Section 17

Any land granted or leased by or on behalf of the Crown or the State or the former East India Company free of rent, or at merely nominal rent, as a building site for a religious edifice, or otherwise for religious or charitable purposes, is forfeited to and vests in the Government if at any time the land or the building on the land is applied without the written consent of the President to purposes other than those (if any) specified in the grant or lease.

For the purpose of giving effect to any provision of any international convention, treaty or agreement to which Singapore is a party, the Minister may, by order in the Gazette, vest in the Government any estate or interest in land pursuant to such provisions and specified in the order, and upon the coming into operation of any such order, the estate or interest to which the order relates vests, by virtue of that order and without any conveyance, assignment or further assurance, in the Government free from encumbrances.

This section applies to all grants and leases whenever made.[10