Metrication Act 1970

Metrication Act 1970

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 introduce the use of the International System of Units in Singapore, to enable necessary modifications of legislation to be effected and for matters connected therewith.

[15 February 1971]

Short title

1.  This Act is the Metrication Act 1970.

Interpretation

2.—(1)  In this Act, “International System of Units” —

(a) means the metric system of units as set out in the First and Second Schedules; and

(b) includes the units set out in the Fourth Schedule unless there is something in the subject or context thereof inconsistent with such construction or unless it is therein otherwise expressly provided.

(2)  The abbreviation “SI” is recognised as a legal reference to the International System of Units.

International System of Units

3.—(1)  On and after 15 February 1971, the use of the system of units known as the International System of Units has legal force and validity in Singapore.

(2)  The International System of Units consists of —

(a) the basic units set out in the First Schedule;

(b) the supplementary and derived units set out in the Second Schedule; and

(c) the units which may be used in conjunction with the basic and supplementary and derived units set out in the Fourth Schedule.

Power to adapt, etc.

4.—(1)  The Minister may by order provide for the adaptation, alteration, conversion or modification of any provisions contained in any written law relating to such departments and subjects as may be appropriate for the purpose of replacing references to units other than metric units contained in the written law with references to units of the International System of Units which are either —

(a) equivalent; or

(b) such approximations as appear to the Minister desirable for the purpose of securing that the enactments as adapted, altered, converted or modified are expressed in convenient terms.

(2)  Any order made under subsection (1) must be published in the Gazette.

Conversion of imperial standard units to metric system units

5.  The values expressed in terms of —

(a) any imperial standard relating to measures of extension whether lineal, superficial or solid, or of weight or capacity; or

(b) the local customary system of weights and measures,

may be converted into the values expressed in terms of the International System of Units in accordance with the Third Schedule.

Power to vary Schedules

6.  The Minister may, from time to time by notification in the Gazette, add to, vary or amend the Schedules as the Minister may think fit.

Saving

7.—(1)  No act or thing done before the making of any order under section 4 may be challenged only on the ground that the act or thing done was done in a unit other than a unit of the International System of Units.

(2)  Nothing in this Act affects the legal force and validity of any other system of units lawfully used in Singapore.

FIRST SCHEDULE

Sections 2(1)(a), 3(2)(a) and 6

  The International System of Units is based on the following 6 basic units:

Unit	Symbol	Quantity
metre	m	length
kilogram	kg	mass
second	s	time
ampere	A	electric current
kelvin	K	thermodynamic temperature
candela	cd	luminous intensity.

SECOND SCHEDULE

Sections 2(1)(a), 3(2)(b) and 6

  The following are the supplementary and derived units of the International System of Units:

Unit	Symbol	Quantity
hertz	Hz	frequency
newton	N	force
joule	J	work, energy, quantity of heat
watt	W	power
coulomb	C	quantity of electricity, electric charge
volt	V	electric tension, potential difference, electromotive force
farad	F	electric capacitance
ohm	Ω	electric resistance
weber	Wb	flux of magnetic induction, magnetic flux
tesla	T	magnetic flux density, magnetic induction
henry	H	inductance
lumen	lm	luminous flux
lux	lx	illumination
radian	rad	plane angle
steradian	sr	solid angle.

THIRD SCHEDULE

Sections 5 and 6

  Conversion of Imperial Standard Units to Equivalent SI Units:

Imperial Standard Unit	SI Unit
1 yard	= 0.9144 metre exactly
1 pound	= 0.45359237 kilogram exactly
1 gallon	= 4.54609 litres approximately
	= 4.54609 cubic decimetres approximately.

  Conversion of Local Customary Units to Equivalent SI Units:

Local Customary Unit	SI Unit
1 tahil	= 37.799364 grams approximately
1 kati	= 0.604790 kilogram approximately
1 chhun	= 37.465 millimetres exactly
1 chhek	= 0.37465 metre exactly.

FOURTH SCHEDULE

Sections 2(1)(b), 3(2)(c) and 6

Unit	Symbol	Quantity
hectare	ha	area
metric tonne	t	mass
litre	L	volume
centigrade or Celsius	°C	temperature, temperature interval.

[S 22/89]

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY

Metrication Act 1970

 

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.	Act 52 of 1970—Metrication Act, 1970
	Bill	:	40/1970
	First Reading	:	4 November 1970
	Second and Third Readings	:	30 December 1970
	Commencement	:	15 February 1971
2.	1985 Revised Edition—Metrication Act (Chapter 181)
	Operation	:	30 March 1987
3.	G.N. No. S 22/1989—Revised Edition of the Laws (Rectification) Order 1989
	Operation	:	30 March 1987
4.	2020 Revised Edition—Metrication Act 1970
	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)

COMPARATIVE TABLE

Metrication Act 1970

This Act has undergone renumbering in the 2020 Revised Edition. This Comparative Table is provided to help readers locate the corresponding provisions in the last Revised Edition.

2020 Ed.	1985 Ed.
FIRST SCHEDULE	SCHEDULE A
SECOND SCHEDULE	SCHEDULE B
THIRD SCHEDULE	SCHEDULE C
FOURTH SCHEDULE	SCHEDULE D