Requisition of Resources Bill

Bill No. 4/1985

Read the first time on 18th March 1985.

An Act to provide for the taking of possession of or for the use of any land or for the doing of any work thereon by the armed forces and the civil defence force and for the competent authority or authorities to requisition property and services for defence and other purposes; and to provide for the payment of compensation in respect of the exercise of the powers conferred on a competent authority or other persons by this Act and for matters connected therewith.

Be it enacted by the President with the advice and consent of the Parliament of Singapore, as follows:

PART I

PRELIMINARY

Short title and commencement

1.—(1) This Act may be cited as the Requisition of Resources Act 1985.

(2) Except for Part III, this Act shall come into operation on such date as the Minister may, by notification in the Gazette, appoint.

Bringing into operation the provisions of Part III

2.—(1) Part III shall not come into operation except at the time and for the duration and in the manner hereinafter mentioned.

(2) Whenever it appears to the Minister that it is necessary for the securing of the public safety or the defence of the country or the maintenance of supplies and services essential to the life of the community or for the conduct of exercises for any of the aforesaid purposes, the Minister may by order direct that all or any of the provisions of Part III shall come into operation and the provisions of that Part specified in that order shall come into operation and remain in operation for such period as may be specified in the order.

(3) An order under this section shall not be in force for a period exceeding 7 days from the commencement of the order unless it has been made with the approval of the President.

Interpretation

3. In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires —

“aircraft” means any flying machine whether propelled by mechanical means or not and includes any description of balloon;

“armed forces” means any force constituted under the Singapore Armed Forces Act, 1972 (Act 7 of 1972);

“civil defence force” means any force constituted under the Civil Defence Act (Cap. 228);

“Commissioner” means the Commissioner or an Assistant Commissioner of a Compensation Board appointed under section 30(2);

“Compensation Board” means a Compensation Board constituted under section 30(1);

“competent authority” means any competent authority appointed under section 4;

“disaster” means any fire, explosion, earthquake, oil spill, flood, storm or other happening (whether or not attributable to an act by enemy or to any warlike act) that causes or may cause loss of life or injury or destruction of or damage to property or distress to persons in Singapore or in any part of Singapore;

“fair wear and tear”, in relation to any property which is requisitioned, means such fair wear and tear as might have been expected to occur but for the fact that the property was so requisitioned;

“goods” means chattels other than vessels, ships, vehicles and aircraft;

“land” includes land of any tenure whatsoever and buildings or part thereof and any estate or interest in or right over land;

“owner”, —

(a)	in relation to any land, means a person other than the mortgagee or chargee not in possession, who is for the time being entitled to dispose of the land whether in possession or in reversion or a person holding or entitled to the rents or profits of the land under a lease or agreement the unexpired term whereof exceeds 3 years;
(b)	in relation to any property other than land, means the person entitled to sell the property, it being assumed not to be subject to any mortgage, pledge, lien or other similar obligation; and
(c)	in relation to any undertaking, means any person who, for the time being, has control of all or any property or rights of all or any business which appertains to the undertaking;

“proclamation of emergency” means a Proclamation of Emergency issued under Article 150 of the Constitution of the Republic of Singapore;

“property” includes movable and immovable property of any kind situate or being in Singapore;

“requisition”, in relation to any property, means to take possession of the property or to require the property to be placed at the disposal of the requisitioning authority;

“ship” includes every description of vessel used in sea navigation whether propelled by oars or otherwise;

“Singapore ship or aircraft” means a ship or aircraft registered in Singapore;

“vehicle” includes a crane, excavator, tractor or mobile construction plant;

“vessel” includes a ship, boat, lighter and craft of every kind;

“undertaking” includes any business, whether carried on by way of trade or not, and the activities of any body of persons, whether corporate or unincorporate.

Search within Legislation