Statute Details
- Title: Requisition of Resources (Service of Notice of Requisition) Regulations
- Act Code: RRA1985-RG2
- Type: Subsidiary Legislation (SL)
- Authorising Act: Requisition of Resources Act (Chapter 273), specifically sections 12, 41 and 48
- Regulations Citation: Requisition of Resources (Service of Notice of Requisition) Regulations (Rg 2)
- Gazette / Instrument: G.N. No. S 349/1989; Revised Edition 1990 (25th March 1992)
- Status: Current version as at 27 Mar 2026
- Key Provisions: Regulation 2 (definitions); Regulation 3 (assignment of code and mobilisation centre); Regulation 4 (service by broadcast/pager); Regulation 5 (furnishing chattels at mobilisation centre)
What Is This Legislation About?
The Requisition of Resources (Service of Notice of Requisition) Regulations (“the Regulations”) provide the operational rules for how notices of requisition under the Requisition of Resources Act (“the Act”) can be served on owners and persons in control of “chattels” (broadly, equipment, vehicles, vessels, aircraft, and similar items). In particular, the Regulations address a practical problem: during emergencies, it may not be feasible to serve individual written notices to every relevant owner. The Regulations therefore allow service through mass communication—broadcasts over radio and television, and transmissions to radio-communications pagers.
In plain language, the Regulations create a system where the competent authority assigns a “code” and an “equipment marshalling area” (a designated delivery location) to specific chattels. When a notice of requisition is served by broadcast or pager, the owner or custodian must identify the relevant code and immediately deliver the corresponding chattel to the assigned mobilisation centre. The Regulations also set out how the assignment of codes and mobilisation centres is communicated and how it can be varied or revoked.
Although the Regulations are subsidiary legislation, they are legally significant because they specify the mechanics of service and compliance. For practitioners, the key is that the Regulations translate the Act’s requisition powers into enforceable, time-sensitive duties—especially where service is effected without direct personal delivery of a notice.
What Are the Key Provisions?
1. Definitions and the scope of “chattel” (Regulation 2)
The Regulations define several terms that shape who must respond and what must be delivered. “Authorised officer” refers to the person appointed by the competent authority to receive chattels furnished pursuant to a notice of requisition. “Competent authority” is the authority appointed under the Act for purposes including section 12 of the Act. Most importantly, “chattel” is defined broadly to include “any substance, machine, equipment, vehicle, vessel or aircraft,” but with explicit exclusions: it does not include currency, gold securities, or negotiable instruments. This exclusion matters for compliance planning—financial instruments are not “chattels” for these purposes.
The Regulations also define “equipment marshalling area” as the place appointed by the competent authority to which a chattel must be delivered upon a notice of requisition. This is the “where” of compliance: the mobilisation centre is not generic; it is assigned in relation to the specific chattel and communicated through the code system.
2. Assignment of code and mobilisation centre (Regulation 3)
Regulation 3 establishes the administrative mechanism by which the competent authority links a particular chattel to a code and a delivery location. Under Regulation 3(1), the competent authority may, by letter served in accordance with Regulation 3(2), assign to an owner of a chattel or a person having possession, control or custody of the chattel any code (in words, figures or symbols) and an equipment marshalling area in relation to a chattel specified in that letter.
Practically, this means that even though the notice of requisition may later be served by broadcast or pager, the “code-to-chattel-to-location” mapping is created beforehand through a letter served under Regulation 3. The letter is served differently depending on the recipient:
- Individuals: service by personal delivery, or by registered post to the individual’s usual or last known place of residence or business.
- Firms/companies/corporations: service by personal delivery to a partner, director, manager or secretary (as applicable), or by registered post to the firm/company/corporation’s principal place of business or registered office.
Regulation 3(3) further provides that the competent authority may vary or revoke any assigned code or equipment marshalling area by letter served in accordance with Regulation 3(2). This is important for legal certainty and operational continuity: assignments are not necessarily permanent, and compliance obligations may shift if the authority updates the code or the mobilisation centre.
3. Service by broadcast over radio/television and radio-communications pager (Regulation 4)
Regulation 4 is the core “service” provision. It specifies how a notice of requisition may be served under section 41(3) of the Act. Two modes are covered:
- Broadcast over radio and television: where the notice of requisition is served pursuant to section 41(3)(a) of the Act, it may be served by broadcasting code(s) in words, figures or symbols as determined by the competent authority.
- Transmission over radio-communications pager: where the notice is served pursuant to section 41(3)(e) of the Act, it may be served by transmitting code(s) via radio-communications pager as determined by the competent authority.
For practitioners, the legal significance lies in the fact that “service” can occur without a direct written notice to the owner or custodian at the time of requisition. Instead, the law treats broadcast/pager transmission of the relevant code(s) as the triggering mechanism for compliance. This elevates the importance of ensuring that the recipient has been properly assigned the code and mobilisation centre under Regulation 3, and that the broadcast/pager transmission is capable of being received and understood by those persons.
4. Furnishing the chattel at the mobilisation centre (Regulation 5)
Regulation 5 imposes the duty to deliver. Under Regulation 5(1), every owner and every person having possession, custody or control of a chattel who has been assigned code(s) that have been broadcast or transmitted must, “upon hearing or seeing the broadcast or transmission,” immediately furnish the chattel to the authorised officer at the equipment marshalling area assigned under Regulation 3.
This is a strict, time-sensitive obligation. The duty is triggered by the person’s awareness (“upon hearing or seeing”) of the broadcast or transmission. The Regulations do not require receipt of a written notice at that moment; the code broadcast/pager transmission is the operative event.
Regulation 5(2) introduces an important qualification: where the broadcast or transmission states the time for reporting, the owner and custodian must furnish the chattel at the time so stated. This provision effectively reconciles “immediately” with a scheduled reporting time. In practice, compliance planning should assume that the broadcast/pager message may include a specific reporting time, and that failure to deliver at that time could constitute non-compliance with the Regulations.
How Is This Legislation Structured?
The Regulations are short and operationally focused, consisting of five main provisions:
- Regulation 1 (Citation): provides the short title.
- Regulation 2 (Definitions): defines key terms including “authorised officer,” “chattel,” “competent authority,” and “equipment marshalling area.”
- Regulation 3 (Assignment of code and mobilisation centre): sets out how the competent authority assigns codes and delivery locations via letters, and how those assignments may be varied or revoked.
- Regulation 4 (Service by broadcast/pager): specifies the two mass communication methods for serving notices of requisition—radio/television broadcast and radio-communications pager transmission.
- Regulation 5 (Chattel to be furnished at mobilisation centre): establishes the duty to deliver the relevant chattel immediately upon hearing/seeing the code, or at a stated reporting time.
Notably, the Regulations do not themselves set out enforcement penalties or compensation mechanisms; those matters are governed by the Act and related legal instruments. The Regulations concentrate on the “how” of service and compliance.
Who Does This Legislation Apply To?
The Regulations apply to (i) owners of chattels and (ii) persons having possession, custody or control of chattels that have been assigned codes and mobilisation centres under Regulation 3. The duty to furnish is not limited to legal title holders; it extends to operational custodians—such as operators, controllers, or persons managing the equipment—so long as they have possession or control.
In addition, the Regulations apply to the competent authority and the authorised officer appointed under the Act. The competent authority must follow the prescribed method of assignment and must determine the codes for broadcast/pager transmission. The authorised officer is the receiving point for the furnished chattels at the equipment marshalling area.
Why Is This Legislation Important?
These Regulations are important because they operationalise the Act’s requisition powers in a way that can function during emergencies. In a crisis, the state may need rapid access to equipment and resources. The code-and-mobilisation-centre system allows the competent authority to reach multiple relevant parties quickly without relying on individual service of written notices at the time of requisition.
From a legal and compliance perspective, the Regulations create clear, actionable duties for private parties. The key practical risks are (1) whether the relevant code and mobilisation centre were properly assigned to the person responsible; (2) whether the person can identify the correct code when broadcast or transmitted; and (3) whether the chattel is delivered to the correct location within the required timeframe (immediately or at the stated reporting time).
For practitioners advising clients—particularly companies with fleets, industrial equipment, vessels, or aircraft—the Regulations underscore the need for internal readiness. Clients should consider maintaining records of any codes and mobilisation centres assigned under Regulation 3, ensuring that operational staff know how to respond to broadcast/pager instructions, and establishing procedures to mobilise and deliver the relevant chattels promptly to the authorised officer at the designated equipment marshalling area.
Related Legislation
- Requisition of Resources Act (Chapter 273) — in particular sections 12, 41 and 48 (authorising appointment of competent authority/authorised officers and enabling service of requisition notices by broadcast/pager).
- Timeline (legislation timeline referenced in the legislative record) — for confirming the correct version as at a given date.
Source Documents
This article provides an overview of the Requisition of Resources (Service of Notice of Requisition) Regulations for legal research and educational purposes. It does not constitute legal advice. Readers should consult the official text for authoritative provisions.