Constitution (Amendment) (Protection of the Sovereignty of the Republic of Singapore) Bill

Bill No. 33/1972

Read the first time on 24th October 1972.
An Act to amend the Constitution of Singapore.
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 Constitution (Amendment) (Protection of the Sovereignty of the Republic of Singapore) Act, 1972, and shall come into operation on such date as the President may, by notification in the Gazette, appoint.
New Part IIB
2.  The Constitution of Singapore is hereby amended by inserting immediately after Article 52I thereof the following new Part: —
PART IIB
PROTECTION OF THE SOVEREIGNTY OF THE REPUBLIC OF SINGAPORE
No surrender of sovereignty by merger or in any other manner, nor relinquishment of control over the Police Force or the Armed Forces unless supported by not less than two-thirds of total votes cast by electors at a referendum
52J.—(1)  There shall be —
(a)no surrender or transfer, either wholly or in part, of the sovereignty of the Republic of Singapore as an independent nation, whether by way of merger or incorporation with any other sovereign state or with any Federation, Confederation, country or territory or in any other manner whatsoever; and
(b)no relinquishment of control over the Singapore Police Force or the Singapore Armed Forces,
unless such surrender, transfer or relinquishment has been supported, at a national referendum, by not less than two-thirds of the total number of votes cast by the electors registered under the Parliamentary Elections Act (Cap. 50).
(2)  For the purposes of this Article, the expression —
(a)the “Singapore Police Force” shall mean the Singapore Police Force and the Special Constabulary established under the Police Force Act (Cap. 78) and any Auxiliary Police Force created in accordance with Part X of the said Act, and shall include the Vigilante Corps established under the Vigilante Corps Act (Cap. 80) and such other force as the President may, by notification in the Gazette, declare to be a police force for the purposes of this Article; and
(b)the “Singapore Armed Forces” shall mean the Singapore Armed Forces raised and maintained under the Singapore Armed Forces Act, 1972 (Act 7 of 1972), and shall include any civil defence force formed under the Civil Defence Act (Cap. 228) and such other force as the President may, by notification in the Gazette, declare to be an armed force for the purposes of this Article.
Participation in co-operative international schemes which are beneficial to Singapore
52K.  Without in any way derogating from the force and effect of Article 52J of this Constitution, nothing in that Article shall be construed as precluding Singapore or any association, body or organisation therein from —
(a)participating or co-operating in, or contributing towards, any scheme, venture, project, enterprise or undertaking of whatsoever nature, in conjunction or in concert with any other sovereign state or with any Federation, Confederation, country or countries or any association, body or organisation therein, where such scheme, venture, project, enterprise or undertaking confers, has the effect of conferring or is intended to confer, on Singapore or any association, body or organisation therein, any economic, financial, industrial, social, cultural, educational or other benefit of any kind or is, or appears to be, advantageous in any way to Singapore or any association, body or organisation therein; or
(b)entering into any treaty, agreement, contract, pact or other arrangement with any other sovereign state or with any Federation, Confederation, country or countries or any association, body or organisation therein, where such treaty, agreement, contract, pact or arrangement provides for mutual or collective security or any other object or purpose whatsoever which is, or appears to be, beneficial or advantageous to Singapore in any way.
No amendment to this Part unless supported by not less than two-thirds of total votes cast by electors at a referendum
52L.—(1)  A Bill for making an amendment to this Part shall not be passed by Parliament unless it has been supported, at a national referendum, by not less than two-thirds of the total number of votes cast by the electors registered under the Parliamentary Elections Act (Cap. 50).
(2)  In this Article “amendment” includes addition and repeal.”.