Ngee Ann Technical College (Amendment) Bill

Bill No. 43/1979

Read the first time on 11th December 1979.

An Act to amend the Ngee Ann Technical College Act (Chapter 179 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 Ngee Ann Technical College (Amendment) Act, 1979, and shall come into operation on such date as the Minister may, by notification in the Gazette, appoint.

Repeal and re-enactment of section 7

2. Section 7 of the Ngee Ann Technical College Act (hereinafter in this Act referred to as the principal Act) is repealed and the following substituted therefor: —

“Composition of the Council

7.—(1) The Council shall consist of the following members: —

(a)	a Chairman;
(b)	a Deputy Chairman;
(c)	the Principal;
(d)	three representatives of the Ngee Ann Kongsi nominated by the Committee of Management thereof; and
(e)	such other persons, not being less than six or more than twelve, as the Minister may from time to time determine.

(2) Every member of the Council, except the Principal, shall be appointed by the Minister and shall, unless the Minister otherwise directs, hold office for a period of three years from the date of his appointment and shall be eligible for reappointment.”.

New sections 7A and 7B

3. The principal Act is amended by inserting, immediately after section 7, the following sections: —

“Vacation of office of a member of the Council

7A.—(1) The office of a member of the Council shall be vacated if he —

(a)	becomes a bankrupt or suspends payment to, or makes any arrangement or composition with, his creditors; or
(b)	has been absent, without leave of the Council, from three consecutive meetings thereof.

(2) The Minister may revoke the appointment of a member of the Council, except that of the Principal, if the member becomes in the opinion of the Minister unfit to continue in office or incapable of performing his duties.

(3) A member of the Council, except the Principal, may resign from his appointment at any time by giving written notice to the Minister.

Filling of vacancy in the office of a member of the Council

7B.—(1) If the office of a member of the Council, other than that of the Principal, is vacant, the Minister may appoint any person to fill the vacancy and the person shall be appointed for the remainder of the term of his predecessor.

(2) Where the member in whose place a person is appointed under subsection (1) of this section was a representative of the Ngee Ann Kongsi, the person appointed shall also be a representative of the Ngee Ann Kongsi nominated by the Committee of Management thereof.”.

Amendment of section 8

4. Subsection (2) of section 8 of the principal Act is amended —

(a)	by deleting paragraph (e); and
(b)	by re-lettering paragraphs (f), (g) and (h) as paragraphs (e), (f) and (g), respectively.

Repeal and re-enactment of section 10

5. Section 10 of the principal Act is repealed and the following substituted therefor: —

“Meetings of the Council

10.—(1) The Chairman shall summon meetings of the Council as often as may be required.

(2) The quorum at every meeting of the Council shall consist of six members.

(3) Every decision at a meeting of the Council shall be adopted by a simple majority of the votes of the members present and voting, except that in the case of an equality of votes, the Chairman or, in his absence, the Deputy Chairman of the Council shall have a casting vote.

(4) The Chairman or, in his absence, the Deputy Chairman shall preside at a meeting of the Council.

(5) In the absence of the Chairman and the Deputy Chairman at a meeting of the Council, such member as the members present may elect shall preside at the meeting.

(6) The Council may grant leave of absence from a meeting of the Council to a member thereof.

(7) The Council shall not be precluded from holding a meeting or acting in any matter merely by reason of any vacancy in its membership.

(8) Subject to the provisions of this Act, the Council may make standing orders to regulate its own procedure.”.

Repeal and re-enactment of section 14

6. Section 14 of the principal Act is repealed and the following substituted therefor: —

“Senate

14. The Senate shall consist of —

(a)	the Principal who shall be the chairman;
(b)	the Vice-Principal who shall be the deputy chairman;
(c)	the heads of all departments of the College;
(d)	the librarian of the College;
(e)	two members, elected from the full-time academic staff of the College from among themselves, who shall hold office for two years; and
(f)	the Registrar who shall be the secretary.”.

New sections 17B and 17C

7. The principal Act is amended by inserting, immediately after section 17A, the following sections: —

“Ngee Ann Technical College Students’ Union

17B.—(1) There shall be a students’ association to be known as the Ngee Ann Technical College Students’ Union which shall be constituted by rules made under subsection (1) of section 18 of this Act and shall consist of such constituent bodies as may be prescribed by those rules.

(2) The constitution, membership, functions and other matters relating to the Ngee Ann Technical College Students’ Union and each of its constituent bodies shall be so prescribed.

(3) The Council may impose and collect from the students or any class thereof such fees as it may determine for the benefit of the Ngee Ann Technical College Students’ Union and its constituent bodies; and such fees may be applied in such manner as the Council thinks fit for the purposes of the Union and its constituent bodies.

(4) Until such day as the Ngee Ann Technical College Students’ Union is constituted by rules made under subsection (1) of section 18 of this Act (hereinafter in this section referred to as the new Union) there shall continue to exist the Ngee Ann Technical College Students’ Union as constituted before the commencement of the Ngee Ann Technical College (Amendment) Act, 1979 (hereinafter in this section referred to as the old Union); but on that day the old Union shall be deemed to be dissolved and all its property, assets, rights, liabilities and obligations of every description shall be deemed to vest without any further assurance in the new Union.

Application of the Societies Act to the Students’ Union

17C.—(1) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in the Societies Act (Cap. 262), the provisions of that Act shall apply to the Ngee Ann Technical College Students’ Union constituted by rules made under subsection (1) of section 18 of this Act and its constituent bodies.

(2) The Minister charged with responsibility for societies may, by order published in the Gazette, exempt the Ngee Ann Technical College Students’ Union and any of its constituent bodies from all or any of the provisions of the Societies Act subject to such conditions as may be specified in the order.”.

Amendment of section 18

8. Section 18 of the principal Act is amended —

(a)

by inserting, immediately after the word “may” in subsection (1), the words “, with the approval of the Minister,”;

(b)

by deleting the word “and” at the end of paragraph (f) of subsection (2); and

(c)

by deleting the full-stop at the end of subsection (2) and substituting a semi-colon; and by inserting immediately thereafter the following paragraphs: —

“(h)	the appointment, promotion, conduct, disciplinary control, dismissal and termination of service of the academic and administrative staff of the College; and
(i)	the conduct and disciplinary control of students.”.

Amendment of Schedule

9. The Schedule to the principal Act is amended —

(a)	by deleting the word “Principal” in paragraphs 1 and 4 and substituting in each case the word “Council”; and
(b)	by deleting the word “Board” in paragraph 13 and substituting the word “Council”.

Cessation of office of Council members on the commencement of this Act

10. All the members of the Council of the Ngee Ann Technical College holding office immediately before the commencement of this Act shall cease to hold office on the commencement of this Act.

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