§ 51 — Meaning of “political donation”

51.—(1) In this Act, “political donation”, in relation to a candidate at an election or the election agent of a candidate, means any of the following which is made to or for the benefit of a candidate (whether before or after he or she becomes a candidate) with a view to, or otherwise in connection with, promoting or procuring the candidate’s election at the election, or prejudicing the electoral prospects of another candidate at that election: (a)

any gift of money or other property to the candidate or the candidate’s election agent;

(b)

any money spent (otherwise than by the candidate as permitted by any other written law) in paying any expenses incurred, directly or indirectly, by the candidate or by his or her election agent or any person authorised by the candidate’s election agent;

(c)

any money lent to the candidate or the candidate’s election agent otherwise than on commercial terms;

(d)

the provision otherwise than on commercial terms of any property, services or facilities (including the services of any person) to the candidate or the candidate’s election agent;

(e)

the provision of any sponsorship in relation to the candidate;

(f)

any voluntary labour or voluntary professional services carried out.

(2) In this Act, “political donation”, in relation to a political party, means any of the following made to or for the benefit of the political party:(a)

any gift of money or other property to the political party;

(b)

any money spent (otherwise than by the political party or a person acting on its behalf) in paying any expenses incurred, directly or indirectly, by the political party;

(c)

any money lent to the political party otherwise than on commercial terms;

(d)

the provision otherwise than on commercial terms of any property, services or facilities for the use or benefit of the political party (including the services of any person);

(e)

the provision of any sponsorship in relation to the political party;

(f)

any subscription or other fee paid for affiliation to, or membership of, the political party;

(g)

any voluntary labour or voluntary professional services carried out.

(3) In this Act, “political donation”, in relation to a politically significant person who is a political office holder, means — (a)

any gift of money or other property;

(b)

any money spent (otherwise than by the political office holder as permitted by any other written law) in paying any expenses incurred, directly or indirectly, by the political office holder;

(c)

any money lent to the political office holder otherwise than on commercial terms;

(d)

the provision otherwise than on commercial terms of any property, services or facilities (including the services of any person) to the political office holder;

(e)

the provision of any sponsorship in relation to the political office holder; or

(f)

any voluntary labour or voluntary professional services,

made to or carried out for the benefit of the political office holder, the whole or part of which was lawfully used or is intended to be lawfully used by the political office holder solely or substantially for a purpose related to the duties of the political office holder.

(4) In this Act, “political donation”, in relation to a politically significant person who is a Member of Parliament (whether or not also a political office holder), means —(a)

any gift of money or other property;

(b)

any money spent in paying any expenses incurred, directly or indirectly, by the Member of Parliament;

(c)

any money lent to the Member of Parliament otherwise than on commercial terms;

(d)

the provision otherwise than on commercial terms of any property, services or facilities (including the services of any person) to the Member of Parliament;

(e)

the provision of any sponsorship in relation to the Member of Parliament; or

(f)

any voluntary labour or voluntary professional services,

made to or carried out for the benefit of the Member of Parliament, the whole or part of which was lawfully used or is intended to be lawfully used by the Member of Parliament solely or substantially for a purpose related to his or her duties as a Member of Parliament.

(5) In this Act, “political donation”, in relation to a senior political party official or a Part 4 politically significant person, means —(a)

any gift of money or other property;

(b)

any money lent to the senior political party official or the Part 4 politically significant person otherwise than on commercial terms; or

(c)

the provision otherwise than on commercial terms of any property, services or facilities (including the services of any person),

made to or carried out for the benefit of the senior political party official or the Part 4 politically significant person, the whole or part of which was used or is intended to be used by the senior political party official or the Part 4 politically significant person —

(d)

to enable the person to make, directly or indirectly, a political donation to another politically significant person;

(e)

to incur or defray expenditure for undertaking the person’s activities directed in whole or in part towards a political end in Singapore; or

(f)

to reimburse the person for making a political donation mentioned in paragraph (d) or incurring or defraying expenditure mentioned in paragraph (e).

(6) For the purposes of subsection (4), the duties of a Member of Parliament are his or her activities that relate —(a)

to the promotion of or opposition to any Bill, resolution, matter or thing submitted or intended to be submitted for the consideration of Parliament or any committee of Parliament;

(b)

to supporting or serving individuals registered as an elector for, or resident in, the constituency that the Member of Parliament is elected in;

(c)

to his or her party political duties; or

(d)

directly to his or her role as a Member of Parliament,

but do not include the duties of a Member of Parliament as a member of a Town Council or as a political office holder.

(7) For the purposes of subsection (3), the duties of a political office holder are his or her activities that relate —(a)

to the individual’s role as a holder of that political office; or

(b)

where the political office holder is also a Member of Parliament, that relate predominantly to the individual’s role as the holder of that political office.[Act 8 of 2023 wef 29/12/2023]

—(1) In this Act, “political donation”, in relation to a candidate at an election or the election agent of a candidate, means any of the following which is made to or for the benefit of a candidate (whether before or after he or she becomes a candidate) with a view to, or otherwise in connection with, promoting or procuring the candidate’s election at the election, or prejudicing the electoral prospects of another candidate at that election: (a)

any gift of money or other property to the candidate or the candidate’s election agent;

(b)

any money spent (otherwise than by the candidate as permitted by any other written law) in paying any expenses incurred, directly or indirectly, by the candidate or by his or her election agent or any person authorised by the candidate’s election agent;

(c)

any money lent to the candidate or the candidate’s election agent otherwise than on commercial terms;

(d)

the provision otherwise than on commercial terms of any property, services or facilities (including the services of any person) to the candidate or the candidate’s election agent;

(e)

the provision of any sponsorship in relation to the candidate;

(f)

any voluntary labour or voluntary professional services carried out.

(2) In this Act, “political donation”, in relation to a political party, means any of the following made to or for the benefit of the political party:(a)

any gift of money or other property to the political party;

(b)

any money spent (otherwise than by the political party or a person acting on its behalf) in paying any expenses incurred, directly or indirectly, by the political party;

(c)

any money lent to the political party otherwise than on commercial terms;

(d)

the provision otherwise than on commercial terms of any property, services or facilities for the use or benefit of the political party (including the services of any person);

(e)

the provision of any sponsorship in relation to the political party;

(f)

any subscription or other fee paid for affiliation to, or membership of, the political party;

(g)

any voluntary labour or voluntary professional services carried out.

(3) In this Act, “political donation”, in relation to a politically significant person who is a political office holder, means — (a)

any gift of money or other property;

(b)

any money spent (otherwise than by the political office holder as permitted by any other written law) in paying any expenses incurred, directly or indirectly, by the political office holder;

(c)

any money lent to the political office holder otherwise than on commercial terms;

(d)

the provision otherwise than on commercial terms of any property, services or facilities (including the services of any person) to the political office holder;

(e)

the provision of any sponsorship in relation to the political office holder; or

(f)

any voluntary labour or voluntary professional services,

made to or carried out for the benefit of the political office holder, the whole or part of which was lawfully used or is intended to be lawfully used by the political office holder solely or substantially for a purpose related to the duties of the political office holder.

(4) In this Act, “political donation”, in relation to a politically significant person who is a Member of Parliament (whether or not also a political office holder), means —(a)

any gift of money or other property;

(b)

any money spent in paying any expenses incurred, directly or indirectly, by the Member of Parliament;

(c)

any money lent to the Member of Parliament otherwise than on commercial terms;

(d)

the provision otherwise than on commercial terms of any property, services or facilities (including the services of any person) to the Member of Parliament;

(e)

the provision of any sponsorship in relation to the Member of Parliament; or

(f)

any voluntary labour or voluntary professional services,

made to or carried out for the benefit of the Member of Parliament, the whole or part of which was lawfully used or is intended to be lawfully used by the Member of Parliament solely or substantially for a purpose related to his or her duties as a Member of Parliament.

(5) In this Act, “political donation”, in relation to a senior political party official or a Part 4 politically significant person, means —(a)

any gift of money or other property;

(b)

any money lent to the senior political party official or the Part 4 politically significant person otherwise than on commercial terms; or

(c)

the provision otherwise than on commercial terms of any property, services or facilities (including the services of any person),

made to or carried out for the benefit of the senior political party official or the Part 4 politically significant person, the whole or part of which was used or is intended to be used by the senior political party official or the Part 4 politically significant person —

(d)

to enable the person to make, directly or indirectly, a political donation to another politically significant person;

(e)

to incur or defray expenditure for undertaking the person’s activities directed in whole or in part towards a political end in Singapore; or

(f)

to reimburse the person for making a political donation mentioned in paragraph (d) or incurring or defraying expenditure mentioned in paragraph (e).

(6) For the purposes of subsection (4), the duties of a Member of Parliament are his or her activities that relate —(a)

to the promotion of or opposition to any Bill, resolution, matter or thing submitted or intended to be submitted for the consideration of Parliament or any committee of Parliament;

(b)

to supporting or serving individuals registered as an elector for, or resident in, the constituency that the Member of Parliament is elected in;

(c)

to his or her party political duties; or

(d)

directly to his or her role as a Member of Parliament,

but do not include the duties of a Member of Parliament as a member of a Town Council or as a political office holder.

(7) For the purposes of subsection (3), the duties of a political office holder are his or her activities that relate —(a)

to the individual’s role as a holder of that political office; or

(b)

where the political office holder is also a Member of Parliament, that relate predominantly to the individual’s role as the holder of that political office.[Act 8 of 2023 wef 29/12/2023]