Singapore Law Blog

The Land Titles (Strata) (Amendment) Bill was tabled for First Reading in Parliament by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Law Professor S Jayakumar today.

he Minister for Trade & Industry and Deputy Chairman of the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), Mr Lim Hng Kiang, today moved the Monetary Authority of Singapore (Amendment No. 2) Bill ("the Bill") for first reading in Parliament. The Bill will be read a second time at the next available Parliamentary sitting.

Delays by the buyer, Travista Development, ended in deal being cancelled. The Owners of Mayer Mansion on Devonshire Road can keep the $3m deposit. They have a new offer of $42m from another buyer.

Following the recent ruling by the Fatwa Committee of MUIS that Muslims can be included under the Human Organ Transplant Act (HOTA), the Ministry of Health intends to amend HOTA to improve the access of Muslim patients to donated organs. HOTA allows for the removal of kidney, liver, heart and cornea upon death for transplant purposes, from Singapore Citizens and Permanent Residents between the ages of 21 and 60 years, unless the individual has registered an objection. Presently, Muslims are not covered under HOTA and have to opt in under the Medical (Therapy, Education and Research) Act (MTERA) for organ donation.

The Law Society has on 22 August 2007 intervened in the former practice of David Khong & Associates. The Law Society normally does so if there is reasonable suspicion of fraud.

A lawyer from Ong Tay & Partners, Ong Ying Ping, will be giving a presentation at a seminar organised by Ahrals on 30th August 2007.

En-bloc sales could slow down in the second half of 2007 compared to the first six months as sentiments in the property market turn cautious. A combination of factors - uncertainties in the financial markets prompted by the US sub-prime crisis; more vocal minority owners; uncertainties with the proposed new laws on en-bloc deals and the government's move to raise development charge rates - can have dampened developers' appetite for en-bloc deals.

The Government will be amending the Human Organ Transplant Act (HOTA) to include Singapore Muslims said Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong during his National Day Rally speech on Sunday, 19 August 2007.

A new law will come into effect to ensure that Singaporeans stay employed longer. From 2012, a re-employment law will be passed making it mandatory for employers to offer re-employment to workers who have reached the retirement age of 62. Initially, they will have to offer re-employment for workers up to the age of 65. This will later be increased to the age of 67.

The Cheif Justice urged law firms to pay lawyers well during the inaugeral Singapore Legal Forum on Saturday, 18 August 2007.

Singapore Management University (SMU) welcomes its eighth batch of freshmen at its Convocation Ceremony on 18 August 2007. SMU's 2007 intake of over 1,550 students is the university's largest to date and includes its first batch of 117 law students.

Vietnam and Singapore have agreed that both countries should also work together in the legal sector. This was discussed by Deputy Prime Minister Professor S Jayakumar when he met Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung during his official visit to Vietnam from August 16-18, 2007.

You Bun Leng was sworn in as Cambodia's new president of the Appeals Court on Thursday, 16 August 2007.

The Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports (MCYS) would like to consult the public on the draft Mental Capacity Bill. The Bill seeks to help our ageing population plan and prepare in advance for a time in future when some may lose the capacity to make decisions for themselves. This is becoming an increasing concern with the rise in more singles and couples without children or whose children are abroad, and the consequent rise in cases of dementia as our population ages. The Bill also enables parents of children with intellectual disabilities to make provisions for their children's welfare.

The Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports (MCYS) is embarking on a consultation exercise from 15 August 2007 to 31 October 2007 to seek views on the provisions of the draft Mental Capacity Bill.

The Ministry of Manpower has stepped up enforcement to deter abuse of the workmen's compensation system. This year, four workers were prosecuted for making fraudulent claims under the Workmen's Compensation Act (WCA). They were convicted and jailed ranging from four to six weeks for attempting to claim work injury compensation though they were not injured in the course of work.

Following consultation with the Singapore Hotel Association (SHA), the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) has decided on the following rates for the Formula One (F1) levy on hotel room revenues:
a. 30% of the total revenues from rooms and room packages for trackside hotels; and

b. 20% of the total revenues from rooms and room packages for all other tourist hotels[1].

An Agreement for the Avoidance of Double Taxation and Prevention of Fiscal Evasion with respect to Taxes on Income between the Republic of Singapore and the Republic of Kazakhstan enters into force on 14 August 2007 following the completion of ratification formalities. The provisions of this Agreement shall cover income derived on or after 1st January 2008.

The majority owners of Horizon Towers, who face possible legal action over the failed en bloc sale, are meeting to decide if they should accede to the buyers demands to extend the deadline for the completion of the collective sale and to file a fresh application to the Strata Title Board.

Thailand's government is revising a controversial bill to tighten foreign investment rules. The draft Foreign Business Act was among the most contentious economic policies proposed by the government.

The Singapore Management University (SMU) is announcing a change of Deanship at its School of Law. Professor Michael P. Furmston will now assume the Deanship at the School of Law as Professor David N. Smith (史达伟), who was originally appointed as Dean, is unable to take up the appointment due to unanticipated personal reasons.

Organized by Harvard Law School, Yale Law School, New York Law School, Trinity University, and Nanyang Technological University in Singapore, this pioneering global conference on virtual worlds invites experts across disciplines to discuss the future of cyberspace and the impact of these new immersive, social online environments on education, law, politics and society. The hallmark of the conference is its multi-disciplinary perspective.

The Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority (AVA) has made revisions to the Animals and Birds (Dog Licensing and Control) Rules. The revised Rules will come into effect on 1 Sep 07.

The Strata Titles Board dismissed the application by the majority owners of Horizon Towers to approve the sale on "technical grounds".

Owners of five fairly small adjoining freehold residential developments in Mergui Road have banded together to sell the properties as one medium-sized lot for up to $125 million. The properties - Norfolk Court, Mergui Lodge, Northern Mansion, Mergui Court and The Mergui - are located near Rangoon Road and Moulmein Road.