Singapore legislation
Section 2
Section 2
Interpretation
(1)
In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires —
Definition
“boarding premises” means premises (or a complex of premises) that —
provide boarders or lodgers with a principal place of residence;
may have shared facilities (such as a communal living room, bathroom, laundry or kitchen) or services that are provided to boarders or lodgers, or both; and
have rooms (some or all of which may have private kitchen or bathroom facilities) that accommodate one or more boarders or lodgers;
Definition
“business restriction directive” means the regulatory action mentioned in section 14(2)(b)(iii);
Definition
“code of practice” or “standard of performance” means a code of practice or standard of performance issued or approved under section 19;
Definition
“Commissioner” means the Commissioner for Foreign Employee Dormitories appointed under section 6(1), and includes any Deputy Commissioner for Foreign Employee Dormitories or Assistant Commissioner for Foreign Employee Dormitories delegated under section 6(5) to exercise the Commissioner’s powers or duties under this Act;
Definition
“compliance directive” means a directive given under section 13(1);
Definition
“dormitory inspector” means —
the Commissioner;
any Deputy Commissioner for Foreign Employee Dormitories and any Assistant Commissioner for Foreign Employee Dormitories; and
any individual appointed under section 6(3) and authorised under section 6(5) or any other provision in this Act to perform any duty or exercise any power under that provision;
Definition
“foreign employee” means a foreigner —
who seeks employment, or is employed to work, in Singapore but excludes a self‑employed foreigner; or
whose employment in Singapore has expired or has been terminated (whether or not for justified reasons) and is authorised under the Immigration Act 1959 to remain in Singapore;
Definition
“foreign employee dormitory” has the meaning given by section 3(1);
Definition
“foreigner” means an individual who is neither a citizen nor a permanent resident of Singapore;
Definition
“licence” means a licence granted under section 9(1)(a) authorising a person to operate the boarding premises specified in the licence as a foreign employee dormitory;
Definition
“licensed operator” means the person to whom a valid licence is granted under section 9(1)(a);
Definition
“manager”, in relation to boarding premises or a foreign employee dormitory, means an individual who is responsible for the day‑to‑day control and supervision of the operations of the boarding premises or foreign employee dormitory;
Definition
“modification” and “modify”, in relation to the conditions of a licence, include deleting or varying and substituting a condition, and adding a condition;
Definition
“occupancy agreement”, in relation to boarding premises, means an agreement (written or unwritten) —
to which a proprietor or an operator of the boarding premises (or a person acting on behalf of the operator) is a party; and
under which a foreign employee is provided one or more beds or rooms, or spaces within a room, in the boarding premises to occupy as a resident of those premises;
Definition
“occupancy load”, for any premises, means the prescribed maximum number of individuals permitted by law to ordinarily occupy those premises at any one time;
Definition
“operate”, in relation to any boarding premises, means managing and maintaining, in the course of a business, the boarding premises (whether self‑owned or under lease) as a foreign employee dormitory, for residents who may or may not be employees of the operator;
Definition
“premises” means a building or structure (whether permanent or temporary) or part of such a building or structure, and includes any immediately adjoining space or land necessary for access to, or the enjoyment of residents of, the building or structure;
Definition
“proprietor”, in relation to any premises that are leased or are subject to a tenancy or licence to occupy, includes the owner of the premises who is the lessor or grantor of the licence to occupy;
Definition
“public authority” means a body established or constituted by or under a public Act to perform or discharge a public function;
Definition
“Register” means the register of licensed operators of foreign employee dormitories kept under section 21;
Definition
“relative”, in relation to an individual, includes any of the following individuals:
the spouse of the individual;
a parent, step‑parent, son, daughter, stepson, stepdaughter, grandparent, grandchild, brother, sister, stepbrother, stepsister, uncle, aunt, niece or nephew (whether by blood, marriage or adoption) of the individual;
a guardian or ward of the individual;
Definition
“resident”, in relation to boarding premises (whether or not a foreign employee dormitory), means any individual who occupies or enjoys a right to occupy one or more beds or rooms, or spaces within a room, in those premises as the individual’s main or only residence in Singapore, and includes any resident who is a proprietor or manager of those premises or a relative of the proprietor or manager.
(2)
For the purposes of the definition of “boarding premises” in subsection (1), the Commissioner may determine whether buildings, structures or facilities are to be regarded as a single complex of premises.