Section 5

Whenever during any period, owing to illness or absence from Singapore or any other cause, the Chief Justice is unable to exercise the powers or perform the duties of his or her office, such powers are to be had and may be exercised and such duties are to be performed by the Judge having precedence next after the Chief Justice, who is present in Singapore and able to act during that period.

For the purposes of this section, temporary absence in any part of Malaysia is not to be deemed to be absence from Singapore.