Statute Details
- Title: Medals (COVID-19) Rules 2022
- Act Code: S981-2022
- Type: Subsidiary Legislation (sl)
- Enacting authority: The President
- Date made: 14 December 2022
- Commencement date: Not stated in the extract (commencement is typically on publication unless otherwise provided)
- Status: Current version as at 27 Mar 2026
- Legislative mechanism: Modifies existing medal rules issued in 1996
- Key provisions: Sections 2 to 7 (modifications to specific 1996 medal rules) and the Schedule (ribbon colours for COVID-19 medals)
What Is This Legislation About?
The Medals (COVID-19) Rules 2022 is a set of subsidiary legislation that creates a COVID-19-specific designation for certain Singapore medals. Rather than establishing entirely new medals from scratch, the Rules “piggyback” on existing medal frameworks created under the Pingat Jasa Gemilang, Bintang Bakti Masyarakat, Pingat Keberanian, Pingat Pentadbiran Awam, Pingat Kepujian, and Pingat Bakti Masyarakat rules of 1996.
In plain terms, the Rules allow the Government to award the relevant medals for contributions to Singapore’s fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, while applying specific modifications to the original medal rules. The modifications are mainly cosmetic and administrative: adding “(COVID-19)” to the medal’s designation and ensuring the ribbon colours match the COVID-19 theme set out in the Schedule.
Practically, this legislation provides a legal basis for recognising COVID-19 contributions using established honours systems, while maintaining consistency with the original rules on eligibility and award mechanics. The Rules also address how repeat awards are handled for certain medals—replacing “Bars” with additional medals in specified circumstances.
What Are the Key Provisions?
1. Citation and scope (Rule 1)
Rule 1 provides the short title: the Medals (COVID-19) Rules 2022. The operative provisions are then set out in Rules 2 to 7, each dealing with a different medal framework from the 1996 rules.
2. COVID-19 designation for Pingat Jasa Gemilang (Rule 2)
Rule 2 applies where the Pingat Jasa Gemilang (The Meritorious Service Medal) (as instituted by the Pingat Jasa Gemilang (The Meritorious Service Medal) Rules 1996, G.N. No. S 332/96) is awarded for a person’s contributions to Singapore’s fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. In such cases, the 1996 rules apply subject to modifications.
The modifications are:
- Addition of designation: the words “(COVID-19)” must be added at the end of the medal’s designation and style.
- Ribbon colours: the ribbon by which the medal is suspended must be in the colours described and depicted in the Schedule.
This means the medal remains the same underlying honour, but it is clearly labelled and visually distinguished as a COVID-19 award.
3. COVID-19 designation for Bintang Bakti Masyarakat (Rule 3)
Rule 3 similarly covers the Bintang Bakti Masyarakat (The Public Service Star) (G.N. No. S 333/96). Where awarded for COVID-19 contributions, the 1996 rules apply with modifications.
The modifications include:
- Designation update: add “(COVID-19)” to the medal’s designation and style.
- Ribbon colours: use the Schedule’s COVID-19 ribbon colours.
- Repeat award handling: if the person has previously been awarded a medal under those rules, the person is to be presented with another medal in accordance with this rule instead of a Bar.
This is a significant operational change. In many honours systems, a “Bar” may be used to denote subsequent awards of the same medal. Here, for COVID-19 awards under this specific medal category, the Rules prefer an additional medal rather than a Bar when the recipient has already received a medal under the same rules.
4. COVID-19 designation for Pingat Keberanian (Rule 4)
Rule 4 addresses the Pingat Keberanian (The Medal of Valour) (G.N. No. S 335/96). For COVID-19-related contributions, the 1996 rules apply with modifications that mirror Rule 3’s core features:
- add “(COVID-19)” to the designation and style;
- use the Schedule’s ribbon colours; and
- if the person has previously been awarded a medal under those rules, present another medal instead of a Bar.
From a legal drafting perspective, this ensures uniformity in how repeat COVID-19 awards are represented for both the Public Service Star and the Medal of Valour.
5. COVID-19 designation for Pingat Pentadbiran Awam (Rule 5)
Rule 5 covers the Pingat Pentadbiran Awam (The Public Administration Medal) (G.N. No. S 334/96). Again, the modifications include:
- adding “(COVID-19)” to the designation and style;
- using the Schedule’s ribbon colours; and
- for repeat awards, if the person has previously been awarded a Medal of the same grade under those rules, they are to be presented with another medal instead of a Bar.
The “same grade” qualifier is important. It suggests that repeat award logic is grade-specific: a Bar may still be relevant for other grades (depending on how the underlying 1996 rules treat Bars across grades), but for COVID-19 awards of the same grade, the Rules mandate another medal rather than a Bar.
6. COVID-19 designation for Pingat Kepujian and Pingat Bakti Masyarakat (Rules 6 and 7)
Rules 6 and 7 deal with:
- Pingat Kepujian (The Commendation Medal) (G.N. No. S 336/96) — Rule 6; and
- Pingat Bakti Masyarakat (The Public Service Medal) (G.N. No. S 337/96) — Rule 7.
For both medals, the modifications are limited to:
- adding “(COVID-19)” to the designation and style; and
- using the Schedule’s ribbon colours.
Notably, the extract does not include repeat-award “Bar vs medal” modifications for these two categories. That implies the underlying 1996 rules’ approach to Bars (if any) remains applicable for COVID-19 awards under these medal types.
7. The Schedule: ribbon colours for COVID-19 medals
The Schedule sets out the colours for ribbons of medals awarded for COVID-19 contributions. While the extract does not reproduce the colour description itself, the Schedule is legally essential: it operationalises the requirement that the ribbon colours must match the COVID-19 theme. For practitioners, this means that compliance is not merely descriptive; it is tied to an official, published specification.
How Is This Legislation Structured?
The Rules are structured in a straightforward, modular way:
- Rule 1 contains the citation (short title).
- Rules 2 to 7 each identify a specific medal category instituted under the 1996 rules and provide that those rules apply to COVID-19 awards subject to modifications.
- The Schedule provides the ribbon colour specification for COVID-19 medals.
There are no “Parts” listed in the extract, and the legislation is essentially a set of targeted amendments. The drafting style is typical of Singapore subsidiary legislation that updates existing legal frameworks without rewriting them in full.
Who Does This Legislation Apply To?
The Rules apply to persons who are awarded the specified medals for contributions to Singapore’s fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. The legislation does not itself define eligibility criteria for COVID-19 contributions; instead, it modifies the existing 1996 medal rules when the award is made for that pandemic-related purpose.
Accordingly, the practical “audience” includes:
- the authorities responsible for recommending and approving honours awards;
- recipients and potential recipients whose awards are being processed under the relevant 1996 medal schemes; and
- administrative units that must ensure the correct designation and ribbon specifications are used.
Why Is This Legislation Important?
Although the Rules are relatively short, they are legally significant because they ensure that COVID-19 recognition is properly integrated into Singapore’s honours system. By expressly modifying the 1996 medal rules, the Government provides clarity and legal certainty on how the medals should be designated and presented for COVID-19 contributions.
From a practitioner’s perspective, the most important legal effects are:
- Designation control: the mandatory addition of “(COVID-19)” ensures that the medal’s official style reflects the award’s purpose.
- Visual compliance: the Schedule-based ribbon colours provide an objective standard for presentation.
- Repeat award mechanics: for certain medals (Rules 3, 4, and 5), the Rules override the underlying Bar mechanism by requiring an additional medal instead of a Bar when prior awards exist (with the “same grade” limitation for the Public Administration Medal).
These provisions matter in administrative disputes, record-keeping, and ceremonial presentation. For example, if a recipient is already a prior medal holder, the Rules determine whether the correct form of recognition is a Bar or another medal. Similarly, if the ribbon colours or designation are incorrect, the award’s official character may be called into question in audits or administrative reviews.
Related Legislation
- Pingat Jasa Gemilang (The Meritorious Service Medal) Rules 1996 (G.N. No. S 332/96)
- Bintang Bakti Masyarakat (The Public Service Star) Rules 1996 (G.N. No. S 333/96)
- Pingat Pentadbiran Awam (The Public Administration Medal) Rules 1996 (G.N. No. S 334/96)
- Pingat Keberanian (The Medal of Valour) Rules 1996 (G.N. No. S 335/96)
- Pingat Kepujian (The Commendation Medal) Rules 1996 (G.N. No. S 336/96)
- Pingat Bakti Masyarakat (The Public Service Medal) Rules 1996 (G.N. No. S 337/96)
Source Documents
This article provides an overview of the Medals (COVID-19) Rules 2022 for legal research and educational purposes. It does not constitute legal advice. Readers should consult the official text for authoritative provisions.