4A. Registration of societies not specified in Schedule
Feedback & supportLast amended by an amending law of 2023.
A society may apply to be registered under this section if it is not a specified society.
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.
An application for registration under this section shall be accompanied by —
the fee prescribed for an application under this section;
a copy of the proposed rules of the society;
a declaration in such form as the Registrar may require as to the object, purpose or activity of the society; and
such other documents and duly completed forms as the Registrar may require.
Upon an application under subsection (1), the Registrar —
Registrar
“Registrar” means the Registrar of Societies appointed under section 3;
may, subject to subsection (3A), register the society; and
upon the registration, must inform the applicant —
that the society has been registered; and
of the date of the registration of the society.
The Registrar must refuse to register a society under this section if the Registrar is satisfied that —
the society is likely to be used for unlawful purposes or for purposes prejudicial to public peace, welfare or good order in Singapore; or
it would be contrary to Singapore’s national security or interest for the society to be registered.
The Registrar shall, by notification in the Gazette, publish such particulars as he thinks fit in respect of every society registered under this section.
Despite subsection (3), where the Registrar considers —
that any society registered under this section ought to have been registered under section 4 by reason that it is a specified society; and
that the society qualifies to be registered, and could have been registered, under section 4,the Registrar may determine that the society be treated as being registered under section 4.
Where the Registrar makes a determination under subsection (5) that a society be treated as being registered under section 4 —
the Registrar must inform the society of the Registrar’s determination;
the Registrar may recover from the society as a debt due to the Government any difference in the fee mentioned in subsection (2)(a) and the fee mentioned in section 4(1); and
the society is deemed to have been registered under section 4 as on the date of its registration.
Any person aggrieved by a decision of the Registrar not to, or to refuse to, register a society under this section may within 30 days after the date of the decision appeal to the Minister whose decision is final.
Nothing in subsection (6)(c) prevents the Minister from exercising, in respect of any society mentioned in that provision, any power under section 24.