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Newspaper And Printing Presses (Amendment) Bill

Bill No. 13/1986

Read the first time on 5th May 1986.

An Act to amend the Newspaper and Printing Presses Act 1974 (No. 12 of 1974).

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 Newspaper and Printing Presses (Amendment) Act 1986 and shall come into operation on such date as the Minister may, by notification in the Gazette, appoint.

Amendment of section 2

2. Section 2 of the Newspaper and Printing Presses Act 1974 (referred to in this Act as the principal Act) is amended —

(a)

by inserting, immediately after the definition of “company”, the following definition:

“ “declared foreign newspaper” means any newspaper published outside Singapore which has been declared by the Minister under section 18A(1) to be engaging in the domestic politics of Singapore;”; and

(b)

by deleting the words “in Singapore” in the definition of “newspaper”.

Amendment of section 7

3. Section 7 of the principal Act is amended by inserting, immediately after subsection (2), the following subsection:

“(3) For the purposes of subsection (1), a newspaper shall be deemed to be published outside Singapore if its contents and editorial policy are determined outside Singapore and its sales or distribution are not intended primarily for Singapore.”.

New sections 18A to 18E

4. The principal Act is amended by inserting, immediately after section 18, the following sections:

“Declared foreign newspapers

18A.—(1) The Minister may, by order published in the Gazette, declare any newspaper published outside Singapore to be a newspaper engaging in the domestic politics of Singapore.

(2) No person shall, without the prior approval of the Minister, sell or distribute or import for or possess for sale or distribution any declared foreign newspaper.

(3) The Minister may grant his approval under subsection (2) subject to such conditions as he may impose or may refuse to grant or revoke such approval without assigning any reason.

(4) The Minister may restrict the sale or distribution of each issue of any declared foreign newspaper granted approval under subsection (2) to such number of copies as he thinks fit, and may require such copies to be marked in such manner as he may direct.

(5) Any person who contravenes subsection (2) or fails to comply with the conditions imposed under subsection (3) or who sells or distributes any copy of a declared foreign newspaper which is not marked in accordance with subsection (4) shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $10,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 2 years or to both.

(6) In any proceedings under this section it shall be presumed, until the contrary is proved, that any person found in possession of more than 5 copies of the same issue of a declared foreign newspaper had possession of them for sale or distribution.

Prohibition on reproduction of declared foreign newspapers for sale or distribution

18B. Any person who reproduces for sale or distribution any copy of a declared foreign newspaper shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $10,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 2 years or to both.

Examination of persons entering Singapore

18C.—(1) Any person entering Singapore shall, if he is required to do so by the Registrar or any authorised officer —

(a)	declare whether or not he has with him any declared foreign newspaper; and
(b)	produce such declared foreign newspaper for examination.

(2) The Registrar or any authorised officer may examine or search any person entering Singapore or any article which the person has with him for the purpose of ascertaining whether he has in his possession any declared foreign newspaper and may seize any such newspaper which is not marked in accordance with section 18A(4).

(3) Any newspaper seized under subsection (2) may be detained for so long as the Registrar or authorised officer considers necessary and the Registrar or authorised officer may, if such newspaper is a declared foreign newspaper, confiscate such newspaper and may in his discretion destroy it or cause it to be destroyed or permit it to be sent to a destination outside Singapore.

(4) Any person who fails to comply with any requirement made by the Registrar or authorised officer under 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 6 months or to both.

(5) In this section “authorised officer” means any person authorised by the Registrar or any police officer or officer of customs.

Power to examine packages

18D.—(1) Any —

(a)	officer of the Telecommunication Authority of Singapore not below the rank of postal superintendent;
(b)	officer of customs;
(c)	police officer; and
(d)	other officer authorised in that behalf by the Minister,

may detain, open and examine any package or article which he suspects to contain any declared foreign newspaper and if such newspaper, which is not marked in accordance with section 18A(4), is found in the package or article, the whole package or article may be impounded and retained by the officer who shall deliver it to the Registrar.

(2) The Registrar may destroy any declared foreign newspaper delivered to him under subsection (1) or may dispose of such newspaper in such manner as may be directed by the Minister.

Subscription of declared foreign newspapers

18E.—(1) No person shall subscribe to any declared foreign newspaper except through a distributor who is authorised by the Minister.

(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 6 months or to both.”.