Singapore legislation
Clause 23
Clause 23
Interpretation of “relevant matter”, “associate”, etc.
(1)
In this Division, “relevant matter”, for a public body, means —
the public body’s performance of its functions or exercise of its powers under written law; or
an arrangement or agreement, or a contract, made or entered into, or proposed to be made or entered into, by the public body.
(2)
A member of a public body is interested in a relevant matter relating to the public body if —
the member, or an associate of the member, may derive a direct or indirect financial benefit from the relevant matter;
the member, or an associate of the member, may have a direct or indirect financial interest in a person to whom the relevant matter relates; or
the member, or an associate of the member, is otherwise directly or indirectly interested in the matter.
(3)
However, a member of a public body is not interested, directly or indirectly, in a relevant matter relating to the public body —
only because of an interest in a question about the level of remuneration, allowances or expenses to be set for members of the public body;
only because of an interest that the member, or an associate of the member, shares in common with the general public or a substantial section of the public;
only because the member, or an associate of the member, has an interest in payment or reimbursement of membership fees for, or expenses related to membership in, a body with predominantly charitable objects;
only because he or she has past or current involvement in the relevant sector, industry or practice;
only because the member, or an associate of the member, is a customer of any service provided or goods supplied by the public body to the public generally or a section of the public in the performance of its functions or exercise of its powers under written law;
only because the member is a director or chief executive officer of a wholly‑owned subsidiary corporation of the public body and the relevant matter is with or for the benefit of or done on behalf of that wholly‑owned subsidiary corporation;
where the member is appointed to represent —
the Government or a holder of a public office; or
a community or special interest group in accordance with the constitutional Act of the public body,only because the relevant matter is with or for the benefit of or done on behalf of the Government or that public office or that community or group, as the case may be; or
if his or her interest is so remote or insignificant that it cannot reasonably be regarded as likely to influence him or her in carrying out his or her responsibilities under this Act or another written law administered by the public body in respect of that relevant matter.
(4)
In this Division, a person is an associate of another if —
they are spouses or siblings or a parent and child or they are in a similar close family relationship;
they are in partnership;
one is a company and the other is a director or manager of the company;
one is a private company within the meaning of the Companies Act (Cap. 50) and the other is a shareholder in the company; or
a chain of relationships can be traced between them under one or more of the above paragraphs.
(5)
In this section, a person is a wholly‑owned subsidiary corporation of a public body if none of the members of the corporation is a person other than —
the public body;
a nominee of the public body;
a subsidiary of the public body being a subsidiary none of the members of which is a person other than that public body or a nominee of that public body; or
a nominee of a subsidiary mentioned in paragraph (c),and “subsidiary” has the same meaning as in the Companies Act.
(6)
In this Division, unless the context otherwise requires, “public body” includes the governing body of a public body where the constitutional Act of the public body provides for such a governing body.