People’s Association (Conduct and Discipline) Rules

People’s Association Act

(CHAPTER 227, Sections 9(2)(a) and (c))

People’s Association
(Conduct and Discipline) Rules

R 1

REVISED EDITION 1998

(15th June 1998)

[24th February 1989]

PART I

PRELIMINARY

Citation

1.  These Rules may be cited as the People’s Association (Conduct and Discipline) Rules.

Definitions

2.  In these Rules, unless the context otherwise requires —

“Association” means the People’s Association incorporated under section 2 of the Act;

“Board” means the Board of Management of the People’s Association;

“Chairman” means the Chairman of the Board;

“Chief Executive” means the Chief Executive of the Association;

[S 89/2021 wef 10/02/2021]

“Deputy Chairman” means the Deputy Chairman of the Board;

“Director (Administration)” means an officer of the Association holding or acting in the post of Director (Administration);

“employee” means an employee of the Association;

“member” means a member of the Board.

PART II

GENERAL CONDUCT AND DISCIPLINE

Compliance with orders

3.  Every employee is required at all times faithfully and diligently to carry out his duties and to comply with the reasonable instructions of the Chief Executive or any other officer of the Association duly authorised to give instructions.

[S 89/2021 wef 10/02/2021]

Courtesy to public

4.  Every employee shall during the course of his duties treat with courtesy and consideration all members of the public with whom he comes into contact.

Improper behaviour

5.  No employee while on duty shall be in such a condition or conduct himself in such a manner as to be unable to properly perform his duties or to interfere with the proper performance of the duties of other employees.

Care of property

6.  Every employee shall take all possible care to prevent loss or damage to any property of the Association of which he may at any time be in charge or in control whether in the Association premises itself, or in the community centres and other premises controlled by the Association such as holiday flats, holiday camps and water sports centres.

Communication with Chairman or Board

7.—(1)  No employee shall verbally or otherwise, directly or indirectly, approach or communicate with the Chairman, Deputy Chairman, or any other member of the Board on personal matters arising out of, or in the course of, or directly or indirectly connected with, his employment otherwise than through the Chief Executive.

[S 89/2021 wef 10/02/2021]

(2)  The Chief Executive shall forward any communication on a matter of the kind received under paragraph (1) to the Deputy Chairman or the Board, as the case may be.

[S 89/2021 wef 10/02/2021]

Absence without authority

8.  No employee shall be absent from duty without proper authority or without sufficient cause to be shown by him.

Disclosure of official documents

9.  No employee may, without the written sanction of the Chief Executive or unless required by law or in the course of his official duties to do so, make public or communicate to the press or to any individual any document or paper or other information of which he may have become possessed or make or retain private copies thereof.

[S 89/2021 wef 10/02/2021]

Invitation to broadcast or telecast

10.  If an employee is invited to broadcast or telecast or to provide material for a broadcast or telecast, he shall obtain the permission of the Chief Executive before accepting the invitation.

[S 89/2021 wef 10/02/2021]

Political and allied activities

11.—(1)  No employee shall, without the prior written permission of the Chief Executive, contribute either in his own name, or under a pseudonym, or anonymously any letter, article, statement or other communication to any newspaper, journal or magazine intended for public distribution on any subject which may, in the opinion of the Chief Executive, be reasonably regarded as criticism of the administration of the Association or its policies or tending to bring the Association into contempt, ridicule or disrepute.

[S 89/2021 wef 10/02/2021]

(2)  Paragraph (1) shall not apply to contributions in respect of any subject-matter which does not come within the ambit of that paragraph.

(3)  No employee shall act as a distributor or assist in the distribution of any document, handbill or form of any kind other than a document or form which he is required to distribute in the course of official duty.

(4)  Every employee shall refrain from engaging in party political activity and shall maintain complete reserve in all matters of party political controversy.

(5)  Nothing in paragraph (4) shall be construed as restricting an employee’s right of private exercise of franchise or his liberty to be a member of a political party or as prohibiting any employee from —

(a) disseminating in any community centre or elsewhere information in support of parliamentary democracy as a political system or in favour of nation-building; or

(b) actively combating communal propaganda of any kind emanating from any source.

Safeguarding Association’s reputation

12.  No employee shall commit any act which may bring the Association into disrepute.

PART III

DONATIONS AND GIFTS

Gifts or presents from public

13.—(1)  Every employee shall firmly decline all offers of gifts or presents by the public made to him in his personal capacity.

(2)  If the circumstances are such as to make it impracticable for an employee to refuse such a gift or present (for example, if no previous notice of the intention to offer a gift or present was given) or if it would be discourteous to return the gift or present, the employee must without delay report the circumstances to the Chief Executive immediately for a decision.

[S 89/2021 wef 10/02/2021]

Letters of thanks issued to donors

14.  An employee may accept donations or gifts given to the community centre under his charge and shall as soon as possible report the donations or gifts to the Chief Executive for record purposes and for the issue of acknowledgment letters from the Association to the donors.

[S 89/2021 wef 10/02/2021]

Collection of money

15.  Employees shall not, except with the prior written permission of the Chief Executive, receive, subscribe to, organise or participate in any way in the collection of money among themselves for any purpose or reason whatsoever.

[S 89/2021 wef 10/02/2021]

Private work or business

16.—(1)  The whole of an employee’s time shall be at the disposal of the Association.

(2)  No employee shall, unless with the written approval of the Chief Executive —

(a) engage in any commercial pursuit or take part in the management of any commercial undertaking even while on leave;

(b) undertake work other than his work in the Association; and

(c) derive emoluments from any business or service apart from his employment with the Association even while on leave.

[S 89/2021 wef 10/02/2021]

PART IV

INDEBTEDNESS

Promissory notes, etc.

17.  No employee shall, except with the written permission of the Chief Executive, sign promissory notes or acknowledgments of indebtedness in any form either as principal or surety except in favour of a registered co-operative society or on a mortgage of immovable property of which he is the owner.

[S 89/2021 wef 10/02/2021]

Bankruptcy

18.—(1)  No employee shall so conduct his financial affairs as to render himself liable to become a judgment debtor or be made bankrupt.

(2)  Every employee who becomes a judgment debtor or against whom any proceedings are taken in bankruptcy shall forthwith notify the Chief Executive.

[S 89/2021 wef 10/02/2021]

PART V

PROCEDURE

Investigation

19.—(1)  When the Director (Administration) considers that an employee may have committed a breach of any of these Rules whether arising out of a complaint or otherwise, the Director (Administration) shall forthwith conduct an investigation into the matter.

(2)  If after investigation the Director (Administration) is of the opinion that there is reason to believe that the employee has committed a breach of these Rules, the Director (Administration) shall inform the employee in writing of the breach that is alleged against him in the form of charges and call upon him to exculpate himself in writing within 14 days of receipt of the charges.

(3)  If —

(a) the breach alleged is one of the following minor breaches:

(i) dereliction of duty;

(ii) unpunctuality without good cause or reason;

(iii) non-compliance with orders;

(iv) lack of courtesy to the public;

(v) improper behaviour;

(vi) careless or negligent loss of Association’s property; or

(vii) unauthorised communication with the Chairman, Deputy Chairman or any other member of the Board; and

(b) the employee under investigation —

(i) admits the charge or charges or any one of them;

(ii) fails to furnish an exculpatory statement within the time specified in paragraph (2); or

(iii) fails to furnish a satisfactory exculpatory statement,

the Director (Administration) shall forward the matter to the Chief Executive who shall determine the matter and decide upon the punishment.

[S 89/2021 wef 10/02/2021]

(4)  If —

(a) the breach alleged is a breach other than those set out in paragraph (3)(a); and

(b) the employee under investigation —

(i) admits the charge or charges or any one of them;

(ii) fails to furnish an exculpatory statement within the time specified in paragraph (2); or

(iii) furnishes an exculpatory statement,

the Director (Administration) shall forward the matter to the Chief Executive who shall convene a disciplinary committee consisting of members to be appointed by him, except that under no circumstances shall the Director (Administration) be a member of the disciplinary committee.

[S 89/2021 wef 10/02/2021]

(5)  The disciplinary committee shall be an advisory body only whose function shall be to hold an inquiry into the matter and to submit a report with its recommendations to the Chief Executive.

[S 89/2021 wef 10/02/2021]

(6)  The disciplinary committee shall fix a date on which it shall inquire into the matter and shall inform the employee under investigation in writing to appear before it if the employee desires to be heard.

(7)  If the employee under investigation fails to appear before the disciplinary committee at the appointed time and place, the committee shall proceed with the inquiry as it thinks fit.

(8)  The disciplinary committee shall submit its report and recommendations to the Chief Executive after the inquiry.

[S 89/2021 wef 10/02/2021]

(9)  The Chief Executive shall thereupon decide upon the matter after considering the report and recommendations of the disciplinary committee and shall inform the employee under investigation of the outcome of the matter and the punishment (if any) to be imposed.

[S 89/2021 wef 10/02/2021]

Interdiction

20.  An employee who has been charged with a criminal offence or with a breach of these Rules may be interdicted from the exercise of the powers and functions of his office pending completion of the case against him.

Emoluments during period of interdiction

21.  An employee who has been interdicted may be allowed to receive such portion of the emoluments of his office for such period during the period of interdiction as the Chief Executive may think fit.

[S 89/2021 wef 10/02/2021]

Refund of withheld emoluments

22.  An employee who has been interdicted shall be allowed to resume his office and shall be entitled to the full amount of the emoluments which he would have received had he not been interdicted if the disciplinary proceedings against him do not result in dismissal or he is acquitted of a criminal charge.

Penalties

23.  The Chief Executive may impose any one or a combination of the following penalties:

(a) immediate dismissal;

(b) a fine or stoppage of increment or both such punishments;

(c) a written reprimand.

[S 89/2021 wef 10/02/2021]

Appeal

24.—(1)  An employee who has been dismissed as a result of disciplinary proceedings against him shall have the right to appeal to the Board within 14 days of the notice of his dismissal.

(2)  The grounds of his appeal shall be set out in writing and forwarded to the Board and he shall in addition have the right to appear before the Board.

Saving and exception

25.—(1)  This Part shall not affect the rights of the Association —

(a) to terminate, by giving one month’s notice in writing or paying one month’s total emoluments in lieu of notice, the services of any employee as provided in the General Conditions of Service attached to the letter of appointment; or

(b) to terminate the services of any employee under the terms of any contract between that employee and the Association.

(2)  An employee who has been convicted of a criminal offence by a competent court shall be liable to immediate dismissal.

[G.N. Nos.65/89; S 306/89]

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY

People’s Association (Conduct and Discipline) Rules

 

This Legislative History is provided for the convenience of users of the People’s Association (Conduct and Discipline) Rules. It is not part of these Rules.
1.	G. N. No. S 65/1989—People’s Association (Conduct and Discipline) Rules 1989
	Date of commencement	:	Date not available
2.	G. N. No. S 306/1989
	Date of commencement	:	Date not available
3.	1990 Revised Edition—People’s Association (Conduct and Discipline) Rules
	Date of operation	:	25 March 1992
4.	1998 Revised Edition—People’s Association (Conduct and Discipline) Rules
	Date of operation	:	15 June 1998
5.	G.N. No. S 89/2021—People’s Association (Conduct and Discipline) (Amendment) Rules 2021
	Date of commencement	:	10 February 2021