5. Paragraph 1 of Part 2 of the Second Schedule to the principal Regulations is amended —| (a) | by inserting, immediately after the definition of “contestant”, the following definition:“ “crowd management period”, for a religious gathering at a venue, means —| (a) | subject to paragraph (b), the period —| (i) | starting 60 minutes before the time that the religious gathering is stated will begin daily on any publicity material relating to the religious gathering; and | | (ii) | ending 60 minutes after the time that the religious gathering is stated will end daily on any publicity material relating to the religious gathering; or |
| | (b) | for a religious gathering to mark or commemorate one or more days of religious significance (whether or not also a public holiday) and for which there is no publicity material described in paragraph (a), the period —| (i) | starting 60 minutes before the first time in the day or each day (as the case may be) the venue is open to worshippers to attend the religious gathering; and | | (ii) | ending 60 minutes after the time in the day or each day (as the case may be) the venue closes admission to worshippers to attend the religious gathering;”; |
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| | (b) | by inserting, immediately after the definition of “enclosed space”, the following definitions:| “ “funeral event” and “funerary memorial event” have the respective meanings given by regulation 2(1) of the COVID‑19 (Temporary Measures) (Control Order) Regulations 2020;”; |
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| | (c) | by inserting, immediately after the definition of “marketing material”, the following definition:“ “non-worshipper”, in relation to a religious gathering taking place or to take place in a venue, means an individual who is lawfully present in the venue during a crowd management period of the religious gathering —| (a) | to deliver goods or provide services connected with the organising of the religious gathering by the person who is responsible (whether fully or substantially) for the organising of the religious gathering; | | (b) | to monitor and ensure the compliance by worshippers and any other individuals present during the crowd management period of the religious gathering, with the requirements in any of the Control Orders; | | (c) | to execute an order of a court or a direction given by or on behalf of a public officer or a public body in exercise of a power under any written law; or | | (d) | to render help in the event of an emergency at the religious gathering;”; |
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| | (d) | by inserting, immediately after the definition of “participation sporting event”, the following definitions:“ “place of worship” means any place —| (a) | that is consecrated or dedicated generally or specifically, or is associated with or regularly used, for the conduct of religious services (such as a mosque, surau, temple, church, cathedral, chapel, sanctuary or synagogue); and | | (b) | the use of which as a place of worship is not a breach of planning control under the Planning Act (Cap. 232), |
| but excludes any place that is the ordinary place of residence of any individual or is part of the common property of any subdivided building used (in whole or part) for residential purposes; |
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| “publicity material”, for a religious gathering, means an advertisement (online or otherwise) or any other publicity material promoting the religious gathering; |
“religious gathering” means any gathering of individuals that is for the purpose of allowing worshippers to engage in an act of worship at a religious service, but does not include any of the following gatherings:| (a) | a nuptial event, funeral event or funerary memorial event involving a religious service; | | (b) | a gathering of individuals to provide or receive (or both) lessons or teaching based wholly on a religious belief, religious opinion or religious affiliation, or a course of instruction or training to become a member of a religious order or in the duties of a minister of religion; | | (c) | a business event (or part thereof) within the meaning of the COVID‑19 (Temporary Measures) (Major Business Events — Control Order) Regulations 2021; |
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| “religious service” means a ceremony or rite, or an observance or a worship, sermon or service, based wholly on a religious belief, religious opinion or religious affiliation; |
“religious worker” means any of the following individuals:| (a) | a minister of religion, such as an imam or asatizah, a mufti, pastor, bishop, rabbi, priest or reverend; | | (b) | a full-time member of a religious order, such as a monk or nun; | | (c) | a full-time employee who is assisting any individual mentioned in paragraph (a) or (b) in connection with the conduct of any ceremony or rite or an observance or a worship, sermon or service at a religious gathering, including by preparing food or offerings or playing any musical instrument;”; and |
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| | (e) | by deleting the definition of “venue” and substituting the following definitions:“ “venue” —| (a) | in relation to a business event — means an enclosed space or unenclosed space where the business event takes place or is to take place; or | | (b) | in relation to a religious gathering — means an enclosed space or unenclosed space where the religious gathering takes place or is to take place, whether or not the space is or is within a place of worship; |
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“volunteer”, in relation to a religious gathering, means an individual at the religious gathering in person —| (a) | who —| (i) | volunteers to assist any religious worker conducting any part of a religious service, the conduct of which is the purpose of the religious gathering; or | | (ii) | is otherwise providing voluntary services in connection with the religious gathering, such as singing or playing of musical instruments; and |
| | (b) | who is not a worshipper at the same religious gathering; |
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“worshipper”, in relation to a religious gathering, means —| (a) | an individual who attends in person to engage in an act of worship at a religious service, the conduct of which is the purpose of the religious gathering; or | | (b) | an individual who has a lawful reason to enter or remain in the place where the religious gathering is held but is not any of the following:| (i) | an individual in paragraph (a); | | (ii) | a non-worshipper; | | (iii) | a volunteer at the religious gathering; | | (iv) | a religious worker in pursuit of his or her vocation as a religious worker at the religious gathering, whether or not as an employee of any person.”. |
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