Motion under Standing Order 18(6) Proviso

Mr Speaker: Deputy Leader.

11.05 am

The Deputy Leader of the House (Mr Zaqy Mohamad): Mr Speaker, the Non-Constituency Member Mr Leong Mun Wai, has just presented to this House a Petition on seeking further consultation and scrutiny of the Foreign Interference (Countermeasures) Bill, under Standing Order 18(6).

While the hon Member has given a brief statement on the material allegations and prayers of the petitioners, I think it would be helpful if the terms and contents of the Petition could be made available to Members. May I ask that copies of the Petition be distributed to Members now.

Mr Speaker: Yes, please. [A copy of the Petition was distributed to hon Members.]

Mr Zaqy Mohamad: Mr Speaker, this Petition relates to the Foreign Interference (Countermeasures) Bill, the Second Reading of which has been set down for Second Reading on the Order Paper today.

In substance, the Petition makes several substantive criticisms about the Bill. Consequently, it calls for the Parliamentary passage of the Bill to be slowed down, in particular, by sending the Bill to a Select Committee for further consideration of the matters alleged.

This being the case, I wish to seek your permission to move a Motion under Standing Order 18(6) proviso for the Petition to be considered during and together with the Second Reading of the Foreign Interference (Countermeasures) Bill.

Standing Order 18(6) provides two alternative procedures for a public petition to be dealt with: one, it can be referred to the Public Petitions Committee without any debate; two, when the petition relates to a Bill which is considered before Parliament, as is the case here, it can be considered by Parliament together with the Bill.

In this case, it would make more sense for the Petition to be considered by this House, together with the Bill, rather than be referred to the Public Petitions Committee.

Mr Speaker, Sir, the reasons are as follows.

First, if the Petition is referred to the Public Petitions Committee rather than be considered by the House today, the Petition could effectively be rendered nugatory. This is because, so far as the Parliamentary passage of the Bill is concerned, the Second Reading debate is already fixed for today. The Petition cannot affect the order of the business that is already set down for today's proceedings. Therefore, by the time it goes to the Public Petitions Committee for consideration and the Committee makes its recommendations to Parliament, today's Second Reading would have been completed and the issue of the Bill will no longer be before this House. By enabling the Petition to be considered by Parliament during the debate on the Second Reading of the Bill, this Motion will facilitate and not avoid debate on matters raised in the Petition.

Secondly, Mr Speaker, the matters in the Petition are going to be addressed in the debate of the Second Reading of the Bill in any event. I say this because insofar as the substantive allegations are concerned, I note there appears to be substantial overlap between the points raised in the Petition and those raised by the Workers' Party in the Notice of Amendments to the Bill set out in the Order Paper Supplement. This means that those substantive points are going to be raised and debated during today's proceedings.

Sir, if this Motion is moved and agreed to, Members will be able to fully debate the issues in the Foreign Interference (Countermeasures) Bill and the Petition together.

Hence, I seek your consent to move this Motion.

Mr Speaker: I give my consent. Please move the Motion.

Mr Zaqy Mohamad: Mr Speaker, I beg to move, "That the Petition on ‘Seeking Further Consultation and Scrutiny of the Foreign Interference (Countermeasures) Bill’ presented by the Non-Constituency Member be referred to Parliament for consideration at the Second Reading of the Foreign Interference (Countermeasures) Bill."

Mr Speaker: The question is as moved by the Deputy Leader of the House. As many as are of that opinion say "Aye".

Hon Members indicated assent.

Mr Speaker: To the contrary say "No". Leader of the Opposition.

11.10 am

Mr Pritam Singh (Aljunied): Mr Speaker, I wish to speak on the Motion.

Mr Speaker: Please do. Oh, Leader of the Opposition, there will be no debate on this. You can speak at the Second Reading.

Mr Pritam Singh: So be it.

Question again put, and agreed to.

Resolved, "That the Petition on ‘Seeking Further Consultation and Scrutiny of the Foreign Interference (Countermeasures) Bill’ presented by the Non-Constituency Member be referred to Parliament for consideration at the Second Reading of the Foreign Interference (Countermeasures) Bill." – [Mr Zaqy Mohamad]

Mr Pritam Singh: Mr Speaker, I beg your pardon. I apologise. With regard to the Motion, I would wish that Workers' Party Members have their dissent recorded.

Mr Speaker: We will. Thank you. If I can ask all the Members who are dissenting to stand so that we can record it.

Hon Members Mr Chua Kheng Wee Louis, Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song, Ms He Ting Ru, Mr Leong Mun Wai, Assoc Prof Jamus Jerome Lim, Ms Sylvia Lim, Mr Leon Perera, Mr Pritam Singh, Ms Raeesah Khan, Mr Dennis Tan Lip Fong rose for their dissent to be recorded.

Mr Speaker: Thank you. Ms Jessica Tan, Questions for Oral Answer.