Medical Council to continue to exist
s 3
3. The Medical Council of Singapore is to continue to exist as a body corporate having perpetual succession and a common seal and, as from 3 April 1998, be called the Singapore Medical Council.
Medical Registration Act 1997 PART 2 — MEDICAL COUNCIL
Compiled from an official source version. Later amendments or repeals may not be reflected; the official text prevails. · Read the official text ↗
Constitution of Medical Council
s 4
4.—(1) The Medical Council consists of —(a) the Director‑General of Health;[Act 11 of 2023 wef 01/05/2023] (b) a member of the Academy of Medicine Singapore appointed by the Minister, who —(i) is the Master of the Academy; or (ii) is a member of the council of the Academy nominated by the Master of the Academy; (c) a member of the College of Family Physicians Singapore appointed by the Minister, who —(i) is the President of the College; or (ii) is a member of the council of the College nominated by the President of the College; (d) a member of the Singapore Medical Association appointed by the Minister, who — (i) is the President of the Association; or (ii) is a member of the council of the Association nominated by the President of the Association; (e) a member of the faculty of each prescribed medical school in Singapore appointed by the Minister who —(i) is the Dean of the prescribed medical school; or (ii) is nominated by the Dean; (f) 12 registered medical practitioners resident in Singapore who are elected by the fully registered medical practitioners resident in Singapore; and (g) 8 registered medical practitioners resident in Singapore who are appointed by the Minister.[Act 34 of 2020 wef 01/07/2022] (2) The members of the Medical Council mentioned in subsection (1)(b) to (g) are appointed or elected for a term not exceeding 3 years and are eligible for re‑appointment or re‑election, as the case may be.[Act 34 of 2020 wef 01/07/2022] (3) If for any reason the Director‑General of Health is unable to attend a particular meeting of the Medical Council, the Director‑General of Health may nominate a representative to attend the meeting and when so attending the representative is deemed for all purposes to be a member of the Medical Council.[Act 11 of 2023 wef 01/05/2023] (4) The Minister may, at any time, revoke the appointment of any member appointed under subsection (1)(b), (c), (d), (e) or (g) without giving any reason.[Act 34 of 2020 wef 01/07/2022]
Functions of Medical Council
s 5
5. The functions of the Medical Council are —(a) to keep and maintain registers of registered medical practitioners; (b) to approve or reject applications for registration under this Act or to approve any such application subject to such restrictions as it may think fit; (c) to issue practising certificates to registered medical practitioners; (d) to make recommendations to the appropriate authorities on the courses of instructions and examinations leading to the Singapore degree; (e) to make recommendations to the appropriate authorities for the training and education of registered medical practitioners; (f) to determine and regulate the conduct and ethics of registered medical practitioners; (fa) to determine and regulate standards of practice and the competence of registered medical practitioners within the medical profession; (fb) to provide administrative services to other bodies (whether corporate or unincorporate) responsible for the regulation of healthcare professionals; and (g) generally to do all such acts and matters and things as are necessary to be carried out under this Act.
Compulsory voting
s 6
6.—(1) Every fully registered medical practitioner resident in Singapore who has in force a practising certificate on the day of election of candidates as members of the Medical Council mentioned in section 4(1)(f) must vote for the election of such members at such time and in such manner as may be prescribed.[Act 34 of 2020 wef 01/07/2022] (2) Every registered medical practitioner who is required to vote for the election of the members of the Medical Council in accordance with subsection (1) and who fails to do so is not entitled to apply for a practising certificate unless he —(a) satisfies the Registrar that he had a good and sufficient reason for not voting at the election; or (b) pays to the Medical Council a penalty prescribed by the Medical Council.
President of Medical Council
s 7
7.—(1) The Medical Council has a president who is elected by the members of the Medical Council from among its members. (2) The president elected under subsection (1) serves for a term not extending beyond the expiry of the term for which he has been appointed or elected to be a member of the Medical Council and is eligible for re‑election. (3) The president presides at any meeting of the Medical Council and, in his absence, such member as the members present may elect presides at that meeting.
Disqualifications for membership of Medical Council
s 8
8. A person must not be a member of the Medical Council —(a) if the person is not a citizen or a permanent resident of Singapore; (b) if the person is not a registered medical practitioner with at least 8 years’ experience in the practice of medicine;[Act 34 of 2020 wef 01/07/2022] (c) if the person is an undischarged bankrupt; (d) if the person has been convicted in Singapore or elsewhere of any offence involving fraud, dishonesty or moral turpitude or implying a defect in character which makes the person unfit for the person’s profession; (e) if the person has been found guilty in Singapore or elsewhere of any improper act or conduct which brings disrepute to the person’s profession; (f) if the person has been found guilty in Singapore or elsewhere of professional misconduct; or (g) if the person’s fitness to practise medicine is judged by the Health Committee to be impaired by reason of the person’s physical or mental condition.[Act 34 of 2020 wef 01/07/2022]
Filling of vacancies
s 9
9.—(1) The office of a member of the Medical Council becomes vacant if the member —(a) dies; (b) resigns the member’s office; (c) is incapacitated by physical or mental illness; (d) becomes subject to any of the disqualifications specified in section 8; (e) without any good and sufficient reason, refuses to accept an appointment as a member of any committee appointed under section 11 or of the Credentials Committee or the Health Committee; or (f) has the member’s appointment revoked before the expiry of the term for which the member has been appointed. (2) The Medical Council may, with the approval of the Minister, remove from office any member of the Medical Council who is absent without leave of the Medical Council from 3 consecutive ordinary meetings of —(a) the Medical Council; or (b) any committee appointed under section 11 or of the Credentials Committee or the Health Committee of which he is a member. (3) Any question as to whether a person has ceased to be a member of the Medical Council is to be determined by the Minister whose decision is final. (4) If any vacancy arises among the elected members, the Minister must, as soon as practicable, appoint any registered medical practitioner resident in Singapore to fill that vacancy. (5) If any vacancy arises among the appointed members, the Minister may appoint a person to fill the vacancy in the manner in which the appointment to the vacant office was made. (6) Any person appointed to fill the vacancy holds office for as long as the member in whose place the person was appointed would have held office. (7) The Medical Council may act despite any vacancy in the Medical Council and no act done by or by the authority of the Medical Council is invalid in consequence of any defect that is afterwards discovered in the appointment or election or qualification of the members or any of them.
Appointment of executive director, executive secretary and other employees
s 10
10. The Medical Council may appoint an executive director, executive secretary and such other employees on such terms and conditions as the Medical Council may determine.[Act 19 of 2025 wef 05/12/2025]
Appointment of committees
s 11
11.—(1) The Medical Council may —(a) appoint one or more committees for any general or special purpose which in the opinion of the Medical Council may be better dealt with or managed by a committee; and (b) delegate to any committee so appointed, with or without restrictions or conditions as it thinks fit, any of the powers or functions which may be exercised or performed by the Medical Council. (2) The number and term of office of the members of a committee appointed under this section and the number of those members necessary to form a quorum are to be fixed by the Medical Council. (3) A committee appointed under this section may include persons who are not members of the Medical Council.
Meetings and quorum of Medical Council
s 12
12.—(1) The Medical Council is to meet at such times and places as the president or the Registrar may appoint. (2) The quorum at every meeting of the Medical Council must be one‑third of the total number of members in office or 7 members, whichever is the higher. (3) The chairman at any meeting of the Medical Council has an original vote and, in the case of an equality of votes, a casting vote. (4) There are to be paid to the members of the Medical Council and members of any committee appointed by the Medical Council, or their respective employers, such fees as may be approved by the Minister. (5) The Medical Council may make rules for the conduct of its business.
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