Constitution of the Republic of Singapore (Amendment) Bill

Order for Second Reading read.

3.03 pm

The Senior Minister of State for Manpower (Dr Koh Poh Koon) (for the Minister for Manpower): Mr Deputy Speaker, on behalf of the Minister for Manpower, I beg to move, that the Bill be now read a Second time.

Mr Deputy Speaker, the Constitution of the Republic of Singapore (Amendment) Bill 2024 is linked to the Platform Workers Bill 2024 which was passed in Parliament last month. To recap, Parliament passed the Platform Workers Bill to strengthen protections for platform workers providing platform services, such as ride hail and delivery services, in the areas of housing and retirement adequacy, financial protection in the case of work injury and representation.

[Mr Speaker in the Chair]

For representation, there will be a legal framework setting out the rights and obligations of both platform work associations and platform operators in dealing with each other. As the framework for employers and employees has worked well in preserving industrial harmony, it was a reference for the framework for platform operators and platform workers. Hence, platform work associations will be analogous to trade unions.

Today, a member of any trade union or of any body or association affiliated to a trade union cannot be a member of the Public Service Commission, Public Service personnel boards, Judicial Service Commission and Legal Service Commission. This is to preserve impartiality and high standards in the Civil Service, the Judicial Service and the Legal Service. As platform work associations function like trade unions, the same consideration should apply, for parity.

Therefore, we are proposing consequential amendments to the Constitution, through the Constitution of the Republic of Singapore (Amendment) Bill, to prohibit members of any platform work association or of any body or association affiliated to platform work associations from being a member of the Public Service Commission, Public Service personnel boards, Judicial Service Commission and Legal Service Commission. Sir, I beg to move.

Mr Speaker: The question is, "That the Bill be now read a Second time." Pursuant to Article 5(2) of the Constitution, a vote is taken to ascertain that the Second Reading of the Bill is supported by the votes of not less than two-thirds of the total number of Elected and Non-Constituency Members of Parliament, which is 60 Members. Clerk, ring the division bells.

After two minutes –

Mr Speaker: Serjeant‐at‐Arms, lock the doors.

Before I proceed to start the electronic voting, may I remind Members that they are to be seated at their designated seats and should only start to vote when the voting buttons on their arm rest start to blink.

Question put, "That the Bill be now read a Second time."

Mr Speaker: Take a vote. You may now begin to vote. May I remind Members to depress their vote buttons firmly in order to register your votes in the system.

Members are advised to check that their names are registered according to their vote indication when the voting results are shown on the display screens.

Before I proceed to declare the results of the vote, are there any Members who wish to claim that his or her vote has not been displayed or has been displayed incorrectly on the screens? I do not see any.

Mr Speaker: I will proceed to declare the voting results now. There are 82 "Ayes"; no "Noes"; no "Abstentions". The Second Reading of the Bill has been carried by the votes of not less than two-thirds of the total number of Elected and Non-Constituency Members of Parliament.

Question put, and agreed to.

Bill accordingly read a Second time and committed to a Committee of the whole House.

The House immediately resolved itself into a Committee on the Bill. – [Dr Koh Poh Koon].

Bill considered in Committee; reported without amendment; read a Third time and passed.

Third Reading

Mr Speaker: Third Reading, what day?

Dr Koh Poh Koon: Now, Sir, I beg to move, "That the Bill be now read a Third time."

Mr Speaker: The Question is, "That the Bill be now read a Third time."

Pursuant to Article 5(2) of the Constitution, a vote is taken to ascertain that the Third Reading of the Bill is supported by the votes of not less than two-thirds of the total number of Elected and Non-Constituency Members of Parliament, which is 60 Members. Clerk, ring the division bells.

After one minute –

Mr Speaker: Serjeant-at-Arms, lock the doors.

Question put, "That the Bill be now read a Third Time."

Mr Speaker: You may now begin to vote. May I remind Members to depress their vote button firmly in order to register their vote in the system.

Members are advised to check that their names are registered according to their vote indication when the voting results are shown on the display screens.

Before I proceed to declare the results of the vote, are there any Members who wish to claim that his or her vote has not been displayed or displayed incorrectly on the screens?

3.16 pm

Mr Speaker: I will proceed to declare the voting results now. There are 82 "Ayes"; no "Noes"; no "Abstentions". The Third Reading of the Bill has been carried by the votes of not less than two-thirds of the total number of Elected and Non-Constituency Members of Parliament.

Bill accordingly read a Third time and passed.