Maintenance of Religious Harmony Rules - Singapore Statutes Online

Maintenance of Religious Harmony Act

(Chapter 167A, Section 19)

Maintenance of Religious Harmony Rules

R 1

G.N. No. S 422/1992

REVISED EDITION 1992

(2nd October 1992)

[2nd October 1992]

Citation

1. These Rules may be cited as the Maintenance of Religious Harmony Rules.

Definitions

2. In these Rules —

“Chairman” means the chairman of the Presidential Council for Religious Harmony appointed by the President under section 3(3) of the Act;

“Council” means the Presidential Council for Religious Harmony established under section 3 of the Act;

“member” means a member of the Council;

“restraining order” means an order made under section 8 or 9 of the Act;

“Secretary” means the Secretary to the Council.

Written representations to Minister

3. Any written representation to the Minister which may be made by —

(a)	the person against whom a restraining order is proposed to be made; or
(b)	the head or governing body or committee of management of a religious group or institution which is to be named in the proposed order,

may be made on behalf of such person referred to in paragraph (a) or (b), as the case may be, by an advocate and solicitor or by any person authorised in writing by such person.

Service of notice of Minister’s intention to make a restraining order

4.—(1) The notice of the Minister’s intention to make a restraining order shall be served by a police officer or any public officer so authorised by the Permanent Secretary to the Minister of Home Affairs.

(2) Every such notice shall, so far as practicable, be served personally on the person against whom the restraining order is proposed to be made and on the head or governing body or committee of the religious group or institution, if any, which is to be named in the proposed order by showing him the original notice and by delivering to him a copy thereof.

(3) Every person on whom such notice is so served shall, if so required by the serving officer, sign a receipt for the copy thereof on the back of the original notice.

(4) In the case of a governing body or committee of management of a religious group or institution, such notice may be served on the secretary or other like officer of the religious group or institution.

(5) Where the person on whom the notice is to be served cannot, by the exercise of due diligence, be found, the notice may be served by leaving a copy thereof for him with some adult member of his family or with any other adult residing with him.

(6) When the person on whom the notice is to be served cannot be found and service cannot be effected as provided under paragraph (5), the serving officer shall affix a copy of the notice to some conspicuous part of the house or place in which the person on whom the notice is to be served ordinarily resides, and in such case the notice shall be deemed to have been duly served.

(7) When a notice is served in accordance with this rule, an affidavit of such service purporting to be made before an officer duly authorised to administer an oath shall be admissible in evidence.

(8) This rule shall apply to service of a restraining order made by the Minister under section 8 or 9 of the Act and any extension of such order under section 13 of the Act in the same manner as they apply to the service of the notice of the Minister’s intention to make a restraining order.

Meetings of Council

5.—(1) The meetings of the Council shall be held on the decision of the Chairman.

(2) Decisions at meetings of the Council shall be adopted by a simple majority of the votes of the members present and voting and, in the case of an equality of votes, the Chairman or member presiding shall have a casting vote.

Agenda

6.—(1) The agenda for each meeting of the Council shall be drawn up by the Secretary and approved by the Chairman.

(2) The agenda shall be communicated by the Secretary to the members of the Council not less than 7 days before the meeting:

Provided that the Chairman may, in his discretion, reduce the period of notice to be given to not less than 24 hours.

Deliberations to be secret

7. In accordance with the provisions of section 7 of the Act, deliberations of the Council shall be secret.

Duties of Secretary

8. The Secretary shall —

(a)	assist the Chairman in all administrative work required in the course of his duties;
(b)	be the channel for all communications concerning the Council; and
(c)	have custody of the archives of the Council.

Presence of persons at deliberations

9.—(1) The Secretary may be present at the deliberations of the Council.

(2) No other person may be present except with the consent of the Chairman.

Minutes of meetings

10. Minutes of meetings shall be kept of all deliberations of the Council which shall include a record of the subject under discussion, of any decision taken by the Council and the number of votes taken for and against any such decisions.

Preparation and distribution of documents

11. The Secretary shall be responsible for the preparation of documents required by the Council and shall distribute them as soon as practicable in advance of the meeting at which they are to be considered.

Inability of member to attend any meeting

12. A member who is unable to attend any meeting shall as soon as possible give notice thereof to the Secretary who shall then inform the Chairman.

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