s 2 Interpretation
2. In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires —“applicant” includes a person in whose favour a maintenance order has been made under this Act; “approved person or organisation” means a person or an organisation that the Minister has approved in writing for the purposes of this Act; “child”, for a person, includes an illegitimate child, an adopted child or a stepchild of the person;[Act 19 of 2025 wef 05/12/2025] [Act 22 of 2023 wef 01/07/2024] “Commissioner” means the Commissioner for the Maintenance of Parents appointed under section 12(1) and includes a Deputy Commissioner and an Assistant Commissioner for the Maintenance of Parents; “conciliation officer” means —(a) where the Commissioner conducts any conciliation under this Act — the Commissioner; or (b) any person designated by the Commissioner to conduct any conciliation under this Act;[Act 22 of 2023 wef 01/07/2024] “destitute person” means a destitute person, as defined in section 2(1) of the Destitute Persons Act 1989, who is admitted, or temporarily admitted, into a welfare home under that Act;[Act 22 of 2023 wef 01/07/2024] “mediator” means any person appointed as a mediator under section 13(12);[Act 22 of 2023 wef 01/07/2024] “protector” has the meaning given by section 2(1) of the Vulnerable Adults Act 2018;[Act 22 of 2023 wef 01/07/2024] “record or purported record of abandonment, abuse or neglect”, for a person, means any record against or relating to the person that is prescribed to be a record or purported record of the person’s abandonment, abuse or neglect of a child of the person;[Act 22 of 2023 wef 01/07/2024] “respondent” includes a person against whom a maintenance order has been made under this Act; “Tribunal” means the Tribunal for the Maintenance of Parents established under section 13;[Act 22 of 2023 wef 01/07/2024] “vulnerable adult” has the meaning given by section 2(1) of the Vulnerable Adults Act 2018;[Act 22 of 2023 wef 01/07/2024] “welfare home” has the meaning given by section 2(1) of the Destitute Persons Act 1989.[Act 22 of 2023 wef 01/07/2024]