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Tuan Speaker: The question is that the Public Collections Bill, 1996 be read a second time. Any Honourable Member who wish to speak on this Bill? Ahli Tang Berhormat for Pelawan.

Encik Wong Sing Nang: Tuan Speaker, I just want to make some observations in respect of a few sections. I, first of all, fully support the Bill. It is a Bill which I believe is timely to regulate the public collection which we as the peoples representatives are sometimes in a dilemma whether to give or not to give the required licence because as the Minister had said, the old law i.e. the Miscellaneous Licence Ordinance (Cap.72), 1958 actually is very much outdated. My observations, Tuan Speaker, are on Section 4 particularly focused on Section 4(2) which deals with application for licence.

Tuan Speaker, under Section 4(2) the power to grant or refuse to grant licence for public collection shall be in the absolute discretion of the licensing officer and, the licensing officer has to exercise this power with caution and to review the objective that the licence is applied for. He has also to see that the application is in accordance with Schedule Form A and be properly filled in. Proper investigations will also have to be conducted before any licence is to be given out. This will ensure that only fit and proper persons be given licence to operate.

The other provision, I believe is very, very useful and that is Section 9 which states ?no person below the age of 16 years shall act as a collector for money without the prior permission in writing of the licensing officer.?

Tuan Speaker, we are sometimes faced with the problem where students are involved in public collections and we are of course, very worried about their safety. So this Bill, Public Collections Bill, makes it very clear that no person below the age of 16 years shall act as a collector for money without the prior permission in writing of the Licensing Officer. This is a very good provision as it safeguards underaged people from engaging in public collections. The paper stated in Section 3, that collections are to be licensed but in a lot of these public collections, we do not know where the money actually went to and, whether proper accounts have been kept or not. I therefore suggest that all accounts have to be submitted to the Licensing Officer after collection to prevent any organisation from abusing their position for their own selfish purposes.

So, Tuan Speaker, I really very much appreciate the State Government for introducing this Public Collections Bill which makes it very clear under what circumstances and at what age a person can engage in public collections and after the licences have been granted to comply with the provision or else, they will have to face the consequence of penalty being imposed on them under Sections 13 and 14.

Tuan Speaker, I support the Bill.