Residents will be able to process their marriage registration online, as well that of births and deaths, Secretary for Administration and Justice André Cheong Weng Chon noted when introducing a bill to amend the current law regulating civil registrations in the legislature’s hemicycle yesterday.
The civil registration amendment bill’s outline was passed yesterday by the lawmakers, after it will be passed to one of the legislature’s standing committees for an article-by-article review before passing it back to another plenary session for a final debate and vote.
The bill proposes that the Civil Affairs Registry can accept divorce by the mutual agreement of couples with underage children.
Lawmaker Ron Lam U Tou, a current affairs commentator, abstained from voting, underlining that under the current laws and regulations, couples with underage children have to apply for their divorce through the courts, adding that he was concerned about the protection of underage children’s rights. Some other lawmakers also voiced the same concern.
Cheong said the bill aimed to benefit couples, adding he believed that “going to court is not something pleasant” and “not everyone wants to see a judge and make their divorce known to everybody”, adding that there were 640 divorce cases in the Civil Affairs Registry and 780 in the courts last year, and by expanding the scope of the Civil Registry to accept divorces by mutual consent, the red tape could be reduced and the need to go through the courts could be done away with.
Cheong pledged that the government would also protect the rights of minors, as the Public Prosecutions’ Office would examine each divorce agreement and only allow couples to divorce if they are in agreement about it.
Car registration bill
During yesterday’s plenary session, the Legislative Assembly (AL) also passed the outline of a government-initiated bill allowing car registration to be completed online.
Some lawmakers pointed out that the amendments to the vehicle registration system were not comprehensive and that it was not convenient for the public as they now had to go through both the Transport Bureau (DSAT) and the Commercial Registry Office (CRCBM) to register a vehicle.
Cheong admitted the predicament and said he had explored the issue, but with such problems as officials being unfamiliar with the relevant laws, even though he agreed that car registration should be handled by just one public entity, the issue still needed to be worked on in the future.
Secretary for Administration and Justice André Cheong Weng Chon addresses yesterday’s plenary session in the legislature’s hemicycle. – Photo courtesy of TDM
