Singapore Armed Forces (Amendment) Bill

by inserting, immediately after the word “includes” in the last line of the definition of “disciplinary officer”, the words “a Service Chief and”; and

by inserting, immediately after the definition of “sentence”, the following definition:“ “Service Chief” means the Chief of Air Force, the Chief of Army or the Chief of Navy;”.

by deleting the words “lieutenant-colonel” in subsection (2) and substituting the word “colonel”;

by inserting, immediately after subsection (2), the following subsection:“(2A) If the accused is an officer of the rank of lieutenant-colonel, the charge shall, within such time as may be specified in the regulations made under this Act, be brought before a Service Chief.”; and

by inserting, immediately after the words “other than” in the 1st line of subsection (6), the words “a Service Chief or”.

A Service Chief when dealing with a charge brought before him under section 62(2A) may —

dismiss the charge if he is of the opinion that it ought not to be proceeded with;

try the accused summarily; or

if he is of the opinion that the charge should not be dealt with by him, refer the charge to the person appointed under section 82(5)(a).(2) A Service Chief shall try the accused summarily where a charge is referred to him under section 67(b)(ii) or 75(4)(a)(i).Powers of Chief of Defence Force when dealing with charge65B.—

The Chief of Defence Force when dealing with a charge brought before him under section 62(2) may —

dismiss the charge if he is of the opinion that it ought not to be proceeded with;

try the accused summarily; or

if he is of the opinion that the charge should not be dealt with by him, refer the charge to the person appointed under section 82(5)(a).(2) The Chief of Defence Force shall try the accused summarily where a charge is referred to him under section 67(b)(iii) or 75(4)(a)(i) or (ii).”.

by inserting, immediately after the words “superior commander” in the 1st line, the words “, a Service Chief”;

by deleting the word “and” at the end of paragraph (b)(i); and

by deleting sub-paragraph (ii) of paragraph (b) and substituting the following sub-paragraphs:“(ii)in the case of a charge referred to him by a Service Chief, the Service Chief, any other Service Chief or the Chief of Defence Force; and

in the case of a charge referred to him by the Chief of Defence Force, the Chief of Defence Force; or”.

A Service Chief may, upon the conviction of an accused of the rank of lieutenant-colonel, impose any one or all of the following punishments:

forfeiture of seniority of rank and forfeiture of all or any part of service for the purposes of promotion;

a fine not exceeding a sum of $1,500; or

reprimand.(2) In addition to or in lieu of any other punishment, a Service Chief may order that the accused shall suffer any deduction from his ordinary pay authorised by this Act.Powers of punishment of Chief of Defence Force70B.—

The Chief of Defence Force may, upon the conviction of an accused of the rank of lieutenant-colonel or colonel, impose any one or all of the following punishments:

forfeiture of seniority of rank and forfeiture of all or any part of service for the purposes of promotion;

a fine not exceeding a sum of $1,500; or

reprimand.(2) In addition to or in lieu of any other punishment, the Chief of Defence Force may order that the accused shall suffer any deduction from his ordinary pay authorised by this Act.”.

by deleting the word “colonel” in subsection (1) and substituting the words “brigadier-general”;

by deleting the words “lieutenant-colonel” in the 3rd line of subsection (2) and substituting the word “colonel”; and

by deleting the words “section 75(4)(a)(i)” in the last line of subsection (2) and substituting the words “section 75(4)(a)(ii)”.

by inserting, immediately after the words “compensation of” in the 2nd and 3rd lines of subsection (3)(a), the words “a Service Chief or”;

by inserting, immediately after the words “appointment of” in the 5th line of subsection (3)(a), the words “a Service Chief or”;

by inserting, immediately after paragraph (a) of subsection (4), the following sub-paragraph:“(i)where the disciplinary officer is a Service Chief, by the Service Chief or, if the Council is of the opinion that the case should not be retried by the Service Chief, any other Service Chief or the Chief of Defence Force;”; and

by renumbering the existing sub-paragraphs (i) and (ii) of subsection (4)(a) as sub-paragraphs (ii) and (iii), respectively.

by deleting the words “a Savings and Employee Retirement Plan (referred to in this Act as the SAVER Plan)” in the 2nd and 3rd lines of subsection (1) and substituting the words “2 savings and employee retirement plans (referred to in this Act as the SAVER Plan and the Premium Plan, respectively)”;

by deleting the word “and” at the end of subsection (1)(c);

by deleting the full-stop at the end of paragraph (d) of subsection (1) and substituting the word “; and”, and by inserting immediately thereafter the following paragraph:“(e)any loan or other benefit to such servicemen or classes of servicemen as may be prescribed.”;

by inserting, immediately after the words “SAVER Plan” in the 1st line of subsection (2), the words “and the Premium Plan”;

by inserting, immediately after the words “SAVER Plan” wherever they appear in subsection (2)(a), (b) and (c), the words “or the Premium Plan”; and

by deleting subsections (3) and (4) and substituting the following subsections:“(3) The Armed Forces Council shall, in making any regulations under this section, provide —

for officers who, immediately prior to 1st January 1998, are eligible for any pension, gratuity or other allowance under any regulations made under section 205 to opt to join the SAVER Plan and for the terms and conditions of such an option;

for soldiers who, immediately prior to 1st January 2000, are eligible for any pension, gratuity or other allowance under any regulations made under section 205 to opt to join the Premium Plan and for the terms and conditions of such an option; and

that any such officer who opts to join the SAVER Plan or any such soldier who opts to join the Premium Plan, shall remain eligible to benefits not less in value than the amount of any pension, gratuity or other allowance for which he would have been granted under the regulations made under section 205 if he retired or ceased contract service on medical grounds not due to causes within his control on the date immediately prior to his joining the SAVER Plan or the Premium Plan, as the case may be.(4) Any option exercised by any officer before 1st April 1998 to join or not to join the SAVER Plan and any option exercised by any soldier before the date of commencement of the Singapore Armed Forces (Amendment) Act 2000 to join or not to join the Premium Plan, shall be deemed to be exercised in accordance with the regulations made under subsection (3).”.

by deleting the words “Savings and Employee Retirement Plan Fund (referred to in this Act as the SAVER Fund)” in subsection (1) and substituting the words “Savings and Employee Retirement and Premium Fund (referred to in this Act as the SAVER-Premium Fund)”;

by inserting, immediately after the words “SAVER Plan” wherever they appear in subsections (2), (4) and (5), the words “or the Premium Plan”;

by deleting the words “SAVER Fund” wherever they appear in subsections (2) to (7) and substituting in each case the words “SAVER-Premium Fund”; and

by deleting the words “SAVER Income Account” in subsection (6) and substituting the words “SAVER-Premium Income Account”.

by deleting the words “SAVER Fund” in the 2nd line and substituting the words “SAVER-Premium Fund”; and

by inserting, immediately after the words “SAVER Plan” in the penultimate line, the words “or Premium Plan”.