Foreign Recruiting Act 1875

Foreign Recruiting Act 1875

2020 REVISED EDITION

This revised edition incorporates all amendments up to and including 1 December 2021 and comes into operation on 31 December 2021

An Act to control recruiting in Singapore for the service of foreign States.

[9 January 1875]

Short title

1.  This Act is the Foreign Recruiting Act 1875.

Interpretation

2.  In this Act, unless there is something repugnant in the subject or context, “foreign State” includes any person or persons exercising, or assuming to exercise, the powers of government in or over any country, colony, province, or people beyond the limits of Singapore.

Power to prohibit or permit recruiting

3.  If any person is, within the limits of Singapore, obtaining, or attempting to obtain, recruits for the service of any foreign State in any capacity, the President may by order in writing, signed by the Minister, either prohibit that person from so doing or permit him to do so subject to any conditions which the President imposes.

Power to impose conditions

4.  The President may by general order notified in the Gazette either prohibit recruiting for the service of any foreign State, or impose upon such recruiting any conditions which he thinks fit.

Punishment of offences

5.  Any person who in violation of the prohibition of the President, or of any condition subject to which permission to recruit has been accorded —

(a) induces or attempts to induce any person to accept, agree to accept, or to proceed to any place with a view of obtaining, any commission or employment in the service of any foreign State; or

(b) knowingly aids in the engagement of any person so induced by forwarding or conveying him, or by advancing money, or in any other way whatever,

shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 7 years or to both.

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY

Foreign Recruiting Act 1875

 

This Legislative History is a service provided by the Law Revision Commission on a best-efforts basis. It is not part of the Act.
1.	Ordinance III of 1875—Foreign Recruiting Ordinance, 1874
	Bill	:	S.S.G.G. No. 51/1874
	First Reading	:	11 December 1874
	Second Reading	:	28 December 1874
	Third Reading	:	4 January 1875
	Commencement	:	4 January 1875 (passed) 9 January 1875 (publication)
2.	1920 Revised Edition—Ordinance No. 19 (Foreign Recruiting)
	Operation	:	28 November 1921
3.	1926 Revised Edition—Ordinance No. 19 (Foreign Recruiting)
	Operation	:	1 August 1926
4.	1936 Revised Edition—Foreign Recruiting Ordinance (Chapter 199)
	Operation	:	1 September 1936
5.	1955 Revised Edition—Foreign Recruiting Ordinance (Chapter 219)
	Operation	:	1 July 1956
6.	G.N. No. S (N.S.) 177/1959—Singapore Constitution (Modification of Laws) (No. 3) Order, 1959
	Commencement	:	20 November 1959
7.	G.N. No. S (N.S.) 178/1959—Singapore Constitution (Modification of Laws) (No. 4) Order, 1959
	Commencement	:	20 November 1959
8.	1970 Revised Edition—Foreign Recruiting Act (Chapter 247)
	Operation	:	31 July 1971
9.	1985 Revised Edition—Foreign Recruiting Act (Chapter 112)
	Operation	:	30 March 1987
10.	2014 Revised Edition—Foreign Recruiting Act (Chapter 112)
	Operation	:	28 February 2014
11.	2020 Revised Edition—Foreign Recruiting Act 1875
	Operation	:	31 December 2021

Abbreviations

	(updated on 29 August 2022)
G.N.	Gazette Notification
G.N. Sp.	Gazette Notification (Special Supplement)
L.A.	Legislative Assembly
L.N.	Legal Notification (Federal/Malaysian)
M.	Malaya/Malaysia (including Federated Malay States, Malayan Union, Federation of Malaya and Federation of Malaysia)
Parl.	Parliament
S	Subsidiary Legislation
S.I.	Statutory Instrument (United Kingdom)
S (N.S.)	Subsidiary Legislation (New Series)
S.S.G.G.	Straits Settlements Government Gazette
S.S.G.G. (E)	Straits Settlements Government Gazette (Extraordinary)