members of the Council are present:| (a) | the Chairperson of the Council; | | (b) | a Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Defence; and | | (c) | the Chief of Defence Force, Army, Air Force or Navy. |
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| (3) Where the Chairperson of the Armed Forces Council is unable to attend any meeting of the Council, the Council may meet and transact any business if a member present at such a meeting has been appointed by the Chairperson to act on the Chairperson’s behalf. |
| (4) A decision of the Armed Forces Council on any matter made at that meeting does not take effect unless the written consent of the Chairperson of the Council under the hand of the Chairperson has been obtained therefor. |
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| Committees appointed by Armed Forces Council |
8C.—(1) The Armed Forces Council may appoint committees consisting of one or more persons who may or may not be members of the Armed Forces Council, either for general or specific purposes (including disciplinary matters and to conduct inquiries).| (2) The Armed Forces Council may delegate to such committees power to do any specific act or carry out any specific function. |
| (3) Every committee appointed under subsection (1) reports to the Armed Forces Council. |
| (4) Sections 113, 185, 187, 188, 189, 190 and 191 apply, with the necessary modification and adaptation, to a committee of inquiry appointed under subsection (1). |
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| Style, seal and proceedings of Armed Forces Council |
9.—(1) The Armed Forces Council may for all purposes be described by that name.| (2) The Armed Forces Council must have an official seal, which must be officially and judicially noticed, and that seal must be authenticated by the signature of the Chairperson of the Armed Forces Council, or of a secretary, or of some person authorised by the Armed Forces Council to act on behalf of a secretary. |
| (3) Every document purporting to be an instrument issued by the Armed Forces Council, and to be sealed with the seal of the Armed Forces Council, authenticated in the manner provided by this Act, or to be signed by a secretary or any person authorised by the Armed Forces Council to act on behalf of a secretary, shall be received in evidence, and is deemed to be such an instrument without further proof, unless the contrary is shown. |
| (4) A certificate signed by the Chairperson of the Armed Forces Council that any instrument purporting to be made or issued by the Council was so made or issued is conclusive evidence of the fact. |
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10.—(1) Subject to section 10A, officers of the Singapore Armed Forces may be appointed either by the President or by the proper authority who or which may, without giving any reason, cancel the appointment.| (2) An appointment made under subsection (1) must be in the prescribed form. |
| (3) Officers appointed under subsection (1) are deemed to be officers of the Singapore Armed Forces from the date specified in their appointments. |
| (4) Officers may from time to time be promoted or advanced in rank by the proper authority. |
| (5) Any officer who has been commissioned pursuant to the repealed section 78 of the Singapore Army Act 1965 or has been appointed by the proper authority to hold the rank of officer and who has held that rank immediately before 15 June 1972 is for all purposes deemed to have been appointed as an officer under this Act. |
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| Appointment of Chiefs of Defence Force, Army, Air Force and Navy |
10A.—(1) The President acting in his or her discretion may, if the President concurs with the advice of the Prime Minister who must before tendering such advice consult the Armed Forces Council, appoint from among the officers of the Singapore Armed Forces a Chief of Defence Force, a Chief of Army, a Chief of Air Force and a Chief of Navy.| (2) The appointments mentioned in subsection (1) may not be revoked unless the President, acting in his or her discretion, concurs with the advice of the Prime Minister who must before tendering such advice consult the Armed Forces Council. |
| (3) The Chief of Defence Force must perform the duties of the Chief of Army, the Chief of Air Force or the Chief of Navy (as the case may be) when any of them is unable to carry out his or her duties by reason of absence, illness or otherwise. |
| (4) The Minister may direct the Chief of Army, the Chief of Air Force or the Chief of Navy, as the Minister thinks fit, to perform the duties of the Chief of Defence Force when the latter is unable to carry out his or her duties by reason of absence, illness or otherwise. |
| (5) Any appointment or revocation made by the President under this section must be published in the Gazette. |
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| Appointment of warrant officers |
10B.—(1) Warrant officers of the Singapore Armed Forces may be appointed by the Armed Forces Council or by the proper authority which may, without giving any reason, cancel any such appointment.| (2) An appointment made under subsection (1) must be in the prescribed form. |
| (3) Warrant officers appointed under subsection (1) are deemed to be warrant officers of the Singapore Armed Forces from the date specified in their appointments. |
| (4) Warrant officers may from time to time be promoted or advanced in rank by the proper authority. |
| (5) Any warrant officer who has been appointed by the proper authority to hold the rank of warrant officer and who has held that rank immediately before 1 July 1992 is for all purposes deemed to have been appointed as a warrant officer. |
| (6) Every warrant officer appointed before 1 July 1992 is deemed to be appointed under subsection (1). |
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| Appointment of senior military experts |
| 10C.—(1) Senior military experts of the Singapore Armed Forces are to be appointed by the President or by the proper authority who or which may, without giving any reason, cancel any such appointment. [28/2009] | (2) An appointment made under subsection (1) must be in the prescribed form. [28/2009] |
| (3) Senior military experts appointed under subsection (1) are deemed to be senior military experts of the Singapore Armed Forces from the date specified in their appointments. [28/2009] |
| (4) Senior military experts may from time to time be promoted or advanced in rank by the proper authority. [28/2009] |
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