CO537-1651 — Page 194

SINGAPORE RATEPAYERS ASSOCIATION.

MEMORANDUM ON MUNICIPAL CONSTITUTIONAL REFORM.

The intellectual awakening which is the natural corollary of democratic education has in this Colony produced a widespread genuine and peaceful movement for election of Municipal Commissioners by the general body of ratepayers.

It is of interest to note that the first Municipal Charter in the form of Municipal Orlinance 1887, and that of 1896, aimed at a large degree of popular representation. The latter Ordinence which remained in force till 1913 provided for the division of the Municipal area into wards and elections by wards of one half of the Municipal Commissioners. All moles in a ward paying a monthly rental of $20/- and in some cases less, or owning property in the ward in respect of which they paid rates of $12/- or more annually, were entitled to vote.

The general public showed little interest in those elections due mainly to the fact that a large majority of the voters were wholly illiterate and without any background of democratic civic traditions. This is no longer true of the Singapore of today.

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The Municipal Ordinance of 1913 put a complete end to popular representation or election of any kind and the Governor was left wholly unfettered in the choice of Municipal Commissioners. In point of fact the Governor conceded the privilege of nominating a Municipal Commissioner to a number of public bodies and he usually appointed the persons so nominated. However benevolent, well-advised and well-intentioned a Governor may be, such a state of affairs is most unhealthy from the point of view of the citizen. Self-Government is an integral part of the activity of a fully developed human personality and lack of opportunities to exercise the rights and obligations of self-government is a definite impediment to the development of human personality to full maturity,

Basic difficulties encountered in attempting to frame a Municipal Constitution in this Colony of a practical and democratic character are twofold:-

(1)

(2)

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(1) Incorporation of sufficient safeguards within the framework of

a system of electoral representation against the possibility of too rapid changes in Municipal Policy which might result from the election of inexperienced Commissioners by an electorate at present insufficiently educated in the issues involved, and without the touchstone of post experience to guide them. (2) The protection of interests of minority groups Despite

close physical proximity the different races domiciled in Singapore have by reason of different languages and customs lived almost wholly unaware of the needs and problems of their neighbours. Repugnant though the idea of sectional representation may be to many, the necessity for major minority groups to be represented on the Commission is one of a character which must be faced and solved. The solution of this problem is believed to lie in the formation of electoral lists by community and not by ward, thereby enabling minority groups to return a representative who would express their needs and aspirations. It is realised that such a system is open to attack on mathematical grounds and on the ground that there will still be certain small groups of Singapore's heterogenous population who are not in fact given a direct voice on the Municipal Council. It is, nevertheless, considered that for practical purposes the recommendations made hereunder are' just and meet the needs of the times:

RECOMMENDATIONS.

Municipal Constitutional reorganisation should aim at an ultimate system of election of all Commissioners.

The vital question of the incorporation of the functions of the Rural Board and Improvement Trust in the Singapore Municipality should be closely studied by the Committee, with access to the