PART II
MONOGAMOUS MARRIAGES
Disability to contract marriages
4. —(1) Every person who on 15th September 1961 is lawfully married under any law, religion, custom or usage to one or more spouses shall be incapable during the continuance of that marriage or marriages of contracting a valid marriage under any law, religion, custom or usage with any person other than such spouse or spouses. [9/67]
(2) Every person who on 15th September 1961 is lawfully married under any law, religion, custom or usage to one or more spouses and who subsequently ceases to be married to that spouse or all the spouses shall, if he thereafter marries again, be incapable during the continuance of that marriage of contracting a valid marriage with any other person under any law, religion, custom or usage. [9/67]
(3) Every person who on 15th September 1961 is unmarried and who after that date marries under any law, religion, custom or usage shall be incapable during the continuance of that marriage of contracting a valid marriage with any other person under any law, religion, custom or usage. [9/67]
(4) Nothing in this section shall affect the operation of Part III in relation to marriages solemnized in Singapore after 15th September 1961. [9/67]
Void marriages
5. —(1) Every marriage contracted in Singapore or elsewhere in contravention of section 4 shall be void. [9/67;26/80]
(2) If any male person lawfully married under any law, religion, custom or usage shall, during the continuance of that marriage, contract a union with a woman, that woman shall have no right of succession or inheritance on the death intestate of such male person. [9/67]
(3) Nothing in this section shall affect the liability of any person to pay such maintenance as may be directed to be paid by him under any written law.
Offence
6. Any person lawfully married under any law, religion, custom or usage who during the continuance of that marriage purports to contract a marriage in Singapore or elsewhere under any law, religion, custom or usage in contravention of section 4 shall be deemed to commit the offence of marrying again during the lifetime of the husband or wife, as the case may be, within the meaning of section 494 of the Penal Code (Cap. 224).[26/80]
Continuance of marriage
7. Every marriage solemnized in Singapore after 15th September 1961, other than a marriage which is void under the provisions of this Act, shall continue until dissolved —
(a) by the death of one of the parties;
(b) by order of a court of competent jurisdiction; or
(c) by a declaration made by a court of competent jurisdiction that the marriage is null and void. [9/67]