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22 Malaya L. Rev. 142 (1980)
Reprint of the Constitution of the Republic of Singapore

handle is hein.journals/sjls22 and id is 148 raw text is: (1980) LEGISLATION COMMENT REPRINT OF THE CONSTITUTION OF THE REPUBLIC OF SINGAPORE * In 1970 the Prime Mimster of Singapore forecast a new Con- stitution, in the preparation of which it was the intention of the Government to afford every institution and citizen an opportumty to make representations on the constitutional draft i However, in December 1978 he considered that a new constitution was unlikely to appear in the foreseeable future. There seems, therefore, to be little urgency in the matter, and no apparent popular pressure. Singa- pore possesses a Constitution. which was reviewed by a Constitutional Commission in 1966 a commission over which the present Chief Justice presided. This seems to be the limit of public interest on the issue, to date: a fact which need occasion little surprise, for the problem of the layman is rather to ascertain what a Constitution says, than to suggest its improvement. So the present Constitution of Singapore fits the pattern of the times reasonably well, it seems: and because it has an affinity with the Malaysian Constitution, it may possess a sentimental significance (if I dare use the phrase in a Singapore context), and perhaps a political significance, that a new Constitution would not have. We may pull down the old buildings of Singapore, but we prefer to hold on to a Constitution less than twenty years old, and which by and large probably reflects what is acceptable to the overwhelming majority of citizens in the Republic. In these circumstances, there is everything to be said for a nicely revised reprint of a much amended document-as was foreseen roy legislators last year, when, on 4 May 1979 the Constitution (Amend- ment) Act 1979 came into force. Under section 8 of that Act, a new article 93 (now article 155) of the Constitution of Singapore empowered the Attorney-General, with the authority of the President, as soon as may be after [4 May 1979 to] cause to be printed and published a consolidated repnnt of the Constitution of Singapore into a single, composite document to be known as the 'Reprint of the Con- stitution of the Republic of Singapore With commendable speed, that reprint was published in a Government Gazette of 31 March 1979 The Constitution of Singapore of course came into existence with Singapore's entry into Malaysia. and first appeared in a statutory R.S.(A) 11/1980, w.e.f. March 31. 1980. Available at $8.00 a copy from Singapore National Printers (Pte) Ltd.. 303 Upper Serangoon Road, Singapore 1334. 1 Parliamentary Debates, Vol. 29, Col. 572.

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