Mutual Benefit Organisations (Amendment) Bill

Bill No. 47/1970

Read the first time on 4th November 1970.

An Act to amend the Mutual Benefit Organisations Ordinance, 1960 (No. 42 of 1960).

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 Mutual Benefit Organisations (Amendment) Act, 1970, and shall come into operation on such date as the Minister may, by notification in the Gazette, appoint.

Repeal and re-enactment of section 5

2. Section 5 of the Mutual Benefit Organisations Ordinance, 1960 (hereinafter in this Act referred to as “the Ordinance”) is hereby repealed and the following substituted therefor: —

“Refusal of registration

5. The Registrar may refuse to register a mutual benefit organisation —

(a)

if in the opinion of the Registrar the name under which the mutual benefit organisation is to be registered is —

(i)	identical with or so nearly resembles the name of any other organisation as is likely to deceive the members of the public as to its nature or identity; or
(ii)	likely to mislead the members of the public as to the true character and purpose of the mutual benefit organisation; or

(b)

if in the opinion of the Registrar the scheme for the relief or maintenance of the members or subscribers of the mutual benefit organisation as provided for in the rules and objects of the mutual benefit organisation is undesirable and not in the interest of the members or subscribers.”.

Repeal of section 15

3. Section 15 of the Ordinance is hereby repealed.

New section 22A

4. The Ordinance is hereby amended by inserting immediately after section 22 thereof the following new section: —

“Utilisation of reserve funds

22A. The reserve funds of a mutual benefit organisation referred to in subsection (2) of section 22 of this Ordinance, or any part thereof, may be utilized for any purpose approved by the Minister.”.

New sections 27A and 27B

5. The Ordinance is hereby amended by inserting immediately after section 27 thereof the following new sections: —

“Power to freeze bank accounts

27A.—(1) Where a notice has been given by the Registrar to a mutual benefit organisation under the provisions of subsection (3) of section 27 of this Ordinance, the Minister may, where he is satisfied that it is likely that the funds of the mutual benefit organisation may be misused, by order, direct any bank in Singapore not to pay any money out and not to pay cheques drawn on the account of such organisation for a specified period not exceeding three months.

(2) A bank and any officer thereof which complies with an order of the Minister under subsection (1) of this section shall be relieved of any liability to any other person in respect of the payment prohibited by such order.

(3) The manager of any bank which fails to comply with an order of the Minister under subsection (1) of this section shall be guilty of an offence under this Ordinance and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding three thousand dollars or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding three years or to both such fine and imprisonment.

Power to seize documents

27B.—(1) Where a notice has been given by the Registrar to a mutual benefit organisation under the provisions of subsection (3) of section 27 of this Ordinance, the Registrar or a police officer authorised in writing by the Registrar may at any time enter any place which the Registrar has reason to believe is kept or used by any mutual benefit organisation or any of its members as a place of meeting or business and seize any account book, document or record of the mutual benefit organisation.

(2) Any person who obstructs or prevents the Registrar or a police officer authorised in writing in that behalf by the Registrar from seizing the account books, documents or records of a mutual benefit organisation shall be guilty of an offence under this Ordinance and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding two thousand dollars or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding three years or to both such fine and imprisonment.”.

Amendment of section 39

6. Subsection (2) of section 39 of the Ordinance is hereby amended by deleting the words “one hundred dollars” appearing in the fourth line thereof and substituting therefor the words “two hundred dollars”.

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