Appointments to Presidential Council for Minority Rights

        The President has appointed the following 7 persons to the Presidential Council for Minority Rights with effect from 15 July 2012:

(a)   AG Steven Chong Horng Siong
(b)   Prof Chan Heng Chee
(c)   Mr Barry Desker
(d)   Mr Philip Jeyaretnam
(e)   Mr JY Pillay
(f)    Archbishop Nicholas Chia Yeck Joo
(g)   Mr Othman bin Haron Eusofe

2        AG Steven Chong, Prof Chan Heng Chee, Mr Barry Desker and Mr Philip Jeyaretnam are new appointments to the Council whilst the other 3 Members are re-appointed. 

3        The appointments of the 7 Members are for a 3-year term.

4        Except for Mr Barry Desker who is presently away from Singapore, the new and re-appointed Members are sworn in at the Istana today at a ceremony officiated by the President. The oaths are taken before Chief Justice Chan Sek Keong.

5        The 3-year term of the following former Council Members ended on 14 July 2012:

(a)   Mr Sat Pal Khattar
(b)   Prof Lim Chong Yah
(c)   Mr Oscar Oliveiro

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Presidential Council for Minority Rights
16 July 2012

BACKGROUND NOTE TO PRESS EDITORS

FUNCTIONS AND COMPOSITION OF PRESIDENTIAL COUNCIL FOR MINORITY RIGHTS

1        The functions of the Presidential Council for Minority Rights are:

(a)   To draw attention to any Bill or subsidiary legislation that contains differentiating measures; and
(b)   To consider and report on matters affecting any racial or religious community that are referred to the Council by Parliament or the Government.

2        A “differentiating measure” is a measure that is disadvantageous to a racial or religious community and not equally disadvantageous to other such communities.

3        The Council makes a report on the Bills and matters considered to the Speaker of Parliament. 

4         From time to time, the Council also advises the President on the nominations of persons to the Presidential Council for Religious Harmony, and the Malay Community Committee and the Indian and Other Minority Communities for purposes of parliamentary elections.

5        The Chairman and Members of the Presidential Council for Minority Rights are appointed by the President on the advice of the Cabinet. Under the Constitution, the Council shall consist of a Chairman, not more than 10 permanent Members and not more than 10 other Members. Apart from permanent Members who are appointed for life, the Chairman and other Members are appointed for a period of 3 years.

6        With the 4 new appointments and 3 re-appointments to the Council taking effect from 15 July 2012, the Council will consist of 17 Members, comprising the Chairman, 6 permanent Members and 10 other Members as follows:

Chairman
The Hon Chief Justice Chan Sek Keong

Permanent Members
Mr Lee Hsien Loong, Prime Minister
Mr Lee Kuan Yew
Tuan Haji Othman bin Wok
Mr Goh Chok Tong, Emeritus Senior Minister
Mr S Dhanabalan
Mr K Shanmugam, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister for Law

Other Members
Mr Steven Chong Horng Siong, Attorney General
Mr J Y Pillay
His Grace Archbishop Nicholas Chia
Mr Othman Haron Eusofe
Mr Timothy James de Souza
Mr Abdullah Tarmugi
Mr Sundaresh Menon
Mr Philip Jeyaretnam
Prof Chan Heng Chee
Mr Barry Desker