Singapore Red Cross Society (Incorporation) Bill

Bill No. 7/1973

Read the first time on 16th February 1973.

An Act to incorporate the Singapore Red Cross Society.

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 Singapore Red Cross Society (Incorporation) Act, 1973 and shall come into operation on such date as the Minister may, by notification in the Gazette, appoint.

Interpretation

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

“appointed day” means the day this Act comes into operation;

“Association” means the voluntary association known as the Singapore Red Cross Society immediately before the appointed day;

“Society” means the Singapore Red Cross Society incorporated under this Act.

Incorporation of the Society

3.—(1) The voluntary association known as the Singapore Red Cross Society immediately before the appointed day is hereby constituted as a body corporate with perpetual succession and a common seal and shall be known as the “Singapore Red Cross Society”.

(2) The Society may sue and be sued in its corporate name and do such acts or things incidental or appertaining to a body corporate.

(3) The Society shall consist of all persons who immediately before the appointed day were members of the Association and all such persons as may thereafter become members of the Society pursuant to the rules for the time being in force of the Society.

Geneva Conventions

4. The Society is hereby recognised by the Government as a voluntary aid society auxiliary to the public authorities exercising their obligations by virtue of the Geneva Conventions for the amelioration of the condition of the wounded and sick in armed forces in the field, for the amelioration of the condition of wounded, sick and shipwrecked members of the armed forces at sea, relative to the treatment of prisoners of war, and to the protection of civilian persons in time of war.

Objects of the Society

5. The objects of the Society shall be —

(a)	the improvement of health, the prevention of disease and the mitigation of suffering throughout the world without any distinction on the grounds of race, nationality, religion or political opinions; and
(b)	the furnishing of voluntary aid to the sick and wounded in time of war and to non-belligerents, prisoners of war and civilian sufferers from the effects of war.

Patron and President of Society

6. The President of the Republic of Singapore shall be the Patron as well as the President of the Society.

Council

7.—(1) The affairs of the Society shall be administered by a Council to be constituted in accordance with the rules for the time being in force of the Society.

(2) The Chairman and the Honorary Treasurer of the Council shall be appointed by the President of the Society for a term of three years, and shall be eligible for re-appointment.

(3) The members of the first Council shall include all those persons who immediately before the appointed day were members of the Executive Committee of the Association. The Chairman and the Honorary Treasurer of the first Council shall be appointed by the President of the Society in accordance with the provisions of subsection (2) of this section, and the other office-bearers shall be elected by the Council members in accordance with the rules of the Society.

Revocation and resignation of appointment

8.—(1) The President of the Society may at any time revoke the appointment of the Chairman or the Honorary Treasurer if he considers it desirable in the interests of the Society to revoke the appointment.

(2) The Chairman and the Honorary Treasurer may by writing addressed to the President of the Society resign such appointment.

(3) Any vacancy arising among the appointed members of the Council shall be filled by the President of the Society and any such new member shall hold office for so long as the member in whose place he is appointed would have held office.

Powers of Council

9.—(1) The Council may —

(a)	make rules or amendments to existing rules to regulate the proceedings of the Society and the Council;
(b)	appoint committees and allocate duties to and regulate the exercise of executive power by such committees and members of the Council;
(c)	appoint such officers and servants as it thinks fit and regulate the conduct and dismissal of such officers and servants;
(d)	organise classes, lectures, courses and symposia on subjects falling within the objects of the Society;
(e)	disseminate information about the Society by selling or distributing books, pamphlets and papers; and
(f)	generally do all such other acts as may be necessary to achieve the objects of the Society.

(2) No rules or any amendment or repeal thereof or addition thereto shall have any force or effect unless it shall have been approved by the President of the Society.

Use of the “Red Cross”

10.—(1) No person other than the Society and any person so authorised by the Minister shall use —

(a)	the heraldic emblem of the red cross on a white ground formed by reversing the Federal Colours of Switzerland; or
(b)	the words “Red Cross” or “Geneva Cross”.

(2) Any person contravening the provisions of subsection (1) of this section shall be guilty of an offence under this Act and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding one thousand dollars or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding six months or to both such fine and imprisonment.

Transfer of property, liabilities, etc.

11. Upon the coming into operation of this Act —

(a)	all the assets and movable and immovable property of every description and all the powers, rights and privileges in connection therewith or appertaining thereto which immediately before the appointed day were vested in the Association shall forthwith vest in the Society without further assurance;
(b)	all liabilities and obligations of the Association which may have existed immediately prior to the appointed day shall be transferred to and vest in the Society; and
(c)	every person in the service of the Association shall be deemed to be transferred to the service of the Society subject to any provision that may subsequently be made by the Council.

Application of income and property

12. The income and property of the Society whencesoever derived shall be applied solely towards the promotion of the objects of the Society as set out in this Act and no part thereof shall be paid or transferred directly or indirectly by way of dividend, bonus or otherwise howsoever by way of profit to the members of the Society:

Provided that nothing herein contained shall preclude the payment in good faith of remuneration to any officer or servant of the Society or to any member of the Society in return for services rendered to the Society.

Cessation

13. The Red Cross Society (Incorporation) Act, 1965 (M. Act 47 of 1965), of Malaysia shall cease to apply to Singapore.

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