Societies (Amendment) Ordinance

Bill No. 15/1963

Read the first time on 28th November 1963.

An Ordinance to amend the Societies Ordinance (Chapter 228 of the Revised Edition).

Be it enacted by the Yang di-Pertuan Negara with the advice and consent of the Legislative Assembly of Singapore, as follows: —

Short title

1. This Ordinance may be cited as the Societies (Amendment) Ordinance, 1963.

Amendment of section 9

2. Subsection (2) of section 9 of the Societies Ordinance is hereby amended by deleting the expression “twenty-five” appearing in the last line thereof and substituting therefor the words “two hundred”.

New section 9B

3. The Societies Ordinance is hereby amended by inserting immediately after section 9A thereof the following new sections: —

“Persons who shall not act as officers of a society

9B.—(1) No person shall act as an officer of a society or any branch thereof if —

(a)	he has, while being a member of a society, been convicted for an offence involving the unlawful expenditure of the funds of a society; or
(b)	he has been declared, in writing, by the Minister to be unfit to be an officer of a society by reason of any conviction for a criminal offence other than that specified in paragraph (a) of this subsection, unless the written permission of the Minister so to act is first obtained.

(2) Any person who acts in contravention of this section shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding five hundred dollars or to imprisonment for a term which may extend to six months or to both such fine and imprisonment.

Use of symbol

9C.—(1) No registered society shall use any symbol without the consent in writing of the Registrar or an Assistant Registrar.

(2) Any person aggrieved by the refusal of the Registrar or an Assistant Registrar to the use of a symbol may appeal against the decision to the Minister whose decision shall be final.

(3) In any case where a registered society uses a symbol in contravention of the provisions of subsection (1) of this section —

(a)	the president, secretary and all members of the committee of such society, or if such offices do not exist, all persons holding positions in such society analogous to those of president, secretary and members of such committee; and
(b)	all persons managing or assisting in the management of such society,

shall be deemed to be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding one thousand dollars or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding one year or to both such fine and imprisonment.”.

Amendment of section 17

4. Subsection (1) of section 17 of the Societies Ordinance is hereby deleted and the following substituted therefor: —

“(1) Whenever it appears to the Minister that —

(a)	any registered society is being used for unlawful purposes; or
(b)	any registered society is being used for purposes incompatible with the peace or good order of the State of Singapore, or with the objects or rules of the society as entered in the Register of Societies; or
(c)	the rules of any registered society are or have been inadequate for the purpose of providing for its proper management and control and such registered society has failed without reasonable cause to amend its rules within three months of, and in accordance with, a request from the Registrar to amend its rules for such purpose,

the Minister may order that such society shall be dissolved.”.

Amendment of section 20

5. Subsection (1) of section 20 of the Societies Ordinance is hereby amended by deleting paragraphs (b), (c), (d) and (e) thereof and substituting therefor the following: —

“(b)

the Official Assignee in Bankruptcy or such other officer shall proceed to wind up the affairs of the society and after satisfying and providing for all debts and liabilities of the society and the costs of winding up shall pay the surplus assets, if any, of the society —

(i)	where the Minister so directs into the Consolidated Fund; or
(ii)	in the absence of a direction from the Minister, to the members of the society according to the rules of the society.”.

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