s 49 Complaints
49.—(1) Any complaint of the conduct of a licensed estate agent or registered salesperson may in the first place be made to the Executive Director who must refer the complaint to the Council. (2) The Executive Director may on his or her own motion refer any information concerning the conduct of a licensee or salesperson to the Council. (3) The Council may require any complaint or class of complaints to be supported by such statutory declaration as the Council may require, except that no statutory declaration is required if the complaint is made by any public officer. (4) After receiving any complaint or information under subsection (1) or (2), the Council may, if it is of the opinion that there is a sufficient case for investigation, refer the matter for investigation under section 50. (5) The Council must consider any report or recommendations submitted under section 50(3) and may refer the matter or report back to the inspector for further consideration or investigation as it may consider necessary or desirable. (6) Subject to subsections (7), (8), (9), (10) and (11), after considering the report and recommendations submitted under section 50(3) —(a) where the Council is satisfied that any of the following has been contravened:(i) any provision of Part 4A; (ii) any regulation made under section 72, or any provision of a code of practice, ethics and conduct prescribed or issued and published under section 42(1), in respect of requirements relating to the detection and prevention of money laundering, proliferation financing and terrorism financing, or for the reporting of transactions suspected of involving money laundering, proliferation financing or terrorism financing, the Council may do one or both of the following: (iii) impose on the licensed estate agent or registered salesperson concerned a financial penalty not exceeding $5,000 for each contravention; (iv) censure the licensed estate agent or registered salesperson concerned; and (b) where the Council is satisfied that there is any other sufficient cause apart from a contravention mentioned in paragraph (a), the Council may do one or both of the following:(i) impose on the licensed estate agent or registered salesperson concerned a financial penalty of any amount not exceeding $5,000; (ii) censure the licensed estate agent or registered salesperson concerned. [Act 15 of 2025 wef 01/07/2025] (7) The Council must, before making any decision under subsection (6) in relation to the licensed estate agent or registered salesperson, give the licensed estate agent or registered salesperson written notice of the Council’s intention to do so.[24/2020] (8) Upon receipt of the notice of the Council under subsection (7), the licensed estate agent or registered salesperson may, within 14 days after the date of the notice, show cause to the Council as to why the Council should not take any or all of the actions (as the case may be) under subsection (6).[24/2020] [Act 15 of 2025 wef 01/07/2025] (9) The Council must, after the licensed estate agent or registered salesperson has shown cause under subsection (8) or the time to do so has expired, give written notice to the licensed estate agent or registered salesperson of the Council’s decision under subsection (6).[24/2020] (10) Subject to section 59, any decision by the Council under subsection (6) does not take effect until 14 days after the Council has served the written notice under subsection (9) to the licensed estate agent or registered salesperson.[24/2020] (11) If the Council considers it appropriate, the Council may, instead of making any decision under subsection (6), refer the matter to a Disciplinary Committee.[24/2020]