Town Councils (Declaration) Order 2025

No. S 336

Town Councils Act 1988

Town Councils
(Declaration) Order 2025

In exercise of the powers conferred by section 3 of the Town Councils Act 1988, the Minister for National Development makes the following Order:

PART 1

PRELIMINARY

Citation and commencement

1.  This Order is the Town Councils (Declaration) Order 2025 and comes into operation on 30 May 2025.

Definitions

2.  In this Order —

“asset” —

(a) means property of any kind —

(i) whether tangible or intangible;

(ii) whether arising from, accruing under, created or evidenced by or the subject of, an instrument or otherwise; and

(iii) whether actual or contingent; and

(b) includes, without limitation, any —

(i) legal or equitable interest in real or personal property;

(ii) chose in action;

(iii) money or securities;

(iv) plant and equipment;

(v) intellectual property;

(vi) infrastructure;

(vii) records and information (including data) in any form; and

(viii) right;

“by-laws” means by-laws made under section 28 of the Act;

“conservancy by-laws” means by‑laws relating to —

(a) conservancy and service charges; or

(b) penalties and administrative fees for the late payment of conservancy and service charges or licence fees;

“constituency” means an electoral division specified in the first column of the Schedule to the Parliamentary Elections (Electoral Divisions — Names and Polling Districts) Notification 2025 (G.N. No. S 190/2025);

“declared Town” means a Town declared by paragraph 5 and specified in the first column of the First Schedule;

“former Town” means a Town declared by the Town Councils (Declaration) Order 2020 (G.N. No. S 641/2020);

“interim period” has the meaning given by paragraph 4(b);

“liability” means any liability, duty or obligation —

(a) whether actual or contingent;

(b) whether liquidated or unliquidated; and

(c) whether owned alone or jointly, or jointly and severally, with any other person;

“receiving Town Council”, in relation to a transferred area, has the meaning given by paragraph 3(b);

“records” means registers, papers, documents, minutes, receipts, books of account and other records, however compiled, recorded or stored;

“right”, in relation to a transferring Town Council, means any right, power, privilege or immunity of the transferring Town Council;

“transfer date” has the meaning given by paragraph 4(a);

“transferred area” has the meaning given by paragraph 3(a);

“transferring Town Council”, in relation to a transferred area, has the meaning given by paragraph 3(b).

Transferred areas, transferring Town Councils and receiving Town Councils

3.  For the purposes of section 3(5) and (6) of the Act and this Order —

(a) each area described in the first column of the Second Schedule is a transferred area; and

(b) the transferring Town Council and receiving Town Council for a transferred area are specified in the second and third columns respectively of the Second Schedule.

Transfer date and interim period

4.  For the purposes of section 3(5) and (6) of the Act and this Order —

(a) the transfer date for a transferred area is the earlier of the following dates:

(i) 1 August 2025;

(ii) any date (not being earlier than 31 May 2025) agreed between the transferring Town Council and receiving Town Council for the transferred area; and

(b) the interim period for a transferred area is —

(i) if the transfer date is 31 May 2025 — 30 May 2025; or

(ii) in any other case — the period from and including 30 May 2025 to the end of the eve of the transfer date for the transferred area.

PART 2

DECLARATION OF TOWNS

Declaration of Towns

5.  It is declared that each Town specified in the first column of the First Schedule is comprised of the constituency or constituencies specified opposite in the second column of that Schedule.

Continuing Town Councils

6.—(1)  For the purposes of this Order —

(a) the Town Council for the declared Town of Bishan‑Toa Payoh is a continuation of the Town Council for the former Town of Bishan‑Toa Payoh;

(b) the Town Council for the declared Town of Marsiling‑Yew Tee is a continuation of the Town Council for the former Town of Marsiling‑Yew Tee;

(c) the Town Council for the declared Town of Nee Soon is a continuation of the Town Council for the former Town of Nee Soon;

(d) the Town Council for the declared Town of Sembawang is a continuation of the Town Council for the former Town of Sembawang; and

(e) the Town Council for the declared Town of Sengkang is a continuation of the Town Council for the former Town of Sengkang.

Explanation. — A declared Town mentioned in sub‑paragraph (1) occupies the same area as the corresponding former Town.

(2)  A Town Council for a declared Town mentioned in sub‑paragraph (1) —

(a) is the same legal entity as the Town Council for the corresponding former Town; and

(b) is for all purposes a continuation of the Town Council for that corresponding former Town.

Reconstituted Town Councils

7.—(1)  For the purposes of this Order —

(a) the Town Council for the declared Town of Aljunied‑Hougang is a reconstitution of the Town Council for the former Town of Aljunied‑Hougang;

(b) the Town Council for the declared Town of Ang Mo Kio is a reconstitution of the Town Council for the former Town of Ang Mo Kio;

(c) the Town Council for the declared Town of Chua Chu Kang is a reconstitution of the Town Council for the former Town of Chua Chu Kang;

(d) the Town Council for the declared Town of East Coast is a reconstitution of the Town Council for the former Town of East Coast;

(e) the Town Council for the declared Town of Holland‑Bukit Panjang is a reconstitution of the Town Council for the former Town of Holland‑Bukit Panjang;

(f) the Town Council for the declared Town of Jalan Besar is a reconstitution of the Town Council for the former Town of Jalan Besar;

(g) the Town Council for the declared Town of Jurong‑Clementi‑Bukit Batok is a reconstitution of the Town Council for the former Town of Jurong‑Clementi;

(h) the Town Council for the declared Town of Marine Parade‑Braddell Heights is a reconstitution of the Town Council for the former Town of Marine Parade;

(i) the Town Council for the declared Town of Pasir Ris‑Changi is a reconstitution of the Town Council for the former Town of Pasir Ris‑Punggol;

(j) the Town Council for the declared Town of Tampines is a reconstitution of the Town Council for the former Town of Tampines;

(k) the Town Council for the declared Town of Tanjong Pagar is a reconstitution of the Town Council for the former Town of Tanjong Pagar; and

(l) the Town Council for the declared Town of West Coast‑Jurong West is a reconstitution of the Town Council for the former Town of West Coast.

Explanation. — The area occupied by a declared Town mentioned in sub‑paragraph (1) overlaps with, but is not the same as, the area occupied by the corresponding former Town.

(2)  A Town Council for a declared Town mentioned in sub‑paragraph (1) —

(a) is the same legal entity as the Town Council for the corresponding former Town; and

(b) subject to the provisions of this Order, is for all purposes a continuation of the Town Council for that corresponding former Town.

Supplementary provisions for Town Councils reconstituted under different names

8.—(1)  This paragraph applies to a Town Council that is reconstituted under a different name under paragraph 7(1).

(2)  To avoid doubt, the reconstitution of the Town Council under a different name does not affect —

(a) the application of paragraph 7(2);

(b) any right or liability accrued by or in relation to the Town Council under its former name; and

(c) any legal proceedings that were or might have been brought by or against the Town Council under its former name.

(3)  From 30 May 2025, a reference to the Town Council by its former name in any written law, any instrument made under any written law, any agreement or any document of any kind is taken to be a reference to the Town Council by its new name.

New Town Councils

9.  For the purposes of this Order, the Town Councils for the following declared Towns are new Town Councils:

(a) the declared Town of Jalan Kayu;

(b) the declared Town of Punggol.

Explanation. — The declared Towns mentioned in this paragraph consist entirely of transferred areas from former Towns.

PART 3

BY-LAWS FOR TRANSFERRED AREAS

Towns with reconstituted Town Councils

10.—(1)  This paragraph applies if —

(a) the Town Council for a declared Town is a reconstitution of a Town Council for a former Town; and

(b) the declared Town includes a transferred area.

(2)  The by-laws (other than conservancy by‑laws) in force for the transferred area immediately before 30 May 2025 continue to apply to that transferred area until the end of the interim period.

(3)  The conservancy by-laws in force for the transferred area immediately before 30 May 2025 continue to apply to that transferred area until the end of the earlier of the following dates:

(a) 31 December 2025;

(b) any date (not being earlier than the eve of the transfer date for that transferred area) prescribed by any by‑laws of the declared Town.

[S 496/2025 wef 18/07/2025]

Towns with new Town Councils

11.—(1)  This paragraph applies if the Town Council for a declared Town is a new Town Council.

(2)  For each transferred area that is part of the declared Town, the by‑laws in force for that transferred area immediately before 30 May 2025 continue to apply to that transferred area until the end of the earlier of the following dates:

(a) 31 December 2025;

(b) any date (not being earlier than the eve of the transfer date for that transferred area) prescribed by any by-laws of the declared Town.

[S 496/2025 wef 18/07/2025]

PART 4

RESPONSIBILITY FOR TRANSFERRED AREAS

Transferring Town Councils remain liable during interim period

12.  During the interim period, the transferring Town Council for a transferred area continues to be liable for the maintenance and management of the common property of the residential and commercial property in the housing estates of the Board within the transferred area as if this Order had not been made.

PART 5

TRANSFER OF ASSETS, LIABILITIES AND RECORDS

Transfer of assets and liabilities on transfer date

13.—(1)  On the transfer date for a transferred area, all assets and liabilities of the transferring Town Council for the transferred area as at the end of the eve of the transfer date are, insofar as they relate to the transferred area, transferred to the receiving Town Council for the transferred area.

(2)  When any asset or liability is transferred to the receiving Town Council by the operation of sub‑paragraph (1), the following provisions have effect:

(a) the asset vests in the receiving Town Council without the need for any further conveyance, transfer, assignment or assurance;

(b) the liability becomes the liability of the receiving Town Council;

(c) all legal or other proceedings relating to that asset or liability that are pending immediately before the transfer date by or against the transferring Town Council are taken to be proceedings pending by or against the receiving Town Council;

(d) any legal or other proceedings relating to that asset or liability which could have been started immediately before the transfer date by or against the transferring Town Council may be started by or against the receiving Town Council;

(e) a judgment or an order of a court or other tribunal obtained before the transfer date by or against the transferring Town Council relating to that asset or liability becomes enforceable by or against the receiving Town Council;

(f) any document in any legal or other proceedings relating to that asset or liability that has been served on or by the transferring Town Council before the transfer date is taken, where appropriate, to have been served on or by the receiving Town Council;

(g) any act, matter or thing done or omitted to be done before the transfer date in relation to that asset or liability by, to or in respect of the transferring Town Council is (to the extent to which that act, matter or thing has any force or effect) taken to have been done or omitted to be done by, to or in respect of the receiving Town Council;

(h) a reference to the transferring Town Council in any written law, any instrument made under any written law, any agreement or any document of any kind is taken to be or includes (to the extent to which the reference relates to that asset or liability) a reference to the receiving Town Council;

(i) any agreement relating to that asset or liability and to which the transferring Town Council is a party becomes enforceable by or against the receiving Town Council.

(3)  In particular, the following are, without further assurance, transferred and deemed deposited with or given to the receiving Town Council:

(a) all security deposits deposited with the transferring Town Council in relation to any asset or liability transferred by the operation of sub‑paragraph (1) and not forfeited before the transfer date;

(b) the benefits of all indemnities, guarantees or warranties given to the transferring Town Council in relation to any asset or liability transferred by the operation of sub‑paragraph (1) and not discharged before the transfer date.

(4)  The operation of this paragraph does not —

(a) constitute a breach or contravention of, or default under, any written law, or any agreement, or otherwise a civil wrong or criminal wrong;

(b) constitute a breach of any duty of confidence (whether arising by contract, in equity, by custom, or in any other way);

(c) constitute a breach of any contractual provision prohibiting, restricting or regulating the assignment or transfer of assets or liabilities or the disclosure of any information;

(d) terminate any agreement or obligation, or fulfil any condition that allows a person to terminate or otherwise releases a person from any agreement or obligation, or give rise to any right or remedy in respect of any agreement or obligation;

(e) frustrate any contract or cause any contract or instrument to be void or otherwise unenforceable;

(f) release a surety or other obligor or obligee wholly or in part from an obligation; or

(g) constitute an event of breach of, or default under, any contract or other instrument.

(5)  No attornment to the receiving Town Council by a lessee of the transferring Town Council is required.

Transfer of records on and after transfer date

14.—(1)  On the transfer date for a transferred area, every record, or part of any record, of the transferring Town Council that relates to any asset or liability transferred to the receiving Town Council under paragraph 13 becomes the record of the receiving Town Council.

(2)  After the transfer date for a transferred area, if the transferring Town Council creates or comes into possession of any record relating to any asset or liability transferred to the receiving Town Council under paragraph 13, the transferring Town Council must transfer the record to the receiving Town Council.

Confirmation of transfer

15.—(1)  This paragraph applies if a dispute arises as to —

(a) whether an asset or a liability is transferred under paragraph 13;

(b) whether a record is or is to be transferred under paragraph 14; or

(c) whether any, or any part of any, contract or document relates to an asset or a liability transferred under paragraph 13, or a record transferred or is to be transferred under paragraph 14.

(2)  The Minister may determine the dispute and must provide the concerned parties with written notice of that determination.

(3)  The determination of the Minister is final and binding on the transferring Town Council and receiving Town Council for the transferred area concerned.

PART 6

FINANCIAL PROVISIONS

Transferring Town Councils to submit audited statements on transfer

16.  Within 120 days after the transfer date for a transferred area, the transferring Town Council must —

(a) prepare and submit to the Minister an audited statement of all the assets, liabilities, income and expenditure of the transferring Town Council for the period from and including 1 April 2025 to the end of the eve of the transfer date, insofar as they relate to the transferred area; and

(b) send a copy of the audited statement to the receiving Town Council for the transferred area.

Continuing and reconstituted Town Councils remain liable for reporting requirements for financial year ending on 31 March 2025

17.  To avoid doubt, a Town Council that is a continuation or reconstitution of a Town Council for a former Town must comply or continue to comply with the following provisions as they apply to the financial year ending on 31 March 2025:

(a) section 50(1) of the Act and rule 106A(1) of the Town Councils Financial Rules (R 1) (annual accounts and financial statements);

(b) section 52(11), (13), (14) and (16) of the Act (audited accounts and financial statements);

(c) section 48 of the Act and rule 4A of the Town Councils Financial Rules (Statement of Transferable Surpluses).

Continuation and reconstitution of Town Councils do not affect reckoning of financial years

18.  To avoid doubt, the continuation or reconstitution of a Town Council —

(a) does not affect how the financial year of the Town Council is reckoned under section 50(2) of the Act; and

(b) is not to be treated as the establishment of the Town Council for the purposes of section 50(3) of the Act.

PART 7

FINAL PROVISIONS

Extension of time

19.  The Minister may, on application by a Town Council or on the Minister’s initiative, extend the time within which the Town Council may or must do anything under any subsidiary legislation made under the Act if the Minister is satisfied that the extension of time is desirable, necessary or expedient in consequence of the reconstitution or establishment of the Town Council.

Revocation

20.  Revoke the Town Councils (Declaration) Order 2020 (G.N. No. S 641/2020).

FIRST SCHEDULE

Paragraphs 2 and 5

Declared towns

First column	Second column
Declared Town	Constituency
1. Aljunied-Hougang	(1) Aljunied (2) Hougang
2. Ang Mo Kio	(1) Ang Mo Kio (2) Kebun Baru (3) Yio Chu Kang
3. Bishan-Toa Payoh	(1) Bishan-Toa Payoh (2) Marymount
4. Chua Chu Kang	(1) Bukit Gombak (2) Chua Chu Kang
5. East Coast	East Coast
6. Holland-Bukit Panjang	(1) Bukit Panjang (2) Holland-Bukit Timah
7. Jalan Besar	(1) Jalan Besar (2) Potong Pasir
8. Jalan Kayu	Jalan Kayu
9. Jurong-Clementi-Bukit Batok	(1) Jurong Central (2) Jurong East-Bukit Batok
10. Marine Parade-Braddell Heights	(1) Marine Parade-Braddell Heights (2) Mountbatten
11. Marsiling-Yew Tee	Marsiling-Yew Tee
12. Nee Soon	Nee Soon
13. Pasir Ris-Changi	Pasir Ris-Changi
14. Punggol	Punggol
15. Sembawang	(1) Sembawang (2) Sembawang West
16. Sengkang	Sengkang
17. Tampines	(1) Tampines (2) Tampines Changkat
18. Tanjong Pagar	(1) Queenstown (2) Radin Mas (3) Tanjong Pagar
19. West Coast-Jurong West	(1) Pioneer (2) West Coast-Jurong West

SECOND SCHEDULE

Paragraph 3

Transferred areas, transferring Town Councils and receiving Town Councils

First column	Second column	Third column
Transferred area	Transferring Town Council	Receiving Town Council
1. The area of the former Town of Aljunied‑Hougang comprised in the constituency of Tampines	Town Council for Aljunied‑Hougang	Town Council for Tampines
2. The area of the former Town of Ang Mo Kio comprised in the constituency of Jalan Kayu	Town Council for Ang Mo Kio	Town Council for Jalan Kayu
3. The area of the former Town of Chua Chu Kang comprised in the constituency of Jurong East‑Bukit Batok	Town Council for Chua Chu Kang	Town Council for Jurong‑Clementi-Bukit Batok
4. The area of the former Town of East Coast comprised in the constituency of Pasir Ris‑Changi	Town Council for East Coast	Town Council for Pasir Ris-Changi
5. The area of the former Town of East Coast comprised in the constituency of Tampines Changkat	Town Council for East Coast	Town Council for Tampines
6. The area of the former Town of Holland‑Bukit Panjang comprised in the constituency of Chua Chu Kang	Town Council for Holland-Bukit Panjang	Town Council for Chua Chu Kang
7. The area of the former Town of Jalan Besar comprised in the constituency of Marine Parade‑Braddell Heights	Town Council for Jalan Besar	Town Council for Marine Parade-Braddell Heights
8. The area of the former Town of Jurong‑Clementi comprised in the constituency of Holland‑Bukit Timah	Town Council for Jurong‑Clementi-Bukit Batok	Town Council for Holland‑Bukit Panjang
9. The area of the former Town of Jurong‑Clementi comprised in the constituency of West Coast‑Jurong West	Town Council for Jurong‑Clementi-Bukit Batok	Town Council for West Coast-Jurong West
10. The area of the former Town of Marine Parade comprised in the constituency of East Coast	Town Council for Marine Parade-Braddell Heights	Town Council for East Coast
11. The area of the former Town of Pasir Ris‑Punggol comprised in the constituency of Punggol	Town Council for Pasir Ris‑Changi	Town Council for Punggol
12. The area of the former Town of West Coast comprised in the constituency of Radin Mas	Town Council for West Coast-Jurong West	Town Council for Tanjong Pagar
13. The area of the former Town of West Coast comprised in the constituency of Tanjong Pagar	Town Council for West Coast-Jurong West	Town Council for Tanjong Pagar

Made on 30 May 2025.

MELVYN ONG SU KIAT

Permanent Secretary (Development),
Ministry of National Development,
Singapore.

[ND311/4-146 P85; AG/LEGIS/SL/329A/2025/7]