Straits Times 14 Feb 09;
PARLIAMENT yesterday passed the State Lands (Amendment) Bill, which made several changes to the law and updated archaic language in it.
Associate Professor Ho Peng Kee, Senior Minister of State for Law and Home Affairs, listed the amendments in the law regulating the occupation and alienation of state land.
Key among them was a change to Section 10. This allows the minister to vest in the Government of any estate or interest in land for the purposes of implementing the provisions of any international convention, treaty or agreement to which Singapore is party.
Section4, which provides for the settlement of any difference in compensation through arbitration, was also amended to update archaic language and references.
For example, it deleted the reference to the appointment of umpires in arbitration, which was rendered obsolete by the enactment of the Arbitration Act in 2001.
References to old modes of transport - horses, buffalos, bullocks and carts or wagons - were also removed.
Another change was in Section7, which makes it clear that only officers of the Collector of Land Revenue authorised by him in writing - not just his officers as stated previously - may have access to lands that are the subject of a grant or a state lease.
A new Section3A was also introduced to clarify the ways that state land, which are alienated or otherwise disposed of, may be alienated, leased or licensed.
The three ways it specified were:
One, as a parcel of the surface earth, all substances under it, and so much of the airspace above as reasonably necessary for its use or enjoyment;
Two, as a parcel of airspace or subterranean earth, whether or not held apart from the surface of the earth; and
Three, only down to such depth below the surface earth as the President may direct.
KOR KIAN BENG
