Merchant Shipping Act 1995

In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires —

“alteration” includes deterioration;

“Authority” means the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore established under the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore Act 1996;

“beneficial interest” includes interests arising under contract and other equitable interests;

“cargo ship” means any ship which is not a passenger ship;

“certificated officer” means any officer holding a certificate issued or deemed to have been issued in accordance with regulations made under section 47;

“collision regulations” means regulations made under section 100(2)(h);

“consular officer” includes

“court”, in relation to any proceedings, includes any court having jurisdiction in the matter to which the proceedings relate;

“crew” means the following:

“crew agreement” means an agreement made pursuant to section 53;

“crew member” means a member of the crew;

“Director” means the Director of Marine appointed under section 4 and includes the Deputy Director of Marine;

“effects” includes clothes and documents;

“equipment”, in relation to a ship, includes every fitting, thing or article belonging to, on or in the ship used or to be used in connection with, or necessary for the navigation or safety of, the ship or persons on board or the prevention of pollution, whether or not the fitting, thing or article is prescribed by this Act and, in particular, includes machinery, boilers, cargo handling gear and any fitting, thing or article prescribed by this Act;

“harbour craft” means any ship that is used solely within the limits of the port that may be declared under the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore Act 1996;

“load line” means a line indicating the maximum depth to which a ship, other than a passenger ship, may be loaded in circumstances prescribed by regulations made under section 100 and determined in accordance with those regulations;

“master” includes every person, except a pilot, having command or charge of any ship;

“name” includes a surname;

“natural resources” means the mineral and other non-living resources of the seabed and its subsoil;

“officer” includes a master, a mate, an engineer, a helmsman and an engine driver of any ship;

“off-shore industry mobile unit” means

“passenger” means a person carried on board a ship with the knowledge or consent of the owner, manager, charterer, operator, agent or master of the ship, not being

“passenger ship” means a ship which carries more than 12 passengers;

“pilot” means any person who does not belong to, but has the conduct of, a ship;

“port” includes place;

“Port Health Officer” means any person appointed as a Port Health Officer under the Infectious Diseases Act 1976;

“Port Master” means the Port Master appointed under the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore Act 1996 and includes any Deputy Port Master;

“port of return” means such port as is agreed upon by the crew member and his or her employer in the crew agreement or seafarer’s employment agreement (as the case may be) or otherwise, or, in the absence of agreement

“Registrar” means the Registrar of Singapore ships;

“representation” means probate, administration, confirmation or other instrument constituting a person the executor, administrator or other representative of a deceased person, and “legal personal representative” means the person so constituted executor, administrator or other representative of a deceased person;

“salvor”, in relation to salvage services rendered by the officers or crew or part of the crew of any naval ship, means the person in command of that ship;

“sea” includes any waters within the ebb and flow of tide;

“seafarer” has the meaning given by the Merchant Shipping (Maritime Labour Convention) Act 2014;

“seafarer’s employment agreement” has the meaning given by the Merchant Shipping (Maritime Labour Convention) Act 2014;

“seaman” includes every person employed or engaged in any capacity on board a ship on the business of the ship, other than

“ship” means any kind of vessel used in navigation by water, however propelled or moved and includes

“Singapore ship” means a ship registered, provisionally or otherwise, under Part 2 and its registry is not closed or deemed to be closed or suspended under that Part;

“subdivision load line” means a line indicating the maximum depth to which a passenger ship may be loaded having regard to the extent to which it is subdivided and to the space for the time being allotted to passengers as determined in accordance with regulations made under section 100;

“voyage”, in relation to a ship, means the whole time and the whole distance when the ship is at sea between the ship’s port of departure and its port of arrival;

“wages” includes emoluments;

“young person” means any person who has not attained 18 years of age.

References in this Act

For the purposes of this Act

The Authority may appoint a Director of Marine and a Deputy Director of Marine.

If the Director is temporarily absent from Singapore or temporarily incapacitated by reason of illness or for any reason temporarily unable to perform his or her duties, a person may be appointed by the Authority to act in the place of the Director during any such period of absence from duty.

The Director may appoint such number of officers as the Director thinks fit for the purpose of carrying out all or any of the functions conferred on the Director by this Act.

The Director may delegate to any officer appointed under this section all or any of the powers conferred on the Director by this Act, except the powers conferred by section 113.

The Director may appoint, either generally or for special purposes or on special occasions, any person to be a surveyor of ships or a radio surveyor for the purposes of this Act.

Every surveyor of ships and every radio surveyor is to have and perform the powers, functions and duties prescribed by this Act.

The Authority may, with the approval of the Minister, make regulations prescribing the conditions for the registration of a ship as a Singapore ship.

Without limiting subsection (1), regulations made under this section may make provision

The Registrar may refuse to register any ship as a Singapore ship without assigning any reason.

The Director is the Registrar of Singapore ships.

The Registrar must keep a register of ships registered as Singapore ships under the provisions of this Part in accordance with the following provisions:

Every ship must, before registry, be marked permanently and conspicuously to the satisfaction of the Registrar as follows:

The Registrar may exempt any ship or class of ships from all or any of the requirements of this section.

If the scale showing a ship’s draught of water is in any respect inaccurate, so as to be likely to mislead, the owner of the ship shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $10,000.

An application for the registry of a ship must be

A person is not entitled to be registered as owner of a ship or of a share therein until the person, or, in the case of a corporation, the person authorised under this Act to make declarations on behalf of the corporation, has made and signed a declaration of ownership in the prescribed form and containing the following particulars:

The Registrar may provisionally register a ship and grant a provisional certificate of registry if the application under section 11 is not accompanied by the document of title, evidence of cancellation of any foreign registry, the tonnage certificate or any other document that the Registrar may determine.

The provisional registry of a ship is valid for a maximum period of one year from the date of issue and the provisions of this Act and any other written law apply to a ship provisionally registered under this section, its owner and provisional certificate of registry as they apply to a Singapore ship, its owner and certificate of registry.

The Registrar must, if he or she is satisfied that the requirements preliminary to registry, whether provisional or otherwise, have been complied with by the applicant for the registry of a ship and, upon payment of the fees specified in section 14, enter in the register the following particulars of the ship:

The Registrar may, at any time, make any other entries in the register as he or she considers necessary.

The fee for the initial registration or registration anew of a ship registered under this Part is $2.50 per net ton of the ship, subject to a minimum of $1,250 and a maximum of $100,000.

An annual tonnage tax of 20 cents per net ton, subject to a minimum of $100, is payable in respect of every Singapore ship.

The annual tonnage tax must be paid at the time of initial registration or registration anew of the ship and thereafter annually on or before the anniversary date of the initial registration or registration anew, as the case may be.

All unpaid fees and tonnage taxes in respect of any ship due to the Registrar constitute a maritime lien on the ship, subject only to liens for wages.

The Minister may, either generally or on specific occasions, reduce the fee or annual tonnage tax prescribed under this section.

Any person authorised by the Minister for the purposes of this subsection may, either generally or on specific occasions, reduce the fee prescribed under subsection (1).

On completion of the registry of a ship, the Registrar must grant a certificate of registry which must state the particulars entered in the register.

Where a ship has been provisionally registered under section 12 without the tonnage certificate, the fees paid under section 14 must be adjusted according to the tonnage established in the tonnage certificate.

The provisional certificate of registry (if any) must be delivered up to the Registrar for cancellation.

Where a ship has been provisionally registered under section 12 and its registry is not completed within the period specified in that section, the registry of the ship is deemed to be closed (except in relation to any unsatisfied mortgages entered therein) and the Registrar must make an entry thereof in the register.

The certificate of registry of a ship must be used only for the lawful navigation of the ship and must not be subject to detention by reason of any title, lien, charge or interest whatsoever had or claimed by any owner, mortgagee or other person to, on or in the ship.

Any person, whether interested in the ship or not, who refuses, without reasonable cause, on request to deliver up the certificate of registry when it is in the person’s possession or under the person’s control to

Where the registry of a ship is closed or deemed to be closed under this Part (except under section 43), the registered owner of the ship at the time of the closure who fails, without reasonable cause, to deliver up the certificate of registry to the Registrar for cancellation within 60 days of the closure shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $5,000.

If any person uses or attempts to use for the navigation of a ship a certificate of registry which is not legally granted in respect of the ship or the registry of which has been closed or deemed to be closed, the person shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $5,000.

A Singapore ship or any share therein must be transferred by a bill of sale.

The bill of sale for the transfer of a ship or any share therein to a person qualified to own a Singapore ship must be in the prescribed form and must contain such description of the ship as is contained in the register and must be executed by the transferor in the presence of and be attested by a witness or witnesses.

Every bill of sale must be produced to the Registrar and the Registrar must thereupon enter in the register the name of the transferee and must endorse on the bill of sale the fact of that entry having been made with the date and time thereof.

Bills of sale must be entered in the register in the order of their production to the Registrar.

The Registrar must not make an entry under this section in respect of any ship if there is

Subsection (5) does not apply in respect of a bill of sale executed pursuant to an order of the General Division of the High Court for the sale of a Singapore ship or any share therein.

Where a Singapore ship or any share therein is transferred to a person qualified to own a Singapore ship and the bill of sale is registered under section 18, the ship must, subject to section 42, be registered anew.

If the ship is not registered anew or its registry is not closed within 60 days of the date on which the bill of sale (or the first bill of sale if there are more than one bill of sale) is registered, the registry of the ship is deemed to be closed (except in relation to any unsatisfied mortgages entered therein) and the Registrar must make an entry thereof in the register.

A Singapore ship or any share therein must not be transferred to a person not qualified to own a Singapore ship if there is

Where a Singapore ship or any share therein is transferred to a person not qualified to own a Singapore ship and the bill of sale is registered under section 18, the registry of the ship is deemed to be closed and the Registrar must make an entry thereof in the register.

This section, except subsection (2), does not apply to a Singapore ship or any share therein sold pursuant to an order of the General Division of the High Court.

Where the property in a Singapore ship or any share therein is transmitted to a person on the marriage, bankruptcy or death of any registered owner, or by any lawful means other than by a transfer under this Part

The declaration of transmission and the evidence under subsection (1) must be produced to the Registrar and the Registrar must make an entry thereof in the register.

Where the property in a Singapore ship or any share therein is transmitted to a person qualified to own a Singapore ship, the ship must, subject to section 42, be registered anew and if the ship is not registered anew or its registry is not closed within 60 days of the date on which the entry is made under subsection (2) or such longer period not exceeding one year as the Registrar may allow, the registry of the ship is deemed to be closed (except in relation to any unsatisfied mortgages entered therein) and the Registrar must make an entry thereof in the register.

Where the property in a Singapore ship or any share therein is transmitted on death or bankruptcy to a person not qualified to own a Singapore ship, the General Division of the High Court may, on the application by or on behalf of the unqualified person or any other person having an interest in the ship, order a sale of the property so transmitted and direct that the proceeds of the sale, after deducting the expenses thereof, be paid to the person entitled under the transmission or as the General Division of the High Court otherwise directs.

The General Division of the High Court may require any evidence in support of the application and may make the order on any terms and conditions or may refuse to make the order and generally may act in any manner that the General Division of the High Court thinks just.

Every such application for sale must be made within 60 days after the occurrence of the event on which the transmission has taken place, or within such longer period not exceeding in aggregate one year as the General Division of the High Court may allow.

If such an application is not made within the period specified or allowed under subsection (3), or if the General Division of the High Court refuses an order for sale, the registry of the ship is deemed to be closed (except in relation to any unsatisfied mortgages entered therein) and the Registrar must make an entry thereof in the register.

The General Division of the High Court may, if it thinks fit (without affecting the exercise of any other power of the General Division of the High Court), on the application of any interested person make an order prohibiting for a specified time any dealing with a ship or any share therein, and the General Division of the High Court may make the order on any terms and conditions the General Division of the High Court thinks just, or may refuse to make the order or may discharge the order when made, with or without costs, and generally may act in any manner that the General Division of the High Court thinks just.

The Registrar, without being made a party to the proceedings, must, on being served with the order or an official copy thereof, accept the same and make an entry thereof in the register.

A Singapore ship or any share therein may be made a security for a loan or other valuable consideration, and the instrument creating the security (called in this Part a mortgage) must be in the prescribed form or as near thereto as circumstances permit, and on production of that instrument the Registrar must record it in the register.

Mortgages must be recorded by the Registrar in the order in time in which they are produced to him or her for that purpose, and the Registrar must endorse and sign a memorandum on each mortgage stating the date and time of that record.

Before executing any mortgage to be registered under this Act, the mortgagor must disclose in writing to the mortgagee the existence of any maritime lien, prior mortgage, or other liability in respect of the ship to be mortgaged, which is known to the mortgagor.

Where the mortgagor has failed to comply with this section, the mortgage debt must, at the election of the mortgagee, become immediately due and payable, despite anything to the contrary in the mortgage.

Every registered mortgagee has power absolutely to dispose of the ship or share in respect of which the mortgagee is registered, and to give effectual receipts for the purchase money; but where there are more persons than one registered as mortgagees of the same ship or share, a subsequent mortgagee must not, except under the order of the General Division of the High Court, sell the ship or share without the concurrence of every prior mortgagee.

Every registered mortgagee is entitled to enforce the mortgagee’s mortgage by an action in rem in admiralty whenever any sum secured by the mortgage is unpaid when due or otherwise in accordance with the terms of any deed or instrument collateral to the mortgage.

A registered mortgage of a ship or any share therein may be transferred to any person and the instrument effecting the transfer must be in the prescribed form or as near thereto as circumstances permit, and on production of such instrument, the Registrar must record the transfer by entering in the register the name of the transferee as mortgagee of the ship or share and must endorse and sign on the instrument of transfer a memorandum that the transfer has been recorded by the Registrar stating the date and time of that record.

The person to whom any registered mortgage has been transferred enjoys the same right of preference as was enjoyed by the transferor.

Where the interest of a mortgagee in a Singapore ship or any share therein is transmitted on the death or bankruptcy of the mortgagee, or by any lawful means other than by a transfer under this Act, the transmission must be authenticated by a declaration of the person to whom the interest is transmitted.

A declaration made under this section must contain a statement of the manner in which, and the person to whom, the property has been transmitted, and must be accompanied by the like evidence as is by this Act required in the case of a corresponding transmission of the ownership of a Singapore ship or any share therein.

The Registrar must, on receipt of the declaration and production of the evidence aforesaid, enter the name of the person entitled under the transmission in the register as mortgagee of the ship or share.

No notice of any trust, express, implied or constructive, may be entered in the register or be receivable by the Registrar, and, subject to any rights and powers appearing on the register to be vested in any other person, the registered owner of a ship or any share therein has power absolutely to dispose, in the manner provided in this Part, of the ship or share, and to give effectual receipts for any money paid or advanced by way of consideration.

Subject to this section and sections 8 and 30, interests arising under contract or other equitable interests may be enforced by or against the owners and mortgagees of ships in respect of their interests therein in the same manner as in respect of any other personal property.

When a Singapore ship is so altered as not to correspond with the particulars relating to its tonnage or description contained in the register, the owner must apply for the ship to be registered anew.

If the owner of a Singapore ship, without reasonable cause, fails to register anew the ship so altered, the owner shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction for each offence to a fine not exceeding $5,000 and to a further fine not exceeding $200 for every day during which the offence continues after conviction.

Where a ship is to be registered anew, the Registrar must proceed as in the case of initial registry and upon the requisites to registry, or those of them that the Registrar considers material, being duly complied with, must make such registry anew and grant a new certificate of registry.

Where a ship has been registered anew under subsection (1), the former certificate of registry must be delivered up to the Registrar for cancellation and the Registrar must make an entry thereof in the former register.

Where a ship is registered anew, its former register is deemed to be closed (except in relation to any unsatisfied mortgages entered on the former register) but the names of all persons appearing on the former register to be interested in the ship as owners or mortgagees must be entered on the new register, and the registry anew must not in any way affect the rights of any of those persons.

The Minister is to prescribe an ensign, which is the proper national colours for a Singapore ship.

If any distinctive national colours other than the said ensign are hoisted on board any Singapore ship without the consent of the Minister, the master of the ship or the owner thereof if on board the ship, and every other person hoisting the colours shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $1,000.

A Singapore ship must hoist the proper national colours on entering or leaving any port.

If the master of a Singapore ship, without reasonable cause, fails to comply with this section, the master shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $1,000.

Any person may, on payment of the prescribed fee, on application to the Registrar at a reasonable time, inspect any register of Singapore ships or apply for a certified copy or transcript thereof.

If the register of a Singapore ship is free of registered encumbrances, the Registrar may, at the request of the applicant, certify that fact in the copy or transcript of the register.

The Registrar may correct any clerical error or obvious mistake in the register of a Singapore ship.

Any error relating to the particulars descriptive of a ship in the register may be corrected by entry (but so that the original entry remains legible) by the Registrar on the production to the Registrar, by the owner requiring the error to be corrected, of a declaration setting forth the nature of the error and the facts of the case and made by the owner or some other person having knowledge of the facts of the case.

Any person who is aggrieved by any incorrect entry or omission in the register of a Singapore ship may apply to the General Division of the High Court for rectification of the register and the General Division of the High Court may make any order that it thinks fit directing the rectification of the register.

The General Division of the High Court may, in proceedings under this section, decide any question that is necessary or expedient to decide in connection with the rectification of the register.

Notice of an application under this section by a person aggrieved must be served on the Registrar, who may appear and be heard, and must appear if so directed by the General Division of the High Court.

An official copy of an order under this section must be served on the Registrar who must, upon receipt of the order, rectify the register accordingly.

Where a Singapore ship is actually or constructively lost, taken by the enemy, burnt or broken up, every owner of the ship or any share therein must, immediately on having knowledge of the event, if no notice thereof has already been given to the Registrar, give notice thereof to the Registrar, and the Registrar must make an entry thereof in the register and the registry of the ship is deemed to be closed except in relation to any unsatisfied mortgages entered therein.

In any such case, except where the ship’s certificate of registry is lost or destroyed, the owner or the master of the ship must, within 30 days of the event, deliver the certificate to the Registrar.

Any owner or master of a ship who, without reasonable cause, fails to comply with subsection (1) or (2) shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $5,000.

The owner of a Singapore ship may make a written application to close its registry if there is no

The application must specify the name of the ship, the intended port and country of registry (if applicable) or otherwise the reason for the closure and must be submitted to the Registrar together with the certificate of registry of the ship.

On receipt of the application and the certificate of registry, the Registrar must, if the Registrar is satisfied of the matters mentioned in subsection (1), close the registry of the ship and make an entry thereof in the register.

For the purposes of this section, “owner” includes any transferee of, or any person entitled under a transmission to the property in, a Singapore ship.

The Authority may close the registry of a Singapore ship (except in relation to any unsatisfied mortgages entered therein) and cancel its certificate of registry for any contravention of any of the provisions of this Act or any international convention applicable to Singapore.

The Authority may close the registry of a Singapore ship (except in relation to any unsatisfied mortgages entered therein) and cancel its certificate of registry if the Authority is satisfied that it is not in the public interest for the ship to continue to be registered as a Singapore ship.

Where the registry of a ship is closed under this section, the registered owner of the ship at the time of the closure who fails to deliver up the certificate of registry to the Registrar for cancellation within 30 days of the closure shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $10,000.

A ship must not be registered under any name except a name which is approved by the Registrar and a Singapore ship must not be described by any name other than that by which it is for the time being registered.

The Authority may, with the approval of the Minister, make regulations for the approval of a ship’s name and the changes thereto.

Without limiting subsection (2), the Authority may, with the approval of the Minister, in the regulations

In this section, “registered” includes registered anew.

The Authority may, with the approval of the Minister, make any regulations that the Authority considers necessary or expedient to implement the provisions of this Part.

Without limiting subsection (1), the Authority may, with the approval of the Minister, in particular, make regulations

This Part does not apply to

Subject to subsection (1), this Part applies to every Singapore ship and to any ship that enters or leaves any port in Singapore.

The Authority may, with the approval of the Minister, make regulations

In subsection (1), “existing certificate” means a certificate granted before 1 August 1986.

Without limiting paragraph (b) of subsection (1), the conditions prescribed or specified under that paragraph may include conditions as to nationality and regulations made for the purposes of that paragraph may make provision for

If a person goes to sea as a qualified officer, doctor or seaman of any description without being such a qualified officer, doctor or seaman, that person shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $5,000.

In this section, “qualified” means qualified for the purposes of section 47.

Any person who fraudulently obtains a certificate under this Part shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $5,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 2 years or to both.

The Authority may cancel any certificate issued under this Part which is fraudulently obtained and the person to whom the certificate has been issued must, upon being notified by the Director of its cancellation, forthwith deliver it or cause it to be delivered to the Director.

This Part does not apply to

Sections 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 62, 63, 64, 72, 73, 74, 75(1), 80, 81, 82, 83, 85, 86, 95 and 96 do not apply to any ship to which the Merchant Shipping (Maritime Labour Convention) Act 2014 applies.

Subject to subsection (1) and to any extension to foreign ships under section 97, this Part applies only to Singapore ships.

For the purposes of this Part, except sections 72, 76, 77, 78, 80, 81 and 83, “seaman” (despite the definition in section 2) includes the master of a ship.

Except as provided under subsection (4), a written agreement

The agreements made under this section with the several persons employed on a ship must be contained in one document (called in this Act a crew agreement) except that in any cases that the Director may approve

Subject to this section, a crew agreement must be carried in the ship to which the agreement relates whenever the ship goes to sea.

This section does not apply to any ship of less than 25 net tons exclusively employed in trading within any limits that are prescribed by regulations.

If a ship goes to sea or attempts to go to sea in contravention of the requirements of this section, the master or the person employing the crew of the ship shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $5,000, and the ship may be detained.

The Authority may, with the approval of the Minister, make regulations prescribing the particulars to be entered in a crew agreement and the procedure to be followed in connection with the engagement and discharge of seamen from ships.

Without limiting subsection (1), the Authority may, with the approval of the Minister, in the regulations make provision

Except as provided by this Act or any other written law, the wages due to a seaman under a crew agreement relating to a ship must be paid to the seaman in full at the time when he or she leaves the ship on being discharged therefrom (called in this section and in section 57 the time of discharge).

If the amount shown in the account delivered to a seaman under section 57(1) as being the amount payable to him or her under subsection (1) is replaced by an increased amount shown in a further account delivered to him or her under section 57(3), the balance must be paid to him or her within 7 days of the time of discharge.

If any amount which, under subsection (2), is payable to a seaman is not paid at the time at which it is so payable, the seaman is entitled to wages at the rate last payable under the crew agreement for every day on which it remains unpaid until the full amount is paid.

Subsection (3) does not apply if the failure to pay was due to any reasonable dispute as to liability or to the act or default of the seaman or to any other cause, not being the wrongful act or default of the person liable to pay the seaman’s wages or of that person’s employee or agent.

Where a seaman is employed under a crew agreement relating to more than one ship, this section has effect, in relation to wages due to the seaman under the agreement, as if for any reference to the time of discharge there were substituted a reference to the termination of his or her employment under the crew agreement.

Where a seaman is discharged under section 55, from a ship outside his or her port of return but returns to that port under arrangement made by the person who employed the seaman, this section has effect, in relation to the wages due to the seaman under a crew agreement relating to the ship, as if for the references in subsections (1) to (3) to the time of discharge there were substituted references to the time of the seaman’s return to that port and subsection (5) were omitted.

Subject to subsection (4) and to regulations made under section 58 or 85, the master of every ship must deliver to every seaman employed on the ship under a crew agreement an account of wages due to the seaman under that crew agreement and of the deductions subject to which the wages are payable.

The account must indicate that the amounts stated therein are subject to any later adjustment that may be found necessary and must be delivered not later than 24 hours before the time of discharge or, if the seaman is discharged without notice or at less than 24 hours’ notice, at the time of discharge.

If the amounts stated in the account require adjustment, the person who employed the seaman must deliver to the seaman a further account stating the adjusted amounts; and that account must be delivered to the seaman not later than the time at which the balance of his or her wages is payable to the seaman.

Where a seaman is employed under a crew agreement relating to more than one ship any account which under this section would be required to be delivered to the seaman by the master of the ship must instead be delivered to the seaman by the person employing the seaman and must be so delivered on or before the termination of the seaman’s employment under the crew agreement.

If a person, without reasonable cause, fails to comply with any of the provisions of this section, the person shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $5,000.

Any dispute, of whatever nature, between a seaman and the person employing the seaman, the master or the owner of a ship may be submitted by any party to the Director for decision, or, in the case of a dispute relating to the amount payable to a seaman under a crew agreement and the amount exceeds $5,000, by all the parties involved except that if the Director is of opinion that the dispute is one which ought to be decided by a court of law, the Director may refuse to decide it.

The decision of the Director on a dispute submitted to the Director under this section is final.

An award made by the Director upon the submission is conclusive as to the rights of the parties, and the submission or award does not require a stamp; and a document purporting to be the submission or award is admissible as evidence thereof.

Subject to this section, the following provisions have effect with respect to the wages due or accruing to a crew member employed on a ship:

Nothing in this section affects the provisions of this Act or the Merchant Shipping (Maritime Labour Convention) Act 2014 with respect to allotment notes.

Nothing in this section applies to any disposition relating to the application of wages

Subject to this section, a seaman may, by means of an allotment note issued in accordance with regulations, allot to any person part of the wages to which the seaman will become entitled in the course of the seaman’s employment on a ship.

A seaman’s right to make an allotment under this section is subject to any limitations that may, by virtue of subsection (3), be imposed by regulations.

Regulations made for the purposes of this section may prescribe the form of allotment notes and may

A person to whom any part of a seaman’s wages has been allotted by an allotment note issued in accordance with regulations made under section 62 has the right to recover that part in the person’s own name and for that purpose has the same remedies as the seaman has for the recovery of his or her wages.

In any proceedings brought by a person named in such an allotment note as the person to whom any part of a seaman’s wages has been allotted, it is presumed, unless the contrary is proved, that the seaman is entitled to the wages specified in the note and that the allotment has not been varied or cancelled.

Where a ship is wrecked or lost, a seaman whose employment on the ship is thereby terminated before the date contemplated in the agreement under which he or she is so employed is, subject to this section, entitled to wages at the rate payable under the agreement at the date of the wreck or loss for every day on which he or she is unemployed in the 2 months following that date unless it is proved that he or she did not make reasonable efforts to save the ship and the persons and property carried in it.

Where a ship is sold or ceases to be registered in Singapore and a seaman’s employment on the ship is thereby terminated before the date contemplated in the agreement under which he or she is so employed, then, unless otherwise provided in the agreement, the seaman is, subject to subsection (3), entitled to wages at the rate payable under the agreement at the date on which his or her employment is terminated for every day on which he or she is unemployed in the 2 months following that date.

A seaman is not entitled to wages by virtue of subsection (1) or (2) for a day on which he or she was unemployed, if it is shown

A seaman’s lien and a crew member’s remedies for the recovery of his or her wages, his or her right to wages in case of the wreck or loss of his or her ship, and any right he or she may have or obtain in the nature of salvage is not capable of being renounced by any agreement.

Subsection (1) does not affect such term of any agreement made with a crew member belonging to a ship which, in accordance with the agreement, is to be employed on salvage service, as provide for the remuneration to be paid to the crew member for salvage services rendered by that ship.

The Authority may, with the approval of the Minister, make regulations

The owner and master of a ship must ensure that provisions and drinking water provided in accordance with subsection (1) are provided free of charge to all crew members while they are on board.

Regulations made under this section may require a ship to carry any weighing and measuring equipment that may be necessary to ensure that the quantities of provisions and water supplied to crew members employed on the ship are in accordance with the regulations.

If any regulation made under this section is not complied with, the master or the person employing the crew members of the ship (each called a defendant) shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $5,000 unless the defendant proves that the failure to comply was not due to the defendant’s neglect or default.

If a person empowered under this Act to inspect the provisions and water to be supplied to the crew members employed on a ship is not satisfied that the provisions and water are in accordance with regulations made under this section, the ship may be detained.

If 3 or more crew members employed on a ship consider that the provisions or water provided for the crew members employed on that ship are not in accordance with the regulations made under section 70 (whether because of bad quality, unfitness for use or deficiency in quantity) they may complain to the master of the ship who must investigate the complaint.

If the crew members are dissatisfied with the action taken by the master as a result of his or her investigation or by his or her failure to take any action, they may state their dissatisfaction to the master and may complain to the Director; and thereupon the master must make adequate arrangements to enable the crew members to do so as soon as the service of the ship permits.

The Director must, upon receiving the complaint made under subsection (2), investigate the complaint and may examine the provisions or water or cause them to be examined.

If the master of a ship, without reasonable cause, fails to comply with subsection (2), the master shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $2,000 and if the master has been notified in writing by the person making any examination under subsection (3) that any provisions or water are found to be unfit for use or not of the quality required by the regulations, then

If a seaman employed on a ship considers that he or she has cause to complain about the master or any other seaman employed on the ship or about the conditions on board the ship, the seaman may complain to the master.

If the seaman is dissatisfied with the action taken by the master on the complaint or by the master’s failure to take any action, the seaman may state his or her dissatisfaction to the master and may complain to the Director; and thereupon the master must make adequate arrangements to enable the seaman to do so as soon as the service of the ship permits.

If the master of a ship, without reasonable cause, fails to comply with this section, the master shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $2,000.

The Authority may, with the approval of the Minister, make regulations requiring ships to carry any medicines and other medical stores (including books containing instructions and advice) that may be specified in the regulations.

If a ship goes to sea or attempts to go to sea without carrying the medical stores which it is required to carry by regulations made under this section, the master or the owner of the ship (each called a defendant) shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $5,000 unless the defendant proves that the failure to carry the medical stores was not due to the defendant’s neglect or default.

If a person empowered under this Act to inspect the medical stores carried in a ship is not satisfied that the ship carries the stores which it is required to carry by the regulations made under this section, the ship may be detained.

If a seaman, while employed on a ship, receives any surgical or medical treatment or such dental or optical treatment (including the repair or replacement of any appliance) as cannot be postponed without impairing efficiency, the reasonable expenses thereof must be borne by the person employing the seaman, and if the seaman dies while so employed and is buried or cremated outside his or her port of return, the expenses of his or her burial or cremation or the return of the body to his or her home must also be borne by that person.

A compensation is payable by the person employing a seaman for the death of or injury to the seaman employed on a Singapore ship who is not covered under the Work Injury Compensation Act 2019 or the Work Injury Compensation Act (Cap. 354, 2009 Revised Edition) repealed by that Act and such compensation must not be less than that provided under that Act.

If a seaman employed on a ship

For the purposes of this section, a ship is treated as being at sea at any time when it is not securely moored in a safe berth.

For the purpose of maintaining discipline on board a ship, the Authority may, with the approval of the Minister, make regulations prescribing any misconduct on board as a disciplinary offence and enabling the master of the ship, or any officer that may under the regulations be required or authorised to exercise the powers of the master, to impose fines on any seaman committing any disciplinary offence.

The regulations made under this section may provide for

A seaman on whom a fine has been imposed for a disciplinary offence may, in accordance with the regulations made under this section, appeal against the decision to the Director, and on such an appeal, the Director may confirm or quash the decision and may remit the whole or part of the fine.

The Authority may, with the approval of the Minister, make regulations under this section to provide for

Except as otherwise provided in subsection (3), the amount of a fine imposed on a seaman for a disciplinary offence, so far as not remitted by the master or on appeal, may be deducted from the seaman’s wages or otherwise recovered by the person employing the seaman and must be paid by the seaman (whether or not it has been so deducted or otherwise recovered) to the Director.

Except as otherwise provided in subsection (3)

Where an appeal against such a fine is pending at the time mentioned in subsection (2), no amount is to by reason of the fine be deducted, recovered, paid or notified under subsections (1) and (2) until the appeal has been disposed of; but regulations made under section 80 may provide for the amount of the fine to be provisionally deducted from the seaman’s wages pending the appeal.

Where a person employed as a seaman on a ship is left behind in any country or is taken to any country on being shipwrecked, the person who last employed that person as a seaman must make such provision for the seaman’s return and for the seaman’s relief and maintenance as may be required by regulations.

The regulations to be so made may include the repayment of expenses incurred in bringing a shipwrecked seaman ashore and maintaining the seaman until the seaman is brought ashore and the payment of the expenses of the burial or cremation of a seaman who dies before he or she can be returned.

The Authority may, with the approval of the Minister, make regulations providing for the manner in which any wages due to any person left behind or taken to any country as mentioned in subsection (1) and any property of the person left on board the ship are to be dealt with.

Without limiting subsections (1), (2) and (3), regulations made under this section may make provision

This section also applies to a person left behind on being discharged pursuant to section 55, whether or not at the time the person is left behind the ship is still registered in Singapore.

The Authority may, with the approval of the Minister, make regulations providing for the custody of and dealing with

Regulations made under this section may require the recording of particulars and the rendering of accounts and may enable the Director or any person having custody of any such property to sell it by auction or otherwise and account for the proceeds.

Where, on the death of a crew member, any property comes into the hands of the Director by virtue of section 87, the Director may satisfy out of them any expenses incurred by the Director in respect of the crew member or the crew member’s property.

If the value of the residue of the property does not exceed $5,000, the Director may at any time pay or deliver it to any of the persons mentioned in subsection (3) or distribute it among them, unless a grant of representation has then been made and the Director knows of it; and the Director is thereby discharged from any further liability in respect of the residue.

The persons referred to in subsection (2) are