35. Provisions applicable to registered societies
Feedback & supportLast amended by an amending law of 2021. 2 amendments in all.
The following provisions shall apply to all registered societies:
the movable property of a society, if not vested in trustees, shall be deemed to be vested for the time being in the governing body of the society, and in all proceedings civil and criminal may be described as the property of the governing body of the society by their proper title;
every such society may sue or be sued in the name in which it was registered under this Act;
an originating claim or other legal process may be served on a society by serving it on an officer of the society, or by leaving it at, or sending it by registered post to, the registered address of the society;
except as otherwise provided in section 36, no judgment in any suit against a registered society shall be put into force against the person or property of any officer or member of the society but only against the property of the society;
any member who is in arrears of subscriptions which, according to the rules of the society, he is bound to pay, or who takes possession or detains any property of the society contrary to those rules, or who injures or destroys any property of the society, may be sued for the arrears or for the damage accruing from his wrongful possession, detention, injury or destruction of that property by and in the name of the society;
any member of the society who steals, purloins or embezzles any money or other property, or wilfully and maliciously destroys or injures any property of the society, or forges any deed, bond, security for money, receipt or other instrument whereby the funds of the society may be exposed to loss, shall be subject to the same prosecution, and, if convicted, shall be liable to be punished in like manner as any person, being not a member, would be subject and liable to in respect of the like offence;
subject to subsection (2), in the absence of any specific provision in the rules of a society, any number not less than three-fifths of the members of the society for the time being resident in Singapore may determine that it shall be dissolved forthwith, or at a time agreed upon, and all necessary steps shall be taken for the disposal and settlement of the property of the society and its claims and liabilities according to the rules of the society applicable thereto, and if none, then as the governing body finds expedient;
no society shall be dissolved unless three-fifths of the members so resident as mentioned in paragraph (g) have expressed a wish for such dissolution by their votes delivered in person or by proxy at a general meeting convened for the purpose.
In the event of any dispute arising among the members of the governing body or the members of the society, the adjustment of its affairs shall be referred to the General Division of the High Court, and the General Division of the High Court shall make such order in the matter as it thinks fit.
society
“society” includes any club, company, partnership or association of 10 or more persons, whatever its nature or object, but does not include —(a)any company registered under any written law relating to companies for the time being in force in Singapore;(b)any company or association constituted under any written law;(c)any limited liability partnership registered under the Limited Liability Partnerships Act 2005;(d)any trade union registered or required to be registered under any written law relating to trade unions for the time being in force in Singapore;(e)any cooperative society registered as such under any written law;(f)any mutual benefit organisation registered as such under any written law relating to mutual benefit organisations for the time being in force in Singapore;(g)any company, association or partnership, consisting of not more than 20 persons, formed for the sole purpose of carrying on any lawful business that has for its object the acquisition of gain by the company, association or partnership, or the individual members thereof;(h)any class, society or association of foreign insurers carrying on insurance business in Singapore under any foreign insurer scheme established under Part 2A of the Insurance Act 1966; or(i)any school or management committee of a school constituted under any law regulating schools for the time being in force in Singapore.