Professional Engineers (Amendment) Bill

Bill No. 13/1977

Read the first time on 2nd September 1977.

An Act to amend the Professional Engineers Act (Chapter 225 of the Revised Edition).

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 Professional Engineers (Amendment) Act, 1977, and shall come into operation on such date as the Minister may, by notification in the Gazette, appoint.

Repeal and re-enactment of section 8

2. Section 8 of the Professional Engineers Act (hereinafter in this Act referred to as “the principal Act”) is hereby repealed and the following substituted therefor: —

“Qualifications for registration as professional engineers

8.—(1) Subject to the provisions of this section the following persons shall, on payment of the prescribed fee, be entitled to registration under this Act as professional engineers: —

(a)	any person holding the Degree of Bachelor of Engineering from the University of Singapore or the Professional Diploma in Engineering from the Singapore Polytechnic;
(b)	any person holding any other degree, diploma or qualification which the Minister may, after consultation with the Board and by notification in the Gazette, approve for the purpose of entitling the holder thereof to be registered under this Act;
(c)	any person who satisfies the Board that he is otherwise qualified by having proper and recognised training in engineering and who passes such examinations as the Minister may, in consultation with the Board, require;
(d)	any person not falling within paragraph (a), (b) or (c) of this subsection who, immediately before the date of the commencement of the Professional Engineers (Amendment) Act, 1977, is a registered professional engineer whose registration has not been cancelled.

(2) No person shall be entitled to registration under paragraph (a), (b) or (c) of subsection (1) of this section unless he can satisfy the Board that —

(a)	he has had not less than two years of practical experience in engineering work at professional level after qualifying; and
(b)	he has passed such professional practice examination as may be prescribed or approved by the Board:

Provided that the Minister may, after consultation with the Board, exempt subject to such conditions as he thinks fit any person from the requirements of this subsection.

(3) The Board may refuse to register any applicant who is in the opinion of the Board —

(a)	not of good character and reputation; or
(b)	unable to carry out the duties of a professional engineer effectively in Singapore.

(4) Any person whose application for registration has been refused by the Board may appeal to the High Court whose decision thereon shall be final.

(5) The Board may register any Government professional engineer entitled to registration under this section without payment of the prescribed fee.”.

Amendment of section 12

3. Section 12 of the principal Act is hereby amended —

(a)

by deleting the word “or” appearing at the end of paragraph (e) of subsection (1) thereof;

(b)

by deleting the full-stop appearing at the end of paragraph (f) of subsection (1) thereof and substituting therefor the expression “; or”, and by inserting immediately thereafter the following paragraph: —

“(g)	if it appears to the Board that he has contravened any provision of the code of professional conduct and ethics prescribed under section 22 of this Act.”; and

(c)

by deleting subsection (2) thereof and substituting therefor the following new subsections: —

“(2) The Board may, in any case in which it considers that no cause of sufficient gravity for cancellation of registration or suspension from practice exists —

(a)	by order impose on the professional engineer a penalty not exceeding one thousand dollars; or
(b)	by writing under the hand of the President of the Board censure the professional engineer.

(3) The Board shall not exercise its powers under subsection (1) or (2) of this section unless —

(a)	there has been a hearing at which at least two-thirds of the total number of the members of the Board are present; and
(b)	an opportunity of being heard either personally or by counsel has been given to the professional engineer against whom the Board intends to exercise its powers.

(4) Every penalty imposed by the Board under subsection (2) of this section shall be recoverable as a debt due to the Board.”.

Amendment of section 13

4. Section 13 of the principal Act is hereby amended by inserting immediately after the word “suspension” appearing in the second line thereof the words “or any imposition of penalty”.

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