4. Registration of specified societies and refusal to register
Feedback & supportLast amended by an amending law of 2023. 2 amendments in all.
Subject to this section, the Registrar may, upon the application of a society specified in the Schedule (called in this Act a specified society) and on payment of the fee prescribed for an application under this section, register the society under this section.
Registrar
“Registrar” means the Registrar of Societies appointed under section 3;
The Registrar shall refuse to register a specified society if he is satisfied that —
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.
the rules of the specified society are insufficient to provide for its proper management and control;
the specified society is likely to be used for unlawful purposes or for purposes prejudicial to public peace, welfare or good order in Singapore;
the application for registration does not comply with the provisions of this Act or any regulations made thereunder;
it would be contrary to Singapore’s national security or interest for the specified society to be registered; or
in the case of any specified society which is a political association, its rules do not provide for its membership to be confined to citizens of Singapore or it has such affiliation or connection with any organisation outside Singapore as is considered by the Registrar to be contrary to Singapore’s national security or interest.
The Registrar may refuse to register a specified society if —
he is satisfied that the specified society is a branch of or is affiliated to or connected with any society which has been dissolved under section 24 or under any previous written law relating to societies or which has been previously refused registration;
a dispute exists among the members of the specified society as to the persons who are to be officers or to hold or to administer any property of the specified society; or
it appears to him that the name under which the specified society is to be registered —
is likely to mislead members of the public as to the true character or purpose of the specified society or so nearly resembles the name of some other society as is likely to deceive the members of the public or members of either society;
is identical to that of any other existing society; or
is in the opinion of the Registrar undesirable.
The Registrar may also refuse to register a specified society under this section unless the rules of the society include such provisions or exclude such provisions (as the case may be) as the Registrar may direct.
Any person aggrieved by the decision of the Registrar under this section may within 30 days from the date of the decision appeal to the Minister whose decision shall be final.
The Registrar shall, by notification in the Gazette, publish such particulars as he thinks fit in respect of every specified society registered under this section.