Establishment of Traditional Chinese Medicine Practitioners Board
3.—(1) A body called the Traditional Chinese Medicine Practitioners Board is established, which is a body corporate with perpetual succession and a common seal.
(2) The Board consists of not less than 5 and not more than 11 members to be appointed by the Minister, of whom —(a)
one must be a registered medical practitioner;
(b)
one must be the Registrar ex-officio; and
(c)
2 must be registered persons with at least 10 years’ experience in any prescribed practice of traditional Chinese medicine.[8/2019]
(3) Every member, except the Registrar, holds office for a term of 3 years and is eligible for re‑appointment.
(4) The Minister may, at any time, revoke the appointment of any member without giving any reason.
Functions of Board
4. The functions of the Board are —(a)
to approve or reject applications for registration;
(b)
to accredit —(i)
courses in the practice of traditional Chinese medicine in Singapore for the purposes of registration; and
(ii)
the institutions of higher learning in Singapore offering any of these courses;
(c)
to make recommendations to the appropriate authorities for the continuing training and education of registered persons;
(d)
to determine and regulate the conduct and ethics of registered persons; and
(e)
generally to do all such acts, matters and things as are necessary or authorised to be carried out under this Act.
Chairperson of Board
5.—(1) The Minister must appoint one of the members to be the Chairperson.
(2) The Chairperson presides at any meeting of the Board and, in his or her absence, any member that the members present may elect presides at that meeting.
Disqualifications for membership of Board
6. No person may be a member if —(a)
he or she is not a citizen or a permanent resident of Singapore;
(b)
he or she is an undischarged bankrupt;
(c)
he or she has been convicted in Singapore or elsewhere of any offence involving fraud, dishonesty or moral turpitude; or
(d)
he or she is incapacitated by a mental or physical disability.
Filling of vacancies
7.—(1) The office of a member becomes vacant if the member —(a)
dies;
(b)
resigns his or her office;
(c)
becomes subject to any of the disqualifications specified in section 6;
(d)
without any good and sufficient reason, refuses to accept an appointment as a member of any committee appointed by the Board; or
(e)
has his or her appointment revoked before the expiry of his or her term of office.
(2) The Minister may remove from office any member who is absent without leave of the Board from 3 consecutive meetings of —(a)
the Board; or
(b)
any committee of which he or she is a member appointed by the Board.
(3) Any question as to whether a person has ceased to be a member is to be determined by the Minister whose decision is final.
(4) If any vacancy arises among the members, the Minister may appoint a person to fill the vacancy in the manner in which the appointment to the vacant office was made, and that person holds office for as long as the member in whose place that person was appointed would have held office.
(5) The Board may act despite any vacancy in the membership of the Board.
(6) No act done by or under the authority of the Board is invalid in consequence of any defect that is afterwards discovered in the appointment or qualification of the members or any of them.
Meetings and quorum of Board
8.—(1) The Board must meet at such times and places as the Chairperson or the Registrar may appoint.
(2) At any meeting of the Board, one-half of the total number of members forms a quorum.
(3) The Chairperson or member presiding at any meeting of the Board has an original vote and, in the case of an equality of votes, a casting vote.
(4) However, a member who is or was a member of an Inquiry Committee inquiring into a matter relating to a registered person under this Act —(a)
must not vote or take part in any discussion or decision of the Board relating to the matter, or otherwise participate in any activity of the Board that relates to the matter;
(b)
must withdraw from any meeting or part of any meeting of the Board considering or discussing the matter if the Chairperson or other member presiding at the meeting so requests; and
(c)
must be disregarded for the purpose of forming a quorum for any meeting or part of any meeting of the Board during which a discussion or decision relating to the matter occurs or is made.[8/2019]
(5) Subject to this Act and the Public Sector (Governance) Act 2018, the Board may regulate its own procedure.[5/2018]
Appointment of executive secretary and other employees
9. The Board may appoint an executive secretary and other employees on such terms as the Board may determine.
Appointment of committees
10.—(1) The Board may appoint one or more committees for any general or special purpose which, in the opinion of the Board, may be better dealt with or managed by a committee.
(2) The Board may delegate any of its powers or functions to any committee so appointed, with or without restrictions or conditions as the Board thinks fit.
(3) 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 Board.
(4) A committee appointed under this section may include persons who are not members of the Board.
Source: Singapore Statutes Online (Attorney-General's Chambers), © Government of Singapore.
