Presidential Council for Minority Rights The Council was set up in 1970, after recommendations by a Constitutional Commission chaired by then Chief Justice Wee Chong Jin.

The commission was created by Parliament in 1965, the year Singapore became a nation state, to propose ways to safeguard the rights of racial, linguistic and religious minorities in the Constitution. It was to ensure that such minorities would not be discriminated against in legislation or by any government body.

The commission received and considered representations on how the rights of these minorities could be upheld. It also recommended provisions barring discrimination along racial, linguistic or religious lines, as well as putting forth a machinery of redress in cases of alleged discriminatory treatment.

The commission proposed that the Constitution be amended to allow for the formation of the Presidential Council. This was renamed the Presidential Council for Minority Rights in 1973.

As the Constitution now stands, Article 152 states that: ‘It shall be the responsibility of the government to constantly care for the interests of the racial and religious minorities in Singapore.’ Under Article 69 of the Constitution, the council comprises a chairman who presides for three years, ten permanent members appointed for life, and not more than ten other members appointed for a period of three years.

In 2005, Chief Justice Yong Pung How was the chairman. Permanent members include Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong, Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew, and Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Law S. Jayakumar. The other members were prominent individuals from the Singapore civil service, private sector and social organizations.

The group’s duties include considering and reporting on matters affecting persons of any racial or religious community referred to it by Parliament or the government. It is also required to draw attention to any Bill or legislation that has been given a final reading and passed by Parliament, which it considers disadvantageous to persons of any racial or religious community.

Most Bills that come before Parliament are given to the council for vetting. However, it has no formal powers to veto Bills, and it has to date presented no adverse findings.