Declaration of protected place
14.—(1) The Minister may by order declare any premises in Singapore to be a protected place if, in the Minister’s opinion, it is necessary or expedient that —(a)
special precautions be taken to prevent the entry of unauthorised persons to the premises; and
(b)
special measures be taken to control the movement and conduct of persons in the premises.
(2) The Minister may make a protected place order for any premises —(a)
on the application of the owner or occupier of the premises; or
(b)
on the Minister’s own volition.
(3) The application under subsection (2)(a) must be made in such form and manner, and be accompanied or supported by such information and documents, as the Minister may require.
(4) Before making a protected place order for any premises on the Minister’s own volition, the Minister must, unless the Minister considers it not practicable or desirable to do so in any particular case —(a)
give notice of the Minister’s intention to do so to the owner or occupier of the premises that the Minister intends to designate as the authority of the protected place under section 15(1)(b); and
(b)
give that owner or occupier 14 days (or any longer or shorter time that the Minister may specify in the notice) after the date of the notice to make representations on the proposed protected place order.
(5) To avoid doubt, except as provided in this section, the Minister is not required to give any person notice of, or consult any person on, the Minister’s intention to make a protected place order.
Contents and effective date of protected place order
15.—(1) A protected place order —(a)
must specify the protected place (whether in the form of a description (of its location or boundaries), map or other representation);
(b)
must designate one or more owners, or one or more occupiers, of the protected place to be the authority of the protected place;
(c)
may, for the purposes of sections 27 and 28, specify any surrounding area of the protected place (whether in the form of a description (of its location or boundaries), map or other representation); and
(d)
must specify the date on which the protected place order takes effect.
(2) In determining the date under subsection (1)(d), the Minister must have regard to the time reasonably required for the authority to have in place on that date the measures required under section 18(1).
(3) Where the protected place order designates more than one owner, or more than one occupier, to be the authority of the protected place, each of those persons —(a)
is jointly and severally responsible for discharging the duties of, and complying with the requirements imposed on, the authority under this Act; and
(b)
may jointly and severally exercise the powers of the authority under this Act.
Notice of protected place order
16.—(1) The Minister must cause notice of a protected place order to be given, in the manner that the Minister considers appropriate in the circumstances —(a)
to the authority of the protected place; and
(b)
to any other person who, in the Minister’s opinion, ought to have notice of the protected place order.
(2) The Minister may, in addition to or in place of the notice of the protected place order required under subsection (1), cause the protected place order to be published in the Gazette.
(3) Where the Minister causes the protected place order to be published in the Gazette in place of the notice of the protected place order required under subsection (1), the requirements of that subsection are taken to be satisfied.
(4) To avoid doubt, the non-publication of a protected place order in the Gazette does not affect the validity of the protected place order.
Amendment of protected place order
17.—(1) The Minister may, at any time, amend a protected place order (including before the effective date of the protected place order) by doing one or more of the following:(a)
change the specification of the protected place;
(b)
change the authority of the protected place;
(c)
for the purposes of sections 27 and 28, specify any surrounding area (whether in the form of a description (of its location or boundaries), map or other representation), or change the specification of or delete any specified surrounding area, of the protected place.
(2) The Minister may amend a protected place order under subsection (1) —(a)
on the application of the authority of the protected place; or
(b)
on the Minister’s own volition.
(3) The application under subsection (2)(a) must be made in such form and manner, and be accompanied or supported by such information and documents, as the Minister may require.
(4) Before amending a protected place order on the Minister’s own volition, the Minister must, unless the Minister considers it not practicable or desirable to do so in any particular case —(a)
give notice of the Minister’s intention to do so —(i)
to the authority of the protected place; and
(ii)
where the Minister intends to change the authority of the protected place, to the owner or occupier of the protected place that the Minister intends to designate as the authority in the amended protected place order; and
(b)
give the authority and (where applicable) the person mentioned in paragraph (a)(ii) 14 days (or any longer or shorter time that the Minister may specify in the notice) after the date of the notice to make representations on the proposed amendment.
(5) To avoid doubt, except as provided in this section, the Minister is not required to give any person notice of, or consult any person on, the Minister’s intention to amend a protected place order.
(6) Sections 15 and 16 apply, with the necessary modifications, to an amended protected place order under this section.
Duties of authority of protected place
18.—(1) The authority of a protected place must, on the date that the protected place order for the protected place takes effect —(a)
display prominently at the perimeter of the protected place adequate notices about the protected place; and
(b)
have in place adequate measures (including the permit system mentioned in section 20) to prevent unauthorised entry to the protected place.
(2) Where the Minister amends the protected place order under section 17 (called in this section the amended order) by changing the specification of the protected place (called in this section the amended protected place), the authority of the amended protected place must, on the date that the amended order takes effect —(a)
display prominently at the perimeter of the amended protected place adequate notices about the amended protected place; and
(b)
have in place adequate measures (including the permit system mentioned in section 20) to prevent unauthorised entry to the amended protected place.
(3) The authority must, while the protected place order or amended order is in force —(a)
have in place and maintain the notices and measures required under subsection (1) or (2), as the case may be;
(b)
where guards are deployed by the authority in, or in any specified surrounding area of, the protected place, ensure that every guard so deployed is an authorised officer; and
(c)
provide such information about the guards deployed by the authority in, or in any specified surrounding area of, the protected place, at such times and in such form and manner, as the Minister or the Commissioner of Police may require.
(4) Any person who contravenes subsection (3)(b) or (c) shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $20,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 2 years or to both.
(5) To avoid doubt, in subsection (3) —(a)
a reference to a protected place includes a reference to an amended protected place; and
(b)
a reference to the authority of a protected place includes a reference to the authority of an amended protected place.
Revocation of protected place order
19.—(1) The Minister may, at any time, revoke a protected place order —(a)
on the application of the authority of the protected place; or
(b)
on the Minister’s own volition.
(2) The application under subsection (1)(a) must be made in such form and manner, and be accompanied or supported by such information and documents, as the Minister may require.
(3) Before revoking a protected place order on the Minister’s own volition, the Minister must, unless the Minister considers it not practicable or desirable to do so in any particular case —(a)
give notice of the Minister’s intention to do so to the authority of the protected place; and
(b)
give the authority 14 days (or any longer or shorter time that the Minister may specify in the notice) after the date of the notice to make representations on the proposed revocation.
(4) To avoid doubt, except as provided in this section, the Minister is not required to give any person notice of, or consult any person on, the Minister’s intention to revoke a protected place order.
(5) Section 16 applies, with the necessary modifications, to the revocation of a protected place order under this section.
Source: Singapore Statutes Online (Attorney-General's Chambers), © Government of Singapore.
